Chapter 117: Preparations

The climate in this era swung dramatically between winter and summer. Drawing from last year’s experience, Wu Wei knew the water she’d frozen on the platform at the back of the mountain would soon turn to solid ice. She mentioned this to Embroider Maiden and Old Lady Liu, then set out to find Zhang Shuisheng for help in unmolding and storing the ice blocks.

After frolicking around with Embroider Maiden for a bit, Wu Wei’s stomach started rumbling with hunger. They ate a quick meal, bundled up properly, grabbed a broom, and headed down the mountain to look for Zhang Shuisheng. Embroider Maiden’s household was the only one on the mountain, so naturally, the snow on the mountain path fell to Wu Wei to clear. If she didn’t, a slight warming of the temperature could turn the path into a treacherous sheet of ice, making it hard to descend.

Wu Wei swept the snow as she went, barely carving out a narrow path wide enough for one person. By the time she reached the base, it was nearly noon.

Even though Wu Wei had kept up her exercise routine over the past year, the trip down left her thoroughly winded. Steam rose from the top of her head as she caught her breath for a moment. Then she wrapped her head and neck tightly in her headscarf before making her way to the Zhang family home.

In the depths of winter, farm families had few pastimes and mostly hunkered down at home. The Zhang household was no different. When Wu Wei arrived, Zhang Shuisheng was in the west room, playing with his son alongside Second Sister Liu. Worried about bringing the chill of the outdoors onto the child, Wu Wei waited in the courtyard instead of going inside.

Zhang Shuisheng came out bundled in a padded jacket and laughed. “What are you doing out here in the freezing cold, little sister? Come inside and warm up.”

“No need,” Wu Wei replied. “I’ve been out too long today—I’m chilled to the bone. I don’t want to pass it on to the baby. We can talk right here.”

“You’re always so thoughtful.”

“Second Brother-in-Law, in three days, could you bring two reliable fellows up to my place? Dress warmly, and if you have thick gloves, wear them. If not, no worries—I’ll have Embroider Maiden make a few pairs to have on hand. You can use mine.” With the empire in mourning and restrictions on gatherings, visitors were scarce. Wu Wei emphasized reliability to avoid any misunderstandings about assemblies.

“Sure thing. What kind of work is it? Any tools we should bring?”

Wu Wei thought for a moment. “One clean small shovel per person would be good. If you have any spare straw mats at home, bring a few. Remember that ice cave I had the craftsmen dig? I’ve frozen a batch of ice blocks inside, and they should be solid in another two or three days. I want to unmold them and stack them up. No meals provided during this sensitive time—just a hundred cash coins as pay per person.”

“Hey now, forget about the pay. We’re all neighbors—who’s going to take your money?” Zhang Shuisheng waved it off.

But Wu Wei grew serious. “In these special times, the pay is non-negotiable. If anyone asks, it’s easier to explain, and this is a business deal—folks won’t work for free.”

The word “business” lit a spark in Zhang Shuisheng’s eyes. Though the Zhang family had built up some savings, once the child started schooling, silver would burn away like wildfire every day. Better to have extra on hand.

He leaned in half a step. “What kind of business? Can you count me in?”

“It’s this ice business. If you’re interested, Second Brother-in-Law, it’ll mean some hard labor. I’ve got special wooden buckets at my place—take some home, fill them with clean water. Best if you boil it first before freezing. There’s still plenty of space in the ice cave. Haul your frozen blocks up there to store, and come next summer when it’s scorching, we sell the ice to Hundred Flavors Building so they can make ice bowls.”

Zhang Shuisheng blinked in confusion. “Ice? Won’t it all melt by summer? And what’s an ice bowl?”

Wu Wei explained patiently. “My ice cave is halfway up the mountain slope—no direct sunlight, plenty of shade from the trees around it, and it’s on the sheltered side. As long as we have enough blocks and insulate them well with straw mats, we can definitely keep them until summer. There’ll be some loss in transport, but Hundred Flavors Building isn’t far. Wrap them thick in straw mats and cart them down in wagons—no problem. For the ice bowls, we use the clean cores of the blocks. The outer layers, for safety, we chisel off and melt in basins for cooling. An ice bowl is… for the fancy sort. You carve a bowl out of ice, fill it with fruits, red bean paste, shaved ice, milk, all mixed together. Or simpler: chop ice and toss it in a bowl with those things. Either way, it’s a refreshing summer treat. I’m thinking we sell a block for one tael of silver. At Hundred Flavors Building prices, one ice bowl goes for a tael, and their customers are the type who don’t blink at silver. Sound like a good deal?”

“…You really think ice can last till summer?”

“You’ll see when the time comes. If you’re in, Second Brother-in-Law, I’ll reserve space for you.”

Zhang Shuisheng mulled it over. Worst case, it was just some effort, and if it all melted, no real loss. “Alright, thanks for the opportunity, little sister.” Deep down, he still doubted ice could survive till summer.

“Don’t tell anyone about this yet. Once we succeed, others will copy us, but the first year’s profits are the fattest.” Wu Wei’s eyes gleamed as she thought how nice it would be to rake in a windfall and spark the villagers’ envy into imitation.

…

Zhang Shuisheng invited Wu Wei to the east room to warm up, but she glanced at the sky and said she needed to get home for lunch, so she headed back.

Once home, Wu Wei asked Embroider Maiden to whip up some gloves right away. That very afternoon, Embroider Maiden got to work.

Her needlework was flawless, as always. By early the next morning, she’d finished five pairs, thickly padded with cotton for comfort and warmth.

On the third morning, Zhang Shuisheng arrived at the little courtyard with two sturdy young men. Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden both knew them. After chatting briefly in the yard, they took the gloves and followed Wu Wei’s lead to the back mountain.

Wu Wei hadn’t wanted Embroider Maiden to join—her menstrual cramps made her sensitive to the cold, and it’d taken all summer to cure them for good. But Embroider Maiden insisted, and Wu Wei relented, stuffing two thick felt insoles into her shoes before taking her hand and setting off.

They chatted idly along the way, the others full of curiosity about why Wu Wei had spent silver to carve out the ice cave. She explained honestly that it was for storing ice, earning reactions just like Zhang Shuisheng’s—polite chuckles, assuming it was a joke.

Inside the ice cave, over a hundred square special wooden buckets stood in neat rows. The base of each was a solid plank, the sides assembled from long boards joined with precise mortise-and-tenon joints. Dismantle the latches one by one, remove the bamboo strips banding the outside, and the sides came apart easily. The carpenters of this era had impressive skills. Wu Wei had only sketched her rough idea, and they’d made it reality—a craft sadly lost in later times.

Wu Wei demonstrated dismantling one bucket, then pointed to the innermost chamber. “I’ve already had the platform built as a base. Just stack the ice blocks on it—one layer of ice, one layer of straw mats, wrapped tight.”

Everyone nodded understanding and set to work dismantling the buckets. Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden reassembled the emptied ones, inverting them against the walls.

The wood and labor for these buckets had cost Wu Wei ten taels of silver—the same as digging the cave—but she reckoned it worthwhile. She’d calculated the volume and buoyancy; each could hold an adult. The modular design made parts easy to swap, and she had a whole basket of spares.

Soon, all the ice blocks were out. The group began carrying them to the designated spot. Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden kept assembling buckets on the ground. “Embroider Maiden,” Wu Wei said, “I’ve left a big basket of spare parts in the left cave. If anything breaks, just swap in a new one. Money’s tight now—once we sell the ice, I’ll commission another batch from the craftsmen.”

“Why make so many buckets?” Embroider Maiden asked, puzzled.

“See, add wheels underneath, tie a rope to the front, and it’s a little cart. Come spring, I’ll buy up cheap old grain, store it in these. Slap labels on the outsides, and you know what’s inside.” Wu Wei met Embroider Maiden’s gaze, her voice dropping. “If a flood ever comes, one bucket can float a grown person.”

Embroider Maiden found the words ill-omened and frowned. “Don’t say such things. If others heard…”

Wu Wei chuckled softly. “Exactly—it’s too unlucky to voice aloud. That’s why I only tell you.”

Embroider Maiden was about to respond when she caught sight of someone approaching out of the corner of her eye. “They’re coming out.”

“All stacked, Weiwei. Take a look?” Zhang Shuisheng called.

“Right.”

Wu Wei inspected the ice chamber and nodded in satisfaction. She pulled out three strings of cash coins threaded on red cord—one for Zhang Shuisheng and one each for the other two men.

Zhang Shuisheng didn’t stand on ceremony. After exchanging a few more words, he gathered his people and headed back. This left only Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden in the ice cave, where the two of them continued assembling the wooden buckets.

Some time passed—though how long, neither could say—before the Embroider Maiden suddenly spoke up. “Weiwei, are you…?” But the words stuck in her throat. She hemmed and hawed for what felt like ages, unable to get them out. Was it precognition? Some kind of prophecy?

If this had happened back in Little Locust Village, it would have been labeled sorcery—spreading wild delusions to mislead the masses. They’d have burned her at the stake.

The Embroider Maiden didn’t dare voice it aloud.

Wu Wei fell silent. Her hands moved mechanically over the buckets. Only after a long moment did she finally speak. “You know that Wind-Fixing Stone at the entrance to Little Locust Village? It’s a Lake Bottom Stone.”

The Embroider Maiden nodded. “I heard about it from the village elders when I was little. But that’s ancient history—over a hundred years old. They said Little Locust Village used to sit beside a vast lake. Then one year, the heavens cracked open and the earth split apart. The waters drained away in no time at all, but the soil left behind was richer than ever. Crops grew like crazy there. Homeless refugees drifted in from all over and settled down. That’s why Little Locust Village has more family names than anywhere else in Qinglu County—unlike other places, which are dominated by just a handful of big clans.”

“Do you remember that idiom I taught you? ‘Seas become mulberry fields’?”

“Yes. It means the seas turn into farmland, and farmland turns into seas. Things change beyond all recognition.”

The Embroider Maiden’s face drained of color in an instant.

“Embroider Maiden,” Wu Wei said, “I don’t know a thing. And I’m no demon, either. All I know is that Little Locust Village sits in a low-lying spot, and Zhang Family Village isn’t much higher up. Just chalk it up to me worrying that the sky might fall. With any luck, nothing will come of it.”

Wu Wei thought of that submerged pavilion in the lake and gave a wry smile.