“Then help me mend some clothes instead. Your needlework is much better than mine.” Qin Suian opened her bundle, took out an old shirt with holes in it along with some needle and thread, and handed them to Xiaomei.
Xiaomei was clever and skillful with her hands. Her sewing was excellent, and she had even taught herself embroidery.
Even without a teacher, her embroidered flowers and plants, and her mending skills, were praised by everyone who saw them.
Having no choice, Xiaomei accepted the clothes and began stitching them up.
Qin Suian and Xiaojuan wrapped old clothes around their heads and started a thorough cleaning, from the roof beams to the walls.
The house was probably several decades old, but because it had been cared for, it didn’t seem shabby.
Besides the central main hall, the rooms on the left and right were both rectangular, each around twenty square meters. Both had windows in the front and back, all fitted with glass panes, making the rooms bright even without opening them.
Each room already had wooden beds, cabinets, and tables, so there was no need to buy extra furniture.
Xiaomei was concentrating on mending clothes when she heard a knock at the door and got up to answer it.
Outside stood an elderly woman with a cool expression.
Seeing Xiaomei’s heavily pregnant belly, Grandma Qin immediately knew this must be Xiao Qin’s eldest daughter, Xiaomei.
“You’ve started cleaning already?” Grandma Qin walked in as Qin Suian, hearing the commotion, came out from the room.
“Auntie, you’re here?” Qin Suian greeted warmly with a smile.
“How are you planning to cook today? Do you have coal?” Grandma Qin peeked into the kitchen.
“There’s firewood. I saw some in the backyard. Sister Zhou said we could use it,” Qin Suian replied.
“That’s good then. If you’re missing anything, you can come borrow it from me.” Grandma Qin didn’t stay long. After taking a look around, she left.
She had simply been curious about Qin Suian’s two daughters and came to see them for herself.
A little while later, Zhou Jinfeng also came over, carrying a kettle.
“This originally belonged here anyway. I don’t need it over at my place, so I brought it back,” Zhou Jinfeng said. She too had come to see Xiaomei and Xiaojuan.
Both girls seemed lovely—one delicate and quiet, the other sturdy and simple-hearted.
“Thank you, Sister Zhou.” Qin Suian gratefully accepted the kettle. They truly needed it.
Without it, she had planned to scrub out the cooking pot first just to boil water.
“You know how to draw water from the well, right?” Zhou Jinfeng asked casually. She told them to make themselves at home, said they could freely pick vegetables from the garden behind the house, and even stayed to help for quite a while before finally leaving.
After Qin Suian hauled several buckets of well water to wipe down and mop the floors, she drew up some fresh clear water and handed the task of boiling it over to Xiaomei.
That evening, Qin Suian went to the nearby market and bought two jin of eggs, several jin of rice, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings. Together, the mother and daughters prepared the first meal in their new home.
They carried the cleaned dining table and stools into the courtyard and sat down to enjoy the first proper meal they’d had since leaving the Wang family.
Smashed cucumber salad, tomato scrambled eggs, and stir-fried greens.
Simple dishes, but the three of them ate happily.
So eating could actually feel this relaxed and comfortable, like being treated as human beings.
As Xiaomei ate, tears suddenly rolled down her cheeks. She lowered her head, choking back sobs.
Qin Suian and Xiaojuan’s eyes reddened as well.
“Don’t cry. From now on, we’ll always eat like this.” Qin Suian picked up a bite of tomato and egg and stuffed it into her mouth, eating heartily. It tasted so fragrant, so delicious.
That night, Qin Suian slept deeply and peacefully. When she woke the next morning, she felt full of energy.
She told Xiaomei and Xiaojuan to continue tidying up the remaining parts of the house while she went to the farmers’ market to prepare for her pickle business.
Though called a farmers’ market, it had originally just been a gathering place where nearby vegetable farmers sold produce. Over time, it gradually developed into a proper market.
Qin Suian walked around the market several times, buying dozens of jin of cucumbers, celtuce, chili peppers, and other seasonal vegetables, along with plenty of spices and seasonings.
She also bought several secondhand basins and ceramic jars.
Since there were so many things, she naturally hired Xie Kaihua, who was waiting outside for hauling work.
Xie Kaihua helped Qin Suian load everything onto the cart, and together they rode the horse cart back to the new home.
“You move fast! You rented a place so quickly?” Xie Kaihua had become somewhat familiar with Qin Suian by now, and chatted with her while driving the cart.
“I met good people.” Qin Suian smiled brightly as she shelled a peanut and popped it into her mouth, obviously in a good mood.
After being reborn, she had decided to treat both her daughters well—and herself too. She no longer wanted to live like a bitter melon, scraping by miserably and pinching every penny.
When it was time to spend, she would spend. When it was time to eat, she would eat.
Seeing the smile on her face, Xie Kaihua felt happy for her too.
“Thanks for the hard work, Master Xie.” After arriving, Xie Kaihua even helped unload everything into the courtyard before Qin Suian paid her the transport fee.
“No need to be so polite.” Xie Kaihua accepted the money with a hearty grin.
After seeing her off, Qin Suian looked around the house. The sisters had already cleaned up most of it.
Xiaomei was wiping down the bed boards in another room, while Xiaojuan was washing pots, bowls, and utensils in a large basin beside the well.
Rolling up her sleeves, Qin Suian joined them and began cleaning the jars and containers she had bought.
She had carefully selected them when purchasing, tapping each one to check for cracks. Most only had small chips, which didn’t affect their use.
First, Qin Suian scrubbed the inside and outside thoroughly with warm water and a brush.
Then she submerged the jars in a large pot of cold water, boiled them over high heat for ten minutes, turned off the fire, and let them cool naturally to room temperature.
Afterward, she turned the jars upside down to dry in the sun, then continued washing the cutting boards, kitchen knives, and bamboo baskets she had bought, scalding each one with boiling water.
Only then did she start washing the celtuce, cucumbers, and chili peppers.
The celtuce needed peeling, while the cucumbers and peppers could simply be cut into strips and pieces.
Once Xiaomei and Xiaojuan finished their own chores, they came over to help.
As she worked, Qin Suian taught her daughters each step—how to cut the vegetables, remove excess moisture, season them, and pickle them.
This entire process was second nature to her. She had done it nearly every day for more than ten years, her movements smooth and flowing like water.
Xiaomei and Xiaojuan watched with eyes full of admiration and amazement.
Xiaomei was quick-witted and dexterous, learning very fast. She even brought over a notebook to record the recipes and procedures.
Xiaojuan was strong and learned knife work quickly. The cucumber strips she cut were both fast and even.
“Xiaomei, these notes are only for you and Xiaojuan to read. Don’t casually show them to anyone,” Qin Suian reminded her.
These days, any sort of recipe was considered a family treasure. If someone stole it, they would lose their advantage.
“Once Xiaojuan and I memorize everything, we’ll burn the notes,” Xiaomei quickly replied after the reminder.
After preparing all the ingredients, Qin Suian began teaching them how to pickle the celtuce and cucumbers.
Although the seasonings were mostly similar, the two vegetables had different textures, so the steps and flavoring required slight adjustments.
Over there, the celtuce and cucumbers had already been mixed with salt and set aside to release water.
Meanwhile, Qin Suian prepared the sauce in the kitchen.
She poured soy sauce, white sugar, star anise, cinnamon bark, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, and other ingredients into the pot. After bringing it to a boil over low heat, she turned off the fire.
Then she added vinegar, sliced garlic, and sliced ginger before leaving it to cool naturally.