Watching the rabbit pelts being hung up, the old man finally let out a sigh of relief. "I'll leave this matter in your hands. My family is in urgent need of money. If these two pelts can sell for a hundred and sixty wen, that'll do."
Jiang Wan smiled and nodded. "Don't you worry. I'll do my best to get you a bit more."
Just past the hour of Mao, the bluestone-paved street began to bustle with activity.
Merchants from north and south carried their loads on shoulder poles, hawking their wares; peddlers roamed the alleys pushing carts and crying out their goods; farmers from surrounding villages came to market with baskets on their backs—the crowd nearly filled the entire street.
Jiang Wan stood at the door, greeting customers as they came and went. All eighteen jars of lard sold out quickly.
Quite a few latecomers, having heard the news from others, squeezed into the shop only to find empty jars. They could only dejectedly buy two ounces of lard cracklings and tuck them into their clothes before leaving.
During this time, two traveling merchants passed by and immediately took a liking to the rabbit pelts displayed at the center of the shelf. They opened with a lowball offer of a hundred and twenty wen.
The price was too low, and Jiang Wan turned them down.
Several village women also came by carrying embroidered pouches and handkerchiefs to sell on consignment, and Xiao He registered each one in the ledger.
It wasn't until the sun climbed higher and scattered the crowd that the general store finally saw the arrival of Madam Li from the embroidery shop across the street.
Madam Li lifted her moon-white skirt and walked gracefully into the shop.
Without much small talk, she immediately asked Xiao He to take down the rabbit pelts from the shelf.
"I heard you've got two fine pelts here, so I came right away. I wonder how much silver the family consigning them would need to part with them?" she said with a smile to Jiang Wan behind the counter.
Jiang Wan took a gulp of warm water and cleared her throat. "You're a true expert—you know better than I do how good these pelts are. In another two months, when the cold sets in, these will be hot commodities. Sew them onto the collars and cuffs of the garments in your shop, and I guarantee they'll fetch a handsome price!
I won't hide it from you—a merchant already offered me a hundred and sixty wen for these two pelts, and I didn't budge."
"A hundred and sixty wen is indeed a bit low." Madam Li stroked the soft fur of the rabbit pelt carefully, her fingertips tracing over the slightly darker edges. "Tell you what—how about I give you a hundred and seventy wen?"
She fiddled with the pelt in her hands, spreading the unevenly colored sections flat on the counter. "The quality of this pelt is decent, but the color isn't uniform enough. It'll take some extra effort to rework the pattern."
Hearing this, Jiang Wan seemed to ponder for a moment before pressing further: "And if it were a pure white pelt, how much would you be willing to pay?"
"You have such goods?" Madam Li's eyes lit up instantly.
Unable to contain her excitement, she grabbed Jiang Wan's hands. "Young Madam Zhou, if you truly have white pelts in hand, never mind a hundred and seventy wen—I'd pay one tael and seven mace for them!"
She raised a finger and emphasized, "And I mean one tael seven per pelt!"
"One tael seven per pelt?!" Jiang Wan's eyes widened in shock.
Madam Li's voice grew urgent, almost strained. "What? You really have some? Bring them out and let me see! The price is negotiable."
"Hiss—" Jiang Wan pulled her arm free from Madam Li's grip, which had begun to hurt, and feigned a troubled expression as she came around from behind the counter. "I know where to find them, but I haven't gotten my hands on them yet."
Madam Li shot her a playful glare. "You… you're not just toying with me, are you?"
"I'm really not toying with you." Jiang Wan dropped her smile and turned serious. "Is a pure white pelt really that precious?"
Madam Li shot her a sidelong glance, clearly unimpressed. "Pure white pelts only come from the northern winters. Our southern rabbit fur is all a dull gray—fine enough for lining, but if you want something to put on display, you need the northern winter pelts.
That fur is thick and snowy white—makes a person look positively radiant! Plenty of the ladies and misses in the county love them!"
She raised an eyebrow and leaned in close to Jiang Wan's ear. "If you've got connections, get your hands on a few more. Settling the Zhou family's accounts would be a cinch then, wouldn't it?"
Knowing that Madam Li was trying to fish for information, Jiang Wan let out a helpless sigh. "If you know these pelts are good, don't you think others do too? I only heard about them from someone—haven't even seen them myself yet. Give me a couple of days to ask around. If they're really available, I'll just make a small cut for my trouble and be done with it."
"Fine! Keep it in mind, but don't wait a couple of days—go today if you can. What if someone beats you to it…"
Jiang Wan rubbed her temples. "Good sister, you've got to let me catch my breath first."
"Alright, alright! Rest, rest." Madam Li picked up the two rabbit pelts. "I'll take these with me, and I'll have someone bring you the silver right away."
"Deal!"
After seeing Madam Li off, the shop was mostly cleared out.
She gave Xiao He detailed instructions to remember to collect the old woman's ten-percent cut of the rabbit pelt money, then stopped concerning herself with shop matters.
She took medicine to Zhou Xianggui in the main room, and was just about to return to her room for a nap when Madam Yu walked in carrying a coarse porcelain bowl.
Steam rose from the bowl, blurring her kind, weathered face.
Madam Yu smiled and set the bowl on the cabinet, explaining, "There was still a handful of fine noodles left at home. I thought you'd be tired after such a long day, so I cooked you a bowl of noodle soup."
The noodles were indeed scant—just a single chopstickful.
But the toppings Madam Yu had prepared were anything but.
A thick layer of minced meat sauce fried with crispy pork cracklings sat on top, rich and glossy, its aroma wafting up temptingly.
A few bright green leafy vegetables crowned the dish, so vivid they caught the eye.
Just the smell alone made her mouth water and her stomach rumble.
"Mother, you're the best!" Jiang Wan felt a warmth in her heart. She didn't stand on ceremony, grabbing her chopsticks and digging in with gusto.
The noodles were broken and soft, but they had soaked up all the broth.
The meat sauce was savory, the vegetables refreshing, and after finishing the whole bowl of soup, she felt comfortable all over.
She ate while making sure to check on the rest of the family.
"Mother, have you eaten? Remember to save some for Xiao He—she must be hungry too.
I can't tend to things at home, so please take care of it all. If you need anything, go to the shop and draw some silver to buy it. Don't wear yourself out…"
Madam Yu sat on a low stool beside Jiang Wan, quietly listening to her chatter. Her calloused hands cupped her aged, weary face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were filled with tenderness.
Only after Jiang Wan had finished every last drop of the noodle soup did Madam Yu rise to collect the empty bowl, promising, "We'll take care of things at home, don't worry. You've been busy for so long—go lie down and rest.
I've made you a new pair of insoles. They're by your bedside—remember to try them on. Don't wear them for long trips yet; they'll rub your feet raw."
Jiang Wan wiped her mouth and let out a satisfied burp, still savoring the taste. "I know, Mother. I'll sleep right away. At shen hour, remember to wake me—I need to go out again."
Madam Yu paused mid-step and turned around, asking, "Are you going out to trade?"
Jiang Wan nodded, rubbing her slightly sore eyes. "Mm, I promised the Li family in the hollow yesterday that I'd bring some things over to exchange today."
Madam Yu looked up, glancing at the increasingly glaring sunlight outside, a hint of worry creasing her brow. "The sun is too strong. Let me go instead. You're young, and if you get sunburned, that would…"
"It's fine, Mother." Jiang Wan waved her hand, already slipping off her shoes and climbing onto the bed. "I'll take a nap first. Remember to wake me at the end of the Shen hour!"
With that, she had already closed her eyes.
Having been busy for so long, Jiang Wan's head had barely touched the pillow before she was fast asleep.
End of the Shen hour.
Madam Yu tiptoed into the room and, as promised, woke Jiang Wan.
The sunlight was blindingly white, making her eyelids flutter.
Jiang Wan rubbed her drowsy eyes and rolled out of bed.
She changed into a half-worn blue cotton dress and neatly twisted her loose strands of hair into a bun.
After hastily washing her face, she covered half of it with a plain-colored kerchief, leaving only a pair of cool, clear eyes visible.
It was midsummer—one careless moment could leave you roasted. Extra protection was never a mistake.
The moment she stepped out of the door, Madam Yu was waiting with a veiled hat in hand, her eyes full of worry.
"Remember to walk along the shady paths, don't take shortcuts. Wear this veiled hat to block the sun. I've packed cool water in your basket—remember to drink plenty. Later, I'll have Xiao He meet you on the road…"
"Ah, I know, Mother…"
Jiang Wan savored Madam Yu's care while responding in a gentle voice.
Once everything was ready, Jiang Wan hoisted the basket onto her back, grabbed the sack for exchanging goods, and hurried out the door.
The cicadas' chirping was still piercing. Even though she tried her best to walk along the shadows beneath the eaves, the relentless waves of heat still left her dizzy.
Fortunately, after leaving the town, the official road was lined with more tree shade on both sides, and the suffocating heat eased somewhat.
The basket held only half a sack of lard cracklings and a steelyard scale—light as a feather, adding no burden to her pace, and she made much better time.
When she got hot, she found a cool spot to rest.
When she got thirsty, she took out the water pouch Madam Yu had prepared and took a gulp.
The water in the pouch had clearly been sweetened with rock sugar—cool and sweet on the tongue, instantly dispelling the dryness.
The water must have been deliberately lowered into the well by Madam Yu to chill for a long while, only drawn up when she woke.
At the bottom of the basket, wrapped in oil paper, was a flatbread cake, still warm enough to be almost too hot to touch.
For a mere two-hour journey, Madam Yu had not only prepared cool water but also a flatbread.
Her love was always so meticulous—afraid Jiang Wan might get sunburned, thirsty, or hungry.
Jiang Wan took a bite of the chewy flatbread, chewing hard.
She had never enjoyed this much affection from elders before. She'd thought she might feel awkward, but to her surprise, when this delicate care settled on her shoulders, she could accept it so naturally.
Even…
Somewhat greedily.
Taking a deep breath, she rewrapped the flatbread Madam Yu had prepared, carefully tucked it into the spot close to her chest, and continued on her way with her head down.
The entrance to Li Family Hollow was quiet and deserted, with no one in sight.
Jiang Wan's figure flickered as she slipped into an overgrown path.
The grass here was thick and the path narrow—clearly rarely traveled. It was the perfect spot for her to "stock up"!
Finding a secluded corner to crouch in, Jiang Wan shook out her burlap sack and opened the Mall.
She first bought brown sugar for 9.9 yuan, then casually placed an order for five pounds of red dates.
These dates weren't the top-tier premium goods the Mall had to offer, but they were excellent value for money!
They weren't large, but their color was bright and glossy—clearly a fine product for replenishing qi and nourishing blood.
The best part was that five pounds only cost 13.8 yuan!
[Current Balance: 17.9 yuan]
Watching the balance change, Jiang Wan's mind raced.