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“But didn’t Manager Zhou say it’s for collecting tea leaves? How can we call it a large item?”
Jiang Mixia explained, “The wide opening makes it easy to throw in the tea leaves when picking them. The slightly narrower neck prevents spillage if the basket topples, and the spacious belly can hold plenty of tea leaves. This design is more practical.”
Seems to make sense.
Jiang Youcheng nodded but scratched his head. “But I’ve never seen this style before. It might be more effort to weave, and Manager Zhou might not recognize it. We might struggle to make a profit.”
“How about this? Let’s weave both and take them to show him. Depending on his preference, we’ll weave the chosen design,” Jiang Mixia suggested.
“No harm in trying. We can raise the price. After all, a tea garden is no small business. If the items are practical and convenient, people will be willing to buy them,” she added.
“Even if it’s more expensive, it’s still just a bamboo basket. It wouldn’t make much difference, even if we raise the price by a few coins. In the grand scheme of things, even if it’s fifty baskets, it won’t be much. People probably won’t even notice,” Jiang Youcheng agreed.
“Alright, let’s weave both,” Jiang Youcheng decided, finding Jiang Mixia’s reasoning sound. He began crafting the base using bamboo strips based on the pattern she drew on the ground.
Jiang Mixia, Song Jingyun, and Liu Shi helped with the bamboo weaving.
By the time the sun began to set, the two bamboo baskets were completed.
“Your craftsmanship is truly remarkable, Dad,” Jiang Mixia marveled as she inspected the two baskets.
The bamboo strips were thin, the baskets were sturdy, finely crafted, and the edges were tightly and neatly woven. They were lightweight and looked exceptionally delicate.
The newly woven small bamboo baskets looked particularly elegant, especially when compared to the neighboring household’s large and utilitarian bamboo basket. Jiang Youcheng beamed at his daughter’s praise.
For dinner, they added potatoes and wild vegetables to the braised pork soup, creating a stew, and pan-fried tofu. They also had sweet potato buns and flatbread with red bean paste. The family was thoroughly satisfied.
Song Jingyun, especially content after dinner, worked particularly hard at weaving bamboo strips.
Jiang Youcheng was swift in crafting bamboo crates and baskets. The tea garden business was uncertain. If it didn’t work out, they needed to be prepared to sell their goods at the market.
The family worked until late into the evening before retiring for the night.
The next day, after breakfast, Jiang Youcheng prepared to accompany Jiang Mixia to the tea garden to deliver the bamboo baskets. He specifically sought the company of Jiang Chunshi.
Jiang Chunshi could read and write, though not as well as a scholar or even a proper accountant. Still, his ability to handle written documents was immensely useful. Additionally, Jiang Chunshi had been feeling a bit down since leaving his carpentry apprenticeship, so Jiang Youcheng wanted to lift his spirits and help him find a good opportunity.
Jiang Mixia took Song Jingyun with her.
The reason was simple: a mother’s heart led her to be uneasy about letting her husband be alone with others.
The four of them set out to find Third Uncle Jiang, who would take them to the tea garden in his ox cart.
This time, Third Uncle Jiang asked for five coins for the cart ride but said they could pay him upon their return.
“It’s not easy for a new family to take over a tea garden,” Third Uncle Jiang commented along the way.
“Why do you say that?” Jiang Youcheng asked in surprise. “Is there more to the story?”
“I heard some gossip from others before. They said it used to be a proper tea garden, with about a hundred or so acres of land, mostly covered with tea trees around three to four years old, and the tea yield was also quite high,” Third Uncle Jiang explained, flicking his whip. “But then the owner’s nephew, a despicable character, had his eye on the garden because the owner had no sons. The old master, being astute, sensed something amiss and tried to chase his nephew away.”
“When the nephew realized he would gain nothing and his reputation was ruined, he resorted to drastic measures. He poisoned the well, causing the death of the entire family, including the workers in the tea garden, and then set the place on fire.”
“By the time people discovered it, half the tea garden had been burned. It was the neighboring villages that helped put out the fire, and the authorities arrived too late. The nephew, knowing his fate, also took the poison and was already dead when the officials arrived,” Third Uncle Jiang concluded.
“With no owner, the tea garden became public property. The county authorities intended to sell it and use the money to repair the river embankment. However, due to the unfortunate deaths and the extensive damage to the tea trees, no one was willing to buy it,” Third Uncle Jiang continued.
“Not long ago, I heard a merchant came from the capital city. It seems he’s young and doesn’t understand the severity of the situation. He thought the tea garden was cheap and bought it without considering the bad luck associated with it,” Third Uncle Jiang added.
“If you say the steward of the tea garden is here to purchase bamboo baskets, it’s likely the new owner’s steward. When even such small matters are personally attended to, it’s possible they can’t even find workers for this place,” he concluded.
That makes sense, Jiang Mixia thoughtfully nodded. Initially, she had been puzzled as to why Manager Zhou, the steward, was personally handling the purchase of bamboo baskets and why a tea garden suddenly needed so many new items. Now she understood the reason behind it.
After a two-hour journey in the swaying ox cart, they finally arrived at the western hillside. After inquiring around, they found the tea garden.
As Third Uncle Jiang had described, the tea garden was in a state of disrepair, with the walls resembling ruins, showing signs of scorching. Even the buildings were dark and collapsed, with a few workers clearing the debris.
At the entrance, some tidying had been done. A large gate had been constructed using bamboo poles, adorned with a sign bearing the prominent four characters – “Shaoji Tea Garden”.
Not finding Zhou Xing, Jiang Mixia inquired with one of the workers. It was evident that the worker had been briefed and he asked them to wait for a while. After a short time, Zhou Xing hurried over and courteously greeted them.”I’m neglecting you all”
“Not at all, Manager Zhou, you are gracious,” Jiang Mixia said as she presented the two bamboo baskets. “These are the two types of bamboo baskets we’ve crafted at home. Which one would be suitable?”
Zhou Xing examined the two baskets carefully. Finally, he picked up the one with the larger belly. “This one looks good. It’s less likely to spill the tea leaves, and the opening is spacious and convenient for use.”
As he spoke, he hung the basket on himself and mimicked the motion of picking tea leaves, nodding in confirmation. “Yes, it’s good. It’s more practical than the other one. You and your father have unique ideas, even in basket weaving, considering what I need. It’s quite adaptable.”
“Excellent,” Zhou Xing added, concluding with admiration.
“Will you be needing fifty of this type then?” Jiang Mixia inquired.
“Yes, this one,” Zhou Xing affirmed. “Since it’s more challenging to weave, it naturally comes at a slightly higher price.”