Chapter Forty-Four: Ways to Make Money

The next morning, the rain had passed and the sky cleared. As the saying goes: every autumn rain brings a new chill. The dawn after the rainfall carried a hint of late autumn's coldness, evoking a sense of desolation.

Last night, Erniou had curled up in Xiaoding’s arms, not because she was cold, but out of fear of the thunder. These past days, Erniou had also started waking early to practice exercises alongside Xiaoding. Though she had not yet succeeded in guiding the energy into her body, her complexion had improved visibly, and her spirits were much better than before.

Seeing these changes, Xiaoding was naturally pleased. He wondered if he should have the rest of the household learn this set of exercises as well. Especially Mrs. Li, who was frail and often fainted without reason, sometimes coughing—a clear sign of some internal illness.

“Erniou, when you have time, you can teach this method to Xiao’e, Xiaozhu, and your mother. If they ask about its origins, just tell them that when I was in the county town, I met an old Taoist who taught me a method for strengthening the body and warding off illness,” Xiaoding said after completing several cycles of his practice.

“Yes, husband,” Erniou replied.

After speaking, Xiaoding remembered the “big gift” he had promised Erniou the previous night, so he took out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone he had bought yesterday, ground the ink, and began to draw. Truth be told, he was not at all adept at using a brush. He recalled the charcoal pencils he had used on that deserted island in his previous world, thinking how much more convenient they were compared to this brush.

Thinking of that island brought memories of its people, and Xiaoding sighed, quickly forcing himself to focus on his drawing, lest his emotions get the better of him and he shed tears in front of Erniou.

In this era, there were no rubber bands, sponges, or steel supports; even buttons were mostly handmade from cloth and thread. Finished buttons were only copper, and not only were they unsightly, but if worn close to the skin, they were cold and often pressed uncomfortably against the body.

Xiaoding sketched a few simple and easy-to-make styles of women's underwear. For the upper garments, he drew two types: one was a cropped vest that reached just below the bust, with a narrow cord threaded through the hem to tie at the front or back; the other was a simple bikini-like bra, where several cords connected appropriately sized pieces of fabric to cover the essential areas, simple yet alluring.

For the lower garments, he drew both boxer and brief styles. The waistbands could be threaded with cords and tied at the sides or front. Since the fabrics of this era lacked elasticity, making them too large meant they wouldn’t fit snugly, while making them fit closely rendered them difficult to put on. Thus, Xiaoding deliberately left openings at the sides or front of the waistband in his drawings, resolving this issue.

After finishing, Xiaoding explained everything to Erniou in detail, from fabric selection to final construction. Erniou, her cheeks flushed, listened in astonishment, wondering when her husband had learned to design clothing.

Xiaoding, having finished his explanation, also sketched a men's vest and boxer shorts, asking Erniou to make a few for him as well.

His current underwear, purchased in the county, consisted of long sleeves and pants—loose and made from the same coarse cloth as outer garments. Wearing such clothing to sleep felt no different from wearing daytime clothes, and he found it especially uncomfortable.

The household had only two bolts of cotton and one of linen. Linen, of course, was unsuitable for underwear. Even the cotton fabric of this era was coarsely made and thick; though softer than linen, it would be unbearably hot in the summer.

He recalled that the bellybands and undergarments he had bought for Erniou and the others were made mostly from silk or thin gauze. Silk and gauze were lightweight, cool, and smooth to the touch, perfect for summer. Thus, Xiaoding decided to purchase more silk and gauze when he had the opportunity, though there was no rush for this.

Xiaoding had considered, like protagonists in certain novels, making money by designing modern-style underwear. But he quickly dismissed the idea. Designing a few styles for himself and his family was fine; after all, they trusted each other, and poor families didn’t fuss over such things. Outsiders, however, might not accept such innovations. The inertia of ancient thought, formed over thousands of years, could not be changed overnight. Those who could afford such garments were wealthy ladies and mistresses, and the more affluent the family, the more rigorous their customs—old notions could not be changed as easily as in fiction.

Even if people of this era were willing to accept new styles, the designs were simple and easy to copy; making money from them would be difficult. In ancient times, there was never a shortage of women skilled in needlework. Besides, as a man in this era, Xiaoding felt it embarrassing to sell women’s underwear.

He had also pondered his future path. Back in his original world, he hadn’t even finished high school, let alone being a top student. So, unlike some novel protagonists, he couldn’t rely on knowledge of science to create advanced technology or weapons.

Still, Xiaoding wasn’t completely ignorant of such knowledge. He knew a few basics, such as the primitive methods for making cement, soap, or gunpowder—ideas he’d considered while discussing house-building the previous night. If conditions allowed, he could try making these things, but mass production seemed unlikely in this era.

Everything here depended on manual labor; there were no machines, no electricity, and low productivity could easily lead to losses. Unless one was a slave owner with a large workforce, it was impractical. Many modern products required chemical materials, which were impossible to source in ancient society.

Industrial society was a vast, interconnected system, each sector complementing the others. Any industrial product, removed from its environment, could hardly be produced in quantity.

Xiaoding’s plans for earning money did not involve chasing after those elusive modern products. Occasionally trying his hand at making them was one thing, but relying on them for income was unrealistic.

His hopes lay in the newly acquired wasteland and the small mountain. This was precisely why he had insisted on buying them. As the saying goes, “live off the mountain if you have one, live off the water if you have it.”

Yesterday, while surveying the land with Village Head He, Xiaoding had carefully observed the wasteland and mountain, forming a general plan in his mind. Once he had the chance to climb the mountain and inspect it thoroughly, he would draft a comprehensive and detailed blueprint.