Since early morning the Ye family’s courtyard has been noisy.

For hours madam Ye tried to have a nap but couldn't due to her daughter-in-laws loudly fighting in the kitchen. She thought it would end soon and didn’t interfere. But now it seems even the men in the family had joined the fight. She slowly got up from the bed and went towards the kitchen.

“Elder sister Lian, you can’t do this. How can Fang handle all the chores in the house alone. There are no important incidents at home now, so you could share some work at home”, spoke Ye Xue. Ye Dao refuted Ye Qui, “Is this how you should speak with your elder sister-in-law? She has to manage the family”.

“Enough” Madam Ye shouted. “There is no need for anyone to manage the household while I am still alive”. Ye Lian flustered seeing Madam Ye’s appearance, she hurriedly tried to rectify “Mother that is not what husband meant…”. Even before she could finish her sentence, Madam Ye scolded, “I don’t want to hear any explanations. Now I will allot your work schedule. Ye Lian, kitchen and cleaning is your responsibility. Ye Fang should manage the feed of the livestock. Kong Hua, you should wash clothes and manage the vegetable field. Ye Fang will also help you manage vegetable fields. Does anyone here have any opposition”.

Kong Hua was definitely unsatisfied with this arrangement. She had lived all her life in town and definitely not familiar with farmwork. She pinched her husband's hand, wanting him to speak for her. Getting the signal, Ye Zian said “Mother, Hua is pregnant and she has no experience with farmwork, so ..”. Before finishing his sentence Madam Ye’s rebuttal came, “So what, do I have to build a temple for her and worship her as a deity. She is a farmer’s wife, she should be familiar with all this. If you do not believe so, do some business and bring home some money”.

Ye Zian’s face darkened the moment he heard this. Madam Ye continued without giving his feelings any consideration, “You do know that this family has a scholar right. Normally families with scholars would not promote business, but am I like that. Even knowing it may affect Zihan’s reputation, I encourage you to do business. But still this day did you bring home anything except loses. First you make one of your businesses into a success then you will have the right to speak with me”.

It is true that Madam Ye favours the 2nd and 5th branch more than 4th. But unlike Ye Qui she does not have any vengeance for Ye Xue and his wife. Ye Xue is although a bit stupid he obeys her and Ye Fang even if she came from a poor family she gave birth to a son and respects her. If she pushed all the workload onto Ye Fang like she did with Hui Juan, it would soon result in conflicts and would end in separation. She does not want to have a repetition of what happened again. And her Ye Zihan 2nd exam will be conducted in next february. She needs to prepare more money now. And the loss inflicted by Hui Juan is still heavy. She should make this up with winter harvest.

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It was near noon when Roulan finally became happy and went to sleep. These villagers should be taught a lesson but now I am helpless to do anything against them. Well there is a saying that for gentlemen it is not too late to take revenge in 10 years. But now I do need them and could not always depend on neighbouring villages as there is no good transportation in this world.

One hour later, the carpenter’s son gave me the first delivery of heels. I tried stitching it to the straw shoes and I achieved the result to my satisfaction but it is hard work. Even though the wood I chose is particularly soft and the iron needle is strong it takes a good amount of strength to do this work. If I was willing to do hard work then I would have not left Ye family. And even if I did bear hardship, I would require a helper to finish it in time. And there is also a popular saying that the enemy of an enemy is a friend. So why not take that friend’s help.

After making sure Roulan slept comfortably I went to the hunter’s family in the village. This hunter’s family do have a vengeance with Yanjia village. Few years back a boar came down the mountains and attacked the villagers, at that time hunter was the one who defeated the boar. But in the fight he was gravely injured. When the hunter visited the doctor, the doctor prescribed medicine that cost nearly 5 silver. Their family did not have that much money and asked the village to help them pay. But no one in the village was willing.

So the hunter’s family proposed to sell the pig and give that money for treatment. But that also was opposed by the village head as not only hunter was hurt but many others. They also should be given some meat as relief. Atlast the hunter died due to no treatment and the hunter's family had been ignoring the village head and the villagers ever since.

I went towards the mountains as their house is located on the mountain side. As I approached I saw the hunter’s wife cutting wood with a huge axe. I unconsciously gulped seeing the scene. I called out “sister Hui Hong, can I speak something with you?'' Seeing me even though she didn’t warmly welcome me, she still put down the axe and walked towards and asked on the way, “What is it?”.

“Well I was thinking your 2 daughters are sitting simply at home now isn’t it, so I was thinking to give them a job of 10 copper a day”. Hearing me say this she was clearly excited, after her husband died, their family was in a tough spot. She had 2 daughters of 19 and 16 and both of their marriages are not over. Her son is only 15 and enters the deep mountains for her family to survive. Sometimes her elder daughter also accompanies her son. There is also her old mother-in-law at home.

“I agree, both girls do not have much to do, what kind of work is that and how long should they do”,replied Hui Hong. I answer back “The thing is sister, I am planning on being a hawker(street seller), so if they are free they could help me make straw shoes. I will teach them how to make you just send them to my home. If there is no issue for you, you can also send your son also. But the payment won’t increase. For him also it would be 10 copper”. I do not want the villagers to know, I opened a shop in town.

Hui Hong agreed, happily hearing this. But on second thought, her son is 15 years old this year and entered marriage age, and this Hui Juan does not have a good name in the village. If anyone said anything bad about her son and Hui Juan then it would affect her son’s future. But money is also important.

Hui Hong slowly coughed, “ho, ho, but I don't think that boy would be interested in learning crafts. How about I come instead of my son”. Hui Juan agreed without giving much thought. If she knew about Hui Hong’s internal crisis, she would have screamed back saying she had no interest in minors.

Hui Hong thinks, if what this Hui Juan says is true, then there is no need for her son to enter the mountains. Let him do all the housework then.

Next house I went to was also from a member of the Hui clan’s house. That family is one of the poorest families in the village. I went there and called out, “Hui Cong are you in the house, come out”. This family is so poor and they have great fear and respect for the Hui Clan leaders' family. Usually they do work in Hui clan’s patriarch's (also this body's father) fields for 2 or 3 silvers a year. But I heard that last year their family divided and the younger son’s family was truly pathetic. They gained no land or much money from the parents. Even their father’s job was given to their second son. They were only given a house.

Hui Cong usually goes to Tu village to work in the fields. So during farming time, he usually builds a small shed near the fields and sleeps in Tu village. But now since it is not busy on the farm, he is at home.

Since trying to be friendly with these villagers does not work I do like to change my attitude. “In this winter season you come and work in my fields. I will give you 2 silvers as the salary. But if the harvest is bad, I will give you only 1 silver”, I commanded him giving him no chance to refuse. And this price scale is the scale in Yanjia village.

Actually Hui Cong has no resentment towards me, as his father’s landlord’s daughter he actually does have great respect for me. He agreed it fastly. Even though I do have a bad reputation he does not mind. At least he is sure that I won’t hit him if the harvest turns out bad.

Seeing him agree I was satisfied, I also added “tell your wife to come into my house for housework tomorrow onwards. I will give her 50 copper every week. She just has to clean outside of the house and pigpen. Also has to manage the vegetable garden”. I left after saying that giving him no time to think.

From the next morning onwards the house was very loud with many members. But I didn’t let anyone enter inside our living courtyard, I have already cleaned an adjacent courtyard in this house (this family has 3 courtyards), and let the hunter family make the straw shoes there. Hui Cong’s wife was busy in the vegetable garden.

In three days more than 100 shoes and wooden sandals have been created. I also bought some ready made racks for the store with some modification in the town. Also bought some firecrackers to burst on the opening day. I also bought a few cotton shoes and fixed the heels. My plan is to sell all the items even if it is straw shoes, cotton shoes or wooden sandals for an increase of 5 pennies from the original price of the items. My current balance is only 10 copper. Sorry, I do have a modern heart to buy stuff till the bank balance is over. If it was modern times I would have adjusted with a credit card.

I took my daughter and went to the Shanto town early in the morning. After readying everything in the shop, I lit the firecrackers and officially started the business. My arrangement of the shop is like some small modern shoe store where they have all the types displayed on the stands.

I saw 2 women in cotton clothes entering the shop looking all puzzled. This is the first time they saw such beautiful black straw shoes with something fixed in its bottom. “Welcome to the fashion store (that is the name of the shop) ladies. Do you have something you like?”

One of the short girls pointed at a black heeled shoes. I immediately took it out for her to try. When first she walked, she showed signs of stumbling but soon she readied herself and walked straight around her friend. Now she looks as tall as her friend. Her friend also tried one and liked it. “How much does this cost?”

“The black ones cost 15 copper, the yellow one cost 13 copper, and those with flat heels cost 1 copper less. The wooden sandals cost 12 copper but it would last for 5 years”. Both girls were surprised hearing this, “it would last 5 years”. Their shoes nearly last for six months, so how could it last 5 months. I assured them “Ofcourse, you try holding them, you could feel their strength don’t you.” Both of them tried holding one in their hands and tried pinching it. “ Even if they get damaged I will repair them free in five years”.

Now they seem more excited, “so how long does mine last ?”, the short girl asked. “ They will last 1 year”, I replied. Before selling, I stitched the corners of the shoes to make them last long. Balance I just bluffed to make them excited. “But they do not have any guarantee”. Both of them whispered with each other and decided to buy 2 black shoes for them and 2 wooden sandals for their husbands. They paid me a total of 50 copper after a discount. Soon more people entered the store.

The first day’s business is not looking so shabby.