On the way home in the evening, Second Song walked with hurried steps. "I'm not going to the mountain tomorrow."
Song Jinzhao had anticipated this; he had been restless since the afternoon, constantly urging everyone to leave.
"What about you, Grandfather and Eldest Uncle?"
Old Man Song's face was grave. Although there had been no danger that afternoon, with the wolf pack there, who knew if they might come over.
Oldest Song asked Song Jinzhao, "Are you still going to North Mountain tomorrow?"
Song Jinzhao nodded. "We need to finish gathering from the areas we didn't cover today."
Recalling the scene of his eldest niece hunting and killing the leopard, it was as if he could still feel the leopard's corpse in his own hands.
He mustered his courage and said, "I'll go."
They only gathered a little over a hundred catties of mushrooms a day, and once dried, it would be even less. He needed to earn money.
Seeing his eldest son determined to go, Old Man Song chimed in, "I'll go too."
With one more person, if they really encountered the wolf pack, there would be an extra pair of hands. His own death didn't matter, but his eldest son must not die.
Early the next morning, no matter how much Second Aunt Song urged him, Second Song stayed curled up in bed, refusing to get up.
"You didn't see it. Those wolves, their mouths were all dripping saliva. One bite and half your body would be gone."
Second Aunt Song stood with her hands on her hips. "Then why are your father-in-law and eldest brother still going?"
Second Song hid under the quilt. "They don't value their lives, but I do."
Second Aunt Song was seething with anger she couldn't vent, her nostrils flaring intensely.
Seeing that no danger was encountered on the second day, Second Song followed Song Jinzhao up the mountain again on the third day.
As the mushrooms they found became fewer and fewer, and even the ones they discovered were often old and withered, Song Jinzhao decided to stop.
In the courtyard, they were bagging the dried mushrooms. Tomorrow was the final delivery date agreed upon with Manager Li. She had already discussed with the families of the eldest and second uncles that they would go to Xining City first thing in the morning.
Manager Li had been pacing near the entrance of the tavern since early morning. By his calculation, they should be arriving soon.
At a quarter past Chen hour, a cart loaded with goods came into view.
Manager Li's brow furrowed slightly. Why wasn't it Miss Song?
As a passerby went by, Old Man Song instinctively moved aside to make way, revealing Song Jinzhao, who had been blocked behind him, to Manager Li's sight.
His expression relaxed, and a weight seemed to lift from his chest.
He walked out from the tavern entrance, a gentle smile curving his lips. "Miss Song."
"Manager Li." A flicker of something unusual passed through Song Jinzhao's eyes. His attitude towards her during their previous meetings hadn't been like this; it now seemed to carry an extra degree of friendliness and goodwill that went beyond mere acquaintance.
The gazes of Old Man Song and the other two men paused briefly, surprised that the manager of the Food Friend Tavern would treat Song Jinzhao so well.
Song Jinzhao gestured and introduced them. "This is my grandfather, my eldest uncle, and my second uncle. The mushrooms this time were gathered by all of us together from the mountain. They've all been checked and are fine."
Manager Li lowered his eyes. After what had happened, she could still bring her elders along to earn money together. Her magnanimity was truly extraordinary.
After the kitchen inspected, weighed, and calculated the payment, Second Song excitedly clutched the four taels of silver in his hand. He couldn't earn this much money in a year.
Old Man Song took a deep breath and looked up at his eldest granddaughter in the distance, who was speaking with Manager Li.
One really shouldn't underestimate a girl. Her capabilities were this great.
Unlike hunting, mushrooms were a trade that could be done every year.
"It's just a roast chicken, nothing valuable."
Manager Li insisted on pressing the oil-paper package into Song Jinzhao's hands. He had specifically ordered the kitchen to make an extra one early that morning, just waiting for her arrival.
Song Jinzhao's gaze lingered on his face, trying to discern his thoughts through his expression.
Today, he did seem excessively enthusiastic.
After leaving the tavern, Oldest Song went to the cloth shop to buy fabric. Second Song stared at the still-steaming roast chicken in Song Jinzhao's hand, drooling.
Old Man Song pinched his ear. "Go pull the cart. We're going home."
Reluctantly, Second Song looked away, only for his eyes to land on a steamed bun stall by the street.
"Dad, I'm going to buy a few meat buns to take back."
Old Man Song sighed silently and turned to ask Song Jinzhao if they were heading home immediately.
Song Jinzhao shook her head in refusal. "I have other matters to attend to. I won't be going back with you."
Turning a corner, she arrived at the end of the street and entered a bookstore.
With the autumn harvest still some days away, she planned to teach Song Qiming and Song Shixue to read and write.
The shop assistant, seeing it was a young woman who entered, stayed where he was and asked what she wanted to buy.
Song Jinzhao wandered around the bookstore. The variety was limited, with most books on the shelves being duplicates.
"I need two sets of the Four Treasures of the Study, and two copies each of the 'Three Character Classic,' 'Hundred Family Surnames,' and 'Thousand Character Classic.'"
The shop assistant's expression showed understanding. "For teaching the children at home?"
Song Jinzhao nodded.
The assistant walked to the shelf against the wall and took down two sets of the Four Treasures. Then, from the shelf below, he pulled out the books.
"The cheapest set of the Four Treasures costs fifty wen. For the 'Three Character Classic,' 'Hundred Family Surnames,' and 'Thousand Character Classic,' handwritten copies are thirty wen each, printed versions are one hundred wen each."
Examining the set of Four Treasures, the brush tip was coarse, the ink had a granular texture, only the paper was passable.
Song Jinzhao asked, "Do you have better ones?"
A flicker of surprise passed through the shop assistant's eyes. This young woman's family circumstances didn't seem well-off. Children from ordinary farming families just starting to learn usually bought the cheapest Four Treasures; they couldn't afford the expensive ones.
He took another set from the middle shelf. "This set costs one hundred wen."
After looking it over, Song Jinzhao decided to buy the more expensive one. "I'll take this one. Two sets. And please give me fifty extra sheets of paper."
The shop assistant raised an eyebrow. She was really willing to spend. It seemed he had misjudged her.
Song Jinzhao opened two copies of the 'Three Character Classic.' The handwritten version used cheap bamboo paper, with slight ink smudges on a few characters.
To write characters this well on rough bamboo paper, the copyist must have had some calligraphy skill and put in considerable effort.
The printed version used more expensive hemp paper. Perhaps there was an issue with the ink mixture during printing, as the characters were uneven, sometimes light, sometimes dark.
It seemed the printing technology of this era was still in its early stages.
Seeing her hesitate, the shop assistant spoke up. "The handwritten books in our store are all copied by students from various private schools in the city. The printed versions are shipped from Anyang Prefecture. No other bookstore in Xining City can compare to ours."
Song Jinzhao handed the handwritten version back to the assistant. "I'll take the handwritten ones."
The handwriting in the handwritten books better showed the brushstrokes. Although the bamboo paper was rough, it didn't hinder reading, and the price was cheaper.
Second Song returned home and handed the silver to his wife.
Second Aunt Song held the four taels of silver, her eyes staring blankly. Coming to her senses, she paced around the room as if she had obtained a treasure.
"If we had known it was this profitable, we should have started earlier."
Second Song chewed on a meat bun. "We were busy carrying water before. We didn't have the time."
Second Aunt Song stood with one hand on her hip. "Four taels of silver in five days. This is much better than farming."
"I have to say, Jinzhao is clever. She had us carry water while she went to make big money. How much did she earn selling the mushrooms?"
Second Song shook his head. "Manager Li from the Food Friend Tavern called her aside alone to settle the account. He even gave her a roast chicken."
"She and Qiming gathered together. They probably got about ten taels."
Second Aunt Song sat on the kang, filled with regret. "It's all your fault for taking a day off in the middle. Otherwise, we would have had five taels."
Second Song worried that she would be blinded by the money and push him to keep going up the mountain at all costs. He muttered, "It's not that easy. The mountain is full of wild beasts; I almost lost my life."
Second Aunt Song still felt the loss keenly.
To have such a lucrative method cut short after just a few days was a huge waste.
