Qiao Suluo naturally didn’t worry about anything else. Even if she made them and the other party changed their mind and refused to accept them, she could still sell all her plushies. She was quite confident about this. Besides, after hearing the woman’s words just now, she felt quite excited. This meant a direct opportunity to earn money.
"Ma’am, my name is Qiao Suluo. I sell my plushies for twenty cents each. I wonder if you can accept this price?" Qiao Suluo asked.
The woman agreed readily. "Naturally. I’ll take them for twenty cents each."
Qiao Suluo calculated how many plushies she could make in a day. She couldn’t spend all her time just making plushies. She also needed to play the long game like Jiang Taigong fishing for those willing to take the bait—selling Konjac every day to entice the Drunken Immortal Tower into buying her recipes. However, Qiao Suluo hadn’t expected the woman to be so straightforward. Not one to dawdle, she proposed directly, "How about this, Ma’am? I’ll guarantee ten plushies a day to start, and deliver them daily. What do you think?"
Delivering them daily meant she could get paid every day. Ten plushies a day at twenty cents each added up to two hundred cents. Although it was a drop in the bucket compared to the thirty taels of silver she needed, it was enough to at least keep her family fed for now. They wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry or living in such tight financial constraints anymore.
Seeing Qiao Suluo’s decisiveness, Feng Wanqin was naturally delighted. With a cooperative agreement reached, she led Qiao Suluo and the others directly to her shop so they could take a look. From then on, Qiao Suluo could simply deliver the goods straight to the shop.
Jinxiu Cloth Shop wasn’t large. It had a two-story storefront that was kept spotlessly clean and offered a decent variety of fabrics. However, it wasn’t located on the main street. Instead, it was tucked away at the entrance of an alleyway. With such an average location, most of the people who came here to buy fabric were regular customers.
Feng Wanqin sighed inwardly. She felt a bit guilty toward her mother. When her mother handed the shop over to her, business had been booming. However, her own management skills were likely mediocre, forcing her to relocate from the main street to this alley. Over the years, many new cloth shops had opened in the county town, snatching up the market share. If things continued this way, Jinxiu Cloth Shop would have to close its doors. Fortunately, many loyal customers valued their long-standing relationship. Knowing the shop offered fair prices, they still came to buy goods and support her business.
Feng Wanqin had been constantly searching for a business opportunity, and today, she had finally found one. She hoped this would save Jinxiu Cloth Shop.
Qiao Suluo borrowed a pen and paper. With smooth and flowing strokes, she drafted a contract and handed it to Feng Wanqin for review.
Upon seeing it, a look of amazement crossed Feng Wanqin’s face. "Miss Su Luo, your handwriting is truly excellent. They say handwriting reflects the person, so I have complete trust in you. Please rest assured, there won’t be any issues on my end.
"It’s obvious at a glance that you are a talented person, Miss Su Luo. I’ve truly never seen a contract like this before—it’s incredibly well-organized and crystal clear."
A strong sense of admiration and appreciation for Qiao Suluo welled up within Feng Wanqin. She couldn’t help but want to befriend this young woman.
"You flatter me, Ms. Feng," Qiao Suluo replied modestly. "Please just call me by my name."
Although back in the village she would normally address a middle-aged woman like Feng Wanqin as "Ma’am," calling her "Ms. Feng" was much more appropriate for a business partnership.
"Alright then, I’ll just call you Su Luo. Haha!" Feng Wanqin said.
For some reason, Feng Wanqin felt exceptionally happy today. The more she looked at Qiao Suluo, the more she liked her. In all her years of doing business, she had met many people, and she found Qiao Suluo to be quite extraordinary. The girl possessed an indescribable aura, much like a young lady from a wealthy and prominent family.
Perhaps this time, Jinxiu Cloth Shop really would see a turning point.
After finalizing the details, both parties signed and pressed their thumbprints onto the contract, which was made in duplicate. Under this agreement, Qiao Suluo would make ten plushies a day. The first batch would consist of two hundred plushies. She would deliver them and receive her wages daily. The total deposit was five hundred cents; the wages for the final twenty-five plushies delivered would be deducted from this deposit, so no money would exchange hands on those days.
Que Hongjin had seen the words Qiao Suluo wrote. The handwriting was in elegant small regular script, balancing strength and softness while remaining graceful and free-flowing. A distinct strength of character showed through the clear spacing. Such penmanship was truly stunning.
They said handwriting mirrored the person, but looking at these characters, Que Hongjin felt he couldn’t understand her at all.
He wondered, "What kind of person is she exactly?"
Bai Qianluo had an eye ailment, so naturally, he couldn’t clearly see how the writing looked. However, the fact that her handwriting received such high praise was enough to explain everything.
Later.
After walking out of the Jinxiu Cloth Shop, Qiao Suluo’s face lit up with a bright smile.
"During our stall setup this morning, we sold six plushies and earned one hundred and twenty cents. We also sold sixty-two bowls of Konjac for a total of three hundred and sixty cents. That makes our total earnings four hundred and eighty cents. Added to this five hundred cent deposit we have on hand, that’s nine hundred and eighty cents in total!"
Qiao Suluo placed these copper coins into a compartment within the Space Mall. It was safest there. Just thinking about having earned this much made her heart burn with excitement. Today’s business success had encouraged her and filled her with motivation. She didn’t mind hard work; her only fear was preparing goods that wouldn’t sell.
Upon hearing this, both Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo revealed expressions of absolute shock.
They wondered how it was possible to earn so much in a single day. Even though five hundred cents of it was a deposit, it was still unbelievable.
Of course, back when they were noble young masters and heirs to their families, they definitely would have looked down on such a petty sum. But now, stranded in the remote Cat Clan Tribe, having experienced starvation and learning the price of grain, they understood just how important a single cent was. They also knew that the beastmen of the tribe worked painstakingly for an entire year, yet might not even save up a few hundred cents. That was why they realized how incredible it was to earn this much in just one day.
Qiao Suluo watched them remain silent, having no idea what they were thinking. She spoke up on her own accord, "See? I told you I could make money, and I did.
"I’ll buy back Tushan Feishang and the others.
"And I won’t mistreat you guys anymore.
"We’ll go buy some food in a bit. I’ll cook us something delicious when we get home for lunch today."
She wanted to eat meat. She didn’t want any more vegetarian meals; she was sick and tired of eating such bland food.
The system had told her she needed to prevent them from turning completely evil. Therefore, she had to say these things to let them know she could earn money, wouldn’t sell them, and would even buy back the Beast Husbands who had already been sold. She needed to give them a sense of security. It didn’t matter if they didn’t believe her right now. As time passed, they would eventually come around.
Que Hongjin’s picturesque features shifted slightly as he spoke in a gentle voice. "I believe you, wife.
"I was just a bit shocked earlier. You are truly amazing, wife. It makes us feel ashamed of our own inadequacy.
"I know how to do needlework too. So, if you’re making plushies, I can help you."
Qiao Suluo’s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Que Hongjin. "You... you know how to do needlework?"
It wasn’t Qiao Suluo’s fault for being surprised. Having grown up in the modern world, she simply couldn’t imagine such a breathtakingly beautiful man sitting there threading needles. The image was too surreal to even picture.
Seeing Qiao Suluo’s astonished expression, Que Hongjin explained, "Yes, I learned it back in my family."
In the current Direct Lineage of the Peacock Family, there were only male beasts and no female beasts, making him the heir to the Peacock Family. Despite this, he still had to learn needlework. Back then, his family forced them to learn these skills in order to earn a good reputation and secure a good wife. After going around in circles, he was indeed using these skills to work for his wife now.
Qiao Suluo exclaimed happily, "That’s wonderful! If you help me make plushies, I’ll be able to focus on making more delicious food."
She couldn’t just rely on selling Konjac; she needed to prepare other delicacies to sell. Even if she couldn’t sell Konjac in the future, she would still set up a stall to run other food businesses. Not only did she have to buy back Tushan Feishang, but she also had to redeem her other two Beast Husbands. It was a heavy responsibility with a long road ahead.
As for Bai Qianluo, who had an eye ailment, Qiao Suluo didn’t expect him to do any chores. As long as he stayed safe and out of trouble, that would be enough.
To her surprise, Bai Qianluo spoke up in his usual aloof tone. "You’ve worked hard today, wife. In my current condition, I cannot do needlework, but I can help you process the Konjac."
As he spoke, Bai Qianluo gently brushed his hand over his eyes. With his eye ailment, he couldn’t handle delicate needlework, but he could certainly help with other tasks. He had experienced a great deal of shock himself today. There were far too many inexplicable things—for instance, why someone who was previously illiterate could suddenly read, write beautifully, and draft a flawless contract to boot.