Chapter 39 New Year's Goods

Song Yushu spent the entire day at the orphanage, teaching the children how to cut paper, and the red paper he brought was almost used up.

Xue Huai'an didn't put on airs either. He and his mother worked together quite well, one tracing the picture and the other cutting paper.

"Let's stop here for today and continue tomorrow," Song Yushu said, taking his leave as it was almost time.

"Madam Wei, let me have someone take you home," said Madam Xue, seeing her driving alone and worried about her safety on the road.

"No need, I'll stay in town for the next few days, I'll be there soon," Song Yushu refused and quickly drove the oxcart back.

The next day, thanks to Xue's mother's publicity, the number of people coming to the orphanage to cut paper-cuts increased significantly. They were mostly ladies and young women from wealthy families. Although most of them came because of the magistrate's wife, they were indeed doing good deeds.

Seeing that there were many people, Song Yushu also thought that he should try something different for the New Year. He led the children to make some exquisite lanterns and braid red bracelets. They didn't care what they were, as they were all inexpensive little things.

Now that she's busy helping out at the orphanage, the snacks she was originally going to make have been handed over to Wei's mother and others to make at home.

There aren't many things available to make food these days, so the New Year's goods will be tentatively set as candied winter melon, fried dough twists, and candied hawthorn skewers.

At that time, some of the paper-cut window decorations and couplets from the orphanage would be given to older children to sell on the street, while others would be sold at her shop.

After a busy period, we've stocked up on a lot of goods. With about ten days left until the Lunar New Year, it's time to start preparing.

The Spring Festival is a big event for ordinary people. Even though the drought has had a significant impact, many people have started to go out and buy New Year's goods.

Song Yushu's shop stood out conspicuously on the street.

To promote these paper-cuts and lanterns, Song Yushu specially hung them all up, even displaying the best-looking couplets, which looked very festive and bright red.

Zhou Chengyu was also conscripted and forced by Song Yushu to write couplets at the door. Fortunately, his handwriting was quite good, otherwise it would have been embarrassing to show it to others.

"Selling New Year's goods! Beautiful paper-cut window decorations, two for one coin!"

"Selling bracelets! Red bracelets, two coins each!"

The children selling goods on the street all came from the orphanage. They were seven or eight years old, and they were all clever. They weren't afraid of people and would even smile and approach them to ask if they wanted to buy New Year's goods.

Song Yushu directly used the name of the orphanage to attract business for them, and each time he would talk to the customers who came to buy New Year's goods about the origin of these goods.

Within a few days, people on the street knew that the New Year's goods she sold were made by the children from the orphanage. Out of sympathy, and thinking that they were going to buy New Year's goods anyway, they simply bought them from Song Yushu's shop.

Because there aren't many people selling New Year's goods on the street these days, Song Yushu's shop is doing very well.

The candied winter melon in the shop sells the fastest; it basically sells out every day it's put out.

This batch of candied winter melon was made from the dozens of old winter melons that Wei's mother had planted before. It tasted sweet and had a perfect balance of softness and firmness, which both the elderly and children loved. Song Yushu ordered it for ten coins per pound, and it sold out quickly.

The other two items, candied hawthorn and fried dough twists, also sold quite a bit here and there.

Zhou Chengzhu helped her record her daily income, and over the past few days, she had accumulated several taels of silver.

"Come over here and have some hot water! Otherwise you'll freeze to death," Song Yushu said, quickly calling the children on the street back to drink water when he saw that there weren't many people left.

Those children had grown up in the orphanage since they were little. They cherished the opportunity to earn money for the orphanage and shouted with extra effort. If Song Yushu hadn't called them back to drink water from time to time, they probably would have shouted themselves hoarse.

"Have a piece of candy to sweeten your mouth. You've worked hard these past few days. This batch of New Year's goods will be sold out soon, and then it will be New Year's time," Song Yushu said, handing out candy from the shop to them.

"No need, this candy is for sale!" The children were tempted, but they knew it was expensive, so they didn't dare to reach out and take it.

"Xiao Jiu, you hold these for them," Song Yushu said, handing the candy to Xiao Jiu.

Xiao Jiu was different from the other children. He was very close to Song Yushu and would eat whatever Song Yushu gave him without thinking anything was wrong. So he quickly took the candy and stuffed it into the hands of the other children.

"Have some water. We've sold almost everything for today. Don't go too far to hawk your wares later. I'll take you back to the orphanage in a bit," Song Yushu instructed them.

There weren't many people in the afternoon; it was good if a few people came in twos and threes. Song Yushu thought of the shop owners who had previously patronized her business, so she packed some candy and New Year's goods and asked Zhou Chengzhu and Zhou Chengyu to deliver them to them.

Zhou Chengzhu recognized all these people. When delivering New Year's gifts, she seemed more skilled and at ease than Zhou Chengyu. When they returned, they were carrying several return gifts.

Seeing that it was about time, Song Yushu tidied up the shop and went to call the children back.

"They're back! They're back!"

Nowadays, the orphanage is no longer boring and monotonous. These children spend their days cutting paper snowflakes and making bracelets with the orphanage manager, and their days are very fulfilling.

Of course, what they look forward to most is waiting for their friends who went out to sell New Year's goods to come back, so they can keep asking them how things went.

"Quiet down, everyone! Let Madam Wei come in first! You bunch of mud monkeys are making too much noise!" The manager of the orphanage, worried that they might bump into someone, quickly came out to stop them.

"Madam Wei, come in and rest for a while," the old woman said. She had been working at the orphanage for many years and was always busy as the manager. Besides taking care of the abandoned children, she and several other women embroidered handkerchiefs to earn money to buy meat for the children and improve their meals. However, they had to save up for a long time before they could buy meat once.

Now, thanks to these New Year's goods, their orphanage can earn a little extra income every day. All in all, they've made about ten taels of silver. It's already quite good to have this money to improve their lives.

“Today we sold five hundred coins worth of New Year’s goods. I’ll settle the account with you first, and you can check it together,” Song Yushu would settle the accounts every day when he came over.

Compared to the previous few days, there were far fewer buyers today. However, in the previous few days, the county magistrate's wife took the lead, and many wealthy ladies also bought a lot to show their goodwill, which is why so many New Year's goods were sold in such a short time.

However, this was already quite good for the orphanage. In previous years, the managers would sew handkerchiefs for several months and still not earn this much money.

"You don't need to make these New Year's goods anymore; they probably won't sell after the New Year," Song Yushu reminded them as they continued cutting paper snowflakes.

"Well... I'll put it away later and cut it again next year," the old manager said, feeling disappointed. She had finally found a way to make money, but now it was over so soon. Not only her, but the children in the orphanage were also very disappointed.