Shen Qing was still worried.

After seeing that Huo Bing’s complexion had recovered, she thought about taking her to the city to see a doctor once they had enough money.

If the doctors in Xingcheng weren’t good enough, they would go to the provincial capital.

She looked at Jiang Shui and said, “Tomorrow morning, your elder brother will go to chop bamboo. You help watch the two children. I’ll take care of the meals so your sister-in-law can rest properly.”

Jiang Shui had no objections at all.

Huo Bing became anxious. “Mother, I’m really fine! It’s just an old ailment. I’ll be fine in no time, don’t worry.

I’m strong and healthy! I won’t delay any work at all!”

The family was short-handed as it was, and she already had fewer tasks to do than the others.

If she didn’t even do these, how could she justify herself?

But Shen Qing didn’t agree.

Neither did anyone else. They all urged Huo Bing to listen to their mother and get proper rest.

It was strange—back when there wasn’t much farm work, people would laze around all day, barely lifting a finger.

But now, with a full schedule from morning till night, instead of feeling exhausted, everyone felt like they could still take on more!

A warm feeling surged in Huo Bing’s heart.

She lowered her eyes and silently nodded.

Having family was truly wonderful.

This was what family was supposed to be.

---

The next morning, Shen Qing went to the city again to “sell” eels.

These days, she didn’t need to buy anything in town, but she never returned with empty buckets either.

Instead, she used the money from selling eels to buy rice, flour, green beans, red beans, and other grains.

Instead of decreasing, the household’s food supply was actually increasing daily.

Seeing more and more food piling up, everyone in the family was filled with motivation!

On the first day, Jiang Xiangdong chopped bamboo and borrowed a saw from Carpenter Guan to cut them into the same length as Jiang Xiangzhong’s calligraphy brushes.

The cut edges were rough, so Guan Xiaoshan came over to offer guidance:

First, polish them with stones, then use coarse cloth.

If they still weren’t smooth enough, use cotton cloth for a final touch.

As for the bamboo joints, to prevent them from cracking, turning yellow, or drying out, they could be lightly roasted over a small fire.

This required precise control of the heat.

Guan Xiaoshan personally demonstrated until Shen Qing and Jiang Xiangdong fully grasped the technique before leaving.

Shen Qing silently reflected on how the system had been right—”Doing the right things brings good rewards.”

Befriending the Guan family was indeed a wise decision.

On the fifth day, the raw materials soaked in limewater were ready, but those in plant ash still needed more time.

They weren’t usable until the seventh day.

Shen Qing figured out a pattern: Limewater was more effective in removing grease than plant ash.

From now on, soaking in limewater would take five days, while plant ash required seven.

While the materials were soaking, Huo Bing used the remaining sesame oil and lard to make soap.

Jiang Xiangdong finished cutting all the bamboo on the first day.

They ended up with over a hundred usable pieces.

Chopping the bamboo and sawing it into sections was quick, but roasting them was a slow and meticulous process!

After two whole days of careful watching, only sixty-something pieces were successfully roasted.

Jiang Xiangdong was anxious, fearing he was delaying other steps.

But when he asked around, he realized he was actually the fastest one in the process!

Shen Qing was in charge of sanding.

She first used a smooth stone slab to roughly polish the bamboo joints.

Next, she used coarse cloth to sand them down—this wasn’t just for the cut edges but for the entire bamboo shaft, making it smooth and round.

After coarse cloth came cotton cloth, which left the surface silky to the touch. Both visually and tactilely, the polished bamboo was now on a completely different level!

On the first day, she managed to sand seven pieces.

By the end of the day, her arms were so sore she couldn’t lift them.

She thought she was just inexperienced and that the second day would be much faster.

Well, it was—she finished nine pieces.

But at this rate, sanding couldn’t keep up with the other steps.

That wasn’t going to work!

So, on the third day, Jiang Shui didn’t go foraging.

Instead, she stayed home to sand bamboo shafts. The nimble girl managed to sand eleven pieces!

Seeing that many roasted bamboo shafts were ready, Shen Qing immediately stopped Jiang Xiangdong from cutting more and told him to start washing the raw materials instead.

Once the materials were washed, Jiang Shui was no longer free to sand bamboo because sorting and tying the brush hairs required great precision!

Tying the hairs was especially crucial.

The hairs had to be tightly secured with silk thread, leaving no gaps.

Then, they were inserted into shafts of matching thickness.

A small notch was carved near the top of the shaft, where silk thread was wrapped around to further secure the brush head, ensuring it wouldn’t loosen.

Finally, the brush tip was trimmed, and a writing brush was officially complete.

Now, Shen Qing faced a major problem—there weren’t enough hands!

Far from enough!

The eldest brother was responsible for cutting bamboo, sawing, roasting, and washing the materials.

Shen Qing handled sanding.

Jiang Shui sorted the brush hairs.

But they were still short on people for tying the hairs and trimming the brush tips.

What’s more, sanding and tying couldn’t be done by just one person—they couldn’t keep up with production speed.

Sanding was time-consuming—one person could only finish about a dozen a day.

But tying and trimming required skill—someone with deft hands could finish 30 to 50 a day, while someone clumsy might struggle to get even a few done properly.

The younger brothers could be called back to help with sanding, but not with tying the hairs.

Besides, Shen Qing never considered calling them back.

Earning money was important, but the shop in town was just as crucial.

After all, having money meant they could secure food and medicine.

She knew which was more critical.

Since her younger sons couldn’t be called back, she had to find someone else…

---

“Jiang Saozi, the children helping out is only right—why talk about wages?” In the mud-brick house, Carpenter Guan rubbed his hands awkwardly.

Beside him, Guan Xiaoshan nodded in agreement.

Guan Li was about to speak, but Shen Qing raised a hand to stop her and smiled. “A few days ago, Xiaoshan helped us a lot, and I didn’t mention paying him. If this were just occasional help, I’d still have the nerve to ask.

But this time, it’s long-term work—at least two to three months. If we don’t talk about wages, I’d be too embarrassed to come asking for help.”

Hearing this, Guan Li couldn’t help but laugh and quickly covered her mouth.

Carpenter Guan looked at his daughter uncertainly and hesitated. “Xiao Li, what do you think?”

Guan Li wasn’t shy and answered directly, “Father, since Auntie has already brought up wages, let’s follow her lead. If we don’t do a good job, it’s only fair to have our pay docked.”

Carpenter Guan still felt uneasy.

His daughter was engaged to someone in the west, and he and Shen Qing would soon be in-laws.

Xiaoshan was just a teenager—helping his sister’s family shouldn’t require pay.

But Shen Qing made it clear—no wages, no help.

Oh well.

If it came to that, he could just give his daughter extra dowry to make up for it.

“Alright, Jiang Saozi. How should we do this? If the children don’t do well, I can teach them.”

Shen Qing wasn’t worried about their skills—especially Xiaoshan, who was already skilled in woodworking.

Instead, she was more concerned about secrecy.

She solemnly warned, “Only my family knows about making these brushes. Now, it will be our two families.

There are all kinds of people in the village. Once we start making money, someone might try to steal our techniques. We must ensure that no one leaks the process!”

Carpenter Guan nodded seriously. “Jiang Saozi, don’t worry. No one values secrecy more than a craftsman’s family!”

Guan Li and Xiaoshan also promised to keep their lips sealed.

Shen Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.