The journey to Wuhe County was a stop-and-go affair, and by the time they arrived, the sun had fully risen. As it was a border town, the markets held on the first and fifteenth of every month were incredibly lively, drawing in merchants and travelers from neighboring lands.
Once inside the city, Li Miaomiao parted ways with the villagers. She strolled along, carefully observing the various stalls. There was no shortage of steamed buns, mutton, pork, inns, and specialty shops. She ducked into a grocery store, which sold a variety of seasonings—licorice, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and peppercorns—though she noted with a pang that chili peppers were nowhere to be found. Sichuan pepper was available, but it lacked the sharp, intense heat of the chilis she was accustomed to.
As the streets grew more crowded, she hoisted her basket and pushed on. After a long search, she finally found a joiner’s shop nestled next to a large restaurant. It was bustling with customers, so she wandered inside and took a quiet look around. The stools, tables, and cabinets on display were all quite ordinary—functional, but uninspired.
When the shopkeeper finally had a moment of respite, she approached him and offered a polite nod.
“Shopkeeper, may I ask if you purchase wooden wares?”
The shopkeeper took a sip of water, looked her up and down, and noticed the patches on her clothes. He responded casually, “We do, but it depends on the style. People from a hundred miles around frequent this shop; I don’t just take anything.”
Li Miaomiao ignored his slightly snobbish tone. In business, you had to deal with all sorts of people. She set her basket on the ground, removed the cloth covering it, and lifted out a wooden box shaped like a flower petal, placing it on the counter.
“Shopkeeper, this is a multi-purpose box I made myself. Please, take a look.”
She pushed out the hidden compartments one by one. As they rotated, the four boxes expanded outward like a blossoming four-petaled flower. To ensure the top layer didn’t buckle under its own weight around the central axis, she had added a support pillar, carving intricate patterns into it to add a touch of aesthetic flair.
The shopkeeper had seen countless tables, cases, and boxes, but he had never seen anything quite as curious as this. “May I examine it closer?”
Li Miaomiao gestured with her hand. “By all means.”
The shopkeeper pulled the box toward him. He realized that the hollows within each compartment were all uniquely shaped. The bottom layer was a simple circle, yet the edges were carved with trailing floral vines that stretched all the way to the top, making the entire piece look like a living vine wrapped around a wooden tray.
The second layer was more complex, featuring two leaf-shaped hollows with fluid, graceful curves. The third layer featured shell-like indentations with triple ridges, capable of holding four separate items. The fourth layer was shaped somewhat unusually, yet it was undeniably striking.
“Young lady,” the shopkeeper asked, “what are these shapes supposed to be?”
“Four separate flower petals,” Li Miaomiao replied. It was, in fact, a heart shape, but she was worried he might interpret it as something anatomical, so she opted for a safer explanation.
The shopkeeper scratched his head, deeply intrigued. “I’ve never seen flower petals quite like these.”
As a new group of customers entered the shop, they caught sight of the exquisite tray sitting on the counter and crowded around, curiosity piqued.
“What a unique dish! What is it meant to hold?”
“The more I look at it, the more beautiful it gets. Shopkeeper, what is this box actually for?”
The shopkeeper, having initially dismissed the plain-looking girl, had only caught the tail end of their conversation. He gestured toward her. “It was brought in by this young lady here. Why don’t you let her explain it to everyone?”
This was a perfect marketing opportunity, and Li Miaomiao wasn’t about to waste it. She gave the shopkeeper a polite nod and offered the crowd a sweet, professional smile.
“This is called a ‘Multi-Purpose Box,'” she began, her voice clear and steady. “It is designed for serving pastries, fruits, and tea cups.”
“Usually, if we want to serve several different snacks, we have to bring out four or five separate plates. It’s not just a hassle to carry back and forth—it’s also a bother to clean up later. With this multi-purpose box, all of that can be handled with a single piece.”
To demonstrate the box’s utility more effectively, Li Miaomiao asked the shopkeeper if she could borrow a few items. Seeing her quick wit and sensing a potential sale, the shopkeeper agreed. He even brought over some dried walnuts and sesame seeds from his own store, along with some fruits he had on hand.
Li Miaomiao thanked him, then artfully arranged the items into the uniquely shaped compartments. The Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and other spices seemed to take on new life, resembling leaves and petals within the carved wood. Just as a dish’s color and aroma enhance the appetite, a beautiful presentation heightened the desire to own the object.
A collective murmur of admiration rippled through the crowd. “The way she’s laid it out… even the sesame seeds look vibrant and alive.”
She had positioned this product for the wealthy; only families with money to spare would care for such decorative refinements. To the average commoner, practicality was king. While the multi-purpose box had its uses, it wasn’t a necessity, and several onlookers turned away once the spectacle ended.
Then, a tall, sturdy man dressed in opulent silks approached, followed by a young servant. He had heard Li Miaomiao’s explanation from the back of the crowd. He studied the box on the counter, then looked up at Li Miaomiao.
“May I handle it?”
“Naturally.” Li Miaomiao stepped aside to make space for him.
“My thanks.”
The man methodically collapsed the box layer by layer, then expanded it again. His servant chuckled, saying, “Young Master, that’s quite clever!”
“It is, indeed,” the man agreed. He folded and unfolded the box repeatedly, a wide, appreciative grin spreading across his face.
The shopkeeper, Wang, was sweating, terrified that this Young Master from the prestigious He family might break the box. He glanced at Li Miaomiao to see if she was worried, but her smile remained steady, her expression entirely relaxed.
Li Miaomiao wasn’t indifferent; her years of experience in business told her that this man was a buyer.
A moment later, Young Master He folded the box shut and kept his hand firmly on it. He asked in a forthright, booming voice, “Young lady, how much for this multi-purpose box?”
He had bypassed the shopkeeper to ask her directly. She could have named a price, taken the coin, and left, but the Li family village was too far from Wuhe County for her to make individual sales. She needed a long-term business relationship.
“Kind sir, this is my first time in the county seat. Please, let Shopkeeper Wang set a fair price.”
Her demeanor was poised and graceful. She didn’t try to hog the profit, nor did she act desperate for the money. Her composure earned her a look of genuine respect from the man, He Wen.
“Shopkeeper Wang, give me a price.”
Being a businessman himself, Wang understood exactly what Li Miaomiao was doing. “Young Master He, please wait a moment while I evaluate it.”
In the restaurant next to the Joiner’s shop, a man in blue robes sat in a private room on the second floor, clutching a folding fan. He watched He Wen and his servant emerge from the shop, the servant cradling the peculiar box.
“Brother Lin,” the man said with a smirk, “look at He Wen. He’s got no talent for study; the only thing he’s good at is squandering his family’s fortune.”
“Your family background might pass for something in your village, but if you compare it to the capital—or even here in Wuhe County—it’s not much. You’d be better off considering my proposal.”
The speaker was Guo Ce, the son of the county magistrate, whose own sister was a concubine in the imperial palace. Lin Dalang had been traveling to the county daily for days, desperate to secure a “bright future.” Having failed the scholar’s exams for ten years, he was now forced to consider buying an official title.
He hadn’t expected Guo Ce’s solution for raising the necessary funds to be the surveillance of a cripple.
As he pondered the offer, another figure stepped out of the joiner’s shop next door. Seeing her, Lin Dalang’s face twisted in instant, visceral disgust.
“What is she doing here?”