She bought a fried oil cake and a small bag of braised dried tofu, and also some freshly baked osmanthus cakes. Holding the snacks, the fragrant smells from the street stalls suddenly filled her senses—there were sugar paintings, fried oil cakes, and all kinds of pastries. Su Wanxing felt tempted and bought a sugar painting and two other treats. A thought crossed her mind: she wondered if putting these ancient-style snacks into the space’s modern section would refresh them. She would have to try it when she returned.
After buying the snacks, Su Wanxing headed straight to the fabric shop. She entered a reasonably decent-looking “Jinxiu Fabric Shop,” where the clerk quickly approached, “Miss, what would you like to buy? We have fine silk, cotton fabrics, and ready-made garments.”
“I’m buying ready-made clothes and a few sets of underwear,” Su Wanxing said. “Get two sets of garments for me and each of my two younger siblings—sturdy cotton, durable. Here are our sizes,” she added, giving her own and Wanfeng’s and Wanyue’s, all small and slender.
The clerk nodded and quickly brought a pile of ready-made clothes. “Miss, look at these. These are newly made cotton garments—simple, elegant, durable, and comfortable. We also have underwear here, all pure cotton, absorbent and breathable.”
Su Wanxing examined the garments. The fabric was indeed thick, and the workmanship was decent. She nodded in satisfaction. “These will do. Also, get me three matching sets of underwear.”
The clerk calculated the price. “Miss, six sets of garments plus three sets of underwear comes to a total of twelve taels of silver.”
Su Wanxing took twelve taels of silver from her bamboo basket and handed it over. The clerk quickly received it, packed the clothes and underwear, and handed them to her. “Here you go, miss.”
“Thank you.” Su Wanxing placed the package into the bamboo basket. She had wanted to browse more, but then realized that the space already had everything she needed—bedding, daily necessities—so she turned and left the fabric shop.
By now, the sun was already leaning westward. Su Wanxing dared not linger. With the bamboo basket on her back, she quickened her pace toward the outskirts of the town. With everything stored in the space, her steps felt much lighter. If it weren’t for the occasional passerby, she would have liked to ride a motorcycle.
As the sun dipped behind the hills, Su Wanxing finally spotted the outline of Sujia’ao. She avoided the main village road, deliberately taking a secluded path to the ancestral hall—carrying new clothes for her siblings, she didn’t want to run into village gossipers and invite unnecessary trouble.
Near the corner of the ancestral hall, she stopped, looking around to make sure no one was watching. Then she focused and entered the Intelligent Omniscient Space. She took out the supplies she had prepared in the ancient section: a sturdy iron pot, two ceramic bowls, three brand-new quilts, two bags of rice, a bag of flour, a jar of rapeseed oil, a pack of common seasonings, several bags of sweets and pastries, and finally a tray of steaming meat buns—transferred from the modern section, freshly “steamed,” perfect for her siblings’ dinner.
She carried the supplies in two trips to the hall entrance. As soon as the door cracked open, Wanfeng’s voice came from inside: “Is that Sister?”
“It’s me,” Su Wanxing pushed the door open and smiled at her siblings clinging to the frame. “Sister’s back!”
Wanfeng grabbed Wanyue’s hand and ran over. Their eyes lit up at the sight of the pile of supplies. “Sister, what’s all this?”
“Good things for you both,” Su Wanxing said, handing over the meat buns. “Eat dinner first—these meat buns are hot. After finishing, you can have the other things.” She also placed a few bags of snacks on the stone floor. “These are treats. Eat them after the buns.”
Wanyue sniffed the buns, her little nose twitching, and murmured, “Smells… good.” Wanfeng took a bun from the tray, fed one to Wanyue, then took a big bite himself. The tender meat filling mixed with juices spread in his mouth, and he nodded repeatedly. “Delicious! Even better than what they sell in the market!”
Smiling, Su Wanxing ruffled his hair and carried the quilts and clothes into a side room. “These are new quilts and clothes. We won’t have to sleep on old straw or wear worn-out garments anymore.” She took out the ready-made clothes purchased earlier and let the siblings try them. The pure cotton fabric was soft and thick, fitting them perfectly. They huddled in front of the mirror (a small copper mirror she had taken from the space), reluctant to take off the clothes.
After settling her siblings with the buns, Su Wanxing took two pounds of pork wrapped in oil paper from the basket and tucked it under her arm. “Wanfeng, watch your sister and don’t let her run around. I’ll go deliver something to Aunt Li next door and be right back.”
“All right!” Wanfeng nodded vigorously, still holding half a bun.
Su Wanxing closed the door and quickly walked to Aunt Li’s house next door. Light glowed through the window paper. She gently knocked. “Aunt Li, are you home?”
“It’s Wanxing! Come in.” Aunt Li’s voice came from inside. She opened the door and paused when she saw the oil-wrapped package. “What’s this for?”
“Aunt Li, today I’m asking you to watch Wanfeng and the others. This is a little token of appreciation—please accept it,” Su Wanxing said, handing over the pork. “I bought it in the county town. Keep it for yourself.”
Aunt Li tried to refuse. “Child, don’t be so polite! I only watched them for a while, I can’t accept your things! Take it back to your children.”
“Please accept it, Aunt Li,” Su Wanxing said sincerely, placing the meat on the table. “I earned some money selling herbs in the county town today. In the future, I may need to trouble you to look after my siblings more. This isn’t much, but I’ll feel uneasy if you don’t accept it.”
Seeing her determination and noticing that she looked much more spirited than before, Aunt Li sighed and accepted it. “All right, I won’t be polite. If anything comes up, just tell me. I’ll keep an eye on Wanfeng and the others.”
“Thank you, Aunt Li.” Su Wanxing chatted briefly, making sure the siblings had behaved during the day, then left to go to Grandpa Li Zheng’s house at the east end of the village. This time, she didn’t come empty-handed. From the space, she brought a jar of rice wine, a bag of brown sugar, and three pounds of pork, wrapped in cloth—an appropriate gift for Grandpa Li, who was helping care for her siblings and assist with the house and land purchase.
The gate to Li Zheng’s yard was open, and clothes were still drying outside. Su Wanxing called out at the entrance, “Grandpa Li Zheng, are you home?”
“It’s Wanxing! Come in!” Li Zheng’s voice came from the main room. He was sitting at the table drinking tea. Seeing the cloth bundle, he quickly stood. “Child, why did you bring things here?”
“Grandpa Li, thanks for watching Wanfeng and the others today. This is a small gift, please try it,” Su Wanxing said, placing the bundle on the table. “It’s just some rice wine, brown sugar, and a little meat.”
Li Zheng tried to refuse, but seeing her determined attitude, he relented, letting her sit at the table and poured her a cup of tea. “Did your trip to the county town go smoothly? Did you get a good price for the herbs?”
“Very smoothly, I made quite a bit of money.” Su Wanxing sipped the tea and went straight to the point. “Grandpa Li, I’m here to talk about buying a house and land. Have you found anything suitable?”
“Coincidentally, I asked around this afternoon,” Li Zheng said with a slight smile. “At the foot of the western village hills, there’s a house from the old Wang family. The Wangs only have one son who made a fortune in silk trade in the county town. Last month, he brought his parents to the city for retirement, so the house is empty and they plan to sell it.”
Su Wanxing’s eyes lit up. “How’s the house? Sturdy? How many rooms?”
“Very sturdy, a brick-and-tile house—much better than your current ancestral hall,” Li Zheng explained. “It has two main rooms, two side rooms, and a small courtyard. Most importantly, there’s a well in the yard, making water convenient. The courtyard isn’t too big, but it’s enough for you three siblings.”
“A well is perfect; no need to fetch water from outside,” Su Wanxing thought, even more satisfied. She asked, “Are there any plots of land for sale nearby? I’d like to buy a few acres for vegetables and grains.”