There was no response, and Xu Anyan found it rather strange.
Just then, a woman dressed in a simple, elegant gown stepped out of the main house. She had delicate features and a gentle, graceful demeanor.
An image of the woman flashed through Xu Anyan’s mind. This was Zheng Yu, Wu Lin’s wife—a quiet and gentle woman who was exceptionally skilled at embroidery. She rarely went out and usually stayed home doing needlework.
Naturally, Zheng Yu recognized Xu Anyan. Although they didn’t see each other often, they had met before.
Dabao and Xiaobao were the first to greet her.
“Hello, Aunt Zheng!”
In a soft voice, Zheng Yu replied,
“Dabao, Xiaobao, you’re back. Go play in the courtyard for a while. Your Brother Xiaohu will be back soon.”
Only then did she look at Xu Anyan.
“Mrs. Xu, my mother-in-law took Xiaohu out. If you need anything, I’ll let her know after she returns.”
Zheng Yu knew very well what kind of person Xu Anyan used to be. Mrs. Xu had been spoiled and ill-tempered, and she rarely visited their house. In the past, they often heard her quarreling with Constable Jiang.
A few days ago, she had even injured herself. Her mother-in-law had been taking care of her lately, so Zheng Yu wondered what had brought her here today.
While Zheng Yu was still lost in thought, Xu Anyan sensed the awkward atmosphere and spoke first.
“Sister Zheng, thanks to Aunt Wu’s care these past few days, I’ve recovered so quickly. I came specially today to thank her.”
As she spoke, she handed over the pastries and preserved fruits she had brought.
Zheng Yu immediately stepped forward to refuse.
“Mrs. Xu, you’re too polite. Your injuries haven’t healed yet; you didn’t need to make a special trip.”
After all, Constable Jiang had paid them, so helping her was only natural.
“Sister Zheng, I’ve been troubling your family all this time, and I feel very guilty about it. These are only a few snacks. Compared to all the help you’ve given me, they’re nothing.”
Xu Anyan was sincerely grateful and also wanted to build a good relationship with her neighbors.
As the saying goes, “A distant relative is not as helpful as a nearby neighbor.”
When something happened, neighbors were often the people you relied on.
The original owner had always considered herself an official’s wife and had disdained associating with them.
But Xu Anyan’s personal motto was: The more friends you have, the easier things become.
So maintaining good relations with the neighbors was essential.
Seeing how sincere she was, Zheng Yu accepted the gifts, and her attitude softened.
“Thank you, Mrs. Xu. Is there something you need?”
Her straightforwardness surprised Xu Anyan. In her impression, Zheng Yu was a gentle and delicate woman; she hadn’t expected her to speak so directly.
Xu Anyan no longer beat around the bush.
“There is, actually. I want to buy some rice and flour and get some kitchen utensils for the house, but my arm is still injured and I can’t carry much. I was hoping Aunt Wu could accompany me.”
Hearing that it was only a small matter, Zheng Yu immediately agreed.
“Mrs. Xu, I can go with you myself. There’s no need to wait for my mother-in-law to come back.”
Xu Anyan thought that would work just as well.
“Then I’ll have to trouble you, Sister Zheng. And please don’t call me Mrs. Xu anymore—just call me little sister.”
She was quite taken with Zheng Yu’s decisive and straightforward personality.
Sure enough, appearances could be deceiving.
After agreeing, Zheng Yu closed her courtyard gate and accompanied Xu Anyan toward West Street.
Dabao and Xiaobao habitually clung tightly to the hem of Xu Anyan’s skirt and refused to let go.
Zheng Yu offered to hold their hands, but neither of them would agree. They insisted on holding onto their mother’s skirt.
Xu Anyan hadn’t expected the two little ones to be so attached to the original owner.
Even though she had neglected them and sometimes even scolded them, they still depended on her deeply.
“Sister Zheng, where should we go first?”
“We’ll go to the general store first, then the grain shop. The general store is farther away.”
At the general store, Xu Anyan bought four small bowls, ten pairs of chopsticks, and four small plates.
She had also wanted to buy two earthen jars, but carrying them would be too difficult, so she gave up.
As they passed a butcher’s stall, Xu Anyan bought two jin of pork fat.
There was no vegetable oil in this era, and soybean oil was too expensive—two hundred copper coins per jin—so she could only buy pork fat for now.
“Little Sister Xu, you don’t need to buy vegetables. We have plenty in both our front and back yards. I’ll pick some for you later; you can eat those first.”
After chatting along the way, Zheng Yu felt that Xu Anyan was much easier to get along with than before.
Thinking back on what her mother-in-law had said these past few days, she truly had changed.
Perhaps this injury had knocked some sense into her.
“That works too. Then I’ll just buy them from your family directly,” Xu Anyan replied.
Zheng Yu laughed.
“You’re being too polite. We grew them ourselves. Why talk about buying them?”
Even though she said that, Xu Anyan fully intended to pay.
Along the way, neither Dabao nor Xiaobao complained about being tired.
Xu Anyan crouched down and gently patted their heads.
“Are you tired?”
The two little ones shook their heads together.
“Not tired.”
Watching this, Zheng Yu’s eyes filled with relief.
She had always liked these twin boys very much.
In the past, Xu Anyan had treated them poorly, yet the two children still loved being around their mother. Even when she scolded them, they never stopped trying to get close to her.
Sometimes Zheng Yu wondered what virtue Xu Anyan had accumulated to deserve such adorable sons.
Then she thought of her own mischievous little monkey at home and could only sigh.
Now that Xu Anyan had come to her senses and cared more about her children, Zheng Yu only hoped she would continue like this.
At the grain shop, they bought six jin of rice and six jin of flour.
The load was much heavier now, and the two women had to stop and rest several times along the way.
By the time they reached Wenliu Alley, the sky was already beginning to darken.
As soon as they entered the alley, Xiaobao shouted,
“Mother, it’s Grandma Wu and Brother Xiaohu!”
Xu Anyan and Zheng Yu looked up and saw Aunt Wu standing anxiously at the entrance of the alley, peering into the distance.
Beside her stood a sturdy little boy of five or six with a round, tiger-like face. He must be Zheng Yu’s son, Xiaohu, who was about five years old.
At that moment, Aunt Wu saw them as well and quickly walked over, taking the things from Xu Anyan’s hands.
“Why are you only coming back now? I saw both houses locked and guessed you’d gone out.”
Before Xu Anyan could speak, Zheng Yu explained,
“Mother, Little Sister Xu wanted to buy some rice and flour. She couldn’t carry the things herself, so I went with her.”
“You should’ve waited until I got back. How much can the two of you carry by yourselves?”
Although her words sounded like scolding, her voice was full of concern.
Xu Anyan and Zheng Yu looked at each other and said nothing, quietly walking ahead.
Meanwhile, as soon as Dabao and Xiaobao spotted Xiaohu, the three children ran off into the alley together.
Watching the two women walking side by side, Aunt Wu felt puzzled.
When had her daughter-in-law become so close to Xiaoyan?
In just one afternoon, the two of them had become friends.
No matter what, it was a good thing.
Mrs. Xu had finally come to her senses.
After Aunt Wu and Zheng Yu carried the things into the kitchen, they left.
Dabao and Xiaobao stayed behind.
They had originally planned to bring the twins back to stay with them starting tomorrow, but the two boys had stubbornly refused to return with them just now, so they didn’t force the matter.
“Xiaoyan, I’ve brought your dinner. Don’t bother cooking.”
Xu Anyan had just been about to light the stove when she heard Aunt Wu’s voice in the courtyard. She immediately got up and went outside.
She saw Aunt Wu walking toward the main room, carrying a large porcelain bowl of rice porridge and a small plate of vegetables.
Beside her, Xiaohu carried another bowl containing three mixed-grain steamed buns.
Dabao and Xiaobao stood next to Xiaohu, the three children chattering away happily.