Man Xiu made large, thin pies, one per pan. She was generous with oil, frying both sides until golden and glistening. The aroma was mouthwatering, and they were especially delicious with porridge.
Granny Li ate three before putting down her chopsticks. “Stay home today, both of you. Don’t run off again. I’ve already fed the pigs, cows, and chickens.”
“Alright.” Knowing that Shan Si would be staying for a while, Man Xiu was overjoyed. “I’ll change the water soaking the pig’s head in a bit.”
Granny Li hummed in agreement. “I’ll stew it when I get back this afternoon.” She picked up a basket and headed to the backyard, grabbing a handful of dry grass to pad the bottom before placing the rabbit inside.
Xin Shensi helped wrap two pies, filled a water pouch, and walked Granny Li to the gate.
After washing the pots and bowls, Man Xiu saw Shan Si cleaning the pig’s head. She leaned on her crutch and went to her room, returning with a burlap sack.
After plucking the remaining hairs from the pig’s head, Xin Siansi soaked it again, wiped her hands, and hurried over to help Man Xiu carry the sack. “You’re not steady on your feet. Call me if you need anything.”
“You’ve already taken over all my chores,” Man Xiu laughed. “This isn’t heavy—it’s just scraps of cloth. Later, go through them and pick a few soft pieces to patch together for a couple of undergarments.”
And menstrual pads, Xin Siansi’s inner self whimpered. Other things were manageable, but what worried her most now was her period. In the main room, she moved the kang table aside and dumped all the cloth scraps onto the kang.
Man Xiu picked up a palm-sized piece of red satin and sighed dejectedly. “Both of Chen the embroiderer’s daughters can make embroidered pouches, and all I can do is sew cloth bags.” In her memory, Tang Meiniang often sat under the eaves with an embroidery hoop.
Last year, Granny had argued with Granny Chang over a field boundary. Granny Chang jumped three feet high, mocking Granny for being a jinx to her husband and son, saying she’d spent twenty-six taels of silver to bring home a top-notch daughter-in-law, yet couldn’t keep her.
She didn’t understand—what kind of life did Tang Meiniang want? To eat well, dress warmly, and not have to tend the fields—how many women in the village had enjoyed such fortune?
“Are these cloth scraps all discards from the embroidery workshop?” Xin Siansi picked out a few pieces of fine cotton and set aside the long strips.
“Not exactly…” Man Xiu snapped out of her thoughts and pursed her lips. “They were bought with silver—two coppers per pound, and even then, they were leftovers picked over by the workshop’s embroiderers. My granny hopes I’ll excel at needlework, so she buys three to five pounds every month or two for me to practice with. I haven’t wasted them—don’t laugh, but I even have dozens of menstrual pads. By the way, you can ask me for some when you need them.”
“Alright.” Xin Siansi still wanted to make some for herself. A few pieces of fine cotton, patched together, would be enough for two pairs of shorts. She’d use satin for the undergarments. Though this body was thin, it was well-endowed—where it should curve, it certainly did.
“We also need to boil some paste to stiffen cloth for layered soles. My shoes are too small for you, and you can’t keep wearing my granny’s black cloth shoes. You can stitch the soles yourself, and I’ll make the uppers.”
“Alright.” Xin Siansi almost wanted to swear sisterhood with this girl—she was so kind and thoughtful.
All morning, Man Xiu focused on patching cloth. After finishing, she helped with the cutting.
By the time Granny Li returned, Xin Siansi had already finished her undergarments and was sewing the shorts. She’d left a hem at the waistband, planning to sew the joined fine cloth strips inside as a drawstring.
Man Xiu glanced at her granny’s heavily laden basket and asked, “Did you go to the market?”
“Yes.” Granny Li subtly glanced at Shan Si.
Sticking the needle into the cloth, Xin Shensi went to the kitchen and scooped a basin of water. “It’s quite hot today. You should wash up quickly and rest for a while.”
Man Xiu hobbled out of the room with her crutch. “Did you eat the pancake? How are the piglets?”
After washing her face, Granny Li let out a sigh. “All the piglets were already reserved, so I came back empty-handed. The market was unsettled today. The Xin family in the southern part of the city was robbed—they seem to have lost some kind of family heirloom and are searching everywhere for the thief. I heard several beggar dens were searched three or four times yesterday and today.”
“The Xin family got robbed too?” Man Xiu found it strange.
Granny Li had said this for Shan Si’s sake. Seeing no unusual expression on her face, she felt somewhat uncertain. “Don’t leave the courtyard recently. Few people come here. If anyone happens to see you and asks, just say you’re my elder sister’s granddaughter.”
Xin Shensi expressed her gratitude. “I’m sorry for troubling you.”
“Grandma, you’re overthinking again.” Man Xiu took things out of her basket. “If the Xin family is searching beggar dens for the thief, they must be looking for someone filthy. Our Shan Si is clean and tidy.”
All her cleverness is focused on eating. Granny Li didn’t want to argue. “I’m just giving a reminder. As ordinary folks, it’s best to avoid trouble whenever possible.”
“In my opinion, if someone managed to steal the Xin family’s heirloom, they shouldn’t waste their effort trying to catch them—they won’t succeed.” Man Xiu turned to look at Shan Si. “Do you know the Xin family in the southern part of the city?”
Xin Shensi pretended ignorance and shook her head.
Man Xiu wore an expression that said she knew Shan Si wouldn’t know. “When their family members go out, they carry swords and knives, and they can even scale walls and walk on water.”
“Here, this is for you.” Granny Li didn’t want to listen to her granddaughter’s nonsense anymore. She took out a money pouch from her sleeve and pulled out a string of copper coins. “Rabbits aren’t rare goods—they’re only two copper coins more expensive per pound than pork. Six pounds and two ounces, that’s eighty-seven copper coins in total.”
“This…” Xin Shensi quickly refused. “I said I’d exchange it for clothes. Please take it back.”
“If my grandma gives it to you, just take it. Those two sets of clothes were ones Tang Meiniang didn’t want anymore. Did you think they were something precious?” Man Xiu’s face turned cold.
Granny Li knew her granddaughter resented Madam Tang and didn’t want to upset her. “Shan Si, take the money. Let’s stick to what we agreed this morning—you teach Xiuya, and I’ll provide your food and shelter.”
With things put this way, refusing further would only make Xin Shensi seem pretentious.
Granny Li stuffed the string of coins into her hand. “Having this with you will make you feel more secure.”
“Exactly,” Man Xiu chimed in. “Take it quickly.”
Xin Shensi felt grateful. The weight in her hand felt solid, and as her fingers rubbed against the uneven surface of the copper coins, she silently resolved to teach Man Xiu well.
After resting for a while, Granny Li went to the kitchen to light the stove and prepare to stew the pig’s head.
That evening, tender and soft pig’s head meat was served on the table. However, Xin Shensi didn’t dare eat too much—her stomach was weak and needed a few more days to adjust.
“It’s chaotic outside. Why don’t you rest for a few more days?” Man Xiu, her mouth glistening with oil, picked two pieces of pig snout meat for her grandmother.
Granny Li took a sip of vegetable soup. “No need. The chaos won’t reach us. We’ll live our lives as usual.”
After dinner and a bath, Xin Shensi returned to the west room. She counted the eighty-seven copper coins three times, growing more excited with each count. Her right hand reached for her left arm, gripping the gold bracelet wrapped around it. She still had one worry: according to her memories, the original body’s True Qi would reverse its flow once every ten to fifteen days.
Five days had passed since the last Qi Deviation. She was a bit afraid, having never personally experienced it, so she still didn’t understand exactly what Qi Deviation entailed. Fortunately, each episode wasn’t entirely without warning.
She had already decided that if she felt even slightly unwell, she would pack her things and leave, hiding in the mountains. Once the episode passed, she would return to Fanxi City.
Tomorrow morning, they were going to slaughter a pig. Xin Shensi tucked the copper coins into her bundle, lay down fully clothed, and pulled the thin quilt over her stomach. The next day, as soon as the rooster crowed, she got up. After washing up, she fetched water from the well and poured it into the large pot in the thatched hut in the backyard. She lit the fire in the stove, then went to fetch more water. It took three trips to fill the pot. Glancing at the stove, she stirred the ashes and added two more pieces of firewood.
“You’re so thin, you should sleep a little longer,” said Granny Li, entering the room in old clothes and holding a short knife.
Xin Shensi smiled. “I’ll take a nap after we finish slaughtering the pig.”
In the front yard, Man Xiu put corn into the pot, then took a few eggs from the clay jar and mixed them into the dough. After kneading, she set it aside to rest. She went to the fenced garden, picked a handful of green onions, washed them, and chopped them finely. Hearing the pig squeal, she wiped her hands with a cloth and went to help.
In the large pot, the water bubbled and boiled. Xin Shensi pinned the pig down, watching as Granny Li plunged the knife into its neck. Bright red blood gushed out.
Man Xiu, who had rushed over, crouched down and lifted the clay basin from the ground to catch the blood.
This wasn’t Xin Shensi’s first time watching a pig being slaughtered. In her previous life, when her maternal grandmother was still alive, they would go to the old house in the countryside every New Year, buy a pig, slaughter it, and make sausages and cured meat. Her grandfather loved stir-fried pork intestines with green peppers, but the fat inside the intestines had to be completely cleaned, or he wouldn’t eat it.
One pot of water wasn’t enough, so they boiled another. By the time the pig was fully processed, the sky was almost light. Two sides of pork, along with the head and lard, were hung on the wooden rack in the front yard.
The three of them ate breakfast, and Granny Li went to hitch the oxcart. Man Xiu cleaned up the kitchen, then brought out a small stool to wash the pig stomach and intestines.
Xin Shensi couldn’t help with that, so she took out the shorts she had made the day before and began adjusting the waistband. Once Man Xiu finished her work, the two of them started making decorative knots.
Interlocking knots, golden cicada knots, heart-shaped knots…
Xin Shensi taught her simple styles with auspicious meanings, while also guiding her on color coordination. Seizing the rare opportunity, Man Xiu focused intently on learning. In just two days, she could skillfully make seven types of knots.
Granny Li often went to the embroidery shop to buy fabric scraps and silk thread, and over time, she became familiar with the shopkeeper. That day, when she brought a hundred decorative knots to the shop, even the shopkeeper was surprised.
“Did your granddaughter make these?”
Granny Li didn’t answer directly, just said politely, “Take a look. If you like them, give us a fair price.”
The shopkeeper examined each knot carefully, and a smile appeared on her face. “We’ve known each other for seven or eight years, so I won’t beat around the bush. Knots like these in the shop usually sell for five or six wen each. Whether it’s five or six depends on the craftsmanship.”
After receiving six hundred wen, Granny Li noticed some fabric scraps for sale. She flipped through them, saw they weren’t too small, and bought five catties. She also bought a few catties of silk thread before preparing to leave. But just as she reached the door with her purchases, she saw several young men in plain clothes riding past on horses.
“Has the Xin family still not caught the thief?”
The shopkeeper sighed bitterly. “If they had, things would’ve quieted down. Yesterday, my sister-in-law from my maiden family came and said people were even going to the villages to ask if anyone had seen any unfamiliar faces.”
Granny Li scoffed. “Doesn’t it sound more like they’re not really after a thief?”
“You’ve hit the nail on the head,” the shopkeeper said, escorting her out of the shop and lowering her voice. “The buyer from the Zhao family in the north of the city said the Xin family is looking for a young woman.”
“If someone wants to hide, they won’t be easy to find,” Granny Li remarked, placing her things on the oxcart.
“Where could she be that’s so hard to find?” The shopkeeper pulled out a handkerchief to shield himself from the bright sun. “If you’re willing to spend money, even if she’s hiding in a rat hole, someone will dig her out.”
Old Lady Li smiled. “I’m off.”
“If you have any more knotwork, bring it to me. I won’t shortchange you.”
“Deal.”
“Take care.”
In just seven or eight days, she had earned four hundred copper coins. Xin Shensi was overjoyed. Life was peaceful, passing day by day. Nourished by soups and broths, her complexion gradually regained its color, and her body filled out, with no signs of abnormality.
At the beginning of the eighth month, Man Xiu’s knotwork was also accepted by the embroidery workshop.
The atmosphere in the Xin household in the southern part of the city was heavy, and the servants were all on edge. The people sent to Changhe Town in Hongjiang City had returned—the fourth young lady had not gone to disturb her maternal family. Xin Liangyou frowned deeply. Shan Si had been missing for twenty-three days. Based on past patterns, she should have had two episodes of illness by now.
“Brother Liang,” Han Feng Niang entered the room with a worried expression, carrying a soup tureen. “Unable to find Shan Si, Yue’er feels too ashamed to face you. She personally prepared lily and lotus seed soup and begged me to bring it to you.”
Xin Liangyou sighed. “Who knows whether Shan Si is alive or dead?”
“Lately, I’ve been thinking about something,” Han Feng Niang placed the soup on the table. “Shan Si was sheltered tightly at home and has never traveled alone, so she likely lacks caution in her actions. Yet, despite searching for so long, we haven’t found the slightest trace. It’s as if she vanished into thin air. Don’t you find that strange?”
He didn’t. Hong Shi had been an extremely cautious person. Xin Liangyou was now only worried that Shan Si’s departure this time was because she already knew Hong Shi was no longer alive. If that were truly the case, things would turn for the worse.
“Brother Liang?”
“Shan Si takes after her mother.”
This statement silenced Han Feng Niang. Xin Liangyou didn’t want to think about the consequences if Shan Si learned that her mother had died by his hand. Instead, he asked, “How are the preparations for the wedding gift for Shan Hong Yi?”
“Everything is ready,” Han Feng Niang replied, her heart heavy. Back then, it was indeed her who forced the issue, but after marriage, she believed she had done no worse than Hong Shi. Moreover, it was her elder brother who mediated the feud between the Xin family and the Black and White Eyebrows of Ghost Shadow Mountain.
Xin Liangyou lowered his gaze. “The twelfth of the eighth month is just a few days away. Let’s set off early. I want to meet the new master of Bai Cao Tang.”
“Li Shang?” Han Feng Niang frowned. Three years ago, Bai Cao Tang was just a small medical clinic at the foot of Stone Pine Mountain. Now, which of the sixty-three cities in Da Meng doesn’t have a Bai Cao Tang? Bai Qian didn’t have such capability.
“Yes,” Xin Liangyou took a deep breath. Bai Qian’s death had completely disrupted his plans. Now, with Shan Si also gone, his dream of becoming the world’s number one was growing increasingly distant.
“Bai Qian’s closed-door disciple rarely appears in public. Will he also attend the wedding at Hongdai Valley?” Shan Hong Yi’s reputation truly was impressive, Han Feng Niang thought, a hint of bitterness in her heart.
It was widely rumored that Li Shang was not only as handsome as Pan An but also surpassed his master in medical skill. Shan Hong Yi’s daughter, Shan Xiang Sang, was still unmarried. If they could form a marriage alliance with Bai Cao Tang, Hongdai Valley’s status in the martial world would rise significantly.
“He will attend,” Xin Liangyou curled his lips, his eyes dark and sinister. Others might not know, but he was well aware—Li Shang was merely Bai Qian’s medicine person.