Chapter 56: Watertight

Although they knew that Jiang Chunshi was doing well, since they had come to his doorstep, it was only right to pay him a visit. Fang Shi had also learned that they will go to his workplace and had asked them to bring some new clothes to Jiang Chunshi to prepare for changes in weather.

Naturally, Zheng had no reason to refuse and instructed a staff member to lead them to the backyard to find Jiang Chunshi.

After searching around, they couldn’t find him. After inquiring, they learned that Jiang Chunshi had gone with Chang Yong’an to measure furniture dimensions for a client and wouldn’t be back until the afternoon.

Jiang Youcheng handed the small bundle of clothes to the staff member, saying, “Could you please pass this on to him?”

“Of course, it’s my pleasure. I’ll give it to him when he returns,” the young staff member readily agreed.

Jiang Chunshi was known for his honest and reliable nature. He never refused when someone asked for his help, and the shop’s staff members held him in high regard.

With the delivery done, Jiang Youcheng, Jiang Mixia, and Song Jingyun bid farewell to Madam Zheng.

Madam Zheng saw them out of the shop.

The group made their way to the west market.

The west market was bustling, with stalls selling vegetables, fruits, stools, and baskets of various kinds.

They found a vacant spot and settled in.

Although bamboo baskets were common, several vendors were selling them. The bamboo baskets from Jiang Mixia’s home didn’t stand out here. Even when people inquired about the price, they didn’t wait for Jiang Mixia to explain that their bamboo baskets were watertight. As soon as they heard the price of two hundred wen, they shook their heads and left.

Some were even quite dissatisfied, “Two hundred wen for a bamboo basket? Clearly trying to rob people. Why bother offering a bamboo basket at all? What kind of business is this?”

After a few such encounters, Song Jingyun started to feel concerned, “The situation doesn’t look good.”

“It’s not looking good. I need to think of a solution,” Jiang Mixia said to her father. “Wait for me here, I’ll be right back.”

Saying this, she entered a nearby shop that sold rice and flour.

“Would you like to buy rice or flour?” A shop assistant greeted her.

“I’m not here to buy anything. I just need to fetch a bucket of water to use,” Jiang Mixia replied as she took out two copper coins from her purse and handed them to the shop assistant. “I don’t want you to work for nothing.”

Two copper coins weren’t much, but the water was drawn from the well and was essentially free. It would only take a moment to fetch it from the backyard, so it was not much trouble.

The shop assistant thought it was a good deal and asked Jiang Mixia to wait for a moment. He then went into the backyard. In no time, he returned with a bucket of water. “You don’t have a container for the water. Where do you want me to pour it?”

“Right here,” Jiang Mixia said as she lifted the basket in her hand.

“Pour the water into the bamboo basket?” The shop assistant was taken aback, looking at Jiang Mixia in disbelief. “Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely,” Jiang Mixia nodded.

“I’ve never seen a bamboo basket that can hold water, let alone pour water into it,” the shop assistant said, still in disbelief.

“It’s true, it doesn’t leak at all,” Jiang Mixia said with a smile. “If you’re worried about spilling water and wetting the floor inside the shop, shall we pour the water outside?”

“Alright,” the shop assistant wanted to see for himself if the bamboo basket was truly watertight.

Both of them went outside the shop. Jiang Mixia placed the bamboo basket on the ground where they usually set up their stall and fetched a bucket of water to pour into the basket.

Fetching a bucket of water from the rice and flour shop had already attracted attention, but now, as Jiang Mixia poured the water into the bamboo basket, it left the onlookers wide-eyed with astonishment.

“Is this girl out of her mind, pouring water into a bamboo basket?”

“Let’s not worry about whether she’s crazy or not. Let’s move our things aside quickly. This water will flow everywhere and wet our stuff.”

“This person sure knows how to cause trouble…”

Amidst the muttering, everyone busily moved their belongings aside. When they saw that the water poured into the bamboo basket didn’t leak at all, they were dumbfounded once again.

“Is it fake? Can this bamboo basket really hold water?”

“Not only does it hold water, but it doesn’t leak a single drop. This is incredible. It’s the first time I’ve seen a watertight bamboo basket.”

“No wonder she poured water into the bamboo basket. She must have known about this.”

“Hey, if this bamboo basket can hold water, why bother using a wooden bucket to fetch water in the future? This bamboo basket is lightweight and easy to carry. It would save a lot of effort.”

“How much does this bamboo basket cost?”

Jiang Mixia smiled as someone inquired about the price, “Two hundred wen each, non-negotiable.”

“The price is indeed not cheap,” the potential buyer shook his head slightly.

“But it’s lightweight,” Jiang Mixia added, “We’ve woven several layers for these bamboo baskets. They are thin on the inside and sturdy on the outside. An average person can’t achieve this level of craftsmanship. The value of these bamboo baskets lies in their workmanship.”

“These watertight baskets are really good. I sell wontons around the streets and alleys. I need to add water inside them. Wooden buckets are heavy to carry, but these bamboo baskets fit perfectly on my cart. I’ll take one,” the potential buyer said.

He took out a pouch, counted the money, and handed it to Jiang Mixia, selecting a bamboo basket that seemed suitable.

Concerned about the quality, he specifically poured some water into the basket. Upon seeing that it didn’t leak, he left contentedly with his purchase.

That’s how business worked. If you didn’t open shop, you’d continue not making any sales, but once you did, even if you weren’t expecting it, your business would thrive, and customers would keep coming.

This was evident as the wonton stall that bought a bamboo basket drew the attention of other nearby stalls and shops. After some hesitation, most of them ended up buying one too.

When they arrived in the county town, they had brought along over ten bamboo baskets. After giving two to  Madam Zheng, they had only sold about seven or eight, leaving three remaining.

“Do these really not leak?” asked a delicate and scholarly-looking young man in a slightly faded cotton robe. His fingers were slender, but there were visible calluses at the joints.

He seemed like a scholar.

“They don’t leak,” Jiang Mixia pointed to the nearby bamboo basket filled with water, “It’s right there, not a drop is leaking.”

The scholar carefully examined the watertight bamboo basket and nodded in agreement, “Yes, it doesn’t leak.”

However, after looking at the round basket in his hand and gesturing, he looked at Jiang Mixia and asked, “Do you only have round bamboo baskets?”

“Yes, only round ones,” Jiang Mixia replied, noticing the scholar’s hesitant expression. She inquired, “Are you looking for a different shape?”

“Yes, I’m looking for a square one with a cover, like a satchel. It would be best if it had a shoulder strap so it can be carried. This way, it would be convenient for carrying writing materials,” the scholar explained. He was planning to leave before winter sets in and spend some time in the capital before the spring exams. The journey was long, and the weather along the way could be unpredictable.

Traditional satchels were often made of bamboo, but they were mostly not waterproof. If it rained on a cloudy day, the clothes inside would be ruined, and even books might not be spared, causing a lot of trouble.

The satchel, known as “nangqie” in ancient times, was a square-shaped box carried by scholars, convenient for carrying books, writing materials, and inkstones.