RMCF: Chapter 65

 

Chapter 65

Several rows of small holes were drilled into one end of a smooth, relatively thick wooden slice. Pig bristles were then inserted one after another, forming a small brush head on the board. Zhang Fangyuan tried brushing it on his finger; the pig bristles were stiff and slightly prickly.

After rubbing it back and forth several times to ensure no bristles would fall out, he took another drilled wooden slice and threaded it with horsehair.

Pig bristles were easy to come by—he just collected them when slaughtering pigs and brought them home. Horsehair was harder to find. Horses were expensive and far rarer than pigs. To get horsehair, he would have to go to a horse market. Fortunately, they owned a horse, and this tuft had been clipped from Little Black.

Horse tail hair was somewhat stiffer than pig bristles and grew long. A single tail hair could be cut into short pieces to fill half a hole.

Mane hair, on the other hand, was softer—even softer than pig bristles. For that, the holes in the plank needed to be drilled closer together, because hair that was too soft and too sparse wouldn't clean teeth properly.

Most people from farming families had some manual skills. After an hour of work, Zhang Fangyuan had made five toothbrushes. For aesthetic appeal, he also sanded the handles smooth, so they didn't look like crude, shoddy goods.

“What do you think?”

As soon as the brushes were finished, he took them to show Xu He.

“They really look like something. Much better than willow twigs.” Xu He had seen people rinse their mouths with willow twigs—they'd chew the end of a finger-thick twig until it frayed, dip it in salt, and scrub their teeth. He had tried it himself; it did remove the grime left on teeth after meals.

But a willow twig was no match for the bristle brush Zhang Fangyuan had made. Dipped in soapberry powder, it scrubbed teeth more gently, didn't scrape the gums like a twig, and reached into the crevices. It was genuinely good to use, and Xu He took an immediate liking to it.

Zhang Fangyuan urged him to try the horsetail one. Xu He was a little reluctant—it seemed a waste to use all three. Better to use one until it wore out before trying another, since anything you put in your mouth wasn't suitable for sharing. But for the sake of distinguishing their qualities, he indulged Zhang Fangyuan.

“All three are good. The mane hair is the softest and most comfortable. The tail hair has better durability.”

Zhang Fangyuan said, “Your teeth are naturally good, so all three feel only slightly different. But if someone has gums that often swell and bleed, tail hair and pig bristles will definitely produce a mouthful of bloody foam when they brush. Mane hair won't cause as much trouble.”

“That way, all kinds of teeth can be taken care of.” 

Zhang Fangyuan said, “More choices means more customers.”

Xu He carefully put away the brushes he had used, then asked Zhang Fangyuan curiously, “Didn't you go to the carpenter's shop? I thought you would have the carpenter make them.”

“I planned to. But when I asked, they either didn't want the small job, or the labor cost was ten wen per brush. I figured I could do it myself. Since we're not in a rush to open the shop, I might as well save the money and do it by hand. Look—my work isn't bad. It's just that my tools aren't as good as a carpenter's, so they don't look as polished.” 

Xu He chuckled. “So you do know how to be thrifty.”

“How could I not? Not to mention being constantly instructed by Master Xu, I also have to think about saving money for the child.” 

Zhang Fangyuan handed the remaining brushes to Xu He. They were all pig bristle brushes. He hadn't gotten much horsehair from Little Black. That horse seemed to have a mind of its own. At first, not knowing he was having its tail clipped, it cooperated. But when it noticed a tuft missing, its eyes bulged and its hooves stamped.

“I also went to the herbal medicine shop. The ingredients for tooth powder range from expensive to cheap. But everything at the herbal shop is overpriced. Dried sophora root costs ten wen per liang, but they pay farmers only ten wen per jin when buying. Outrageous. Won’t mention the others, but things like orient clam and camphor are exorbitant.”

Xu He sighed. “Nothing in town shops is cheap. How about this? We procure what we can ourselves. The things we absolutely can't source, we can still go to the shops. Making toothbrushes isn't difficult; the key is good craftsmanship. I think the old carpenter in our village can do a good job, and their prices are certainly lower than the town shops.”

“I was thinking the same.” Zhang Fangyuan said, “Then I'll be responsible for buying the herbs for tooth powder and the bristles. You go talk to the old carpenter about the price.” 

Xu He agreed.

Finding a carpenter was easy. In a village where almost everyone had some woodworking skill, the one who took jobs from neighbors was the cream of the crop. Back when Xu He lived with his family, his second sister was fond of pretty things and had many clothes and accessories. Liu Xianglan cut down some wood from their own mountain and commissioned a village carpenter to make a cabinet. The carpenter charged only a modest labor fee—sixty to eighty wen, very reasonable. 

In a town’s shop, even if you supplied your own wood, it would be at least thirty to fifty wen more expensive. Buying finished goods from a shop cost even more. When Xu He and Zhang Fangyuan got married, they bought finished furniture, paying over three hundred wen. Even that was only because the carpentry shop had someone Zhang Fangyuan knew very well, and it was given to him as a wedding gift discount. 

Xu He went to the He family in the village hollow. The carpenter was called Grandpa He, not because they were related—but because younger generations respectfully addressed him as Grandpa.

Xu He showed the old carpenter the toothbrush Zhang Fangyuan had made. “We want to make these. Long-term, in large quantities. The handles should be sanded smooth and look good.”

“It’s simple, won’t take much effort.” Old Carpenter He glanced at it and confidently took the job. The tricky part was setting the bristles, but he was fast with his hands. What might take someone else fifteen minutes to make, he could make better in half the time. “I can carve patterns or characters on the handles too.”

“And how much would you charge?”

Grandpa He laughed. “He Ger, that question shows you're not in the trade. Do I supply the materials, or do you? Different woods have different prices. Hard to give you a price without knowing.” 

Xu He said, “We'll provide the wood ourselves—just ordinary wood. And the bristles too. I came to ask how much you'd charge for the work, so we have an idea.”

“So you're comparing prices, huh? You and your butcher husband are going into another big business?”

Xu He didn't reveal much, just nodded. 

“It's been a while since I've had any work. Since you say it’s for doing business, that means a lot of work on regular basis, and you even provide your own materials, I'll charge you two coins per brush. I'd like to do long-term business with you too. I'm not overcharging you at all. What do you say?”

A smile appeared on Xu He's face. This couldn’t be better.

“Deal. What about the ones with carved patterns or characters? We'll need some different styles as well." 

“Of course. More styles means you can charge different prices. Carved patterns add one wen per brush. We're from the same village, you know how exquisite Grandpa's carvings are, they're definitely not inferior to those shops in town. But don't go telling people in the village the price I'm giving you, or they'll come knocking on my door.” 

Xu He nodded like a chick pecking grain. “We'll settle it like this for now. If we need other styles or different wood later, we'll come back to discuss. It's a long-term partnership, so we can talk it over.”

“Done. Since you've decided today, I'll make two samples first. Take them home, let your butcher look at them, and if you're both satisfied, I'll start production. You can  settle payment then.”

“Good. That works perfectly.”

Xu He had secured a good deal. Every bit of cost saved was a bit more profit for them, reducing their burden. And for the village carpenter, landing a long-term job wasn't easy either. It was a win-win.

Zhang Fangyuan wasn't idle either. He put up a sign at the tea stall announcing that they were buying herbs. People who regularly sold herbs in town could read it. When someone came to ask, he would tell them which herbs they were buying. Over time, everyone nearby would know.

He also hung a sign for horse tail hair. Illiterate people might not recognize the characters, but with the signs for herbs and livestock alongside, those who saw them would ask if they didn't understand.

And whenever he and Chen Si slaughtered a pig, they also spread the word about what the tea stall was buying. Those too lazy to go to the stall could either deliver the goods to the households selling pigs, or Zhang Fangyuan would come to collect them.

Soon, the news spread through all the surrounding villages that Rongyi Tea Stall was buying herbs—pine resin, poria, sophora root, foxglove, false daisy; also buying soapberry, ginger, raw hemp, horsehair, and more…

Every few days, villagers came to the tea stall to ask about prices or sell herbs and other items. With money in hand, they'd conveniently buy some candles, wine, or soy sauce at the stall. After all, the prices were about the same as in town, and it saved them a trip. 

When Old Carpenter He brought the finished samples to Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He for inspection, he found the tea stall bustling. There were not only familiar and unfamiliar villagers, but also acquaintances who were drinking tea and relaxing. Grandpa He handed the brushes to the couple, told them to examine them and speak up if there were any issues, then ran off to join his old friends under the shade to drink tea and eat sunflower seeds. 

“Grandpa He's brushes are much better than mine.” Zhang Fangyuan looked at the newly made toothbrushes. There were three in total, one made of pig bristles and two made of horsehair.

The horsehair brushes had carvings, one depicting bamboo, one of the ‘Four Gentlemen’*. The old master's skill was superb. Not only was  the wood sanded smooth to the touch, the carved pattern on the wooden handle was detailed to be lifelike. He even applied paint to color the bamboo.

* Four Gentlemen 花中四君子 or the four gentlemen of flowers — referring to four plants: the plum blossom, the orchid, the bamboo, and the chrysanthemum; each representing noble characteristics and different seasons (Plum blossom, winter - resilience, preservance, integrity; Orchid, spring - elegance, purity, nobility; Bamboo, summer - uprightness, adaptability, tolerance; Chrysanthemum, autumn - tranquility, contentment, steadfastness). You can read more on it here, here or here.

When Zhang Fangyuan took out his own brushes for comparison, even though the materials were identical, Grandpa He's work could be sold in a shop for thirty wen without complaint. Zhang Fangyuan's, even priced at fifteen, might still be considered too rough. 

Zhang Fangyuan was extremely pleased. These were exactly the kind of toothbrushes that would become popular later. Once his shop opened, he could confidently set high prices. 

Satisfied with the brushes, the couple also received two jin of horsehair. Horse hair was truly hard to come by; they'd only gotten it because they'd offered a high price—one hundred and twenty wen per jin. Hearing that, horse owners began plucking hair from their animals. 

Pig bristles were abundant. When they bought pigs, they simply collected the bristles. One pig yielded about one to two jin, so a few bristles quickly added up to several jin.

With enough bristles to make one to two hundred toothbrushes, the couple delivered the washed, dried bristles to Grandpa He and paid a deposit of one hundred wen.

With that settled, the couple went to town to secure a shop.

Zhang Fangyuan figured that since they would be selling expensive goods, it was not appropriate to set up the shop in a narrow alley. It was better to be on a sunny main street with good exposure and busy traffic.

With direction set, they focused on the four main streets in town. The couple quickly agreed on Tian Street, where Xu He used to set up his braised food stall.

It was one of the main thoroughfares, bustling with food, drink, and entertainment. From Xu He's experience running his stall, food dominated the street. So it made perfect sense to open a tooth-cleaning shop there.

Xu He knew that shops on there were expensive; he had learned that when researching the market beforehand.

Zhang Fangyuan said, “We'll get a small shop. Toothbrushes and tooth powder don't take up much space. As long as we have a place on a busy street to sell, that's enough.”

Xu He agreed. Many shops in town had a storefront in front and living quarters in the back, but such shops were relatively large and expensive.

When they had planned to open a restaurant, Xu He had particularly liked that setup—not only for selling food but also for living in. Unfortunately, the cost killed that idea.

For a toothbrush shop, that wasn't necessary. Unlike a restaurant, they wouldn't need to prepare ingredients from dawn to dusk. Living in the shop wasn't needed. 

“That's fine, but on Tian Street, most shops are two or three stories or in rows. There aren't many small ones.”

Zhang Fangyuan said, “I've scouted it out and there are two or three small ones. That saves us from endless deliberation.”

Xu He went to see the shops with him. There were four small storefronts. Two were at the far end of the street, with little foot traffic. The other two were in similar locations. One was old and had previously sold lamb offal soup—not very appealing. 

So they settled on the remaining one. To its left was a wine house, to its right a fabric shop—both places where people spent money. Zhang Fangyuan was satisfied.

The monthly rent was eight thousand wen, paid quarterly.

When Xu He handed over twenty-four teals of silver, even though he could afford it, his heart ached fiercely. A month's rent was the maximum the couple could earn in a month. A quarter's rent was what a farming family might save in a lifetime.

And the rent wasn't a one-time payment—it was just for three months. After securing the shop, they would have to hire people to fix it up, another expense.

His heart was bleeding. He said to Zhang Fangyuan with feeling, “It must be nice to own a shop. The owner does nothing and sits there collecting eight thousand wen a month. Isn't that better off than most people?”

Zhang Fangyuan laughed. “If you start comparing like that, you'll drive yourself mad with envy.”

Xu He exhaled. Regardless, they now had a shop in town, on bustling Tian Street!

…

By the time Zhang Fangyuan's toothbrush shop was ready, it was already September. The village was in the thick of rice harvest.

Livestock bought during this period sold well. After slaughtering, a quarter of the meat could be sold directly at the tea stall.

Chen Si had been working with Zhang Fangyuan for over a month. He had grown increasingly skilled at slaughtering pigs. Even without Zhang Fangyuan's help, he could now slaughter and process a pig on his own—just not as fast.

He could also hawk pork in town, but he felt less comfortable there than at the tea stall. His fulang, Lin Ger, often came to the tea stall to help Xu He. 

Now, with the harvest in full swing, Zhang Fangyuan felt Chen Si was ready to strike out on his own. Continuing to follow him would slow his progress. So he told Chen Si to go home and help with the harvest. After the busy season ended, he would officially take over the pork stall. That would free Zhang Fangyuan to open his toothbrush shop.

After more than a month of toiling with no income, Chen Si and his fulang were overjoyed at the prospect of finally running their own stall and earning money.

They had endured no end of complaints from the family over the past month, particularly from his elder sister-in-law, who felt that since Chen Si was learning a trade, he would naturally be able to split from the family once he started earning money.

Yet she was also resentful of him for going out and following his master, not doing any work at home, and not bringing any money into the household. Most of all, she was furious that such a profitable skill hadn't been learned by her own husband.

She had even complained to her in-laws. Chen Si's mother understood well enough—it wasn't on them to decide who could learn the trade. Everyone in the village knew Zhang Fangyuan had made money slaughtering pigs. Why would he share that with them? The only reason their fourth son had this opportunity was because of his childhood friendship with Zhang Fangyuan. 

Unable to swallow her frustration, eldest sister-in-law took it out on Lin Ger. Lin Ger didn't say much, just worked even harder. He knew it was only temporary. Once his husband started earning money, life would never be this hard again. 

“Ah, don’t even mention Zhang Fangyuan—why let Chen Si learn such a good craft!”

Chen Si and his wife had just left when Liu Xianglan arrived at the tea stall. With the rice harvest, two people couldn't possibly manage all the work at home. Somehow, she had come to her senses and decided to hire help this year. 

Hearing Zhang Fangyuan had just slaughtered a pig, she came to buy meat for the hired workers.

As soon as she arrived, she couldn't resist complaining.

Xu He was sweeping inside. He straightened up, glanced at Liu Xianglan, and poured her a bowl of tea.

Since he'd become pregnant, Liu Xianglan had been coming to the tea stall more frequently. Every few days, when she had nothing to do, she'd drop by for a bowl of tea and some seeds, talk about the family's fields, or complain about how his second sister husband’s family wasn’t human.

Xu He minded his business as usual. Even without engaging much, she could talk on her own for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Finally, when it had cooled down, she’d go home. 

When there were leftovers, Xu He would give her a couple pieces of dried tofu, a bowl of bean curdd, or a small plate of braised meat. 

Having gotten something out of it, she seemed to have changed her tune from before and no longer yelled at him. 

Today, he was quite surprised Liu Xianglan did not demanded her sons-in-law to help with the harvest. He guessed she probably knew the eldest couldn't lift or carry anything and would be useless at farm work, while the youngest was too fierce and busy with business, so she wouldn't dare ask.

“Cousin is also a relative of our Xu family. It's not as if the benefit went to an outsider.”

Liu Xianglan sipped her tea and said with a crooked mouth. “Still not one of us. What a waste.”

Xu He said, “If that's the case, then there's no way to teach this skill.” 

“How not? Couldn't he teach your father?”

“At his age, you want him to learn to slaughter animals?”

Liu Xianglan knew the idea was impractical. She was just upset that the skill had gone to Chen Si.

“Won't sit long today. I need to buy the meat and get back to cook.”

She stood to leave, then glanced at Xu He, still busy inside. “Aren't you coming out to pick the meat for me?”

Xu He went into the kitchen and put two pieces of dried tofu in Liu Xianglan's basket. “A-Yuan is outside. Whatever meat you want, he'll get it for you.”

Liu Xianglan pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. She was a bit afraid of Zhang Fangyuan, but with Xu He unwilling, she had to go herself.

“During the busy farming season, I should go help with the harvest, but business can't wait. Take these two pieces of pork liver and half a heart and lungs.”

Zhang Fangyuan only mentioned offal, but he also tossed two jin of pork belly into Liu Xianglan's basket. Her face, which had been sour, immediately brightened. 

“When you have time, come home for a meal with He Ger.”

Zhang Fangyuan grunted in acknowledgment. Liu Xianglan picked up her basket and walked back with a fellow villager, beaming. 

After dealing with the villagers who came to buy meat, a melon farmer arrived to deliver some winter melons. He called Xu He to pay while he grabbed a small one, splitting it with his fist and digging in.

Xu He paid and watched the man squatting there, eating in big mouthfuls. “That thirsty?”

Zhang Fangyuan took the center piece, removed the seeds, and handed it to Xu He. “The villagers keep asking questions and haggling. I've talked myself dry. This weather won't stay hot much longer. Once autumn rain comes, it'll cool down fast.” 

As he spoke, his gaze drifted from Xu He's face down to his belly. He couldn't help placing his hand on Xu He's still-flat abdomen. 

A ger’s pregnancy wasn't very obvious, and the bump wasn't prominent. Before he knew it, their child was already three months along. 

“Watermelon is cold by nature. Don't eat too much.”

Xu He said, “I'm only having one piece. I'm not as greedy as you.”

“When we go back later, I'll take a couple to Fourth Uncle's house. Second Aunt and Xiao'e are helping with the rice harvest; they can eat well too.”

“Mm.”

The bustling days ended with the first autumn rain as the harvest wound down. The tea stall suddenly felt cold. The cicadas in the banyan tree chirped weakly, their voices growing fewer.

Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He had no time to notice. Their toothbrush shop was opening!

They had consulted the almanac but overlooked the weather. On the opening day, a drizzling autumn rain fell. Summer suddenly gave way to autumn. People on the street shrank their necks and shook their sleeves. Oil-paper umbrellas drifted like leaves over the bluestone path of Tian Street. 

“Picked the wrong day. Didn't expect it would rain.”

Zhang Fangyuan had bought a long string of firecrackers from a side street. In the time it took to walk back, he was already soaked. 

“I told you to take an umbrella.” Xu He quickly fetched a cloth and wipe the rain from his forehead and head.

“It’s just a few steps. I thought I'd be quick. I didn't expect the rain to get heavier.” Though soaked, Zhang Fangyuan's excitement wasn't dampened. He took Xu He's hand. “Let's light the firecrackers. There are fewer people on the street today, so we won't hit anyone.” 

Xu He smiled, turned, and got the tinder. The two of them laid out the firecrackers and lit the fuse. Zhang Fangyuan quickly ran into the shop. Afraid the explosions might startle Xu He, he covered his ears with his large hands. 

The firecrackers crackled one by one, sending up white smoke. The string was much larger than the one they'd used when opening the tea stall, and it lasted much longer. 

Though the rain was a bit disappointing, the joyous sound of the firecrackers lifted their spirits. When the firecrackers finally fell silent, the couple exchanged a smile.

“Whose shop is this? Opening in this chilly autumn rain—aren't they afraid their business will turn cold like the weather?”

“Brother Fu, it's your turn to compose a poem. Don’t try to change the subject by bringing up other matters.”

“A poem can be composed at any time. Don’t make fun of me like that, Brother Fu. The shop is right downstairs from this building; it’s called the Linglong* Toothbrush Shop. It really is as small as its name suggests.” After reading the shop’s name, the man drinking wine clicked his tongue. “These days, you can open a shop for anything.”

* Linglong 玲瓏 — exquisite, detailed and fine; is also an onomatopoeia for the sound of jewels clinking (which is really clever but also funny, like you’d name a dental shop Bling Bling)

A young man dressed as a scholar, sitting with his back to the window, turned at this. Through the lingering smoke from the firecrackers, he indeed saw the shop in the slanting rain. 

“A toothbrush shop? Never heard of such a thing in town. Shall we go take a look? It’ll be a bit of a novelty.”

“Just what I was thinking.”

 

***

 

T/N

thank you for the suggestion, Aisem! (and all the previous comments! I'm happy you're enjoying the story (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)

honestly, it could totally work—Shuaya is the pinying for brushing one's teeth—but since it's describing the shop's business and what it's offering (like a carpenter's shop, clothing shop etc.) I'll keep translating it

and we’ve got a name for the shop! Linglong Toothbrush Shop (玲瓏刷牙鋪) I’ll simply be using toothbrush shop when mentioned as such (刷牙鋪)

 

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