Chapter 26

Chapter 26

No sooner had Lu Yuan finished speaking than Huang Lan chimed in, "Exactly! Li Niang is marrying Qi Cheng in a couple of days. If you keep calling her a widow, Old Lady He will have a bone to pick with you."

The group exchanged awkward glances.

In the uncomfortable silence, the Li family's daughter-in-law slapped her mouth. "It's these wretched lips of mine! Li Niang, please don't mind me. I just speak without thinking—it slipped out."

Lu Yuan smiled, waving her hand dismissively as if unbothered. "It's fine, as long as it's clear now."

Seeing that Lu Yuan didn't seem genuinely upset, the Li family's daughter-in-law breathed a sigh of relief.

After a while, everyone returned to searching the puddles for river fish and shrimp.

Lu Yuan and Huang Lan joined them.

And indeed, there were small fish and shrimp in the puddles.

Lu Yuan turned over a stone and was delighted to find a cluster of small shrimp.

She happily spent her time catching fish and shrimp until the sun grew stronger. By then, most of the fish and shrimp along the riverbank had been collected, and only then did she stop.

She glanced at the small catch in her sieve—enough for one meal.

Huang Lan also took a look and said, "Stir-fried with leeks, these shrimp are absolutely delicious. I'll have my Qing Ya bring you a bunch of leeks later."

In the countryside, there might not be much else, but vegetables were plentiful; every household grew large plots of them.

Lu Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

She glanced at the two children behind Huang Lan and made a mental note to grind some beans tomorrow, make fresh soy milk, and send some over for the children to try.

When Lu Yuan returned home, her two children were already dozing on stools. But as soon as they saw their mother, they instantly perked up and ran over to inspect the fish and shrimp in the sieve.

Lu Yuan announced, "We'll have fried fish for supper."

Old Lady He, who was mending clothes, remarked, "Aren't you worried about running out of lard?"

Lu Yuan replied, "The oil from frying the fish can still be used for other dishes. Besides, on market day, I'll buy a pound of pork fat to render into lard."

Life had to go on; there was no need to deprive herself just to save every penny.

Hearing this, Old Lady He didn't look up, her hands swiftly working the needle and thread. "Well, it's your own money you've earned. Spend it however you like. I might even get to enjoy some good food."

A smile instantly spread across Lu Yuan's face.

Having an elder who didn't dampen the mood was truly a blessing; it made life much more pleasant.

Noticing Old Lady He busy with her needlework, Lu Yuan remembered that she also needed to make intimate wear.

She gutted and rinsed the dozen or so small fish, then took her clothes to the river to wash.

After returning and hanging the clothes to dry, she brought the two children inside. Once they had fallen asleep, she took the few yards of cloth outside to begin working on the intimate wear.

She went into the kitchen, took a half-burnt twig from the stove, and used it to mark measurements on the fabric.

Lu Yuan had never made clothes before and spent a long time pondering the fabric. Old Lady He, unable to watch any longer, asked, "Haven't you ever made clothes before? Didn't you make any for your previous husband or children?"

While still figuring out how to make the clothes, Lu Yuan replied unflinchingly, "My family was poor—we always wore hand-me-downs. I grew up without parents, just following my grandfather, often going hungry. No one ever taught me needlework; I've had to figure it out on my own."

Hearing that her background was similar to her grandson's, Old Lady He sighed softly to herself.

"Alright then, what kind of garment do you want? I'll make it for you."

Lu Yuan shook her head. "I'll do it myself. I'm afraid if you help me, you'll say it's improper."

Old Lady He frowned. "How could making clothes be improper? Do you really see me as such an unreasonable old woman?"

Lu Yuan shook her head again. "Not exactly. It's just that the intimate wear I'm making is a bit different from what people wear now."

Old Lady He chuckled. "Let me see what kind of new style you can come up with."

When Lu Yuan cut out a few small pieces of fabric and began stitching them together, Old Lady He frowned and asked, "What in the world are you making?"

Lu Yuan thought of a euphemism and replied, "Undergarments."

Old Lady He said, "It looks a lot like a loincloth to me."

Lu Yuan turned to look at her. "What's a loincloth?"

Su Liniang's limited knowledge base didn't include that term.

Old Lady He explained impatiently, "It's similar to what sumo wrestlers wear."

With that explanation, Lu Yuan immediately understood.

After a moment's thought, she said, "Well, they are quite similar."

Old Lady He muttered, "Such a small piece of fabric can barely cover your backside. Aren't you ashamed?"

Lu Yuan replied, "It's breathable to wear, and since it's under my clothes, no one will see it. Comfort is what matters most."

Old Lady He thought it over and decided there was some sense to that, so she didn't say anything more, though she occasionally glanced at the uneven seams.

The sewing was so messy it was hard to look at, so she simply stopped watching.

By the time Old Lady He looked again, Lu Yuan had already finished a lightweight pair of underpants with a tie waist.

Lu Yuan made two pairs in a row, then started working on the upper undergarments.

She asked Old Lady He for some scraps of coarse cloth, sewed them into four pieces of padding, and then began making the undershirt.

Old Lady He watched, her frown deepening. "This undershirt doesn't even cover your belly button. How can it be considered an undergarment?"

Lu Yuan said, "It conserves fabric."

Old Lady He: "Do you think I'm stupid? You've sewn it double-layered—what fabric are you saving?!"

Then, frowning, she added, "It's immodest."

Lu Yuan: "..."

She knew she'd say that.

By the time she finished two sets of underclothes, the sky was gradually darkening.

In the evening, Huang Lan's daughter, Qing Ya, brought over a bundle of leeks and a head of cabbage.

After everyone left, Old Lady He circled back to the same old subject: "You seem to get along well with Huang Lan. Most people in this village are afraid of her gossipy mouth. Aside from listening to her gossip, few dare to get this close to her."

Lu Yuan trimmed the leeks and replied, "I don't have anything to be ashamed of, and besides, even if I had secrets, I wouldn't share them with her. What she talks about is just..."

She suddenly recalled Huang Lan spreading the rumor about Qi Cheng's "well-endowed" physique, and found she couldn't quite call it "innocent chatter."

She changed her wording: "Things she's heard that are true."

Old Lady He scoffed lightly, "See, you couldn't even finish your sentence."

Lu Yuan pursed her lips and said, "But Sister-in-law Chen is really nice. She's helped me a lot."

Old Lady He: "If she weren't a decent person, do you think she'd have gotten away with that mouth of hers by now?"

Lu Yuan thought to herself, wondering if Old Lady He knew Huang Lan had spread private gossip about her grandson, would she point at Huang Lan's nose and curse her out?

After sorting the leeks, Lu Yuan used the last two taels of lard to fry the small fish and shrimp.

It was more like pan-frying than deep-frying.

The small fish turned golden brown, and the shrimp became a bright orange-red, looking very appetizing.

Lu Yuan stir-fried the leeks until mostly cooked, then added the small fish and shrimp to stir-fry together. A savory aroma gradually wafted out and drifted into Qi Cheng's room.

Having lived on a liquid diet for almost three months, Qi Cheng faintly caught the scent and suddenly felt extremely hungry.

But more than hunger, what struck him was that this was the first time he had smelled cooking since falling unconscious.

His moments of consciousness were gradually increasing, and his senses seemed to be slowly recovering. Did this mean he was close to waking up?

Qi Cheng's mind remained troubled for a long time.

After some time, the mother and her two daughters entered the room again.

The wind and rain had been heavy yesterday, and Qi Cheng had sensed it.

Since they were still staying in his room today, it seemed like their old place was no longer habitable.

Listening to the mother and daughters talk kept him from feeling lonely or bored.

He heard the girl named Chun Hua ask her mother, "Mom, after you marry Uncle Qi Cheng, can my sister and I still sleep with you?"

Qi Cheng was also curious how Lu Yuan would answer.

After all, once they were married, they probably couldn't keep sleeping with two children, right?

"I don't know. Normally, it shouldn't be allowed."

It wasn't proper for a widow to marry again and still share a bed with her stepdaughters.

Chun Hua: "But my sister and I both want to sleep with you."

Lu Yuan: "Then tomorrow I'll ask Grandma He. If it's not a problem, we can keep sharing the same room for now."

Since Qi Cheng hadn't woken up, it probably wouldn't be a big issue.

Qi Cheng, however, didn't quite agree. The current situation was forced, but they couldn't continue like this forever—it wouldn't sound good if word got out.

Chun Hua, satisfied with the answer, happily hugged her mother.

Lu Yuan patted her and said, "Play with your sister for a while. I'm going to count some coins."

Chun Hua asked, puzzled, "But didn't you already count them before?"

Lu Yuan smiled and tapped her nose. "I just love counting money."

She took out the coin purse from the bamboo tube and began counting the coins one by one.

To Lu Yuan, the jingling of copper coins was more pleasing than any music.

After counting for a while, Lu Yuan found her total savings were 124 wen.

She had calculated that this was enough to make a six-foot-wide quilt set.

Regular hemp cloth cost five wen per foot, and a six-foot-wide quilt set would require at least twenty feet of cloth.

But hemp cloth was far less warm than cotton in winter, so she would need to buy cotton cloth at six wen per foot.

All her money would only be enough for one quilt—she couldn't afford to make any clothes.

The weather in Lingnan (Southern China) was unpredictable. One day it might be scorching autumn heat, and the next it could turn cold.

Besides, she still needed to buy daily necessities like lamp oil and coarse paper. With all these expenses, the money was again insufficient.

Thinking of this, Lu Yuan felt that familiar worry again. She needed to hurry and earn more money, aiming to save enough for winter clothes by the end of the month.

After counting the money, Lu Yuan sighed with a worried expression.

Chun Hua, seeing her mother count the money and then sigh, couldn't help asking, "You counted your favorite money, so why are you still unhappy?"

Lu Yuan leaned on the edge of Qi Cheng's bed, resting her chin in her hand. "I want more money to make winter quilts and clothes, and I want to eat rice and meat every day."

At the mention of meat, Qiu Hua, who had been lost in thought, perked up. "Mom, meat, meat!"

Lu Yuan laughed and tweaked her thin cheek. "All you think about is meat. Tomorrow, when I go to town to set up a stall, I'll buy meat for you when I come back."

Listening to the mother and daughters, Qi Cheng felt a twinge of guilt.

Now the burden of supporting the family fell on her and his grandmother, while he, an able-bodied man, lay in bed like dead weight, waiting to die. How could he accept this?

Qi Cheng's desire to wake up grew even stronger.

...

Early the next morning, Niu Cui came to draw water. When she saw Lu Yuan, she gritted her teeth in anger but didn't dare say anything.

Lu Yuan paid her no mind. Having someone else do the heaviest work lightened her load considerably.

After breakfast, Huang Lan came with her daughter to ask Lu Yuan to go foraging for mushrooms.

Lu Yuan happily slung her basket over her shoulder and headed out.

Before her transmigration, Lu Yuan's top three desired outdoor activities were: picking mushrooms in the mountains, foraging at the beach, and digging for bamboo shoots.

She had dug for bamboo shoots before and had grown tired of it—almost to the point of never wanting to dig again.

She hadn't had the chance to forage at the beach, but yesterday morning she had experienced gathering from the river. Her back had ached from being bent over for so long, and she still felt a twinge in her back.

As for mushroom picking, the previous time picking wood ear mushrooms hadn't really scratched that itch—it didn't count.

Lu Yuan and Huang Lan, along with several other familiar women, went to the nearby hills to pick mushrooms.

Huang Lan whispered to her, "They only know how to identify one or two types of edible mushrooms. Later, I'll teach you how to recognize other safe ones."

Lu Yuan exclaimed, "You actually managed to keep quiet about it?!"

Huang Lan gave her a look, "Don't think I didn't catch your meaning about me being unable to keep a secret."

Lu Yuan laughed sheepishly, "I really thought you wouldn't notice."

Huang Lan snorted lightly and continued, "When I come up here to pick mushrooms, I always keep quiet and don't talk to them."

It must be tough for someone who loves to talk to stay silent.

Lu Yuan asked, "Then why tell me?"

Huang Lan replied, "It's just that, seeing you and your children on your own, every bit of extra income counts. Besides, we can sell at the same stall. If I don't help you, who will?"

Lu Yuan felt warmth in her heart.

Entering the mountain, the air was still damp, and the air carried a damp, earthy smell.

After learning about mushrooms with Huang Lan for a while, Lu Yuan went her separate way.

True enough, after a heavy rain, the mushrooms in the mountain seemed to have sprouted overnight. Just pushing aside some dead leaves would reveal bunches of mushrooms.

Although Lu Yuan had learned a few types, there were always similar ones she couldn't distinguish, so she just put them all in her basket, planning to have Huang Lan help sort through them later.

After this round of mushroom picking, Lu Yuan had filled over half her basket.

When Huang Lan came to call her, she looked at the mushrooms in Lu Yuan's basket and her face took on a strange look: "Li Niang, are you trying to make our whole village attend a funeral feast?" she said.

Lu Yuan: "..."

Huang Lan sighed and motioned to her daughter: "Qing Ya, help your aunt sort out the inedible ones."

Qing Ya crouched down and immediately began quickly tossing mushrooms out, saying, "Auntie, half of what you picked can't be eaten."

Lu Yuan responded, "It's my first time picking; I have no experience. I'll do better next time."

In the end, only a small half-basket remained from the original large half-basket, but it was still a decent harvest.

She planned to sell these mushrooms tomorrow—every penny counted.

Lu Yuan glanced at Huang Lan's basket; even with two people picking together, it was already seventy percent full.

She asked, "Are you going to the market tomorrow, sister-in-law?"

Huang Lan replied, "I'm not going. With the rain just clearing up, surely many people will be selling mushrooms. The price won't be good. It's better to dry them and sell them later."

"But since you'll be setting up a stall anyway and won't need to pay extra for space, you can just put them out together to sell."

Lu Yuan nodded, "That's what I was thinking too."

She also planned to bring a few pounds of dried bamboo shoots to sell, to see if they would sell.

After chatting for a bit, Huang Lan suddenly said, "You're so focused on making money, where's the joy of a bride-to-be?"

If Huang Lan hadn't mentioned it, Lu Yuan would have forgotten that the day after tomorrow she was supposed to marry a rooster.

With no actual man involved in this wedding, she really couldn't feel nervous. So, to her, this wedding was as simple as having a meal.