Early in the morning, Granny Hao boiled longan and red date water before heading out with her vegetable basket to buy groceries. As for breakfast, it was quite simple—a bowl of rice accompanied by a bowl of pickled vegetables and a serving of fish soup.
The family was not well-off, so they usually only ate two meals a day. However, Second Madam Ding knew her husband needed nourishment for studying, so the household had one meal in the morning and another in the evening.
Breakfast was similar to what field laborers ate—rice with dishes—so that they wouldn’t easily feel hungry afterward.
Second Madam Ding, however, made it a daily habit to drink longan and red date water without fail. This was the most affordable way to replenish her energy and blood. Granny Hao had raised two chickens, and each day, Second Madam Ding would eat one of the leftover eggs. After just two or three months, not only had her menstrual cycle normalized, but her complexion had also become much rosier.
Mi Niang thought to herself that the main reason her mother had lost her child during pregnancy in her previous life was due to her frail health.
Now that they had moved out, at least every penny Second Madam Ding earned was her own, which lifted her spirits considerably. With enough to eat and wear, her face had regained its color.
"Mi Niang, you must finish the fish soup. Drinking it will make you smarter," Second Madam Ding insisted, even trying to feed her daughter.
"Mother, I’ve already eaten quite a bit. Please finish the rest yourself. I’m full." It was hard to refuse a mother’s affection. Although Mi Niang lived by the Yangtze River, she never liked eating fish. But her mother believed fish made one smarter. Her father would always eat the fish head and eyes, while she would at most pick a little meat from the belly.
But Second Madam Ding wouldn’t take no for an answer. If her daughter refused to eat, she would force-feed her.
Truth be told, Mi Niang had been plump and fair-skinned as a child, partly because she wasn’t picky about food, and partly because of Second Madam Ding’s doting. Even now, when they went out, her mother would still carry Mi Niang on her back. If there was delicious fish, she would always make sure her daughter ate it to nourish her body.
"Good girl, take a bite. If you finish it today, I’ll take you out to play. How about that?"
Hearing that she could go out to play, Mi Niang was overjoyed. She hadn’t been out since arriving in the city.
So, she quickly finished the fish soup. Seeing her daughter drink it all up, Second Madam Ding smiled—everything was going according to plan.
After the mother and daughter finished their meal, they informed Ruan Jiading, who was studying in his room, and headed out.
The area where they lived was extremely convenient. Just outside the alley, there were rows of small stalls, along with bookstores, teahouses, and taverns—everything one could need. Unlike last time when they had sneaked into the city and didn’t have time to look around, today Mi Niang could properly enjoy a stroll.
"Mother, what’s that?" she asked, pointing to a woman who took a lump of glutinous rice, spread it flat, topped it with diced radish, shredded kelp, and other side dishes, placed half a fried dough stick in the middle, tightly wrapped it in cloth, and handed it to a customer.
Second Madam Ding smiled. "That’s called glutinous rice wrapped around a fried dough stick. Once I finish dyeing the cloth these next few days and sell it, I’ll buy one for you. How does that sound?"
Mi Niang shook her head. "I don’t like it. I only love the fish soup you make for me."
Her daughter was far too sensible. How could a little girl not crave snacks? Second Madam Ding recalled how, as a child, she had been beaten half to death by her aunt for stealing a piece of candy.
This made Second Madam Ding feel even more guilty toward her daughter.
After buying some silk thread at the thread shop, Second Madam Ding planned to work diligently over the next few days to weave more cloth so she could buy some tasty treats for her daughter. It didn’t matter if she suffered herself, but she couldn’t let her child endure the same hardships.
Just as the mother and daughter were about to return, they encountered Eldest Mistress Bin, who was standing with another mother and daughter pair. Mi Niang looked closely—wasn't this the young Zhou Furou and her mother, Mrs. Zhou née Li? Mrs. Zhou had given birth to five sons and one daughter, and everyone praised her for being exceptionally blessed.
Moreover, Mrs. Zhou and Second Madam Ding hailed from the same village.
"Second Sister-in-law Ding, what brings you here as well?" Eldest Mistress Bin spoke first.
Second Madam Ding smiled and replied, "My husband is taking the academy examination this year, so we moved here. Have you also come?"
Eldest Mistress Bin glanced at her sister-in-law before answering, "My family runs a business in the prefectural city and invited my brother and sister-in-law to help. As for Furou, she has been fortunate enough to earn Lady Zhang's favor and is now attending the girls' school at the prefectural academy."
Mi Niang looked at the young Zhou Furou, especially at her feet. Could someone truly be so fortunate?
For instance, she herself had undergone foot-binding before entering the palace, enduring the excruciating pain of having her feet broken. Yet Zhou Furou was born with naturally small "three-inch golden lotuses," spared from any such suffering.
Just as Mi Niang was observing Zhou Furou, Mrs. Zhou was also watching Second Madam Ding. Mrs. Zhou was two years older than Second Madam Ding. Back then, her family had rented land from the Lu family to farm. As a child, Mrs. Zhou always remembered how the young lady from the xiucai's family was dressed cleanly and elegantly. She could never forget that their own names were simply "Second Girl" or "Third Girl," while the Lu young lady had a beautiful name like Shujun.
Unfortunately, later on, a fallen phoenix was worse off than a chicken.
Mrs. Zhou had married into a relatively well-off farming family. Her fertility was impressive—she bore five sons and had long taken charge of the household. Their life flourished day by day, further bolstered by the support of her sister-in-law, making the two families as close as one. In contrast, Lu Shujun had her marriage taken over by someone else and ended up wedded to a poor scholar. Her fertility was less impressive, and to this day, she had only given birth to a single daughter.
Of course, daughters were precious too—just as Mrs. Zhou doted on her own daughter, having longed for a girl ever since her third son was born. But that was because she already had sons and simply wanted a daughter. If given the choice from the start, she would still have chosen to bear sons.
This was no surprise; otherwise, why were female infants often drowned by the riverbanks? It was all due to the preference for sons over daughters. Yet when it came time to marry, the number of women dwindled so drastically that it was not uncommon for three brothers from the same family to share one wife.
Thus, in some ways, Mrs. Zhou felt a sense of superiority toward Second Madam Ding.
For example, although her daughter was from a farming family, she was naturally blessed—not only had she helped her aunt bear a son, but she had also earned the admiration of Lady Zhang, the wife of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner.
However, Mrs. Zhou was not the type to casually mock others. Although she was a village woman, she had grown much more cautious during her time in the city.
Eldest Mistress Bin had earned some money over the years and, by currying favor with figures like Eldest Mistress Gui in the clan, had gradually gained a bit of status among the distant relatives. But just yesterday, she had handed over two taels of silver to the clan elder, explaining that it was customary—these funds would later be awarded to clan members who earned Gongming, especially with the academy examination approaching soon.
But these matters had nothing to do with Eldest Mistress Bin. Her son was still young, and her husband was even less likely to Enter Officialdom. It must be known that her husband, Ruan Jiabin, had a less favorable background compared to others in the Ruan family. Although Ruan Jiading was now a poor and pedantic scholar, his grandfather had once served as a county magistrate, making him one of the more outstanding members of this branch of the Ruan family. If not for Ruan Laoye squandering the family fortune and ruining his son's estate, things would not have come to this.
Nevertheless, Eldest Mistress Bin felt that this money was spent in vain.
Even if Ruan Jiading, Ruan Shiyi, and others achieved Gongming, it had nothing to do with her. When a family was not wealthy, they should have long ago focused on earning a living through practical means. She truly did not understand what the clan was thinking.
Thus, a hint of irritation crept into her words: "Second Sister-in-law Ding, I see that Second Brother has passed the exams this time, so your hardships are finally over. Don’t blame me for speaking bluntly, but if he hadn’t passed, he should have done something to improve the family’s circumstances."
"I will remember Sister-in-law’s valuable advice," Second Madam Ding replied, maintaining her composure and showing no sign of anger.
Eldest Mistress Bin smiled. "I’m glad Sister-in-law doesn’t mind my meddling. Oh, by the way, Mi Niang is almost seven years old, isn’t she? It’s time for Foot-binding. I know a matchmaker who specializes in Foot-binding. If you need, Second Madam Ding, I can introduce her to you."
Second Madam Ding glanced at Zhou Furou’s feet and remarked, "But your niece hasn’t had her feet bound either, has she?"
At this, Eldest Mistress Bin seemed to have touched upon a point of pride, and even Zhou Li Shi revealed a hint of smugness: "Our Fu Jie’er was born with naturally small feet, like golden lotuses. She doesn’t need Foot-binding."
After saying this, the two of them glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Mi Niang’s feet.
Second Madam Ding suddenly understood. "So that’s why. I was wondering why she seemed a bit unsteady on her feet."
Mi Niang nearly laughed out loud. Her mother was truly too sharp. A person’s feet should match their age, but hers were as small as a baby’s despite her plump figure. Walking unsteadily could hardly be considered beautiful.
Eldest Mistress Bin grew angry upon hearing this. "Everyone knows you dote on your daughter, Second Sister-in-law, but no matter how much you spoil her, you can’t support her forever. Without Foot-binding, which respectable family would be pleased?"
"There’s no need for you to worry about that. Although my Mi Niang was not born with any so-called auspicious signs or great fortune, she has never dreamed of marrying into a wealthy family. Moreover, I believe that when choosing a wife, the size of her feet is not the most important consideration. For a young woman, the most crucial qualities are virtue, speech, appearance, and skill."
Second Madam Ding rarely lost her temper, but when it came to matters concerning her daughter, she could not help but become angry.
Mi Niang also looked at her mother with newfound respect. The idea that small feet would lead to a good marriage was pure nonsense. While it was undeniable that small feet could please men to some extent, men were far too pragmatic. If a woman’s family background was advantageous or her dowry substantial, even if she had some physical flaws, suitors would still compete for her hand.