Jinxiu couldn’t help laughing.
“Grandma, aren’t you afraid you’ll chip your teeth biting the silver like that?”
“Even if every tooth falls out, this old woman will still be happy!”
Old Madam Tian beamed with delight.
Of the twelve taels they had received—two five-tael ingots and one two-tael ingot—she accepted only one of the five-tael ingots.
“Good child, keep the rest.”
Jinxiu hurriedly said,
“Two taels is enough.”
Old Madam Tian ignored her protest and stuffed the silver into her hand.
“You found the white fungus.”
“We’ll put these five taels into the family’s savings.”
“The rest belongs to you.”
Occasionally, Xie Jinnan earned a little money copying books for the bookstore, though work wasn’t always available.
Old Master Xie also made bamboo crafts to sell in town.
Those were the family’s only sources of income.
They had barely managed to survive on them until now.
These five taels alone would greatly ease the family’s financial burden.
After all…
For an ordinary farming household in times like these…
Earning three taels in an entire year was already impressive.
Jinxiu didn’t argue any further.
Smiling, she said,
“Come on!”
“My treat.”
“Let’s go eat something delicious.”
The shopkeeper nearby smiled and cupped his hands toward them.
“Please come again.”
“If you find any more good medicinal herbs, feel free to bring them here.”
“Certainly!”
Old Madam Tian answered before Jinxiu could.
She was smiling so broadly that her teeth were on full display.
All the nervousness she’d felt earlier had completely vanished.
Jinxiu hoisted the basket onto her back.
She tucked the seven taels of silver into her clothes…
Though in reality, she quietly stored them inside her system’s storage space.
As they left the pharmacy, Jinxiu suddenly remembered something.
“Oh right.”
“Shouldn’t we buy Mother’s medicine?”
“Jinnan already bought some a few days ago.”
Old Madam Tian shook her head.
“It’ll last for a while.”
“Besides, it’s a tonic.”
“She shouldn’t take it every single day.”
…
The shopkeeper watched the two women leave before walking into the back courtyard.
“Master.”
“There’s nothing more for you to do here.”
“You may leave.”
“Yes.”
The shopkeeper bowed respectfully.
He carried the tray holding the four white fungus clusters outside and instructed the assistants to dry them.
Yan Changqing stood up from his chair and walked to the window.
Outside was a narrow alley.
Several ragged beggars either wandered about begging or leaned against the walls holding broken bowls.
Their heads hung low.
A heavy atmosphere of despair lingered over the street.
Yan Changqing thought about the locust plague the previous year.
Crop yields had plummeted.
Although the southern regions had suffered floods, plants eventually grew back.
No matter how poor they were, the people could still forage for wild grasses and tree bark.
The north, however…
Had suffered both severe drought and locusts.
Not even a blade of grass survived.
The bark had been stripped from every tree.
Parents exchanged children to eat.
Corpses lay everywhere.
It truly was hell on earth.
“What are you thinking about?”
Chu Qianmo rested his head lazily on one hand as he watched his worried friend standing by the window.
He knew him too well.
The Northern Yan God of War was undoubtedly worrying about the country and its people again.
Yan Changqing sighed softly.
“I entered the battlefield at fourteen.”
“I’ve fought for many years.”
“I’ve never been defeated.”
“Even when I held back twenty thousand barbarian soldiers with only one thousand men…”
“I never knew fear.”
“The people call me the invincible God of War of Northern Yan.”
“But they’re wrong.”
“No man can overcome Heaven.”
Chu Qianmo casually tossed a dried fruit into his mouth.
“‘Man can conquer Heaven’…”
“That’s one of the most foolish and arrogant sayings ever spoken.”
“How can an ordinary mortal possibly fight against nature or the Heavenly Dao?”
“Anyone who says such things is simply conceited.”
Yan Changqing shot him a cool glance.
Chu Qianmo merely smiled.
“No matter how extraordinary the God of War is…”
“You’re still only human.”
“You already carry enough responsibility on your shoulders.”
“As long as your conscience is clear…”
“Leave all that troublesome business to His Majesty.”
…
After leaving the pharmacy…
Jinxiu and Old Madam Tian visited the grain shop.
The moment they stepped inside, they saw rows of open sacks.
White rice.
Flour.
Millet.
Brown rice.
Rice bran…
Each sack had a price tag stuck into it.
Considering the two of them couldn’t carry too much…
They discussed their purchases carefully.
Twenty jin of white rice.
Thirty jin of mixed grains.
Five jin of flour.
Together with cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other necessities…
The total came to five hundred copper coins.
Normally…
Old Madam Tian would never have spent so lavishly.
But hadn’t they just earned twelve taels of silver?
Besides…
The following day would be Jinxiu’s customary return visit to her natal home after marriage.
They couldn’t appear too shabby.
After buying the grain, they left the shop.
Old Madam Tian glanced at the patched spring clothes Jinxiu was wearing.
The girl had arrived at the Xie family carrying nothing more than a tiny bundle.
She probably owned very few clothes.
Making up her mind immediately, she declared,
“Come on.”
“Grandma’s buying you some fabric.”
So they headed to a cloth shop.
After browsing for a while, they chose three bolts of fine ramie cloth.
Old Madam Tian insisted on paying.
No matter how much Jinxiu protested, she refused to let the girl spend her own money.
“I said Grandma’s buying your cloth.”
“So naturally Grandma’s paying.”
She held a bolt of pink fabric against Jinxiu and nodded approvingly.
“You’re young.”
“You look good in any color.”
“So do you, Grandma.”
Jinxiu shamelessly flattered her again.
Old Madam Tian shot her an amused glare.
“You little liar.”
“Pink is for young girls.”
“How old do you think I am?”
Jinxiu simply giggled.
Afterward…
They stopped by the butcher’s stall and bought four jin of pork.
The butcher generously threw in two large soup bones as well.
Fortunately…
The bamboo basket Old Master Xie had woven was both large and sturdy enough to hold all the grain and pork.
Although Old Madam Tian was rather petite…
She was astonishingly strong.
Carrying over sixty jin on her back…
She walked briskly without slowing down.
Jinxiu, carrying only two bolts of cloth, felt somewhat embarrassed.
“Grandma, you’ve worked hard.”
Old Madam Tian waved dismissively.
She wasn’t even out of breath.
“What are you talking about?”
“This is food!”
“Even if you added another few dozen jin…”
“I could still carry it.”
Even so…
Jinxiu decided they’d definitely ride back instead of walking.
Now that they had money…
Spending a few copper coins on transportation wasn’t worth worrying about.
There was no need to exhaust themselves.
Seeing it was nearly noon…
The two headed toward the town entrance.
Along the way they bought a few vegetables.
Finally, they stopped at a noodle stall and ordered two bowls of Yangchun noodles.
After sitting down for only a short while…
The noodles arrived.
The broth had been simmered from large pork bones.
Bright green scallions floated on the surface, releasing a delicious aroma.
Each bowl also contained a beautifully fried egg with crispy golden edges.
After walking for so long…
Jinxiu was terribly thirsty.
She lifted the bowl and took a sip of the soup first.
“Careful.”
“It’s hot.”
Across from her, Old Madam Tian took two pairs of chopsticks from the holder and handed one over.
Jinxiu accepted them.
“You’re right.”
“Grandma, hurry and eat too.”
Old Madam Tian picked up a mouthful of noodles.
After blowing on them…
She took a bite.
“Mmm.”
“Not bad.”
The noodles were wonderfully chewy and smooth.
Each of them finished an entire bowl of Yangchun noodles with a fried egg.
Not even a drop of broth remained.
Satisfied, Jinxiu wiped her mouth clean.
She stood up, paid six copper coins, then noticed someone selling candied hawthorn skewers nearby.
She bought one.
At the town entrance…
A passenger ox cart waited beneath a huge banyan tree.
The fare was two copper coins per person.
Jinxiu and Old Madam Tian climbed aboard.
Together with villagers from several nearby villages, there were nine passengers in total.
Seeing it was about time…
The driver jumped onto the cart, flicked his whip, and set off.
Although a few passengers got off along the way…
It didn’t delay them much.
About half an hour later…
The ox cart stopped at the entrance to Dali Village.
Jinxiu jumped down first, carrying the two bolts of cloth.
She turned and reached out.
“Grandma, be careful.”
Not far from the village entrance stood a century-old Chinese scholar tree.
It also served as the village’s unofficial gossip center.
People loved gathering beneath it to chat about everyone’s affairs.
Several women sat beneath the tree doing needlework.
One of them looked toward the village entrance.
“Huh?”
“Isn’t that Old Madam Tian…”
“…and her granddaughter-in-law?”