“You come back empty-handed? You went to town loaded down with bundles! Chengwen’s always been such a filial boy—surely he didn’t make you bring back nothing? That’s not right at all!”
“What’s it any of your business!” Old Madam Zhao snapped as she approached. “You spend all your time watching our house. Have you no problems of your own to deal with?”
“Hah! Still talking?” Granny Hu taunted. “Your son’s gone and become a resident son-in-law, yet you still brag day and night about how filial he is. You keep lugging gifts to his new home, but he never brings a single thing back for Zhao Siya. I bet your daughter-in-law in town looks down on you! No wonder you come back empty-handed!”
The women of this village were no pushovers. Granny Hu had grown sick of Old Madam Zhao constantly boasting about her son’s education, so she had waited for this exact moment to strike a sore spot.
“You old hag!” Old Madam Zhao roared, placing her hands on her hips. “Your son is the one who ended up as a resident son-in-law! You’re just jealous of my third son’s talent! He was so exceptional that the town’s schoolmaster took one look and decided to marry his own daughter to him. Your son will never have such luck in this lifetime—he’s still a bachelor to this day!”
“Bah! Who would envy your son?” Granny Hu spat. “He spends all his days in town. Your third daughter-in-law has only visited once, hasn’t she? And how long has it been since Zhao Chengwen actually came home? Your son belongs to another family now, yet you’re still playing tough!”
Old Madam Zhao’s eyes turned red with rage. No matter how she tried to explain, she couldn’t change the truth. She rolled up her sleeves and lunged forward to teach Old Mrs. Hu a lesson.
Zhao Chengshuang tried to hold her back but only ended up with her face scratched in the scuffle. Giving up on restraint, she joined the fray and started hitting back.
Bai Qianqian dragged a chair out to watch the show. She munched on a dumpling every now and then, finally finding some amusement in her life.
“What’s going on? Separate them!”
As the fight escalated, Old Master Zhao hastily ordered the bystanders to pull the women apart.
“Bah! Neither of those women is worth a damn!” Granny Hu snarled as she was held back, spitting on the ground. “Zhao Chengshuang isn’t even married yet, but she’s already this shrewish. I bet she’ll never find a good family to marry into!”
“Get lost!”
Seeing the farce was over, Bai Qianqian hurried to finish her dumplings. She wiped her mouth and, right in front of the Zhao family, carried her chair back inside.
“Mom, was she deliberately mocking us?” Zhao Chengshuang asked. “And why is there even a batch of dumplings at home?”
Having been away from the village for several days, she had no idea that Bai Qianqian had already fallen out with the Zhao family.
“She’s got nothing to do with us now. Don’t go provoking her,” Old Master Zhao warned his daughter, knowing her temperament all too well.
“Enough,” Old Madam Zhao said, her mind already shifting as she pulled her daughter aside. “Shuang’er is tired. Eldest, what are you standing around for? Go make the meal!”
Madam Lin hesitated. “I’ve been working all day…” She looked at her mother-in-law, who was completely ignoring her, making no intention of letting her sister-in-law lift a finger in the kitchen. With a sigh of resignation, she went to start cooking.
“Shuang’er, how’s your third brother doing? Has he lost weight?” Old Madam Zhao asked, her voice thick with longing. She hadn’t seen him in ages and was desperate for news, but with the autumn harvest still underway, she couldn’t leave the village.
“He’s doing fine,” Zhao Chengshuang replied, her lip curling in a pout. “But his place is so cramped! You wouldn’t believe it—he only has two rooms. I’ve been sleeping on the floor this whole time. I’m never going back there again!”
“It’s the town,” Old Master Zhao countered, unfazed by his daughter’s complaining. “Space is expensive there. You can’t expect it to be like our house in the country. Did you see our in-law? Did he mention if your brother can come help with the harvest next year?”
“No,” Zhao Chengshuang grumbled. “They barely spoke to me. And my third sister-in-law—I saw a dress of hers that I liked and tried it on. She had the nerve to complain to Third Brother, telling him I’m just a country girl who doesn’t know the rules! It infuriated me!”
“And then you came home?”
“Of course! Third Brother wouldn’t even take my side. How could I bear to stay there?” Just thinking about her sister-in-law’s mocking tone made Zhao Chengshuang’s skin crawl.
“Well, you’re back now,” Old Master Zhao sighed. He knew his daughter had simply offended her brother’s wife, but there was little to be done about it now. “I’ll send someone to inquire in a few days. If your brother is taking the xiucai exam next year, we’ll need to start saving silver.”
Watching the drama unfold, Bai Qianqian recalled the original owner’s long-standing feud with Zhao Chengshuang.
The original owner had always been the favored child, while Zhao Chengshuang, the youngest daughter, had been spoiled by Old Madam Zhao. The two had fought almost daily.
Thank goodness I sealed the door and put up a new one, Bai Qianqian thought. Otherwise, I’d never have a moment’s peace.
Before dawn, Bai Qianqian forced herself out of bed. She quietly threw on her padded jacket and stepped outside.
As the steamer lid came off, the sweet aroma of brown sugar jujube cake wafted through the air. Bai Qianqian took a deep breath, savoring the scent.
She set aside a single piece for Zhao Anyao in her room, then sliced the rest into even squares and arranged them in a white-cloth-lined basket.
She planned to sell these cakes in town to stockpile supplies for the winter. The cold here was lethal; according to the original owner’s memories, old people and children froze to death every single year.
At this hour, the only sound in the Zhao household was the grunting of the two pigs. No one else was awake. Bai Qianqian shouldered her basket, gripped a wooden stick for courage, and set off for town.
Arriving early, she found the market bustling with activity. After scanning her surroundings, she headed straight for the vegetable vendors along the roadside.
“You’re new here,” an old woman selling vegetables remarked, her nose twitching at the sweet scent as Bai Qianqian approached. “What are you selling?”
“brown sugar jujube cake. It’s a delicacy. Would you like to try some, Grandma?” Seeing the woman meant no harm, Bai Qianqian decided to set up shop right beside her.
As soon as she set down her basket, she offered the vendor a small, pre-cut sample to taste.
“Made with brown sugar?” the old woman exclaimed, unable to resist taking the offered sample. “This stuff is gold!”
“Brown sugar, red jujubes, and eggs,” Bai Qianqian pitched. “It’s a real tonic, perfect for women and children.”
“So fragrant,” the woman murmured, savoring the cake. “Soft and sweet… I’ve never tasted anything like it. How much?”
The other vegetable vendors had already taken notice. They watched Bai Qianqian with curiosity, their ears practically twitching as they waited to hear the price.
“Eight copper coins for a large piece,” Bai Qianqian announced.
The nearby women visibly deflated, their interest vanishing in an instant.
“That’s too expensive,” the old vendor said, the sweet taste still lingering on her tongue. She genuinely wanted the cake, but a vendor like her only made ten or twenty coins a day.
Spending eight on a single piece was out of the question.
“It sounds expensive,” Bai Qianqian said, “but I use only the finest ingredients. You know as well as I do, Grandma, that brown sugar sells for seventy coins a pound in town. If anything, I’m selling these cakes cheap.”
Her pricing was far from arbitrary; it was based on the true cost of her ingredients.