Chapter 44 Making New Clothes Many people say that Miao Wuni will set a bad example for the family…
After months of hard work writing articles, the money I secretly saved was only a few dozen silver dollars and two worthless banknotes, yet it made me rich overnight.
No wonder people say it's better to pluck hair from the rich than to suck blood from the poor.
Yao Xiaoyu checked the money three times under the light before accepting the fact that she had received such a windfall. She calmly went to wash up, went upstairs without anything unusual, put the two letters and the banknotes under her pillow, and then excitedly danced a youthful dance in her room.
She became incredibly wealthy!
Even if you can't turn this money into a fixed asset right away, there are two different things: not having money and having money but not using it. The latter is like a safety net; you may not need it, but just looking at it makes you feel at ease.
That night, Yao Xiaoyu, who was sleeping on the banknote, had a dream. She was sitting on the grass with a cloth bag, and gold ingots were falling into the bag from the sky one by one...
"What did you dream about yesterday that made you laugh so happily?"
The next morning, Zhou Chunhua teased her granddaughter, Yao Xiaoyu, rubbing her sore cheeks without saying a word. It was a bit embarrassing to hear that her face was cramping because she had her mouth stretched too wide while sleeping.
"Laugh if you want to, I won't blame you."
Yao Xiaoyu handed the candy she had just bought, which she didn't like, to Tao Erniu, and sighed sadly. Tao Erniu swore she didn't want to laugh, but looking at Yao Xiaoyu with her head tilted to one side, she couldn't help but let out a loud, booming sound.
"That's fine."
Yao Xiaoyu, with a dark face, stuffed a steamed bun into Tao Erniu's mouth and forcibly muted her microphone. She considered herself a good-tempered person, but Tao Erniu's continuous laughter for five minutes was too much.
This time she stuffed a hot steamed bun into her mouth; next time, if she's so inconsiderate, she'll shove an apple into her mouth to give the girl a good chill!
"This doctor is very good at treating stiff neck."
Tao Erniu swallowed the steamed bun and pointed to the clinic next door. She had seen the old doctor there at the side dish shop. Just as she was eating, a customer with a stiff neck came in. She was originally going to see the doctor after finishing her meal, but she happened to run into the doctor at the shop, who straightened her crooked neck in a few quick strokes.
"If it really only takes a few seconds, I'll buy you a steamed bun."
When Yao Xiaoyu entered the clinic, she didn't forget to make promises to Tao Erniu. Then she witnessed what it meant to have a good reputation among the people. The doctor's smooth and efficient operation not only helped her recover from her stiff neck, but also straightened her bones and even diagnosed her with kidney deficiency, telling her to eat more mutton if she could afford it.
Yao Xiaoyu: ...
Are doctors all this skilled these days?
Yao Xiaoyu looked at Tao Erniu with a blank expression, and Tao Erniu returned the same blank look. At least Yao Xiaoyu's family had a regular doctor, but her family couldn't even afford a doctor, so how could she comment on the quality of a doctor?
"I bought some mutton buns, do you want some?"
Yao Xiaoyu abandoned the discussion about the doctor's medical skills and changed to a topic that Tao Erniu could understand. Sure enough, she saw the girl's eyes light up.
"Alright, didn't I tell you to find me a reliable tailor shop that keeps quiet? That will make up for the cost of the mutton buns."
Yao Xiaoyu looked at Tao Erniu helplessly, and for once she felt that having too high a moral standard was not a good thing. She was being generous for once because of the windfall, and she still had to find something for Tao Erniu to do before she could get someone to accept this meal with meat.
"I will definitely find you the best shop."
Tao Erniu felt that she must have done a lot of good deeds in her past life to be chosen to be by Miss Yao's side. Yao Xiaoyu looked at Tao Erniu's reddened eyes and really couldn't understand how the Tao family could force such a gentle person to explode.
Just how harsh were they on Erni?!
***
Tao Erniu acted quickly, finding a tailor shop, or rather a family tailor shop, that met Yao Xiaoyu's requirements within two days. The shop was divided into two parts, with the front half for business and the back half for living.
If there were other options, Tao Erni wouldn't want to look for this store, but there are very few stores that offer shopping channels without asking any questions. After filtering, only this one remained.
"This is a shop run by a poor seamstress and her husband. They're very tight-lipped and can make any kind of clothes, but there's no man in the house..."
"Sew the poor" is a trade that involves mending clothes. Because it involves mending clothes for single men and requires carrying tools and showing your face in public, it is generally done by older women. Over time, those who do this job are called "sew the poor woman".
Most women who sew for the poor do so out of desperation to earn money to supplement their family income. However, many families spend the money they earn but treat them poorly because of their supposed contact with men. When they can earn money, it's fine, but when their eyesight and legs weaken and they can no longer earn money, some with a little conscience might provide them with some porridge to fill their stomachs, but many others will simply kick them out of the house.
Many poor seamstresses had encountered this situation, and they all felt a sense of shared misfortune. It is unknown who suggested it, but the seamstresses began to hide money from their teeth. In the end, they used copper coins to make silver coins and pooled their money to buy this house as a place to live when they had nowhere else to go. Later, in order to make money, they developed it into a secret little shop.
"As long as it's not expensive fabric, they can get it, and they don't ask where it comes from, where it's going, or what the clothes are for."
Tao Erniu knew that people at this time were particular about avoiding certain things. For example, a bride would ask a woman with a large family to comb her hair, and ordinary people would prefer to have clothes made by a woman from a large family. Since this shop lacked men, some people would think that the shop was naturally inferior. If they didn't want to lower the price, they would have to lower their standards elsewhere.
Some people are reluctant to wear clothes made by single women, feeling that wearing them will only lead to them being unwanted by men. But Yao Xiaoyu's eyes lit up as she listened, and she expressed her satisfaction very directly.
"I'll treat you to braised pork later."
Tao Erniu must have put in a lot of effort to find such a hidden place.
When Tao Erniu heard about braised pork, her mouth began to water involuntarily. She wanted to refuse, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own. After a few symbolic pushes and pulls, she decisively agreed.
***
The banknotes did not have a clear maturity date, and Yao Xiaoyu did not intend to redeem them immediately, but she also did not intend to delay for too long. This amount of money was not a large sum for wealthy merchants, but it was enough to make most people envious. If Yao Xiaoyu simply passed it over carelessly, the best outcome would be for the money to be kept by her family and used as public funds for debt repayment and household expenses.
More likely, Yao Xiaoyu would receive the money and then be knocked unconscious with a blow to the head. When she woke up, not only would she not be able to withdraw the money, but even her valuables would be stolen. This is the behavior of someone with a conscience; if someone were truly ruthless, even Yao Xiaoyu herself would become a commodity.
But not withdrawing the money is not an option either—in this rapidly changing era, banks and money shops are not stable entities. If the institution where the money is withdrawn goes bankrupt, the bank notes will instantly become worthless. If Yao Xiaoyu loses out on the wealth she has already acquired because of this, she will never be able to get over it in her life!
So it's not about not taking money, but about taking it slowly, taking it carefully, taking it in an orderly manner, and taking it when you have the ability and a plan.
Yao Xiaoyu corrected the flaws in the 183rd money withdrawal plan, and thought of this.
"Dinner's ready."
Aunt Gu tapped on Yao Xiaoyu's table. Yao Xiaoyu closed her notebook and quickly stood up.
"They're here."
Yao Xiaoyu slammed her notebook shut and rushed to the cafeteria—they were serving mutton today, and if she was late, she wouldn't be able to get any!
Time passed like flowing water. When the cotton-padded jacket that Yao Xiaoyu had ordered from the shop where the poor woman sewed was finished, the bloody storm in the newspapers about Ding Xian finally came to a temporary end. It wasn't that the spiel had died down, but rather that Mr. Xiaoyu's new story had been published.
New characters have appeared, so how can the critics stop? People's energy is limited. Miao Wuni borne most of the fire, leaving less for Ding Xian. The newspaper took the opportunity to conclude the ending, which attracted a barrage of criticism.
Newspaper: ...
It doesn't matter, black and red are still red, let the storm rage on!
After all, the criticism comes from Popular Pictorial, but the bonuses from increased newspaper sales go to everyone at the newspaper!
People can't let pride cause them to turn down money they've already earned, can they?
"Many people think Miao Wuni has a bad temper and worry that she will set a bad example for the girls in her family."
As Pi Kangxiu handed the reader's letter to Yao Xiaoyu, she said something that immediately snapped Yao Xiaoyu out of her reverie, and she eagerly inquired about what had happened—
Unlike Ding Xian, who generally embodied the image of a woman, Yao Xiaoyu, after finishing her book, gained a fuller understanding of the demands placed on works of this era. When writing the story of Miao Wuni, she subtly loosened some of the shackles of self-restraint:
Compared to the traditional image of a virtuous, gentle, and sensible woman, Miao Wuni was never a "smart" person from a young age. She was always asking why: Why didn't she have a proper name? Why did she have to do housework? Why did she have to marry a good man and couldn't become a businesswoman and make a lot of money?
Countless "whys" swirled in Miao Wuni's head. Sometimes she would find the answers, but more often than not, she would only get a beating. Even so, she did not give up asking questions. She just ran faster and faster, making it impossible for her family to catch up. Only when the urge to beat them had passed would she come back with a smile.
Yao Xiaoyu devoted a great deal of effort and ink to depicting Wu Ni—she was uneducated, and although she was born into a family, her mind was as if she were born of nature. She was full of energy, laughing and talking loudly, leading boys around to cause trouble. Whenever she was scolded for not acting like a girl, she would always shake her head and refute:
"I am a girl, and I am what girls are like."
Intelligent, bold, optimistic, articulate, good at making friends, and quick to learn, Miao Wuni is a very likable child, regardless of gender. Unfortunately, some people can't let go of that:
“They felt that Miao Wuni should be more sensible, should not compete with the men in the family for food, should not force her brothers to do housework, and should not run around like a boy all day. Most importantly, a girl should not be stronger than boys of the same age and should not be the leader of the children.”
Pi Kangxiu glanced at Yao Xiaoyu's expression and then said:
"They say girls can have a little temper, but they should be like a kitten scratching people, otherwise, if they get a reputation for being fierce, no one will praise them, and they won't find a good family to marry into..."
Yao Xiaoyu sneered, interrupting Pi Kangxiu's retelling:
Do you remember how to write the word "praise"?
"A huge loss!"
Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to the ends of the earth. This outdated saying is incredibly fitting for this era, and it's a true reflection of reality—most virtuous and kind girls are destined to be devoured, bones and all!
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Author's note: A kitten scratching: When you are weak enough, anger will only be seen as cuteness and coquetry.
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Miao Wuni is a somewhat wild girl who adheres to the laws of nature, the law of the jungle.
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