After a quick lunch, Jiang Yue set off for the county seat with Jiang Ming in tow, their ox-cart rattling behind them. She had a roe deer to sell and a list of supplies that grew longer by the minute.
Old Man Luo had refused to take the pheasants and hares, so Jiang Yue bundled them together and sold them to Shopkeeper Qin. The small game fetched 480 wen, while the roe deer brought in a solid five taels. Combined with the ten silver taels she’d earned from Zhai Qingya the day before, Jiang Yue felt a rare surge of purchasing power.
Her first stop was the clothier. She picked out two complete sets of robes and two sets of undergarments for each of the six family members. The undergarments were simple—mostly pale, undyed fabrics—but she took more care with the outer layers. For Jiang Youshan, she chose a dignified grey-blue; for Jiang Ming and Jiang Lei, she picked brighter, more youthful tones.
She chose a deep crimson and a forest green for Mother Cai, and soft primrose yellow and powder pink for little Jiang Xue. For herself, she picked a sky blue set and a striking scarlet outfit—the latter being a man’s cut.
If I’m going to be trekking through the mountains, she reasoned, men’s clothes are far more practical.
Once the clothes were stowed in the cart, they headed to the bookstore. She winced at the prices—scholarship was an expensive habit—but she bought a selection of brushes, ink, and paper. She also asked the shop assistant for a history of the lands and a summary of current imperial records. To survive in this era, she needed to understand its rules. By the time she stepped out, her silver was nearly gone.
Ducking into a money changer’s with Jiang Ming, Jiang Yue pulled out the gold beads she’d acquired. Gold was too conspicuous for daily chores; she needed it broken down. The clerk’s eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight of the ten shimmering spheres. He scurried to the back to fetch the manager.
Jiang Yue tensed, her hand twitching toward her waist. “This isn’t going to be trouble, is it?” she asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.
Fortunately, it was a simple transaction. The manager appraised the gold and offered twelve taels per bead. She took twenty taels in cash and had the remaining hundred deposited into an account under Jiang Ming’s name.
Next came the general store. They didn’t carry proper bowstrings, so she settled for a thick, high-elasticity leather cord. It wouldn’t make a longbow, but it was perfect for a slingshot—compact, easy to hide, and lethal enough in the right hands. She also snagged a leather water skin, a vast improvement over their clunky bamboo tubes.
At the apothecary and cosmetic stall, she grabbed soaps and hair oils. She was tired of her hair looking like a lion’s mane; if they had money now, there was no reason to look like a hedge-knight’s discarded mop.
Across the street, the market stalls beckoned. Dried fruits, honeyed pastries, fresh peaches—Jiang Yue waved her hand like a high-spending merchant, buying several pounds of everything in sight. Jiang Ming, left to mind the ox-cart, watched his sister haul load after load of treats back to the wagon. He couldn’t help but think: My sister is brilliant at making money, but she’s even better at spending it.
Their final stop was the blacksmith. Unfortunately, the law was strict: smiths could forge cleavers and hoes, but weapons were strictly forbidden for sale to commoners. She settled for a small utility knife, though it paled in comparison to the one Luo Douzi carried.
As they left, Jiang Yue’s mind drifted to the man in the cave. With his fine sword and bottomless pockets, he was clearly someone of consequence. She wondered if he had already vanished into the night.
Just before passing through the city gates, they stopped at a bun shop. Jiang Yue bought a massive bag of steaming meat buns. She knew that while she was away, her family wouldn’t have dared to spend a copper on a decent meal.
On the road home, while Jiang Ming drove the cart, Jiang Yue’s hands stayed busy. She took a forked branch she’d cut earlier, carved it into a frame with her new knife, and lashed the leather cord to it. By the time the sun began to dip, she had a finished slingshot.
They pulled into the yard just as dusk settled. While Jiang Ming went to return the borrowed cart, Jiang Yue began distributing the spoils.
Mother Cai stared at the two new dresses, her voice trembling with protest. “This is a waste, Yue’er! I’m an old woman, what do I need new clothes for?”
Jiang Youshan, however, was beaming. “It’s a gift from our daughter’s heart. Just accept it.”
“Mother, I want everyone in their new clothes tomorrow,” Jiang Yue instructed firmly. “We’re going to make sure the people at the main house regret every choice they’ve made.”
Cai hesitated. “Is that wise? What if they try to take them from us?”
Jiang Xue, always the quickest of the siblings, piped up with a grin. “Mom, Sister bought these with the money she earned hunting. It has nothing to do with the elders. With the Village Head and the whole village watching, they wouldn’t dare try to snatch them!”
When Jiang Lei received his brushes and ink, his eyes turned misty. “Big Sister… am I really going to school?”
Jiang Yue went quiet for a moment, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “What, do you think I was just teasing you?”
Jiang Youshan sat back, dazed. “Your mother and I are blessed. Your siblings are lucky to have you. Our family… we’re finally going to have scholars.”
“Once tomorrow’s ancestral sacrifice is over,” Mother Cai said, nodding happily, “I’ll sew your book bags and send you both to Master Cui’s academy.”
Jiang Ming walked into the yard just in time to catch the end of the conversation. He rushed inside, looking frantic. “Sister, I shouldn’t go. You go to school instead!”
Jiang Yue leveled a flat look at him. “You’re going. No arguments.”
Jiang Ming opened his mouth, then shut it, defeated.
Dinner was a feast: pheasant stewed with wild greens and as many meat buns as they could cram into their bellies. Afterward, Jiang Xue brought a bowl of medicine to her mother.
Cai drained the bitter brew in one go, grimacing, only for Jiang Xue to pop a candied plum into her mouth.
“So sweet,” Cai murmured.
Jiang Xue handed over the rest of the bag. “These are all yours, Mom. Eat them to get the bitter taste out.”
Cai tried to push them back. “I’m not a child. Keep them for yourselves.”
Jiang Xue chuckled. “Mom, if you don’t eat them, they might just ‘accidentally’ end up in the hands of the people at the main house.”
That did it. Cai snatched the bag and leaned in close to her daughter, whispering, “Xue’er, what is your sister up to out there? With the sacrifice tomorrow, I just can’t settle my heart.”
Jiang Xue tossed her hair back with a mysterious smile. “If you want to know, Mom, why don’t you go look?”
Cai peered out into the darkness where the children were huddled together, working on something. “No, I’ll stay here. Go tell your brother and sister to wash up and get to bed.”
Out in the yard, Jiang Yue was busy with her “special project.” Among her market purchases was a large bag of senna leaves. The vendor had marketed them as a cure for “internal blockages,” but Jiang Yue knew them as a potent laxative. One leaf in a tea was a cure; a handful was a biological weapon.
Buying croton seeds at a pharmacy would have left a paper trail, but a random street peddler? No one would remember him.
She soaked the leaves in water, then began dipping the candied fruits intended for tomorrow’s ancestral offering into the concentrated liquid. It was her “Grand Gift” to the main house. By this time tomorrow, she’d ensure the entire extended family would be far too busy sprinting for the latrines to bother her family ever again.
As the water for washing heated over the outdoor stove, the family of six eventually crowded onto the single heated brick bed. As the others drifted off, Jiang Yue stared at the ceiling, already calculating her next move.