The northwest corner of the city was the bustling market district, where ordinary townsfolk, peddlers of all manner of goods, and outsiders who had come to the county town to make a living all lived. It was a mixed crowd, but it had a lively, homey atmosphere.
Having lost their mother early, Xu Yu had been raised by her elder brother and sister—her sister especially had practically been a half-mother to her. From childhood to now, Xu Yu had told her sister everything without the slightest concealment. But this time, she needed to think things over carefully.
After getting down from the cart, she hugged her bundle and cheerfully ducked into the alley.
Acquaintances in the alley spotted her and greeted her with smiles, and she smiled and exchanged pleasantries as she hurried along.
Her sister and brother-in-law lived on the second floor of a small courtyard house deep in the alley. As she entered the courtyard gate, a tenant downstairs saw her and called out warmly toward the courtyard, "Xu Yun! Your little sister's here!"
A window on the side cottage pushed open, and a woman of about twenty, with a headscarf wrapped around her head, leaned out.
Xu Yu looked up and waved excitedly. "Sis!"
Xu Yun's face immediately lit up with joy. She yanked off her headscarf and rushed over. "What brings you here today? Aren't you on break only after a while yet? Look at you—I had no idea you were coming! Come, come, put your things down, and I'll take you to see if the market up front still has any meat for sale!"
Xu Yu was practically dragged inside. The room wasn't large—just a small sitting area and a bedroom—and at a glance she saw millet rice and pickled vegetables already set out on the table.
"Buy more food? Haven't you already made the meal?"
"How could that do? Now that you're here, of course I have to buy you something good. You work so hard over there. Hurry, come, put your things down." Xu Yun grabbed her bundle to set it on the bed.
Xu Yu hurriedly stopped her. "Sis, wait! I want to show you something good."
Xu Yun gave her a puzzled look and muttered, "What good thing? It's already getting late—if we don't hurry, the vendors will be packing up."
She glanced outside, shut the door, pulled Xu Yun down to sit, and opened the bundle. Carefully unwrapping the thick clothes inside, she revealed the two strings of cash and a porcelain bottle. Watching her sister's dumbfounded expression, she called out with a smile, "Sis."
Xu Yun pressed her hand down on the bundle and asked in astonishment, "Where did this come from?"
"It was a reward from the master at the separate residence…"
Xu Yun's brow tensed. Without stopping to think, she grabbed her arm and demanded, "What master? Did someone take advantage of you? Taro, how many times have I told you? You're not like those women who serve as slaves and maids—you're a free woman. Your brother is a scholar. As long as we can get through this period, once Big Brother becomes an official, he'll find you a good match. Whatever you do, don't be foolish!"
"Oh, come on." Xu Yu pushed her hand away and said helplessly, "Sis, it's not what you think. He's from the capital—he's seen every kind of woman there is. How could he ever fancy someone like me? He rewarded me simply because I did my job well."
"That's a relief." Xu Yun let out a breath of relief and patted her chest, then stiffened again and pressed on, "But something's still not right. What job did you do that he'd reward you with this much money?"
Xu Yu wrapped both hands around her sister's arm. "Sis, didn't I tell you? He's from the capital, from a prestigious family. This much money seems like a lot to us, but to them, it's hardly worth mentioning at all."
"That's true enough." Xu Yun assumed it was just some insignificant minor official with a bit of background, and said, "Even so, you mustn't let yourself be bewitched."
Xu Yu leaned against her sister's shoulder with a smile: "Sister, don't worry. I know you mean well for me and have my future in mind. I would never do such a thing."
Xu Yun patted her hand and said quietly, "Think about it—who do those women keep company with? Nothing more than county magistrates, or petty officials under prefects at best. If you got involved with such men, you'd have no name and no status. No matter how you look at it, it'd be better to wait until Big Brother becomes an official and finds you a proper match. You're so strikingly beautiful and can read and write—you might well become a real magistrate's wife someday. Why settle for being a mere concubine?"
"You flatter me, Sister. How could I ever be capable of such a thing?"
"How not? I say you are." Xu Yun tucked the bundle further under the quilt and pulled her toward the door. "Let's leave this aside for now—let's go to the market and see if there's still any meat to buy."
The moment the door pushed open, her brother-in-law Zhang Ping appeared, grinning at Xu Yun. "A-Yun, I brought you back some pastries."
"Put them on the table, tidy up the bedding, and take a bowl down to start the fire. Yu Tou is here—I'm taking her to buy some meat so we can cook dinner."
Only then did Zhang Ping notice Xu Yu. "Ah, little sister is here! Then go, go quickly—buy plenty of vegetables back, and I'll tidy up the room."
Xu Yu nodded to her brother-in-law and followed her sister out. She said quietly, "Sister, your husband is still as considerate to you as ever."
"What good is considerate? He still squeezes into this little courtyard like everyone else."
Xu Yu urged her, "Sister, your husband is honest and dependable, and he treats you so well. Please don't speak like that in front of him."
"You've grown up—you understand things better and better." Xu Yun said with a smile. "All right, I know what I'm doing. I may talk like this, but in my heart I know he treats me well. Otherwise, why would I be willing to squeeze into such a tiny room with him?"
"Once we get through these two years, things will get better and better for you, Sister."
Xu Yun patted her hand. "Thank goodness, there's still a pork seller. Come, let's cut a strip of pork, then buy some eggs and greens…"
"Why buy so much? It's the same every time. You and my brother-in-law usually eat nothing but coarse grain cakes, but whenever I come, you insist on buying good food for me. I'm almost too embarrassed to visit."
"You're my own dear sister—why act like a stranger with me? There are only a few strips of meat left. Hurry up." Ignoring her protests, Xu Yun strode ahead, briskly haggled with the vendors, and happily carried two big bags of vegetables back home.
Zhang Ping had already gotten the fire going in the kitchen. Seeing them return, he immediately took the vegetables and said with a smile, "A-Yun, take your sister upstairs to relax. I can handle things here."
Xu Yu rolled up her sleeves and picked up a water ladle. "It's getting late. Let me help."
Xu Yun pushed her aside. "What help could you be? You don't know how to do any of this. Sit and rest—your brother-in-law and I will manage."
"I may not know other things, but I can certainly wash vegetables." Xu Yu took the greens anyway and sat on the little stool by the door washing them, exchanging greetings with the neighbors as they passed by.
The small courtyard wasn't large, yet it housed six or seven households. Rent in the city was expensive, and even with her sister and brother-in-law being favored by their masters, it only amounted to an extra two or three hundred cash a month, so they could only squeeze into this little courtyard, sharing a kitchen with others.
As dusk fell, two dishes came out of the wok, and the three of them carried the food quickly back to their little room, chatting as they ate.
"Yu-tou, how many days off do you have? I see you've gotten chilblains on your hands again. Tomorrow I'll take you to the apothecary to get some medicine."
Xu Yu held out her hand and looked at it, saying between bites, "I have to go back the day after tomorrow. No need to buy medicine, Sister. That lord gave me a few bottles of chilblain ointment—it works wonders. When it snowed a few days ago, the chilblains on my hands actually broke open, but after applying it for just a few days, the wounds have nearly healed. I brought a bottle for you too, Sister. You should try it in a bit."
Xu Yun frowned slightly. "I've never seen such a generous lord. What exactly did you accomplish for him?"
"He just arrived here and somehow got hold of a pile of bamboo scrolls. I happened to be delivering something and told him I could read, that I could help him sort them, so he gave me a reward."
"So that's how it was. Seems reading and writing really is useful after all." Xu Yun sighed with feeling, then added, "But no need for the medicine. This year your brother-in-law found a way to get me a position as a minor steward, so I don't have to touch cold water anymore. See? When it snowed a few days ago, the chilblains on my hands only got a bit red and itchy. But you—didn't I tell the people there not to make you wash dishes? How did your hands end up like this?"
Xu Yu drew her hand back slightly. "Even in heavy snow, I still have to deliver things to the nobles in the other estate. Back and forth like that, of course I got frostbitten."
"Ah." Xu Yun sighed. "Once I've settled in here, you should come work with me. With me looking out for you, you won't end up frozen like this."
"Don't worry, Sister. After using that ointment, my chilblains have nearly healed. That medicine really works—I'll go get it for you to try right now."
"Eat first." Xu Yun pressed her down and put a piece of meat in her bowl. "You've lost weight again. Eat more."
"You and Brother-in-law work so hard—you two should be the ones eating…"
Xu Yun cut her off. "No passing food back and forth. Eat up. Your brother-in-law and I can serve ourselves."
Zhang Ping chuckled awkwardly. "That's right, we can feed ourselves. Go on and eat, little sister."
Xu Yu couldn't refuse any longer and quietly finished every last bite in her bowl. Her sister's cooking wasn't as refined or as plentiful as the food at the other estate, but it had the feeling of home—it made her feel settled.
That night, her brother-in-law Zhang Ping set up a simple bed in the small hall, leaving the bed for her and her sister.
"It's so cold, and Brother-in-law has to sleep outside. I really feel bad about it," she said softly.
Zhang Ping, hearing this from outside, said with a laugh, "Your brother-in-law has thick skin—I'm not afraid of the cold. No need to feel bad."
"We just need to burn more charcoal." Xu Yun added some charcoal to the basin, coughing twice from the smoke, then cracked the window open slightly and pulled Xu Yu to sit down beside her. "Let me get a good look at those chilblains. Any frostbite anywhere else?"
"A bit on my feet, but they've mostly healed too. This medicine really is good—hurry and try it, Sister." Xu Yu took out the porcelain jar, took her sister's hand, and spread the ointment on it, watching her expectantly. "How is it?"
Xu Yun raised her hand and sniffed it, nodding. "It really is good—cool and refreshing, not stinging at all, and it has a light fragrance. Your brother-in-law didn't get frostbite anywhere else, just on his face. I'll take some for him to try. By the way, do you have any left? Don't give it all to me—you need some for yourself."
"I still have some. Father gave me three jars."
"Good." Xu Yun headed outside. "Zhang Ping, this frostbite ointment Taro brought back is really good. Put some on and give it a try."
Xu Yu sat on the bed hugging her knees, listening to the two of them talk, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly. She didn't hope to marry into some grand, wealthy family in the future—she only wished to be like her sister and brother-in-law, loving and harmonious with her future husband, supporting each other.