As soon as Qin Sang finished asking, the two immediately agreed. There was no need for charcoal in the height of summer, and they could earn several catties of grain a day just by sitting at home—it was much easier than going up the mountain to dig for medicinal herbs.
Having agreed to deliver a batch the next morning, Qin Sang took Da Zhuang with her to visit their neighbor, Yu Osmathus's home.
The reason she brought Da Zhuang along was that Guihuas Mother was prone to groundless jealousy; if Guihuas Father so much as chatted with another woman for a few moments, their household was guaranteed to have a fight that night.
Now, Guihuas Father would even walk around the perimeter of his neighbor Qin Sang's courtyard wall, fearing his wife might spot him.
Guihuas Mother had just exchanged some rice and grain with Qin Sang. In the past few days, thanks to the grain they had exchanged, their family's standard of living had improved significantly. So, seeing Qin Sang knocking at the door with Da Zhuang, Guihuas Mother was very happy:
"Da Zhuangs Mother, do you need something from me?"
Nowadays, with no water to drink, people didn't invite each other inside for a drink when greeting; they simply chatted at the courtyard gate if there was business to discuss:
"It's like this, Guihuas Mother. My family is too busy making mosquito coils, so I wanted to ask if your family could help. You can also dry them in your courtyard. I'll pay fifty wen a day in wages, or five catties of flour for a day's work."
At the grain store, a catty of flour cost twenty-two wen, but in Qin Sang's Mall, it only cost 2 mall coins.
As expected, Guihuas Mother readily agreed, saying she didn't want money and would take the flour instead.
Qin Sang nodded:
"That's fine. Later, have Osmathus come to my house to learn how to make mosquito coils from Si Jin. Tomorrow, Da Zhuang will deliver the mixed mosquito coil powder. Once they're dried, just send them back over."
There was nothing difficult about making mosquito coils; the core secret was the ratio. Anything else could be figured out by anyone who had done farm work.
Sister-in-law Osmathus happily complied and turned around to call for Osmathus.
After arranging everything, it was dark. She took stock of the herbs and grain; today, she had exchanged over two hundred catties of flour and about ten catties of rice.
She had collected quite a few other herbs, but conversely, there wasn't much mugwort left.
Qin Sang planned to keep all the villagers' mugwort for making mosquito coils to sell in the future, rather than selling it to the Mall.
As she was tidying up the courtyard, a creaking sound came from behind. Qin Sang turned to see Carpenter Zhao and his son arriving with a mule cart.
bunk beds were piled high on the mule cart, and the mule was huffing and puffing as it pulled.
Carpenter Zhao's sons were all carrying mugwort on their backs and holding quite a few herbs as well.
Qin Sang went to meet them:
"In-law, you finished them so quickly? And so much mugwort, too—you've really done me a huge favor."
Third Brothers Wife also hurriedly came out to greet them:
"Father, brothers, pull the mule cart into the courtyard. Put the herbs here to be weighed."
As they spoke, Zhao Huan squeezed in front of Qin Sang, not wanting to give Qin Sang and her own Father a chance to chat privately.
Carpenter Zhao was about to greet Qin Sang when he was blocked by his daughter. He stepped aside to go around her, then pulled a cloth bag from his chest containing two taels of silver and held it out to Qin Sang:
"In-law, these wooden frame beds aren't much trouble. The price you gave was too high. Take this money back."
Qin Sang pushed it back, saying:
"It's not too much. You provided both labor and materials, and even delivered them to the door. Two taels for a bed is only right.
And for those Drying Rack I asked you to make last time, they were only three hundred and fifty wen each. Only you, In-law, would agree to do that work for me."
Carpenter Zhao was stunned upon hearing this. He glanced at his daughter, Zhao Huan, who was standing nearby. Zhao Huan nervously lowered her head. Carpenter Zhao's expression shifted as he said to Qin Sang:
"In-law, tell us where to put these beds. Huan'er, come here."
Knowing exactly what was going on, Qin Sang nodded in agreement and arranged for the Zhao brothers to assemble the bunk beds.
Once Qin Sang had walked away, Carpenter Zhao called his daughter to a spot away from the crowd and asked in a low, serious voice:
"Huan'er, tell me. Did your mother-In-law give you three hundred and fifty wen for each drying rack, while you told us it was only two hundred and fifty wen each?
Where did that extra hundred wen go?"
Zhao Huan had originally been hoping for the best, thinking that if her mother-In-law was busy and forgot, she wouldn't mention it again. Or, if her mother-In-law asked her directly, she would just complain of a stomach ache, and her mother-In-law would surely drop the questioning.
She hadn't expected that a single polite remark from her mother-In-law would let her Father know she had skimmed money, prompting him to discipline her himself.
She could lie to her mother-In-law about a stomach ache, but she couldn't lie and make her own Father worry.
"I... I took it, Father. I just wanted to save a little money as security for the child in my womb.
It's only five hundred wen. We're all family, what does it matter?"
Hearing his daughter's explanation, Carpenter Zhao's face tightened:
"What do you mean, 'we're all family, what does it matter'?
It's because your mother-In-law treats you as family that she gave such good work to our house.
Do you think your mother-In-law just said that in passing?
She was saving face for you, you foolish child.
Would a woman capable of running such a large business be someone you can just fool?
She only refrained from exposing you for the sake of the child in your womb."
Zhao Huan was still somewhat defiant: "Father, you don't know how biased my mother-In-law is. San Gui is just as busy as his eldest brother, but my mother-In-law favors the eldest brother and his wife, giving them one tael of silver as a reward while only giving me and San Gui a hundred wen.
Tell me, they're both her sons, how can she be so biased?"
Carpenter Zhao looked at his daughter with a serious expression:
"Then when your mother-In-law made San Gui's eldest brother do all the work before, I didn't see you calling her biased?"
Zhao Huan muttered:
"Well, back then my mother-In-law wasn't biased towards me and San Gui either. Why should everything revolve around Little Five?
If we don't find ways to slack off a bit and act all honest like his eldest brother and sister-In-law, wouldn't we be worked to death?"
Carpenter Zhao said earnestly:
"Huan'er, you said it yourself—that was then.
Sigh...
I originally wanted to ask your mother-In-law today if she could sell the design for these bunk beds to our family so it could become our exclusive business. Now that you've done this, I won't mention it, I won't mention it..."
Zhao Huan's eyes widened:
"These bunk beds can make money? They could be our family's exclusive craft?"
Carpenter Zhao's face was full of worry:
"Indeed. Who would have thought before that a bed could be made into two levels?
So many families have several children squeezed into one bed. With these bunk beds, one room could easily sleep several people without them being crammed together. They wouldn't have to worry about not having enough rooms anymore."
Only then did Zhao Huan feel she had truly made a mistake:
"Father, I'll go admit my fault. Our family has to do this business. If you don't do it, it'll just benefit outsiders, and why should it? I'll go admit my fault. I won't keep private savings anymore, I promise."
Carpenter Zhao called his daughter back and said with heartfelt sincerity:
"It's fine to admit your fault, but what's most important is how you two act from now on.
Huan'er, your mother-In-law might have been harsh and biased before, but since she has changed now, you must change too.
Otherwise, if you're left behind in the future, it'll be too late."
Zhao Huan was stunned, as if frozen in place. She suddenly thought of the day her mother-In-law asked San Gui if he wanted to split the family household.
Could it be that her mother-In-law actually had the idea of splitting them off?
No! Life was just starting to get better; she and her husband must not be split off.