Chapter 83: Homemade Fridge Magnets

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Homemade Fridge Magnets

"Yun Zhen, what skills do you have?"

Su Yue had racked her brain for a long time but couldn’t think of anything more profitable to sell than the crocheted dolls.

Yun Zhen recalled her own skills and those of the villagers. She knew how to weave, Hunters Wang knew how to hunt and butcher prey, Carpenter Zhao knew carpentry, and Uncle Tian Er knew embroidery. "I’ve learned weaving, woodworking, and embroidery. What can we do with these?"

She brought up all the skills the villagers possessed. If any of their crafts proved popular here, wouldn’t that mean another long-term, money-making skill?

Su Yue was taken aback. "Weaving? Woodworking? Embroidery?"

She looked Yun Zhen up and down. Although she wasn’t sure about the exact financial situation of Yun Zhen’s family, it definitely wasn’t good. Otherwise, giving her a simple cup of milk tea wouldn’t have been treated as some precious gift. As for the money earned from selling crocheted dolls, she subconsciously assumed that Yun Zhen was using it to support her family. Even though she earned over a thousand yuan a day, she was still reluctant to buy herself a couple of nice outfits. There was undoubtedly someone in her family who needed the money more than she did.

She already admired Yun Zhen for learning how to make the crocheted dolls, but she hadn’t expected her to also know weaving, woodworking, and embroidery.

"Who did you learn all that from?" Su Yue asked in confusion.

Systematic learning of weaving, woodworking, and embroidery would cost a lot of money. Yun Zhen’s family obviously wouldn’t spend a large sum for her to learn these crafts.

Yun Zhen started making things up again. "When I was little, there was an old grandma who lived near my house. She taught me a lot of crafts."

She didn’t want to deceive Su Yue, but she couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse and was forced to lie. However, her lie held absolutely no malice.

Su Yue believed her. After all, Yun Zhen couldn’t have been born knowing these things without someone teaching her, and her family had no money for lessons. Accepting that her good friend was a fast learner, she gave a thumbs-up. "Yun Zhen, you’re amazing. If I were the one learning weaving, woodworking, and embroidery from that old grandma, I definitely wouldn’t have achieved as much as you. First, I don’t have an artistic bone in my body; second, I lack endurance; and third, I can’t endure the hardship of studying."

She spoke with admiration, "No wonder your crochet skills are so good. It turns out you systematically learned needlework!"

Yun Zhen felt a little embarrassed by the praise. Other than knowing a bit of weaving and embroidery, she really didn’t know anything about woodworking. Only Carpenter Zhao and Hunters Wang in the village knew carpentry. Carpenter Zhao made top-notch solid wood cabinets, while Hunters Wang could not only carve small trinkets but also polish animal bones into bracelets. However, she had already made the bold claim. Naturally, she wasn’t about to expose herself.

Yun Zhen asked earnestly, "Can we find a profitable business out of weaving, woodworking, and embroidery?"

Su Yue told her, "That depends on how far you’ve learned. Take woodworking, for example. If you only know the basics, you could become an artisan who makes ancient-style hairpins. It’s even better if you know a little carving. There are tutorials online. You just polish a piece of wood until it’s smooth, and carve a flower or a few clouds on it. The simpler it is, the more popular it is.

"A wooden hairpin can sell for anywhere from fifty to over a hundred yuan.

"If you’ve studied deeper and know carving art, you can specialize in carving small ornaments like little animals, flowers, and grass. The more exquisite, the better. Something the size of an adult’s fist, a purely handmade ornament, goes for two to three hundred yuan. If you can add some small mechanical tricks, it can easily fetch over four or five hundred yuan, and plenty of people would buy them.

"I saw a blogger online who hand-carves exquisite ornaments and sticks a magnet on the back to make a fridge magnet. One sells for over two hundred yuan, which is more expensive than some cultural souvenirs at tourist attractions. The key is that demand exceeds supply, and netizens rush to buy them.

"If you are highly skilled, I suggest you make higher-end wooden products, like purely handmade jewelry boxes. A well-made one goes for over a thousand yuan."

Yun Zhen stared at Su Yue with sparkling eyes, full of admiration. "Su Yue, you know so much!"

Su Yue felt her face grow hot. Despite talking so logically, these were all things she had seen online. She didn’t know anything about woodworking; she just liked scrolling through mind-numbing short videos, and naturally picked up a lot of trivia along the way. "I saw it online. You can choose one to make based on your skills.

"Since you know weaving, you could look into fabric companies, but I think the chances there are slim.

"As for embroidery? Do you know double-sided embroidery?"

"No!" Yun Zhen shook her head. She had heard of double-sided embroidery. It was said to be an incredible embroidery technique that allowed the patterns on a piece of cloth to look different on both sides. Only embroidery maids supported by wealthy and noble families knew it. As a peasant girl who learned embroidery just to earn a little money, how could she have the opportunity to learn such a superb art?

Su Yue suggested, "You should consider woodworking. The woodworking market is broad. Making purely handmade ancient-style hairpins is profitable, and making fridge magnets is even more profitable.

"If you have the ability to make purely handmade solid wood jewelry boxes, there will definitely be people willing to pay a high price for them."

She was very optimistic about Yun Zhen’s craftsmanship.

Wooden hairpins, Yun Zhen knew. Jewelry boxes, she also understood. But what was a fridge magnet? Not understanding, she asked, "What is a fridge magnet?"

Su Yue was already used to Yun Zhen being a novice when it came to common sense. She patiently explained, "A fridge magnet is a decoration specifically meant to be stuck on a refrigerator. Some people also like to stick them on door panels or washing machines. It’s just like girls putting clips in their hair—it’s for looks."

Yun Zhen asked again, "How do you make a fridge magnet?"

Su Yue recalled the process she saw online. "It’s quite simple, actually. You make an exquisite little wooden ornament, keep the best-looking side facing the front, and stick a magnet piece on the back. You can buy the magnet pieces at a dollar store."

Yun Zhen nodded, half-understanding. "Is a fridge magnet very expensive?"

She was feeling somewhat tempted to try it.

Based on her own knowledge, Su Yue told her, "Currently, fridge magnets on the market come in metal, resin, plastic, and plush materials. The types are very diverse, but eco-friendly wooden fridge magnets are quite rare. If made exquisitely, there should be a lot of people buying them. Yun Zhen, I believe in your craftsmanship. Just go for it. I support you."

Yun Zhen calculated what she needed to do. The ones in the village who knew woodworking were Carpenter Zhao and Hunters Wang. She only knew that Carpenter Zhao was great at making cabinets and bed boards, and Hunters Wang could use animal bones and wooden strips to make bracelets and necklaces. As for whether they could make wooden hairpins and exquisite small ornaments, she wasn’t sure. But how would she know without trying? Su Yue said this would be very profitable if done well.

Yun Zhen expressed her heartfelt gratitude. "Su Yue, thank you so much for telling me all this. I will consider it."

"No need to thank me. We’re friends," Su Yue smiled generously.

Yun Zhen asked, "Do you still not have any classes today?"

Su Yue replied, "We originally had classes this afternoon, but exam week was moved up. Now we just have reviewing left, so the teachers are letting us study independently.

"After finishing my exams next week, I might go home, or I might find a part-time job and work until the Lunar New Year before going back. If I stay in the city until the new year, you can come hang out with me when you’re free.

"Our school also allows students to stay on campus during the winter break."

Yun Zhen nodded and smiled. "Got it."

If Su Yue hadn’t told her that everyone would be going home and wouldn’t return for forty days, she definitely would have foolishly kept trying to sell crocheted dolls. With Su Yue’s reminders and suggestions, she could prepare early. To her, Su Yue was both a teacher and a friend!

Su Yue said, "I won’t bother you while you sell your goods. I’m going to stroll around the food street and see if there’s any place nearby to get a winter job. If it’s closer to the school, I won’t have to squeeze onto the bus for my commute."