The five-baht coin of the Sui Dynasty was also called the Kaihuang five-baht coin. A hanging coin weighed one hundred coins, and a thousand coins weighed four kilograms and two taels. Since the amount of money circulating in the market was small, the currency value was relatively high. Most people could live a month with just a few coins.
But this time Yuan Qing was lucky enough to hunt the extremely rare golden leopard in Xineiyuan, and he really made a fortune.
Six hundred and fifty coins weighed more than 270 kilograms, totaling sixty-five thousand coins. Of course, shopkeeper Wu didn't have that much money to give him, so he gave him six taels of gold and fifty coins in cash. Gold was not in circulation.
It belongs to treasure, and silver is also a treasure. One tael of silver is worth twenty dan qian. Many big businessmen thought the money was too heavy, so they cast silver into silver beans. One tael weighed one qian and was worth two dan qian. It was very convenient.
Although the imperial court did not allow such privately minted silver beans to pass through, in fact it had become a disguised currency, and was widely used, especially in border areas.
Yuan Qing put fifty coins and six taels of gold into a bag, put it on his shoulders and went home happily.
Although the golden knife in his arms is worth hundreds of gold, it is far less meaningful to him than the bag of money on his shoulder. With this money, his aunt no longer has to copy books, and can buy better medicine for Niu Niu, which his family can take.
Meat.
More importantly, he found a way to make money so that his family can live a prosperous life. Yuan Qing's biggest wish is to restore his aunt and Niu Niu's freedom and buy a house so that they can live like ordinary people.
Life.
In his heart, he doesn't want to rely on the Yang family. With his own ability, he can still support his family.
"Aunt, Niuniu!"
As soon as he returned to the yard, he put down his robe and started shouting. Shen Qiuniang came out of the kitchen and complained a little bit about him, "Yuan Qing, where have you been and why are you back now?"
"Auntie, I went to Longshouyuan to practice archery."
Yuan Qing did not dare to say that he was going hunting, so he suggested that he was practicing martial arts. He asked again: "Where is Niuniu?"
"Brother Yuanqing, I'm here!"
Niuniu came out of his room, dragging a heavy sack in her hand. Yuan Qing was startled, "What is it?"
Shen Qiuniang smiled and said: "Your master asked someone to send them. They are all high-quality and precious medicinal materials. He said that you need to prepare the elixirs. There are also some cheaper medicines. I asked you to go to the drug store to buy them yourself. Yuanqing, you are here.
When you tell me which medicines are prepared, I will help you go outside the city to pick them up."
Yuan Qing did not expect that Zhang Xutuo was so thoughtful that he even thought that he had no money to buy medicine. He also knew that Zhang Xutuo was afraid that others would know the formula, so he did not give him all the medicine, but only the most expensive ones.
After hearing this, he was moved and nodded and said, "Auntie, you don't have to collect medicine from now on. We will just buy medicine from now on. We won't worry about money anymore."
"You silly boy, what are you talking about?"
Shen Qiuniang didn't understand what Yuan Qing was talking about. He saw a heavy bag beside Yuan Qing's feet, so he asked him: "What's in the bag at your feet?"
"Auntie, come with me!"
Yuan Qing closed the courtyard door and carried the robe into his aunt's room. Shen Qiuniang followed and said with a smile: "Sneaky, what are you doing?"
"Brother Yuanqing, I want to see it too!" Niu Niu also ran in.
"Niuniu, close the door."
Yuan Qing understands the principle of keeping wealth secret. Once the Yang family knows that they are rich, a lot of troubles will come unexpectedly. Some people will be jealous and file a lawsuit. After all, the identities of aunt and Niuniu are still slaves, and slaves always have money.
Very serious problem.
After Niu Niu closed the door, Yuan Qing untied the sack and poured out fifty coins and six ingots of gold with a sound of "crash!"
Shen Qiuniang and Niu Niu were immediately startled. When Niu Niu saw the six brilliant yellow golds, she couldn't help but exclaimed, "Wow! So much money."
Although Shen Qiuniang lives in poverty, she comes from a wealthy family in the south of the Yangtze River. She is not too surprised. She is more concerned about where Yuan Qing got so much money and gold.
His master has already marched south, so it must not have been given to him by his master. Yang Xiangguo is not in the capital, and no one from the Yang family will give him money. So where did he get the money?
Shen Qiuniang's face darkened, "Yuan Qing, tell me the truth, where did this money come from?"
She was most worried about Yuan Qing going down a wrong path, especially if he was very good at martial arts now and would use his martial arts to do something illegal.
Yuan Qing felt the severity in his aunt's tone, and he quickly explained with a smile, "Aunt, don't worry! I won't do anything bad. I earned this money and gold."
"Earned?"
Shen Qiuniang didn't believe how it was possible to earn so much money in one day and even have gold. She frowned and said, "Where did you earn it? You must tell Auntie honestly."
At this time, Niu Niu had already converted the gold into money. She raised her head excitedly and said, "Brother Yuan Qing, there is at least 600 coins in it!"
Six hundred coins was their living expenses for ten years. Such a large amount of money made Shen Qiuniang even more worried, "Yuan Qing, are you..."
"Aunt, it's nothing, I'm going hunting."
Yuan Qing sighed and had no choice but to tell the truth. Talking about encountering wild beasts while practicing martial arts made his aunt even more worried. He took out a leopard's canine tooth from his pocket and held it in his palm. This was the evidence he specially kept.
"I was hunting in Longshouyuan. I wanted to catch some pheasants and wild ducks and sell them for some money so that my aunt wouldn't have to stay up late copying books. Unexpectedly, I met a leopard that ran out of Xineiyuan. I killed it and sold it for six One hundred and fifty dollars..."
Before he could finish his words, Shen Qiuniang hugged him in her arms, tears streaming down her face, "My aunt is useless. She actually lets an eight-year-old go hunting to support the family. My aunt is useless!"
Yuan Qing was held in his aunt's arms. His eyes were a little red and he shouted softly, "Mom!"
Shen Qiuniang was shocked. She lowered her head and looked at Yuan Qing, "What did you call me?"
Yuan Qing lowered his head and whispered: "The first day I met my aunt, I regarded her as my mother."
Shen Qiuniang held Yuan Qing in her arms again and couldn't help but burst into tears, "Silly boy, you are my aunt's son!"
Niu Niu stood up timidly, pulled her mother's sleeve, and whispered: "Mom!"
Shen Qiuniang wiped away her tears and stroked Yuan Qing's head, "Son, we love mother and son, but you still have to call me aunt, do you understand?"
"Aunt, I understand."
"Okay, you put the money away, let's go have dinner first, and we'll talk about hunting in the evening."
Yuan Qing and Niu Niu worked together, put the money into a sack and stuffed it into the gap under the bed. Yuan Qing repeatedly told Niu Niu, "Don't tell anyone!"
Niu Niu smiled and said, "I am very strict. For example, if the lady asked me about the sword repeatedly, I would insist that it was a gift from your master."
"Does Auntie believe it?"
"I finally believed it. She told me to go and thank your master later."
"That's good. I'm afraid that you little girl will tell you to show your mouth, so let's just do that and wash our hands in the golden basin from now on."
"Hee hee! Just do that one thing, and you'll make us look like bandits."
"Niuniu, Yuan Qing, come over for dinner!" Shen Qiuniang's voice came from the kitchen.
"Coming!"
Yuan Qing and Niu Niu ran to the small kitchen and sat down. Shen Qiuniang handed them the chopsticks, "Eat!"
Today, Shen Qiuniang went to hand in a batch of books and received two ounces of money. She went to the market to cut two kilograms of meat to supplement their nutrition.
She handed the largest piece of roast pork to Yuan Qing and said with a smile: "I originally wanted to buy a chicken, but I got there late and the chickens have been sold out. I will buy it for you tomorrow."
Speaking of chickens, Yuan Qing couldn't help laughing, "Aunt, there's no need to buy them. I'll shoot two pheasants back tomorrow. I'll shoot one today for lunch."
Yuan Qing reached out and hit her on the head with his knuckles, "You can't go, it's too dangerous and you will become a burden to me!"
"Who said that!"
Niuniu pursed her lips and said, "My Qinggong is better than yours. Didn't we climb over the wall and enter the martial arts gym one night?"
Yuan Qing was so frightened that he quickly kicked her from below, but he must not let it slip. Shen Qiuniang didn't pay attention to what Niuniu said. She was still thinking about hunting. She couldn't help but sigh, "I'm so stupid. I'm going to collect medicine." I have seen wild ducks from time to time, but I have never thought of hunting one to replenish your health."
Shen Qiuniang actually had a hidden secret. She didn't dare to expose her martial arts skills. She taught Niu Niu to practice martial arts with the courtyard door closed and taught her secretly. She initially stayed in the Yang Mansion to avenge her husband. Her enemy was not Yang Su. , and Shi Wansui, who killed her husband with her own hands, she saw Shi Wansui twice in Yang's mansion, but she was unable to do anything, and she never saw him again.
But as time went by, her hatred gradually faded. If she had not raised Yuan Qing, she would have left the Yang Mansion with her daughter long ago. The world is so big that there is no room for them, mother and daughter, so why should they be slaves in other people's houses.
Since raising Yuan Qing, she has been no different from her own body. The Yang Mansion has no restrictions on her, so she has lived there year after year and raised her two children wholeheartedly.
But no matter what, she didn't want to reveal her martial arts skills. She would rather make money by copying books than go hunting like Yuan Qing. Moreover, she never imagined that a golden leopard was worth six hundred and fifty coins.
She knew very well that although tigers and leopards were valuable, many hunters had lost their lives to tigers and leopards. If she encountered a golden leopard, she might not be able to defeat it. Even ordinary martial arts practitioners would be hard-pressed to defeat leopard claws. Only generals with fighting skills can fight tigers and leopards.
Thinking of this, Shen Qiuniang said worriedly: "Yuanqing, I don't object to you going to hunt pheasants, wild ducks and the like, but it's too dangerous for you to go hunting for tigers and leopards. You're still young, so you can't go anymore."
Yuan Qing had a fight with the Golden Leopard today. He knew that he could actually fight it, but he didn't want his aunt to worry, so he smiled and said: "Aunt, I think I can't beat it! Today's Golden Leopard ran away from Xineiyuan. Come out. Besides, the martial arts I have practiced require fighting to break through. This is what the master said. I killed the leopard very easily today, so Auntie can rest assured! I am very powerful now."
Shen Qiuniang knew that the child had grown up and she could not stop him. As long as he did not go astray, she would let him fight!
She sighed, "Eat quickly, the water has been boiled, you can take it to take a bath later!"
Yuan Qing wanted to take out the golden knife and show it off to Niu Niu, but he finally held back. The slave contract between his aunt and Niu Niu was in the hands of Mrs. Zheng. He heard that Mrs. Zheng liked jewelry and gold, and he was going to wait for Mrs. Zheng to come back.
Use this knife in exchange for Auntie and Niuniu's freedom.