Income?
Not only Mrs. Wang, but Grandpa Ji and Mrs. Xue were also puzzled. How could mud and bamboo, which could be found everywhere, become a source of income?
Seeing their disbelief, Ji Ning wasn’t annoyed. The muddy water still needed to settle and couldn’t be used for now, but there was plenty of bamboo. She picked up a chopping knife and cut two bamboo stalks—one thick and one thin. The thick one was cut into two sections, one long and one short. The thin stalk, slightly shorter than the thick one, was inserted into the longer section of the thick bamboo. Then, she stuffed a small wild fruit she had picked from the mountain into the shorter section. She had deliberately chosen a small, hard, unripe fruit. With that, a simple Bamboo Tube Cannon was made. If she wanted it to make a sound, she could also insert a small bamboo splinter inside.
She had grown up in the mountains as a child, where transportation was inconvenient and there were no new toys. All her toys were made by her grandfather using materials readily available in the surroundings.
Once the Bamboo Tube Cannon was finished, she picked it up to demonstrate. It was simple to use: just stuff another small fruit into the short bamboo section, then push the long bamboo section from the bottom to make the thin bamboo section propel the fruit inside the short section, launching the first fruit out like a bullet.
“Pop!”
The small fruit shot out and hit a piece of cloth Ji Ning had hung up earlier.
She put away the Bamboo Tube Cannon and handed it to Grandpa Ji.
Grandpa Ji had watched the entire process while she was making it. Now, holding the Bamboo Tube Cannon, he examined it carefully and curled his lip. “This thing can be a source of income? It’s just a child’s toy.”
But Feng-ge’er’s eyes lit up. “Sister! I want to play with it too!”
His eyes darted around mischievously. With this toy, he could compete with Jing-ge to catch little birds or other things, and he was sure to win.
Mrs. Wang also thought this thing wouldn’t make much money, but she felt sorry for her daughter worrying about the family’s livelihood at such a young age, so she spoke up in support. “Ning-jie is just trying to help the family. I think this thing is quite good. It’s simple to make, and the materials aren’t hard to come by—just bamboo that’s everywhere in the mountains. Let her give it a try.”
Grandma Ji chimed in, “My daughter-in-law is right. It doesn’t cost anything, so let her have fun with it.”
Grandpa Ji glared. “But the chopping knife still needs to be used.”
Even as he said this, he didn’t stop her, only adding coldly, “Don’t make too many, in case they don’t sell and waste time.”
Ji Ning was both amused and exasperated. “Grandpa, don’t worry. Jing-ge’s cricket jar costs five wen, and that’s just an ordinary little wooden jar. This Bamboo Tube Cannon is a bit more novel, made from unwanted bamboo and wild fruits. Even if it’s just two or three wen each, there will surely be children willing to buy it for some fun, right? Even if we only sell three or five a day, we can still exchange them for a piece of tofu to add a dish to the table.”
Grandpa Ji grunted and didn’t bring it up again.
Before mealtime, Ji Ning made a few more Bamboo Tube Cannons and gave one each to Feng-ge’er and Lan-jie.
Ji Song and Ji An were not at home, so lunch was simpler. Yesterday they had bean rice, but today it was bean porridge. The rice and beans at the bottom of the bowl were so sparse they could be counted. The only comfort for everyone was that yesterday’s dishes were not finished. Under Mrs. Xue’s precise control, a few slices of meat remained in the stew, along with some leftover dried beans soaked in broth. Mrs. Xue had also added a radish to it, barely adding a bit of flavor.
After the meal, Feng-ge’er couldn’t wait to take the Bamboo Tube Cannon and head out.
Village children his age, when they had nothing to do, would gather and run all over the hills and fields—catching fish in the water, catching birds in the mountains, playing with everything. They always found ways to have fun.
But sometimes, even these things could get boring after a while. When they grew tired of them, the friend who could bring something new became the most popular.
When Feng-ge’er found his little friends, they were gathered around watching crickets fight.
A hollowed-out piece of wood, polished and coated with lacquer, became a cricket jar. Those who were more particular would carve patterns on the outside of the jar. The more intricate the patterns, the more expensive it was. The jar in Jing-ge’s hands had some patterns carved on it.
Feng-ge’er didn’t recognize such patterns. He only heard Jing-ge say that when wealthy families in town made clothes, the patterns on their garments looked like this—something called cloud patterns.
Feng-ge’er coughed to get his friends’ attention.
Jing-ge saw him and quickly asked, “Did your cousin come back yesterday?”
Jing-ge’s father and Feng-ge’er’s father were brothers, but they had already separated households. The details were complicated.
The adults’ grudges didn’t affect the children’s friendships. Feng-ge’er replied, “Yes, but he left again this morning.”
Another friend noticed the Bamboo Tube Cannon in his hand. “What’s that!”
Feng-ge’er puffed out his chest proudly and said, “This is a new toy my older sister made for me. It’s so much fun!”
His friends didn’t believe him. “Your older sister? Isn’t she sick? She can still make toys? I don’t believe it. You must be lying.”
In Feng-ge’er’s eyes, his sister was the most amazing person now. Being doubted made him jump with indignation. “Hmph, just wait. Don’t come begging me to let you play with it later!”
He raised the Bamboo Tube Cannon, turned around, thought for a moment, and aimed at a nearby silverthorn bush. The bush was in bloom, with bees buzzing around gathering nectar. Feng-ge’er carefully aimed at the largest flower on the branch and shot.
With a “pop,” the bees gathering nectar on the branch were startled and scattered in all directions.
“Wow!”
“It can shoot that far?!”
“It’s more convenient than throwing small stones!”
“So powerful!”
A clever friend asked, “Does that mean we can go catch wild chickens or birds?”
Feng-ge’er replied with feigned modesty, “Of course. Before, we couldn’t catch up to them, but with this, we can hit them from far away.”
“Let me try!”
“I want to play too!”
With a new toy, everyone clamored to have a turn.
Country children had few toys, and most of the time, they shared them—yours for me to play with, mine for you to play with. As long as they were careful, most children were generous.
Feng-ge’er rolled his eyes and nodded. “Alright, everyone can play for a while. My sister said this uses small fruits as ammunition. I only brought a few. If you want to play, you’ll have to find your own small fruits.”
The little friends instantly cheered with joy.
Feng-ge’er had only brought a limited number of small fruits, just enough for each of them to play twice, and they had to line up. The child who had earlier claimed that he was lying and that his sister couldn’t make toys was placed last, and only one fruit was left for him.
The child was named Wang Shitou, and at this moment, he was feeling aggrieved. “I didn’t mean it on purpose, I just said it without thinking.”
Feng-ge’er replied innocently, “There aren’t enough fruits left, and besides, I have to go back soon to help my sister carry bamboo.”
Hearing that he was about to leave, the little friends were reluctant to let him go. “Then, can you leave your Bamboo Tube Cannon for us to play with?”
Feng-ge’er shook his head. “This was specially made for me by my sister, and besides, with so many of us and only one cannon, it wouldn’t be easy to catch little birds.”
Jing-ge casually suggested, “Then, can you ask your sister to make some for us too?”
Feng-ge’er said no. “This is a toy my sister plans to sell. If you want one, you can buy it from my sister. It’s not expensive—just two Wen each.”
He thought to himself that his sister had said earlier that it could be sold for at least two Wen.
Looking at his little friends, he added, “My sister also said that you can exchange other things for it, like eggs. One egg can be exchanged for one Bamboo Tube Cannon!”
Author’s Note:
None