Walking with stops and starts, they arrived at Wuhe County just as the sun was rising.
Nearby villages were bustling because the first and fifteenth of each month were market days, and the county was especially lively on these days.
Being near the border, some merchants from neighboring countries also came to trade.
Li Miaomiao separated from the villagers as she entered the town, walking while observing the vendors’ stalls.
Steamed buns, dumplings, lamb, and pork were all for sale, and the inns offered plenty of shops as well.
She entered a distillery and grocery shop, which sold oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, along with various spices: licorice, fulu vine, food zhuyu, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and Sichuan pepper.
No chili, and though food zhuyu had a pungent taste, it was far milder than chili.
Once the crowd thickened, she lifted her carrying basket and searched a while longer before finding a carpenter’s shop next to a tavern.
There were quite a few people inside, so she wandered through the shop to look around.
The benches, tables, and cabinets were all ordinary in style, practical above all.
When the shopkeeper was briefly free, she approached politely and bowed slightly.
“Master, do you buy wooden items?”
The shopkeeper swallowed and looked her over. Seeing her patched clothing, he casually replied,
“Of course I buy, but it depends on the style. People from a hundred miles around come to my shop. I don’t take just anything.”
Li Miaomiao paid no mind to his slightly haughty tone—anyone doing business might meet all kinds of people.
She set down her basket, lifted the cloth covering it, and placed the petal-shaped wooden boxes inside on the counter.
“Master, these are multifunctional boxes I made myself. Please take a look.”
She slid out each compartment inside, layer by layer. When rotated, the four compartments opened like a four-petal flower. The top layer, resting against the central wooden axle, needed extra support, so she added a vertical pillar, which she decorated with patterns for aesthetic appeal.
The shopkeeper had seen countless desks and boxes but had never seen anything like this.
“May I examine it more closely?”
Li Miaomiao gestured politely. “By all means.”
As the shopkeeper examined the box, he noticed that each compartment’s grooves were unique.
The first layer was simple and circular, with floral vines carved along the edges.
The vines extended from the bottom to the top layer, spiraling elegantly around the wooden platform.
The second layer grew more complex, the grooves now forming two leaf-like shapes of uneven size, curved gracefully.
The third layer resembled shells, with three arched ridges, holding four items.
The fourth layer had an unusual shape but was very attractive.
“Miss, what shape is this?”
“Four separate petals.”
In truth, it was a heart shape, but Li Miaomiao avoided the word “heart” for fear of associations with an actual organ.
The shopkeeper tapped his forehead, curious. “Such unusual petals!”
Another group entered the shop. Seeing the beautiful wooden box on the counter, they crowded around to look.
“This plate is curious. What is it for?”
“The more I look, the prettier it seems. Master, what is this box for?”
The shopkeeper hadn’t taken the plain-looking girl seriously, so he only heard the word “box.”
“It’s brought by this young lady. Let her explain it to everyone.”
A perfect sales opportunity, which Li Miaomiao seized. She nodded politely to the shopkeeper, then smiled sweetly and confidently at the crowd.
“This is a multifunctional box, mainly used for holding pastries, fruits, teacups, and the like,” she explained.
“Normally, if you want to serve multiple items, you need four or five plates, which requires multiple trips and is inconvenient. With this box, one container solves the problem.”
To demonstrate, she borrowed a few items from the shopkeeper.
He noticed her eloquence and wanted to see if he could sell it. He also brought over some fruits from the shop.
Li Miaomiao actually just wanted peppercorns, zhuyu, fennel, and similar spices for display, but the shopkeeper even brought out dried walnuts and sesame seeds.
She thanked him and arranged the items into the differently shaped compartments.
Under the groove restrictions, the peppercorns resembled leaves or petals.
Just as good food delights the senses and whets the appetite, the display was visually pleasing, drawing admiration from the crowd.
“Look at how lifelike even the sesame seeds appear!” someone exclaimed.
Her target customers were wealthy households, as only they had the leisure to appreciate such things.
Ordinary families focused more on practicality, so some of the villagers, after looking around, walked away.
A well-dressed, somewhat burly man with an attendant approached. Having overheard Li Miaomiao, he glanced at the box and then at her.
“May I handle it?”
“Of course.”
Li Miaomiao stepped aside to let him.
“Thank you.”
He folded and unfolded the box repeatedly, smiling broadly.
His attendant laughed. “Young master, this is fun!”
“It’s quite amusing indeed.”
He continued to fold and unfold, enjoying himself immensely.
The shopkeeper feared that the young master of the He family might break the box and wanted to warn Li Miaomiao, but her calm, somewhat indifferent smile made him stop.
She wasn’t indifferent; from experience, she sensed this young master would buy it.
Next, the He young master folded the box and placed his hand on it.
“Miss, how much for this multifunctional box?”
He asked directly, bypassing the shopkeeper. If it were a one-time sale, she could quote a price and take the money.
Wang Village was too far from Wuhe County; she couldn’t bring a box every market day. She had to build a long-term business.
“Sir, this is my first time in the county. Perhaps let the shopkeeper suggest a price?”
Her smile was confident, not greedy or surprised. Her poised demeanor earned her respect from He Wen.
“Master Wang, what do you suggest?”
Business-minded, Wang knew her intent.
“Young Master He, wait a moment. I’ll give a price.”
Meanwhile, in a second-floor private room of the tavern next door, a man holding a folding fan and dressed in blue noticed He Wen and his attendant leaving the carpenter’s shop, the attendant still holding the strange box.
He said excitedly: “Brother Lin, look at He Wen. Poor at studies, only good at squandering money.”
“Your family background may be impressive locally, but even in the county, it’s nothing. Better listen to my suggestion.”
The man speaking was Guo Ce, son of the county magistrate, whose elder sister was a consort in the palace.
Lin Dalang had been coming to the county daily, hoping for a good opportunity, but after ten years of study, he hadn’t even passed the scholar’s exam. He could only pursue official positions through purchase or recommendation.
Guo Ce had suggested supervising a crippled man as a way to raise funds.
While he pondered this, another person came out of the carpenter’s shop. Upon seeing her, he immediately looked displeased.
“How is she here?”