A fan sold at one price; if it carried a painting, it was another price.
No matter how well Gu Xiao painted, as long as she was the one to paint it, the value changed.
Manager Zhang thought to himself: *This girl is shrewd. If it weren’t absolutely necessary, if I weren’t afraid of ruining the fan, I’d surely find someone else.*
“Miss, if you paint it, that’s fine. Silver is no problem.”
Gu Xiao said, “Then please bring a brush and ink.”
In the past, when she made folding fans, she always painted the faces herself—plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum most often.
This fan was crafted cleverly, and the plum blossoms upon it even more so. Sparse shadows slanted, faint fragrance drifting; a branch of ink plum blossoms dotted across, as if growing right out of the fan.
The manager lifted the fan and blew gently. The more he looked, the better it seemed—perfectly harmonious. Even the gray, unremarkable tassel hanging from the ribs matched beautifully.
Playing with the fan, he said, “Miss, how about three hundred coins for this fan?”
“I’m not cheating you. If this fan reached the provincial capital, Shengjing, it might sell for several times more. But…”
Gu Xiao knew what he meant. Yes, in Shengjing it could fetch more—but only if it could get there.
Gu Xiao couldn’t go there, and even if she did, she had no connections. Whether it could be sold was uncertain. Three hundred coins was already a lot.
Gu Xiao nodded. “Alright. Three hundred is plenty. Thank you, Manager Zhang.”
Manager Zhang waved his hand. “Not at all, not at all. It’s I who should thank you.”
The clerk weighed out two taels of silver and counted one hundred copper coins, handing them to Gu Xiao.
After so many days of coming here, selling baskets and folding fans, this was the first time Gu Xiao had touched silver.
Silver was a fine thing—it could be made into silver thread, scattered as silver paper, but most importantly, it was money.
Gu Xiao didn’t buy anything else at the academy. In two days Shen Xihe would return and stay for three days; whatever she bought would be hard to hide. She didn’t need to buy pens or paper, but meat—meat was necessary.
Carrying her money, Gu Xiao went to the butcher’s stall. The first time she had only looked. Later she bought half a pound of meat. Now, Gu Xiao could even afford lamb.
The butcher recognized her. “Miss, what kind of meat today?”
Gu Xiao said, “A pound of ribs, four pig’s feet, and a pound of pork fat.”
The Shen family used soybean oil. They couldn’t afford meat, let alone pork lard. But pork lard was fragrant. A spoonful of snowy-white lard over a bowl of rice made any dish taste delicious. The cracklings could be used for stuffing, or dipped in sugar—also tasty.
The butcher cheerfully chopped the ribs into pieces and threw in two big bones for free. Ribs were fifteen coins a pound, four pig’s feet fifteen coins, pork fat thirteen coins a pound. Altogether, forty‑three coins.
Gu Xiao still had two taels of silver and sixty‑six copper coins left. At last, she had managed to save some money. She set aside six coins for Madam Zhou.
Madam Zhou cared most about Shen Xihe. As long as Gu Xiao saved money for him, Madam Zhou wouldn’t object to what she bought.
Back at the Shen household, Gu Xiao’s first words were: “Mother, Husband will soon have his farm leave!”
Madam Zhou calculated in her mind. “Mm, it should be about this time.”
“Husband already works hard enough studying, and now he has to come back and help with planting.” Gu Xiao spoke in a voice neither loud nor soft—just enough for Madam Zhou to hear.
For Madam Chen and Madam Li, it was only right that Shen Xihe return to help with the farming. But for Madam Zhou, Shen Xihe’s duty was to study. She favored her youngest son—everyone else in the household could share more of the work, so Shen Xihe need not.
Madam Zhou said, “When Third Brother comes home on holiday, he should spend more time reading.”
Gu Xiao set the basket down in the kitchen. “Mother, studying is even more exhausting. Work tires the body, but reading drains the mind. Husband only gets to stay home for a few days—he needs nourishment.”
Madam Zhou immediately sensed something was off. Her eyes fixed on the basket in Gu Xiao’s hands. “What have you bought again? Don’t you dare hide it!”
Gu Xiao placed the basket on the floor. “Just a little meat. Husband rarely comes home…”
Madam Zhou nearly fainted with anger, wishing she could call upon the Jade Emperor himself. The Shen family wasn’t wealthy—how could they eat meat every day!
Gu Xiao was so extravagant. How would they live in the future? She only thought of Shen Xihe eating well and studying, never planning ahead.
Madam Zhou resolved: today, no matter what, she would lecture Gu Xiao and break this habit.
“Stand right there! You’re going to drive me to my grave!” Madam Zhou’s chest rose and fell. “Do you think money grows on trees? You’re squandering it recklessly!”
Gu Xiao lowered her head, tugging at her clothes, looking every bit the bullied little wife.
Madam Zhou had only spoken a few words, yet seeing Gu Xiao like this, it was as if she had scolded her far too harshly.
With her head lowered and eyes downcast, Madam Zhou couldn’t bear it anymore.
Everything Gu Xiao did was for Shen Xihe. A young girl walking ten miles a day to the county to deliver meals, still finding ways to earn money. Most importantly, the meat she bought—others in the household ate little, but she and Third Brother ate more. When one eats another’s food, one softens. Madam Zhou’s voice eased. “Mother wasn’t scolding you just now…”
Gu Xiao lifted her head briefly, then quickly lowered it again. “I only wanted Mother and Husband to eat better…”
Madam Zhou was choked by guilt. The meat had gone into her own stomach. The family never expected Gu Xiao to earn money. Yet she spent her hard‑saved coins on meat, cooked it with care, and still got scolded. What fault was hers? At noon she delivered food, bought meat, and came home only to be reprimanded.
Madam Zhou coughed. “Mother spoke too harshly. Let’s leave this matter for now. Eat first. There’s still one flatbread left from yesterday—I saved it for you.”
Gu Xiao said, “I won’t eat it. Save it for Husband. Mother, here are six coins—please keep them for him.” She pressed the copper coins into Madam Zhou’s hand. They were still warm from being held.
Madam Zhou’s heart twisted. “Child… how can you not eat? Why save it for Third Brother? You must eat!”
Gu Xiao stood silently. Zhou tucked the money into her bosom and went to the kitchen to bring her food. “Look how thin you are. You must eat… Mother won’t scold you anymore. Thinking of Third Brother is a good thing. He’s fortunate to have a wife like you.”
“Meat bought is meat bought. Cook it however you like.” Madam Zhou calculated—Gu Xiao had secretly given her money twice before, and now another six coins. Altogether, ten coins.
Madam Zhou deliberately kept her face stern. “Satisfied now? Always thinking of Third Brother.”
Gu Xiao bit into the flatbread. “Mother, the very first bite is always for you!”
The meaning was clear—she thought of Madam Zhou even more.
Madam Zhou felt deeply gratified. Gu Xiao was thoughtful and filial, and she knew it.
Gu Xiao said, “Mother, buying meat doesn’t mean I’ll forget to save money. Please don’t keep scolding me. I want you to eat well. In the future, I’ll buy you even more delicious things!”
Madam Zhou nodded blankly. When she had first married, she had lived under her mother‑in‑law’s control, not allowed to save even a single coin. It was Old Master Shen who secretly bought her food.
Later, when the family split and she had children, Madam Zhou kept control of the money. Old Master Shen no longer bought her food.
Shen Dalang and Shen Erlang would secretly buy things for their wives and children, but none of them remembered their old mother.
Third Brother would bring back pastries, but never once had he brought any for Gu Xiao.
Madam Zhou thought carefully—indeed, not once. Her brows furrowed. Xiao Xiao delivered meals to him every day, bought meat, saved money—yet Third Brother didn’t even know to care for her?
Madam Zhou’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. “Ah, you child…”
Gu Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. From now on, Madam Zhou probably wouldn’t complain when she bought things.
“Mother, let’s make flatbreads. The scallions in the garden have grown—we can have scallion pancakes.” Gu Xiao quickly finished her meal. “Mother, I bought ribs, pig’s feet, and pork fat. I can even make noodles for you!”
Madam Zhou laughed and scolded, “Always thinking of eating.” She herself hadn’t eaten ribs many times. Scallion pancakes sounded good, and if Gu Xiao made noodles, they should be tasty too.
In the afternoon they had to go back to the fields, but the pork fat couldn’t be left sitting. It was only a pound, and rendering lard was quick. One pound of fat produced half a clay jar of oil.
What remained were golden cracklings.
The cracklings were still hot, some even bubbling. Gu Xiao asked Madam Zhou for a little sugar, dipped a piece of crackling in it, and offered the first bite to Madam Zhou.
Madam Zhou felt awkward, but opened her mouth anyway. It was truly fragrant and sweet.
“Mother, have two more pieces!”
“I won’t. Children love this sort of thing. Hurry and eat—afterward we still have to go to the fields.” Madam Zhou shook her head and left the kitchen, thinking Gu Xiao really had a child’s temperament.
One piece was enough for Gu Xiao. She didn’t forget Shen Xihe either. “Then I’ll save the rest for Husband.”
Madam Zhou longed for Shen Xihe to return quickly, while Gu Xiao only wished he would never come back. Three days at home meant making fans and working the fields. Even though the meals were better than before, Gu Xiao still grew thinner, her face smaller. She found time to make fans—two in total, with plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum all represented. Before Shen Xihe returned, she hurried to the bookshop and sold them, adding half a tael of silver to her little treasury.
Seven mace of silver and sixty copper coins—she had to hide them well, never letting Shen Xihe see.
After much thought, Gu Xiao dug a hole beneath the bed, buried all the money, covered it with soil, and pressed it firmly down.
Shen Xihe was about to return. Madam Li and Madam Chen were delighted—one more person meant one more helping hand. At noon, while cooking, Madam Chen teased Gu Xiao: “Xiao Xiao, today Third Brother comes home.”
Gu Xiao lowered her head with a smile. “Husband can stay home for three days this time. That’s wonderful.” What could she do when Shen Xihe came back? She couldn’t very well drive him out.
“I’ve been longing for Husband to return,” Gu Xiao said without sincerity. “I wish he would appear before me this very instant.”
Madam Chen had no reply. Gu Xiao blinked.
Madam Chen smiled. “Xiao Xiao, look who’s at the door.”
Gu Xiao turned her head and saw Shen Xihe, travel‑worn, standing at the doorway. She couldn’t tell how much he had overheard before coming in.