Once August arrived, the days grew cooler in the mornings and evenings. Xin Shensi planned to make two sets of sturdy clothes while she had a stable place to stay. She knew how to cut fabric. In her previous life, her grandfather had bought her grandmother a Phoenix-brand sewing machine after their wedding, which had lasted decades without breaking down. She had spent plenty of idle hours pedaling it. Recently, between making menstrual pads and stitching shoe soles, her needlework had improved considerably.
For her body, the upper garment would need to be cut longer, likely requiring four and a half feet of cloth, while the trousers would need three to three and a half feet. One foot of cotton cloth cost sixteen copper coins. Cotton was expensive, around a hundred coins per jin.
After roughly calculating the costs, Xin Shensi took the one hundred and fifty tassels she had saved up and went to the main hall. Coincidentally, Man Xiu was also discussing making autumn clothes.
“Shouldn’t you be the one working hard to raise me? Can’t I show my filial piety to you?”
“I have clothes to wear. Make some for yourself,” Granny Li said, though her eyes grew misty with emotion. She was filled with warmth: “You’re such a grown girl now, you should wear something brighter. Who knows, a matchmaker might show up one day, and you could be married off just like that…”
“What nonsense are you saying?” Man Xiu stamped her foot, her face flushing when she saw her good friend arrive. “Look at my grandma!”
While her granddaughter wasn’t looking, Granny Li turned away to wipe her eyes. Xin Shensi stepped inside and placed the small bundle of tassels on the table. “Granny is right, and you shouldn’t be embarrassed.” Things weren’t as open as they would be a thousand years later. “Men should marry when they come of age, and women should marry when they come of age. You should start thinking about what kind of family you want to marry into.”
These words struck a chord with Granny Li. For a woman’s marriage, it wasn’t just the man’s character that mattered—you also had to gauge how the prospective in-laws conducted themselves. Especially for her granddaughter, Man Xiu, who only had her, an old woman, as family, with no brothers to rely on as support. If the in-laws were troublesome, life would surely be difficult.
“How can you… you too?” Man Xiu’s cheeks burned red. She tossed aside the nearly finished tassel. “I’m ignoring both of you,” she said, and ran out.
Xin Shensi laughed.
“That girl…” Granny Li also smiled, walking over to the table to glance at the small bundle. “I’ll take these to the embroidery workshop for you tomorrow.”
“Granny, I’d like to buy some cloth.” It had been twenty-four days since she left the Xin family, and she hadn’t had an episode yet, but Xin Shensi didn’t believe that just because her body had a new soul, it was completely healed. She didn’t know how to distinguish True Qi or Internal Energy, but she was well aware of her own strength.
The Internal Energy hadn’t dissipated—it was still within her.
Granny Li nodded. “You should make two sets.” She came over and measured Xin Shensi with her fingers. “A few days ago, I heard Shopkeeper Jin say that a batch of cloth was coming from the south. I’m not sure if it’s arrived yet. If it has, we can ask if there’s any damaged cloth. It’s just as usable but much cheaper.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
“You’ve stitched so many layered soles for me and Man Xiu. My eyes are clear.”
After nearly a month of living together, Granny Li had genuinely grown fond of Shan Si. This girl didn’t like owing others. While staying in their home, she took on all the heavy and tiring tasks without any airs. In the short time she had taught Man Xiu, Man Xiu had not only learned to make twenty or thirty types of tassels but had also improved significantly in cutting fabric and color matching. Granny Li cherished this bond.
Man Xiu avoided Shan Si all afternoon, but that evening, she squeezed into the west room. She was already fifteen and had thought about marriage before. But even someone like Chen the embroiderer had been beaten and scolded by her husband. While she felt anticipation, she was also somewhat afraid.
“Shan Si, you always wear your hair up. Are you already married?”
Xin Shensi lay flat on her back, turning her head to look at the young girl. A smile curved her lips. “Finally asked, have you?”
“I… I was just afraid you’d be upset?” Man Xiu was also dying of curiosity. Shan Niang had long, shapely eyebrows, bright eyes, and a straight nose bridge—she looked like someone blessed with good fortune. She was also very capable, so how could she possibly end up drifting around with no home?
“I’ve never been married.” In her previous life, she had a pure, year-long relationship during university, but after graduation, she was busy with work and family, leaving no time for anything else. In this life… Xin Shensi’s smile gradually faded. Carrying an unpredictable bomb within her, getting close to anyone would only bring them harm.
“Then why did you say that about me?” Man Xiu laughed and gave her a playful shove.
Xin Shensi said, “I may not have been married, but my mother married the wrong person. What happened to her? She died at my father’s hands, so…”
“Didn’t your mother divorce him?” Man Xiu was shocked, then suddenly connected the dots and blurted out, “How could your father do that? Is he even human?” No wonder Shan Niang had to run away. If she stayed, she would have to face her wicked father every day—should she seek revenge or not?
“So, when it comes to marriage, you must choose carefully.” Xin Shensi conveyed her thoughts: “Remember this: no matter what, always value yourself. On the surface, you can obey your husband and treat him as your heaven, but deep down, you must stay clear-headed and never rely entirely on a man. A man’s affection can change.”
In the darkness, Man Xiu looked at her dear friend, her lips pursed slightly.
Xin Shensi worried she might not understand: “Let me ask you, after marriage, if you have children, would you prioritize the children or yourself?”
This… Man Xiu wanted to say the children, but she felt Shan Niang must have a purpose in asking this way.
“Remember…” Xin Shensi paused for a moment, then said solemnly, “Always, always put yourself first. Before your children grow up, they depend on you to survive. If you are well, they will be well. If you are gone, your husband will quickly find them a stepmother.”
“What if they encounter someone like your father…” Man Xiu didn’t even dare to think about it.
Xin Shensi emphasized, “Never lose the skills that allow you to stand on your own. When opportunities arise, strive to improve yourself.”
Under her gaze, Man Xiu pondered her words and nodded firmly: “I’ll remember.”
“One last thing: don’t waste or exhaust yourself for someone who isn’t worth it.” Xin Shensi placed her hand over Man Xiu’s, which was holding her arm, and squeezed tightly. “A lifetime, even if lived well, is only about a hundred years. We can’t waste it on miserable things.”
The more Man Xiu thought about it, the more she realized how right it was. She had hated Tang Meiniang for nine years—did Tang Meiniang even know? Would her hatred make Tang Meiniang lose her appetite? Thinking about it now, it seemed laughable. If Tang Meiniang had truly cared about her, she wouldn’t have taken the family’s pig-buying money and fled in the night.
Fortunately, her grandmother wasn’t one to back down. She took a butcher knife and sat in the Tang family’s house. What did it matter that the Tang family was full of men? They still obediently gathered the money and politely sent her grandmother away.
Early the next morning, Granny Li hitched the ox cart and hauled half a pig to the city. The two at home tidied up inside and out before sitting in the main room to start weaving knots. By noon, Man Xiu finished the lovesick knot she was working on and got up to prepare lunch.
There were still pancakes made in the morning. She cut some chives and scrambled them with eggs, then reheated the corn porridge.
Just as she picked up the knife, she heard a knock at the door. She turned and asked, “Who is it?” No one answered, but she still headed toward the entrance.
Inside the house, Xin Shensi retreated to the inner room, listening carefully to the commotion outside.
Man Xiu peeked through the crack in the door and confirmed it was a stranger. Gripping the knife in her hand, she asked, “Who are you?”
“Miss, we mean no harm, we just wanted to ask if you’ve seen any strangers around the foot of the mountain lately?” The man outside spoke politely.
She thought to herself that the Xin family couldn’t catch the thief anyway, so she opened the door: “My grandmother says it’s chaotic outside, I haven’t gone out for days. What does the person you’re looking for look like?”
“Who is it?” Inside, Xin Shensi stepped out under the eaves, her nimble fingers swiftly weaving a blessing knot, her eyes glancing toward the courtyard gate.
The two men standing at the doorway looked past the girl in front of them toward the other one, but only for a moment before turning away, bowing politely: “Our apologies.”
Only after they had gone far did Man Xiu close the door, turning around to face Shan Si.
Xin Shensi smiled and urged: “Go cut the chives.” The Xin family wasn’t looking for a proper, virtuous young lady. Her complexion was rosy, she showed no signs of dishevelment, and she was skillfully weaving knots—clearly defying their stereotype of a “madwoman.”
It was already getting dark when Granny Li returned. Most of the pork had been sold, leaving only a few ribs. With a thin layer of meat still clinging to the bones, Man Xiu chopped them up, washed them, and braised them in the pot.
“The shipment from the south hasn’t arrived yet, but the embroidery workshop was cleaning out the main storeroom this morning. A tile on the back eaves of the storeroom broke, and a crate of fabric underneath got soaked. Although this fabric isn’t from this year’s new batch, it’s thick.” Having finally gotten a bargain, Granny Li was so delighted her eyes nearly disappeared: “Two bolts for just eight hundred coins.”
Xin Shensi calculated in her mind: one bolt of fabric is four zhang, or forty chi. Two bolts make eighty chi, at ten coins per chi. She rubbed the material between her fingers—it was indeed thick and not rough at all.
“Wasn’t this fabric hard to get?”
“I just happened to be there at the right time,” Granny Li said. “A moment later and it would’ve been gone. This year’s new cotton just came out, eighty-six coins per jin. I thought the price was reasonable, so I bought a bit more to make two new quilts for Xiuya this winter.”
Man Xiu told her grandmother about what happened during the day: “Those two men were quite polite.”
She thought that would be all for the day, but after bathing and turning off the lights to rest, the courtyard gate rattled again. Startled, Granny Li sat up abruptly and told Xiuya to hurry to the west room. The old woman threw on a jacket, grabbed her bone-cleaver, and went outside: “Who is it?”
No one answered from outside the courtyard, but the sound of a horse snorting could be heard.
Granny Li’s heart tightened. She asked again: “Who is it?” Still no answer. She approached, pressing the blade of the cleaver against the door, and said sharply, “Man or ghost, speak up. I’m just an old woman living with my granddaughter, we haven’t offended anyone.”
“Mother, it’s me, Plum Blossom.”
The gentle woman’s voice slipped through the crack in the door and into Granny Li’s ears, making her freeze for a moment. Tang Plum Blossom? After a few moments of silence, if asked whether she hated her… she didn’t. Originally, she hadn’t wanted to force Tang Plum Blossom to remain a widow, only hoping she would keep Xiuya in her heart and come to see the child often even if she remarried later.
Xiuya was a girl, not a son—she didn’t need to marry a wife, and Granny Li would prepare her dowry. But Tang Plum Blossom… she had made her heart cold! Without putting down the bone-cleaver, she opened the door.
The woman outside resembled Man Xiu by about seventy percent. Her face was round but not large, her eyes bright and lively, her mouth small and rosy like spring cherries. She was about the same height as Shan Si, wearing a gold-inlaid jade necklace around her neck, dressed in brocade silk—clearly wealthy.
“Mother…” Tang Plum Blossom seemed timid, her hands clasped tightly at her waist, gold bracelets half-hidden beneath her sleeves.
Granny Li glanced at the carriage three steps away and said coldly: “Since you’re living well now, don’t come back. Man Xiu is grown up, not as easy to fool as she was nine years ago.”
“Mother, I was wrong. I failed you and I failed Xiuya.”
In the west room, Xin Siansi had clearly heard the visitor. Seeing Man Xiu still pressing her ear against the window, her feelings were somewhat complicated: “It seems your mother has returned.”
Man Xiu’s body instantly tensed. She turned her head: “What did you say?” Without waiting for a reply, she turned to go outside.
“Don’t forget what I told you before.” Xin Siansi heard the horse snort.
Man Xiu’s hands hanging at her sides were clenched tightly, tears brimming in her eyes: “Not to hold it against her?” But she couldn’t do that.
“Tang Meihua could abandon her young daughter and run off with money while her husband’s body was still warm. That alone is enough to show she only loves herself. This visit certainly isn’t just because she misses you.” Xin Siansi quietly reminded her: “She must be living quite well. If you curse her or chase her away, will it make you happy or will it make her grieve?”
Man Xiu took the words to heart. She forced a smile, her lips stiff: “I’ve missed my mother terribly. I’ll go see her now.” Shan Niang was right. How much money could her grandmother earn, killing pigs she bought and then rushing to the market to sell them, working herself to the bone? Even for her grandmother’s sake, she couldn’t indulge in momentary satisfaction.
Xin Siansi let out a soft breath: “The only things in this household she could scheme for are you and your marriage. Be careful.”
“Alright.” Man Xiu calmed her emotions, let the tears flow, and ran out.
Xin Siansi heard a cry full of longing—”Mother”—and couldn’t help but curve her lips. Granny Li had ultimately let the woman into the house. However, Tang Meihua did not plan to stay the night. After hugging Man Xiu and crying for a while and talking for half an hour, she prepared to leave.
Man Xiu was reluctant but did not try to make her stay. After seeing her off, she turned around and met her grandmother’s cold gaze. A bright smile spread across her face as she raised her hands and shook the gold bracelet on her wrist. Not a trace of longing remained on her face.
Granny Li instantly understood the situation. This girl…
Grandmother and granddaughter entered the courtyard and bolted the gate. Man Xiu said happily, “Shan Niang was right after all. Cursing her and getting angry with her wouldn’t hurt her one bit.” She stroked the gold bracelet proudly. “This is the most practical thing.”
So it was Shan Niangzi who had taught her. No wonder this silly girl had suddenly become so clever. Granny Li sighed: “Your mother’s fortune is also great. Remarrying and still managing to latch onto an old rich man, giving him a son. No wonder she wasn’t willing to stay poor.”
Greedily eyeing the bracelet, Man Xiu snorted coldly: “It should be said, thank goodness the old rich man’s first wife left behind a son. Otherwise, do you think she would have remembered me? Shan Niang just explained it all to me clearly. There aren’t many things in our entire household that she could scheme for.”
That was the truth, but Xiu Ya was, after all, flesh from Tang’s body. Granny Li couldn’t believe Tang had truly turned so heartless.
Early the next morning, Tang Meihua’s carriage arrived again, this time bringing many bolts of cloth. Xin Siansi stayed hidden in the west room, watching Man Xiu walk out arm-in-arm with her grandmother. It wasn’t until dark that the grandmother and granddaughter returned, though their expressions were different. Granny Li was frowning, while Man Xiu, holding a lacquered wooden box, joyfully ran into the west room.
“Quick… Shan Niang, come quickly. I bought you two pairs of gold ear studs.”
Xin Siansi looked toward Granny Li, who followed behind.
Granny Li, her heart still doubtful, sat down by the small square table and poured herself a bowl of water: “Tang told me her husband’s younger sister’s family is well-off, with seven shops. The eldest son is nineteen this year, honest and reliable. She wants to marry Xiu Ya into that family.”
“I won’t marry.” Man Xiu took out the gold ear studs and held them up to Shan Niang for comparison: “They’re pretty. I bought the same ones.”
“If you won’t marry, why did you buy so many things?” Granny Li had only discovered today that her granddaughter spent money lavishly, without even batting an eye.
“She’s my mother, do I need to keep up appearances with my own mother?”
Tang Shi remarried in Jiangping. According to Granny Li, Jiangping is still south of Luo River. That means visiting would be very difficult. Xin Shensi frowned: “Did Tang Shi only say the man was honest and reliable?”
“Yes,” Granny Li replied.
“Does that family have any other sons?” Xin Shensi asked further.
“There’s a younger brother, two years his junior,” Man Xiu cut in. “I’ve thought about it—she’s probably planning to use me to win over her husband’s aunt, to help her son fight for the inheritance.”
Xin Shensi also suspected as much and asked again: “Are that man and his younger brother both busy working in the shop?”
“I didn’t ask about that, and Tang Shi didn’t mention it either,” Granny Li realized something was off. “Logically, with such a good family background, they shouldn’t have trouble finding a wife.”
“The key is that the eldest son usually has to carry on the family legacy,” Xin Shensi said. “Even if Man Xiu’s mother gets along well with her sister-in-law, since they haven’t met Man Xiu, they definitely wouldn’t agree to a marriage proposal lightly, unless…”
“This eldest son is no good,” Granny Li’s face darkened. She also understood that in Man Xiu’s situation, most families would have some reservations.
Man Xiu didn’t care: “No matter what ulterior motives she has for coming back this time, I don’t mind. If she schemes against me, I’ll drag her to the gold and silver shops. Bad people… need to be dealt with by bad people. I’ll also let her see what it means…” She put a gold bracelet on her grandmother’s hand, enunciating each word clearly, “to be insatiably greedy.”
“Why are you putting this on me?” Granny Li tried to take it off. “You should keep all these things properly.”
“I bought this especially for you—it’s solid gold. Didn’t you see how Tang Meiniang looked like her heart was aching at the time? This stuff is precious.” Today, Man Xiu truly grasped the principles Shan Si had taught her. Absolutely right—nothing in this world warms the heart more than real gold and silver.
Perhaps frightened by Man Xiu, Tang Meihua didn’t come the next day. Xin Shensi teased: “Looks like you’ll have to take the initiative.”
“I know which inn she’s staying at. Tomorrow morning, I’ll drag Granny along to find her,” Man Xiu was determined to strip Tang Meiniang of a layer of skin. True to her word, before dawn on the eighth day of the eighth month, she got up and started getting ready. She returned in the afternoon, the ox cart loaded with large and small bundles.
Granny Li indulged her granddaughter: “She caught up with her mother, bought a set of jewelry at the silver shop, then went to the clothing store and bought seven or eight outfits. After that, they even went to a restaurant. Before the meal was finished, her mother said she had a headache and went back to the inn to rest.”
Man Xiu had never been so happy: “These two outfits I picked especially for you—the colors are simple and elegant. You’ll definitely look good in them.”
Xin Shensi held the clothes, both amused and exasperated: “I’ve benefited quite a bit.”
“Today, I’ll let her rest properly. Tomorrow, I’ll go find her again,” Man Xiu’s eyes sparkled, full of fighting spirit. “I’ll make sure she avoids me from now on.”
But plans often don’t keep up with changes. During dinner, someone came to announce a funeral.
“Old Aunt…” A middle-aged man with a white cloth tied around his head knelt at the courtyard gate. “My uncle has passed away.”
Granny Li’s hand gripping the doorframe tightened instantly. It took her a long time to process—her eldest brother was gone. Her eyes gradually grew moist. After sending off the nephew who came to report the death, she returned to the house and told Xiu Ya and Shan Si to pack their things.
“We need to go to Changhe Town for the funeral. This is a good chance to take you out of the city.”
Man Xiu’s heart tightened. She turned to look at Shan Si, wanting to keep her but knowing she couldn’t.
Changhe Town? Xin Shensi blinked: “Is it Changhe Town in Hongjiang City?”
“Yes,” Granny Li was also reluctant.
“I’ll go with you to Changhe Town.” Her maternal grandmother’s family was there, and Xin Shensi felt she ought to make a visit.