It wasn’t raining today, and the enthusiastic Xiao Zhang noticed there was still a small space on the donkey cart. He offered Wei Jinyun a ride, which would be faster and save her some energy compared to walking.
Wei Jinyun naturally agreed. Having wandered around Caoshi all morning, her feet were nearly worn out. She quickly stepped over and sat down, returning to the shop along with her bricks, tiles, and stone mill.
The journey was bumpy and slow, but they returned fully loaded. Although she had spent quite a bit of money, she felt even the earthy, grassy scent in the air carried a hint of sweetness.
After yesterday’s thorough cleaning by her family and the two aunties, the small courtyard had already taken on a fresh new look. Now, with the sun shining brightly, it felt even more lively and finally had a bit of human warmth.
The two donkey carts she had hired were fully loaded, catching the attention of several shopkeepers in front of Tianqing Temple, who poked their heads out to look.
It was a lady they didn’t recognize, seemingly heading toward the old shop where two young children had been squatting that morning.
Zhang Renbai happened to step out of his shop, carrying a stack of rice paper.
His family had been selling writing supplies here for over twenty years. He was in his early twenties, gentle and fair-skinned. Although he had seen Wei Jinyun earlier that morning, he found himself blushing before he could even speak.
Now, seeing her return with two burly men, he seemed a bit flustered, his fingers tightening around the rice paper in his arms.
“Wei… Miss Wei is back.”
Zhang Renbai’s voice was soft, carrying the shyness typical of a scholar. His gaze quickly swept over Wei Jinyun’s face before dropping again, fixed on the rice paper in his arms.
He had already noticed someone coming out of the shop that morning. Aunt Zhao from Liji Cooked Food Shop had grabbed a jar of soybeans and gone inside to chat with them.
Meng Ge’er had told him that the young lady he saw earlier that morning was surnamed “Wei,” and with her were her grandmother and two younger sisters. Chewing on soybeans, Meng Ge’er repeated to Zhang Renbai what his mother had said while chatting with others.
Why was it that he, who was usually eloquent when introducing paper and brushes to customers, suddenly found himself stumbling over his words?
Wei Jinyun stopped and smiled politely in return. “Yes, I just went to Wang’s to order some furnishings for the opening. These two masters are here to help me repair the courtyard wall and roof.”
She pointed to Xiao Zhang and Er Niu behind her.
Only then did Zhang Renbai look up at the two masons, nodding to them before turning his gaze back to Wei Jinyun. “Miss Wei, you’ve worked hard. If you need anything in terms of writing brushes, ink, paper, or inkstones, feel free to come to the shop.”
“Of course, of course.”
Wei Jinyun glanced up at the shop sign above, which read “Zhang’s Wenfang Sibao Shop,” and replied naturally, “When my younger sisters start school, I’ll have to visit Mr. Zhang’s shop to pick out a few things.”
Zhang Renbai let out a soft “hmm” and walked back into his shop with light, brisk steps.
She actually knew his surname was Zhang!
The Wei sisters had already been standing at the doorway, eagerly looking toward the street, waiting for Wei Jinyun to return. That morning, several shopkeepers and assistants from nearby shops had come to chat with their grandmother, leaving the sisters dizzy and bored.
The stone mill on the donkey cart blocked Wei Jinyun from view. When the two finally saw their sister jump down from the cart, they were beaten to it by that stranger who sold paper.
Why did everyone talk endlessly? Did people really have that much to say to each other?
That person didn’t even know their sister, and he hadn’t even spoken clearly.
Wei Fuling held a bowl and quickly ran down several stone steps, rushing to Wei Jinyun's side. "Sister, are you tired? Have some water."
The palm fan was gripped in Wei Fuqu's hand, swishing as she fanned her.
"Not tired at all."
Wei Jinyun drank the water in the bowl in one gulp, then stuffed the weighed candied apricots into the sisters' hands. "I've tasted them—super sweet!"
Muttering "Sister is so kind," Wei Fuling pulled Wei Fuqu into the courtyard, sharing the candied apricots one by one.
Once all the bricks and tiles were unloaded into the small courtyard, Xiao Zhang and Er Niu immediately got to work.
They deftly inspected several sections of the courtyard wall where bricks had rotted from rainwater, counted the number of bricks needed to rebuild the stove platform, and climbed onto the roof to check the tiles.
The stove platform had to be built first, as cooking and pancake-making would rely on it later. For it to be truly usable, waiting for the clay mortar to dry during the rainy season would take at least seven or eight days.
Looking at the large pile of bricks stacked in the small courtyard, Xiao Zhang asked curiously, "Miss Wei, this shop is just being repaired. Although the top layer of bricks is somewhat rotten, the ones underneath are still good. Isn't buying so many a waste?"
Many tiles on the roof were broken and indeed needed replacing. But bricks were different—this wasn't laying a foundation to rebuild the house, so there was no need for so many.
"If there are any leftovers, could I trouble Brother Xiao to help build a clay oven in the courtyard?"
Wei Jinyun brewed roasted barley tea for them and set it aside to cool. "The younger sisters also want a partitioned room."
Some pastries needed to be baked in a clay oven to achieve a crispy, crumbly texture. In modern times with ovens, her grandmother's pastry shop still had a clay oven in the backyard.
She always said electric baking wasn't as fragrant as oven baking.
But her grandmother rarely used that clay oven. Whenever she did, she and her grandfather would eagerly wait to eat.
"No problem, no problem."
Xiao Zhang gulped down a bowl of roasted barley tea and continued working.
There were originally two rooms on the second floor. Since the sisters were used to sleeping separately, Wei Jinyun asked them to use bricks to build another layer in the larger room, partitioning off a small space.
This way, Wei Jinyun had her own room, Wang Qiulan and the sisters each had their own rooms. Once she took measurements in the next couple of days, she would go to Caoshi to find a few small cabinets to place inside. She had seen them today—those cabinets, seventy to eighty percent new and even carved, were very cheap when bought in bulk.
The son of Shopkeeper Wang, who delivered the beds, could carry one bed up by himself. When Xiao Zhang wanted to help, he was stopped.
This man's arms were even thicker than Xiao Zhang's—no wonder he did heavy labor regularly. After delivering the beds and drinking a bowl of water, he hitched the donkey cart and rushed to the next house without a moment's rest.
In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, the three beds were each in their places. Wang Qiulan spread the bedding on the beds. Wei Fuling, thrilled with her new bed, jumped vigorously on it several times, making the entire second floor thump loudly.
"Finally, we don't have to sleep on wooden benches anymore. This is even better than Fuling's old bed!"
"If you keep jumping, the new bed will collapse, and you'll sleep on wooden benches again tonight."
"Fuqu is so mean."
Wang Qiulan had been here less than two days, yet she saw her granddaughter buying beds, partitioning rooms—in the blink of an eye, transforming a dilapidated shop into something entirely new.
Seeing her two granddaughters bustling about, Wang Qiulan waited until Wei Jinyun had a moment free and entered the main hall, then pulled her aside and couldn’t help but speak up, “Jinyun, this—first beds, then hiring people to fix things up… We grandmother and grandchildren returned to Pingjiang Fu to find a place to settle down and live peacefully. Why do we need so many things?”
In Wang Qiulan’s simple way of thinking, to settle down and make a home, having a roof over their heads, a bed, and a stove was enough. She understood Wei Jinyun repairing the walls and roof tiles, but she had just heard from the young man moving the beds that Wei Jinyun had also ordered quite a few tables and chairs from his shop.
Why would the household need so many stools for people to sit on?
She even thought that if times truly became difficult in the future, the shopfront’s location seemed decent enough, and they could still find a buyer to take it over, exchanging it for some silver to leave for these three granddaughters.
It had to be left for them, after all.
Wei Jinyun understood Wang Qiulan’s concerns.
She was accustomed to the stable days in Gaochun Town, and since the original owner had been bedridden for years, her own series of actions likely seemed rash to Wang Qiulan, even somewhat unbelievable.
“Grandmother, don’t worry. We’re not just settling down temporarily—we’re putting down roots here to live well. I’ve been thinking that once everything is tidied up, it would be just right to open a shop later. The tables and chairs are for that purpose. In the future, we’ll truly establish ourselves in Pingjiang Fu, allowing you to enjoy your later years in peace.”
Hearing the words “open a shop,” Wang Qiulan’s eyes flashed with surprise and confusion. “What kind of business would we run in a shop?”
To her, this seemed far too risky.
“Pastries.”
To dispel her doubts, Wei Jinyun added, “Grandmother, have you forgotten? Mother taught me at home, and I remember it all… I’ve already inquired about it. If we run a shop here for a full year, we can establish our own household registration. My sisters and I won’t have to return to the Wei family.”
Among the original owner’s maternal relatives were some who made pastries. When not out doing business, her mother would often make snacks at home for the three sisters.
The original owner’s health was poor, and kneading dough was strenuous work, so her mother rarely taught her how to make pastries. But after much thought, Wei Jinyun felt this was the only excuse she could use to explain her skills.
In the end, Wang Qiulan just sighed and patted the back of Wei Jinyun’s hand. “Jinyun is a child with her own ideas. Grandmother is old and doesn’t understand these things. But if the money runs short, Grandmother has a few strings of cash and some jewelry.”
“Grandmother’s money should be saved to buy candy for Fuqu and Fuling. I bought two bolts of cloth. When you have time, Grandmother, you can make a few outfits for them. It’ll be sweltering in July soon, and that fabric will be comfortable to wear.”
“Alright, they’re shooting up taller every year.”
Wei Jinyun helped Wang Qiulan sit down in the courtyard, then called the two sisters down from the second floor to avoid any accidents with falling tiles or bricks.
The water fetched in the wooden bucket wasn’t enough, so she thought of going outside to get more, but Wei Fuqu stopped her. “The water here is clear. Can’t we drink from the well?”
“The well water isn’t clean. I’ll find a laborer to clean it out later. In a couple of days, it’ll be safe to drink.”
Xiao Zhang, who had overheard, volunteered again, “What’s the need for a laborer? It’s just a matter of scooping out some silt. I’ll do it for Miss Wei later.”
He had worked briskly today, feeling energized whenever Miss Wei smiled at him.
Wei Jinyun felt rather embarrassed. Having them help move goods today, allowing her and her stone mill to ride the donkey cart for free, was already causing them trouble. The daily labor fee was eighty wen—how could they now be competing for more work?
"This old well of ours hasn't been cleaned for decades. The well water is murky and has a faint, unpleasant odor."
Xiao Zhang leaned over to peer into the deep, dark well opening. "Don't worry, Miss Wei. Cleaning and dredging the well may take some effort, but I can handle it. It's just that the well has been sealed for many years, so it's probably quite dirty down there. It'll take some time to clean it out… Right, Er Niu?"
He looked up, grinning and raising an eyebrow at Er Niu, who was busy laying tiles on the roof.
Er Niu rolled his eyes. "Right."
"Then thank you, Brother Xiao Zhang."
"Hey, no problem at all."
Xiao Zhang and Er Niu got straight to work. After partitioning the rooms on the second floor and building the stove, they started on the well-cleaning task, like perpetual motion machines.
Bucket after bucket of murky, blackish well water was hauled up and poured into a specially dug mud trench along the base of the courtyard wall, filling the air with the smell of silt.
The two took turns descending into the well, using shovels and boards to painstakingly clear out decades of accumulated silt and rubble in the narrow space at the bottom.
Seeing this, Wei Jinyun felt that providing meals alone wasn't enough. Taking advantage of their break to drink water, she went out for a stroll and returned with a large, round watermelon with vibrant green skin tucked in her arms.
By the afternoon, the sun was blazing.
Wei Jinyun placed the watermelon on a chair in the courtyard, cut it open, and called out to the two men, "Brother Xiao Zhang, Brother Er Niu, come take a break and have some watermelon to cool off."
Covered in sweat and mud splatters, they casually washed their hands and gathered around.
She had specifically chosen one that had been soaked in well water.
The chilled watermelon was sweet and juicy, and soon more than half of it was gone. Xiao Zhang and Er Niu ate with great relish.
Wei Jinyun naturally handed a large slice to each of the two sisters as well. Wei Fuqu held her slice, nibbling on it slowly. Wei Fuling's eyes curved into crescent moons as she ate, her little face almost buried in the watermelon.
"Is it really that sweet?"
A head popped up over the adjoining low wall between the two houses, peering eagerly at everyone in the courtyard enjoying their watermelon.
Wei Jinyun spotted him and couldn't help but chuckle, waving him over. "Meng Ge'er, I'll cut a slice for you too. Be careful climbing so high."
Hearing this, Meng Ge'er swiftly scrambled down from the low wall, unbothered by the dirt, and ran over to Wei Jinyun in a few strides.
Despite his sturdy build, it didn't hinder his movements at all.
As he bit into the watermelon, he thought to himself that this older sister seemed easy to get along with, and she had two younger sisters…
Meng Ge'er tilted his head to look at the sisters. Even though they ignored him today, he still wanted to be friends with them. Later, he'd bring them some braised chicken to eat.
"You got watermelon seeds all over your clothes."
Wei Fuling pouted as she glanced at him.
Meng Ge'er hurriedly brushed the watermelon seeds off his clothes, even adopting a somewhat more elegant manner while eating the watermelon.
Wang Qiulan ate a slice of watermelon, carefully combed her hair, tidied herself up, and prepared to go out. "I was thinking the weather is nice today. Since we're already in Pingjiang Fu, I'd like to visit your grand-aunt. It's been over forty years since I last saw her."
She paused, a hint of anticipation on her face. "I'm going out to buy some things. Tomorrow, I'll take all of you with me."
Wang Qiulan and her sister exchanged letters every few months. They always talked about visiting each other when they had free time—"When I'm free, I'll definitely take a boat to see you"—but somehow, they never found the time.
Her sister had trouble with her legs, and Wang Qiulan herself had to take care of her three granddaughters. Besides, Wei Jinyun’s health back then wasn’t fit for several days on a boat.
And so, it dragged on. Over forty years passed, yet they still had a chance to meet again. Wang Qiulan wiped away a tear as she left the house, following her memory to find the shops they loved to eat at and play in when they were young, buying some things to bring to her sister.
"Alright, Grandmother, take your time and be careful on the road."
Wei Jinyun dozed off in the courtyard, and by the time she woke, the afternoon had passed.
The sun gradually slanted westward. When she opened her eyes, the well had already been cleaned.
Her younger sisters had been called out to play by Meng Ge’er next door and hadn’t returned yet. The courtyard was filled only with the sounds of Xiao Zhang and Er Niu repairing the wall.
The stove had been built, and her large iron wok had been placed on it, fitting perfectly and snugly.
Squinting, she ran up and down, taking a look around, feeling quite satisfied.
This feeling of slowly building up their little home was truly delightful.
Wang Qiulan had already returned and was sitting in the courtyard doing needlework, but her brow was slightly furrowed, and her face looked noticeably gloomier than when she had left, as if she were somewhat disheartened.
"Grandmother?"
Wei Jinyun brought a stool and sat beside her.
Hearing her granddaughter call her, Wang Qiulan’s face immediately lit up with a smile, not a trace of melancholy to be seen. "Jinyun, you’re awake. Grandmother steamed rice in the rice steamer you bought today. For dinner, we’ll have steamed white fish, meat-stuffed gluten, and pickled vegetable stir-fried with edamame. How does that sound?"
Grandmother hadn’t even noticed her getting up and walking around earlier. It seemed she really had something on her mind.
"Why is Grandmother unhappy?"
Wei Jinyun casually picked up the candied apricots placed on the chair in front of her and handed them to her. "Have an apricot to sweeten your mood and chase away Grandmother’s unhappiness."
"These are for you children to eat."
Wang Qiulan was amused by her words but still ate the candied apricot Wei Jinyun offered. "It’s nothing serious, really. It’s just that the pastry shop your aunt and I used to visit when we were young has closed down. It’s now a shop selling straw sandals."
"I’ve heard that the pastry shop 'Xu Ji' on Shantang Street is famous. Why don’t you try that one, Grandmother? Maybe you’ll find something you like."
"I went there too. The taste was similar, but maybe it’s been too long since I last had it, and I’ve forgotten… I remember back then, the shopkeeper’s daughter used to play with us. Her name was Changge. Such a lovely name—I still remember it to this day."
Who knows where Changge is now, and whether she still loves to sing.
"Actually, the pastries are the same."
Wei Jinyun’s tone carried a hint of amusement, as if coaxing her. "It’s just that Grandmother misses her sister so much it’s making her anxious. Tomorrow, we’ll go together. When Grandmother sees her sister, you can cry your heart out then."
"If you put it that way, how can Grandmother cry?"
After being teased by her granddaughter, Wang Qiulan felt not a shred of sadness left. The candied apricot in her mouth seemed to have sweetened her heart. She got up to prepare the fish she had brought back earlier, still splashing in the wooden bucket, to cook the dishes her granddaughters loved.
"Miss Wei, come take a look at this!"
Xiao Zhang was repairing a few collapsed sections of the courtyard wall. His sudden call carried a note of surprise and uncertainty.
Hearing him, Wei Jinyun walked over.
Xiao Zhang pointed to several blue bricks at the corner of the wall, pressed tightly against the base of the neighboring shop's wall. "Miss Wei, look at these bricks, and the direction of this wall's foundation…"
He gestured with his trowel. "Logically, this courtyard wall should have been built straight from here. But look—these bricks were clearly patched in later, crooked and uneven. And…" He stood up, took a few steps back, and squinted as he examined the connected wall between the two properties. "And if you look closely at the wall seam, I can’t help but feel that our side’s foundation seems to have been encroached upon a bit by the neighbor’s wall. It seems like part of their wall was built on our land."
This wall was shared with the Wenfang Sibao Shop to the left, the same shop owned by the Zhang family that Wei Jinyun had met earlier that day.
Er Niu, hearing this, also came over and stared for a moment. "You’re right. This stone foundation should clearly be on our side, but now most of it is pressed under the neighbor’s wall. Could it be that when they built the wall back then, the neighbors secretly shifted it over by about a foot onto our land?"
Xiao Zhang looked seriously at Wei Jinyun. "Miss Wei, this matter could be minor or significant. There’s likely an issue with this corner of the wall. I’m afraid your courtyard has been encroached upon by the neighbors."
Author's Note:
Forgot to mention: braised duck is the ancient version of marinated duck [pitiful].