Chapter 455 – The First Winter (Part 2)
When Gu Xin left, he didn’t just take away a batch of glass tea sets and some jewelry; he also took the gifts Jiang Pengji prepared for Liu Zhi. The gifts weren’t particularly precious, but they were heartfelt—like several winter sweaters and thermal pants, a multifunctional hot pot, and a combined grill and barbecue set, along with her handwritten soup base and sauce recipes…
As Gu Xin looked at these items, his expression became somewhat complex.
If it weren’t for this chaotic world, Little Dongjia might have become a merchant even more powerful than the old master.
Not only could he have been the richest in Dongqing, but he might well have been the richest across the five nations, expanding his business throughout the entire realm.
What a pity; the state of affairs today just doesn’t allow for it.
Thinking of this, Gu Xin felt a touch more pity for Jiang Pengji.
Before leaving, he asked a question he’d been curious about.
“That Feng Langjun… is he perhaps a special guest of Little Dongjia?”
Jiang Pengji, seeing Gu Xin’s mysterious demeanor, nearly choked on her water.
“No, my relationship with Huaiyu is merely that of gentlemen; we are close friends, nothing deeper,” she answered decisively, hoping to prevent Gu Xin from overthinking.
“Then… that little girl before isn’t Little Dongjia’s child?” Gu Xin asked.
She replied firmly, “No, she has nothing to do with me.”
Gu Xin left Xiangyang with a mixed bag of emotions, not sure whether to feel regretful or relieved.
Thanks to the supplies Gu Xin brought, the development of Xiangyang took another big leap forward. The city began to show signs of future prosperity, a sight Jiang Pengji barely set aside her “unserious activities” for, as she dutifully sat in the administrative hall handling affairs.
The busiest task recently was distributing quality seeds and arranging the rental of farmland for the coming year. Fortunately, Qi Guanrang had already registered all the households, so the workload wasn’t too heavy. A bit of overtime, and she could set herself free.
“This weather is getting colder…”
Noticing the leaves in the courtyard turning a dull yellow, Feng Jin mused.
“It’s the same every year; at least this year we’re well-prepared,” Qi Guanrang remarked, having seen all kinds of dire situations since childhood. To him, today’s Xiangyang was like a paradise—a peaceful, quiet place filled with vitality. Such scenes were rare in his lifetime, and he hoped they would spread throughout the realm.
“It’s not that I’m worried about that; Jin is worried about something else. Once winter hits, the common folk might not be able to work through the heavy snow… Many in Xiangyang depend on labor for their food, and if there’s no work in winter…” Feng Jin paused. “We can’t just open the granary and distribute grain, can we? Those are prepared as military rations for the spring plowing; we can’t touch that…”
Jiang Pengji’s plan to deal with the Green Garment Army over in Fengyi was known to Feng Jin and the others.
With the newly recruited soldiers combined with the existing Imperial Guards and troops, the number had reached eight thousand.
As Xiangyang needed to speed up construction, they had been running around helping everywhere from summer to late autumn, hardly resting. It wouldn’t be until winter that military training would become rigorous.
Feng Jin felt a bit ticked off; which army doesn’t train in good weather? But here, their lord wanted the toughest training to be in the winter.
That said, he could understand Jiang Pengji rationally.
Steel tempers will; snow and ice forge military spirits.
Only in harsh conditions could one’s potential be maximized.
Regarding this issue, Qi Guanrang had previously discussed it with Jiang Pengji, who had given a rather absurd suggestion.
“Just a few days ago, the lord told me, she said… since it’s cold in winter, we should just stay home and knit sweaters,” he said, his expression stiff as he imitated Jiang Pengji’s nonchalant tone.
Feng Jin was left speechless.
That wasn’t wrong.
Before early autumn, all the residential buildings had been completed.
Starting in mid-September, the common people began moving into their new homes in batches.
The houses were around fifty square meters, one unit per household, with every ten units forming a courtyard.
Of course, these homes were leased to the common folk for a hundred and fifty wen per month, affordable for even the poorest families.
By early October, the county started recruiting female workers in large numbers, establishing a knitting workshop which expanded to one hundred and fifty workers.
The primary task of the workshop was to handle wool, turning it into yarn.
In addition, the workshop welcomed skilled women to learn how to knit sweaters and pants. Those who knitted a sweater and thermal pants of specified sizes could earn between twenty-five to forty-five wen.
If the sweaters were patterned or intricately made, a bonus of five to ten wen could also be earned.
Of course, if any men wanted to join in, the county welcomed that as well.
As for the wool yarn balls and knitting needles needed for knitting sweaters and pants, every household had to register with their real address, real name, and names of family members at the workshop as collateral, leaving a fifty wen deposit.
This news was undoubtedly fantastic for the common folk. Knitting sweaters is not the same as other physical labor; one could comfortably stay at home even on the coldest winter days—no need to worry about not having work and a chance to save up for a smoother life next year.
Skilled women could finish two sets in about three days, spending their days at home knitting sweaters.
Many men, eager to earn more, quietly learned the craft from their wives.
The county-built houses were of high quality, a significant improvement over the drafty homes most common folk lived in.
The common folk entered their first winter after the earthquake with immense confidence.
As November rolled in, the cold wind brought with it a biting chill that stung the skin.
Sweaters and thermal pants officially hit the market: forty wen for children and a hundred wen for adults.
The price was quite reasonable, but the common folk mostly held back, only those who had knitted sweaters and pants themselves were willing to spend.
Not to mention, wearing them was incredibly warm, a cozy sensation enveloping the whole body.
Throw on any outer clothing, and you’d be practically immune to the cold wind.
In just over half a month, these cold-weather treasures were sweeping through Xiangyang City.
Sales of sweaters skyrocketed. Xu Ke, the shopkeeper, looked at the accounts, nearly brought to tears.
“…Sweaters and thermal pants—this is such a money-losing business…”
He calculated the bills carefully, realizing each set sold incurred a loss of thirty or forty wen.
“Xiaoyu, we can’t calculate the accounts this way,” Feng Jin tugged at the circle scarf around his neck, chuckling. “You should also consider how much the county would lose if the common folk froze to death. In that sense, we’d actually be making a significant gain! Even in the capital, there are deaths due to snowstorms and harsh cold.”
It was originally a losing business; Jiang Pengji just wanted people to survive.
Entering the administrative hall, Feng Jin quickly closed the fan door to block the cold wind outside, then took off his round scarf.
If it were before, he would certainly wrap himself tightly to avoid looking bulky and throw on a thick fox cloak.
But now it was different—first, he’d wear a set of inner clothing, then a sweater and thermal pants, with a slightly heavier loose outer garment on top. Just a few steps, and he’d feel warmth spreading through his body. It was incredibly comfortable.
