BYBOTE Chapter 30: The First Bucket of Gold

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Songlin Town wasn’t particularly large, with a permanent population of about two thousand people. Located in the north, it hadn’t developed as well as the warmer southern regions that enjoyed year-round mild weather. However, by northern standards, life in the town wasn’t too bad.

Like other towns, Songlin held a morning market from early May to late September each year. Since the weather was warm, the market was bustling with people coming and going. Ancient people were used to sleeping early and rising early. While the townsfolk didn’t wake up as early as farmers, merchants who made a living from trade had already set up their stalls by the time Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing arrived. The market was already quite lively.

Luo Fei brought a piece of worn cloth with him. He spread it on the ground and carefully arranged the sachets one by one, trying his hand at selling. As for Xi Yanqing, the pharmacy he intended to visit hadn’t opened yet—he estimated it would take another half an hour.

Luo Fei had never done business before, and he had felt nervous on the way there. Now that the sachets were displayed, he was even more anxious. He wasn’t worried about anything else—just the possibility that he wouldn’t sell a single one. Wouldn’t that mean all his hard work had been for nothing? However, before he even finished setting up, someone approached.

"Wow! Mom, look! Such beautiful sachets!" A girl, around eleven or twelve years old, pointed at Luo Fei’s stall and eagerly tugged her mother, who was on her way to buy glutinous rice. "Big brother, how much is this sachet?"

"Which one? This one?" Luo Fei followed her gaze and pointed at a pink sachet embroidered with lotus flowers. It wasn’t very large—barely a medium size, with a diameter of about five or six centimeters—but it was exquisitely made. Luo Fei believed the most striking feature of this sachet was its embroidery, which differed from the typical local styles. He used a more three-dimensional embroidery technique, which consumed more thread and time but resulted in a vibrant and textured pattern that ordinary embroidery couldn’t match. He had only made three sachets like this, and he hadn’t expected the girl to notice them right away.

"Yes, yes! That one!" The girl’s eyes were glued to the sachet.

"Little sister, this sachet costs six wen." The material alone cost about two wen, but due to the complexity of the embroidery, Luo Fei set a higher price. He had made a total of fifty sachets and ten pouches, using up all the fabric he had bought. After calculating beforehand, he figured that as long as he made a profit of one to four wen per piece, it would be worth it.

"Mom, six wen! Can I buy it? Please?" The girl pleaded with her mother, eyes full of hope. "I’ve never seen such a beautiful sachet before!"

"Six wen is too expensive. We’re not buying it," the woman said. Though she also thought the sachet was well-made, six wen seemed too much.

"Big brother, can you make it cheaper?" The girl clung tightly to her mother’s hand, refusing to leave. "Just a little cheaper, please?"

"The lowest I can go is five wen—any less, and I really can’t sell it. You see, I can only make one of these a day. There are only four sachets like this in total," Luo Fei pointed at the others. In truth, he could make two or three in a day, but he couldn’t say that!

"Five wen is still expensive." Seeing that bargaining was possible, the woman hesitated to leave but still felt five wen was too much.

"Big sister, you won’t find this kind of sachet anywhere else. And you know that Dragon Boat Festival is coming up—sachets like these can ward off insects and bad luck. Why not get one for your daughter?" Xi Yanqing chimed in.

"Four wen? If you agree to four wen, I’ll buy one," the woman countered. "Young man, I’m serious about buying. Can’t you lower the price just a bit more?"

"Four wen won’t do," Xi Yanqing said firmly. "The lowest is five wen. If you want it, take it. We’re serious about selling." He knew how much effort Luo Fei put into making these sachets—how could they sell them for so little? In fact, he already thought five wen was too cheap!

"Forget it, then. We’re not buying." The woman firmly pulled her daughter away.

Luo Fei had almost wavered just now. He figured that even if he didn’t make much at four wen, at least it would be a sale. Wouldn’t that be a good way to start?

But clearly, Xi Yanqing had his own thoughts.

Xi Yanqing looked around, rearranging the sachets. "We can’t display them like before. We need to categorize them by size and price. Do you remember how other vendors arrange their stalls? Their setup looks more eye-catching."

Previously, they had mixed up the colors and arranged them randomly, thinking it looked nice. But now, it seemed a bit messy.

Luo Fei wasn’t experienced in business, but Xi Yanqing’s idea made sense. So, they quickly reorganized the stall. They arranged the sachets from top to bottom by size and from left to right by price. The new setup not only looked more organized but also highlighted the more exquisite pieces.

"Do you think my prices are too high?" Luo Fei suddenly worried. Xi Yanqing had told him that a farmhand’s monthly wage was only 150 wen, not including food and lodging. If one of his sachets cost five or six wen, wasn’t that equivalent to a day’s wage?

"Not at all. You need to understand that your sachets are special—you can’t find them anywhere else." Luo Fei had told him on the way here that no one else in town sold this style.

"Alright then! My sachets are the Chanel of the sachet world!" Luo Fei declared. Then he suddenly started shouting, "Selling sachets and pouches! Unique handmade sachets and pouches! Ward off insects and evil spirits—perfect for Dragon Boat Festival! Come take a look!"

“Selling scented sachets and pouches! Unique scented sachets and pouches!” Xiyanqing smiled and helped call out, and soon, quite a few people came over to take a look.

“Young brother, how much for this scented sachet?” A tall man with his little sister came over. His clothing looked quite fancy!

“This one is four wen.” It didn’t have three-dimensional embroidery, just plum blossoms stitched on top. Luo Fei asked, “Is it for you?”

“No, it’s for my little sister.” The man was straightforward, taking out four wen as he spoke. “I’ll take this one.”

“Alright, alright.” Luo Fei thought: Ahhhhhh! Finally made a sale! Oh, I need to control my facial expression! Ding! Luo the Little Actor is online!

“Thank you, big brother.” The little girl was about four or five years old, very sweet and cute, with dimples appearing when she smiled. She took the sachet and grinned brightly, making Luo Fei’s mood even better.

“You little troublemaker,” the man tapped the little girl’s nose, picked her up, and left.

As soon as the customer left, Luo Fei couldn’t hold back his excitement and looked at Xiyanqing. “Qing-ge, Qing-ge! We sold one! Ah, finally opened for business!”

Xi Yanqing chuckled and said, “Didn’t I tell you on the way here? No need to worry about selling them. Your craftsmanship is so good, people can see that. Besides, who doesn’t want something festive for the holiday?”

Luo Fei thought, that’s true!

But still, he couldn’t help but be happy!

Selling for four wen meant he made two wen in profit! And he could make several of these in a day!

Luo Fei felt like he could barely contain his excitement. The next second, he shouted even louder, “Selling scented sachets and pouches! Unique scented sachets and pouches! Repel insects and ward off evil spirits for the Dragon Boat Festival! Selling scented sachets and pouches…”

Emmmmmmm…

Maybe he got excited too soon.

Luo Fei shouted until his throat was nearly hoarse, but no second customer came. Some people asked about the price, but once they heard it, they just walked away.

Finally, another customer came, but they only bought the smallest, cheapest sachet. Two wen, leaving Luo Fei with barely one wen in profit. And even that was taken by the tax collectors! He had only sold two sachets, and they took one wen in tax! What kind of nonsense was this?!

Xi Yanqing helped call out from time to time while also observing the people passing by. Most of the crowd at the morning market was here to buy groceries and breakfast. Business was good for those selling fish, meat, and buns, but not so much for anything else. Maybe choosing this place was a mistake in the first place.

Luo Fei felt a bit discouraged, looking at the sachets and pouches spread out before him. A vague sense of anxiety crept in.

Xi Yanqing handed Luo Fei some water. “Don’t worry, everything takes time and patience. Why don’t we try changing the wording?” After discussing it with Luo Fei, he raised his voice and called out, “Come take a look! Selling scented sachets and pouches! The smallest ones are just one wen! Perfect gifts for loved ones, repel insects and ward off evil for the holiday! Selling scented sachets and pouches…”

“Big brother, how much is this sachet?” This time, a man with his younger brother came over. He wore a moon-white robe, looked very refined, and even his voice was as gentle as a spring breeze.

“This sachet is five wen,” Luo Fei said, pointing to a sky-blue sachet embroidered with a ruyi pattern.

T/N: ruyi-symbol of power and good fortune

“What about this pouch?”

“This one’s a bit more expensive—ten wen.” Since pouches used more fabric and had larger, more intricate embroidery, they took more time to make.

“Can you give me a discount? I’d like to buy one sachet and one pouch.” The man gently stroked his younger brother’s hair as he spoke.

“I’ll take thirteen wen for both.” Luo Fei found this man somewhat likable, for some reason.

“Alright, I’ll take these two.” The man handed over the money.

“Daddy, I want some sweet cakes…” The child tugged at the man’s hand. “Daddy, buy me some.”

“Alright, alright, Daddy will buy you some.” The man smiled indulgently.

“Si Yuan?! Si Yuan!” A frantic voice called out from a distance. “Si Yuan? Chang Le?”

“Father, we’re here!” The little boy, holding the sachet, looked in the direction of the voice. Luo Fei and Xi Yanqing saw a tall man hurrying toward them. When he saw the older and younger boy, he let out a long sigh of relief. “You almost scared me to death. I was just buying a roast chicken, and you two disappeared.”

“I told you where we were going,” the man called Si Yuan said with a helpless smile. “You must have been distracted again and didn’t hear me.”

“Ah, I was debating whether to get five-spice or plain.” The man laughed. “What did you buy?”

“I bought a sachet and a pouch. The Dragon Boat Festival is coming up; it’s good to have them for the occasion. I only regret that my right hand isn’t convenient, or else I would have made them myself for you and Chang Le.”

“Better to spend that time with us than making things. Sachets are just fine when bought.” The man turned to Luo Fei. “Young brother, pick another one for us, the best-looking one—for my wife.”

“How about getting the same one?” The boy’s father had picked a white sachet embroidered with green bamboo—the kind Luo Fei thought scholars would like. There were only three of them, simple but elegant.

The man agreed and handed over five wen. Luo Fei returned one wen as change, and Si Yuan thanked him.

Having sold another two sachets and one pouch, Luo Fei took the money and muttered to himself, “They’re father and son? I thought they were brothers.”

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have assumed that. At first glance, he didn’t notice any plum blossom markings on the man, so he didn’t think he was a “little brother” like himself. But later, he noticed scars on the man’s right hand, right where the flower should have been.

“Do you think we’ll be like them someday?” Xi Yanqing asked with a hint of longing.

“Maybe… possibly…” Luo Fei initially wanted to say “probably not,” because he couldn’t imagine himself with a child. But when he saw the look of longing in Xi Yanqing’s eyes, he suddenly remembered that Xi Yanqing had been abandoned by his parents as a child. Perhaps he craved such familial bonds more than others. So, Luo Fei swallowed his words.

He thought, maybe becoming a family like them wouldn’t be so bad.

As long as nothing unexpected happened, in this world, they would probably end up like that.

Though whether they’d be as rich was another matter…

Luo Fei pondered for a moment and continued calling out his wares, unaware that he and Xi Yanqing would meet that family again in the future.

***

By the time the morning market was wrapping up, Luo Fei counted his earnings. That morning, he had sold six sachets and one pouch. After offering discounts, he had collected a total of twenty-five wen. Subtracting costs, he had made about half of that in profit.

If he could make this much every day, he’d earn over three hundred wen a month! Even after splitting with Han Xu, he’d still have over a hundred!

That was more than a laborer’s wage!

Luo Fei counted his first real earnings several times, then slung his cloth bag over his shoulder and hugged Xi Yanqing. “Qing-ge, let’s go! I’m treating you to Douhua!”

T/N: Douhua is a Chinese sweet or savoury snack made with silken tofu.

Xi Yanqing had been thinking of buying Luo Fei some food anyway. Hearing this, he didn’t refuse and led them straight to a tofu pudding stall.

Luo Fei originally thought that after earning more than ten wen in a day, he was finally on the bright path to sponsoring Xi Yanqing. However, in just the blink of an eye, Xi Yanqing had already made fifteen wen! He earned more than Luo Fei!

Now that was a real "empty-handed white wolf"—going up the mountain for a short while and coming back with fifteen wen!

The little actor Luo felt deeply bitter!

"If I had known, I would have asked you to teach me how to identify medicinal herbs instead." Luo Fei muttered gloomily. He felt a bit defeated.

"I don’t recognize all herbs either—only the ones I’ve come across before." Xi Yanqing said. "Besides, your business is stable no matter the season, while mine depends on whether luck is on my side. Who knows if I’ll find gentian grass the next time I go up the mountain?"

T/N: Gentian Grass-flowering plants that grow in alpine and temperate regions worldwide

"That’s true. I need to work hard! Someday, I’ll open my own embroidery shop!" A person must have dreams—what if one day they come true?!

"If you ask me, we should take your embroidered sachets and pouches to the fabric shop owner and see what he thinks." Xi Yanqing suggested after some thought. "Think about it—who usually comes to the morning market to buy vegetables? It’s either ordinary folks or servants shopping for the wealthy. But those who truly have money hardly ever come to the morning market themselves. Their vegetables are either delivered to their homes and paid for monthly, or they send servants to buy them. That family of three earlier was an exception, but such cases are rare."

"Then, why don’t we go check out the fabric shop?" Luo Fei thought about how much stock he still had left. If the fabric shop owner could take them, that would be even better.

The fabric shop owner was an old tailor himself. He recognized Luo Fei because Luo Fei had spent quite some time chatting with him while buying fabric scraps before. Besides, Luo Fei was naturally good-looking, making him hard to forget. Even though his face was often smeared with dirt when he visited, the fabric shop owner had seen all kinds of people—one look, and he knew Luo Fei had fine features.

"Young man, here to buy fabric scraps again?" the shop owner asked. It was close to noon, and with the heat, there weren’t many customers in the shop.

"Boss, I’m not here to buy fabric scraps this time—I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in these." Luo Fei took out all his sachets and embroidered pouches. "Would you be willing to display them for sale here? Or maybe you could just buy them outright?"

"Oh, these are quite well-made! Did you make them yourself?" The shop owner’s eyes lit up as he picked up a sachet embroidered with orchids. "The colors are matched beautifully."

"Yes, I designed, sketched, and embroidered them myself. Would you be interested in taking them?"

"How much are you selling them for?"

"The larger sachets are five wen each, the smaller ones are three wen, and the pouches are ten wen each." Luo Fei didn’t hesitate—he was determined to stick to the prices he set at the morning market.

"That’s not cheap." The shop owner put the items down. "I can let you sell them here, but you can’t price them that high."

"How much are you willing to offer?" Xi Yanqing asked. Shopkeepers like this one were all shrewd businessmen. They first acted interested to make it seem like they were eager to buy, but when it came to negotiating the price, they’d keep pushing it down as low as possible before taking the goods.

"Young man, the fabric scraps you use all come from my shop, and they cost next to nothing. Selling them at such high prices isn’t reasonable."

"We’re selling craftsmanship, not fabric. It’s not fair for you to put it that way," Xi Yanqing smiled. "Besides, you have a proper shop, while we wake up early and work late just to make a little money. Don’t you think that’s fair?"

"Ha! What big business? Have you ever seen a real businessman working as his own shopkeeper?"

"Boss, would you sell me this dress for two taels of silver?" At that moment, a girl of about sixteen or seventeen walked in from the tailor shop across the street. She was holding a pink flowing-sleeve dress, currently in fashion. "The shopkeeper said I should ask for your approval."

"You see, running two shops and still saying it’s not a big business," Xi Yanqing teased.

"Oh wow! These sachets and pouches are so pretty! Boss Li, are these new? How much do they cost?" The girl’s eyes sparkled.

"These?" Without hesitation, Boss Li said, "Pouches are thirty wen each. Small sachets are ten wen, large ones are fifteen wen."

"Alright! I’ll take this one and this one—no, I’ll take all four of these with plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum designs. Perfect for my sisters." The girl grabbed several of them without hesitation. Her personality seemed quite straightforward. And yes—she was also generous when it came to spending money.

Luo Fei was dumbfounded. He thought to himself—what the hell?!

He spent the whole morning selling a pouch for ten wen, and people still tried to haggle. Meanwhile, the shopkeeper priced them at thirty wen, and someone bought them without a second thought?!

Luo Fei had to use all his willpower to keep from crying out. He needed to play the long game—he didn’t have Boss Li’s resources, so for now, he had to endure!

That girl ended up spending two taels of silver on the dress and another 180 wen on the sachets and pouches! Boss Li had just made a quick two taels of silver and 180 wen—exactly what Luo Fei had hoped to earn in a month through hard work!

Damn it, comparing oneself to others was just frustrating!

"Hey, kid, you think I run into customers like that every day? That was Miss Luo, the eldest daughter of the Luo family—one of the wealthiest around."

"Then you should give me a bigger cut. You sold them for so much, and I didn’t even get half of it." Luo Fei was a little sulky.

"Well then..." The shopkeeper handed over all 180 wen to Luo Fei, hoping to take the remaining five pouches and forty-plus sachets off his hands. But Luo Fei refused and haggled until he managed to get fabric scraps worth another fifty wen in the deal. In the end, he made around 150 wen from this batch. Since the fabric scraps had value too, he counted them as part of the earnings.

_

"Alright, now you can afford to sponsor me. Tell me, how do you want to sponsor me?" Xi Yanqing teased as he saw Luo Fei still fuming even after walking quite a distance. "Would you like a full-body massage? Or perhaps some dual cultivation? Or... maybe just a back rub?"

"I'm just frustrated. How do they make so much money? I work my ass off, and all they do is flip it for a massive profit." Luo Fei grumbled.

"Well, they have shops and connections. But don’t worry, we can work hard too. One day, we’ll have our own." Xi Yanqing pulled Luo Fei close and decided to use his herbal earnings to buy them some meat before heading home.

As they went to buy meat, they almost crossed paths with Zhang Yangfan across the street, but neither of them noticed.

With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, Zhang Yangfan had come to town to see some friends, write poetry, and drink wine. However, he felt that his new outfit looked too plain and lacked decorative elements. Seeing his classmates' jade pendants and embroidered pouches, he decided to get a pouch or sachet to enhance his outfit.

By coincidence, Zhang Yangfan walked into the ready-made clothing shop across from the fabric store, where Luo Fei's items had just been sent. As soon as he saw the white sachet embroidered with green bamboo, he was immediately drawn to it.

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