The Black Butcher stared lecherously at Ye Wan. The more he looked, the prettier he found this young woman. Her face was just a bit dark. Why hadn’t he seen her in town before? If he knew which family she belonged to, later on…
“Cough, cough, cough…”
The Coughing Old Man had just wrapped up his meat and taken two steps when he began to cough violently. Soon, he was so out of breath it was as if a bellows was being worked in his throat.
“Damn it, you old coot, hurry up and get lost! Don’t you dare die in front of my stall!” the Black Butcher cursed.
San Ya looked at Ye Wan. “Mother, can I give my water to the old grandpa?”
Ye Wan nodded.
San Ya handed over her small bamboo flask. “Old grandpa, have some water.”
The Coughing Old Man initially didn’t want to accept it, but his coughing was too severe, and dark spots were clouding his vision.
No, I can’t collapse here. I still have to go back and cook porridge for my old wife. She’s waiting for me.
Driven by the instinct to survive, the Coughing Old Man took a sip of water. A cool sensation spread from his throat to his stomach, suddenly suppressing his urge to cough.
Feeling better, the Coughing Old Man gratefully handed the bamboo flask back.
Ye Wan stopped San Ya, who was reaching out to take it. “Old sir, it’s a gift for you. Go home soon.”
“Thank you,” the Coughing Old Man said. Thinking of his chronic cough, he took the bamboo flask back.
He decided he would make a new one later and return it along with the money for the meat.
The Coughing Old Man departed with heavy steps.
The Black Butcher struck up a conversation. “Young lady, you’re as beautiful as you are kind. I’ll be sure to patronize your business later.”
“Thank you, big brother. Could I trouble you to watch my child for a moment? I need to move some of this to my stall.”
Ye Wan had spotted a nearby alley. She had bought a lot of meat and wanted to use the opportunity to put it into her space.
The Black Butcher nodded. “Hey, sure thing. Don’t worry, the little girl won’t get lost with me here.”
Ye Wan picked up most of the meat, placed it in her basket, and left. The alley happened to be empty, so she put the meat into her space and returned.
She didn’t feel at ease leaving San Ya there alone.
“Young lady, how are you back so quickly?”
“My husband is up ahead, so I just gave it to him. Big brother, can you give me those bones?”
Ye Wan pointed to a few large, bare bones under the stall, wanting to take them back to make a soup base.
She could also make bone broth noodles.
The Black Butcher shook his head. “No can do. People still buy these bones. It’s a small business; if I give them to you, where’s my profit?”
“There’s not a speck of meat left on them, and people still buy them?” Ye Wan was surprised.
The meat on them had been scraped completely clean. At most, there was only the marrow inside. She had thought these could be given away as a little extra.
“Hah, you don’t know, do you, young lady? There are plenty of families who can’t afford meat. They buy one of these bones and boil it over and over again just to get a taste of meat.”
“Some also come to rent them. Renting is cheaper than buying. Take that old man who just bought meat, for example. He probably only had those ten wen to his name. If you hadn’t kindly given him a piece, he would have only been able to buy one of these bones to get a taste of meat.”
Rent?
Ye Wan was stunned for a long moment. She picked up the remaining meat and led San Ya back.
She had originally thought Lin An Yuan was poor enough, with his whole family looking sallow and emaciated. Now it seemed that for him to be able to support his three daughters in a world like this was already quite an accomplishment.
Ye Wan took San Ya for another stroll and bought some vegetables from a vegetable seller.
It wasn’t until the hottest part of the day that Lin An Yuan appeared at their stall.
“Sold out?”
Lin An Yuan pushed the cart as they walked.
Ye Wan suddenly spoke up. “Lin An Yuan, once we’ve earned some money, let’s rent a courtyard in town. This running back and forth is too tiring, and it’ll be more convenient for Da Ya to get to work.”
“Mm, you focus on making money. I’m counting on you,” Lin An Yuan said in a faint tone.
Ye Wan was surprised that he wasn’t being sarcastic for once. She nodded. “Fine, but you have to keep your word. Don’t forget the three-year agreement you promised me.”
“You fulfill your part first before you make demands of me,” Lin An Yuan replied, thinking back to the person he had seen at Qingfeng Lou today.
Ye Wan turned to look at him. “On what grounds? Shouldn’t we both be abiding by the agreement?”
“On the grounds that I saved your life. I call the shots.”
“…”
…
“You’re back? You really sold it all?”
Upon entering the courtyard, Er Ya, who was sitting under the eaves weaving a basket, looked surprised to see the empty cart.
The willow branches were ones that had been dried in the shade from before; they hadn’t cut any new ones from the mountain recently.
“Go wash these bamboo bowls,” Ye Wan ordered Er Ya without a shred of mercy.
“Why should I?” Er Ya glared at Ye Wan.
The moment she walked in the door, she started ordering her around. She wasn’t Ye Wan’s maid.
Beside them, Da Ya put down her needlework. “I’ll wash them.”
She hadn’t gone to work today, rushing to make new clothes for the family.
“Alright. I won’t have you work for free. I’ll give you ten wen a day, settled once a month.”
Even with family, a little incentive was needed to get them to work with gusto.
“What, ten wen? Eldest sister, let me do it!” As soon as Er Ya heard the offer, she scurried over.
Ye Wan spoke heartlessly, “There’s no money if you wash them.”
Er Ya stomped her foot. “Why not? Eldest sister gets paid to do it, but I don’t? Aren’t you just bullying me on purpose?”
“Who’s bullying you? I gave you the chance at the beginning. Who told you to make excuses? You can’t blame me for that,” Ye Wan said with a tsk-tsk and went into the kitchen.
You little dark-skinned girl, it’d be a wonder if I didn’t cure you of this bad habit.
“You black-hearted, rotten-gutted woman, you only know how to bully me! I don’t even want to wash them! The money you earn belongs to my dad anyway, what’s there to be so smug about?”
“Second sister, don’t you dare curse Mother!” San Ya said loudly.
“You ungrateful thing! Have you forgotten who raised you from a baby, cleaning up your piss and shit? Is that your mother that you’re sucking up to her? Be careful that black-hearted woman doesn’t sell you!”
Er Ya’s cursing voice echoed in the courtyard.
Ye Wan hummed a little tune and started lighting the fire to cook, her mood beautiful.
It was too slow for her to make the Sweet Potato Noodles alone. She could hire people for the initial steps. She would ask Lin An Yuan later who would be a suitable hire.
She had bought a lot of meat today and would make some braised pork. It was a pity she hadn’t been willing to splurge on rice.
“Lin An Yuan, are you home?”
“Grandpa Village Chief.”
Da Ya put down her needlework and went out to greet him. Er Ya, who had been cursing, also fell silent.
A large crowd had gathered outside the courtyard. Almost everyone who was idle at this time of day had come, led by the Village Chief.
Ye Wan came out of the kitchen to see this scene, even spotting a few familiar faces.
“Village Chief, is there something you need me for?”
Lin An Yuan emerged from behind the house. Even dressed in patched short clothes and holding a hoe, he made the dilapidated courtyard look a little better.
“This new woman you bought instigated Zhang Erniu to break off his engagement and marry your Da Ya. The Li Family Girl from Cow Dung Village got desperate and almost died,” the Village Chief said with a frown, his gaze shifting to Ye Wan, who was standing at the kitchen doorway.
Ye Wan: ?
“You little slut, it was you! It was you last time! How can your heart be so black? If we hadn’t found her in time, my La Mei would have hanged herself!” Zhang Erniu’s maternal aunt pointed at Ye Wan and cursed, her eyes looking like she wanted to eat her alive.
A nameless fire rose in Ye Wan. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Lin An Yuan say:
“What does it have to do with her whether your La Mei or Dong Mei lives or dies?”