Chapter 56: Early Preparations
Lin Shuang quickly bought the materials for the small clay doll clothes, mainly including various fabrics of different materials and colors.
The fabrics were distributed to the embroiderers, who began to cut and make the small clothes according to the styles Lin Shuang had instructed.
As for the bracelets, necklaces, and other accessories, she was running a small business and couldn’t afford to buy high-quality beads to match.
But there were always more solutions than problems. On top of that, having lived through her past life, she had seen more than the average person. She had the village chief spread the word that she was buying large quantities of various small fruit pits, grass seeds, and various beautiful small stone beads. If they were strung into bracelets and necklaces, an extra copper coin would be added for the labor.
As soon as this news came out, the ten-year-old girls in the village couldn’t sit still. As soon as they had free time, they would run to the mountains, fields, and riverside, looking for beautiful fruit pits and stones.
The more diligent ones could make two strings of chains a day and earn four or five copper coins. In two days, they could buy a catty of meat.
In early April, the rice seedlings in the fields had already grown, and they needed to be weeded and fertilized. Most of the embroiderers would be busy with the farm work in the fields for half a day, and for the remaining half, they would gather on the village chief’s drying yard, chatting and making clothes together.
Although Matron Yan hadn’t gotten a job, both of her daughters-in-law were in the team. When she had nothing to do, she would also move a stool and sit with them, gossiping.
Someone couldn’t help but sigh, “I don’t know how many years it’s been since we’ve all gathered together to talk. It’s all thanks to Zhen’niang’s ability. She got such a big job in the city. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had this opportunity.”
“This child is the kind who works quietly and does big things. If it weren’t for Old Madam Jiang, she wouldn’t have followed her father’s old path.”
“Sigh, it’s all because of poverty. But it’s rare for her to still think of her fellow villagers.”
“Have you noticed that ever since Shuang’er went to the West Mountain Valley, the Jiang family’s luck has been getting better and better?”
“I was just about to say that. She had only been there for two days, and I ran into her on the road, carrying a large basket of yams to sell. That basket must have been worth several hundred copper coins, right? So many of us go up the mountain every day, but I’ve never seen anyone find so many mountain goods.”
“Now that you mention it, I remember too. It was a huge basket. After digging up the yams, she made sauce flatbreads. Even Doctor Xue from the Everlasting Peace Hall in the city is willing to associate with them. The old lady from the Xue family even came to their door in person. Later, I heard that they were invited to their house to build a heated kang.”
“I heard that too. They said that Doctor Xue even introduced them to several families. A kang for two hundred copper coins. They built three in one day, which is six hundred coins. That’s money that we can’t earn in several months, and they earned it in one day.”
“You really can’t be envious of this. They earn a living with their skills. If we could do it, we could earn that money too.”
“Sigh, how can I be envious? They deserve to earn this money. But is Shuang’er really of a baleful fate? I think she’s a lucky star.”
“The Lin family must have gotten the birth characters wrong. I think Ma Guihua must be furious these few days.”
“Someone who can sell their niece to a brothel deserves to be furious.”
“No matter how poor our village is, we’ve never sold our children to that kind of place to suffer.”
And at this moment, the Ma Guihua that the embroiderers were talking about was arguing with Lin Mancang at home.
“She’s such an ungrateful wretch. It’s bad enough that she won’t give us the recipe for the sauce. Now she’s even making some doll accessories and won’t let our family’s people work for her! What an ungrateful dog. How could your Lin family have produced such a thing?”
Lin Mancang was lying on a rattan chair. He lifted his eyelids and said, “I think we should just leave her alone. You never get anything good when you go to her. Don’t you always come back in a huff?”
“That’s because you’re useless. You’re only a bully at home. You don’t even dare to fart outside.”
Being scolded by her like this, Lin Mancang was getting annoyed day by day. Thinking of the rumors outside, a wave of anger also rose in him. He stood up and shouted, “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t insisted on selling her, it would be our Lin family who’s getting rich now!”
“Do you know what they’re saying outside now? They’re all saying that Shuang’er is a lucky star. Wherever she goes, she brings wealth. Think about the Jiang family’s situation before the new year. Old Madam Jiang was about to die, and Jiang Huaizhen even chopped off heads to treat her. But now, in just over half a year, ever since Shuang’er entered the Jiang family, the old woman’s illness is better, and they’re earning money from their business. Now they even have a big order from a big client.”
“It’s all because of you. You pushed the family’s god of wealth out, and you’re still making a fuss all day, not letting anyone have any peace, and making the villagers dislike our whole family!”
Hearing him shout like this, Ma Guihua’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“You’re blaming me? We made the decision together, and now you’re pushing it all on me? Lin Mancang, do you have a conscience?”
“I made the decision? Wasn’t it you who came up with the idea of selling her to a brothel? Didn’t you say that someone in your parents’ village had sold their daughter for a lot of silver, and that’s how I knew about it?”
“I said it, but you also agreed. You could have not agreed. Could I have sold her by myself?”
“If you hadn’t brought it up, I wouldn’t have agreed. I wouldn’t have even thought of such a thing.”
Ma Guihua was so angry she was trembling all over. She pointed at Lin Mancang and said, “Alright, now that you see them earning money, and you’re envious, you’re blaming me, right? Do you think that if you go out and say it, anyone will think you’re innocent?”
“Lin Mancang, I’m telling you, birds of a feather flock together. If my heart is black, you’re not much better. You didn’t say anything when you were spending the money, and now you’re trying to put the blame on me. I’m telling you, no way!”
Lin Mancang’s face darkened. He picked up his wine gourd and walked out.
In the past, their family and the family next door were at odds with each other. After Wasong had sold his daughter, he seemed to have found a kindred spirit, and the two of them would often drink together.
Seeing him go next door again, Ma Guihua cursed, “Drink, drink, drink. Just like that crippled good-for-nothing. You’ll become a good-for-nothing sooner or later—”
These few days, besides making the sauce, Lin Shuang had been busy following up on the progress of the embroiderers making the clothes and accessories. Jiang Huaizhen had taken on all the farm work in the fields, and the two of them were constantly busy.
At the same time, the money from selling the sauce had been coming in steadily during this period.
Lu Erqiao and Wang Zhimei had directly bought the frying pan that Lin Shuang had made before, and had also found the same blacksmith’s shop and had another identical one made. One of them stayed at the original stall to continue the business, while the other went to the vicinity of the West City Market to open a new stall. The sales of the two stalls combined could sell nearly sixty flatbreads a day.
The sauce that Lin Shuang sold was also double what it used to be, and she could earn eighteen or nineteen taels a month.
The villagers’ wages were paid half after they were done, and the balance would be settled after Qixi.
With the income from the sauce, the villagers’ wages were still within their budget.
And according to Lin Shuang’s plan, the first batch of mohele would be sold in Changping County, and the second batch in the prefectural city.
The first batch was mainly to create hype, and the second batch would suddenly appear, so that even the sharp-nosed merchants in the prefectural city would not be able to catch up with their movements.
For this reason, Lin Shuang and Hu Guiying had rented two shops, one in the county seat and one in the prefectural city.
They had put a lot of effort into decorating the shops. Lin Shuang had even specially invited Xue Luan and her little sisters to the shop to ask for their opinions.
But as soon as these little girls entered the shop, their attention was immediately drawn to the few dolls they had brought over in advance.
They were chattering, extremely excited.
“Ah, ah, ah, Sister Shuang, these dolls are so beautiful. They even have their own skirts and hats. Can I change them into my favorite clothes?”
Lin Shuang smiled. “Of course you can. We’ve prepared many sets of unique skirts. If the customers like them, they can buy a mohele doll and a few sets of clothes, and they can change them however they want.”
“That’s so much fun. Ah—I’m going to buy her a lot of beautiful little clothes and dress her up beautifully.”
“Sister Shuang, the little clothes have to be made beautifully, and there have to be many colors.”
“Alright. I’ll have the aunts in the village make some more styles when I get back. What kind of clothes do you like?”
“The chest-high skirts, and the open-collared ones, uh, the Hu-style clothes are also very beautiful. By the way, Sister Shuang, the dolls have to be in pairs, a male and a female…”
Hu Guiying, who was next to them, raised an eyebrow. “Pairs, so they can be in love, right?”
The few little girls covered their faces and giggled again.
In her past life, Lin Shuang had been confined to the Qin residence and could not go in and out freely. Her knowledge of mohele was actually limited, and she had not noticed that there were also couple dolls.
Now, hearing these little girls chattering, a flash of inspiration came to her mind, and she quickly took out a notebook and wrote it down.
Xue Luan secretly glanced at Jiang Huaizhen, who was in the inner room, bending down to carefully polish the shelves, and said to Lin Shuang in a low voice, “Sister Shuang, can you also make a small doll in Sister Jiang’s likeness? Whether it’s a male or a female, many people will definitely buy it.”
Jiang Huaizhen was planing a wooden board with her head down, as if she hadn’t heard their conversation.
But Lin Shuang looked troubled. “Our dolls will definitely be beautiful, but it’s a little difficult to make them look like her. The craftsman who makes the dolls might not be that skilled.”
She also wanted to have a small doll that looked like Jiang Huaizhen, but how could everyone have one?
Jiang Huaizhen was hers alone.
Hearing that they couldn’t make an identical one, Xue Luan was very disappointed.
After talking to them, Lin Shuang turned to look at Hu Guiying. “You’re not much older than them. How come I don’t see you liking these little dolls that much?”
Hu Guiying waved her hand. “Don’t look at my age. I’ve been a constable for over a year. What kind of family matters have I not seen? What kind of men and women have I not seen? After seeing so much, I’m not even interested in storybooks anymore. These soulless little dolls, how can I still look forward to them?”
Lin Shuang shook her head. “It’s over. You’ve seen through the mortal world at such a young age.”
“Of course not. Although I’m not interested in these things, there are still many things worth exploring, like the delicious food you make, Sister Shuang.”
“You greedy girl. When you’re not on duty one day, come to my house, and I’ll make you something delicious.”
“Hehe, alright. But when will our goods arrive?”
“In a few days. As soon as they arrive, we’ll put them on the shelves. The people you’ve arranged should also get to work.”
“Alright.”
“Also, find two or three little girls with sweet mouths. We’ll arrange for them to be shop assistants in the store then.”
“That’s easy. There are several in our village. I’ll arrange it for you later.”
