Chapter 98 The Silkworm Moth and the Newlywed House
In the twelfth lunar month, the first novel thing in Sangqing Town was the Butterfly Loves Flowers.
The idea of butterflies transforming, especially the legend of emerging from their cocoons, is not taboo in towns where people rely on silkworms for a living and are the main taxpayers. On the contrary, silkworm moth worship is prevalent here.
After spinning silk, the silkworm breaks out of its cocoon and becomes a moth, which reproduces in just a few days, leaving behind silkworm eggs, continuing the cycle for thousands of years.
Therefore, the new version of Butterfly Lovers was a hit with audiences and received both critical acclaim and commercial success, drawing huge crowds to every performance.
However, many people are not satisfied with the name "Butterfly Loves Flowers". Many people think it should be called "Silkworm and Moth" or "Butterfly as Moth's Shadow", etc.
Lin Xiushui was convinced that everyone was captivated by her design, but instead, a group of people were discussing the difference between moths and butterflies with her on the path in Nanwazi.
The young woman with rosy cheeks said, "When the clothes suddenly changed, I immediately thought of silkworms. When I raised silkworms, they would molt every seven days. They would molt after the first three molts and then the last four before becoming adults, spinning silk and forming cocoons, and then emerging from the cocoons as moths. Those tattered clothes woven from white silk are just like cocoon silk."
"When you're making clothes, you must be thinking the same thing, right?"
Lin Xiushui remained silent. "That's too kind of you," she said, "it's not."
She turned around and heard an old man and a young man arguing again.
The old man stroked his beard and said slowly, "Silkworm moth, silkworm moth, the silkworm is the insect of the world, and the moth is behind it. Although it may not be the top, it can still be the third best."
The boy said, "Butterflies can collect nectar from flowers, and nectar can cure all diseases."
"Have you caught any bees?"
The two turned to Lin Xiushui in unison and asked, "What do you think?"
Lin Xiushui put her hands behind her back and said, "It's hard to say. I need to brush up on the Doctrine of the Mean first."
The boy asked, "What do you mean?"
The old man replied, "She said she'll stand between us next time."
When the topic of silkworms comes up, the townspeople become completely deaf to any other advice, going so far as to mistake butterflies for moths.
The moths and butterflies fought fiercely, their arguments growing more intense, and the butterflies' love for the flowers became increasingly prominent.
Lin Xiushui didn't participate at all, but she later sided with the Emei faction because they couldn't win the argument. So they brought up Mount Emei, and since the earthly ones didn't work, they also brought up Chang'e in the sky.
Um, and Xiao Chun'e.
Xiao Chun'e argued vehemently that the butterfly that attaches its feathers is the spring moth, so Lin Xiushui had no choice but to be a little biased.
However, when it comes to making clothes, most people still prefer butterflies.
“They keep arguing, arguing, arguing. As soon as I mention whether silkworm moths have wings as beautiful as butterflies, they start rambling on and on,” said Madam Wang, her brows furrowing into a V-shape. But when she saw the blue-purple-black-trimmed butterfly collar on the counter, her eyes widened, she shut her mouth, and happily tried on the collar in front of the mirror.
She waited for over ten days, her heart pounding with anxiety.
They were in high demand; she had to buy this one from someone else at a high price.
"How much did it cost?" Lin Xiushui asked curiously.
Madam Wang raised her hand, revealing a pair of gold bracelets, which jingled as she swayed them up and down, and then she held up one finger.
Lin Xiushui guessed, "One hundred coins?"
Madam Wang looked down at the long tail hanging down from her collar, and said smugly, "That's underestimating you too much. I've actually raised your value to one tael of gold."
“Hiss,” Lin Xiushui stood in the gap between the counter and the wall, her face full of sorrow. “Sister, next time you have this kind of business, remember to come to me.”
The middleman makes a profit from the price difference.
So annoying!
"I've been thinking of you. Here's a hundred taels of gold. Make me a set of clothes with gold thread," Madam Wang winked at her, the pearls on her forehead gleaming.
Lin Xiushui immediately said, "That won't do. Make three sets for you, sister."
Madam Wang was wealthy and generous. "Alright, from now on, all my clothes will be made here."
Lin Xiushui also gave her two neckbands in wooden boxes, with drawn thread embroidery. Madam Wang only glanced at them, but then ordered ten more. She wore them in different ways morning, noon, and night, and exchanged them at the gold and silver exchange shop.
Speaking of the gold and silver exchange shop, Lin Xiushui opened the cabinet and took out an account book. Previously, it contained red contracts from Nanwazi, but now it contained eight hundred taels that had been exchanged.
However, she obtained this money in a very complicated way.
That day, Manager Cai of Nanwazi readily signed the contract, promising to buy all the clothes that Butterfly Love Flower had changed into before, and also agreeing to give eight hundred taels.
After signing, his expression immediately changed. He stroked his mustache, drew out his words, and said in a sharp voice, "But there are only two ways to get money from us."
"First, go to the Cao family's money shop west of Nanwazi to get the deed and withdraw eight hundred taels; secondly,"
He paused, then his smile deepened. "I can give you eight hundred taels of silver right now. Once we're out the door, the transaction will be complete."
If Lin Xiushui had just arrived in Sangqing Town, she might have hesitated before agreeing, but now she understands the details.
The money exchange used to be a place to deposit and store money, but now it has become a gambling den. If you don't win eight hundred taels, you'll be lucky to avoid losing everything.
He offered to pay eight hundred taels of silver in cash that very day. The silver was laid out in a row, gleaming and dazzling. Lin Xiushui remained unmoved. She scoffed. The tricks that Nanwazi used to swindle people were to make gold and silver out of copper and lead, so that they could never spend it anywhere.
Aside from these two methods, unless she goes to the government office and files complaints repeatedly, she won't get the money at all, and the contract will become worthless.
There are many ways to make money in Nanwazi. There are vendors known as "daytime ghosts" who specialize in swindling money, and there are also the famous "Water Merit Bureau" that uses methods such as seeking official positions, relocation, lawsuits, and buying and selling to swindle money and make profits.
Manager Cai was smug, betting that little brat Lin Xiushui couldn't do anything about it.
Lin Xiushui remained calm and composed, flicking the red contract and glancing at him, "You've got a lot more faces now, haven't you?"
How dare you say that?
She sneered, "Even if I were cunning, I would still get what I deserve."
Sorry, I have plenty of options.
Compared to Nanwazi, Beiwazi, located across from Gujia Clothing Shop, is even more luxurious, with an entire street of gold and silver trading shops.
The trading shops sold tea and salt permits, and also traded gold and silver, with transactions often involving tens of thousands of dollars. Lin Xiushui didn't go inside; instead, she went into the most luxuriously decorated silk shop.
Li Family Silk Shop not only sells silk, but also engages in gold and silver exchange and the clandestine business of debt collection. Because if a debtor doesn't pay, small shops have their own methods, while for big debtors like Nanwazi, they have the tax authorities to deal with them.
Lin Xiushui has a close relationship with this silk shop. Not only does she buy a lot of silk there, but this year, half of the yarn-dyed fabrics made by the Gu family tailors were sold to her.
The colors of the yarn-dyed fabric are more vibrant and have better colorfastness than those of dyed fabric. The stripes and patterns are also more novel. In order to secure next year's yarn-dyed fabric and to maintain good relations between the two parties, and given Lin Xiushui's current success, the yarn-dyed fabric shop is happy to use various methods to help Lin Xiushui obtain the fabric.
The silk shop asked the tax collector to help, and they collected all the money in two days.
Sixteen ingots of genuine silver weighing fifty taels each. Silver ingots are generally available in large sizes of fifty taels, and in smaller sizes of twenty-five taels, twelve taels, seven taels, and three taels.
As Lin Xiushui watched people weighing silver, she heard Li Niangzi from the silk shop sneer, "That old bastard cheated out a lot of money. He was caught by the tax authorities and they're going to put him in jail. If we ever run out of money, we'll keep an eye on him."
“If this happens again, just come to me,” Madam Li said in a low voice. “My brothers on my mother’s side have plenty of connections.”
Lin Xiushui regretted not being able to see Manager Cai's expression. She simply thanked him. After the money was weighed and the matter was settled, Madam Li didn't let Lin Xiushui leave. She leaned close and whispered affectionately, "You don't need to thank me."
"I'll need you to give me some pointers in the future, Ah Qiao. For us in the silk business, the exchange of gold and silver is secondary; what matters is how much of the material we can produce."
"It's a pity that the popular fabrics for clothing are different every year. You have a good eye and excellent craftsmanship. I know that this year's lotus and butterfly moth patterns were made by you. We are all very envious of you. Why don't you give me a heads-up next year?"
After listening, Lin Xiushui chuckled softly, "I can't say what the winds will blow these days, but it's easier to make a living when the wind is favorable than when it's unfavorable."
Having just accepted someone's favor, she also revealed that she would be releasing a new fabric next year called "Sheng Qing Sha" (胜轻纱).
Next spring and summer, we will be producing whole bolts of drawnwork embroidery fabric, woven from three-molted silkworms that are lighter in weight. This fabric will be more flowy and have a better drape than yarn, and the openwork woven pattern will allow for better ventilation and keep you cool.
These words sound arrogant, and Lady Li neither believed them nor disbelieved them. The light gauze must be light, thin, and transparent, and it must be even lighter than light gauze.
Lin Xiushui didn't explain much. At the silk shop, she used two hundred taels to order yarn and satin for the following year, and then took the remaining money to the gold and silver exchange shop to exchange it for loose silver.
The shop assistants were not only attentive, but also gave her a packet of Lin'an chrysanthemum tea and a table at a restaurant or a proper establishment.
Lin Xiushui stared at the pile of loose silver and asked, "Anywhere is fine?"
“Yes,” the waiter said smugly, “our Chen family matchmaking shop has connections everywhere.”
"Give me the best."
She said slowly, "Thank you, I'm not picky."
The piles of broken silver gleamed. Lin Xiushui tried to pick them up, but they were very heavy. She put them down and smiled slightly.
My heart feels light and I want to hum a little tune.
The heavier the gold and silver, the better, because everything she obtained was hard-won.
The next day, she held a celebration banquet at the best restaurant in Beiwazi, and she booked several large, comfortable rooms herself.
At this time, the Butterfly Lovers performance was not only packed at every show in Nanwazi, but had even moved to the most central shrine, where it was performed in the largest side tents on both sides, attracting a constant stream of people every day, and all the signs posted on the street were changed to Butterfly Lovers.
The crowns, headdresses, and earrings sold in the market are mostly in the shape of butterflies and silkworms, as well as round fans, fabrics, and even bowls.
The women attending the banquet at night, dressed simply, were the subject of the embroidery. The guests sitting downstairs glanced at them curiously and continued talking about the Butterfly Loves Flower, completely unaware that they had worked together to create the Butterfly Loves Flower.
"This year, neither the North nor South theaters have anything new, but at the end of the year, one has suddenly emerged," a merchant who sells hairpins and jewelry said, downing a glass of wine and betting with the vendor next to him, "Believe it or not, starting tomorrow, no matter what kind of butterfly it is, as long as it's even remotely related, business will be booming."
"I've already placed my bet. Let alone tomorrow, tonight I'll get the gold comb back with butterfly and flower design, the gold and jade inlaid silver hairpin with four butterflies and the double moth hairpin, and make a fortune before the end of the year."
The peddler sitting next to him said, "It's hard to say. Based on my years of experience selling things from street to street, this business is indeed easy. I don't plan to get into hairpins or anything like that. I'm going to have someone make some butterfly and moth-shaped lanterns."
Vendors who have long been in the streets and alleys are most perceptive of what is about to become popular. Not only did the two of them say this, but several other tables nearby were also discussing it.
The difference was that they were talking about buying and selling things related to butterflies. The six people sitting at the two tables near the corner of the stairs were all tailors from the nearby clothing shops.
“Comparing yourself to others is truly infuriating,” the tailor, who was over forty, said with a heavy expression. “Why can’t I figure it out?”
Another tailor picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and said with a smile, "Then don't be angry."
"After all, even if it makes you angry, you wouldn't do it."
The others remained silent, their hands itching; they didn't want to make clothes, they wanted to hit someone.
“I’ve been working on that butterfly smock for a long time on my own, but it still doesn’t quite turn out right. I’ve also bought five or six butterfly collars, but I haven’t finished embroidering them yet. And now they’ve released a new one. Good heavens,” the young tailor wailed. “I won’t be able to finish it in a few months.”
“Not all tailors have the same skills. I’ve made up my mind,” the middle-aged tailor said solemnly. “I’ll have Shui Ji make me a dress.”
"Then you'd better hurry up, we'll see if you can get a spot within two months."
Downstairs, the discussion was lively, while inside the restaurant, a singer performed various versions of "Butterfly Loves Flowers," melodious and graceful. Meanwhile, the group of people doing drawnwork embroidery upstairs had rosy cheeks, excited and proud, experiencing a genuine sense of recognition.
Their tireless efforts day and night were not in vain. It seemed as if they could no longer remember that their always cold and stiff fingers took turns warming the stove fire. After all the other tailors finished work, they pulled out all the yarn and woven shapes inch by inch through the tiny holes.
When the dishes were served, everyone fell silent and turned to wait for Lin Xiushui to speak. She stood up, raised her glass in the flickering candlelight, and said, "A toast to everyone."
Everyone stared at her with different eyes, taking turns to toast her.
Lin Xiushui took a few sips, then smiled and said, "Don't rush, there's one more thing. In our town, we have a custom of offering paper horses to the God of Wealth in the twelfth lunar month. I've prepared a set for everyone."
"Ahhhhh!" Little Seven Sister exclaimed after receiving the paper horse. She opened the heavy bag and couldn't believe her eyes; it was full of loose silver, at least thirty taels.
Everyone has one!
The "wealth" in "wealth horse" originally meant giving wealth, and "horse" meant to possess immediately.
Everyone's joy reached its peak, and they were all beaming with happiness.
Afterwards, Lin Xiushui thanked Madam Gu, the tailor Jin, and others separately, and they told her not to be polite, since she still had other guests to invite.
Yes, Lin Xiushui should invite her at least once more.
She finally bought a house!
The Butterfly Love Flower made her a net profit of over a thousand taels of silver. She had plenty of spare money, so she and Wang Yuelan shopped around and looked at various places. Finally, in a location near the very center of the South Goods Market, she asked Zhang Yalang to negotiate the price and bought a large mansion for a little over three hundred taels of silver. It had everything: a wall, a screen wall, a front hall, a corridor, and a rear bedroom.
The narrow attic, the dimly lit courtyard, and the moss-covered yard have all been transformed into a spacious, bright, and ornately decorated mansion.
Everyone says she's very promising.
But that's not all. Even at the end of the year, Lin Xiushui received a letter from the government asking her to make costumes for the gods and ghosts in this year's Nuo ritual.
She held the newly signed property deed in her right hand and the red invitation card handed to her in her left, her fingers tracing the name on it.
Lin Xiushui asked again, "Is it really an invitation to me?"
"Yes," the visitor answered confidently.
Nuo ritual was the most solemn festival ceremony in the twelfth lunar month of the Song Dynasty. The palace held a grand Nuo ritual, while the common people called it the village Nuo ritual. It lasted until New Year's Eve, to drive away evil spirits and avoid disasters. The scale of the ritual was unprecedented and unparalleled.
Even though it was rushed and a huge challenge for her, Lin Xiushui agreed without hesitation.
At the end of that year, she began to shine.
A note from the author: I'm really sorry everyone.
Due to personal reasons, this article was not updated for a long time this year, and even though there were reasons for it, I feel very sorry.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, it should be updated daily until the series concludes.
The red envelope was used to apologize, and the lucky draw was used to thank all readers for their concern and patience.
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