The room was utterly silent, so quiet it felt suffocating.
For some reason, Sheng An felt a bit guilty inside. She secretly glanced up at Xu Jinnian’s expression.
Seeing him looking calmly at her without any trace of anger, Sheng An nonetheless felt immense pressure, as if she might be flattened into a pancake at any moment.
She unconsciously hugged the quilt tighter, seeking some sense of security, and forced herself to continue explaining the necessity of sleeping in separate rooms:
“I’ll be setting up my stall to do business in a couple of days. Continuing to share a room will only disturb your rest more. I can’t let you suffer because of me.”
At this point, Sheng An suddenly lost her timidity. Staring boldly at Xu Jinnian, she declared generously:
“It’s settled then! Later I’ll clean up the guest room, and you can choose whichever of the two rooms you prefer!”
Xu Jinnian finally couldn’t listen any longer. Returning to sit by the bed, he looked directly into Sheng An’s eyes: “I’m not choosing.”
Perhaps feeling these three words lacked persuasiveness, he paused before continuing: “We are married, not siblings of different surnames.”
Sheng An: “…”
His argument was so reasonable she found herself speechless.
Scratching her cheek where stray hairs tickled, Sheng An wanted to argue further.
But meeting the man’s profound, unreadable eyes, her mustered courage instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, leaving her wilted and dejected:
“Fine, no separate rooms then. Just don’t kick me later when my tossing and turning keeps you awake.”
As she finished speaking, Sheng An seemed to catch the corner of the man’s lips curving upward from her peripheral vision.
“Alright, let’s not mention separate rooms again.”
Suppressing his rising smile, Xu Jinnian reached out and gently ruffled Sheng An’s bird’s nest-like hair, as if comforting her inner frustration.
After the man left the room, Sheng An hugged the quilt and rolled back and forth a couple of times, muttering to the canopy:
“His behavior doesn’t seem acted. Or is he just too good at hiding his scumbag nature?”
With Xu Jinnian’s literary talent and appearance, he could easily have married someone of equal or higher social status if he wanted to climb the social ladder.
Yet he ended up marrying a poor farm girl who could offer him no advantages.
From their interactions these past few days, Sheng An didn’t think Xu Jinnian was a scumbag.
But time changes people – she couldn’t draw conclusions too easily.
Sheng An didn’t sleep in. After tidying up, she went to the courtyard to wash up.
Just after finishing washing her face, Xu Jinnian returned carrying a vegetable basket.
The light green Jimao vegetables were dotted with dew, looking increasingly fresh and appetizing under the morning light.
Breakfast was still thick flour soup.
Unlike yesterday’s pale, unappealing version, today’s dough drops were mixed with egg. The light yellow soup paired with tender Jimao vegetables looked delicious enough to whet anyone’s appetite.
Enhanced by Sheng An’s cooking skills, this ordinary pot of thick flour soup actually attracted several cats climbing onto the courtyard wall begging for food.
Being quite stingy, Sheng An told the cats on the wall:
“My family’s food doesn’t grow on trees. If you want to eat, bring something to trade – small fish or shrimp, I’m not picky.”
Since she could time-travel, maybe among these kittens there was one that understood human speech and would actually bring her small fish or shrimp?
The cats knew nothing of someone’s daydreams. Seeing this stingy human refusing to share even a little food, they all meowed even louder.
Only when the aroma of food gradually faded did they reluctantly leap down from the courtyard wall and walk away dejectedly.
After the meal, Xu Jinnian cleared the dishes, while Sheng An returned to her room to fetch her coin pouch and said to him, “I’m going to the street to buy some things and will be back before lunch.”
Xu Jinnian was somewhat uneasy: “I’ll go with you.”
Sheng An shook her head: “I’m just going to the market we visited yesterday. I can manage on my own.”
Seeing her mind was made up, Xu Jinnian didn’t insist, but gave her an additional piece of broken silver.
Sheng An followed yesterday’s route to the market, with her first stop being a shop specializing in stoves and charcoal.
The Xu family had a stove, but it was too small and designed for charcoal, making it unsuitable for a street stall.
Looking at over a dozen stoves of various sizes and purposes, Sheng An settled on one that was half a person’s height, could accommodate a large iron pot, and could burn firewood.
The price was quite reasonable, and after some haggling with the shopkeeper, Sheng An spent one hundred and fifty wen.
The only drawback was that this large stove was very cumbersome, and Sheng An’s thin arms and legs couldn’t possibly move it.
The shopkeeper could help with delivery, but it would cost an extra ten wen for the service.
Being short on money, Sheng An couldn’t bear the expense and decided to buy the other items first, then go home to borrow a cart to transport it.
After purchasing the stove, Sheng An went to a kitchenware store and bought a large pot, thirty sets of bowls and chopsticks, as well as a ladle and strainer, spending less than three hundred wen in total and nearly depleting the money she had brought.
Feeling the pitiful five copper coins left in her pocket, Sheng An sighed helplessly: “We’re still too poor.”
In her previous life, Sheng An had also been poor for over a decade, but never as destitute as now.
Every purchase required careful calculation, wishing she could split one wen into two.
The pots, bowls, and utensils were quite heavy. With both hands full, Sheng An struggled mightily and arrived home panting and out of breath.
Hearing the commotion, Xu Jinnian in the study immediately put down his brush and came out.
Seeing Sheng An drenched in sweat and too exhausted to straighten up, he hurried over to take the items from her hands, regretting that he hadn’t insisted on going with her.
“Ah, you only realize your lack of strength when you need it,” Sheng An gasped enviously, watching Xu Jinnian effortlessly lift the things.
They both ate the same grains, so why were men stronger than women?
After putting the items away, Xu Jinnian poured a cup of warm water for Sheng An, who was slumped in a chair: “What else do you need to buy? I’ll go get it now.”
Sheng An took the cup and gulped the water down, wiping her mouth boldly as she replied: “There’s still a large stove I couldn’t carry. We need to borrow a cart to bring it back.”
Hearing this, Xu Jinnian immediately realized that a cart was essential for street vending.
Their family’s funds weren’t enough to buy a new cart. After a brief thought, Xu Jinnian suggested:
“Auntie has a small unused cart at her place. I’ll take you to Auntie’s house to have a look.”
Sheng An stood up immediately: “Let’s hurry.”
A small cart was indispensable for selling Wonton at a stall. If the one at her aunt’s wasn’t suitable, she would have to borrow money from her aunt to buy a new one.
After informing Xu Chenglin, the two hurried off to the Zhang Family where Xu Cuilian lived.
The Zhang father and his three sons had gone to the countryside to buy pigs, leaving only Xu Cuilian busy at home.
After hearing her nephew and niece-in-law’s purpose for visiting, Xu Cuilian directly led them to the backyard and, pointing to a small cart in the corner, said: “Just take it and use it. No need to return it.”
After speaking, Xu Cuilian quickly returned to the house without waiting for their replies, then came out shortly after and shoved several pieces of broken silver into Sheng An’s hands:
“Our Xu family has never produced a businessperson before. I won’t oppose you setting up a stall to sell wontons. Take this money as your capital. Keep the profits if you succeed, and consider me unlucky if you lose.”
Knowing Jinnian’s temperament, she wouldn’t have come to borrow the cart unless she was short on funds.
Sheng An never expected Xu Cuilian to do this. After recovering from her surprise, she hurriedly declined:
“No need, no need. We’ve already prepared everything we need. We’ll start earning money once we set up the stall tomorrow.”
Growing impatient, Xu Cuilian pushed harder: “Take it when it’s given to you! Who knows if anyone will even want your wontons!”
Sheng An: “…”
Aunt, could you please show a little confidence?
The two went back and forth in their polite struggle until Xu Jinnian finally spoke up. Only then did Xu Cuilian reluctantly withdraw the silver, glaring at Sheng An with displeasure:
“Where are you planning to set up your stall? I know some people – I’ll have them patronize your business later.”
Sheng An replied with a smile: “Right at the Nanfang market. It’s close to home and convenient to commute.”
The Nanfang market was where they had gone the past two times, and the Zhang Family’s pork stall was also located there.
The morning market hours drew the largest crowds, and since Sheng An was selling wontons, she was targeting that particular time period.
Once she saved up enough capital, she planned to rent a small shop where she could serve all three meals of the day.
It would be exhausting work, but the earnings would be greater too.
Sheng An wasn’t afraid of hard work – she was afraid of poverty.
“Alright, doing morning business won’t interfere with you taking care of your father-in-law.”
Xu Cuilian felt increasingly satisfied with Sheng An, and her gaze lost some of its previous criticism.
Regardless of whether the business would succeed, at least this niece-in-law was hardworking and willing to exert effort for her husband’s family.
For this reason alone, she was far better than those thieving women who only focused on taking things from their husband’s families to bring back to their maiden homes.