Qin Sang began to assemble the Building Blocks. There were various shapes and sizes, totaling four hundred pieces. They were lightweight and smooth to the touch, making them effortless to build with.
"I call these wooden blocks 'Building Blocks'."
"Since they are toys, their primary purpose is for play."
"Playing with these can effectively develop a child's manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and focus."
As she spoke, Qin Sang quickly constructed a model of a house with the Building Blocks, adding a surrounding wall. The shopkeeper and Steward Huang understood immediately.
However, they didn't quite understand what Qin Sang had said:
"Hand-eye what ability?"
"What kind of force is 'focus'?"
Qin Sang quickly explained:
"Hand-eye coordination means making the fingers and eyes more agile, and focus means being more earnest and attentive when doing things."
The two of them finally realized.
Qin Sang picked up one of the blocks and said:
"Steward Huang, look. These blocks have different colors and shapes, so you can play sorting games with the child."
"These blocks have simple characters written on them, like 'one, two, three, four' and 'heaven, earth, people, harmony.' This way, Brother Lei can learn while he plays."
"Perhaps by the time Brother Lei can walk, he will already be able to read and recognize characters."
These characters were actually written by Xiao Wu last night at Qin Sang's request; she had rewarded him with two copper coins for it.
Hearing this, Steward Huang could no longer remain calm.
What parent doesn't hope for their son to become a dragon or their daughter to become a phoenix? Just based on Qin Sang's claim that Brother Lei would be able to read by the time he could walk, this toy had truly struck a chord with him.
"I didn't expect Doctor Qin to have such ingenious ideas. How interesting."
"Since Doctor Qin dotes on Brother Lei so much, I will accept this gift on his behalf. Thank you."
After Steward Huang finished speaking, he reached out and snatched a block back from the shopkeeper's hand, placed them all into the bundle, tied it tight, and handed it to the servant beside him.
No one was going to make off with any of Brother Lei's scholarly aura.
The shopkeeper was still dazed from having the item snatched away. Qin Sang smiled at the sight.
"Shopkeeper, if you want some, I'll bring some for you next time."
The shopkeeper was about to agree when Steward Huang interrupted:
"His son is already over ten years old, and there are no young children in his home. Why would he need toys?"
The shopkeeper then sullenly said he didn't need them, thinking to himself, 'I don't have any, but my relatives do.'
However, he didn't dare say that out loud.
Seeing that Steward Huang had accepted the gift, Qin Sang was relieved.
She simply wanted to curry favor. After all, besides the Official, the Steward was the most powerful person in town. It was similar to a commoner in the modern world suddenly getting to know the richest man in a county.
It was definitely better to be on good terms than bad. Giving a gift to his son was an easier way to build a relationship than giving a gift directly to him.
While they were talking, the goods had all been inventoried. The Pharmacy Shopkeeper walked over, holding an account book and a small abacus.
"Doctor Qin, here is the account for the medicinal herbs you brought this time. It totals three thousand seven hundred and thirty copper coins. Please verify it."
Qin Sang took a casual glance. Well, the account book was so densely packed it made her head spin. She smiled and said:
"I trust you, Shopkeeper. It's fine."
The Pharmacy Shopkeeper then handed the account book to Steward Huang. Steward Huang didn't look closely either; he just glanced at it before closing it.
"Doctor Qin, with the medicinal herbs and the mosquito coils, the total is sixty-eight taels and seven hundred and thirty copper coins. Is that correct?"
Qin Sang nodded.
"Sixty-eight taels and seven hundred copper coins will be enough, Steward Huang."
Qin Sang understood the business rule of rounding off.
In the past, when buying vegetables at the market, if it was ten dollars and twenty cents, the seller would just waive the twenty cents.
Of course, if it was ten dollars and seventy cents, she would never give eleven dollars; she'd insist on getting every cent of change back.
But now she was the seller, so she had to be generous.
Steward Huang, however, would not agree.
"That won't do. Doctor Qin also spent money to collect these herbs; I can't let you take a loss."
"Laifu, give Doctor Qin seventy taels."
Huh? The buyer is raising the price himself?
Rounding sixty-eight taels up to seventy?
Is that how the rounding rule works?
He really is a Steward; he's just that wealthy and overbearing.
Qin Sang was overjoyed inside, but she still had to be polite.
"How can I accept this, Steward Huang? This is over a thousand copper coins extra."
More than one tael of silver was enough for a rural family to live on for a year.
"Sigh, just take the seventy taels. Consider the extra as money for Doctor Qin's granddaughter to buy some sweets."
Steward Huang summoned a servant. Understanding the gesture, the servant took out three large twenty-tael silver ingots and ten taels of loose silver from a bundle and placed them on a tray on the stone table—exactly seventy taels.
A fortune!
Steward Huang's character was truly beyond reproach. He had the shrewdness of a businessman without being petty, and his emotional intelligence was high.
Qin Sang gave his son a toy, so he gave extra money for Qin Sang's granddaughter to buy sweets. His words were both graceful and pleasant.
"Then I will thank Steward Huang on behalf of my granddaughter."
The shopkeeper nearby also took the initiative to settle the bill, taking out silver—one large twenty-tael ingot and the rest in loose silver.
"Doctor Qin, seventy tubes of mosquito coils come to a total of thirty-five taels of silver. Please count it."
Qin Sang smiled happily and picked up the tray. The silver made a delightful clinking sound.
"No problem. Thank you both. I wish you both abundant wealth."
Everyone loved hearing that. "Let's all get rich together!"
Tian Dazhuang's eyes went wide.
That gleaming white silver shining in the sun was—one hundred taels.
Heavens, he wouldn't even dare to dream of this much money in his life.
How should this hundred taels be hidden?
While Tian Dazhuang was frantically calculating that those large silver ingots probably wouldn't fit into the cracks in the wall, he saw Qin Sang pour all the ingots into a cloth bag used for herbs. Then she rolled up the extra bags, tied them, and turned it into a bundle to carry on her back.
Tian Dazhuang was anxious. 'Oh, Mother, that's a hundred taels! You're storing it so carelessly. What if someone robs us, or the silver is too heavy and falls out?'
Tian Dazhuang stepped forward and tugged on Qin Sang's sleeve.
"Mother, should we put half of this silver on me?"
Qin Sang glanced at him, her smile fading slightly.
"What? You want to be the head of the household?"
Tian Dazhuang hurriedly denied it.
"Mother, don't misunderstand. I didn't mean that. I'm just afraid that in case..."
Qin Sang knew what he was worried about, but she had her Space. It was foolproof; there would be no "in case."
"Are you teaching your mother how to do things?"
The words were light, but they gave Tian Dazhuang a jolt. He cursed himself for being so bold. Just because his mother had changed, he thought he could tell her what to do.
"No, no. It's definitely fine for Mother to keep it."
Seeing Tian Dazhuang back off, Qin Sang curled her lips. This line's effect was truly great.
After putting away the money, Qin Sang said:
"Steward Huang, how about I deliver the next batch of mosquito coils directly to your residence?"
"It'll save a busy man like you from having to wait here."
Steward Huang naturally had no objections.
"Sure. Doctor Qin is indeed thoughtful. Let's go then."
The group followed him to Steward Huangs Residence. It only took about the time to drink two cups of tea by carriage.
Seeing that grand and clean house with blue bricks and large tiles, everyone felt envious.
This couldn't help but remind Qin Sang of the shack where the eldest son and his wife lived, and how Xiao Wu was still sleeping in the Woodshed.
"After delivering two more batches of goods, it should be about enough."
While Qin Sang was calculating in her head, Hunter Xu walked a few steps toward her and said in a low voice:
"Da Zhuangs Mother, it seems like someone is following us."