Chapter 012: The Importance of Satisfaction

Aunt Liu in the backyard couldn't control her temper and rushed to the Lu family that evening with the clothes she had hurriedly put on.

Seeing that there were no signs of crying on Xiaomi's face, she felt relieved and went back.

Xiaomi took the clothes to the east wing, and Feng Jian tried on the new jacket. Seeing the busy little girl around him, he couldn't help but add, "If you need help with anything, just ask."

Xiaomi looked up in surprise and met his deep dark eyes, but then she smiled.

"Don't worry, Brother Feng, I know what I'm doing."

For some reason, Feng Jian suddenly felt a tickle in his throat and cleared his throat before changing the subject.

On the other hand, Gao Ren was jumping around, shouting, "I'm going into the city tomorrow to teach those fools who are trying to steal our business a lesson!"

Xiaomi gave him a knock on the head and then helped him change into new clothes. "You little kid, don't always talk about fighting. Besides, it's not easy for poor people to make a living. Selling candied haws is not easy. Why can I sell them, but others can't?"

"Hmph! Good-hearted people are treated like donkeys' livers and lungs!"

Gao Ren was angry, but he didn't push away Xiaomi, who was helping him fasten his buttons.

The young people who had been neglected in their business were all sleepless. When they arrived at the Lu family early in the morning, they all had dark circles under their eyes.

But when they saw the grass brooms that Xiaomi had brought out, everyone was delighted.

"Wow, Xiaomi, are these also candied haws? Why aren't they hawthorn skewers?"

Xiaomi smiled proudly, swaying her two braids, and replied, "Who says candied haws can only be made with hawthorns?"

As she spoke, she pointed to the colorful candied haws on the grass broom and gave instructions one by one.

"These small black date candied haws are two wen each, and these hawthorns steamed and sprinkled with sesame seeds are three wen each. These rare grapes are so precious that we only have a basket of them at home, so they are sold for five wen. These orange segments and apple pieces are eight wen..."

Everyone nodded in agreement and prepared to go into the city again to "dominate the market" and show those who were trying to steal their business. Even if they imitated them, they couldn't keep up with their innovative speed.

Sure enough, the candied haw vendors who had already occupied the market on the street were all depressed when they saw the "Lu family army" coming up with new and innovative products. Some clever and thin-skinned ones took the grass brooms and went around the streets to sell them. Surprisingly, at two wen each, many families couldn't resist the children's clamor and bought a lot, so the business was not bad at all.

This time, the Lu family's candied haws once again dominated the market. Hawthorns were still sour, and although they were coated with syrup, adults only tasted them once for the novelty.

However, the black dates, grapes, oranges, and apple candied haws retained their original fruit fragrance and added a bit of sweetness, appealing to both young and old.

Women shopping, maidservants going out to buy things, and customers in the restaurant all took out the copper coins from their purses.

The young people returned with empty brooms again, causing a lively atmosphere in the entire Laoxiong Ridge.

Although it wasn't their own business, the money they earned was real. Moreover, with just over a dozen households in Laoxiong Ridge, no one could afford to lose any business. Xiaomi worked hard to earn money for her mother's hundredth day memorial, and everyone knew about it.

Who could bear to see her small business lose money?

However, this joy only lasted for two days and then disappeared. The reason was that imitators followed the Lu family's footsteps, and now vendors carrying grass brooms were also selling mixed fruit candied haws.

Xiaomi decisively closed the small business and treated the young people to a hearty dinner. From then on, she completely stopped.

Each of the young people earned over a hundred wen in wages and had a few good meals, so they had nothing to complain about. The only regret was for Xiaomi. If no one had imitated them, the small business would have been prosperous for the winter, and the income would have been even greater.

Although Xiaomi had anticipated this, she still felt a little regretful. However, when she looked at the box full of copper coins, she smiled again.

Being content with what one has is important in life. After staying up for a few nights, having such a substantial income, she couldn't be greedy anymore.

Hawthorns were picked from the mountains in autumn, and the grapes were frozen at home. The purchase of black dates, apples, oranges, sugar glaze, and honey cost over a thousand wen, and the wages paid out were twelve hundred wen, with a few hundred wen deducted for various expenses.

This trial run earned a total of eighteen thousand wen. The money exchange rate at the city's bank was nine hundred wen for one or two silver coins, which was a total of twenty taels of silver.

Twenty taels!

Xiaomi couldn't help but grab the copper coins and roll around the bed in joy!

"I've made money, I've made money! A chicken in my left hand, a duck in my right! I've made money, I've made money. I'll buy new clothes today and a flower tomorrow!"

Twenty taels of silver might be the price of a table of wine or a jar of good tea for wealthy families, but for Xiaomi, it was a glimmer of hope.

Yes, it was hope.

With her memory and intelligence in this time and space, she could lead her family to live a prosperous life, free from worries about food and clothing.

Standing in the snow, Mr. Lu watched his daughter's lively and joyful figure reflected in the window, feeling a rare sense of joy, but it quickly turned into deep sadness, a complex mix of emotions.

The north wind curiously lifted his coat, letting snowflakes pour into his collar, urging the stubborn and weak old scholar to quietly return to the front yard.

On the roof, Gao Ren huddled in his new padded jacket, nibbling on a candied hawthorn stick and muttering, "Family can be such a hassle. I'd rather be a loner, well-fed and worry-free!"

Unfortunately, as soon as he finished speaking, he heard Lao Yang calling from the front yard, "Gao Ren, come back and fetch water. The young master needs to wash up!"

Gao Ren gritted his teeth and muttered in frustration, tossing aside the wooden sign in his hand and climbing down from the roof...

Time flew by like a thief in the night.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Xiaomi had been reborn for nearly three months, and her mother, Bai Shi, had passed away almost ninety days ago. In a few more days, it would be the hundredth day memorial.

According to Lu Lao's wishes and with the consent of the three Lu brothers, a grand memorial was to be held for Bai Shi.

With Lu Xiaomi's recent success, she finally had a bit of money in hand, so she decided to properly organize Bai Shi's hundredth day memorial as a way to make up for the guilt of taking over someone else's daughter's body.

The mourning clothes for the family of four were all stored away, and the Lu family had no relatives. There was no news from Bai Shi's side of the family either. All in all, the preparations for the memorial would involve offerings, a feast, and various kinds of paper offerings.

Lu Lao Er and Lu Lao San took the drawings made by the girl and went to visit a craftsman in the outskirts of the city who specialized in paper crafts. Surprisingly, they didn't spend a single penny and returned with everything as it was.

It turned out that the craftsman found the drawings so novel that he requested to use them as payment. Lu Lao San felt a bit hesitant, but Lu Lao Er readily agreed.

Even though Lu Xiaomi was money-minded, she had no intention of making money from these paper crafts. She simply waved her hand and started making a list, then asked some uncles and neighbors for help with the purchases.

She also sent two boxes of pastries and two jars of old wine to the most respected elder in the village, Lao Feng, inviting him to preside over the memorial at the Lu family's home.

As for the women of the village, when they came to deliver clothes in the past few days, they all promised to come early to help on the day of the memorial.

With money in hand, there was no need to worry.

After delegating tasks, organizing the hundredth day memorial turned out to be much simpler and more leisurely than she had imagined.

In the east wing, Feng Jian and his three servants had all changed into new bedding.

The new cotton quilts were sewn into coarse cloth, looking simple but exceptionally clean. The quilts were not ordinary either; they were encased in a square cloth bag with thin fabric straps tied at the corners, making it convenient to remove the cotton quilts for washing.

Feng Jian's quilt was made of ivory-colored fine cotton cloth, with a blue satin inlay embroidered with a fierce eagle, a rare and exquisite piece of craftsmanship. The embroidery was done by Liu's eldest daughter-in-law, Gui Zhi, and the eagle looked so lifelike and sharp that it was awe-inspiring.

Yang Bo's quilt was three times thicker, with an extra two pounds of cotton. The ivory-colored quilt had an embroidered design of a longevity star holding a peach, looking festive and joyful.

As for Gao Ren's quilt, it had an embroidered design of Sun Wukong standing on auspicious clouds. This monkey, wearing a tiger-skin skirt, was initially disliked by Gao Ren, who kept insisting that Lu Xiaomi change it.

Lu Xiaomi explained the "glorious deeds" of Sun Wukong to him, and surprisingly, Gao Ren immediately took a liking to the monkey who also loved "causing trouble in heaven." He even kept pestering Lu Xiaomi to tell him more, and didn't resist when she asked him to help with the firewood.

Soon, on the day before the hundredth day memorial, Lu Wu and the younger generation brought back the paper crafts.

It must be said that the craftsmen of this time and space were truly talented.

Lu Xiaomi had only drawn some simple patterns based on her memories from her past life and some imagination, but she received a pleasant surprise.

The craftsman had worked wonders with the paper, creating a courtyard with red walls and gray tiles, as clean and grand as the Lu family's home. There was even a delicate octagonal pavilion with a plaque on top.

The paper servants, two chestnut horses pulling a carriage, various jewelry, clothing for all four seasons, boxes of gold bars, and gold ingots...

The women of the village who had come to help with the preparations for the memorial were all gathered around, marveling at the sight.

The older women couldn't help but envy and sigh, "Xiaomi is truly blessed. She used to be a bit naive, and I even muttered a few words behind her back. But now, she's proven to be a capable young lady."

"That's right. With her mother around, the girl couldn't help but be a bit spoiled, but now she's a capable manager of the household."

"Not to mention, she's quite skilled at making money. My son followed her to sell candied hawthorns for a few days, and the money he earned was enough for him to make a new padded jacket for himself. It's a pity I don't have a suitable daughter, otherwise I'd introduce her to him now, and they could get married next year."

When women get together, they always talk about family matters, especially marriage and children.