The sun had completely disappeared below the horizon, leaving only a lingering haze of crimson clouds in the sky.
Jiang Wan carried the nearly weightless bamboo basket on her back, yet her steps could not be light.
Today's trip to Lijia'ao had brought in a total of six hundred and forty-five wen in silver. Add to that the two catties of eggs and over a catty of cicada sloughs.
Then factor in the lard, cracklings, and dried assorted mushrooms sold at the stall…
A rough estimate put today's earnings at over two taels of silver!
For an ordinary farming household, two taels of silver would cover a small family's expenses for an entire year.
But even so, it was still a far cry from the thirty taels needed for her "freedom."
Thirteen days remained.
The big market wasn't held every day, and she had already scoured Lijia'ao's mountain goods clean. The usual avenues were no longer viable—she had to find time to go to the county seat and sell something out of the ordinary, something special, to work a miracle in such a short time.
"Ah…"
At the thought, Jiang Wan couldn't help but let out a sigh.
She glanced around cautiously, and after confirming no one was nearby, she slipped into the woods beside the path once more.
With practiced ease, she spread open the Pickup Point and dumped the cicada sloughs she had just collected into it.
"Ding—"
The Mall's notification sound rang in her mind, like heavenly music.
[Local product detected: Cicada Sloughs (dried), approximately 800g]
[Estimating…]
[Cicada Sloughs: Dried and harvested, average quality, no moisture content, slight impurities, ready for sale.]
[Current estimate: ¥137.44.]
[Sell now?]
Jiang Wan didn't hesitate, mentally answering, "Yes."
[Account balance: ¥138.4.]
That string of numbers had finally broken into triple digits, and Jiang Wan let out a great sigh of relief.
After packing up the empty sack, she patted the grass clippings off her pant legs and emerged from the woods.
But the moment she showed herself, she ran straight into a pair of cloudy yet kind eyes.
"Wan girl, what a coincidence! You were… doing your business?"
The aged voice carried a hint of hoarseness, accompanied by a stooped silhouette.
With a single glance, Jiang Wan recognized her—the old woman from Lijia'ao who sold rabbit pelts on consignment.
Behind her, as always, followed the young woman who kept her head lowered, as timid and withdrawn as a quail.
Jiang Wan's body stiffened, her hand gripping the strap of her basket tightening involuntarily. She let out a dry laugh. "Heh… heh, yeah. Granny, you're heading home pretty late…"
"Mm-hm, the physician at Shanhe Medicine Hall was out on house calls today and only returned in the afternoon. I had to wait quite a while for him to prepare the medicine." The old woman didn't seem to find relieving oneself in the wild the least bit embarrassing. Instead, she stepped forward and took Jiang Wan's hand.
She turned and called out to her daughter-in-law, who was carrying a basket on her back: "Quick! Bring out the white cake we bought today and let Wan girl have a taste!"
Jiang Wan instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but she found that despite the old woman's frail appearance, her grip was surprisingly strong.
Afraid that using too much force might hurt the elderly woman, Jiang Wan could only politely decline: "Granny, I won't have the white cake. It's getting dark, and I need to hurry home."
"What's the rush for such a short time? Eat before you go!" The old woman shot her a look of feigned reproach.
That look wasn't one meant for a near-stranger—it was more like the way one would look at a wayward granddaughter.
Meeting those eyes, Jiang Wan's tension instantly dissolved.
The daughter-in-law deftly unwrapped the oil-paper package and held it out to her.
The old woman picked up a piece of white cake and, without waiting for a reply, stuffed it into Jiang Wan's mouth, muttering as she did, "This is white cake I watched come out of the steamer myself—fresh as can be! Take two more with you, so you can eat them along the way…"
Jiang Wan was so blocked by the cake that she couldn't get a word out, so she hurriedly chewed a couple of times and swallowed it down.
The white cake from the town was made by grinding rice into fine powder, then mixing it with water, lard, and sugar before steaming.
The cake that had come out of the steamer that morning had cooled by now, but that only made it chewier.
The fragrance of rice filled her mouth, and a faint sweetness paired with a slight fermented tang made her saliva flow even more.
This white cake wasn't expensive—it was one of the few pastries that farming households could afford to buy by the pound.
Seeing the old woman grab her hand and try to stuff a second and third piece of cake in, Jiang Wan was startled and quickly pulled her hand back, mumbling, "Granny, I can't eat any more! I need to save room to eat dinner at home."
She tried to slip away, but the old woman was quicker, grabbing her again.
"Don't rush off—I want to tell you something that might be useful for your father-in-law."
Hearing it was about Zhou Xianggui, Jiang Wan stopped in her tracks immediately.
The old woman leaned in and said mysteriously, "When I went to town today to pick up medicine for my old man, I heard that a master healer has come to Shuangshi Town, specializing in coughs and colds!
His prices are cheap too—ten wen for a consultation, and fifty wen for a prescription.
If you have the time, take your father-in-law to see him. If he gets better, the burden on your shoulders will lighten a bit…"
She spoke slowly, but every word was sincere.
Her murky, gray-flecked eyes were filled with genuine warmth.
Both her words and her expression showed her hope that Zhou Xianggui would recover, and her reluctance to see such a filial daughter-in-law suffer so much.
Hearing this news, Jiang Wan's eyes lit up.
This was like a pillow arriving just as she was feeling sleepy!
She had just been thinking of finding an excuse to go somewhere else to sell her goods.
And now someone had handed her an unrefusable reason.
She gripped the old woman's hand and squeezed it firmly, saying gratefully, "Thank you for your trouble. Tomorrow I'll take my father to Shuangshi Town to see him."
"That's good, that's good…"
After saying this, the old woman didn't stop Jiang Wan from leaving.
She watched her figure disappear into the distance before slowly leaning on her cane and heading home…
Too much time had been delayed, and the sky was gradually pressing down, soon growing too dark to make out the trees.
As she hurried along anxiously, specks of glowing light flickered out from the grass around her.
They carried tiny lanterns, fluttering unhurriedly, weaving through the woods and along the roadside into a flowing river of stars.
Having never seen such a sight, Jiang Wan unconsciously slowed her steps.
She walked while immersing herself in the world woven by these little sprites…
The air carried the warm scent of grass and trees—fresh and pure.
It heightened the utterly warm and healing atmosphere.
The anxiety and rushing of the past days were being smoothed away bit by bit…
Happiness was within reach.
Just like now, as she saw these specks of glowing green light, the emptiness in her heart was slowly being filled, slowly being comforted.
"Sister-in-law! You're finally back, wuwuwu…"
A familiar sobbing voice broke the stillness without warning.
It was Xiao He, covering her face with her hands, scurrying on her thin little legs and burying herself headfirst into Jiang Wan's arms.
She wrapped her arm around Jiang Wan's shoulder, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Jiang Wan's heart tightened. "What's wrong?"
Could something have happened at home?
Or had Chen Ji come demanding payment again?
Just as she was about to rush home in a panic, Xiao He caught up with her steps, sobbing softly as she explained, "I waited for you at the town entrance… but you didn't come… it got dark… I was afraid something had happened to you…"
Hearing this, Jiang Wan slowed her pace. "It's fine."
She raised her hand and rubbed Xiao He's lowered head firmly, her gaze drifting toward the distant lights of the town.
This world was actually pretty good, after all.
Not so many forms of entertainment, not such rapid exchange of information.
Nor so much scheming and estrangement between ordinary people.
This kind of affection—pure, fervent, yet so clumsy it made one want to cry.
"Let's go."
Jiang Wan took Xiao He's hand of her own accord, leading her step by step toward Yongxing Town.
The warmth in her palm was passing through.
So warm it seeped out with a faint trace of moisture.
"Sister-in-law, are you tired today? Mother made you some scrambled eggs and congee—we can eat as soon as we get back. I also warmed up your bathwater and washed your clothes…"
With her sister-in-law's company, Xiao He gradually stopped sobbing, and the hand held by her sister-in-law was squeezed back even harder.
The moonlight was gentle, and fireflies dotted the fields.
Listening to Xiao He's rambling chatter, watching the specks of starlight swirling around her, the smile at the corners of Jiang Wan's lips slowly widened without her even noticing…
Passing through the familiar streets, that familiar general store finally came into view.
Outside the dim yellow lamplight, small moths fluttered around the flame.
Madam Yu, hunched over, sat behind the counter, threading a needle, her head bowed as she worked on mending the sole of Jiang Wan's slightly cracked shoe.
Hearing the commotion, Madam Yu quickly set down her work, squinted, and stood up.
"Is that Xiao Wan? Xiao He? You and your sister-in-law are back?"
Her voice was urgent and full of hope.
"We're back, Mother!" Jiang Wan's heart warmed, and she hurried forward to meet her.
Seeing her again burning the midnight oil straining her eyes to stitch the shoe sole, her chest felt a little tight.
She furrowed her brows slightly, her tone carrying a hint of reproach. "Mother, how many times have I told you—don't do work that strains your eyes at night. If you insist on doing this needlework, can't you at least do it during the day when your eyes aren't aching?"
Madam Yu, scolded like this by Jiang Wan, wasn't angry in the least—instead, she smiled with contentment.
"You silly girl, why are you getting worked up at your mother." She briskly gathered up the sewing basket from the stool. "This kind of work, I could finish it with my eyes closed. It doesn't take much effort. You're always running between villages and towns—your shoes are the most important thing of all…"
At that, she suddenly slapped her thigh, took the bamboo basket off Jiang Wan's shoulder, and pushed her toward the main hall.
"Oh dear! There's food still warming in the pot for you—don't just stand there, get inside quickly…"
Xiao He swept into the kitchen like a gust of wind, followed immediately by the faint clatter of pots and bowls.
In the blink of an eye, she had already brought out the congee and scrambled eggs that had been warming in the pot.
"Sister-in-law, eat up—not too hot, not too cold, just right!"
The rice had been simmered over low heat until soft and blooming, so thick there was barely any broth, with a rich layer of rice cream resting on the surface.
The eggs, beaten smooth and fried over high heat, had blossomed into several golden little flowers, bright yellow with just a hint of crispy brown at the edges.
Just as she was about to pick up her chopsticks, Madam Yu brought out another plate of blanched wild greens.
It was hard to tell whether they were sow thistle or dandelion—the blanching had removed most of the bitterness. They were tossed with the pork cracklings fried that morning and sprinkled with finely minced ginger.
The aroma alone was enough to whet one's appetite.
Jiang Wan picked up her rice bowl and earnestly savored the evening meal her family had prepared.
"By the way, Mother. On my way back today, I ran into the old woman who sells rabbit skins in the morning. She said a doctor specializing in cough ailments has come to Shuangshi Town, and she says he's remarkably effective."
Madam Yu tilted her head slightly, her expression hesitant. "Shuangshi Town is over fifty li from here, and I've heard things have been unsettled there lately—mountain bandits have been lurking nearby. Besides, our family…"
Madam Yu stopped herself mid-sentence, as if wanting to say more but holding back, and lowered her head.
Jiang Wan understood what she had left unsaid.
The family was poor—no money, no cart—and Zhou Xianggui could barely walk a few steps. There was no way he could make the journey to Shuangshi Town on his own.
She picked up a bite of wild greens and put it in her mouth. The bitterness helped quell much of her irritation.
"Mother, if we don't treat Father's cough now, it'll only get worse by winter. Tomorrow I'll see if I can hitch a ride on someone's donkey cart—spending a bit of silver is no big deal. We have to try for Father's sake."
Madam Yu fell silent.
By the flickering light of the tung oil lamp, she gazed at Jiang Wan for a long while.
Zhou Xianggui's hacking cough rang out at just the right moment.
After a long pause, Madam Yu let out a silent sigh.
"You're the head of the household—you make the call. It's just that I hate to see you suffer along with us…"
She rose and fetched the day's earnings from the shop, setting them on the square table.
Pushing the money toward Jiang Wan, Madam Yu said softly, "Keep this money. Whatever comes next, we'll deal with it then. As long as our family stays together, nothing else matters."
Jiang Wan set down her chopsticks.
She didn't refuse. Instead, she quietly gathered up the scattered copper coins and bits of silver.