Chapter 32: Selling Flowers 3/3

“Xiaoye, what’s on your head?”

“Xiaoye, the flower on your head looks really nice!”

“Xiaoye, I want to trade something for your hairpin.”

…

After renting the boat, Jin Xiaoye bought some odds and ends to put on the boat.

Their village wasn’t far from the county town, but people rarely went to the county town. Usually, when they needed something, they would buy it from the traveling salesman who went from village to village.

But now, Jin Xiaoye had those things on hand too.

The salesman didn’t come to the village every day, but Jin Xiaoye came back every day. Now, the people of Miaoqian Village preferred to buy things from Jin Xiaoye.

Sometimes it wasn’t about buying but trading. Vegetables from the fields, eggs from home-raised chickens, and even snails and river clams could be exchanged for goods with Jin Xiaoye.

Most people in the village didn’t have much money, but these things could be obtained with a little time!

Everyone was willing to exchange these things with Jin Xiaoye, and Jin Xiaoye was willing to accept them—these items could be sold for money in the county town.

Taking out a box from the boat, Jin Xiaoye gave a needle to the person who wanted it and exchanged it for two eggs.

Li Qingzhi watched this scene with some emotion.

In this era, needles were quite expensive compared to modern times.

But that was normal; without machines, making needles was troublesome.

In the previous dynasty, needle prices were even higher. In Daqi, some workshops mass-produced sewing needles, which had already lowered the price of needles somewhat.

After exchanging the needle, Jin Xiaoye took out some fabric flowers similar to the one on her head to show the villagers. “The flower on my head was made by a city embroiderer. It’s the same price as the needle, two eggs for one. You can also exchange other things, but if you want to use vegetables, they have to be freshly picked tomorrow morning.”

The flower on Jin Xiaoye’s head was made by a woman named Sister Wang whom she knew.

Sister Wang’s husband was a traveling merchant, but he didn’t earn much, and Sister Wang’s two sons were still in school. Wang usually helped with sewing clothes.

Where there were sewing activities, there were inevitably some scraps of fabric, and Sister Wang’s house had collected some.

She was good at needlework, and sometimes she would use the fabric scraps to make small trinkets.

Not long ago, Jin Xiaoye saw her wearing a flower on her head and thought it looked nice, so she asked her to make more and said she could help sell them.

Making these flowers wasn’t difficult. Instead of intricately carving each petal, they were simply sewn with fabric scraps, with the main advantage being the good quality and bright colors of the fabric.

Sister Wang made them quickly, and since the fabric scraps didn’t cost much, the price she sold them to Jin Xiaoye was about three eggs for two flowers.

Jin Xiaoye now sold two eggs for one flower, so selling two flowers would earn her one egg.

It wasn’t much profit, but small businesses needed to be sustainable. If she really made a lot of money from this, the villagers would complain, and someone might take her business away.

“These flowers are made from fabric used by wealthy families in the county town to make wedding dresses. The price isn’t cheap. It took some effort for me to get them from the embroiderer,” Jin Xiaoye showed the flower to the villagers, “You can sew it onto a hairpin and wear it.”

Most women in the village didn’t have accessories. Many people pierced their ears, but they could only stuff tea stems in them.

Now, the flower on Jin Xiaoye’s head could be exchanged for two eggs. If they were reluctant to part with the eggs, they could bring some vegetables from home or go catch some snails or clams…

Immediately, a woman from a relatively well-off family spoke up, “I want to exchange for one.”

“I want to exchange for one too. I’ll go get the eggs right away.”

“I’ll go get the eggs too.”

…

“Xiaoye, it’s time to go home for dinner!” Li Laogen urged. If Jin Xiaoye kept selling flowers here and didn’t go home, when would he be able to eat the meat Li Qingzhi brought back?

Jin Xiaoye felt a bit helpless. Seeing everyone wanting to go home to get eggs, she said, “I’ll go home first. If you want to exchange for a flower, come to my house.”

Everyone agreed.

When they returned home, Li Laogen couldn’t wait to lift the lid of the pot.

They had already eaten two meals of dry rice during the day, and Jin Xiaoye calculated that Li Laogen would cook porridge for them at night.

Now, there was a pot of not-so-white porridge in the pot, with the rice grains not fully cooked.

The former was because the rice hadn’t been pounded clean, and the latter was because there wasn’t enough firewood.

But this was pure grain, without any vegetables added.

Not to mention meat.

“Both Xiao Li and Xiao Ye have abilities, Li Laogen, you’re really lucky!”

…

The villagers once thought that Li Qingzhi had a problem with his brain.

But later, Li Qingzhi could go copy books… His brain should be fine, but his body… After all this time, he hasn’t gained any weight, which is suspicious.

But even if Li Qingzhi had issues, he could still earn money! He could still bring back meat!

Now, the villagers all thought that Li Qingzhi had prospects.

Li Laogen listened to these people talking, his face full of joy.

However, Jin Xiaoye put down her chopsticks and took out the fabric flowers for people to choose.

These flowers were all very colorful. The villagers didn’t want plain-colored flowers, especially white ones, which were only worn when someone passed away.

After the people who brought eggs looked over them, they quickly chose the flowers they wanted.

But as the evening fell, no one else came.

Only then did Jin Xiaoye wash up behind the house.

She was too busy entertaining the villagers to go to the river for a bath. Jin Xiaoshu and Li Laogen brought some water for her to wash up with.

After washing up and lying on the bed, Jin Xiaoye’s mood was still very excited. “Ah Qing, these flowers sell pretty well. Tomorrow, I can go find Sister Wang and ask her to make more! We can also ask her to come up with some other designs…”

“Xiaoye, you’re really clever!” Li Qingzhi praised.

“Ah Qing, I’m earning more and more money!” Jin Xiaoye continued, “But it’s a pity that I have to pay forty cents in rent every day!”

These days, Jin Xiaoye could earn about a hundred cents a day, but after paying the rent, she was left with only sixty cents, which is less than two cash in a month, and with her and Jin Xiaoshu being two people, it was even less.

But by selling these fabric flowers next, she should be able to earn quite a bit!

Full of enthusiasm, Jin Xiaoye began to envision the future: “When I’ve earned enough money, I must buy a few acres of land and build a house. Then I’ll build four big rooms. Damao and Ermao can each have two rooms!”

“Okay.” Li Qingzhi smiled and replied, then asked, “Should we buy a bed first?”

The money he earned, he always gave it to Jin Xiaoye whenever he came home.

Now Jin Xiaoye should have money on hand, but she hadn’t bought anything, and their lives were not much different from before.

Jin Xiaoye thought for a moment and said, “I’ll find someone to buy some boards first, let’s put together a bed for now. We don’t have much money now, so instead of buying a bed, it’s better to buy two quilts first. Our family’s quilts are not enough.”

When she married Li Qingzhi, it was summer, and Li Qingzhi only prepared a thin quilt.

When she got married, her parents also gave her only one quilt.

Li Laogen didn’t have a quilt to cover himself, so she gave the thin quilt Li Qingzhi had prepared to Li Laogen, and she covered herself and her two children.

This quilt was not big. She used to sleep with Li Damao and Li Ermao, and it was enough to cover them. But now there’s Li Qingzhi too, so it definitely won’t be enough!

Li Laogen’s quilt was also a bit thin and needed to be thickened.

“In addition to quilts, we also need to get cotton clothes. You don’t even have cotton clothes. The cotton clothes from Dad are not warm to wear…” Jin Xiaoye began to count on her fingers.

These things are not cheap. After getting them, it will cost at least several taels of silver.