In the end, spent three hundred and forty wen, bought six pairs of shoes.
Under Jiang Chun’s unrelenting effort, Madam Feng finally gave in and made it ten wen cheaper.
Jiang Chun was quite happy. Even after they had come out from the shop for quite a while, the smile on her face hadn’t gone down.
Song Shi’an frowned slightly, truly couldn’t understand her.
If one were to say she came from humble background, she could read and write, even knew how to write Dashi characters, and was also skilled at calculating accounts.
If one were to say she came from noble background, she was stingy to the point of not letting go of even one wen, and when she acted rough, even the villagers couldn’t compare.
He held back, but in the end still couldn’t help speaking: “In the past, never mind. But now you hold the five hundred taels of silver given by the Liu family in your hand, it’s not truly considered tight, why still spend a quarter of an hour arguing with someone over this mere ten wen?”
Jiang Chun rolled her eyes at him, naggingly said: “That’s because you’re not the one managing the household and don’t know the cost of firewood, rice, oil and salt. Five hundred taels of silver sounds like a lot, but if spent without restraint, it will be gone very quickly.”
“And also, everyone outside knows that our family became poor just to support you, this sickly live-in son-in-law. We have to tighten our belts to get by. If we suddenly start spending lavishly, others will definitely become suspicious.”
So the matter of her family buying a mule cart — the black pot still ended up being dumped on Song Shi’an’s head. Jiang He told others it was to conveniently take the son-in-law to the county every few days to see the doctor and get medicine, so had no choice but to buy the mule cart.
Of course, that was only part of the reason.
Another part of the reason, was that Jiang Chun was keen on haggling — the joy of successfully bargaining, people who don’t like to haggle will never understand.
Song Shi’an didn’t know if it was that he was convinced by her speech, or simply rendered speechless — for quite a while, he didn’t make a sound.
Jiang Chun held the bundle of shoes in one hand, and held his hand with the other. After walking for a while, she couldn’t think of anything else they needed to buy.
She came to town every day to set up a stall and sell meat, so whenever the household lacked something, she could conveniently bring it back. Unlike other villagers who rarely came to town — and when they did, they would buy in bulk with large bags and packages.
That was also why earlier she only thought about buying shoes for Song Shi’an and Jiang He, but forgot to buy her own.
Anyway, whenever she lacked shoes to wear, she could just pop into Madam Feng’s shop and buy a pair — it was very convenient.
Jiang Chun turned her head and asked Song Shi’an: “Does Husband have anything he wants to buy? Just say it, Wife will buy it for you.”
Thinking of the deerskin boots from earlier, she quickly added: “As long as it’s not too expensive.”
These five hundred taels of silver — part of it had to be used to buy medicine and food to nourish Song Shi’an’s body, part of it had to be saved for future use once they enter the capital.
As Song Shi’an’s wife, naturally she had to live with him in the Song family residence, and wouldn’t have to worry about food and drink.
But her father?
As someone’s father-in-law, it wouldn’t be appropriate to live in his daughter’s husband’s house, right?
The Song family might not care about this sort of thing. After all, for noble families like them, there was no lack of poor relatives coming to mooch — one more wouldn’t make a difference.
But Jiang He definitely wouldn’t go.
Jiang He was somewhat of a male chauvinist. He didn’t care whether the in-laws were rich or noble, he only knew that in the village, among all the fathers-in-law, none had the face to live in their daughter’s husband’s house.
Not only would he be making a fool of himself, but also make his daughter lose face in her husband’s home.
Jiang Chun had to save money to buy her father a small residence near the Song family.
That wasn’t an easy thing to do.
Because the old residence of the Song family is located in the East City of the capital, where the powerful and noble gather, taking up most of Osmanthus Alley.
The back part of Osmanthus Alley indeed consists of small residences, but most are occupied by side branches of these aristocratic families or trusted retainers who have gained favor. Even if any are being sold, the prices are outrageously high.
This is also one of the reasons she fusses over just ten wen.
Of course, she could also use money from Song Shi’an to buy a house for her father. After all, after the Song family was rehabilitated, all the confiscated properties were returned, and those that were damaged were compensated with silver.
But she didn’t want to do that.
She is his wife, and him supporting her is as it should be by the principles of Heaven and Earth, so spending his money, she does so with peace of mind.
But to use her husband’s family’s silver to support her own father — not to mention Jiang He wouldn’t agree, she herself doesn’t have the face for that.
It’s not like she can’t earn money. Her own father, she’ll raise him herself, no need to fleece the Song family’s sheep. [meaning to take advantage of someone]
Jiang family is Jiang family, Song family is Song family — she must make a clear distinction.
After all, she is the Jiang family’s stove-guarding daughter [a girl who continues the family line], and in the future when she and Song Shi’an have children, the first child, regardless of whether it’s male or female, must take the Jiang surname, so as to continue the Jiang family incense line. [symbolizing ancestral lineage]
Even just for that little brat, she couldn’t afford to lie flat, she must properly build a career.
But it wasn’t a big problem — she had a sign-in system, had plenty of money-making ideas in her head, plus a younger sister-in-law whose thigh she could hug [slang for relying on someone powerful], and most crucially, had Song Shi’an — this future Grand Secretariat — as her backer. If even with all that she couldn’t make money, then she’d really be trash.
Song Shi’an originally wanted to answer “nothing,” but as the words reached his lips, he suddenly changed his tune: “Next time we go to the county, buy yourself a pair of deerskin boots, and tell others they’re sheepskin boots.”
Sheepskin boots aren’t waterproof, can’t be worn in rain or snow, and since they’re made with both hide and wool, they’re heavy — and more expensive than cotton boots. They’re mostly worn by old folks who fear the cold and aren’t short on money.
In contrast, deerskin boots have much better waterproofing, are sturdy and durable. A pair of deerskin boots — while not quite heirloom-worthy — could last ten years without a problem.
Jiang Chun, while pulling him along toward the carpenter’s shop, smiled and teased him: “Husband first reminds me to buy cotton shoes for myself, and now strongly advises me to buy deerskin boots for rainy and snowy days — so thoughtful and caring, and still says you’re not fond of me?”
“Be honest — in your heart, haven’t you wanted to kiss me for a long time, and that’s why you snuck over last night in the dark to kiss me?”
Song Shi’an looked around front, back, left, and right. Seeing no passersby nearby, he finally let out a breath of relief.
He lowered his voice and scolded, “You hush! This is a public street, with people coming and going. You’re going on about love and kisses out loud — what if someone hears you, then what?”
Before Jiang Chun teased him, she had already watched in all directions and listened in all eight — only after confirming there was no one nearby did she dare to be so bold.
But her mouth didn’t say so: “What’s there to be afraid of? What harm is there in Husband kissing me? Even if they’re jealous, it’s no use — Husband will only kiss me, and not them, right, Husband?”
Song Shi’an: “……”
This was clearly digging a pit — if he answered “yes,” she’d definitely climb up the pole, and once they got home, she’d force him to kiss her.
So he didn’t take the bait, and instead changed the topic: “Weren’t you saying we’d visit Wang Yin’er? Aren’t you going to buy some gifts? You planning to just show up empty-handed?”
Jiang Chun pouted — this guy’s brain was too sharp, didn’t fall into the trap at all.
She grumbled: “Husband says to buy, then of course I must buy.”
As they walked, they saw an old granny selling chickens by the roadside — the chicken was lively and jumpy, didn’t look like it had chicken plague, and the price was reasonable. Jiang Chun spent forty-two wen to buy one.
Thus, one hand held the bundle, the other hand held the chicken upside-down — she no longer had a free hand to hold Song Shi’an.
She immediately felt a bit unhappy.
She hadn’t held enough of her Husband’s long, slender, onion-green hand yet. [a cutesy way to describe fair, elegant hands.]
Luckily, the carpenter’s shop was soon reached.
After putting the items into the mule cart’s rear compartment, Jiang Chun happily held Song Shi’an’s hand with one hand, and with the other arm wrapped around under his armpit, helped him onto the mule cart.
Then she drove the mule cart in the direction of the Wang family’s general store.
—
Wang Yin’er became especially excited upon seeing Jiang Chun, and blurted out: “Jie, you didn’t…”
Midway through the sentence, she realized that her grandmother and mother were still in the room, and immediately cut herself off.
She only smiled and said: “Haven’t seen Jie in two days, really missed you.”
Jiang Chun joked:.“I think it’s not me you missed, but the gifts I bring, right?”
Wang Yin’er didn’t deny it either, and smoothly asked: “Then what good things did Jie bring today?”
Jiang Chun said proudly: “Brought a plump big rooster — how’s that for sincerity?”
Wang Yin’er made a moved expression, and exaggeratedly shouted: “You—you really are my real sister!”
Old Granny Cao heard this and smiled as she interrupted: “Nowadays, chicken isn’t cheap. Just the other day I spent forty-five wen to buy one and stewed it for Yin’er to eat. Jiang niangzi, you’re really willing to spend on our Yin’er.”
This sentence sounded like she was praising Jiang Chun, but in reality, it was boasting about herself — showing Jiang Chun how generous she was toward her granddaughter.
Jiang Chun smiled: “You, old one, are indeed generous with your granddaughter — much better than me, the cousin.”
Whether or not she was just putting on a show, if she was willing to spend money on Wang Yin’er, then she deserved a word of praise.
After Jiang Chun had exchanged pleasantries with her granny and aunt, Wang Yin’er finally found an excuse to send the two elders out.
As soon as the door closed, she anxiously asked: “Jie, Liu Qitan didn’t do anything to you…”
Halfway through her sentence, she abruptly stopped.
Because Wang Yin’er had just noticed that in this room, there was still her cousin-brother-in-law, Song Shi’an. If he were to find out that Liu Qitan had his eyes on her cousin, who knew if he’d misunderstand her cousin — suspecting that she deliberately tried to seduce some rich young master or something.
Jiang Chun cast a sidelong glance at Song Shi’an and said to Wang Yin’er: “No need to hem and haw. Your brother-in-law knows everything. Between us, there’s nothing we don’t say, no secrets.”
Song Shi’an almost couldn’t keep it together when he heard that.
Nothing they don’t say? No secrets?
Don’t make jokes. The two of them each had their own secrets. If not for a chance coincidence, he still wouldn’t have discovered that she possessed the supernatural power of conjuring things from nothing.
And that wasn’t even her only secret — her origin was her biggest secret.
What was her background?
How did she come to be reborn into Jiang Chun’s body?
How did she know that he would become someone who held a high and powerful position?
Would she one day return to her original body?
All of these questions, Jiang Chun kept from him.
Of course, he wasn’t qualified to criticize her either — after all, he was also hiding the fact that he had been reborn.
The two of them — well, it was six of one and half a dozen of the other. The elder brother shouldn’t talk about the younger. [idiom meaning “both are just as bad,” often used playfully.]
Wang Yin’er was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly asked, “Jie [elder sister], Liu Qitan didn’t do anything to you, right?”
Jiang Chun didn’t hide it and told Wang Yin’er what had happened these past few days.
Of course, for safety’s sake, she didn’t mention that Song Shi’an knew the county magistrate. Instead, she shifted all the credit onto her maternal uncle.
With a face full of lingering fear, she said: “Luckily, my jiu [舅 – mother’s brother] is on good terms with the county magistrate’s wife’s younger brother, Zhao Langjun. I also bled money to ask my jiu to send Zhao Langjun a heavy gift. Only then was Zhao Langjun willing to help invite the county magistrate to come forward and settle things with Liu Qitan.”
Wang Yin’er let out a long breath of relief and said with a face full of gratitude: “Good thing Uncle Zheng has wide connections and just happens to know the county magistrate’s wife’s younger brother, Zhao Langjun. In our Hongye County, indeed only the county magistrate dares to meddle in the Liu family’s affairs. Other big families all don’t dare provoke them.”
Jiang Chun laughed and said: “Guess I had good luck — fated by the heavens to avoid this calamity.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Song Shi’an.
Although even if he hadn’t acted, she definitely wouldn’t have sat and waited to die, and the chances of her falling into Liu Qitan’s hands were very low — still, if one could live peacefully, who would want to wander and suffer?
And yet not only did she not thank him, she even used the fact that he clearly had a way but deliberately hid it from her to coerce him into kissing her…
Thinking about it now, she seemed a bit scummy.
But since she’d already been scummy, reflecting now was too late.
Jiang Chun decisively chose to lie flat and give up caring.
After learning Jiang Chun was unharmed, Wang Yin’er’s nerves — which had been tense for several days — finally relaxed.
The two girls chatted idly for a while, and when Jiang Chun left, she had another twenty taels of silver tucked into her chest.
This was silver that Liu Qitan had given Wang Yin’er earlier to show off his wealth in front of Jiang Chun.
That day, the whole family was present, and Wang Yin’er didn’t get a chance to hand it over to Jiang Chun — today, she finally managed to.
Such a large sum of silver, left at home, she constantly worried day and night about being robbed or schemed against. Only by handing it to her cousin could she feel at ease.
After leaving the Wang family home, Jiang Chun helped Song Shi’an up into the mule cart, then drove it in the direction of Daliushu Village.
As they were nearing Daliushu Village, she suddenly turned her head and, grinning cheekily, said to Song Shi’an:
“Husband, kiss me again tonight. I’m craving it.”
Song Shi’an: “???”
Craving?
What does she take him for — her favorite dish of red-braised pork?