The System Wanted Me to Be a Landlady (GL) - Chapter 20: Good Brother

Chapter 20: Good Brother

“What are you looking at?”

Noticing Song Yuyan’s gaze, Aunt Fierce asked.

Song Yuyan was looking at some bamboo carving tools. Since they were small and not a complete set, they were piled together. Blacksmith Wang probably feared someone would steal them, so he tucked them in a corner.

In terms of love for and control over carving knives, no one here could surpass Song Yuyan. The tools she used when she first learned bamboo and wood carving were gifts from others. Later, she slowly started making her own. Of course, the process of crafting carving knives wasn’t smooth. She struggled for years and only barely earned her teacher’s approval.

Seeing the carving knives, she thought of bamboo and wood carving, which sparked her interest. But after mentally calculating her savings and the emergency funds she could only use in dire situations, she regretfully gave up the idea of buying them.

“Nothing.” Song Yuyan smiled at Aunt Fierce.

Aunt Fierce didn’t press further and said, “You bought the knife, so you’d better work hard and not waste the money spent on it!”

“Hmm, Aunt Fierce makes sense!”

Aunt Fierce asked again, “Do you really know how to weave bamboo baskets?”

It wasn’t that she doubted Song Yuyan. She continued, “If you really can, weave a few for me. The baskets in the shop are too old. When people carry food to sell, picky customers complain because the baskets are worn out. New ones would save trouble.”

Song Yuyan knew Aunt Fierce was trying to help her and didn’t act coy. “Alright, once I weave them, I’ll bring them for Aunt Fierce to choose.”

____

With materials ready, Song Yuyan first wove fans and straw mats, then started on bamboo weaving.

Since it was rainy and overcast, she couldn’t tell the time by sunset. So, she waited until she felt hungry to make dinner. While preparing to cook, Song Yuban ran in and said, “A real man keeps his word!”

Song Yuyan looked at him, puzzled by his strange words. After a moment, she recalled that at noon, this brat reluctantly agreed to take charge of cooking from now on.

Wanting to test his patience, she handed him the iron spoon. “Fine, you cook. I’ll go finish weaving that half-done mat.”

Song Yuban probably didn’t expect her to actually let him cook. He stared wide-eyed, took the spoon, and when he saw her leave, he panicked. “Hey!”

“Who are you calling?” Song Yuyan asked.

Song Yuban choked, mumbling, “Big Brother.”

“The rain’s louder than you.”

“Big Brother!”

“Hey, Little Brother, what’s up?” Song Yuyan kept a straight face, but inside, she felt smug. So this is what it’s like to tease siblings.

“You, you—” His face turned red. Song Yuyan thought he was some shy boy confessing to a crush.

“Alright, tell me when you figure out what to say. I need to work hard to support the family, so I won’t waste time here.”

Song Yuban suddenly tossed the spoon and ran off.

Song Yuyan was stunned. “So dramatic?” Did he really quit just because he didn’t want to hear her talk?

But then Song Yuban came back with his straw mat, ignoring the rain dripping on his bald head, shielding the mat from the water with his body.

His face was still red, and he was panting. “Help me sell it!”

Song Yuyan took the mat. To her, it wasn’t well-woven. Many parts looked rough and unskilled. It wouldn’t fetch much money.

But this mat was woven by Song Yuban.

She vaguely recalled how Song Yuban nearly fell into the river while cutting grass. They argued afterward, and she didn’t ask why he was cutting grass. Now, thinking back, she understood.

Still, she had to be honest. “This mat won’t sell well.”

Song Yuban felt a mix of emotions. He knew his skills weren’t great, and his earlier sales were thanks to Tang Zhi’s help. But Song Yuyan’s rejection made him feel sad and embarrassed.

Still, if someone as awful as Song Yuyan could turn over a new leaf, why should he give up just because she rejected him?

He didn’t want to rely on Song Yuyan, but his current skills weren’t enough for him and Song Yuzhuan to survive in this world. So, he had to swallow his pride…

“I know it’s not great, but I’ll get better!” His small face showed determination.

Song Yuyan nodded. “Alright, go cook.”

Song Yuban was stunned. Huh? She agreed just like that, no more criticism?

Though surprised, he felt relieved. He’d been wondering if Song Yuyan still held a grudge for him calling her a jinx and wouldn’t help. Seems he overthought it.

____

After finishing the mats and fans, Song Yuyan began preparing bamboo strips. Bamboo weaving had over a dozen steps, no simpler than straw weaving. Unlike modern times, where craftsmanship aimed for beauty and precision, in this era, bamboo weaving focused on meeting basic needs.

After all, in modern society, industrial materials grew common, and handmade bamboo products lost their market. For various reasons, bamboo weaving shifted toward art, requiring strict control over material selection and craftsmanship.

The bamboo crafts displayed in museums or expos were meticulously woven by masters, far more valuable than rural baskets used for vegetables or trash.

Though Song Yuyan’s target was ordinary people, she didn’t plan to cut corners. She’d follow the necessary steps.

She planned to make several items: baskets for Aunt Fierce to use for selling, bamboo sieves for sifting grains and flour, and versatile luggage—bamboo baskets.

Each required different materials and techniques:

The selling baskets needed bamboo strips about five millimeters wide. Thickness varied by weaving style, but durability was key.

Bamboo sieves were simpler, using strips about one centimeter wide, woven in a single layer with the basic “one-over-one” method, where strips crossed vertically and horizontally.

Bamboo baskets were the hardest. The base and round walls used different weaving styles. Besides five-millimeter strips, three-millimeter bamboo threads were needed for circular weaving…

Though the process was complex, Song Yuyan had a plan and wasn’t worried about messing up.

For splitting bamboo, she used the “cross method,” dividing the bamboo into four equal parts. She couldn’t cut it directly, as that would make the bamboo uneven. Then she shaved the pieces into strips.

The Jianmen knife, also called the “even knife,” came in handy. It ensured uniform strips. Two knives were fixed vertically at a set width, leaving a gap for the desired strip thickness. Freshly cut strips were passed through the gap…

Song Yuyan hadn’t split or shaved bamboo in a long time. Starting again, she got pricked by bamboo splinters and chips. By the time she finished several strips, her fingers had multiple cuts and were bleeding.

The environment didn’t allow her to complain. She could only pull out the splinters during the day and keep working.

During this time, Lin Yongming visited. Seeing her mastery of the process and her careful work, he believed she could weave bamboo. He’d thought she was just talking big and even asked Song Bing about it. Neither expected she actually could.

His doubts stemmed from recent rumors…