Chapter 25: Not Quite Enough IQ

Plump, round little pandas, a dumbfounded-looking Wang Cai, a big-headed, small-bodied, simple yet incredibly cute bunny, and an elegant, foot-raised little cat with closed eyes…

Jiang Chushi stared at the drawings, his eyes widening. “These things look strangely captivating and remarkably cute.”

Traditional woodcarvings emphasize intricacy, with a tendency towards more realistic shapes. Usually, depictions of dogs feature elongated bodies, long legs, and pointed ears. However, Jiang Mixia had drawn in a modern Q-version style, featuring plump, round bodies, belonging to the adorable and cute genre.

People in this era might find these designs a bit odd, but they would also genuinely find them adorable.

“I’ve drawn quite a few for now. Take these to practice first. If I come up with new designs later, I’ll draw them for you,” Jiang Mixia said, noticing the paper was nearly full and decided to stop.

“Great,” Jiang Chushi grinned as he carefully collected the drawings. “If they sell well in the future, we’ll split the profits.”

“I’ll be looking forward to that,” Jiang Mixia chuckled. “I might rely on you to help me earn some money with your hair oil.”

“No problem,” Jiang Chushi patted his chest.

The designs looked strikingly attractive, and when it came to wooden dolls, novelty was key. If they could produce these, they would surely sell well.

Jiang Chushi was enthusiastic.

Over ten days flew by.

All the conical hats and shallow baskets for Shaoji Tea Garden had been successfully woven. With a substantial amount to deliver, the goods filled three large carts, resembling towering small hills.

Upon inspection, counting, and payment, Zhou Xing, upon receiving the delivery from Jiang Youcheng and Jiang Mixia, not only paid for the agreed-upon items but also provided some bamboo mats as an extra gift.

During the tea drying process, if there weren’t enough shallow baskets, the mats could serve as an emergency substitute. Moreover, given that it was already May and the weather was warming up, the mats would be indispensable for the workers as the summer approached.

While seemingly unremarkable, they were indeed quite practical.

As the overseer, Zhou Xing truly valued those who did their work diligently and conscientiously. He held a high regard for both Jiang Youcheng and Jiang Mixia.

After settling the remaining payment, Zhou Xing remarked, “In the future, if there’s a need, we’ll inform you in advance. We won’t bother with just one or two items. When it comes to delivery, it’ll be a minimum of ten items to make it worth the trip.”

“Furthermore, if anyone else needs these items in the future, I’ll be happy to recommend your services,” he added.

Jiang Youcheng and Jiang Mixia expressed their heartfelt thanks.

“We’ll do our best to supply the items for the tea garden in the future, and we won’t let you down with these minor matters,” they assured Zhou Xing.

“I trust you both. Your work speaks for itself, and it’s well-deserved,” Zhou Xing replied. He was content with the good deeds and didn’t seek to take credit, engaging in casual conversation with Jiang Youcheng and Jiang Mixia.

The day was drawing to a close as Jiang Mixia and her family made their way home. Holding the weighty sum of silver, Jiang Youcheng’s face beamed with a smile that nearly blossomed into a flower.

With this money, the quality of life at home had noticeably improved.

For instance, the steamed buns now used half white flour, and the golden and silver rice made from a mixture of rice and millet used predominantly rice. They also stopped selling the eggs from their chickens and the vegetables from their garden, reserving them for the family’s consumption.

Occasionally, they could even afford to buy some meat from the town for a special treat.

Today, for lunch, they were having dumplings filled with pork and chives.

Chopping the filling, making the dough, rolling out the wrappers, and shaping the dumplings. As each plump dumpling was placed in front of Song Jingyun, he observed for a while before imitating Jiang Mixia, using his chopsticks to bring a dumpling to his lips.

Taking a bite, the juicy filling flowed and burst into every corner of his mouth, nearly bringing tears to Song Jingyun’s eyes.

“Is it so delicious?” Jiang Mixia swallowed the dumpling she had in her mouth. Although dumplings were always delicious, today’s dumplings were exceptionally tasty. With meat strips, slices, or chunks appearing on a regular basis, their household was never short of meat.

Song Jingyun had never been this excited, not even when he first tasted braised pork.

“Hot…hot,” Song Jingyun mumbled with a half-open mouth, blowing on the dumpling to cool it down, struggling to speak clearly.

After the dumpling had cooled a bit, he managed to swallow it with some difficulty.

This husband…

Why did he seem to lack a bit of common sense when it came to food?

Song Jingyun didn’t ponder this too much. He simply felt that the dumplings were incredibly delicious, the best thing he had eaten recently, causing him to eagerly devour them.

After two bowls of dumplings, their bellies were pleasantly full.

After a short break, they each resumed their tasks.

Since the tea garden had just been supplied, Jiang Youcheng continued weaving the sturdy bamboo baskets and containers, preparing for the upcoming market day.

Meanwhile, Jiang Mixia experimented with the bamboo splints to determine the ideal thickness for making small shallow baskets for holding needles and thread.

Each household needed needle and thread baskets, a necessity for sewing activities. Despite their small size, their price rivaled that of a large, bulky bamboo basket, despite using much less bamboo splints and requiring less effort to make.

In the pursuit of earning money, having a variety of styles could result in additional income.

Meanwhile, Liu Shi went to tend to the vegetable garden. With the need to weave baskets and limited time for farming, they had not planted cotton. After harvesting the wheat, they had sown corn, which had not sprouted yet, leaving the field idle. However, the cucumbers, tomatoes, and long beans in the vegetable garden needed attention as they were in their growing phase.

While assisting with basket weaving, Song Jingyun took a break to carefully inspect a bamboo fork that had been leaning against the wall. It had not been used for a long time and had become somewhat dry and less sharp.

Observing Song Jingyun’s actions, Jiang Youcheng set aside his basket and said, “There’s not much work left, and both of you have been working hard for so many days. How about taking a break?”

The family had been tirelessly working to fulfill the two previous tea garden orders, especially Song Jingyun, who had contributed significantly.

Seeing him with the bamboo fork, thinking of going fishing, Jiang Youcheng readily agreed, “This fork is a bit worn out. I’ll shave a new one for you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Song Jingyun grinned appreciatively.

Jiang Youcheng took a machete and quickly fashioned a new one. Song Jingyun tested its feel, grabbed a bamboo basket, and then went to pull Jiang Mixia, “My dear, let’s go spear some fish.”

Is the fish spearing prodigy now online?

This activity was quite addictive…

Jiang Mixia, feeling resigned, placed her hand on her forehead. Yet, realizing they hadn’t had fish recently, she agreed, while grabbing two large buckets.

Since they were going to the riverside, they could fetch some water for bathing later in the evening.

The young couple headed out, walking all the way to the river.

As usual, the son-in-law transformed into a local expert, armed with a bamboo fork, either spearing fish or already having caught some.

Jiang Mixia, no longer as excited as her first time spearfishing by the river, had become a mechanical clapper, offering constant affirmation and encouragement.

However, Song Jingyun suddenly stopped.