"Mother, come on, have a bit more. After you finish, drink two bowls of soup—I had Xiao'er make it specially for you. The more you drink, the better for your health…"
In the living room, mother and daughter sat at a four-foot round table.
Five dishes were laid out on the table—four dishes and one soup. The most precious was the soup in the center: deer bone broth simmered as the base, with venison as the main ingredient, supplemented with antler, ginseng, wolfberry, codonopsis, and other medicinal herbs. It nourished the heart and kidneys—a soup that would be hard to come by anywhere else.
With such a rich main soup, the side dishes seemed comparatively light: stir-fried venison, stir-fried greens, stir-fried mushrooms, and a cold wild vegetable salad.
With deer soup anchoring the meal, this was a rare feast even for wealthy households. Yet someone was still being picky, and Song Jin was patiently coaxing her to eat.
"Come on, one more bite. Ah, this venison warms the body—have some wild greens too."
Niu Tielan sat across from her, looking at the bowl piled high with meat and vegetables, feeling nothing but greasy.
These dishes might be rare for outsiders, but in their household, they were practically "everyday fare." Her daughter spent every day either in the mountains or heading to the mountains—meat was hanging all over the house. She wasn't lacking for food, and besides—
Niu Tielan set down her chopsticks, furrowed her brows, and asked with a hint of accusation: "Didn't I say not to add medicinal herbs? Does my word still count in this household or not?"
Song Jin didn't flinch at all. She added another slice of ginseng to her mother's bowl and said earnestly, "Mother, be good. Let's not be picky. Your health comes first."
Niu Tielan huffed: "Your mother's health isn't great, but I'm not at death's door. Day after day of medicine, medicine, medicine—if you're not sick of it, I certainly am. I'm not eating this. Change it."
No matter how good ginseng was, eating it at every meal would make anyone irritable.
Seeing her mother being stubborn and refusing to eat, Song Jin sighed helplessly. She watched her mother like she was watching a child, and after staring for a while, she was the one who gave in.
"Fine then. Mother, finish what's in your bowl, and I'll have Xiao'er bring out the braised radish."
Niu Tielan looked over with a deadpan expression: "Are you trying to stuff me to death so you can inherit my estate?"
Song Jin protested her innocence: "It's not that exaggerated!"
Niu Tielan said nothing, simply picking the meat out of her bowl and letting her daughter—who had a stomach like a tiger's—finish off the leftovers.
Song Jin couldn't do anything with her: "Enough, enough. You have to eat the ginseng and antler."
Niu Tielan: "Eat my foot."
…
Though there were only two of them, mother and daughter still had a lively meal together.
Song Jin had been born with strength far greater than ordinary people, and having trained her "supernatural ability" ever since, she was always running off into the mountains. Her appetite was much larger than most, and she polished off every last bit of the meal—even the soup base, which she mopped up with plain white rice.
The fine tradition of cherishing food was something to uphold no matter the era.
After the meal, Xiao'er, who had already eaten outside, came in to clear the table.
Mother and daughter didn't like being disturbed during meals, so most of the time, the two of them ate alone.
The two maidservants in the household had clear divisions of duty: the reliable Xiaomei was in charge of arranging things and tidying up Song Jin and Niu Tielan's rooms, Xiao'er handled meals for the six people in the household and washing the mother and daughter's clothes, while Xiao Mao and Xiao Duo took care of the front and back courtyards, the vegetable plots, and the livestock.
That said, even the average small landlord family in town couldn't afford to support this many people.
Most small landlord families had four or five branches with dozens of members. They had to consider the younger generation's schooling, marriages, and social obligations—so they did their own work whenever possible, at most hiring short-term laborers during the busy farming season. Even then, they could only manage to eat their fill year-round with a little left over. Families that specifically bought maidservants and servants were rare.
After all, when you counted it up, it was more cost-effective to take a concubine—she could work, wasn't expensive, and was perfectly legitimate.
The Niu family was different. There were only mother and daughter in the household, and they had family wealth to back them.
Niu Tielan had a sharp mind and real skill—she was very good at making cosmetics like rouge and incense. Though she didn't run a shop, every year she would produce new formulas for the Lin Family Trading House, earning silver, which she then used to buy more land and hills.
Year after year, besides a hundred mu of prime farmland, their family also owned a tea garden and a mulberry orchard, bringing in a steady income each year.
As for Song Jin, no need to even mention her—a casual trip into the mountains would net her several taels of silver. She only wanted to "live off her parents," and though she occasionally found some fine medicinal herbs, most of those went to herself and her mother. Only a small portion—
Song Jin would take those to Huichun Hall in the county. This time was no exception.
After the meal, she tidied up briefly, gathered the herbs she'd accumulated over this period, and prepared to head out. Of course, the most valuable items this time were the deer antler and deer penis, along with a few wild ginseng roots that her mother had scorned beyond measure.
Song Jin: "Mother, I'm heading to the county to deliver medicine to Doctor Liu. Want me to bring anything back for the house?"
Niu Tielan grew irritated just thinking about those herbs and said crossly: "Don't bring me a thing. Bad luck."
Song Jin's mouth twitched: "Got it. I'm off then."
Niu Tielan continued her grumbling: "Go quickly and come back quickly. And remember, don't feed beans to Little Black, or he'll be farting all day long."
Song Jin: "…Got it."
Little Black was Song Jin's mount, a mule born from a Ferghana horse and the prettiest little gray donkey in their town. It perfectly inherited its Ferghana horse father's sleek body and long legs, along with its beautiful mother's head—glossy and smooth with long legs, standing half a head taller than ordinary mules. It was quite handsome.
The only problem was its tendency to fart—it farted whenever it ate beans, and beans happened to be its favorite food.
Song Jin walked to the family's donkey pen, where Little Black was chewing on fodder. Seeing her approach, it jerked its head up, its long ears twitching, and stared at her with bright, sparkling black eyes. It looked like a horse, a donkey, and a rabbit all at once—quite beautiful.
"Blackie, let's go—we're heading to the county town."
Song Jin walked over, patted Little Black's head, opened the pen, and led it out. She deftly picked up the straps and loaded up fodder.
Little Black excitedly nudged her waist with its head, snorting and puffing.
Song Jin laughed out loud: "Stop that! I'll pack a bit of everything—don't blame me if you go hungry."
Little Black: "Snort, snort."
Song Jin chuckled: "Alright, alright, extra beans for you. I'll pack them secretly—if Mother sees them, they'll be gone."
"Seen what?"
Niu Tielan's chilly voice drifted over.
Song Jin immediately broke into a cheerful grin: "Mother, why are you here? It smells pretty strong over here—not pleasant."
Niu Tielan sneered: "If you fed it fewer beans, it wouldn't stink."
Song Jin coaxed: "Little Black works so hard running around—this is its only hobby."
Niu Tielan let out a dry laugh. She really had the nerve to say that.
This blasted mule—ordinary people couldn't even get it to move. It demanded the finest feed, had a terrible temper, was picky about food, and did no work all year round. It was purely a good-looking waste.
In any other household, it would have been sold off long ago—useless for work and eating up supplies. But it was her daughter's.
Niu Tielan decided not to let it bother her and tossed over the pouch from her waist: "Behave yourself in the county town. Don't go running around. Yan Sheng's county examination is coming up—buy some good brushes and ink and send them over."
Song Jin caught the pouch easily, raised an eyebrow, and felt a twinge of jealousy: "Buying such nice things? Does that kid even deserve it?"
Niu Tielan was annoyed: "Then give it back."
Song Jin quickly tucked the pouch away, grinned, and led the equally excited Little Black out toward the street. Once there, she lightly lifted her foot and nimbly mounted the saddle, settling onto Little Black's back.
The mule was tall and held its head high, a longbow and arrows hanging from one side, adding to its imposing presence.
She was tall and slender, with bright eyes and white teeth, striking and elegant. Her phoenix eyes sparkled. Since she was heading out, she wore a deep blue robe patterned with rosy clouds, a slim belt cinching her waist, and black boots pressing down her trouser cuffs. Seated on the mule, she cut a dashing figure.
"Mother, I'm off!"
Song Jin turned sideways and flashed a brilliant smile at her mother, radiant and captivating. Then she patted Little Black's head and pulled the reins. Little Black snorted twice and trotted off with her.
Niu Tielan stood at the doorway watching until they disappeared from sight, then a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
This blasted mule—lazy and stubborn as it was, listening only to her daughter—was indeed more useful than ordinary mules. Good endurance, fast speed, handsome looks, and none of the flashiness of a horse.
Fine. She'd spare it from the butcher's knife for now.
Smelly or not, it could stay.