Chapter 5: Meeting Aunt YuEarly the next morning, before dawn had broken, Lin Qinghe got up. She glanced at her younger sister sleeping beside her, tucked the quilt snugly around her, and then headed to the kitchen.She worked quickly, and in no time, she had cooked a pot of porridge and baked several flatbreads.She served herself a bowl of porridge and ate it, then wrapped a flatbread in a cloth and tucked it into her clothes. After that, she went out into the courtyard.Hearing the commotion, Lin Qingsong also got up. When he entered the courtyard, he saw Lin Qinghe carrying a load of firewood on a shoulder pole, ready to leave."Elder Sister, are you leaving already?" He looked up at the sky, which was just beginning to brighten. For someone with poor eyesight, it would be hard to see the path underfoot. It was far too early."It’s good that you’re up. I’ve already cooked porridge in the kitchen. You and the others can eat it later. Save the flatbreads for lunch—just heat them up. I need to hurry now. The earlier I leave, the earlier I can return." After giving her instructions, she shouldered the firewood and left.Lin Qingsong stood at the gate, staring intently in the direction she had gone for a long while before finally closing the courtyard gate. Then, he began practicing martial arts in the yard.Their father had taught them these moves when he was still alive. Lin Qingsong had started practicing at the age of three and had been doing so for several years. He had long since memorized the routines, and even without guidance or supervision, he could perform them fluently from start to finish.Lin Qinghe carried the firewood without stopping along the way. From the faint light of dawn to the full brightness of day, she occasionally saw other people on the road. Though she took breaks now and then, her pace remained brisk.Everyone who saw her on the road couldn’t help but look surprised. If it were a grown man carrying such a load of firewood, no one would think much of it. But she was just a young girl, and the firewood was no light burden. Yet she walked with light, steady steps, earning silent admiration for her strength.She hardly wasted any time along the way. By the time the sun was high overhead, she finally entered the city gates. Familiar with the county town, she walked purposefully to the area dedicated to selling firewood.Only when she set her load down did she have a moment to glance around. She noticed five or six other firewood sellers, all of them sturdy men. As the only young girl among them, she stood out conspicuously.This was a corner of the market. Not far away was the bustling area where vegetables and meat were sold, teeming with people. But their little corner was quiet and deserted, attracting only those who needed firewood.Before long, a robust woman in her forties approached, her eyes scanning the bundles of firewood.Seeing her, the men who had been sitting or leaning against the wall perked up, looking at her with hopeful expressions.She stopped in front of one man’s firewood and asked, "How much for this firewood?"The man chuckled. "Auntie, this bundle is seven coins. Look, my firewood is drier than the others—it burns better."The woman nodded slightly. "That’s a bit expensive. Usually, it’s five coins for a load.""It’s not expensive at all. I carried it all the way from the village, leaving before dawn. It’s hard work.""Who isn’t working hard if they’re not born into a wealthy family? Why should you be the only one complaining?" The woman turned away, clearly unimpressed by his reasoning.But as soon as she turned her head, she noticed a small girl selling firewood nearby and said with slight surprise, "Little girl, are you also selling firewood? Who helped you carry it here?"Lin Qinghe smiled at the question and replied, "No one helped me. I carried it here myself."The woman was taken aback for a moment, then looked at the firewood and saw it was quite dry. She asked, "How much for this firewood?""Five wen." She knew the market price—a load of firewood cost five wen. The man earlier who asked for two wen more was being greedy, but if someone bought it, he would have profited."You're fair, little girl. I'll take this firewood. Help me carry it back!""Alright, thank you, ma'am." Lin Qinghe responded cheerfully.Selling firewood came with a delivery service. Having already walked such a long way, a little more distance didn’t matter. She readily shouldered the load and followed the woman.The woman had a cheerful disposition and chatted with her along the way. "My family runs a tofu shop, so we need a lot of firewood. If you have more in the future, just bring it directly to my shop."Having lived for decades and met many people, she could roughly guess the girl’s situation without asking. If there were any other adults in the family, they wouldn’t have let a young girl like her come out to sell firewood. That man earlier complained about hardship—what hardship? This little girl was the one truly suffering.Lin Qinghe was delighted to hear such good news, as it would save her time selling firewood. She promptly agreed, "Thank you, ma'am.""No need for thanks. You offered a fair price, and the firewood is good. You’re an honest person, and my shop happens to need it. Delivering it directly saves me the trouble of buying it every day."The woman led her to the backyard, and Lin Qinghe helped stack the firewood."My maiden surname is Yu. You can call me Aunt Yu." The woman counted out five wen and handed it to her.Lin Qinghe took the money and tucked it into her pouch. "Thank you, Aunt Yu. I noticed the shop seems quite busy, with people coming and going."Aunt Yu smiled. "Business is indeed decent, thanks to the neighbors around here. But running a business isn’t easy. Sometimes, if we make too little, it’s not enough to sell, and those who can’t buy tofu get upset. But if we make too much, no one buys it, and tofu doesn’t keep well. If the family can’t finish it, it just goes bad. Ah, why am I telling you, a little girl, all this?"Lin Qinghe, however, listened thoughtfully. Tofu didn’t necessarily have to go to waste. If it couldn’t be eaten fresh, it could be made into fermented tofu, which tasted decent too.She had never made fermented tofu herself but knew the method. She could give it a try. Even if her first attempt wasn’t perfect, at worst, the flavor might be a bit off. But people nowadays weren’t as picky as those in later times, so trying something new should be fine.With this in mind, she took out the five wen she had just tucked into her pouch, still warm from her touch."Aunt Yu, I’ll use these five wen to buy tofu."Surprised by this, Aunt Yu said, "Buying so much? Can you finish it all? If not, it’ll go bad.""Don’t worry, Aunt Yu. It won’t go bad.""Alright, one coin gets you two pieces of tofu. With your five coins, you can buy ten pieces. Since I feel a connection with you, I'll give you two extra pieces to enjoy—that makes twelve pieces in total." As she spoke, she deftly wrapped the tofu in leaves, placed it in a basket, and handed the basket over."You can take this basket for now and return it to me next time you come to town.""Thank you so much, Auntie." She had been worried about how to carry everything.

Eldest Sister of a Farming Family: Managing the Household, Farming and Opening Shops