Doing Business

  Wu Xiuying put down the beads in her hand and came to see, smiling: "Changan's hands are really skillful, the flower buns she made." They are so realistic.

  "Hey, Changan can make a living with this craft when she grows up." Qian couldn't put down the clay figurines. Wu's

  face moved when she heard this.

  Yes, Changan's hands are so skillful, why not let her learn to make clay dolls.

  There are also colorful clay dolls and porcelain dolls sold at the temple fair, but they are not as realistic and pleasing as Changan's.

  If Changan can make this craft fine, even if she gets married in the future, she will have a business to make a living, unlike herself, who has been tortured by her in-laws for several years.

  If it weren't for her husband's sudden realization, she would really be desperate last time.

  "When I go to the temple fair this time, I will buy some paint and brushes." Then I will take Changan to the stalls selling clay dolls to let her learn what styles they have.

  Mrs. Qian smiled and said, "Are you really going to let Chang'an learn to make clay figurines?"

  "Yes, she is still young, just find her a toy to play with."

  Wu squatted down and asked her niece, "Chang'an, do you want to learn to make clay figurines?"

  Chang'an nodded.

  In fact, she prefers to make flower buns, not the previous ones, but very beautiful flower buns that can be eaten.

  "Then auntie will buy some paint and you can color the clay figurines, okay?" Wu asked softly.

  Chang'an's eyes lit up and nodded again: "Okay."

  In the past, the steamed buns at my grandmother's house would be painted with beautiful colors. I wanted to paint them once, but my grandmother didn't allow it.

  Wu touched the little baby's head: "Then it's settled."

  Even if Chang'an doesn't make clay figurines after buying them, it doesn't matter. During the New Year and other festivals, those paints can be used, and it's not considered a waste of things.

  The two women looked at the house made by Goudan again. Just when Goudan was full of expectations, they turned around and left without saying anything.

  Goudan felt wronged.

  After picking up the mud house he made and taking a look, he turned around and saw that Chang'an had already made an ox cart.

  The old ox was pulling the cart in front, and a flatbed cart was towing behind. Chang'an also put all the clay figures on the cart and sat in a row.

  This is much better looking than his own house.

  Goudan thought about it, kneaded the mud house, and secretly learned from Chang'an to make an ox cart.

  At this moment, Chang'an was concentrating on making clay figures, from ox carts to millstones, and from pheasants to small goldfish.

  She was very satisfied with the small goldfish clay figure she made.

  It would be great if Xiaoyuyu could see the clay figure she made for it.

  Days passed by while making clay figures, and soon it was the end of February.

  Song Sanshun's house was not sold, but the new house was bustling.

  Look, someone came to visit Song Jizu and Song Baqi again today. The one who

  led them here was Zhao Lu, Song Jizu's father-in-law and uncle.

  Song Sanshun stood at the door of his house and looked at the new house. After a moment, he retracted his gaze and a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

  It looks like the bait has arrived. Now it depends on whether Song Jizu will take the bait.   Another day

  , before dawn, the sleepy Chang'an was taken out of bed by her aunt to dress and put on shoes. She knew that she had to go to the temple fair today, so she cooperated very well and washed her hands and face, and ate a bowl of porridge.   Then Chang'an was wrapped tightly, and tied to her uncle's chest with a wide cloth belt, and continued to sleep.   When she woke up again, it was already bright, and her uncle, aunt, and Aunt Qian had already arrived in Tieniu Town.   This time, Goudan and his sister did not come, and the uncle and aunt did not hire a bullock cart, but walked more than 20 miles on foot.   Several people came to the market outside Guanyin Temple. After discussion, they decided to sell the wood-sucking buddha beads they brought separately.   Chang'an followed her uncle and aunt to the old place and squatted down. She took out a dozen beads from the backpack and placed them on the lid of the backpack so that people could see them at a glance.   They arrived early today, and there were many pilgrims coming and going, but there were also many people selling various beads, sandalwood, and Buddha statues.   

  Chang'an saw a man holding a wooden statue of Guanyin, sitting on the side of the road, pretending to be pious, pinching his fingers with one hand, and muttering something.

  She was very curious, and ran over to take a look.

  The Guanyin statue in the man's hand seemed good from a distance, but it was very rough when you looked at it up close. Guanyin's nose and eyes were carved very blurry and not good-looking at all.

  But many people came to ask how much it cost to

  buy the statue, which means to buy it. The man asked for a string of coins as soon as he opened his mouth, and said that it was carved from the roots of a bodhi tree, and that if the money was too little, it would mean that the heart was not sincere.

  When Chang'an heard this, her eyes almost popped out.

  She knew that a string of coins was a lot of money, and she could buy a lot of meat, enough for her family to eat for a long time.

  Chang'an's little brain flashed with inspiration, and she ran back, hung two strings of wooden beads around her neck, put one string on each wrist, and then squatted back to the side of the Guanyin statue seller. The

  man took a look at the little baby and saw that she was only three or four years old, smart and cute, so he didn't chase her away.

  After a while, a woman came with a basket, in which were incense, candles and paper money.

  She looked at the Guanyin statue and then looked at little Chang'an.

  "Little kid, how much do you want for this string of Buddhist beads?"

  Chang'an blinked and said honestly, "Five cents."

  "Five cents, I want two strings." The woman gave Chang'an ten cents and took off the wood beads from her neck.

  Chang'an was so happy to get the ten cents that he ran to his aunt and handed her the money.

  Wu didn't sell a string of wood beads, but her niece sold two strings. She couldn't help but look at the little kid with new eyes and praised him, "Chang'an, you are really amazing."

  Chang'an was proud and hung two strings around his neck again, and continued to squat beside the Guanyin statue.

  The man looked about 28 or 29 years old, with a white face and no beard. Seeing the little kid coming again, he said unhappily, "What? Did you get something from squatting?"

  Chang'an looked at him puzzled.

  The white-faced man was wearing a gray monk's robe with several holes on it, and there were no patches to sew it up. He looked very shabby.

  He sat on the ground, tilted his head to look at Chang'an, and said, "Little kid, how about we do business together?"

  Chang'an was still puzzled and blinked at him.

  The white-faced man coughed lightly: "What I mean is that I will help you sell the Buddhist beads, and you have to give me half of the money."

  Chang'an shook his head: "No, no!"

  She can sell the beads herself, so she doesn't want to share the money with others.

  The white-faced man was so angry that he laughed and said, "You squeezed next to me and robbed my business. I haven't asked you to compensate, and you are still taking advantage of me?"

  Chang'an didn't understand what he said and looked at him innocently.

  "Oh, I'm really mad at you, little kid." The white-faced man continued: "Little kid, what I mean is that I will help you sell your Buddhist beads for 100 wen a string, and then you will give me 80 or 70 wen." Chang'an

  blinked, counted on his fingers, and found that he couldn't count.

  He had obviously learned to count to 100 with Xiao Yuyu, why couldn't he tell the difference?

  Since it is difficult to count, I don't need his help.

  Chang'an looked at the distance between the two people and it was indeed a bit close, so he moved to the side.

  The white-faced man stretched out his hand and picked up the little kid again, and said helplessly: "How about this, I will help you sell the Buddhist beads, the price is one hundred coins per string, you are not allowed to say a word, then we will each take half, is that okay?"

  Seeing that the little kid started to count on his fingers again, the white-faced man sighed: "That is to say, you get fifty coins for a string of Buddhist beads, and I get fifty coins!"

  This time Chang'an understood.

  This person meant that she could get fifty coins for selling a string of Buddhist beads.

  Fifty coins, much more than five coins.

  Chang'an nodded immediately: "Okay." (End of this chapter)