Teacher Wang asked with some uncertainty. Selling Spring Festival couplets can be quite profitable. His classmates have told him that in just a few days, piles of money could be tucked into one’s pockets. He was both envious and jealous, but he had no connections and couldn’t write them himself. His aging father had wasted all his calligraphy skills on farming, and now there was nowhere to stock up on couplets. They were all written and sold on the spot by experienced calligraphers. Even if they wanted to get some stock, there was no one to buy from.
"Teacher Wang, help me sell them," Qin Xiangnuan sincerely wanted to help Teacher Wang. He was a good person, had a kind heart, was honest, and was adaptable in his thinking. "Brother Jian might have told you already, I need to go home for the Spring Festival. There’s only granny at home, and I have to help her buy new year’s goods. My brother doesn’t have much holiday time, so, this year I’m not planning to sell them."
"How about we split the earnings fifty-fifty if these are sold?"
"Isn’t that too much?" Teacher Wang really was a man of Shicheng, "Even if I were to stock up now, it wouldn’t be at this price, right?"
That settled it, Qin Xiangnuan banged the gavel, not letting Teacher Wang feel awkward, knowing that he still had the pride of an intellectual.
There’s barely any cost to these couplets I’ve written, Teacher Wang is actually the one who has to work hard. It’s so cold out, a fifty-fifty split is in my favor, she said, and then she walked into her room and came back with a large bag. There were approximately four thousand sets of couplets inside. If now each set is selling for one yuan, then with a fifty-fifty split, each of us could earn two thousand yuan. The paper is indeed quite cheap, just a few tens of yuan, but what’s valuable is the calligraphy, this pair of hands that can write, this person who can write.
Teacher Wang still felt like he was taking advantage of Qin Xiangnuan, but in the end, he held back. He understood Qin Xiangnuan’s intention to give him support. The situation at home was tough, with younger brothers and sisters still in school. His salary alone was difficult to cover everything, and without extra money from tutoring, he wouldn’t even be able to afford renting a bigger house.
He finally held back and gritted his teeth in agreement.
He hung the Spring Festival couplets on his bicycle and took the four thousand sets back home.
"What did you buy?" Teacher Wang’s wife came out holding their child, scared by the sight of Teacher Wang carrying large and small packages. That must have cost a lot of money, she thought, and that thought pained her. What kind of new year celebration is it if they have to spend so much, especially with an additional little mouth to feed at home...
"It’s not something I bought; we’re going to sell these."
Teacher Wang squatted on the ground, took out the Spring Festival couplets, and arranged them one by one.
"Where did all these Spring Festival couplets come from?" Teacher Wang’s wife was also startled. Her mind quickly turned, her face lit up with joy. Spring Festival couplets are sold for one yuan each, and everyone is eager to buy them. During the Spring Festival, every household needs to hang them, even the tenants in their previous rental property would all hang Spring Festival couplets. In fact, she had thought about selling couplets to make some money but never managed to find a good source for them.
"Where did these come from? And it seems like the calligraphy is quite good. Almost every set is flawless and clean. If we sell these, we can certainly fetch a good price. It’s not about selling them for more than others, she would be happy to sell them at the same price as everyone else."
"It’s written by one of my students," Teacher Wang said with a smile, feeling for the first time that the new year seemed a bit easier.