Wen Zhiheng was puzzled by the meat slices in the evening meal.
“Did you sell the herbs?”
“No, I plan to sell them in town tomorrow.”
“Then where did this meat come from?”
“Oh, it’s from a neighbor who lives up in the mountains. He’s not very good at cooking, and today he had guests over, so he asked me to help prepare a feast. This piece of pork is the payment.”
Hearing Chen Shiyi’s words, Wen Zhiheng felt slightly relieved.
“We can eat less and eat poorly, but we shouldn’t do anything improper just for food.”
Chen Shiyi had finished eating and was sorting the herbs. When she heard Wen Zhiheng’s words, her hands involuntarily stilled.
“When you say ‘improper things,’ do you mean like Widow Wang in the village, who couldn’t get enough to eat, so she found a man to sleep with and got food and clothing in return?”
Wen Zhiheng quickly explained.
“That’s not what I meant…”
Chen Shiyi’s voice sounded a bit muffled.
“Although I, Chen Shiyi, am of low status, every piece of clothing and every bite of food I have comes from the hard work of my own hands. I know what’s right and what’s wrong.”
Wen Zhiheng was deeply regretful.
“I’m sorry, Shiyi. I spoke carelessly just now. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Chen Shiyi didn’t respond. She busied herself with tidying the herbs, went to the stream to clean the basket, and then retired to her room to rest.
The next day, Chen Shiyi woke up very early, but unexpectedly, Wen Zhiheng was up even earlier.
“Shiyi, you’re going up the mountain to gather herbs. I’ll go with you.”
Chen Shiyi slung the basket over her back and picked up the kitchen knife.
“I’m going deep into the mountains and won’t be back until noon. If you come with me, you might miss your shift at the mine.”
Wen Zhiheng sighed.
“Shiyi, are you still angry with me?”
Chen Shiyi glanced up at Wen Zhiheng, then continued tightening her trouser legs.
“Young Master, I’m just a maid. You don’t need to be like this. I’m leaving.”
The morning air in the mountains was cool. Mist had settled in some areas near the peaks, and before long, it dampened Chen Shiyi’s hair. Even her eyebrows were dotted with fine droplets of moisture, making her eyes appear exceptionally bright.
Close to noon, on her way down the mountain, she came across several clusters of white flowers by the roadside.
The flowers were pure white, carrying a refreshing, delicate fragrance.
Chen Shiyi stopped to pick a few bunches, placing them in her basket. Her mood lightened considerably.
When she returned home, she arranged the picked flowers in a previously broken jar, gathered the herbs she had dried earlier, and hurried toward town.
Xue Lianxing frowned as she looked at Chen Shiyi’s herbs.
“If you sell herbs the same day you pick them, they look better and weigh more. But in this state, I’m not sure if the pharmacy will accept them. Let’s go try our luck.”
Chen Shiyi felt a bit annoyed. She had thought gathering several days’ worth of herbs to sell together would save her multiple trips. Who knew there were such intricacies involved?
Unexpectedly, after examining them, the pharmacy doctor didn’t say much and even calculated the price for Chen Shiyi at six coins per pound.
This delighted her immensely.
“The herbs you gathered are clean, without any weeds. Gather as much as you can these next few days. We won’t be buying any after the end of the month.”
Chen Shiyi hefted the more than one hundred and twenty copper coins in her hand, and even her walking posture seemed different.
She hurried to a small cloth shop, hoping to buy some inexpensive fabric.
Inside the shop, bolts of cloth were neatly arranged, one after another, in a dazzling array of colors and patterns. Chen Shiyi’s eyes could hardly take it all in.
“Shopkeeper, do you have any cheaper cloth here?”
The middle-aged shopkeeper had a beard and looked quite unfriendly.
"Go on, get out of here. Where did this little beggar come from? Hurry up and leave."
Chen Shiyi looked down at herself.
Her clothes were old but not torn, and her hair was neatly tied up in a small bun. Surely she wasn't as bad off as a beggar, right?
"Shopkeeper, I'm here to buy fabric."
"Do you have money? The fabrics here are all fine silks and satins, starting at three taels of silver. Can you afford that?"
Oh, well, she couldn't afford that.
Immediately, she turned and left the fabric shop, only to be pulled into a ready-made clothing store by someone inside.
"Little girl, looking to buy cheap fabric?"
"Do you sell fabric here too?"
"Of course. Who says only fabric shops sell fabric? I have some here too."
"How much is your fabric?"
"Eighty-five coins for a bolt of cotton."
Hearing this price, Chen Shiyi instinctively turned to leave.
The shop owner was a woman who still retained her charm. Seeing Chen Shiyi about to leave, she quickly grabbed her.
"Go ask around if you want. Coarse cotton fabric costs over a hundred coins."
"Then I'll go buy coarse linen. That should be cheaper."
"Can you wear coarse linen? It'll scratch your skin raw. It's only good for outer garments, not for clothes that touch your skin."
"Seventy coins."
The shopkeeper patted Chen Shiyi's shoulder with a smile.
"Deal."
She agreed so readily?
Could she have been tricked?
When the shopkeeper brought out the bolt of fabric, Chen Shiyi knew that cheap goods were never good.
Looking at the blackish-yellow spots on the fabric, she shook her head.
"Your fabric is moldy. No wonder you agreed so quickly."
The shopkeeper smiled.
"I only have this one bolt. It got moldy during the rainy season. Normally, for a bolt like this, I wouldn't sell it for less than a hundred and twenty coins. Today, you're getting a bargain."
Chen Shiyi thought for a moment.
"I don't have scissors, and I don't have needle and thread either."
The shopkeeper couldn't help but widen her eyes.
"Is your family that poor? Then why are you buying fabric?"
"This bolt of fabric, wealthy families wouldn't want it, and poor families can't afford it. People like me who are willing to buy it are few and far between. If you lend me some needle and thread and a pair of scissors, I'll pay you."
The shopkeeper snorted.
"It's just one bolt of fabric. It's not like I can't afford the loss. A pair of scissors costs as much as a bolt of fabric. I'm not doing that kind of business."
Chen Shiyi looked at the pile of fabric scraps in the corner and asked.
"Do you still want these fabric scraps?"
"You want them?"
"Yes. Ten copper coins, and you can take them all."
"Eighty copper coins, and you give me some needle and thread. Is that okay?"
"How are you going to cut the fabric without scissors?"
"I'll borrow some from a neighbor later."
After leaving the ready-made clothing store, Chen Shiyi began to feel dejected again.
Her few copper coins were simply not enough.
She went to a grain shop and bought some old rice. The shopkeeper told her that if she washed it a few more times, the porridge made from it would taste just as good as new rice, and it was cheaper.
Alright, with the remaining two coins, she bought some sugar crumbs for Rui'er and headed home.
The things in the basket on her back grew heavier and heavier. The several miles of mountain road back home left two bright red marks on her shoulders from the straps.
She rested several times before finally making her way back home.
Wen Zhirou quickly took the things from her shoulders.
"Why did you buy so much?"
Chen Shiyi gulped down some water, slumped onto the stone slab, and said nothing.
"Shiyi, why is this bolt of fabric moldy?"
Madam Wen asked with a frown.
"Oh, we can't afford the ones that aren't moldy."
The second young mistress opened the cloth to examine it.
"The moldy parts look quite large on the outside, but the inside is mostly unaffected. There's still plenty that can be used."
Wen Zhirou picked up the scraps of cloth from the large bag and asked.
"What do you plan to do with these?"
Chen Shiyi replied softly.
"To make a few pillows. Madam said her neck gets sore every time she sleeps."
Madam Wen smiled warmly.
"You're such a thoughtful child."
Rui'er crouched beside Chen Shiyi, picked up a large leaf she had found from somewhere, and began fanning her.
"Sister, are you very tired?"
Chen Shiyi pursed her lips and smiled.
"Rui'er, there's a packet of sugar crumbs at the bottom of the basket. Go get it and eat it."
Rui'er was truly well-behaved. She took the sugar crumbs and sat back down beside Chen Shiyi, feeding her a handful.
"Sister, is it sweet?"
"Mmm, the ones Rui'er feeds me are especially sweet."
Madam Wen and the second young mistress were discussing what style of clothing to cut, while Wen Zhirou rummaged through the scraps and found a few slightly larger pieces. Surprisingly, there was one with silk, which she wanted to use to make a handkerchief.
Each of them was immersed in their own happiness, and no one spoke to Chen Shiyi.
Left sitting idly, Chen Shiyi grew bored. After resting enough, she shouldered her basket and left the courtyard once more.