Chapter 373: Chapter 351: Family_1
“The formula for colored glaze, since I have already given it to you, belongs to you,” Daohua said, looking at Xiao Yeyang. “It’s your freedom to give it to whomever you want, I have no objections.”
Xiao Yeyang’s mouth curved up in a smile, “I still want to tell you about it,” he said, putting down his chopsticks. He then spoke earnestly, “It seems His Imperial Uncle wants the Ministry of Works to start producing colored glaze. When I was in the Imperial Palace, I often saw him worrying about the empty state coffers. If the Ministry could mass-produce colored glaze, it might alleviate some of the financial pressure.”
Daohua nodded in agreement, “Colored glaze is scarce, and many people are fond of it; it’s quite profitable.”
In this ancient era, the ubiquity of glass used like in modern times is likely impossible. For a short period, its selling price will definitely be very high, classifying it as a luxury product with exorbitant profits.
Xiao Yeyang continued, “The matter of the formula is not good to publicize. Although I have explained everything to His Imperial Uncle, there might not be any reward.”
Daohua waved her hand, “I only provided an incomplete formula; it’s not worth any reward. But what about you? Don’t you have one? My intention in giving you the formula for colored glaze was for you to make a fortune.”
At her words, Xiao Yeyang’s heart lifted with amusement, and he asked with a laugh, “Are you that afraid I’ll run out of money to spend?” Without waiting for Daohua to reply, he continued, “Miss Yan has both shops and estates in her hands; she must have saved up quite a bit of her own silver over the years, hasn’t she?”
Daohua lifted her chin proudly, “Of course.” Then, with raised eyebrows, she looked over at him, “Why? You want to borrow silver from me? Let’s make this clear, even close brothers settle accounts; you’ll have to give me an IOU.”
Xiao Yeyang’s expression fell, “With our relationship, do we really need an IOU?”
Daohua, “Of course we do. What if you deny the debt?” She then looked at Gu Jian and Granny Gu, “Granny, Master, don’t you agree?”
Granny Gu, smiling without a word, sipped her drink.
Gu Jian too turned his head to the side, acting as if he hadn’t heard.
Seeing this, Daohua pouted, “Granny, Master, why do I feel like you are more attached to Xiao Yeyang? You don’t even support me a bit.”
Gu Jian glanced at Daohua, then at the snickering Xiao Yeyang, and said with a stern face, “If this young man dares to bully you, your master will break his legs.”
Upon hearing this, Daohua immediately brightened up, “Master is the best.” She then gave Granny Gu, who was drinking her porridge, a side glance.
Granny Gu was somewhat at a loss whether to laugh or cry, “So only your master is good, Granny is not? Should I join in and help beat up too?”
Daohua nodded eagerly, “That’s a great idea!” Then she turned to Xiao Yeyang, “Here, Master, Granny, and I are one family; you are an outsider. Let’s see if you dare to bully me now. Think carefully about it…”
“Ai~”
Granny Gu shook her head, cutting her off, “What’s this outsider nonsense? At our table, there are no outsiders, only family members.”
Xiao Yeyang quickly agreed, “Granny is absolutely right. Although I haven’t officially taken Gu Master as my teacher, he has taught me so much, so I consider him a half-teacher; and Granny, you’ve always been good to me, I have always held you in my heart with the same reverence as a grandmother.” After speaking, he glanced sideways at Daohua and humphed.
“Some people claim to be close friends, but in a blink of an eye, I become the outsider, how fickle.”
Seeing Xiao Yeyang’s discontent, Daohua laughed awkwardly, “I was just talking for the sake of talking, of course you are my friend now, and that’s a promise that will never change.”
Xiao Yeyang felt even more annoyed upon hearing this. He wanted to retort, but since it wasn’t something he could say openly, he just turned his head away in a huff, refusing to look at Daohua anymore.
Daohua, puzzled by his reaction but realizing she had misspoken, couldn’t help but to push his arm gently, “Alright, alright, don’t be mad, I misspoke.”
Xiao Yeyang looked back, “Do you really understand your mistake?”
Daohua nodded repeatedly, “I do, I do!”
Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Yeyang asked, “So, from now on are we family or not?”
Daohua, “Not really… yes, yes, we are, but I am the senior disciple, and you are the junior.”
“Who said that?”
“If not that, what else?”
“You…”
The two people arguing had not noticed the expressions on old Granny Gu’s and Gu Jian’s faces at the table.
When Xiao Yeyang said that he respected old Granny Gu as his own grandmother, she could not hold back, and her eyes turned red. Even Gu Jian’s expression became complex, somewhat somber, yet also somewhat comforted.
Old Granny Gu looked up, pushing back the tears in her eyes, and saw the two young ones still debating endlessly. She smiled silently.
These two smart kids, each as clever as the other, if they noticed something amiss, who knew what changes might occur.
It was good as it was now, after all, it allowed her to enjoy the joy of having her grandchildren around her.
Gu Jian glanced at his little disciple, then at his nephew, his eyes flickering.
He knew clearly that it was thanks to his disciple that his sister and he could see their nephew; without the disciple, they might no longer be here;
It was also because of the disciple that the nephew had come to Taohua Mountain, Taohua Temple now had this new vitality, and his sister’s face had regained her smile.
Thinking of how affectionately his nephew treated his disciple, Gu Jian narrowed his eyes slightly.
Although this fellow was related by blood to him, if he ever truly bullied his little disciple in the future, he would not hesitate to break his leg.
When the two youngsters had made up, old Granny Gu and Gu Jian returned to their previous demeanor.
Neither Daohua nor Xiao Yeyang noticed anything and continued with their previous conversation.
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua: “I think the things you said before were very right.”
Daohua wondered, “What did I say?”
Xiao Yeyang: “You said it’s better to rely on oneself than others; you also said that parents can give their belongings to anyone they wish, and as children, we shouldn’t covet that.”
“I’m sixteen this year!”
After saying this, Xiao Yeyang glanced at Daohua.
Seeing that the fellow was only looking at him without reacting, Xiao Yeyang felt somewhat stuffy, and then continued, “Although I have never lacked silver, most of it was given by my elders. It was fine to reach out for it when I was a child, but now that I’m grown up, I should be self-reliant.”
Daohua’s face immediately showed agreement.
Xiao Yeyang smiled: “So, I will build a Glass Factory here in Ningmen Prefecture. Although the factory will be registered under the Ministry of Works, Uncle Emperor appreciates my contribution of the recipe and said that I would manage the Glass Factory, and all its profits will be mine.”
Daohua nodded and looked at Xiao Yeyang with a smile, “That’s really great, Xiao Yeyang. Work hard, and strive to have the glass products from your factory sold in every part of Daxia.”
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua, “Don’t worry, I will work hard to earn silver.”
Daohua snorted, “You earn your own; it’s none of my concern, why should I care?”
Xiao Yeyang pursed his lips and smiled, saying no more.
Gu Jian, however, glanced at Xiao Yeyang and said with a frown, “What’s the matter, your father won’t give you silver to spend?”
Xiao Yeyang was startled at first, then gave a self-deprecating smile, “My father… he has other sons. As for me, I’ll save him the trouble.”
This time, old Granny Gu spoke up, her tone quite stern, “You’re his legitimate son; if he doesn’t care for you, who will he care for?”
Seeing old Granny Gu get angry, Daohua and Xiao Yeyang exchanged a quick look.
Xiao Yeyang said gratefully, “Granny, you don’t need to worry about me. I have grown up now; I can rely on myself for everything. I don’t covet everything my father has; what I want, I will strive for myself.”
No sooner had he spoken than Xiao Yeyang felt a weight on his shoulder, and turning his head, he saw Daohua looking at him with shining eyes.
“Xiao Yeyang, that’s the spirit, I support you!”