In the end, Ye Wan didn’t go sleep on the kang. Using the excuse of watching Da Ya make clothes, she squeezed into the three girls’ room for a night.
San Ya was overjoyed, hugging Ye Wan and calling her “Mother.”
Er Ya said quite a few snide remarks.
Only Da Ya said nothing at all, though she glanced at Ye Wan several times.
The night passed just like that. Fortunately, the three children were thin, otherwise, the kang really wouldn’t have been able to fit them all.
At daybreak, Ye Wan got up to make breakfast. She had bought flour yesterday, so she pan-fried some flatbreads for breakfast. The flatbreads were just ready when Da Ya was about to leave, so Ye Wan gave her two to take with her.
“Da Ya, I’m going to town with you today. Do you know where to buy hongshu?” Ye Wan said as she untied her apron.
“Hongshu?”
Ye Wan explained, “It’s the digua we ate that morning.”
This place might not call them hongshu.
Da Ya replied, “The village has them. Every family grows them.”
“Doesn’t our family have any land at all? We haven’t planted anything?” Ye Wan thought that if they had land, she could plant some things, and it would be perfectly justifiable to take them out from her space then.
Although she had never farmed in her previous life, she couldn’t resist the fact that she had a cheat—she could even bring a withered tree back to life.
Da Ya shook her head.
Land had to be bought; the imperial court did not allow private land reclamation.
“We can plant things behind the courtyard, right?” Ye Wan thought. If not, she could fence off a patch in the backyard. It should be fine for growing some vegetables.
Da Ya spoke in a small voice, “We can, it’s just that we’re no good at planting things…”
They didn’t know how to grow vegetables, and neither did their father.
Da Ya and Er Ya had actually tried planting before, but the two of them were probably completely talentless. Only one seedling sprouted, and they had wasted a whole packet of vegetable seeds.
Lin An Yuan was even worse; not a single one of his sprouted.
“I want to buy some digua and vegetable seeds. Which family should I go to?”
“Have Er Ya take you,” Da Ya said, calling out for Er Ya.
“What is it? You didn’t think of me when you were buying flowers, but now that there’s work to be done, you remember me. Why should I go? I’m not a maid, I’m not going,” Er Ya said with a look of unwillingness.
Unless Ye Wan also bought her a head flower, one even prettier than San Ya’s.
Ye Wan tutted. “No need to order you around. San Ya, let’s go. Put on your new clothes.”
Last night, Ye Wan had Da Ya make San Ya’s clothes first.
“Hmph, who cares,” Er Ya said, then turned to Da Ya with an angry look. “Eldest Sister, didn’t you promise me you’d make my clothes first? How come San Ya’s are done but mine aren’t? We’re both your younger sisters, yet you play favorites.”
Da Ya said gently, “I’ll finish them for you tonight.”
“Go on and lie to me. Tonight you still have to make that woman’s clothes. Mine will definitely be last. But I want embroidery on it, so you’d better make it look good,” Er Ya said, touching the flower on her head with a Lanhua zhi gesture.
Ye Wan changed San Ya into her new clothes and tied her hair into a wanzi tou with the new, beaded hair tie. She realized this little girl was actually quite cute, just too thin.
She patted her head. “Next time your second sister tries to take your things, don’t give them to her.”
“Mother, the beads look good on you,” San Ya said, smiling sweetly at Ye Wan, her eyes full of affection.
She had a mother, and her mother was the best.
Ye Wan smiled. “You little girl, you have such a sweet mouth. I don’t want it. When we have money, I’ll wear gold.”
San Ya nodded. “I’ll buy it for Mother.”
Seeing Ye Wan leave with only San Ya, Er Ya muttered, “Who cares,” and then went to find the village girls who foraged for wild vegetables to show off.
It wasn’t even the New Year yet, and she already had a new head flower, and she would have new clothes soon.
“Hey, Lin family’s wife, what are you doing running around the village?”
As luck would have it, the first person Ye Wan met upon entering the village was Aunt Wang, who had visited before.
“Aunt Wang, are you heading out?” Ye Wan said with a smile.
“Going to the fields to pick some vegetables. What are you here for?” Aunt Wang looked at Ye Wan curiously, then saw the newly dressed San Ya, and her smile toward Ye Wan instantly became much warmer.
“I want to buy some digua. We’ve run out of food at home.”
When Aunt Wang heard she was buying, she quickly said, “My family has some! How much are you buying? Come on, let’s go to my house.”
“We really have this stuff to thank. We haven’t starved to death these past few years. It’s just that eating too much of it gives you heartburn and makes you gassy. The ones I have at home are from last year, this year’s crop isn’t ready yet. If you want a lot, I’ll give you a cheaper price.”
In the time it took to speak, they arrived at Aunt Wang’s house.
Aunt Wang’s courtyard also had an earthen house, but the courtyard walls were quite good, and the yard inside was tidy.
Perhaps everyone was out in the fields, as there seemed to be no one home at the moment.
Aunt Wang led Ye Wan directly to the root cellar.
“I want a lot. Two sacks for now,” Ye Wan thought, deciding to try two sacks first.
Every household had hongshu, and the price was cheap. Two sacks cost twenty wen.
Seeing her buy so much, Aunt Wang was puzzled. “Your family doesn’t eat rice, just this stuff?”
“I like to eat it,” Ye Wan said with a smile, not elaborating.
In an instant, Aunt Wang’s mind filled with speculation. She thought this girl was pitiful. So pretty, yet how could she…Sigh.
“Shitou, Shitou, come and carry these digua to your auntie’s house for her.”
Aunt Wang called for her youngest son. The seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth was tall and sturdy. The moment he saw Ye Wan, his eyes practically went straight. “This is…”
Most of the girls in the village were dark-skinned. Shitou was at the age to be married, and he had never seen anyone so strikingly beautiful.
Aunt Wang frowned and slapped her son, lowering her voice to a whisper, “What are your two eyes staring at? This is Lin An Yuan’s woman. If you don’t want to die, don’t look where you shouldn’t.”
Upon hearing this, Shitou shuddered and ran off. “Mother, just have Father deliver it.”
Ye Wan’s curiosity was piqued once again. She glanced at San Ya and mimicked Aunt Wang, lowering her voice, “Auntie, can you tell me about Lin An Yuan? I see you all seem quite afraid of him.”
That man was clearly so handsome. Aside from having a sharp tongue, he couldn’t be so universally hated, could he? What was the real story behind it?
“Aiya, you’re a local too, aren’t you? You don’t know about this?” Aunt Wang looked at Ye Wan several times.
“I wasn’t allowed to go out when I was at home, so I never heard about it.” She really hadn’t heard.
“That’s true. With your looks, it’s definitely not good to go out. Even though you’re with Lin An Yuan, remember to darken your face a little when you go out in the future. Don’t be so conspicuous.”
Ye Wan could tell good advice from bad. She steered the topic back, “Thank you, Auntie. About what I just asked…”
“You’ll find out as time goes on. It’s for your own good that I’m not telling you. I think you have a good heart and you’re generous, much better than Lin An Yuan’s first woman.”
“Curiosity killed the cat. Just live your life well from now on.”
Aunt Wang talked in circles, looking at Ye Wan with pity, but ultimately said nothing.
Ye Wan’s heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat’s paw. She could only smile and say, “Then I won’t disturb you any longer, Auntie. When Uncle has time later, please have him deliver it for me. I really can’t carry it.”
“Alright.”
Leading San Ya out of Aunt Wang’s house, she hadn’t walked more than a few steps before someone blocked her path.
“Aun-Auntie, hello.”
Auntie? Calling her? Ye Wan’s face darkened.