Liú Xiǎomǎn's cooperative plan with Uncle Liú Lǎoshí: she provides funds while he uses his knowledge of people and routes to purchase grain, cloth, ironware (axes, hoes, large iron pots), and storable items. His family receives twenty percent of the goods. They split up to avoid suspicion—Liú Lǎoshí handled Zhāng's smithy with villagers posing as representatives reclaiming hills, while Liú Xiǎomǎn handled cloth shops and apothecaries.
