CHAPTER 419: CHAPTER 419: IT’S HARD TO BE A GOOD PERSON

She pondered over this matter for half a day and finally went to seek help from her Doraemon, Jian Zhiqing.

Jian Zhiqing tapped her head, "Really, you’re such a blockhead. Aren’t the military family members idle now? They are all able-bodied and know a bit of needlework. Just distribute these tasks to them; each person can work on a component, and they can be paid on a piecework basis."

Qin Xiangnuan was taken aback for a moment, then tapped her own head. Indeed, how could she not have thought of this? She had been foolish, for in this era, which woman didn’t know how to darn a bit? After all, old clothes were always passed down from the bigger to the smaller ones, and it was always necessary to alter and repair them by oneself.

If this was the case, adults in this era could all do small handicrafts. Not only would this provide them with something to do so they would not have to stay at home all day cooking and tending to the fire, but it could also supplement a bit of household income. Don’t think that selling their time for just a few days wouldn’t matter; the income during this period could be quite considerable. At best, one could earn thousands of dollars a day, which could match what an average man earned in several months.

Have you ever thought about selling your designs to a printing factory? Indeed, Jian Zhiqing had thought the same as Qin Xiangnuan.

No, Qin Xiangnuan shook her head. She didn’t want her designs to become too common. Besides, she just liked to do those things with her family.

Jian Zhiqing didn’t say much. However, his silence didn’t mean no one else was aware of this business opportunity.

Qin Xiangnuan had barely settled down for a few days when people started looking for her, saying that someone wanted to buy her small fabric toy designs and her written Spring Festival couplets. They hoped to print them in large quantities. However, Qin Xiangnuan declined. First, she was not in need of money at the moment, and then those printed couplets wouldn’t appear in the streets and alleys for a few more years. It had to be said that selling Spring Festival couplets could sometimes be a significant source of income. Now, the couplets were mostly handwritten, so initially, even Teacher Wang, who had wanted to stock them for sale, couldn’t find a source, primarily because the hand-written ones were simply too slow. The reason why Qin Xiangnuan had amassed so much over the year, besides her system, was that she wrote them every day. Hence, she had so much in stock. If these were to be mass-produced, there would be more sellers, which meant cutting off other people’s livelihoods. She wouldn’t do such a thing.

As for those small pieces of fabric and such, she wouldn’t sell them either. She had considered providing some income for the employees in the store, so naturally, she wouldn’t pursue that money.

There’s a saying that fits: "I’m rich, so I can be willful."

The school’s fashion show was all the rage, and the atmosphere of study in the entire school had diminished, replaced by performance preparations. From large group performances to individual acts, everyone claimed they wanted to bring glory to the school. However, Qin Xiangnuan felt that wasn’t really their motive; they just wanted to show off and get some attention. In any case, since they treated her as an invisible person, she was happy to be one. If they didn’t need her, all the better.

During this time, she gathered all the military families from the internet café together for a small meeting. When she started to explain her ideas, everyone was initially quite afraid and conflicted. The internet café’s business was good. The few veterans who had previously been on the brink of running out of provisions were now doing well financially as "high-tech talents." Even with disabilities, they earned more than the average person, pulling in thousands of dollars a month. They received regular bonuses and gifts for holidays, and their housing was also rented by the boss; they didn’t have to pay anything. They were fully able to support their families. What a good situation, right?

But now, with the boss asking them to come over, they worried if they had done something wrong that might lead to their dismissal.

When Qin Xiangnuan arrived, she saw that these people acted as if she was some kind of malevolent villain, guarded and avoiding her.

She touched her face. Was she really so loathsome to look at?

She let out a light sigh.

Good deeds are hard to do indeed.

She knew the employees she had recruited. Jian Zhiqing was trustworthy, and naturally, the people he brought in, including their families, were all honest and steady individuals, unlikely to harbor any malicious intentions. But no one is perfect; not everyone might be good, and there might be some selfish individuals. However, selfish as they might be, they could never be as deplorable as Qin Guohua and Hu Li.

Qin Xiangnuan didn’t keep them in suspense, not wanting to scare them any further.

She outlined her plans for them to make the New Year dolls, explaining roughly what needed to be done. The family members finally breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t about being fired or having their wages cut, but rather it was about bringing them more money. Qin Xiangnuan explained some details and then taught them how to sew the fabric pieces together and how to make the small components. Even though they might not be as skilled in embroidery as Qin Xiangnuan was from her youth—her hands were, unknowingly, exceptionally gifted—there was certainly no problem with them making these small components.

Each person specialized: some made ears, some tails, some buttons. All in all, a whole family could get involved. Qin Xiangnuan distributed the fabric to them, paying by the piece. The quality didn’t need to be perfect, just passable. Granny Lu was in charge of quality control. If there were significant errors, the pieces would be sent back to be redone and there would be no deductions from their pay. These people likely wouldn’t cut corners, as this was essentially money being handed to them. If they didn’t do it well, they weren’t fooling others but themselves.

As for Qin Xiangnuan herself, she spent her days embroidering her Four Gentlemen, the Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum pictures, still working on double-sided embroidery. Although simple, it took considerable time because it was done stitch by stitch. By the time she presented the work to Mr. Song, it would be over a month later. Mr. Song was somewhat dissatisfied. After all, he had once seen a grand and splendid Qingming River Painting before his eyes, but he had failed to obtain it. If given another chance, even if it meant stealing, he was determined to get it.

Nevertheless, having something was better than nothing.

Mr. Song grimaced, but he also treasured the Four Gentlemen Painting he had received, crafting it into a screen that he placed before him, cherishing it every day like a treasure, not allowing anyone to touch it.

Life was peaceful, seemingly returning to the tranquil days of the past where one could gradually accumulate wealth step by step. Qin Xiangnuan did not consider when she might stumble upon an unexpected windfall.