Man Xiu felt somewhat fortunate that she had bought two sets of clothes for Shan Si today. “I remember there’s a small clay pot in the side room.”
“Your father used it when he went hunting in the mountains when he was alive,” Granny Li said. “Go get it out. I’ll take advantage of the early hour to go to the Er Qiang family up ahead and ask him to help feed the pigs and chickens for a couple of days. The eggs collected these past few days will all go to him.”
Man Xiu pulled Shan Si along and returned to the room to fetch an oil lamp before heading to the side room.
The side room wasn’t large; it was filled with farming tools and some everyday items that weren’t often used. After so many days, Xin Shensi no longer felt lost in her heart. She enjoyed the peaceful days at the Li family, but leaving also gave her a sense of relief. It was already the seventh day of the eighth month, and she didn’t know when she might erupt.
“Shan Si…” The clay pot, slightly larger than a big soup bowl, was placed in the corner of the wall. Man Xiu stepped over to retrieve it. “Will you remember me in the future?”
“Yes,” Xin Shensi answered without hesitation. The Li family grandmother and granddaughter were the first kindness she had encountered in this world—how could she possibly forget them? “Engraved in my heart.”
Man Xiu hugged the clay pot tightly as if unaware of the dirt, turning her back to the other person. “Will you come back to see me in the future?”
“If there’s a chance, I will definitely come back to see you and Granny.”
Sniffling, Man Xiu turned around, her eyes filled with sparkling tears as she looked at the person two steps away. “How old are you?”
Xin Shensi answered this question a bit hesitantly: “Eighteen.”
“Then it’s settled,” Man Xiu still couldn’t hold back, her voice choked with emotion. “We’ll be sisters for life.”
Xin Shensi also felt a lump in her throat. “Okay.”
Carrying the clay pot out of the side room, Man Xiu took it to the kitchen, scrubbed it clean, wiped off the water with a cloth, and placed a small salt jar, a jar of solidified lard, and two spoons inside before filling it with rice and packing it down. Then she went to the east room again, rummaging through an old piece of clothing she no longer wore.
While busy, she chattered incessantly with reminders: “You’re good-looking, so when you’re outside, you must stay away from those shifty-eyed people. People’s hearts are treacherous—just take Tang Meiniang, for example. She’s my own birth mother, yet she didn’t hesitate at all when it came to harming me. So you absolutely must be careful.”
“I will,” Xin Shensi helped her tie up the clay pot securely. “When it comes to marriage, you must also be extra cautious.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure I’ve sized things up properly before committing myself.” After tying up the clay pot, Man Xiu lifted it. “It’s a bit heavy, but you’re strong.” She ran off again to fetch a bamboo basket. “You can use this. I’ll have my grandma buy another one.” After all, she now had a box full of gold and silver jewelry.
“Okay,” Xin Shensi smiled.
Granny Li returned. “I’ll knead some dough and steam two baskets of buns.”
“Alright, I’ll cut up some pickled vegetables and stir-fry them in a bit,” Man Xiu leaned closer to her grandma. “When we go to Changhe Town, what about my things? Should I bring them all?”
“Don’t bring them all,” Granny Li said. If the journey was peaceful, it would be fine, but if it wasn’t, wouldn’t everything be taken at once? She told her granddaughter to gather all the valuable items and give them to her.
Xin Shensi excused herself, carrying the bamboo basket to the west room. Over the past twenty-some days, she hadn’t made few preparations. The clothes she was wearing when she met Man Xiu had already been torn up, pasted with glue, and made into shoe soles.
Four belly bands, six pairs of shorts… the dresses and skirts Man Xiu had bought for her, along with two sets that had been cut but not yet sewn, were neatly folded and placed into two bundles inside the bamboo basket. The gold bracelet on her arm wasn’t taken off, but what about the two pairs of gold ear studs?
She intended to return them to Man Xiu.
“Shan Niang…” Man Xiu arrived, seeing the bamboo basket nearly full, she extended her right hand from behind her back, fingers spread open, revealing a small silver ingot: “This is for you.”
Alright, Xin Shensi’s eyes reddened, she licked her dry lips, and after a long while, she spoke with difficulty: “Take it back. I’ll keep the gold earrings.”
“Take this too.” Man Xiu pursed her lips and said, “The gold earrings… don’t pawn them unless you absolutely have to.” Before her words even finished, she hurriedly added, “If you’re in urgent need, don’t stubbornly hold on. Nothing is more important than staying alive.”
“Really, I don’t need it.” Xin Shensi pulled up her left sleeve, revealing a gold bracelet on her arm: “If it weren’t for this bracelet being troublesome to carry, I’d have wanted to leave it for you.”
Man Xiu frowned as she looked at the gold bracelet: “Did you get it from your father?”
“Sort of.” It was given by her stepmother’s daughter. Xin Shensi lowered her sleeve and pushed Man Xiu’s hand back.
Man Xiu smiled: “I feel a little better now.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Xin Shensi turned sideways and picked up the money pouch lying on the bed: “I still have nine hundred and twenty-three copper coins here.”
She had also looked into the prices in Fanxi City. A white flour steamed bun cost one coin, a meat bun two coins. High-quality pork belly was twelve coins per jin. Corn was three coins per jin, while refined rice and white flour were a bit more expensive. Good farmland cost eight taels of silver per mu, while dry land ranged from five to six taels. The land tax was heavy, taking up almost half of the harvest.
“Alright.” Man Xiu could see she wouldn’t accept it: “Then I’ll make two more pairs of uppers for your shoes. Did you bring all the soles?”
“I brought them.” Xin Shensi looked directly at the young girl and said solemnly, “Thank you.”
Man Xiu’s cheeks gradually flushed: “If you were a man, I’d keep you as my husband.”
“Thank you for the compliment.” Xin Shensi laughed.
While the dough was resting, Granny Li attached the cart canopy to the long-board cart.
Early the next day at the beginning of the Yin hour, the three of them got up, washed, and moved their luggage onto the ox cart. They boiled pork kidney soup, ate steamed buns with pickled vegetables for breakfast, and then drove the cart toward the nearest city gate.
When they arrived, the sky was still dimly lit, and many people were already waiting. Xin Shensi and Man Xiu sat inside the cart canopy, with cloth covering both the front and back.
“I haven’t seen my granduncle in years.” Man Xiu spoke softly: “Ever since Tang Meiniang ran away, Grandma never went back to her maiden home. But my granduncle came to visit once when I turned ten.”
She understood Granny Li’s feelings. Xin Shensi let out a soft sigh. After her mother divorced, she never returned to her maiden home either. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but she was afraid of causing gossip for her family.
After waiting for two ke, the city guards opened the gates. Soon after, the ox cart moved, stopping again after about ten breaths. A city guard with thick eyebrows and thin eyes lifted the cloth curtain. Seeing two timid young girls, he asked, “Both your granddaughters?”
“Yes.” Granny Li had hemp tied around her arm, her eyes swollen and red: “Going to mourn their granduncle.”
The city guard lowered the curtain and waved his hand: “Pass through.”
Just as the ox cart started moving, Xin Shensi heard the clatter of horse hooves approaching. The city guard who had inspected them earlier spoke in a friendly tone, “Master Xin, are you heading to Hongdai Valley?”
“Young Wei, you’ve worked hard.” Xin Liangyou’s party consisted of five horses and a somewhat plain-looking carriage. Without waiting in line, a middle-aged man dressed as a steward following behind tossed a piece of broken silver to the city guard. The guard then smiled and let them pass.
Hongjiang City was in the same direction as Hongdai Valley. Fortunately, horses ran much faster than oxen, so Xin Shensi did not travel with them for long. After daybreak, Man Xiu could no longer hold back and lifted the front curtain of the carriage, revealing a vast expanse of green fields.
Seeing few travelers on the official road, Granny Li did not stop her.
Xin Shensi shifted her position, sitting facing forward with her knees hugged to her chest.
“Do you have any plans for the future?” Man Xiu tied the curtain into a knot and moved back to sit beside her.
Gazing at the distant mountains, Xin Shensi thought for a moment before replying, “First, I’ll travel around for a while, then choose a piece of auspicious land to buy and build a… tea estate. Inside the tea estate, I’ll set up some shelves for storybooks and potted landscapes… and arrange a few counters to display the knots and braids I make, each clearly priced. Guests who come to rest in the tea estate can buy anything they fancy.”
Potted landscapes—were they scenes placed in pots? Since she had a plan, Man Xiu felt reassured. “You’ll be the proprietress.”
“I won’t have to stay there all the time either,” Xin Shensi said with a smile. “I’ll open when I’m in a good mood, and if I’m feeling down, I’ll go out and enjoy myself for a few days.”
Listening in, Granny Li wore a disapproving expression. What kind of shopkeeper operated so casually?
Man Xiu thought for a while. “Then you’ll need to save up a lot more silver, otherwise…” she might not be able to make ends meet someday.
At noon, they rested at a roadside tea stall, hastily drank some broth, used the outhouse, and continued their journey, arriving at Changhe Town by evening.
Ancient towns were shabbier and more chaotic than those depicted in modern television shows. Few people on the streets wore fine clothes. The place was noisy and bustling with activity. Xin Shensi did not rush to leave. Only when she spotted a white banner did she reach into her bamboo basket.
Man Xiu began to cry. “Are you leaving now? Where will you stay tonight?”
Wiping her tears with a handkerchief, Xin Shensi felt a pang of sadness. “Once my tea estate is built, I’ll invite you to visit.”
“I’ll remember that,” Man Xiu said, tears streaming down her face. Granny Li pulled the reins, stopping the oxcart, and turned to look at Shan Si. “Be careful out there. And your face—it’s too fair.”
“Granny…” Having already traveled far from Fanxi City, Xin Shensi no longer wished to hide the truth. “Hong Nanfeng is my maternal grandfather. My mother is Hong Shujuan, and I am Xin Shensi.” She gave Man Xiu a tight hug before nimbly stepping down from the carriage.
“I guessed as much when you wanted to come to Changhe Town,” Granny Li said. Being from the same town, she knew of Hong Nanfeng. He was a capable man, and his entire family was well-educated. It was just a pity that his only daughter had not found a good match. “Your grandfather’s house is in the east of the city, while this area belongs to the south. At the end of this road, turn left and walk for about half an hour, and you’ll reach the eastern part of the city.”
Xin Shensi shouldered her basket. “I’m off now.”
“Be careful,” Granny Li said, walking a few steps with her. “If the Xin Family is looking for you, they certainly won’t overlook your grandfather’s area.”
“I know,” Xin Shensi replied, bowing deeply. She took one last look at the sobbing Man Xiu, smiled, and quickly walked away. When she reached the end of the road, she turned left, wiped her tears, and found herself alone again. Her throat tightened, but her blurred eyes remained fixed firmly ahead.
By the time she reached the eastern part of the city, it was completely dark. Compared to the rows of low houses in the south, the east side was noticeably more affluent, with smooth and even roads. Her grandfather’s house was on Qianping Street. Her mother had told her that there was a pine tree in the front courtyard of the Hong Family. Its trunk split into two branches—one inside the courtyard and the other stretching outward.
Passing by an inn, she walked on but then turned back. Xin Shensi hesitated for a moment before entering.
“Young lady, are you staying or dining?” A waiter with a towel draped over his shoulder greeted her with a cheerful smile.
“Checking in.” Xin Shensi looked up at the signboard. “Give me an Earth-class room.”
“Right away!” the innkeeper answered loudly.
Xin Shensi followed him to Earth Room Thirteen. Pushing the door open and glancing inside, she found it acceptable. A small window, a table, and a bed—though cramped, it was enough for her to sleep. Without setting down her bamboo basket, she closed the door, turned, and left the inn.
The innkeeper saw her out.
Xin Shensi didn’t ask him for directions to Qianping Street. The town was small, and the eastern district was only so big—she would find it. The Xin Family hadn’t given up searching for her yet. If she didn’t want to cause trouble for her maternal family, she should come quietly and leave without a trace.
In just half an hour, she turned into Qianping Street, spotted the pine branches extending over the wall, walked straight to the end of the street, turned right, circled around, and arrived at the back door of the Hong Family.
Hiding behind a weeping willow, Xin Shensi gazed at the tightly closed door not far away, unmoving for a long time. The breeze blew gently, and the willow branches swayed slowly. In her heart, she said to Hong Shujuan, who had died tragically for her daughter: “I’ve seen the Hong Family for you. It’s very peaceful here.” After standing for a quarter of an hour, she turned to leave. Just a few steps away, she suddenly heard the creak of a door opening and couldn’t help but look back.
An old man leaned halfway out: “Hey… girl, where are you going? You promised to deliver wild chestnuts this afternoon. I’ve been waiting for you until now.”
Xin Shensi’s heart stirred. She turned on her heel and walked toward the Hong Family, timidly saying, “I was delayed in the mountains. I was afraid of disturbing your rest and thought I’d deliver them early tomorrow instead.” As she approached, she saw tears in the old man’s eyes and felt an inexplicable pang of sorrow.
“Tomorrow morning will be too late,” the old man said, ushering her inside.
Xin Shensi entered and looked at the elderly gentleman standing a few paces away and the old woman with reddened eyes clutching her chest. Tears began to flow uncontrollably.
She resembled someone from the Hong Family. The old woman rushed forward and embraced her tightly, sobbing and cursing softly: “My poor child… That damned Xin Liangyou deserves to be struck by lightning…”
Hearing the fierce curse, Xin Shensi knew the old woman was filled with hatred. Calming her emotions, she said to her motionless grandfather: “I can’t stay here long. I came to tell you… my mother is dead. From now on, you…”
“I knew it…” The old woman holding Xin Shensi gasped for breath and began to collapse.
Xin Shensi supported her with one hand and continued: “From now on, stay away from the Xin Family. I won’t go back. I will avenge my mother’s death.”
The old woman wept bitterly: “When she didn’t write for five years, I knew something had happened… My Shujuan… It’s my fault for harming you… I shouldn’t have taken you back to my maiden home back then, shouldn’t have agreed to let you marry into such a family…”
Hong Nanfeng’s hands clenched tightly behind his back: “When the Xin Family started searching everywhere, I guessed you had escaped. The family has been waiting for you. Where else can a young woman like you go but stay here?”
“Xin Liangyou has already used my mother to force me to kill. If Xin Yue’er hadn’t accidentally revealed my mother’s death, I might have been under his control for the rest of my life.” Xin Shensi’s head suddenly throbbed, as if pierced by a needle, and the pain made her frown tightly. “He won’t let me go. Staying here will only bring you endless trouble.”
The old woman gripped her granddaughter tightly: “Then you’ll wander alone outside? Others have homes, and so do you. Here… this is your home.”
“I have plans. You don’t need to worry,” Xin Shensi told them. “I’m going to find a way to regulate the True Qi in my body.”
The Xin Family had been searching for her since mid-July. Hong Nanfeng looked at the child, who appeared well, and knew she had been doing fine recently. That was good enough. He didn’t try to persuade her to stay.
“You wait, your mother left some things at home. In her letter, she instructed that if you ever came looking, they should be given to you.”
Her mother had left her a backup plan? Xin Siansi was surprised, watching her grandfather turn away, wondering if it wasn’t just the two elders wanting to subsidize her. That she couldn’t easily accept, after all, she wasn’t the original person.
“All this time, where have you been hiding?” The old woman’s trembling hand caressed the child’s cheek. “Were you mistreated?”
Xin Siansi replied softly, “No, after escaping the Xin family, I met a kind person at Three-Eye Mountain. Her husband’s family name is Li, and she lives with a granddaughter. Her maiden home is south of Changhe Town. I helped out at her place with some chores, enjoying good soup and meals every day. This time, Granny Li came to attend a funeral and brought me out of Fanxi City along the way. At the city gate, we even ran into Xin Liangyou’s family. But at the time, I was sitting inside the ox cart’s canopy.”
“Leaving is good… leaving is good.” The old woman held her granddaughter’s face, tears streaming down. “How come your eyes and brows resemble your eldest uncle’s? Your eldest uncle took Huaqin down to Jiangnan, otherwise, seeing you would have made him overjoyed.” She had four sons and one daughter, and her most beloved was her daughter. But her daughter was unfilial, leaving too early.
It broke her heart!
Hong Nanfeng returned with a box: “These are the things your mother had sent over when she took you back to the Xin family. Five years ago, your mother wrote, entrusting me to transfer the manor on the outskirts of Luohe City to your name and gave some instructions. After that, there was no further news from either of you.”
The old woman had also calmed down, slowly releasing her granddaughter. “Siansi, although the deed for the manor on the outskirts of Luohe City is here, it might be hard to reclaim. The manor has long been managed by others who don’t acknowledge us. Before, your grandfather tried to reclaim it through the authorities, but Luohe City said it was a family matter and wouldn’t intervene unless lives were at stake.”
Opening the lacquered wooden box, Xin Siansi saw the red deed for the manor on the outskirts of Luohe City and finally confirmed that this was truly left to her by her mother. Besides the manor, there were deeds for sixty acres of farmland, a shop in Xiangxi City, two ten-tael gold ingots, three five-tael ones, a hundred taels in silver notes, and a pouch of loose silver.
Most importantly, her household registration. Her household register was also inside. Xin Siansi opened it and examined it carefully—excellent!
Hong Nanfeng sighed, “For thirteen years, your youngest uncle has been overseeing the sixty acres of land, and the harvests are all included here.”
Closing the household register, Xin Siansi took the deed for the manor on the outskirts of Luohe City, picked out two pieces of loose silver, and then returned the box to her grandfather. “My mother has caused you both much worry. Please take these, whether to purchase property or for daily expenses, consider it as my mother’s filial offering.”
“You child…” The old woman was about to say more when she saw the girl tuck away the household register and deed, turning to leave. She quickly grabbed her. “It’s so late, where are you going?”
Xin Siansi held tightly to her grandmother’s hand. “I’ve booked a room at an inn. I’ll leave early tomorrow morning.”
“These were left to you by your mother.” Hong Nanfeng was comforted by his granddaughter’s character but also pained for her.
“My mother, if she knew from beyond, would approve of my actions.” Another sharp pain struck the back of her head. Xin Siansi frowned, looking at her grandmother. “I’d like to ask a favor of you. Granny Li’s granddaughter, Li Manxiu, is an excellent girl, but she has no father. Her mother, who ran off, has recently returned and wants to use her to win people over. Could you see if there’s a family with good morals to arrange a marriage for her?”
Granny Li… The old woman was only confused for a moment before remembering. “Don’t worry, I will definitely help you repay this favor.”
“I’m leaving.” Xin Shensi glanced at her maternal grandfather, gave her grandmother’s hand a firm squeeze, gently pulled her hand free, stepped back, knelt down, and kowtowed: “I’ll be fine. You must take good care of yourselves too.”
Hong Nanfeng truly couldn’t bear to let her go. With tears welling in his aged eyes, he took two steps forward: “Just stay in Hongjiang City. It’s not certain that I can’t protect you.”
“The Hong Family is fine porcelain—there’s no need to clash head-on with the Xin Family.” Xin Shensi stood up: “As long as you are well, we will meet again someday.” She forced a smile, “I’m off now.” With that, she turned and cupped her hands in salute to the old man guarding the gate.
The old man had watched the Hong children grow up. He opened the gate to see her off, advising: “Be careful out there.”
“Alright.”
Once outside the Hong Family estate, Xin Shensi walked with light steps, as if she had truly sold a basketful of wild chestnuts.