The children fell silent for a moment before erupting into cheers.
“Wow, wow, wow! It’s moving!”
“It’s a little person! A wooden person that can move!”
“Wow, it can even fight!”
“How does it move? Is there a little person inside?”
Compared to the simple Bamboo Tube Cannon that only launched projectiles, this Bamboo Joint Puppet that mimicked human movements captured the children’s attention even more.
Jing-ge stared wide-eyed, tugging at Feng-ge’er’s sleeve as he whispered, “How many of these did your sister make? Can you sell me one? I’ll buy it no matter the price! I’ll ask my mother to buy it for me!”
The other children also clamored, “We want to buy them too!”
Hutou stared at the Bamboo Joint Puppet in Feng-ge’er’s hand, utterly stunned. He had finally borrowed a Bamboo Tube Cannon from someone, secretly studied how it was made, begged his parents to cut bamboo to make an imitation Bamboo Tube Cannon, and got pricked by bamboo splinters several times—his hands were still red from it—all so he could play with his friends. And now they had a new toy?
And it was definitely more expensive than the Bamboo Tube Cannon… He couldn’t afford it at all.
Human joys and sorrows are not shared.
Feng-ge’er grinned at his friends’ enthusiasm. “They’re for sale, they’re for sale, but my sister said these are harder to make than the Bamboo Tube Cannons. She can only make a few each day, so they have to be more expensive.”
He glanced at his friends, feeling a bit uneasy, but still spoke honestly. “My sister said they cost fifteen Wen per set.”
“???”
His friends were dumbfounded. “That’s so expensive!”
They had hesitated over the two-Wen Bamboo Tube Cannon. Their families definitely wouldn’t buy them such an expensive toy… Even trading for it would require fifteen eggs!
“Why is it so expensive…”
“Forget it, forget it, I can’t afford it… I’ll just play with the Bamboo Tube Cannon!”
“It’s too expensive. My dad definitely won’t buy it for me.”
Most of them backed off.
Feng-ge’er grew anxious. He tugged on the hemp string, making the Bamboo Joint General move. “It’s so much fun! There’s even a wooden box underneath. When you’re not playing with it, you can use it to store things. It’s a great deal.”
“Fifteen Wen is too expensive. My mother would have to save for a long time to get that much…” Wang Shitou muttered quietly.
“Yeah, it’s too expensive. That’s enough to buy two or three catties of coarse rice…” This came from an older child who already had some understanding of household expenses.
Only Jing-ge, who was tugging at Feng-ge’er’s sleeve, seemed slightly tempted, but he was still quite hesitant. His family was slightly better off, but spending fifteen Wen on a toy was still a luxury for him.
Listening to them, Hutou felt inexplicably relieved and even a little smug. If no one could afford it, then they were all in the same boat.
Watching his friends’ enthusiasm quickly cool, Feng-ge’er grew so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead.
The price difference was too great. A few shouts wouldn’t convince them. They were happy to watch but unwilling to buy.
Just as he was struggling, Ji Ning walked over calmly.
Her voice was clear, drawing the children’s attention. “Don’t worry, everyone. The fifteen Wen is for the wooden box plus the Bamboo Joint General. If you don’t want the box and only want the Bamboo Joint General itself, it’s cheaper—just ten Wen.”
Ten Wen! That was almost half off!
Although it was still expensive, it suddenly seemed a bit more acceptable?
Ji Ning continued, “Each Bamboo Joint General looks different. See, the things they hold in their hands can be swapped out for whatever you want, and their facial features can also be adjusted a little.”
She picked up the pair of Bamboo Joint Generals from Feng-ge’er’s hands and showed them to the children. “Look, doesn’t this one resemble our Feng-ge’er and Lan-jie?”
Jing-ge, who was standing close by, immediately leaned in for a closer look. Sure enough, he could vaguely recognize Feng-ge’er and Lan-jie’s features in the carvings. “Yeah! It really does look like them!”
Ji Ning smiled. “If you don’t want yours to look like anyone else’s, I can carve them to look like you.”
Feng-ge’er chimed in right away, “Different Bamboo Joint Generals can have different stories! Mine is a general, but you could make something else too.”
Ji Ning nodded with a smile. “Feng-ge’er is right.”
Seeing that the children were completely captivated, Ji Ning played her final card. “If you really want to play but can’t afford to buy one outright, you can also rent one from me.”
“Rent?”
The village children were unfamiliar with the concept of renting. Most things in their homes were either handmade or bought only when absolutely necessary—like tables and stools, which they would repair themselves if possible.
“Yes, rent. For example, you can pay one Wen to rent one for a day, and return it to me when you’re done playing,” Ji Ning explained. “If you decide later that you really want to buy it, I can deduct part of the rental fee.”
This was a plan she had thought of long ago. Renting would lower the barrier to entry. The price might be too high for some to buy outright, but with affordable rental fees, surely some children would be tempted. This way, she could recover some of her costs while keeping the toys popular. Who knows—some kids might even end up buying them after renting.
One Wen to rent for a day!
It wasn’t exactly cheap, but it was much less than ten or fifteen Wen! Much more manageable! If they worked hard helping out at home or running errands, they could even earn an egg worth one Wen.
“I’ll rent! Sister Ning, I have one Wen. I’ll rent one for a day!”
“I… I’ll go home and ask my mom for an egg to rent one!”
Jing-ge was also very interested. Ten Wen—if he went home and discussed it carefully with his mother, there might still be a glimmer of hope.
Hutou hesitated for a moment before asking quietly, “Then… what if someone has a Bamboo Tube Cannon? Can they trade it for two days of rental?”
Ji Ning glanced at him in surprise.
This kid… how should she put it? He was clever, but his cleverness seemed a bit misplaced.
Her gaze fell on the Bamboo Tube Cannon he was clutching tightly. It clearly wasn’t one she had made—the bamboo she chose had a more uniform color, and she always carved a small mark on any toy she made.
“No, you can’t trade.”
Hutou looked disappointed.
Ji Ning added, “If a rented Bamboo Joint General gets damaged, you’ll have to pay for it, so be careful when you play with them.”
The children all nodded earnestly.
Feng-ge’er looked at Ji Ning with admiration—his sister was so clever.
Not long after they returned home, children began rushing to the Ji family’s courtyard, clutching their hard-earned Wen or eagerly holding eggs, ready to rent Bamboo Joint Generals from Ji Ning to take home and play with.
The children, brimming with excitement, carefully carried their Bamboo Joint Generals and small wooden boxes home or gathered together, catching the attention of the villagers.
“That Ji family girl really has a clever mind.”
The women washing clothes by the river chatted animatedly.
Shitou’s Mother, pounding clothes as she spoke, said to Mrs. Wang, “Renting toys—only she could come up with such an idea. My Shitou stubbornly helped me push the millstone for over half an hour, begging me to give him one Wen so he could go to your house and rent a Bamboo Joint General.”
Mrs. Wang felt proud inside but spoke modestly, “It’s just a silly game for children, earning a few spare coins to help with household expenses. Besides, renting things—only the kids don’t understand it. Don’t we all know? In the past, we’ve borrowed farm tools plenty of times. The children just took it to heart after hearing a few words.”
Shitou’s Mother clicked her tongue twice. “This isn’t silly at all. Your Ning-jie is very clever.”
“Fifteen Wen for a bamboo figure is still too expensive. Renting it for a couple of days to satisfy the craving is enough. Who would really spend the money to buy one?”
“That’s not necessarily true. Your eldest brother’s Jing-ge, I’ve noticed, seems a bit tempted.”
A few of them discreetly glanced at Mrs. Wang’s expression.
Two brothers from the same family, now separated—one finding ways to earn money to support the household, the other with enough spare funds to indulge their children’s play.
Tsk tsk.
One family, two different circumstances—truly lamentable.
Author’s Note:
None