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As the weather cooled, a matchmaker visited Zhu Yongwu to discuss a potential marriage proposal. However, since Zhu Yongwu had no direct relatives in the village and was raising his child alone, the matchmaker approached Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi to relay the proposal.
Marriage is usually a joyous occasion, and in the eyes of Jiang Youcheng and Liu Shi, Zhu Yongwu was still young and Zhu Guangtai was in need of a mother figure. They saw this as an opportunity to broach the subject with Zhu Yongwu.
Upon hearing the proposal, Zhu Yongwu felt uneasy, his face flushing red, but he made his stance clear.
With the pottery business just taking off, he wanted to focus his energy there. Additionally, with Zhu Guangtai still young, he wasn’t ready to remarry at this time.
Being a young child, there were many things Zhu Guangtai didn’t understand. Even if he were to marry a virtuous and kind stepmother, the adjustment period could be challenging for the child. Zhu Yongwu recalled his own experiences with a stepmother and didn’t want his son to face similar challenges.
Understanding Zhu Yongwu’s concerns after a lengthy discussion, Jiang Youcheng nodded in agreement, saying, “You’re right. Today, consider this conversation never happened.”
“Uncle, I know you’re looking out for me and it’s all for my well-being,” Zhu Yongwu reassured, not wanting to hurt Jiang Youcheng’s feelings.
Jiang Youcheng grinned in response, “Alright then, let’s leave it for the future. If you ever have such thoughts later on and need my help with arrangements, just let me know.”
In matters of marriage, many steps require the involvement of elders and cannot be handled personally.
“Sure thing,” Zhu Yongwu readily agreed.
As the weather cooled, the bamboo workshop paused crafting bamboo fans but introduced a new product line—gift boxes.
During festivals and gatherings, pastries were typically wrapped in oil paper and tied with hemp rope, which, although recognizable, lacked an elegant touch. With these octagonal bamboo gift boxes, filled with pastries and adorned with the bakery’s name on the outside, they added an extra layer of sophistication. Once the pastries were consumed, the boxes, complete with handles, could be repurposed, serving as a lasting reminder of the bakery and acting as a significant promotional tool.
Jiang Mixia’s thoughtful initiative was well-received, and the bakery shop understood the value of this approach. Consequently, the largest bakery in the county town promptly placed an order for the first batch of a hundred gift boxes from Jiang Mixia’s workshop. They even signed a long-term collaboration agreement, ensuring the workshop’s continuous production of packaging boxes for them.
Securing a long-term contract with a major client brought immense joy to the entire workshop, with Song Jingyun being particularly delighted.
His smile rarely left his face in recent days.
Firstly, he was thrilled about the prosperity of the bamboo workshop. Secondly, he was overjoyed that the workshop had landed a deal with the bakery shop.
Collaborating with the bakery shop meant convenient deliveries and easy access to pastries in the future. Moreover, during the contract signing, the bakery shop brought along a variety of pastries like peach blossom pastries, glutinous rice rolls, honey knives, and sesame cookies.
Song Jingyun felt that he wouldn’t be short of snacks for quite some time.
“Wow, my wife is truly remarkable, even thinking about securing business deals like providing gift boxes for the bakery shop,” mused Song Jingyun.
“But then again, could it be that my wife’s collaboration with the bakery shop is because he loves pastries?” he pondered.
“She really cares for me…” Song Jingyun chuckled, scratching his head.
“Why are you grinning like a fool?” Jiang Mixia, tidying up the bedding, noticed her husband standing there and called him over to help. “Come help me roll up the bamboo mat.”
Song Jingyun snapped out of his reverie and hurried to assist in rolling up the mat. As the weather cooled, the bamboo mat wasn’t needed anymore and had to be stored for the next year when the weather turned warm again.
Their household’s bamboo mat, different from the simple mats with zigzag patterns, was made of thin bamboo strips bound together with fine ropes, unique and durable compared to modern mats.
The bamboo mat with neatly bound edges rolled up effortlessly, thanks to its well-maintained structure.
As Song Jingyun swiftly rolled up the mat and placed the cylindrical bundle on the floor, he commented, “Rolling up such a large bamboo mat results in such a compact bundle. It saves a lot of space.”
“Well, of course, because…” Jiang Mixia began to explain but suddenly paused in thought.
Indeed, a bamboo mat could be rolled up neatly.
Why not create a fan structured like a bamboo mat? When in use, the bamboo strips and handle could be vertical, like the mat, allowing the fan to maintain its form. When not in use, a simple rotation of ninety degrees would enable it to be rolled up, just like the bamboo mat.
Wouldn’t this be a fan that provides ventilation when needed and rolls up compactly when not in use?
Excited by this idea, Jiang Mixia quickly found some thin bamboo strips and crafted a prototype of a foldable fan that could be rolled up, closely resembling her envisioned design.
“Who knew a fan could be designed like this?” exclaimed Song Jingyun in astonishment.
“Well, this idea was inspired by your input, so you deserve credit for it,” Jiang Mixia smiled. “However, with the weather cooling down this year, we won’t need the fans now. We can have the workshop produce them in bulk when spring arrives next year.”
Another new business opportunity!
Jiang Mixia’s excitement tinged the tip of her nose slightly red.
Another chance to earn a lot of money!
Song Jingyun was equally thrilled.
What happened next only added to Song Jingyun’s joy. The family discussed using the savings accumulated over the past year to purchase some land.
Buying land, collecting rent, and then leading a leisurely life with abundant food—this had been Song Jingyun’s initial and ultimate goal, one that had never wavered.
Now, with plans to acquire some land, even if the acreage wasn’t as much as he had hoped for, it marked the first step towards becoming a landowner.
This step filled Song Jingyun with hope for achieving his goals.
Thus, as they journeyed to the town’s Real State Agency, Song Jingyun was brimming with excitement.
The Real State Agency was bustling, with the staff busily engaged. Upon learning of Jiang Mixia and Song Jingyun’s intention to purchase land, the staff recommended some plots based on their desired acreage and budget that were currently available for sale.