hooklinebooks Chapter 323 - 321: Don’t Want Money? Exchange for a Hen!
Chapter 323 - 321: Don’t Want Money? Exchange for a Hen!
The car door slammed shut with a "bang."
Gu Yanshen walked to the gate of the courtyard, the military uniform still carrying the chill of wind and snow.
He glanced at the dust on the ground that hadn’t fully settled and then looked at the sisters-in-law preparing to start work again.
The originally lively courtyard fell silent in an instant.
Sister-in-law Liu forgot to put down the scissors in her hand and stepped back, lowering her neck a bit.
This was a living Yama.
Even if he did nothing, just standing there, he was like a mountain that could crush a person.
"Who came just now?"
Gu Yanshen walked to Lin Wan Yi’s side, reaching out to tidy up her coat’s collar.
The gesture was gentle, but his tone was as if laced with ice shards.
"Just some clowns, they’ve already been taken away by Director Wang."
Lin Wan Yi handed him the tea mug she was holding.
"Drink some water to soothe your throat."
Gu Yanshen took the tea mug, tilted his head, and finished it in one go.
He didn’t ask further.
Since his wife said it was resolved, then it was resolved.
But he turned around and gave a cold sweep at the few neighbors outside the courtyard who hadn’t yet gone far, those who were watching the commotion.
Terrified, those people quickly ducked their necks, scattering as if they were birds and beasts.
"Come inside."
Gu Yanshen put down the empty tea mug, bent down, and picked up Gu An, sitting in the small cart, and placed him on his neck.
"Daddy is taking you for a horseback ride."
Gu An burst into giggles, gripping Gu Yanshen’s hair tightly.
The large and the small entered the inner room.
Only then did the sisters-in-law in the courtyard breathe a sigh of relief.
"Oh my gosh, Mr. Gu’s presence is far scarier than those with red armbands just now."
Zhang Family’s Sister patted her chest, her legs still a bit weak.
Lin Wan Yi knocked on the stone table.
"Alright, stop standing around in a daze."
She refocused everyone’s attention.
"Since everyone has seen it, situations like earlier might happen again in the future."
The sisters-in-law turned pale again.
No one wanted to experience that scene a second time.
"So, from today onward, we need to establish a new rule."
Lin Wan Yi raised a finger.
"First, from now on, we won’t collect money for making clothes."
"Not collect money?" Sister-in-law Liu panicked, "Wanyi, if we don’t take money, are we supposed to drink the northwest wind?"
"We’ll accept tickets."
Lin Wan Yi pulled out a stack of colorful tickets from her pocket.
"Grain tickets, meat tickets, cloth tickets, industrial tickets, and even eggs, hens, dried mushrooms, we’ll take them all."
She slapped the tickets down on the table.
"Just not money."
"As long as we don’t touch money, it’s mutual aid among neighbors, it’s barter."
"Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he wouldn’t be able to find any evidence against us."
Everyone suddenly understood.
Smart.
Truly smart.
These days, tickets are more precious than money, and goods are more reliable than tickets.
"Second."
Lin Wan Yi continued.
"We won’t take orders from unfamiliar customers in the future."
"If someone wants clothes made, they have to be introduced by someone we know, someone we have a background with."
"If anyone dares to bring unsavory people into this courtyard..."
Lin Wan Yi didn’t finish her sentence, just glanced at the spot where Zhao Jian Country had stood earlier.
Everyone understood.
This was about creating a "membership system."
No one wanted a single bad apple to spoil the bunch.
"Third."
At this moment, Jiang Zhou squeezed in.
He held an iron box in his hands, offering it to Lin Wan Yi like a treasure.
"Sister-in-law, look at this!"
The box contained a heap of gleaming gold buttons.
Not the plastic buttons sold in supply and marketing cooperatives, nor wooden buttons.
These were brass.
Each one polished bright, with fine patterns engraved on the surface.
"I made these by melting scrap copper and iron collected from the waste station."
Jiang Zhou picked up a button and held it to the sun.
"I even engraved patterns on them, and the mold is only mine, no one else can copy it."
Lin Wan Yi picked one up.
Heavy, with a solid feel.
These weren’t merely buttons; they were craftworks.
"Good!"
Lin Wan Yi distributed the buttons to Zhang Family’s Sister, who was sewing clothes.
"From now on, all our clothes will use these."
"Also, Sister-in-law Liu."
Lin Wan Yi pointed to the inside of the collar.
"In this spot, embroider an orchid with gold thread for me."
"It doesn’t have to be big, the size of a fingernail will do."
"Next to the orchid, embroider the word ’Wan’."
Sister-in-law Liu was taken aback.
"Why embroider that? It’s inside where no one can see it."
"It’s called a brand."
Lin Wan Yi touched the fabric of the down jacket.
"From now on, as long as they see this orchid, see this brass button, people will know it is a product from the Gu Family Mansion."
"It’s uniquely good stuff."
These words completely fueled everyone’s enthusiasm.
This wasn’t just about making clothes.
This was about doing something remarkable.
...
Outside the courtyard.
Aunt Wang circled around several times like a headless fly.
She could smell the chicken soup scent wafting from the courtyard and hear the bustling activity inside, and she deeply regretted it.
She had a clear view of Zhao Jian Country being taken away just now.
Where was Lin Wan Yi a capitalist’s daughter? She was clearly an inexhaustible treasure trove!
"Cough, cough..."
Aunt Wang cleared her throat and thick-skinnedly pushed open the half-opened yard door.
"Um... Wanyi."
She forced a smile that looked worse than a cry.
"Auntie thought about it just now, my craftsmanship isn’t bad either."
"You see, can I help out too? I don’t want much, just give me two eggs."
No one in the yard paid her any attention.
The sound of machines roared.
Lin Wan Yi was holding a piece of chalk drawing lines on fabric, not lifting her head.
"Wanyi?"
Aunt Wang, unwilling to give up, took a step inside.
"Get out."
The chalk in Lin Wan Yi’s hand snapped with a "bang."
She looked up, her gaze calm like a stagnant pond.
"The Gu Family Mansion is too small to accommodate your grand presence."
"When Zhao Jian Country came earlier, you were the one shouting the loudest."
Sister in law Liu chimed in from the side.
"Aunt Wang, one must have some shame. You wanted to report us just now and now you want to split the eggs?"
"Hurry up and leave, don’t be an eyesore!"
"Exactly, watch out or Little Grey will bite you!"
In the corner, Little Grey bared its teeth cooperatively, letting out a low growl from its throat.
Aunt Wang shuddered in fear, retreating to the door.
"Ungrateful!"
She left muttering insults, her back carrying a sour aura.
...
Friday afternoon.
The back gate of the Gu Family garden was knocked on.
"Classmate Lin? Is Classmate Lin at home?"
Lin Wan Yi opened the door.
Standing at the door were seven or eight female students from Beijing University.
Each one hugged something in their arms, looking like refugees or vendors at a market.
"Wanyi! Is my clothes ready?"
The girl from the foreign language department who ordered a red down jacket rushed to the front.
She stuffed the bag of fabric into Lin Wan Yi’s hands.
"These are walnuts sent by my mom from back home, plus two kilos of dates, all top-grade!"
The girl behind her was not to be outdone.
"These are two Industrial Tickets issued by my dad, plus five kilos of national food tickets!"
"Here are twenty eggs, freshly laid!"
"This is a big carp, alive!"
Lin Wan Yi didn’t hold back either.
She pointed to the large basket beside her.
"Put the stuff here."
Then she turned and carried out a neat stack of clothes from the room.
Each piece was wrapped in oil paper, tied with a red string on top.
The foreign language department student eagerly tore open the oil paper.
The date red down jacket opened.
Fluffy, light.
The row of golden copper buttons glistened under the sunset.
She flipped open the collar.
A delicate little blue flower, next to it was an elegant "Wan" character.
"Oh my god..."
The girl exclaimed, immediately putting the jacket on.
With her waist held tight, she appeared tall and spirited.
Much better looking than those bulky cotton jackets from the supply and marketing cooperatives!
"This is so pretty!"
"These buttons are so exquisite! Like they’re made of gold!"
"And this label! Feels like an import from the Friendship Store!"
A few girls gathered around the garment, their eyes filled with little stars.
At this moment.
They felt that the bag of walnuts and a few kilos of food tickets were well spent.
"Wanyi, I want to order one too!"
"Me too! I’ll go home and get some ham!"
"I have two bottles of Moutai, can I trade for one?"
Lin Wan Yi smiled as she collected the items.
"All good."
"As long as it’s good stuff, I’ll take it."
After sending off this wave of students, Lin Wan Yi looked at the half-room piled with supplies.
Eggs, walnuts, dates, fish, meat tickets, food tickets...
There were even two cans.
This was not just doing business.
This was practically opening up the granary.
Sister in law Liu and a few others gathered around, staring at these items, their eyes wide.
"Split them."
Lin Wan Yi waved her hand generously.
"Divide the eggs among everyone, we’ll stew the fish tonight."
"I’ll keep the Industrial Tickets and national food tickets, you all take the rest of the meat tickets to improve your meals."
The cheer almost lifted the roof.
Sister in law Liu hugged a pile of eggs and meat tickets, tears nearly coming out.
This life, she never dared dream of before.
Lin Wan Yi picked up the black down jacket that hadn’t been sent out yet.
It was made for Gu Yanshen.
The same little blue flower was embroidered inside the collar.
This was her brand.
It was also the first stake she planted in this era.
"Wanyi."
Gu Yanshen was standing behind her, she didn’t know when.
He looked at the room full of items, then at his wife holding that piece of clothing.
"Looks like while I’m not home, you’re living quite prosperously."
He reached out to take the coat, his fingertips stroking the copper button.
"Is this for me?"
Lin Wan Yi raised her eyebrow.
"It’s not just for you."
She pointed to the embroidery inside the collar.
"This is a sample."
"In the future, the entire military district will wear clothes made by me, Lin Wan Yi."