Saving Money

A short walk downstream along the river behind the little fishing tackle shop brought Chicory Woodwork Hall's large waterwheel into view.

The turning waterwheel powered Chicory Woodwork Hall's machinery.

Xiang Shi had accepted a large order yesterday and had been busy in the workshop since early morning.

A customer had come to Windring Town yesterday and ordered a complete set of Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinets, specifically requesting that Xiang Shi handle everything himself, from processing the materials and carving the patterns to applying the protective finish.

Xiang Shi stood at the saw table. The waterwheel-powered saw made cutting the boards a breeze.

The pay for this job was so good that Xiang Shi had even sacrificed his woodcarving time for it. Yet Mu Mu had chosen this exact moment to take leave, leaving Xiang Shi without anyone to lend a hand.

"After working all night, I've finally finished sawing these. Time for a little break..."

Xiang Shi had just finished arranging the cut boards when he heard the bell at the shop entrance.

"Welcome... Oh, it's you, Tong Hua."

"Good morning, Mr. Xiang Shi."

Tong Hua entered the shop carrying a food basket and his fishing tackle, with Turtwig and Minccino following behind him.

"Are you busy?"

Xiang Shi took off his safety goggles and patted his sawdust-covered apron. His silver, bird's-nest hair was as messy as ever.

After staying up all night, he now had dark circles under both eyes. He gave a huge yawn. "I've been working nonstop... That boy Mu Mu suddenly took leave, so all this work fell on me."

Tong Hua set the basket on the workbench and lifted the lid. An enticing aroma immediately wafted out. "Oh, I saw Mu Mu yesterday. He made a new friend, so maybe he's off playing with his friend.

"Uh... Mr. Xiang Shi, would you like to try a Sandwich?"

Tong Hua looked at the slightly dazed Xiang Shi, whose stomach gave a perfectly timed growl.

He scratched his head sheepishly. "Then don't mind if I do. To tell you the truth, all I've had since last night is coffee..."

Xiang Shi removed his gloves, took a Sandwich from the basket, and began eating.

One nice thing about sandwiches was that those made with fruit, vegetables, and eggs tasted even better after cooling down!

Not only did they become more refreshing, but their flavor also grew richer.

The instant Xiang Shi took his first bite, his eyes lit up. Between the soft slices of bread were crisp, juicy Berry Salad and a thick layer of Fried Egg. The ingredients were simple, but they went together perfectly.

"Delicious!" He wolfed down the first one and picked up a second. "It feels like the more I eat, the more energy I have!"

Tong Hua smiled and nodded. After all, these Sandwiches boosted vigor.

Xiang Shi gulped down some warm water and let out a long, satisfied breath. "That was delicious!"

He wiped his mouth, then suddenly remembered something. "Right, you said you saw Mu Mu yesterday? Where did you see him?"

"In Wind-Circling Forest," Tong Hua answered without thinking. "Doesn't he live in a treehouse there with Tangrowth? Didn't you know, Mr. Xiang Shi?"

The cup in Xiang Shi's hand stopped in midair. "No, I didn't. That boy actually lives in the forest? With a Pokémon, no less?"

A complicated expression came over Xiang Shi's face. He slowly set down his cup and continued, "That boy won't tell me anything. I don't know a thing about his family, either. He even had the Ranger delivering the newspaper this morning tell me he wanted to take leave.

"I never imagined he was living in the forest with a Pokémon..."

Silence fell over the workshop, broken only by the creaking of the waterwheel.

Seeing Xiang Shi fall silent, Tong Hua searched for a topic to break the awkwardness.

"So, you said you were busy. What exactly are you working on?"

Xiang Shi came back to his senses and pointed at the lumber stacked nearby. "Making money, of course. Custom furniture is the most profitable work in carpentry.

"I need to use this job to get my name out there so I can land more profitable work in the future."

"Making money, huh?"

Tong Hua nodded thoughtfully, his gaze sweeping over the lumber and half-finished cabinets piled in the workshop.

"Mr. Xiang Shi, I actually have a big project I'd like to ask you about, too."

Tong Hua then explained that he wanted to rebuild his house with running water and electricity. As for the already-designed Deluxe Pokémon Cottage, he decided to build that himself.

"Building a new house... That's a major project. I'm afraid Chicory Woodwork Hall couldn't take it on.

"But if you need someone, you could look around Windring Town. There should be some larger construction companies there.

"As for the price..."

Xiang Shi picked up an abacus from the table behind him and began clacking away.

"Between the construction costs, water supply, electricity, and sewage treatment, a two-story home with a footprint of around a hundred square meters would probably cost twenty million League Coins."

"T-twenty million..."

Remembering that his savings currently amounted to less than a hundred and seventy thousand, Tong Hua felt his vision go dark...

A budget of twenty million...

The good mood from earning forty or fifty thousand that morning vanished at once. At this rate, moving into an air-conditioned house before summer probably wasn't happening...

"No, I can't give up yet!"

Tong Hua suddenly slapped his cheeks. The sharp sound startled both Turtwig and Minccino.

"Gah-meh?" Turtwig tilted his head and gently poked Tong Hua's arm with a Vine Whip.

"I need to save money..." Tong Hua clenched his fists, but his eyes brightened. "It's only twenty million. I'll definitely save that much!"

"That's the spirit." Xiang Shi stopped moving the abacus beads and watched Tong Hua with interest.

"But what's your plan? Slowly save up over several years by developing your ranch?"

"No." Tong Hua shook his head. "That's too slow. I have to find a way to save twenty million before summer."

Tong Hua's gaze suddenly landed on the pile of freshly processed lumber in the workshop's corner. "Speaking of which, Mr. Xiang Shi, that custom furniture you mentioned... Just how profitable is it?"

"Well, that's a trade secret."

With a mysterious air, Xiang Shi held up one finger, glanced around, and lowered his voice. "But since you treated me to Sandwiches... This is how much profit I'll make on those cabinets."

"Ten million?!" Tong Hua nearly bit his tongue.

"Pfft!"

Xiang Shi hurriedly corrected him. "You've got quite the imagination! One million! One million!

"And that's the profit in the best-case scenario. If there's too much waste during production, I won't even make that much."

"That's still an incredible amount..." Tong Hua's eyes suddenly lit up. "Doesn't that mean you could save twenty million by filling just twenty orders? That's amazing!"

Xiang Shi: "..."

"Let's put aside whether I could even get twenty orders like this. Just finishing this one will take ten days to half a month.

"By the time I finished twenty orders and collected the final payments, at least ten months would have passed."

Xiang Shi's words cooled Tong Hua's excitement. In the end, they exchanged a look and each sighed.

"Making money is hard."

Tong Hua and Xiang Shi slumped onto the workshop's wooden stools like a pair of deflated balloons. Turtwig and Minccino copied them, sprawling on the floor.

"Gah-meh..." Turtwig's Vine Whip drooped limply.

"Min-min..." Minccino couldn't even be bothered to swish his tail.

For a moment, only the creaking waterwheel could be heard in the workshop. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a bright band across the floor as fine sawdust drifted slowly through the beam.

"But..." Tong Hua suddenly broke the silence. "As long as I work a little harder, I should still be able to save enough."

After nearly a week in this world, Tong Hua knew that hard work here was sure to be rewarded.

Growing crops on just half a mu of land for five days had earned him over fifty thousand. If he cleared more fields and planted rarer crops, he definitely had a chance of saving twenty million before summer arrived!

"I know what to do!" Tong Hua sprang to his feet.

"I'm going to Sunshine Ranch to ask Grandpa Yang if I can borrow Orthworm again!"