The twenty-something sets of clothes, along with the three children themselves, already took up a huge amount of space in the back of the donkey cart.
Afterward, Chu Fuyu visited several more shops and bought larger household items as well, replacing the tables and cabinets in the house with brand-new ones.
The old table had practically been falling apart, and the wooden cabinets were moldy and carried an unpleasant smell.
Since she now had money in hand, she decided to replace everything for the sake of improving both her own quality of life and the children’s.
There was no point in possessing enormous wealth only to continue living miserably out of fear of gossip!
What kind of suffocating life would that be?
This time, she bought quite a lot of furniture for the house.
While the wood wasn’t exceptionally rare, it was still high-quality hardwood with a faint reddish sheen. There were also several exquisitely crafted folding screens and decorative ornaments, leaving the children utterly dumbfounded.
Besides that, Chu Fuyu also spent several strings of coins on brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
Although her space already contained many supplies, the children still needed to practice calligraphy, and beginner reading books were essential as well.
Since they were living in ancient times, they had to follow ancient customs.
Of course, she also intended to teach the children modern knowledge and ideas, but they still needed to survive in this era, so she had to strike the right balance.
For the remainder of the day, Chu Fuyu drove the donkey cart around Xing’an Town with the children, wandering through nearly the entire town.
Whenever they passed a shop that interested her, she went in and bought things enthusiastically.
Their thatched cottage was practically empty anyway—it lacked everything.
Honestly, it perfectly satisfied her love of shopping.
As they passed several roadside stalls, Huaiyi suddenly pointed excitedly at a cage full of chicks.
“Mother! They’re selling baby chickens! Brother Huzi’s family has chickens too—they get eggs every day!”
Huaijin tugged on his sleeve.
“Don’t be too greedy. Mother already bought us so many things. We shouldn’t keep asking for more.”
Huaiyu turned to look at Chu Fuyu with sparkling eyes full of hope.
Seeing this, she rubbed each child’s head and replied lightly,
“Don’t worry. Mother still has plenty of silver. We’ll buy more chickens and make eggs for you every day. We’ll buy ducks and geese too. When winter comes, I’ll make iron-pot stewed goose for you all!”
Huaiyi immediately threw his arms up and cheered.
“That’s amazing! Mother, you’re the best mother ever!”
Hearing her sons’ excitement, Chu Fuyu almost wanted to buy every chicken in sight.
Fortunately, she still had some restraint.
In the end, she bought one rooster, five hens, ten ducks, and five geese.
For a while, the constant chirping, quacking, and honking of the animals made her head buzz noisily.
By the end of their shopping trip, the donkey cart was packed completely full with no empty space left at all.
The three children sat squeezed on top of bundles of clothing, but despite the cramped conditions, every one of them wore a huge smile.
By the time Chu Fuyu drove the fully loaded cart and the children back home, it was already afternoon.
She first tied the donkey to a wooden post nearby while thinking that she needed to find people soon to help clean and repair the house.
The place needed patching everywhere. She also needed to build sheds for the donkey, chickens, ducks, and geese—to protect them from wind and rain and to deal with sanitation properly.
Huaijin led his younger brothers in helping unload the cart, carrying clothes and various household items into the house one after another.
Just then, Auntie Li from next door returned from the riverside after washing clothes.
The moment she saw Chu Fuyu and the three boys bustling around the courtyard—with a donkey cart full of goods no less—her eyes widened in shock.
She hurried over.
“Sister Chu, where did you borrow this donkey cart from?”
Chu Fuyu had just finished carrying something into the house. Seeing Auntie Li come over, she smiled.
“I bought it. Just today.”
The shock on Auntie Li’s face had not yet faded when her two children also came running over.
Huzi was a round-faced little boy about two years older than the three boys. He was taller too, with large grape-like eyes that were now opened wide in amazement.
“Auntie Chu, you have so much silver?! This donkey cart is so new!”
Hearing his praise, Huaiyu puffed up proudly.
“This donkey is really obedient! It goes wherever Mother tells it to, and it can haul lots of things too. Mother even bought each of us five or six new outfits today!”
At that moment, little Ying spoke up.
“Really? Sanmao, does that mean you finally get to wear pants now? My mother says children have to stop running around naked once they grow up.”
Huaiyi’s face instantly reddened in embarrassment.
Instead, he quickly corrected her.
“I have a proper name now! It’s Chu Huaiyi. You can’t call me Sanmao anymore.”
Little Ying blinked her beautiful big eyes in surprise.
Then she stepped forward and grabbed Huaiyi’s hand.
“Really? I saw the chicks! Huaiyi, let’s go play with them!”
After speaking, she tilted her head up toward Chu Fuyu.
“Auntie Chu, can I play here?”
Her soft and sweet little voice was enough to melt anyone’s heart.
Chu Fuyu already had three sons. Although they were obedient and lovable, little girls truly were especially precious.
And little Ying was adorable—pretty, fair-skinned, and clearly well cared for by Auntie Li. Though she was the same age as the boys, she looked much cleaner and healthier.
So Chu Fuyu agreed immediately.
“Of course you can. Oh right—I bought some pastries in town today. Huaijin, Huaiyu, Huaiyi, quickly bring them out and share them with Huzi and Xiaoying while you all play together.”
The children quickly became one noisy little group.
Seeing the fragrant, beautifully made pastries from town, Huzi and Xiaoying devoured them eagerly.
Auntie Li was practically stunned watching the scene unfold.
Blinking several times, she finally pulled Chu Fuyu aside while the children ran off to play.
Lowering her voice, she asked cautiously,
“Sister… did you… pick up silver somewhere?”
She didn’t dare ask too directly, but she was honestly worried Chu Fuyu might somehow have gone down the wrong path.
Chu Fuyu quickly smiled reassuringly.
“No, Auntie. I pawned a few things. When I got married, I still had some dowry items left. I couldn’t bear to part with them before, but after thinking it over, keeping them served no purpose. I might as well pawn them for money so the children can eat better.”
Auntie Li nodded thoughtfully.
Back when Chu Fuyu first arrived in Lishui Village five years ago, everyone in the village had thought she must have been a young lady from some wealthy capital family.
She had been so beautiful, fair-skinned, and delicate—obviously someone who had never done farm labor before.
No one knew what circumstances had forced her into such hardship, but seeing her raise three children alone while living in poverty had always made people pity her.
Now perhaps her family had offered some support, or maybe her situation had improved somehow.
Auntie Li knew better than to pry further. She simply smiled warmly.
“Well, that’s wonderful then. Life will finally get easier for you and the children.”
Chu Fuyu nodded.
Then she turned and entered the kitchen, returning with two bowls of milk which she handed to Auntie Li.
“Auntie, I’ve relied on your care all this time while living here. Please take this milk home. You can use it for pastries or simply drink it directly.”