Aunt Liu was still haggling with a customer in front of her, while Uncle Liu and Brother Liu stood nearby, discouraging anyone with dishonest intentions.
When Xu Qinghe walked over, Brother Liu nodded at her.
“Finished shopping?”
“Yep. Brother Liu, have my two pieces of cloth been sold yet?”
He shook his head.
“Not yet. Don’t worry. Your Aunt Liu will definitely help you sell them today.”
He assumed she was worried that her hemp cloth wouldn’t find a buyer.
Xu Qinghe smiled.
The cloth she had brought was coarse, and the stitching wasn’t especially fine. Compared to the cloth woven by Aunt Liu’s family, it wasn’t very attractive.
But she wasn’t worried about summer taxes anymore.
Whether the cloth sold or not didn’t really matter.
She retrieved one piece of her cloth and spread it over the opening of her basket.
Turning to Brother Liu, she explained:
“I bought quite a few things. I’m afraid people might get jealous if they see them, so I’ll cover everything up. Good thing my cloth hasn’t sold yet.”
Brother Liu understood immediately and didn’t ask any further questions.
Xu Qinghe tucked the cloth tightly around the basket.
Suddenly, a tiny puppy head poked out from one corner.
“Woof… whine…”
Its round eyes reflected her image.
Her heart instantly softened.
She gently pinched its cold little ears and nose.
“It’s too cold outside. Big Sister will give you a blanket.”
The puppy still had its baby fur.
In weather this cold, it couldn’t stop trembling.
Squatting behind the stall, Xu Qinghe cupped her hands over its body, trying to transfer some of her warmth.
The puppy whined softly.
As if understanding her intentions, it started burrowing back beneath the cloth.
“Hey, that’s actually a pretty good dog.”
Because the puppy had made a noise, Brother Liu finally noticed it.
He bent down and rubbed its head.
The puppy immediately resisted, pawing at his hand.
Xu Qinghe’s eyes lit up.
“Brother Liu, do you know how to judge dogs?”
He raised an eyebrow and smiled.
“Not exactly.”
“There aren’t many dogs in the village. But when Uncle and I worked in the county, we saw dogs belonging to wealthy families.”
“Even during years when people were starving, those dogs were fat and healthy.”
“Their eyes were sharp.”
“When they stared at you, it made your heart skip a beat.”
“This little guy has that same spirit in its eyes.”
Xu Qinghe’s eyes sparkled.
So it wasn’t just her own bias.
Other people thought the puppy looked promising too.
Hehe. Those seventy-five copper coins were definitely worth it.
Brother Liu looked at the puppy, then at Xu Qinghe.
Despite being older than her, he didn’t think she had wasted money.
In fact, he approved of her buying a dog.
A young woman living alone might have the Liu family looking out for her, but they couldn’t always be there.
A loyal dog guarding the house could at least discourage some people with bad intentions.
Watching Xu Qinghe play with the puppy, he quietly returned to watching the stall.
Xu Qinghe remained crouched behind the family, playing with the puppy.
When customers crowded around, she occasionally helped Aunt Liu calculate prices.
The morning passed quickly.
As the sun climbed higher, the temperature rose slightly.
Xu Qinghe pulled out the millet buns Aunt Liu had given her.
The buns had long since gone cold and hard.
But food was food.
She took a bite, then crumbled off a small piece and fed it to the puppy.
The puppy wasn’t picky at all.
Even the cold, stale bun tasted delicious to it.
Xu Qinghe sighed.
You’re way too easy to raise.
Just wait until we get home, and I’ll show you what truly delicious food looks like.
After sharing two buns with the puppy, she finally felt somewhat full.
The body she occupied was accustomed to only two meals a day.
But her modern soul couldn’t handle that.
If she didn’t eat something at noon, she felt uneasy.
The afternoon dragged by much more slowly.
Xu Qinghe alternated between playing with the puppy, watching the sun move across the sky, organizing supplies inside her storage space, and helping Aunt Liu sell goods.
Eventually, her two pieces of cloth were sold as well.
She earned eighty-five copper coins.
The price was slightly below market value, but she was perfectly satisfied.
To be a little shameless—
she was basically a rich woman who didn’t worry about food anymore.
A few copper coins here or there hardly mattered.
Hehe.
By sunset, almost everything Aunt Liu had brought was sold.
The crowds in the market had thinned considerably.
Aunt Liu and Uncle Liu packed up their remaining goods.
Brother Liu took the money and ran off to buy supplies for the family.
Xu Qinghe followed the others back toward the county gate.
A large crowd had already gathered there.
People from their village and neighboring villages stood in small groups, chatting about family matters and discussing the day’s business.
The village chief was counting heads.
Once everyone had returned, they would leave together.
The county enforced a curfew at night.
Anyone who failed to leave before curfew would have to spend money staying in town.
The villagers were extremely frugal.
To them, a few copper coins were as precious as their own eyes.
Naturally, nobody wanted to miss the departure time.
Brother Liu returned with the last group.
His basket was filled with supplies, and joy was written all over his face.
Aunt Liu looked equally pleased.
Even Uncle Liu’s usually stern face appeared somewhat relaxed.
Today’s sales had gone well.
The Liu family’s summer taxes were finally covered.
At last, they could breathe a little easier.
Once everyone was accounted for, the village chief led the group home.
The sun disappeared completely behind the mountains.
Only a faint, pale glow remained on the horizon.
The temperature plummeted.
People wrapped their clothing tighter around themselves.
Shivering from the cold, they nevertheless continued enthusiastically discussing the day’s business.
Apparently everyone had done well.
The freezing wind couldn’t dampen their excitement.
Xu Qinghe walked near the middle of the group, where the wind was much weaker.
The basket hung in front of her chest.
Whenever she looked down, she could see a small lump trembling beneath the cloth.
The puppy was shivering again.
She rested both hands over it, sharing what little warmth she could.
Unlike the others, who seemed to survive on sheer enthusiasm and determination, Xu Qinghe was bundled in layers:
She was warm from head to toe.
Only her ears and face felt cold.
Everything else was perfectly comfortable.
Once darkness fully settled in, the wind grew stronger.
No matter how excited everyone was, they were all freezing.
The village chief didn’t even need to tell them to hurry.
Everyone instinctively sped up.
Taking advantage of the darkness, Xu Qinghe slipped two pieces of chocolate into her mouth and kept pace with the group.
The return trip was much faster than the journey there.
Without heavy loads to carry and with the wind at their backs, everyone moved quickly.
They reached the village in roughly half the time it had taken to get to town.
Someone in the group suddenly cheered.
Then, as if by agreement, everyone broke into a run toward the village.
Xu Qinghe was confused but followed along.
After hurriedly saying goodbye to the Liu family, she ran back to her own courtyard.
She placed the chickens in the coop behind the house.
The village remained lively for quite a while as people returned from market.
Closing her gate, she shut out the warmth and bustle of other families’ homes.
Then she turned around.
The puppy had just poked its head out from beneath the cloth.
Smiling, she said:
“We’re home.”