First thing in the morning, following Li Yao's instructions, Wang Jia Gui rode Da Zhuang's ox cart, bringing various tools to the market.
He set up a bamboo bed in an open area, tied some cotton threads on it, spread chunks of kapok on top, and then demonstrated on site.
Bang bang bang--
The people here had never seen anything like this before. Coupled with the extremely rhythmic sound, it immediately attracted quite a few onlookers.
"Old buddy, what are you doing?"
"I'm making cotton mattresses!" Wang Jia Gui said, "If you have lumps of kapok at home, you can bring them to me. I guarantee I'll fluff them up nice and soft! And the cotton mattresses I make won't get lumpy for three years!"
"Haha, aren't you bragging, old pal?"
"Just fluffing them up like this keeps them from getting lumpy?"
...
Facing everyone's skeptical voices, Wang Jia Gui was unperturbed.
While plucking the bowstring, he started singing the tune Li Yao had taught him.
"Fluffing cotton, fluffing cotton, half a pound fluffed to eight ounces..."
Before long, the kapok was fluffed up loose, soft and even. Wang Jia Gui put down the bow, started tying upper layers of cotton threads, and finally pressed it down with wooden blocks. A beautiful cotton mattress was displayed before everyone.
"It looks pretty good."
"I thought the cotton threads would fall off. Didn't expect them to stick so tightly."
Amidst everyone's exclamations of admiration, Wang Jia Gui was extremely satisfied.
"Anyone who has old kapok can bring it over for me to fluff!"
But he waited until noon, people came and went, but not a single person came to have their cotton fluffed.
This really upset him. Could it be an inauspicious start?
"Old pal," just as he was frowning with worry, a somewhat fat steward came up to him, "how much do you charge for making a cotton mattress?"
Wang Jia Gui's eyes lit up. Was this his first business opportunity?
"50 coins."
"That's expensive!" Upon hearing the price, the steward immediately shook his head, "Can you make it cheaper?"
"Young man, I can't make it cheaper," Wang Jia Gui said, "I provide the cotton threads, and can come to your home to do it."
This was the price Li Yao had helped him set.
Although it only took a little over half a hour to fluff a mattress, he wouldn't have kapok to fluff continuously. And those who could afford cotton bedding were definitely not lacking money. It was a luxury item in this era, he couldn't make it cheap.
The steward thought for a moment, and finally said, "Then how about this - you go make one first, we'll discuss more after you finish it."
"Okay, where to?"
"The county office."
Wang Jia Gui gasped.
His first business was for the county magistrate. Did he... dare charge for this?
...
Bang bang bang...
Soon, sounds of fluffing cotton drifted from the backyard of the county office.
Magistrate Song was reviewing government documents in the study. Upon hearing the sounds, his brows immediately furrowed.
"What's that noise outside?"
"Sir," Tutor Liu who was accompanying him in the study quickly replied, "it's someone the lady has brought in to make cotton mattresses."
"How can making mattresses make such loud noises?"
"I heard it's an old peasant who came up with this method himself," Tutor Liu said. "I saw the mattresses he made just now, the workmanship is quite good."
Magistrate Song just happened to be tired, so he got up and went to the backyard to see what this method was.
The result - he was immediately engrossed.
The unceasingly plucked bowstring quickly fluffed up the originally clumped kapok into extremely soft and fluffy cotton. This made him feel comfortable already. More importantly, the highly rhythmic banging sounds actually calmed his previously agitated heart and made it serenely tranquil.
"Dear?" When the county magistrate's wife saw him standing there in a daze for a long time, she came up and asked, "What's the matter?"
Magistrate Song came to his senses, and quickly concealed his lapse in dignity: "Just happened to recall some official business."
"Do you want me to have him wait for a bit? Or move outside to fluff, so as not to disturb you?"
"No need, this is good." After thinking for a moment, Magistrate Song told Tutor Liu, "Go get a table and chair here, I'll review documents right here."
"But..."
Tutor Liu was taken aback.
He could peacefully review government documents with the banging sounds out here?
What kind of hobby was this?
"Go on now."
"Yes, right away."
Soon, the table and chairs were set up. Magistrate Song sat down, listening to the sounds of cotton fluffing while drinking tea and handling government affairs.
He was comfortable, but Wang Jia Gui fluffing cotton was extremely nervous, forehead sweating.
This was the county magistrate!
He'd never imagined in his life that he could meet the county magistrate, yet now he was fluffing cotton right in front of the county magistrate!
This cow was enough for him to brag about for a lifetime!
Wang Jia Gui was anxious the entire afternoon.
He was scared that the sounds he made might not align with the county magistrate's preferences, affecting his mood.
Fortunately the results were not bad.
He made 4 mattresses that afternoon. After the county magistrate's wife inspected them, she was very satisfied and promptly paid him 200 coins.
After deducting the cost of cotton threads, he earned 180 coins that afternoon!
The moment he received the money, Wang Jia Gui was so excited he almost fainted.
"Thank you, my lady, and thank you, my lord!"
"Old pal, come over."
Just as he was getting ready to pack up and go home, unexpectedly the county magistrate called him over. Wang Jia Gui tidied himself up and walked over nervously, about to kneel on the ground.
"No need to kneel, we're not in court," Magistrate Song asked, "Let me ask you, this cotton fluffing method, did you come up with it yourself?"
"This..." Wang Jia Gui was startled, and quickly replied, "Replying to you my lord, it wasn't invented by me, but by my eldest daughter-in-law."
"Your daughter-in-law?"
"That's right," Wang Jia Gui said, "I'm from He Wan village. My eldest daughter-in-law is called Li Yao. Last time she also had my grandson go dig wells in other villages."
Magistrate Song was slightly surprised. It was her again?
Braised food, braised goose, digging wells, herbal cream, and now cotton fluffing.
Recently, she seemed to be behind every new development.
One innovation could be a coincidence.
But with so many things happening to one person, it was absolutely not a coincidence.
Just what kind of character was this woman?
Was she really just a shrew like the rumors said?
"Dear," when the county magistrate remained silent in contemplation, his wife gently reminded him, "It's getting late, hurry and let the old peasant return home."
"No rush." Magistrate Song stroked the cotton mattress, seemingly brand new, and asked his wife, "My lady, what do you think of this mattress? Can it be described as exquisite craftsmanship wrested from nature?"
"You jest, my lord," his wife laughed. "But the workmanship is very good."
"Then do you think this method is worth promoting on a wider scale?"
"Of course it can," his wife said. "Tomorrow when I have tea with the other ladies, I think they'll be very interested."
Magistrate Song nodded, giving his wife a profound look.
If anyone could understand his thoughts, there was only one person in this world.
Yet in her heart, the county magistrate's wife sighed softly. Her husband was great in every way, only he thought of the commoners' affairs all day, and was completely indifferent about returning to the capital.
Who knew how many more years they'd have to spend in this impoverished backwater place.
"Old pal," Magistrate Song said to Wang Jia Gui. "Come to the market again tomorrow. I'm sure many people will look for you to make cotton mattresses. You must do a good job for them."
Wang Jia Gui was moved inside, he was so excited he almost couldn't speak, only able to express endless gratitude.
Walking on the way home, he kept thinking - could it be my Wang family's fortunes are finally turning around?