The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family-Chapter 29 - The First Sum of Money_1

The other one required more wood—a thick plank with a groove.

A hole was to be cut in the middle with a section of a cobbing needle installed underneath, and two wooden bars nailed on top of the long plank, “Just clamp it on the side of a large winnowing basket, grab a corn cob, push it down the groove with force, and it works just like the needle.

You don’t have to hold the cob in one hand and the needle in the other, which is not only tiring but also makes it easy to pierce your hand.”

Sun Tiezhu kept nodding, looking at Pei Qin with eyes full of admiration, “With these two tools made, shelling corn cobs won’t be so exhausting!

Sometimes when the corn cobs aren’t dry enough, shelling them can blister the whole hand!”

Si Ya was filled with amazement.

Her eldest sister had come up with such impressive tools and hadn’t mentioned them at home.

The reason Pei Qin sought out Sun Tiezhu was firstly because his mill had lost business due to competition and his family was in debt and struggling, and secondly because both Grandma Sun and Sun Tiezhu were honest and simple folks.

She wasn’t expecting to make a fortune, but at least they wouldn’t cheat her like the other mill Shopkeeper did.

Grandma Sun hurried Sun Tiezhu to quickly make these two tools.

Sun Tiezhu was very efficient, moving out the wood and tools.

He then bashfully said to Pei Qin, “I’ve only been learning carpentry for just over half a year, and the things I make are quite rough.”

“This thing is straightforward; it doesn’t require very good skills,” Pei Qin said with a smile, “But because it’s so simple, anyone can learn to make it after seeing it once.

So, you need to produce a batch all at once in order to actually make money from it.”

Sun Tiezhu had run a mill before and understood this point well, “Then how should I charge for them?”

“Don’t worry about the money now.

Just share with me one wen money after you sell one!” Pei Qin didn’t ask for much, after all, she just had the idea and didn’t contribute materials or craftsmanship.

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Upon hearing this, Si Ya frowned, pulling Pei Qin outside, her little face wrinkling, “Did elder sister go daft?

These items will definitely sell for a good profit; sharing one wen money each, even if you sell a thousand, that’s just one guan money, two taels of silver.

Where are you going to sell a thousand of them?” She thought the money her sister asked for was too little.

Inside, Grandma Sun and Sun Tiezhu watched the sisters and exchanged a look, both somewhat worried.

“This is similar to a one-time deal, and we can’t rely on this to make money,” Pei Qin said, then patted her head, “Little girl, you think too much and do the math too quickly!” She then returned to the room.

Si Ya’s little face darkened, showing her displeasure.

“Xiao Pei, about this money sharing…” Grandma Sun looked at Pei Qin with concern.

Seeing both her and Sun Tiezhu worried as if she wouldn’t partner with them, Pei Qin waved her hand, “Let’s just go by one wen money!

After we sell the cobbing needles, we’ll settle up then!”

Sun Tiezhu hurriedly said, “Then I’ll work through the night!

I’ll make more!” By selling more, he too could earn money and pay off some of the family’s debt.

“Great!

Then it’s settled!

We still need to sell the firewood and get back home, so we won’t stay long!” Pei Qin nodded.

Seeing the two bundles of firewood the pair had brought with them, Grandma Sun called out to Pei Qin, “We just so happen to need firewood, so sell it to us!

Whatever price you get outside, I’ll match it!”

Pei Qin’s eyes fell on the wood chips beneath Sun Tiezhu’s handiwork; their family had carpenters and wouldn’t lack for firewood to burn.

“That bit of wood chips isn’t nearly enough to burn; we also need to buy firewood,” Grandma Sun quickly explained.

Pei Qin promptly agreed; with a buyer, she was too lazy to continue carrying it on her back and hawk it down the streets.

Grandma Sun quickly took out six wen money and also two white flour steamed buns, “You lot came out so early to chop firewood, I’m afraid you haven’t eaten.

You must be hungry by now.

Take these two steamed buns with you to eat!”

Si Ya reached out eagerly to take them, as they only got to eat white flour steamed buns during the new year festivities.

Pei Qin glanced at the six wen money and her eyes flickered.

The day before, someone paid six wen money for two large bundles of firewood, but she couldn’t give that much; four wen money was the most she could ask for.

Thinking of Lady Fang and the others at home, she smiled and took the white flour steamed buns, but only took four wen money, “Grandma!

These two bundles of firewood are worth four wen money at most.

I should take only what’s due and not more!”

“You child…” Grandma Sun insisted she take it, saying that’s the price everyone else sells for.

Pei Qin waved her hand and left.

Si Ya’s little face stretched long and gloomy, and she still looked upset as they left Taiping Town, complaining to Pei Qin, “Why wouldn’t you take the extra two wen money given by others!

Don’t you know how hard it is to earn money!?”

Pei Qin looked deeply into her eyes, “If I were greedy for two extra wen money, they might end up overpaying by ten wen money next time.

I’m not closely watching every transaction.

In life, it’s not just about the money, but honesty matters more!”

Si Ya didn’t understand what she meant; all she knew was that because of her, they almost didn’t get the two white flour steamed buns.

Pei Qin didn’t say anything more and went up the mountain with her again, twisting a bunch of leaves and chopping some branches, they headed home.

Si Ya, clutching the two white flour steamed buns and looking at the firewood on her back, couldn’t help but worry, “We came out all morning for just this little bit.

We’re going to get scolded again when we get home!”

Pei Qin gave her a look.

When they arrived home, the way her family looked at her was as if she had been up to something.

Lady Fang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly came up to take the firewood off Pei Qin’s back.

Pei Wenbo was angry, pointing at Pei Qin, “You sent me home and spent the whole morning outside, chopping so little firewood.

Dare you say you weren’t meeting a lover!?” After finishing, she quickly hid behind Lady Chen once she saw Pei Qin looked her way.

Pei Qin wasn’t a violent maniac; seeing that he was afraid after being hit once, she couldn’t be bothered with him and took the firewood to the shed in the backyard.

Lady Zhu called out that there were enough firewood and told Pei Qin not to go out again, asking her to shell corn at home.

Pei Qin was just waiting for the letter from Sun Tiezhu, so she obediently ate her meal and helped Lady Fang and the others shell corn at home.

Pei Qin and Lady Fang took turns beating with a stick onto a sack, pouring the threshed corn into a large winnowing basket, while San Ya, Si Ya, and Pei Wendong squatted to the side shelling corn.

The mothers managed to shell more corn in one afternoon than the whole family did in three days.

Lady Chen still sulked about being hit hard and did no housework.

Lady Zhu only flipped over the corn drying outside.

Pei Qin had earned four wen money and there would be quite a few more earnings to come, so she was in a very good mood.

Without Lady Zhu and Lady Chen getting in the way, she felt particularly energetic and proactive in her afternoon work.

But this mood was shattered as evening approached.

Old Pei’s eldest uncle, Pei Laoda, Pei Houli, had returned.