The whole family ate their fill, each wearing a look of deep satisfaction.
With their stomachs full, their minds naturally drifted to other matters.
Liu Cuihua sighed and spoke first.“Goudan is already eighteen. Other families with kids her age are already holding grandchildren. With Goudan’s situation, she can’t marry a wife, and it’s hard to recruit a live-in son-in-law either. Could it be that she’ll stay single for life?”
Shen Dabiao frowned, his thick brows knitting together.“If we had silver, we could just go to the broker’s office and buy a man to bring home—problem solved. The key is, our family doesn’t have any money!”
At the mention of silver, Liu Cuihua immediately flared up.“And whose fault is that? No matter whether I hid the money in my shoe soles or under the bedding, you always managed to dig it out! Even the little stash in the wall cracks—you scraped it together and gambled it away!”
Shen Dabiao grew impatient.“We’re talking about Goudan’s marriage—why are you dragging that up?”
“We’ll talk about marriage later,” Shen Qingyue cut in, changing the subject. “Can you call me by my full name, Shen Qingyue, instead of Goudan?”
Shen Qingyue was the original owner’s full name.
It was said that Shen Dabiao had coerced and bribed the village teacher into coming up with it. But the name was rarely used—everyone in the village simply called the original owner Goudan.
Liu Cuihua looked puzzled.“Goudan’s a pretty good name. You can tell just by hearing it that it brings good fortune.”
Goudan, Goudan…
Anyone who likes that name is welcome to take it—no thanks needed.
Shen Qingyue knew that if she acted too easygoing, not only would she fail to get the name changed, it also wouldn’t fit the original owner’s bully persona and might make her family suspicious.
She lifted her chin and mimicked the former owner’s cocky tone.“There are a few young masters in the county who secretly say my name sounds rustic. I told you to call me Shen Qingyue, so call me that! Why so much nonsense?!”
Shen Dabiao snorted unhappily.“Which rich brat in the county has no eyes? I’ll have your uncle-in-law deal with him!”
Shen Dabiao liked to throw around Constable Zhang’s name to bully others. Villagers with no power or backing were easily frightened by it, while people of higher status only sneered at his behavior.
Boastful talk was just that—talk.
If he really provoked someone untouchable, even Constable Zhang wouldn’t be able to save him.
Shen Qingyue understood this perfectly and didn’t expose him in public. She simply said flatly,“Fine. From now on, just call me Shen Qingyue.”
Seeing her firm attitude, the couple could only nod.
That afternoon, Liu Cuihua, worried that Shen Dabiao might sneak off to the gambling den, dragged him to the fields to work.
Shen Er’ya sat in the courtyard embroidering a sachet.
No one in the family ordered Shen Qingyue to do anything—she was the most idle of them all.
Leaning back in a wooden chair, Shen Qingyue thought about how to make a living.
The food would only last three more days.
She had to make a trip to the county town and look for ways to earn money.
The next day.
Shen Qingyue went with Shen Er’ya to the county town to sell embroidery.
The streets bustled with people and carts, stalls lining both sides—vegetable sellers, cloth vendors, sugar-figurine hawkers. Peddlers shook rattles as they called out, and the air was filled with the fragrance of fried cakes.
Everywhere she looked, it was lively and noisy.
Shen Qingyue stared at the steaming bun stall ahead and swallowed. She wanted a big pork bun, but didn’t have a single copper coin on her—so poor it hurt.
“Er’ya, where are you planning to set up the stall?” Shen Qingyue asked, turning her head.
“It costs money to set up on the main street. We’ll go to the back street,” Shen Er’ya replied, carrying the basket of embroidery in her left hand and pointing with her right.
Noticing Shen Qingyue staring at the bun stall for a long time, she thought for a moment and added,“Brother, once I sell the embroidery, I’ll buy you a meat bun.”
Shen Qingyue nodded with satisfaction.“You really are your brother’s good little sister. When I strike it rich someday, I’ll treat you to all the good food and drink.”
In ancient times, it was much easier for men to get around than women.
Shen Qingyue had adapted pretty well to her cross-dressing identity.
The siblings kept walking and soon reached the back street.
The back street was mostly filled with small vendors and farmers selling bits and pieces of their own produce—vegetables, eggs, girls’ embroidered sachets and handkerchiefs. Prices were relatively cheap, and there were plenty of shoppers.
Just then, two street-wise teenage boys came strolling toward them.
When the two spotted Shen Qingyue, their eyes lit up.
“Isn’t that Boss?!”
Feng Shuanzi hurried over and said righteously,“Boss, ever since you lost to Wang Youcai last time, I’ve had a fire stuck in my chest! Come on—let’s go pick a fight with him and get your honor back!”
Zhang Tieshi was just as indignant.“We’ll beat Wang Youcai until he can’t even recognize his own parents!”
Shen Qingyue’s mouth twitched.
These two were the original owner’s hoodlum buddies.
The former owner was a notorious local bully, and the two of them were her lackeys.
Shen Qingyue, however, was a perfectly upright young woman at heart—how could she go around picking fights at every turn? Without hesitation, she politely declined.
“I appreciate your goodwill, but I came today to help my sister sell embroidery. I’m not here to do anything else.”
The reason lackeys were lackeys…
…was because they practically jumped to obey anything their boss said.
Feng Shuanzi immediately started arranging a stall spot for her.“Boss, look how good business that stall over there is! I’ll grab that one—my little sister will definitely sell her embroidery!”
Shen Qingyue followed the direction he pointed.
A pretty young woman was calling out while selling cabbages. Her complexion was different from that of ordinary farming families—fair and smooth, rosy and luminous, like a pampered young miss from a wealthy household.
Shen Qingyue stared at her for several seconds before recognizing who she was.
It was Lin Xier, the youngest daughter of the Lin family’s second branch from the east end of the village!
In the original owner’s memories, Lin Xier had been like most village girls—dark-skinned and thin—until half a year ago, when she suddenly became beautiful and fair.
The Lin family’s fields also seemed to have been blessed by immortals: even during droughts they could grow grain and vegetables, and the crops flourished exceptionally well.
The villagers couldn’t figure out why and could only chalk it up to the Lin family being favored by heaven.
Shen Qingyue wasn’t interested in the Lin family’s affairs and didn’t want to provoke the girl either, so she quickly stopped Feng Shuanzi.
“No need to bother. I’ll just set up next door.”
“How can that do?” Feng Shuanzi objected.“When our boss chooses a stall, of course it has to be the best!”
“Letting the boss take their stall is giving them face!” Zhang Tieshi chimed in.
Shen Qingyue’s head started to ache. She immediately stiffened her face and put on her boss-like authority.
“I said we’re setting up next door, so next door it is! You two not listening to me now? Careful—I’ll beat you up!”
As she spoke, she raised her fists for emphasis.
Feng Shuanzi didn’t dare anger her and quickly pulled Zhang Tieshi aside, lowering his voice.
“Don’t you think the boss seems a bit distant lately?”
Zhang Tieshi frowned.“Now that you mention it… yeah, kind of. Could it be the boss has taken a liking to some other underlings and doesn’t want us anymore?”
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became—his voice even started to tremble.
“What are we supposed to do?”
Feng Shuanzi pondered for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
“The boss must be testing us! As long as we perform well enough, she’ll definitely see our loyalty!”
“That makes sense!” Zhang Tieshi said with sudden realization.“You really are quick-witted.”
Feng Shuanzi’s gaze hardened as he clenched his fists.
“Next… is the moment for us to prove our loyalty…”