Chapter 39 - Preparations

◎It's so tough being a young lady-in-law◎

Hua Zhan felt a bit dizzy, not really drunk. Back in his military days, he could down several vats of celebratory wine with his comrades without any issue. Even if half a gallon entered his stomach, it wouldn't be considered excessive. However, after being ill for so long, his body had become unaccustomed to such indulgence. Once the gathering dispersed and the noise subsided, the pain returned, prompting him to lean on the table for a moment's respite.

Upon hearing his daughter-in-law's words and the boys repeatedly calling out "Dad, Dad," which gave him a headache, he rubbed his temples and asked her what was going on.

Yu Lian repeated, "Dad, we don't have any blankets."

The twins chimed in, clapping their hands, as if the lack of blankets was a cause for joy. Their real excitement stemmed from the prospect of riding in their father's carriage and accompanying him to play outside in the town.

Hua Zhan: "..."

Seeing that her father-in-law seemed unwell, Yu Lian went to the kitchen to prepare a bowl of ginger soup for him. Lighting the fire proved to be quite a challenge, requiring numerous attempts before she finally succeeded. The process left her covered in soot, but at least she had gained some experience and knew how to start a fire. Now, she could manage it herself the next day, ensuring they wouldn't go hungry.

After Hua Zhan drank the makeshift ginger soup, Yu Lian accompanied Mrs. Chen and helped her husband wash his face. Seeing that he looked more refreshed, Hua Zhan drove the carriage, taking his daughter-in-law and the two boys to the town.

It was already late, and since they weren't there for leisure, there was no time to dawdle. They didn't bring additional help, but despite their young age, the boys could carry bags and serve as labor. With their father present, they wouldn't dare to rebel or disobey.

Leaving the Hua family's residence, they had to pass through almost half the village. Many people saw the Hua family's carriage leaving, and some were curious. Didn't they just finish the hotpot feast today? Now that the sun was almost setting, what could they be doing with the carriage?

A man who had drunk with Hua Zhan earlier spotted him from afar and ran over, shouting, "Blockhead, Blockhead, where are you going at this hour?"

Hua Zhan held the reins expressionlessly. "…Buying some household items."

"I see… Take it easy then." The man looked at the Hua family's carriage with envy. Many villagers thought similarly: no matter how poor they were, they still had a carriage, which was impressive. Even the wealthiest village chief and Second Uncle didn't have one. The village chief's ox cart was already quite a sight, let alone a horse-drawn carriage.

Seated at the front of the carriage, Hua Zhan accepted the villagers' envious gazes. He himself wasn't affected much, but he couldn't help feeling a tinge of sadness. Country folk were simple and unworldly, owning little and knowing less. A carriage could make them so envious; if they knew about the extravagant lifestyles of the officials and nobles in the capital, wouldn't they feel a great disparity?

No matter how the ruling regime justified itself with benevolence, it couldn't change the fact that the common folk lived in hardship. These were issues he had barely noticed when he was in the capital, but now, living as one of the villagers, with a local nickname, sharing meals and drinks, being surrounded by conversation, he could truly understand.

But what did it matter now? He had become a man of the mud, his eldest son gone, and his ambitions crushed. His former aspirations were gone, even if he knew about the situation, he lacked the power to change it.

Hua Zhan nodded to his fellow villagers and flicked the whip, urging the horse to head out of the village.

However, after traveling only twenty or thirty meters, a hurried, panting voice called out from behind, "Uncle Blockhead, Uncle Blockhead, why didn't you wait for me…?"

Hua Zhan stopped and turned around. It was Sanshu.

Sanshu stood before the carriage, wiping sweat from his forehead, and said, "Uncle Wooden, why didn't you tell me you were going to town? I'll drive for you."

"Look at you, you've had quite a bit of wine today, at least half a catty. Just sit in the carriage and rest; I'll take care of it."

Hua Zhan felt in his pocket, finding it empty. With a wooden expression, he said, "I'm out of silver..."

In other words, he had no money to hire Sanshu as a coachman.

His household's finances were controlled by his daughter-in-law. The last time he had money to give to Sanshu was when she provided the silver, which was left over after paying taxes and handling land deeds.

In the carriage, Yu Lian listened to her father-in-law's words, feeling a tinge of surprise in her heart. She never imagined that a man like her father-in-law, who had long been accustomed to wielding great power as a marquis, would candidly admit his lack of silver coins to a humble commoner in a countryside setting.

Admitting one's misfortune with grace during adversity is no small feat, especially in front of a person who once held a significantly lower status.

Outside the carriage, San Shu waved his hand and said, "Uncle Wood, I don't want silver. Your two hundred copper coins today are more than enough. It's long been sufficient. I simply love carriages and driving them. Please give me a chance to drive."

Hua Zhan met his gaze, the young man's eyes pleading, his expression simple and unassuming.

He nodded and retreated into the carriage. Sanshu burst into joyful laughter and promptly leaped onto the carriage. With a flourish, he cracked his whip in the air, exclaiming, "Giddyap!"

quite a few villagers had witnessed the scene. The women were relatively unfazed, but quite a few men envied Sanshu. Unfortunately, they couldn't drive a carriage, or they would have loved to give it a try, even if it was free, just for the prestige of sitting atop it.

Exiting the village, at a fork in the road, an elderly couple running a tea stall were preparing to close up shop. Upon seeing the carriage, they asked, "Sanshu, driving again? Where are you headed this time?"

They were also villagers from Shangyi Village, but the couple had sought refuge there during their youth. Though they were accepted into the village, without any land to their name, they could only make a living by selling tea from their stall.

This same couple had helped relay the message when Yu Lian and her family first arrived.

In town, Sanshu skillfully guided the carriage to the most affordable shops. Some proprietors, seeing that they had come in a carriage, assumed they were easy targets and quoted high prices. Fortunately, with Sanshu's local knowledge, he negotiated lower prices, allowing them to purchase everything they needed at a bargain.

Yu Lian didn't buy everything at once. She had a clear plan in mind before coming, knowing exactly what to buy and how much money to allocate. For example, she planned one quilt for her parents, one for her grandmother, one for the twin brothers, and as Guo'er was small and a girl, she could share with either her mother or Aunt Mei. With two additional quilts, they would have five in total, but to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, she bought an extra one as a backup, making it six. As for sheets, four would suffice.

She chose a fabric made from fine cotton and coarse linen, a material specifically designed for quilts and favored by those with slightly better means. Pure fine cotton tended to pill and wasn't durable, while silk was unaffordable and not suitable for common folk. Pure coarse cloth was rough on the skin and didn't provide warmth. This blend of cotton and linen was both durable and gentle on the skin, with soft and fluffy cotton filling that could last for years.

Despite its affordability, this fabric was still expensive, and not many villagers could afford it. The shopkeeper was delighted when Yu Lian requested so many, and she seized the opportunity to haggle, managing to shave off only a couple of copper coins but securing a few wooden pillows and fine cotton pillowcases as extras. The pillowcases were scraps, with varied patterns and some stains, but Yu Lian accepted them all with a smile.

She also purchased three bolts of fine cotton fabric and two of coarse cloth, planning to have her mother-in-law help make clothes when they returned home. The ready-made clothing in the shop was priced comparably to a bolt of fine cotton, and those with intricate embroidery were even more costly. A bolt of fabric could yield at least two adult robes, making it a more economical choice.

After that, they visited the general store to stock up on firewood, rice, oil, and salt. Since they didn't raise pigs, they lacked lard, which was difficult to store. The store sold vegetable oil, which, due to the primitive technology at the time, was laboriously ground by hand, resulting in low yields and high prices.

Yu Lian gritted her teeth and purchased a string of coins, using it to buy basic necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt without further elaboration. Most importantly, she ordered a large iron pot and a hearth from the blacksmith's shop – these were custom-made items. The iron pot used for the warming house feast today was borrowed from her second uncle's family; although they kindly lent it for a few days, it ultimately had to be returned. Iron pots were valuable possessions.

Considering there was only one cooking hearth, Yu Lian decided on a stove that could be used for boiling water or cooking porridge. This stove burned small, cylindrical pieces of charcoal. The pots were deep but shallow. She ordered two and arranged to collect them in three days, leaving after paying a deposit.

Hua Zhan remained silent throughout, standing behind his daughter-in-law and silently assisting with carrying the purchases. His two mischievous twin sons were eager to play, constantly fussing and wanting to explore. They were drawn to vendors selling sugar-coated haws and street performers, unable to resist the allure of the crowd.

Busy selecting items and bargaining with the shopkeeper, Yu Lian had no time to manage the two rambunctious boys. Hua Zhan, unable to tolerate their antics any longer, dragged them back and gave each a stern look to quieten them down.

As the shopping continued and the number of items increased, the two men found themselves burdened with numerous goods. They carried firewood, rice, oil, and salt in their hands while a blanket was slung over their backs, and they even had to hold bowls and chopsticks in front of their chests.

Everything was loaded onto them, causing the boys to complain endlessly, close to tears.

"I wish we never came out! This is no fun at all! Big Sister-in-law is mean, treating us like servants! It's so unfair!"

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have come! We suffer, yet she doesn't even buy us sugar-coated haws! All she does is give orders!"

"When Big Brother gets back, I'm going to tell him! Big Sister-in-law is mean! She doesn't care about us!"

Yu Lian paused reflexively but didn't comment, stepping into the next shop instead.

Hua Zhan's deep voice rang out, "If you ever speak about your elder brother in front of your sister-in-law again, see how I deal with you. Treat her just as your brother treated you. What's wrong with carrying things? Don't you need the exercise? Behave yourselves..."

The father's lecture quieted the twins, who pouted slightly.

Not far away, Zhu Ying was struggling to keep up. The Marquis had a military background, and despite his current weakened state, he still possessed a keen sense of awareness. Zhu Ying had exerted himself to the limit just to follow without being detected.

No wonder his master found him nagging and yet still sent him on this mission. He was skilled in intelligence gathering, not particularly adept at anything else, but his agility was outstanding, making him a natural at reconnaissance and tailing.

Watching this, he sighed, wishing he could help carry the goods – Madam was truly having a hard time.

By the time they finished shopping, only a sliver of sunlight remained in the west, signaling the approach of nightfall. The streets were emptier, and some shops were beginning to close.

Sanshu drove the carriage over, assisting with loading the purchases. The twins, relieved of their burden, heaved a sigh of relief and grumbled, "There was a carriage right there, and you still made us carry everything! You did it on purpose to make our lives difficult!"

Sanshu lifted the boys into the carriage, followed by Yu Lian. Hua Zhan and Sanshu took their places at the front. Facing the twins' blazing, indignant gaze, Yu Lian smiled and said, "Yes, I did it on purpose. So what?"

The twins: "!!!"

With a fierce cry, the two lunged forward, intent on "revenge," but Yu Lian effortlessly pinned their heads down, leaving them immobilized. The carriage then echoed with their muffled cries of frustration and helplessness as they struggled under their elder sister-in-law's grasp.

Hua Zhan chuckled softly.

By the time the sky had turned pitch black, they finally reached the village entrance. At this point, Sanshu returned to his own home, leaving Hua Zhan to drive the carriage back on her own.

In the yard, the elderly matriarch sat on a stool, awaiting the return of her son and granddaughter-in-law. Taking advantage of their absence, she called Mrs. Chen aside for a private conversation.