Chapter 451: Chapter 444: These Are All Works of Art
Tian Xinhua has been contemplating ways to generate income for local farmers recently, but can’t seem to find a suitable method. Tian Manjin’s path to success and wealth cannot be replicated here, as the difference in climate and land between the two places is too great, making it unrealistically feasible.
Sisi, on the other hand, is quite happy because Liu Qiqi wrote to her, mentioning that the dough flowers and paper cuts she sent were so beautiful that they were snatched up by her friends in England, urging Sisi to send more.
Sisi read with a gleeful smile, knowing these artworks would be appreciated, especially by those who only knew about Eastern silk and porcelain. Seeing these boldly colored and passionately expressive rural artworks, it’s odd if they didn’t like them!
Happily humming a tune as she packed the requested dough flowers and paper cuts for Liu Qiqi, Sisi picked up one and then put it down, each one so pretty she couldn’t bear to part with any!
What to do?
"What’s wrong? Daydreaming over these dough figurines?"
Upon returning from washing dishes in the kitchen, Tian Xinhua entered the room to find his wife sitting on the kang bed, lost in thought with a spread of vibrant dough figurines and dazzling red paper cuts in front of her.
"These all look so nice, I can’t bear to give them away!" Sisi pouted.
"Who are you planning to give them to?" Tian Xinhua smiled, sat on the kang, and pulled Sisi into his arms, his chin resting on her head, her fine hair emitting a pleasant fragrance, refreshing the spirit.
"It’s for Sister Qiqi. She wrote saying the last batch of dough flowers and paper cuts were all snatched up by friends there, asking me to send more because her friends still want them!"
"Do English people like these things?"
Tian Xinhua picked up a clumsy rabbit, adorned with red and green colors. The model was not chic, the color use unreasonable, especially the technique, clearly untrained. These rough dough figurines, would foreigners really like them?
Have foreigners’ eyes been paste over?
Seeing Tian Xinhua’s disdainful expression, Sisi turned around unsatisfied and said, "What’s wrong with these? They’re so pretty, boldly colorful and simply designed, full of intense life; this represents Chinese rural culture genuinely! Far more beautiful than those hanging in art galleries!"
Although still feeling these items were not so great, seeing his wife upset, Tian Xinhua immediately changed his tone, "Well, you put it that way, they do seem pretty nice, and Ah Nan’s taste is good indeed!"
"Of course, would my taste be poor? Didn’t you hear Sister Qiqi say how eagerly the foreigners wanted them!" Sisi lifted her chin, her head held high.
But soon she became worried again, she still couldn’t bear to part with them!
Seeing her exasperated expression, Tian Xinhua offered a suggestion: "Why don’t you just send them all out? After all, isn’t your student’s mother capable of making them? Let her make more, and we can just pay her."
Sisi’s eyes lit up, "Yes, that way I can also subsidize Liu Shanxing and Liu Qingtao’s families a bit, helping them earn more money."
Make money?
A vague idea formed in Tian Xinhua’s mind; if this works, it could solve the problem he has been worrying about these days.
This really is finding a village after feeling lost in a desolate mountain!
After resolving annoying matters, Tian Xinhua was in high spirits and kissed Sisi heavily twice on the face. Great-grandpa was right, Ah Nan is truly a little lucky star!
"Aiyo, go away, don’t crush my dough figurines!"
"It’s alright, we’ll move to the other side, they won’t get crushed."
The curtain was swept aside, and soon wheezing sounds could be heard from the kang bed, unable to be concealed by the joy of spring filling the room!
A few days later, Mo Liu from Hong Kong sent a letter as well, asking for the same things as Liu Qiqi: the dough figurines and paper cuttings.
Sisi had to make another trip to Liu Village, where she purchased some more dough figurines and paper cuttings, which are typically collected by farm families.
Thinking that Liu Qiqi and Mo Liu might ask for more, Sisi encouraged the elder ladies of Liu Village to make another batch, focusing primarily on paper cuttings, for her to collect next time.
This news blew up in Liu Village — nobody had thought much about dough figurines and paper cuttings, as every woman in Huangyuan could make them.
But who would have thought that these ordinary items could actually be sold for money? Even the simplest window paper cutting could be sold for twenty cents, and skilled women could cut more than ten a day—that’s several dollars!
This was truly a windfall from heaven!
The women of Liu Village, invigorated as if injected with adrenaline, put great effort into molding dough figurines and cutting paper. Of course, Sisi also made sure ahead of time that the patterns should be exquisite, lively, colorful, and creative; they had to be beautiful.
"Mr. He, rest assured, if they dare to fool you with shoddy work, I’ll be the first to hold them accountable," Mountain Almond Lady assured, patting her chest.
Sisi entrusted Mountain Almond Lady with the task of collecting dough figurines and paper cuttings. As the secretary’s wife and a highly capable woman herself, she was the perfect person for the job. Plus, Sisi didn’t let her work for nothing; she surely paid her a hardship fee.
Thus, the money Mountain Almond Lady made monthly from the figurines and paper cuttings, plus the hardship fee, was even higher than her husband’s salary. Her status at home significantly rose. For that reason, Mountain Almond Lady was very grateful to Sisi and specially asked Liu Shanxing to send several pairs of beautifully embroidered shoe insoles to Sisi.
The women of Huangyuan were indeed very skillful; even the shoe insoles they stepped on were beautifully made, decorated with elaborate auspicious patterns such as ’Butterflies Loving Flowers,’ ’Magpies on the Branch,’ and ’Twin Lotus Flowers.’
Embroidered shoe insoles could be given to a lover to express affection, or to a friend to express gratitude. A single pair, even by the most skilled woman, also required at least a whole day of embroidery—a significant effort and time investment, making it a rather solemn local gift.
The insoles Mountain Almond Lady provided were gorgeous, featuring patterns of safety, blessings, and roses, boldly colored, dazzling the eyes, and Sisi fell in love with them at first sight, hardly able to bear putting them under her feet.
Such beautiful pieces of art should be displayed in an exhibition hall, how could they be stepped on?
Unexpectedly, there was so much folk culture in Huangyuan, and it was truly a delightful surprise!
Sisi asked Mountain Almond Lady to collect more shoe insoles, and sent them along with the earlier collected dough figurines and paper cuttings to Liu Qiqi and Mo Liu.
When Tian Xinhua learned that Mo Liu also wrote to ask for them, his heart rejoiced even more, and the idea that had previously flashed in his mind was beginning to take shape.
If this was successful, the economy of Huangyuan County surely had nothing to worry about!
Once Liu Qiqi and Mo Liu wrote again to ask for more, Tian Xinhua had already decided to put his ideas into action.