novelraw Chapter 316 - 314: Only a Fool Fights Over Cotton—I’m Buying That Pile of Stinky Duck Feathers! (Part 2)
Chapter 316 - 314: Only a Fool Fights Over Cotton—I’m Buying That Pile of Stinky Duck Feathers! (Part 2)
"Sister-in-law! Why are we here? It smells awful!"
A worker wearing an oilcloth apron was shoveling those feathers onto a cart with a shovel.
He paused for a moment when he saw two clean and pretty girls approaching.
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? It’s dirty here, don’t come over!"
Lin Wan Yi didn’t back off.
Instead, she took two steps forward and pointed at the pile of unwanted duck feathers.
"Sir, how much for these feathers?"
The worker stopped his shovel.
He looked at Lin Wan Yi as if she was crazy.
"Sell? This is waste material. We’re going to burn it or use it as compost. What do you want it for? It’s smelly and doesn’t catch fire easily."
"I’ll take it all."
Lin Wan Yi’s tone was calm.
"Name your price."
The worker’s eyes widened.
"All... all of it?"
He pointed at the pile of hundreds of pounds of stinking, rotting feathers.
"Miss, are you alright? What can you do with this stuff other than attract flies?"
"Make a nest."
Lin Wan Yi casually fibbed.
"It’s cold, so I’ll use it to make a nest for the dog at home."
The worker laughed.
"You won’t need that much! Well, if you’re really sure, give me two yuan, and pack it yourself to take away, so I don’t have to haul it to the landfill."
Two yuan.
Hundreds of pounds of quality duck and goose down.
It’s practically free, right?
Lin Wan Yi quickly handed over the money.
Gu Lan, though reluctant, obediently went to borrow some large burlap sacks.
The two of them struggled to fill four large sacks.
On their way back, they ran into Aunt Wang, who had failed to snag the cotton earlier and was looking disheartened.
Aunt Wang wrinkled her nose as soon as she saw Gu Lan carrying the large burlap sacks and the faint, foul odor emanating from them.
"Oh, isn’t this the eldest daughter of the Gu Family?"
Aunt Wang approached with a sly tone.
"What did you buy that’s so smelly?"
She peeked at the sack’s opening and saw a few blood-stained duck feathers.
"Pfft."
Aunt Wang burst out laughing.
She pointed at Lin Wan Yi, her voice loud enough to be heard across the whole street.
"I never thought the Gu Family couldn’t afford cotton. Going to the meat processing plant to pick up rotten duck feathers for winter?"
"This stuff reeks. Aren’t you disgusted sleeping under it?"
Several neighbors gathered around, whispering.
"Yeah, how can that keep you warm? Only beggars would stuff that into their clothes."
"If Mr. Gu finds out his wife brought back garbage, he’d lose face!"
Gu Lan’s face turned crimson. She wanted to throw the sacks away, but she refrained.
"Sister-in-law..."
Lin Wan Yi didn’t spare Aunt Wang a glance.
She patted the sack.
"You’ll know if it’s garbage when the time comes."
With that, she led Gu Lan away, leaving the crowd behind.
...
They returned to the Gu Family Courtyard.
As soon as they entered, Gu An and Little Grey retreated indoors in distaste.
The smell was too strong.
Gu Lan dropped the sacks in the courtyard, panting heavily.
"Sister-in-law, can we really use this? Can it even be washed clean?"
Lin Wan Yi locked the courtyard door.
"Boil water."
Several pots of water were brought to a rapid boil.
Lin Wan Yi directed Gu Lan to pour the duck feathers into a large wooden basin.
The black-red bloody water spread instantly, and the foul stench rose with the steam, almost suffocating.
Gu Lan gagged while pouring water.
"Sister-in-law, I can’t stand it. This smell is killing me..."
"Go inside and watch the kids, don’t come out."
Lin Wan Yi sent her away.
She was alone in the courtyard.
She pulled out a small porcelain bottle from her pocket.
It was a concentrated spiritual spring water solution she had prepared in advance in her space.
Not the diluted kind for drinking, but a highly concentrated original liquid.
Spiritual spring water has the power to purify everything. What does a little stench matter?
Lin Wan Yi uncorked the bottle and poured the entire contents of the crystal-clear liquid into the filthy basin.
"Splash."
A miracle occurred.
The originally black-red murky, foul-smelling water began to foam with fine white bubbles.
As if it were boiling.
The nauseating stench dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Replacing it was a faint aroma reminiscent of herbs.
The dirt in the water rapidly settled to the bottom of the basin.
The duck and goose feathers floating on the surface started to change.
The bloodstains faded away, and the dirt peeled off.
The once compacted feathers began to unfurl gradually.
One by one.
Like countless little white flowers blooming in the water.
Lin Wan Yi took a stick and gently stirred.
Each down feather became crystal-clear, pure as snow.
Half an hour later.
Lin Wan Yi scooped out the washed duck down and spread it to dry on bamboo mats placed on a stand.
The cold wind blew in.
The moisture evaporated quickly.
The feathers not only didn’t freeze but fluffed up like clouds in the sky.
Several large bamboo mats full of white down shimmered gently in the sunlight.
Gu Lan peeked out from inside while pinching her nose.
"Sister-in-law, are they cleaned? Do we still need to... huh?"
She was stunned.
She released her grip on her nose and inhaled hard twice.
There was no bad smell.
Only a pleasant, fresh scent in the air.
She ran up to the bamboo mat and grabbed a handful of the fluffy, snow-white down.
Soft.
Unbelievably soft.
A rush of warmth spread through her palm.
"Is this... the rotten duck feathers from earlier?"
Gu Lan’s eyes widened, looking at Lin Wan Yi as if she were an immortal.
"Sister-in-law, are you a magician?"
Lin Wan Yi smiled without explaining.
The best filling material was now ready.
But...
Her gaze landed on the few pieces of fabric on the table beside her.
Those were the only few pieces of fabric left in the house.
Dark blue work fabric, drab grey cotton fabric.
Sturdy but carrying a heavy rustic feel.
In this era, everyone wore such fabrics.
If she simply sewed a large bag to stuff the duck down inside, it would look like a bulky monstrosity, not much different from wrapping oneself in a quilt to go out.
Not only would it look ugly, but it would also shed feathers easily.
Once the feathers started to escape, the whole garment would be covered in white specks, even uglier.
"Sister-in-law, how should we do this?"
Gu Lan brought over a sewing basket, looking excited.
"Should we sew it like that military greatcoat?"
"No."
Lin Wan Yi decisively shook her head.
If they wanted to be the most dazzling in this courtyard, they couldn’t settle for mediocrity.
She picked up the scissors and considered the rough fabric.
How could she turn this rustic material into the most fashionable, slimming, and jaw-dropping garment in the entire courtyard?
Lin Wan Yi narrowed her eyes.
The scissors went "snip" and fell.