Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After racking her brain for a while, the only conflicts between the previous Lu Wanxiao and this young wife, Qian-shi, were a few trivial verbal spats, and each time, it was Qian-shi who started them.

Really, she was the one who always picked fights, and yet she was the one holding a grudge?

What nonsense.

This woman must have something seriously wrong with her head.

Although everything Qian-shi said about the previous Lu Wanxiao was true, it didn't affect her in any way, nor did it cost her anything. She was being far too meddlesome.

Lu Wanxiao couldn't be bothered with her. However, her reminder did bring to mind an incident where the previous Lu Wanxiao had taken the cart. She'd said she'd pay on the return trip, but when she came back, she claimed she had no money left and handed Old Man Yang a half-eaten pancake, saying it could serve as the fare.

The round trip cost two coppers, but a pancake was only one copper, and this one was half-eaten. Naturally, Old Man Yang refused.

Then the previous Lu Wanxiao threw a tantrum, digging up all the times Scholar Lu had helped Old Man Yang's family, rattling on and on until Old Man Yang was left speechless.

In the end, she neither gave the half-eaten pancake nor paid the fare, and just walked off.

Since she'd already made it home, Old Man Yang could only chalk it up to bad luck.

"Sigh..." Lu Wanxiao shook her head with a sigh, fished out two coppers, and handed them to Old Man Yang. "Here, Grandpa Yang, this is the fare from last time."

Lu Wanxiao had already surprised Old Man Yang by promptly paying for this trip. Now she was paying back the old fare too, and he stared at her as if he didn't know her anymore.

He knew that the former Lu Wanxiao would take any advantage she could, and if she couldn't, she'd scheme to get one. Once she'd taken something, she never returned it. What had gotten into her today?

Thinking of Song Changting, who was so thin a gust of wind could knock him over, Old Man Yang didn't take the money. With a sigh, he said, "Sigh, forget it, forget it. Changting's wife, if you really mean it, just be good to Changting from now on. That boy broke his leg in his prime—it's tragic enough. You're his wife, and now only the two of you are left in the Song family. If you're not good to him, what's he supposed to do?"

Before Lu Wanxiao could respond, he continued, "Changting is a good boy. Whenever the villagers ask him to read or write letters, he never charges a fee. Take this money and buy him something to eat. Consider it a small token from your Uncle Yang."

Old Man Yang's words surprised Lu Wanxiao. Two coppers weren't much and couldn't buy a lot, but these days, ordinary folks struggled to earn money, often pinching every penny. For Old Man Yang to willingly give up those two coppers showed real kindness and generosity.

Lu Wanxiao couldn't help but think that the saying "poor mountains and bad waters breed unruly people" wasn't always true. Look at Taoxi Village—though poor, most people here had good hearts. Even the aunties who had been mocking her earlier were mostly just standing up for Song Changting.

"Grandpa Yang is right. I was ignorant and foolish before. From now on, I'll take good care of Song... Changting. But let's keep things separate—please take this money. Paying for the ride is only proper. Otherwise, how will you keep your business going?" Lu Wanxiao insisted on giving the money to Old Man Yang. She didn't want people holding this over her head forever.

"Never mind, you don't have to," Old Man Yang waved his hand in refusal. "Buy something for Changting to eat when you get to town. As for last time's fare..."

Before he could finish, Lu Wanxiao interrupted, "I have money to buy things, Grandpa Yang. This is the fare. Please take it." She shoved the coppers into his hand before he could argue further.

His kindness is his own business, but she couldn't take advantage of that. Even though she was dirt poor now, she believed she'd find it easier to earn money than most.

Seeing this, Old Man Yang said nothing more, put the money away, and focused on driving the cart.

Aside from Qian-shi muttering spitefully, "What an act," no one else spoke. Along the way, they picked up two more passengers until the cart was full, and they reached town without incident.

Old Man Yang stopped the oxcart at the town gate. "Same as usual—we head back once the sun starts to pass overhead. Don't be late, everyone."

Since it wasn't a holiday or festival, few villagers were going to market, so Old Man Yang only made one trip. During busy times like New Year's, he'd make several trips.

When the sun was past its peak, it was around one or two in the afternoon. Lu Wanxiao nodded, picked up her basket, and hopped off the oxcart. Making sure no one was watching, she rubbed her sore bottom and headed into town.

The town they were in was called Nanxi Town. It wasn't large or bustling, but it had everything one might need—like they say, small as it may be, it's complete in essentials.

There were shops selling medicine, rice and flour, cloth and clothes, meat and vegetables—basically anything people needed for daily life. Some were sold in stores, others set up along the streets.

The vegetable and meat vendors occupied a separate corner, alongside stalls selling trinkets and snacks. It was much like the markets in some villages and towns of the 21st century.

Lu Wanxiao walked around, buying half a sack of rice and half a sack of flour. To avoid raising suspicion, she purchased them separately, then carried them to a secluded spot and stored them in her hidden space.

After that, she bought a few catties of meat and some cooking seasonings. Her home had only a pinch of salt left—how pitiful.

Passing by a clothing shop, she glanced at her own shabby, ugly clothes and stepped inside. But after looking around, she walked out without even going through the haggling process.

Don't ask. The answer was that her wallet wasn't fat enough.

Sigh, another day of yearning for that nine-figure inheritance.

The cheap clothes were poor quality and ugly—she might as well keep wearing what she had. The nicer ones were expensive.

Can't afford them. Time to get out of here.

She still didn't know when she'd be able to go to the county seat, and she hadn't started earning money yet. The money Song Changting had given her was their living expenses until she could make some—she couldn't blow it all.

The fabric shop next door had nice, cheap cloth, but she couldn't even sew a shoe sole.

So she'd have to make do with her current clothes for now. New clothes could wait until she had money.

Sigh, who would have thought that she, Lu Wanxiao, would ever have to worry about money and scrimp and save?

In the 21st century, even before she'd gotten that nine-figure inheritance, she'd never wanted for food or clothing. Now, she couldn't even afford a piece of clothing.

"Sigh..." Lu Wanxiao sighed, looked at her wallet, then at the sky. Seeing it was still early, she wandered around the street again. Finally, she bought a batch of baby chicks, planning to raise them. When they grew up, the egg-layers would stay, and the others would be butchered for meat.

Song Changting was too thin and malnourished for too long. It wouldn't be a quick fix. Then there was his younger brother, Song Zhangqi, whom the previous Lu Wanxiao had sold off. Once she had money, she'd have to find a way to redeem him. Both the big one and the little one needed nutrition—meat and eggs would have to be a regular thing.

Lu Wanxiao mulled over her plans as she walked toward the town gate. On the way, she passed a bun seller. Meat buns were one copper each, vegetable buns two for one copper. She had some loose coppers left, so she bought two meat buns and four vegetable buns, planning to have them for dinner.

At the town gate, she found Old Man Yang's oxcart. Seeing that no one else had arrived yet, she greeted him, found a rock to sit on, and pulled out a bun to munch on while picking up a twig to play with her new chicks.

She wasn't even halfway through her bun when people began trickling in, including Qian-shi, who seemed to have a chip on her shoulder against Lu Wanxiao.

Lu Wanxiao glanced up briefly, then lowered her head to continue eating and playing with the chicks.

Qian-shi had only had a bowl of porridge that morning and hadn't even had a sip of water since. She was already thirsty and hungry. Now, the mingled aroma of flour and meat filling from the buns made her feel even hungrier, and she couldn't help swallowing.

Her jealousy and hatred toward Lu Wanxiao grew. Why could someone as lazy and despicable as Lu Wanxiao buy whatever she wanted, while she had to ask her mother-in-law and husband for permission for everything?

Lu Wanxiao was happily playing with the chicks when she suddenly felt an unfriendly gaze on her. Looking up, she saw Qian-shi glaring at her fiercely.

No, to be precise, glaring at the bun in her hand.