"Chapter 21"

"The three of them were energetically picking leaves while Chen Youtian also arrived home."

"Sitting in the courtyard spinning hemp, Chen Youtian’s mother was surprised to see her son return with the buckets so early, 'Back already?'"

"As she spoke, she got up to look inside the buckets he had brought back, noticing their basket from the morning and an additional ceramic pot, 'How did it go? Was everything smooth?'"

"Setting down his load, Chen Youtian nodded, 'Smoothly. I sold my eggs quickly, thanks to them.'"

"Curious, his mother urged him to elaborate and glanced outside the courtyard towards the Shen residence nearby, 'Let’s talk inside the main room.'"

"Qin Fangniang, who had been weaving in the west room, stopped her loom and came out. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law went into the main room together to listen to Chen Youtian’s account of Sang Luo’s day at the market."

"Chen Youtian, facing his mother and wife’s expectant looks, fell silent for a moment."

"Not much of a talker, he briefly mentioned how many pieces of Fairy Tofu Sang Luo had brought, the price per piece, and what she had bought with the earnings."

"Finally, after some thought, he added details about Sang Luo's effective management and unique way of calling out at the market without repeating phrases, and mentioned how she chose the mountain path on their way back, 'She’s quite calculative.'"

"Chen Youtian’s mother nodded approvingly, 'Being calculative is what keeps a family afloat.'"

"Qin Fangniang expressed her admiration, 'Just in half a morning, she earned over fifty wen?'"

"That's a substantial amount for a farming family."

"Like her husband, who had taken out those dozen or so eggs this morning, they had been saving up for six or seven days. On average, their daily income from eggs was just about two or three wen."

"Chen Youtian shook his head, 'It’s more than that. Some of it was exchanged for goods. If you include the value of those items, it’s probably over sixty wen.'"

"Hearing this, Qin Fangniang was speechless with envy."

"Over sixty wen in a day, and with a market every five days, how much would that be in a month? And in a year?"

"She couldn’t calculate it exactly, but knew it was an amount beyond her wildest imagination."

"Chen Youtian’s mother was quite pleased, 'At this rate, their lives will gradually improve, and Shen An and Ah Ning will have something to rely on.'"

"Seeing her daughter-in-law daydreaming with starry eyes, she brought her back to reality, 'Don’t be too envious. They don’t have land or fields and rely entirely on this craft for a living. Didn’t you hear Youtian? They had to trade for vegetables and use up all their money for a pot and some grain.'"

"Qin Fangniang, still somewhat dazed, nodded, 'I know, I just think having a skill like that is really great.'"

"It is indeed great, but not something to envy. Chen Youtian’s mother, always thoughtful, remembered the upcoming autumn harvest and asked, 'What’s the current price of grain?'"

"Upon hearing his mother ask about the grain price, Chen Youtian paused before responding, 'Seventy wen per dou.'"

"Qin Fangniang's eyes lit up, 'Seventy wen?'"

"Chen Youtian nodded, attempting a smile but not quite managing."

"Qin Fangniang, puzzled, asked, 'Isn’t the price increase a good thing? We’ve already pre-paid this year’s autumn tax. Once we harvest the grain, we can keep what we need and sell the rest to grain merchants at these good prices. Our family should have some extra savings this year.'"

"For farming families, saving money is hard because there aren't many other income sources. They rely on their crops and occasional odd jobs during the off-season. After a year of hard work, paying taxes and rent, and covering household expenses, plus occasional illnesses or social obligations, saving a couple of taels of silver is considered a good year."

"That's why Qin Fangniang was particularly envious of Sang Luo earning over sixty wen today."

"Chen Youtian nodded, 'It is a good thing.'"

"But then he fell silent, choosing not to say more."

"Chen Youtian’s mother glanced at her son, understanding his unresolved sorrow. Noting that her daughter-in-law hadn’t noticed, she changed the subject, 'You’re back early today. Rest a bit, have some water, and then go help your father in the fields.'"

"It's better than staying home brooding."

"Chen Youtian nodded, fetched himself a bowl, poured half a bowl of water from the jug in the main room, drank it, and then went to the yard to pick up a hoe before heading to the fields."

"Qin Fangniang was somewhat baffled, 'Mother, what’s wrong with him?'"

"Chen Youtian’s mother looked at her."

"What’s wrong? He’s thinking about his eldest son again."

"The reason for the rising grain prices? It's the continuous wars. The imperial granaries are running low, prompting early tax collection. Everyone's grain reserves are tight, compounded by disasters in the north. Naturally, the prices have surged."

"For Chen Youtian, the topic of war touches a raw nerve because of his eldest son’s death."

"Unlike the Shen family, where Shen Lie was sent to war due to Shen San’s manipulations with money, their eldest volunteered, changing his name with the village head. The family only learned of it when he was about to leave, too late to reverse it."

"When he first heard that his eldest son and Shen Lie, serving in the same unit, had perished, Chen Youtian wished he could die himself."

"It took him more than half a year to somewhat recover, but whether he truly healed is something everyone in the family knows."

"He couldn’t have healed."

"But could he really discuss this with his daughter-in-law?"

"Both parents loved their son equally. His daughter-in-law hadn’t thought in that direction; why should he remind her and reopen barely healed wounds?"

"So, Chen Youtian’s mother simply waved her hand, 'Maybe he’s thinking about the severe disasters in the north. We too fled famine once.'"

"Thinking back to the time when her family fled their famine-stricken hometown, Qin Fangniang sighed, 'Ah, when heaven doesn’t leave a way out, people are utterly helpless.'"