The family of four sat at the noodle seller’s stall and ordered four bowls of noodles.
While they waited, Lin Minghao handed the cloth bag containing the copper coins to his sister. Today they had brought twenty dragonflies, twenty grasshoppers, ten monkeys, ten pigs, and eleven foxes, including the one they had just sold. Altogether, they had sold them for 189 wen.
Lin Xiaowei weighed the money pouch in her hand. The money had barely reached her hands, yet she had already decided how to use it.
Lin Changsong and his wife had never interfered with how their children spent money. Ever since they were little, their New Year money had always been theirs to manage.
Lin Minghao basically used his money to buy books, while Lin Xiaowei had loved handicrafts since childhood and had bought plenty of ribbons, colored paper, yarn, and the like…
Now the couple was quietly discussing how they needed to earn a quick sum of money to send Minghao to study at Shanyang Academy.
They were already considering whether they should sell a vegetable recipe or a pastry recipe.
Lin Xiaowei interrupted them. “Father, Mother, don’t sell the recipes. Every recipe we sell is one fewer recipe in our hands. I’ll go buy a sharp pair of scissors and some blades later, then we can go home and make pith flowers. Don’t worry—the markup on those things is very high. As long as we sell one, our problem will be solved.”
Wang Ya asked, “Are those the everlasting flowers made with that wooden pith?”
The video of Lin Xiaowei making everlasting peony flowers from rice-paper plant pith had received a great many likes, and the whole family had watched it.
Lin Xiaowei nodded. “Yes. During this season, when all the flowers have yet to bloom, a lifelike flower bonsai ornament will be rare and therefore valuable. I think many people will like it!”
Lin Changsong said, “Do we need rice-paper plants? I’ve seen some on Daqing Mountain. I know where to find them!”
Lin Xiaowei had seen them herself too. It was just that before the family had separated, there had been nowhere for her to make flowers even if she cut some down, and they had not had any tools.
Wang Ya said, “My girl, won’t that be too hard on you? We’re rather pressed for time.”
“No, it won’t. I’ve tested my hands these past few days. I don’t know if it’s because I’m young, but both my hands are extremely nimble. As long as I buy a good pair of scissors, I should have enough time.” Lin Xiaowei was very confident in her crafting ability.
Back then, of all the people who had learned crafts from master artisans—whether carpentry, embroidery, or pith flowers—she had always been the first to master the trade.
She reassured them, “Father, Mother, I’ll make one pith flower bonsai first to resolve our family’s immediate difficulties. After that, we’ll proceed step by step and develop slowly. After all, even if we could make a fortune in one go, we wouldn’t be able to spend all that money openly. It’s better to make gradual changes and accumulate our wealth slowly, with a legitimate source of income.”
The couple nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”
The family of four happily ate their noodles, then hurried toward the blacksmith’s shop in the western part of the city.
They bought a sharp pair of scissors and a short knife blade. The items were small, but because they were made of iron, they cost 180 wen.
Lin Xiaowei asked the blacksmith, “Master, I’d like to buy some red copper wire for needlework and flower arranging. Do you know where I can find some?”
The master pointed to the left side of the shop. “The second shop over is a coppersmith’s.”
Lin Xiaowei thanked him, and the family went to the coppersmith’s shop. After she asked about it, the master there brought out a coil of copper wire. It was somewhat thick.
“Master, I’d like some of the finest red copper wire, for needlework and flower arranging. Would you be able to draw some from your scraps for me? The finer and softer, the better.”
The coppersmith asked, “How fine?”
Lin Xiaowei pointed at the wire in her hand. “One-tenth this thickness.”
She noticed that the holes in the coppersmith’s drawplate were rough. The wire it produced was uneven and covered in burrs.
“Master, do you have any paper and ink? I’ll draw a diagram for you.”
The coppersmith had no idea what the girl intended to do, but he still brought her paper and a writing brush.
Lin Xiaowei drew him a rough sketch of a progressive, multistage wire-drawing plate. “Try using some beeswax when you draw the wire. Perhaps you’ll get a different result.”
The coppersmith studied the sketch for a long while, then said excitedly, “Excellent, excellent! How did I never think of that? Little girl, how much copper wire do you want?”
Lin Xiaowei smiled. “Master, I want three liang of copper wire.”
“All right. Come back in three days to collect it. I won’t charge you for it.” The master could hardly wait to start making the wire-drawing plate.
Three liang of copper wire would cost more than two hundred wen, but neither side felt they would be losing out, so they settled the matter just like that.
While Lin Xiaowei and the coppersmith were negotiating back and forth, Lin Changsong was attracted by the small shop beside the coppersmith’s.
It was a tiny seed shop—not one that sold grain seeds, but one that sold flower and grass seeds.
Lin Changsong said something to Wang Ya, then entered the shop.
The shopkeeper was lying in a rocking chair, swaying lazily with his eyes closed. When he heard someone enter, he did not even open his eyes, merely saying, “Look around.”
Lin Changsong was happy to be left alone and began examining the flower and grass seeds on the shelves lining both sides of the shop.
Suddenly, he saw the words “alfalfa” written beside a packet of grass seeds on the shelf, and his eyes lit up.
“Shopkeeper, could you let me take a look at the alfalfa seeds?”
The shopkeeper’s rocking chair stopped. He slowly opened his eyes, first sizing up Lin Changsong, then asking, “You know alfalfa?”
Lin Changsong said, “I’ve heard of it. It’s a type of forage planted for cattle and sheep to eat.”
When the shopkeeper heard that, he realized the man really did know what it was. Only then did he get up, take the seeds down, and open the oil paper to show Lin Changsong.
Lin Changsong confirmed that they were indeed alfalfa seeds. Alfalfa was a type of forage and also an excellent green manure.
Of the two mu of land he had received, one had been planted for many years. Its fertility was insufficient, and alfalfa was the best “cure” for it.
“Shopkeeper, how much do these seeds cost per jin?”
The shopkeeper was secretly delighted. Someone was actually willing to buy them. The seeds had been brought from the northwest, and he had only tried selling them on a whim. The people of Yongning Commandery had never even heard of them, and he had thought he would be stuck with them.
Afraid that the customer would refuse if he named too high a price, he gave him a fair one. “Fifteen wen per jin.”
Lin Changsong nodded. “Please weigh me ten jin.”
The shopkeeper hurried to weigh them, afraid that the man would change his mind.
Lin Changsong did not understand why the shopkeeper had suddenly become so enthusiastic. He took the cloth bag and checked the seeds before paying 150 wen.
The shopkeeper, who had been so lazy moments before, personally saw him to the door.
Afterward, the family went to a grain shop. The grain they had received when the family separated was all coarse grain, so they bought rice and glutinous rice, some of which Wang Ya would use to make pastries.
They also bought salt, sugar, seasonings, oil lamps, and other necessities for the household.
After all their miscellaneous purchases, they had spent 1,300 wen of the money they had earned that day, leaving them with a little over 800 wen.
After counting the money in their hands, the family went to a bookshop and bought Lin Minghao the Three Character Classic, the Thousand Character Classic, and an ordinary writing brush.
The two books contained relatively few characters and were the most common primers for beginners, so they cost only 220 wen, making them much cheaper than other books. An ordinary writing brush was inexpensive as well, costing 15 wen.
After leaving the bookshop, the four of them began making their way home.
Wang Ya had not lived so carefully, counting every expense, for twenty years. “Our family is in the ‘planned economy’ stage right now. Every copper coin has to be planned out.”
As she said this, she herself found it amusing, and the other three laughed as well.
They had transmigrated for no apparent reason and could not even eat their fill or dress warmly. Now that they had separated from the rest of the family, at least they could begin making a life for themselves.
Fortunately, the four of them were still a family. As long as they had one another, there was no difficulty they needed to fear.