Jiangling County was the leading county of Jingzhou Prefecture, and also the seat of the prefectural government. Situated right by the river, it bustled with activity—crowds of pedestrians, rows of shops, and an atmosphere of lively prosperity.
Mi Niang did not want Second Madam Ding to tire herself out, so she insisted on struggling down to walk on her own. Second Madam Ding was deeply touched, thinking to herself how her daughter had grown up and learned to care for others. Little did she know that Mi Niang was also reflecting inwardly: with her feet planted firmly on the ground, her natural, unbound feet felt comfortable and free—unlike the days when they were bound, when every step felt like walking on knife points.
The mother and daughter arrived in front of a steamed bun shop. Second Madam Ding took out a few copper coins and bought two large meat buns, still steaming hot.
With a gentle smile, Second Madam Ding handed both buns to her daughter. "Mi Niang, you love steamed buns—here, eat them while they're hot. Just be careful, they're quite warm. Don't eat too quickly, alright?"
"Mother, let's have one each," she insisted, taking only one bun.
But Second Madam Ding replied, "I've never really liked steamed buns. Besides, you usually eat two meat buns at once. In the past, I would bring them back for you, and even after finishing them, you'd say it wasn't enough! Go on, eat them, my dear Mi Jie'er."
Who in the world is naturally averse to eating meat? Looking at her mother's thin, frail frame, Mi Niang felt a pang of sorrow in her heart.
Mi Niang persisted, "One for you, Mother, and one for me. Otherwise, I won't eat at all."
Holding the bun in her small hand, she stood on tiptoe to offer it to Second Madam Ding. "Mother, please eat it. After we finish here, we'll go to the ferry to take a boat home, without letting Grandfather and Grandmother know."
She vaguely remembered a time when her mother had been pregnant, but the child was lost. The memory was stained with blood, and afterward, her mother had been perpetually weak and listless. Though she couldn't recall the exact timing of the pregnancy, having once yearned so desperately for a child herself, she knew that preparing for pregnancy required a healthy body. Yet her mother often went hungry, saving any good food for her. Even if she had been pregnant, it would have been difficult to carry the child to term.
Thus, for now, all grudges and grievances were set aside. The most urgent matter was to nourish her mother's health.
So, Mi Niang raised the bun high in her hand, determined not to lower it until her mother accepted it. Second Madam Ding couldn't hold back her tears. Gently taking the bun from her daughter's plump little hand, she took a bite of the warm, soft dough. The savory meat juices burst forth, and she couldn't resist taking another bite. As the rich flavor filled her mouth, she felt as though she were tasting the most exquisite delicacy in the world.
In truth, her husband had always treated her well. When he first entered the academy as an outer hall disciple, he would spend his spare time copying books to earn money. With the silver he saved, he would buy sugar frost and hair ornaments for her. Thinking of this, Second Madam Ding felt a wave of longing for her husband.
However, her husband was studying in the provincial capital. Fearing the high cost of travel and needing to earn money by copying books, the couple had not seen each other for a year.
Seeing her mother eat, Mi Niang also began to enjoy her meat bun. Since entering the palace, she had rarely eaten meat buns or even rice. There was no other reason—the Emperor favored slender waists. To win his favor, she had no choice but to stick to a vegetarian diet. Even when trying to conceive a prince, she dared only take tonics, never allowing herself to gain weight.
But now, she had no such restrictions. This meat bun was generously filled, with thin skin and ample filling.
What was a heavenly life? It wasn't about imperial favor or noble status. It was about being able to eat whatever one desired and do whatever one pleased—that was truly a heavenly life.
After finishing the steamed buns, Second Madam Ding bought her daughter a stick of candied hawthorn and then purchased a shell-shaped clam oil from a small vendor before hurriedly boarding the ferry with Mi Niang.
On their return, the sun was shining brightly, and Second Madam Ding walked briskly, instructing her daughter, "If anyone at home notices, just say Mother took you out to play."
"Alright, I understand," Mi Niang replied, stuffing the last candied hawthorn into Second Madam Ding’s mouth.
"This child…" Second Madam Ding still couldn’t bring herself to scold her beloved daughter.
But her heart felt warm.
Despite hurrying home, Mi Niang and her mother found the house unusually quiet. Granny Hao happened to emerge from the kitchen and, seeing the two of them, quickly smiled and said, "Second Madam, don’t worry. The master and Old Madam were called away by Aunt Yu’s family this morning. I heard that the wife of the eldest son of the Yu family has given birth to a precious son."
"That’s wonderful news!" Second Madam Ding’s eyes flickered with a hint of gloom. Her eldest daughter, Mi Niang, was already six years old, yet she had shown no signs of pregnancy. Aunt Yu’s daughter-in-law, who had married at twenty-two, not only conceived immediately after entering the household but also gave birth to a son.
It was well known that aside from her family background being criticized, many in the clan looked down on Second Madam Ding for her lack of a son. Old Madam had even openly mocked her, saying behind her back that she was a hen that couldn’t lay eggs.
Granny Hao was aware of Second Madam Ding’s worries and dared not say more.
Second Madam Ding quickly composed herself and took out the clam oil she had bought earlier from her sleeve, placing it in Granny Hao’s hand. "You still have to wash dishes and work in the winter, Elder. I’ve heard this clam oil is excellent for treating frostbite and cracked skin. It’s just that I don’t have much money. If I did, I would have made you a cotton coat this year."
Granny Hao was deeply moved. "In this household, only Second Madam remembers me from time to time."
No sooner had she spoken than a woman with disheveled hair and slippers shuffled in. She glared at Second Madam Ding and her daughter with ill intent. Mi Niang quickly recognized her—it was none other than Ruan Ping’er.
"Hmph, Granny Hao, what’s for breakfast? I’m starving," she said, her tone as sharp and dismissive as ever, showing no respect for her sister-in-law or the servants.
Granny Hao replied with a pained expression, "My dear young lady, before Old Madam left, she locked the pantry. Second Madam, Mi Niang, and I haven’t eaten yet."
Servants had their own ways of coping. Granny Hao would secretly hide a few potatoes or sweet potatoes in the kitchen, but those were for her own consumption. Old Madam kept a tight watch on the kitchen, personally holding the keys. Without hiding food, they would go hungry.
Ruan Ping’er snorted, stomped her feet, and headed to Old Madam’s room.
Watching her retreating figure, Granny Hao turned to Second Madam Ding and said, "There are snacks in Old Madam’s room. I’m sure she went there to get some."
"We’ll head back to our room now. I still have to spin cloth while it’s daylight," Second Madam Ding replied, not one for idle chatter.
Granny Hao nodded. She still had to feed the chickens and pigs, with endless chores to attend to, leaving no time for gossip. Besides, ever since Miss Ping’er was caught by the matchmaker scolding her sister-in-law last time, she hadn’t dared to cause trouble at home recklessly.
Once inside her room, Second Madam Ding let her daughter play nearby while she sat by the window, spinning cloth.
When Mother was spinning cloth, she would lay her down on the bed to rest. By noon, Second Madam Ding would call her daughter to get up, while she herself would take out a jar from a small box in the room. Inside were fried rice, ginkgo nuts, fried dumplings, fried magnolia slices, and the like. Mother and daughter would then soak the fried rice in hot water and eat it.
Fried rice was made by stir-frying rice with sand in a wok until it puffed up, then sifting out the cooked grains. Once stored, it could be taken out anytime to soak and eat—truly a delicacy in this world.
This was the daily life of the mother and daughter. Even Old Master and Old Madam at home ate pickled vegetables with plain porridge, and eggs were a rare treat. The glutinous rice cakes from yesterday were sent by Aunt Yu. Aunt Yu’s husband worked as a minor clerk in the Jiangling County government office, and her son had once passed the xiucai examination. Later, he became an accountant at a restaurant. Their family lived quite comfortably, so they often helped Mi Niang’s grandmother, Old Madam Yu.
Of course, it wasn’t anything particularly fine—mostly old clothes from Aunt Yu’s family that they no longer wore, or snacks they didn’t care for, or things like glutinous rice cakes that they had too much of and couldn’t finish.
But even so, the Ruan family was deeply grateful.
Mi Niang gazed into the distance, thinking that the reason Father had met with misfortune was also because of the Yu family.
After finishing her meal, Mi Niang wanted to go out for a stroll. This area was inhabited by members of the Ruan clan, where everyone knew each other well. Second Madam Ding felt at ease but still cautioned her, “Don’t go too far.”
“I know, Mother.”
But Second Madam Ding still couldn’t shake her worry. “How about Mother goes with you to play?” Her little Mi Niang was too adorable—ordinary children didn’t have such a pretty doll-like appearance, with milky-white skin, large grape-like eyes, and thick, dense eyelashes. If she were kidnapped by traffickers, she would be utterly helpless.
“Mother, I remember the way. Yesterday, I even went to Fourth Aunt’s place to look for you, all by myself,” Mi Niang said, patting her chest.
Seeing her daughter’s eager expression, Second Madam Ding finally agreed.
Mi Niang unlatched the back door and walked forward, greeting many people along the way.
“Oh, isn’t this Uncle Ding’s Mi Niang?”
Mi Niang looked up and saw a young boy of about fifteen or sixteen, wearing a square scarf and a blue robe, looking like a scholar. She called out softly, “Brother Shiyi.”
“Hey, you still remember me?” Ruan Shiyi was delighted.
“Of course, I remember. I heard from Granny Hao that Brother Shiyi is going to be a bridegroom soon. But since Mother has to spin cloth, and Grandfather and Grandmother are taking Auntie, I won’t be able to go to Brother Shiyi’s house for the wedding feast.” In truth, whenever there was a banquet, the sons would contribute the gift money, while Old Master Ruan and Old Madam would be the ones to attend and enjoy the food and drinks.
These two elders were quite notorious in the clan, with few friends and generally disliked by everyone.
If not for the late Old Master’s modest reputation and the fact that Ruan Jiakang and Ruan Jiading were well-regarded in the clan, this troublesome couple would have been avoided by everyone, who would even cover their sleeves and walk away at the sight of them.
Ruan Shiyi, being young, had heard many stories about this elderly couple. Everyone said that if not for Old Master Ruan’s gambling addiction, which left Uncle Ding impoverished, Uncle Ding’s talent and learning would have earned him the xiucai Gongming long ago.
He looked at Mi Niang with pity. “How about Brother Shiyi invites you? Back when I started my initial literacy training, it was your father who taught me.”
Mi Niang's goal, of course, was not just to attend the wedding feast, but to be the bed-rolling child. In Jiangling, there was a custom: after the bed-rolling child finished rolling on the bed, the groom's family would give a red envelope containing twenty to fifty copper coins, along with red dates and brown sugar brought to the bridal chamber. And there would be no limit on snacks either.
She feigned surprise and said, "Is Brother Shiyi asking Mi Niang to be the bed-rolling child? Mi Niang is very good at rolling."
Ruan Shiyi had just returned from the academy to get married. His bride was his cousin, and the two had grown up together since childhood. He glanced at Mi Niang, finding her utterly adorable, and thought to himself how wonderful it would be if his cousin also gave birth to such a beautiful little girl. So he readily agreed.
"Thank you, Brother Shiyi." Mi Niang's eyes sparkled as she looked at Ruan Shiyi.
"No need to thank me. In a few days, I'll send someone to pick you up," Ruan Shiyi said with a smile.
Mi Niang flashed an adorably sweet smile, and Ruan Shiyi was completely charmed, reaching out to ruffle her little bun hairstyle.
Only after Ruan Shiyi had walked away did Mi Niang feel a sense of shame. A dignified Imperial Noble Consort, actually acting cute for just twenty copper coins! But then she remembered that Ruan Shiyi's family was well-off, and she could bring back brown sugar for Mother to drink, helping to nourish her body. With that thought, she felt it was all worth it.