Chapter 50, "Contracting the Stacked Ingots," tells the story of a brother and sister...
After listening to Miss Qiu's article, everyone went crazy. Yao Xiaoyu tried her best to minimize her presence while trying to recall what she had written to cause such chaos.
The article published in Ta Kung Pao was very simple, and could even be summarized in one sentence: A brother and sister with bright futures were led to tragedy under the influence of an irresponsible teacher.
Yao Xiaoyu wanted to teach her sister's math teacher a lesson, but she didn't want to disrupt her peaceful life, so she chose to create a new online persona.
To resonate with a wider audience, Yao Xiaoyu set the siblings' family background as one of decline—the rich see the past glory, while the poor see the present decline, and everyone can find a reflection of their own child in the siblings.
The article lacks ornate language and moving words, yet every word carries a chilling coldness, as if one's flesh has been ripped open in a frozen wasteland, and the howling wind has penetrated the bones. After reading it, one realizes it was just an illusion created by the words, and only after exhaling in fear does one discover that the innermost layer of clothing is already soaked with cold sweat.
Once the initial relief wears off, the suppressed anger will surface—Yao Xiaoyu didn't design a satisfying ending, but instead carried on the theme of good people not being rewarded and bad people living a life of wealth and peace. The irresponsible teacher not only had students all over the world, but also had a harmonious family and many children, fully demonstrating what it means for readers to be "not breastfeeding."
A happy ending, like making dumplings, would lessen the reader's negative emotions, while this kind of frustrating, realistic ending would make the reader curse the author mercilessly, and then let their emotions scatter like balloons. As for an outlet for these emotions... Yao Xiaoyu thought about the school and the math teacher's names that she had mentioned in the article, and felt that she was really too kind.
She only wrote down what the other person had done, without fabricating anything or even embellishing anything!
***
The math teacher felt something was off lately. His colleagues and the principal kept looking at him strangely and would occasionally say things like students shouldn't be treated differently. What a joke! The girl was naturally stupid and lazy. If he wasn't taught and disciplined properly, she would definitely be a troublemaker in the future.
And it's one thing at school, but on his way to and from work, he's often pointed at and talked about, and they do it so subtly that he has no reason to confront them.
"What happened?"
The math teacher muttered to himself, glancing with disdain at the woman washing clothes. His wife back then was so wonderful; she would look at him with adoration as he did math problems, and they would walk hand-in-hand. Though uneducated, she was as beautiful as a flower. Unlike now…
Baoyu in Dream of the Red Chamber was right after all. Once a woman gets married, she becomes like a dead fish, losing all her charm.
It was only because he was kind that this woman was allowed to enjoy a life of luxury at home.
"nothing."
The woman withdrew her gaze and, as usual, took the man to class. She instructed Da Ni and Er Bao to look after San Bao, put the finished hairnet into the basket, and prepared to take it to a familiar tailor shop to exchange for copper coins. She originally wanted to tell the man that there seemed to be a story about someone with the same name as him recently, but she was afraid that the man would use this to cut household expenses, so she hesitated for a long time and still didn't say anything.
It shouldn't be anything important, right?
The man didn't work at a very good school, and his monthly salary wasn't much. He also had to keep some for social engagements. He always complained that the family was eating porridge and that the woman's work was not respectable. But if the woman hadn't pasted matchboxes and done some handicrafts to supplement the family income, the family would have run out of food long ago.
The woman walked toward the tailor shop with a heavy heart. Her stomach, which was tightly bound, did not rumble. As she passed a counter, she heard someone reading a newspaper. She was not interested at first, but the next second, she heard a familiar name.
The woman stopped and stood there blankly until she finished reading the article. When she finally came to her senses, she instinctively wanted to run home, but as soon as she took a step, her basket shook, and she stopped again.
After hesitating for a moment, she still walked towards the tailor shop.
The man spent a lot of money making wine at home a couple of days ago, and if she doesn't get the copper coins today, the family will run out of food.
The woman delivered the goods to the tailor shop and took a lot of raw materials with her. Since it was a familiar shop she had worked for for several years, the shop did not ask for a deposit. The woman used the money to buy broken rice and hurriedly went home to cook.
Carrying water, chopping wood, washing clothes... In the blink of an eye, it got dark. The woman came out of the kitchen, supporting her back. She had just sat down to rest for a short while when she saw the man push the door open and come in.
"You said you had a lot of things to do at home, but I bet you've been sitting on a stool all day. It's only because I'm educated that I don't hold it against you."
The math teacher said dismissively, and the tired woman had no desire to argue anymore—yes, yes, yes, she cleaned the chicken droppings on the ground herself, she kept her own clothes clean every day, she filled the water tank herself, and she even washed the rice herself and put it in the pot.
The woman had intended to tell the story she'd heard that day, but the man's outburst dampened her anxiety—the story only mentioned the man's name, and she and her three children weren't the ones who would be beaten or scolded.
She never thought the man would be safe: she even thought about the doctor after hearing that story, and the doctor in the article wasn't even as bad as the man!
The woman even felt a pang of schadenfreude at the thought that the cultured man in front of her would soon be in trouble, but then she hesitated; after all, he was the father of three children…
"Da Ni, how many times have I told you, girls shouldn't eat so much, or they won't be able to get married in the future."
The man skillfully poured half of his eldest daughter's porridge into his own bowl, then set his sights on his second son—
"Why are you eating so fiercely? It's vulgar, just like me."
The man drank a third of his son's porridge in one gulp, then began to reminisce about the past:
"I shouldn't have married you in the first place; now our child has all sorts of health problems..."
What a load of bull! With that kind of attitude, he deserved to be beaten!
***
"Here, take this."
Tao Erniu carried a bamboo box in her left hand and handed a silk flower to Yao Xiaoyu with her right. She had long disliked Yao Xiaoyu's bald head. Other young ladies were either adorned with pearls and jade or at least wore gold and silver. But her daughter was different; nine out of ten days she wore braids and didn't even have a silver lilac on her ear.
Where did it come from?
Yao Xiaoyu touched the obviously expensive moon-white fabric and tied the silk flower to the end of her hair. Tao Erniu wasn't the type to back down; if she said she'd give it, she meant it. If Yao Xiaoyu didn't accept it, the girl would be unhappy.
"I got it at a bargain price."
Tao Erniu proudly weighed the bamboo box in her hand when a smelly-footed patrolman suddenly appeared beside her and ordered her to open the box. Tao Erniu pretended to tremble as she opened the nearly new box, revealing stacks of yellow paper money.
"Get out of here! You're really bringing me bad luck!"
Stinky Feet spitting as she darted a few steps away, Tao Erniu casually closed the box, and hurriedly left with Yao Xiaoyu. After walking a distance, she grinned and burst into silent, maniacal laughter.
What kind of trick are they hiding?
Yao Xiaoyu peered around with interest, and Tao Erniu didn't hide anything, touching and lifting along the edge of the box to reveal a large area of silk flowers, velvet flowers, and pith flowers underneath—this bamboo box was specially ordered as a large-to-small set, with snap buttons on all sides, so unless you know the trick, you won't be able to find out a single trace.
“Recently, those stinky-footed patrolmen have gone crazy. They grab anyone carrying a basket or box and make them open it. If they find someone selling needles and thread, they either pay or take the goods. These aren’t cheap.”
Tao Erniu's heart trembled with pain at the thought of the price of the custom-made double-layered bamboo box, but she couldn't not buy it. Although the flower tax, like many other taxes, was only paid in installments and she hadn't been checked much, one can't live by luck—the goods were all bought on credit, and if she got caught even once, she could forget about turning her life around!
"You only do high-priced business, huh?"
Yao Xiaoyu looked through the jewelry. Tao Erniu must have made a lot of money selling flowers. She had written several grades in the book, and this person was aiming for the highest grade.
"If you want to make a big profit, you have to work hard."
Tao Erniu seemed quite at ease, but the implication in her words... Yao Xiaoyu didn't press her for details. Tao Erniu wasn't the type to keep secrets from her; at most, she would tell everything in three days!
Two days later.
"You've taken over all the paper ingot folding for the paper craft shop?!"
Yao Xiaoyu knew Tao Erniu was capable, but her development was so fast... While others walked on the ground, Tao Erniu was flying in the sky?!
"There was no full contracting."
Tao Erniu corrected Yao Xiaoyu's mistake.
"It was just a partnership with someone, and we got the share of four shops."
Tao Erniu still finds it very strange when she thinks about it. She got the idea after hearing that Miao Wuni was making money by making paper ingots from the paper-making shop. After she secretly asked around in the village and confirmed that no one was afraid of making money by making paper ingots, she decided to become a middleman.
No matter how much money you make from small, seemingly insignificant tasks, the scale is limited. Even if you work yourself to the bone, you'll only earn so much. But no matter how much you make, it can't compare to large-scale shipments.
If she didn't have the ability to earn this money, that would be one thing. But now she has gathered all the skilled villagers at home and persuaded the paper-making shop in Shanghai. All that's missing is a middleman fee. How could Tao Erniu be willing to accept this?
Don't say you can come back next year if you can't raise enough money this year. Business in Shanghai changes in an instant. Tao Erniu just took advantage of the time difference. There are always people who want every penny of so-called petty profit. Sometimes, being one step ahead means being ahead in every step!
To raise the money, she stopped working as a side dish preparer for the past few days and focused solely on selling velvet flowers, silk flowers, pith flowers, headbands, earrings, and copper thimbles. But no matter how hard she tried, she was still short half the money by the appointed day.
She was all ready to borrow money with a kitchen knife in hand, hoping to get a 13% return on her investment, but then a business partner appeared out of nowhere, sharing half the profits and managing to raise the rest of the money.
The strange girl with a pair of little fish embroidered on her clothes was even more quick-witted than her. She suggested that Tao Erniu not hand over all the folded ingots, but keep about 10% to sell herself, so that she could earn more money.
"If you don't have money, you can come to me."
Tao Erni briefly recounted what had happened during this period, but Yao Xiaoyu only heard that Tao Erni would rather partner with a newly acquainted friend than borrow money from her. Perhaps her physical condition was affecting her brain, and Yao Xiaoyu felt somewhat sad.
Is she really that untrustworthy?
"No, no..."
Tao Erni frantically tried to appease Yao Xiaoyu. She genuinely considered Yao Xiaoyu a close friend, but the closer the relationship, the more cautious she had to be, and the less she could speak casually.
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Author's Note: A little secret: There are actually two versions of the siblings' story. The other version, which wasn't submitted, is called "One Step Away." It's roughly about a teacher who favors boys over girls and the rich over the poor. The siblings, being poor and female respectively, are always suppressed. Even when they have opportunities, they can't perform at their best and fall short of their former rivals. The siblings comfort themselves that there will be other chances in the future, but the competition in this era is extremely cruel. Falling one step short means falling further and further behind, until finally losing their lives. And this opportunity, once seized by their former rivals, is easily lost: they don't lack these things.
The reason this version wasn't submitted is that Xiaoyu felt the story wasn't sharp enough.
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