Chapter 30: Buying in the City

The next morning, Pear Blossom woke up to find that her mother was already gone from the hut.

Recalling what they had agreed on last night—that she and her father would go to the Yamen together this morning—her mind immediately cleared, and she quickly got up.

When she peeked out from the grass hut, the base of the mountain was still shrouded in a faint mist under the morning light. In the distance, there was a faint red glow at the horizon. Her parents had already returned from the mountain, each carrying a bundle of bamboo and branches.

As Mrs. Xiong put down the bamboo, she saw Pear Blossom poke her head out and urged, “If you’re awake, get up and wash up. Your father will leave soon.”

Pear Blossom hurriedly got up and tidied herself up.

The bundle that Dagen carried was about twice as heavy as Xiong’s, and by early morning, he was already sweating profusely, wiping his sweat with a rag by the spring.

Pear Blossom quickly washed her face and chewed some willow twigs to freshen her mouth, asking, “Dad, should we go to the Zhang Sanye’s house to leave together?”

Dagen shook his head. “No need. They walk slowly, and they should have left by now. We walk fast, so we should be able to catch up. Whoever gets there first can wait at the Yamen.”

Dagen had been away from home for years and didn’t have much to say to the village head, so he preferred not to walk together to avoid awkward conversations.

Mrs. Xiong said, “Zhang Sanye has been running errands for us these past few days. When you get to the city, buy a pound of meat and have him take it home.”

Dagen acknowledged with a grunt, indicating he understood.

Zhang Sanye, though the village head, didn’t have a salary to receive. Over the years, these matters were dealt with in the household’s internal conflicts, and as an outsider, he couldn’t manage much. His efforts so far had already been commendable.

Since they had someone running errands for them, they might as well make it easier for him.

The pancakes sent by Mrs. Qin last night were eaten by the father and daughter for breakfast. They ate as they set off.

Pear Blossom had originally planned to go to Zeng’s courtyard to ask if Dong Yun needed anything, but seeing her father’s hurried manner, she gave up on the idea. 

Now that the family was separated, she could go to the city or town whenever she wanted. She decided to wait until next time, when there was no rush, to bring something for her.

They didn’t carry anything heavy. Dagen was in his prime, and Pear Blossom’s physical condition had some advantages. They walked briskly, and what would have been a two-hour journey was completed in just under an hour and a half.

The two groups arrived at the yamen around the same time. Dagen hadn’t expected Liu Youcai, who had become Xiang Youcai, to be there as well. 

However, he was now at odds with the Xiang family and had a poor attitude toward all three of them. When they saw each other, everyone’s faces were stiff, and their eyes avoided meeting.

Only Zhang Sanye and Pear Blossom, the older and younger pair, had a conversation.

Zhang Sanye was a familiar face at the yamen, and the bailiffs didn’t make things difficult for them. Soon, they smoothly transferred the land deed at the household registration office.

After handing the land deed to Dagen, Zhang Sanye said, “Dagen, this matter is settled. Take good care of the land from now on.”

Dagen held the deed in his hands, feeling the burden lifted from his heart. He had finally severed ties with the Xiang family and secured land for his small family, at least ensuring they wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry in the future.

“Third Uncle, it’s thanks to you running back and forth that everything went so smoothly. Let’s go eat some noodles to celebrate,” Dagen said.

Zhang Sanye waved his hand and said, “No need, if you have money, save it to support your family. I had porridge this morning, so I’m not hungry now.”

Pear Blossom chimed in, “Third Uncle, please, go with us. Father caught a few wild rabbits on the mountain the other day and sold them for some money. A bowl of noodles doesn’t cost much. If you go, I can also taste what noodles are like.”

Dagen quickly added, “Yes, my daughter is so big and hasn’t even tasted soup noodles from the city yet. Today, I’ll take her to try.”

Unable to refuse, Zhang Sanye followed them to the noodle shop.

Behind them, Xiang Laoer, hearing that Dagen had caught rabbits to sell, felt a pang of envy. In the past, when he came to the city, he could at least afford a bowl of noodles. But now, he didn’t even have a copper coin on him. Not only could he not afford noodles, he couldn’t even buy a bun.

He also remembered that a few months ago, when Dagen returned, he hadn’t paid the military stipend to his parents. It was clear that Dagen had hidden the money and was now spending it freely. Thinking this, Xiang Laoer couldn’t help but mutter curses under his breath at Dagen’s back.

Before he could finish his complaint, he saw the other two brothers preparing to visit the prison. 

Afraid of being left behind, he quickly swallowed the rest of his words and chased after them.

Meanwhile, Dagen led Zhang Sanye and Pear Blossom toward the market, stopping here and there, until they finally picked a noodle shop with a good crowd and walked inside.

The waiter at the door, collecting bowls, greeted them, “What can I get for you, honored guests?”

Dagen, being a soldier and not used to going out, hadn’t visited the market much and had only heard other soldiers talk about how delicious the noodles were. In the past, he had always tried to save a few coins for the trip home and had never visited a noodle shop. Now that he was here, he didn’t know what kind of noodles to order.

Zhang Sanye had eaten here a few times, but since it wasn’t his treat, he didn’t want to order anything expensive.

Pear Blossom asked, “What kinds of noodles do you have?”

The waiter, surprised that a little girl was taking charge, smiled and replied, “We have beef noodles, lamb noodles, three-delicacy noodles, and vegetarian noodles. Beef is in limited supply, so there are only two servings left today.”

Seeing that the three of them didn’t look particularly wealthy—Zhang Sanye’s clothing was passable, but father and daughter were both wearing patched clothes—the waiter quickly recommended, “You might want to try the three-delicacy noodles. It’s made with mushrooms and pork, and it’s only ten wen per serving.”

Dagen thought to himself, “A bowl of noodles costs almost as much as a pound of meat!” If he hadn’t had some silver coins on him, he would have turned around and left.

Zhang Sanye asked, “How much for a serving of vegetarian noodles?”

The waiter replied, “Vegetarian noodles are six wen per serving. Would you like that?”

Pear Blossom immediately said, “Father, let’s have the three-delicacy noodles.”

Just as Zhang Sanye was about to speak, Dagen already said, “Alright, we’ll have three servings of three-delicacy noodles, little waiter.”

The waiter, seeing that they weren’t ordering vegetarian noodles, smiled and said, “Alright, three bowls of three-delicacy noodles. Please wait a moment.”

As the waiter turned to the kitchen, Zhang Sanye lowered his voice and said, “As long as it fills our stomachs, why waste money on three-delicacies?”

Pear Blossom responded, “Third Uncle, we don’t come to the city every day. Eating vegetarian noodles is like buying plain flour to make our own noodles at home. We came here to try some meat-based noodles.”

Zhang Sanye replied, “Our home’s vegetarian noodles aren’t the same as the ones at the noodle shop. The broth here is made by simmering bones overnight, and the beef and lamb are cooked in the same pot, making the broth rich with meat flavor. Eating their vegetarian noodles is almost like having meat.”

Dagen assured him, “Uncle, don’t worry. We can afford it.”

Soon, the waiter brought three steaming bowls of three-delicacy noodles, and the aroma of the meat filled the air. All three of them involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

After the waiter left, Zhang Sanye picked up his chopsticks and stirred his noodles. He muttered, “There are only two or three thin slices of meat on top. If I buy a pound of meat, I could make five or six bowls of noodles.”

Father and daughter, meanwhile, had already begun eating, and both wore satisfied expressions after their first bite.

Zhang Sanye shook his head and quickly started eating as well.

After a couple of spoonfuls of soup, he couldn’t help but praise, “There’s a reason it’s expensive. Even with just this meat broth, it’s delicious with wild vegetables.”

Pear Blossom remarked, “I think that Xiang Laosan must have rented a house in the city and has been eating noodles here often. In the past, Xiang family’s silver was all spent on him to study in the city, and father’s military stipend was added to that. 

He used to walk around the street all the time, and everywhere smelled so good. It’s strange that he could resist eating noodles.”

Zhang Sanye didn’t reply. After all, he had seen Xiang Laosan in a small restaurant a few days ago. Those kinds of places weren’t cheap—certainly not somewhere you could just spend ten or more wen on a bowl of noodles.

Finishing his bowl, Dagen, still wanting more, looked at the nearby pork shop and remembered what his wife had told him before leaving. He turned to the others and said, “You two take your time, I’ll wait for you here. I’m going to buy some meat.”

With that, he stood up, paid for the noodles, and went across the street.

Zhang Sanye looked after his retreating figure and muttered, “He caught a few rabbits, but after eating noodles, he still has enough money to buy meat.”

Pear Blossom mumbled, “Probably about a dozen or so, it’s what my mother instructed.”

When Zhang Sanye heard that it was instructed by Mrs. Xiong, he closed his mouth.

After they finished eating, Dagen brought in a little over a pound of fatty pork and handed it to Zhang Sanye, saying, “Uncle, you’ve helped us a lot these past few days, making things go smoothly. This is a pound of meat. Don’t think it’s too little, take it home and treat the kids to some.”

Zhang Sanye was surprised that the meat was bought for him, and he was taken aback. After regaining his senses, he quickly waved his hand and said, “Why so polite? It’s not like we’re strangers, no need for such formality. This is the kind of thing I should be doing. Besides, your family is just getting started and needs money. Take it back and return it.”

As he spoke, his eyes lingered on the meat, unwilling to look away.

Their family wasn’t well-off, and eating meat was a rare occasion, usually reserved for holidays. 

Since it wasn’t the time for any festivals in August or September, there was no reason to eat meat. His grandchildren were constantly complaining about hunger.

Dagen shoved a skewer of meat into his hands and said, “Alright, Uncle, I have to go to my father-in-law’s place, so I won’t delay. Be careful on the road.”

Before Zhang Sanye could respond, father and daughter had already left the noodle shop. He stood there, looking at the meat in his hands, his mustache twitching.

Dagen had long legs, and Pear Blossom walked briskly, asking, “Dad, Mom said we still need to buy a big iron pot. If we go to Grandma’s now, should we carry the pot with us?”

Dagen replied, “I’m afraid the blacksmith won’t have the right size in stock, we’ll need to place an order and wait for them to make it. If they have it in stock, we can carry it with us. 

But if we buy other things too, carrying it all the way to Shangyang Village and then coming back is quite troublesome…”

“But if we go to Shangyang Village and circle back to the county town, it’ll take half the day.”

“Forget it, let’s go to the blacksmith’s first.”

The two of them asked for directions and soon arrived at the blacksmith’s shop, where they were greeted by a dazzling array of iron pots hanging in the shop.

“Dad, they have it in stock!”

Indeed, Dagen couldn’t move his feet when he saw the big iron pots.

By the time they left the shop, Dagen was carrying a large iron pot on his head.

“Dad, how about we don’t buy anything else and just take the pot to Shangyang Village? We can stop by that town where we bought stuff last time on the way to Grandma’s and pick up some household items. What do you think?”

Dagen’s eyes lit up, and he praised, “Pear Blossom, you’re getting smarter and smarter.”

He continued, “By the way, your mother and I were talking last night. We haven’t given your grandma anything over the years. We should send some silver to your grandpa for his treatment. I said twenty taels, but your mother said ten. What do you think is appropriate?”

Pear Blossom, who was usually slow to catch on, only remembered after her father mentioned it that her grandpa had to spend a lot of silver on medicine each month. 

Her uncles often did odd jobs to make money for the medicine, and her grandfather couldn’t work but still made some baskets and other items at home for her aunts to take to the city to sell, barely keeping the family afloat.

“Give him twenty taels,” Pear Blossom said. “Grandpa spends so much on medicine. If it were another family, he wouldn’t be treated, but my uncles never thought that way. I love going to Grandma’s house because it’s warm and peaceful, unlike at the Xiang family where I was scolded all the time. If Grandpa gets better, Grandma’s house will stay warm.”

Dagen smiled when he heard that. “Good child, your grandpa will be so happy to know how filial you are.”

Pear Blossom said, “Of course. Grandma and Grandpa love me, and I should love them back. Besides, I can hunt. After I go hunting and sell the game, I can earn money.”

Dagen replied, “When the house is built, I’ll go hunting with you.”

Having been a soldier for many years, hunting was nothing difficult for him.

Father and daughter then went to the butcher and the general store, buying over three pounds of meat and a small bag of snacks before leaving the city with the large iron pot.

“Dad, if you get tired later, I’ll carry it for a while.”

Dagen laughed, “You want to swap carrying a thing that weighs more than ten pounds with your old man? Then I’ll be eating my fill for nothing.”

“I’m just thinking of you, but if you don’t need it, I’ll drop it.”

As they were talking, they heard someone calling from behind: “Dagen—Dagen—Xiang Dagen—”

Pear Blossom turned around and tugged at her father’s sleeve, her face full of surprise. “Dad, it’s Grandpa and my uncle!”

Dagen didn’t hear the call at first because of the clinking pot on his back, but when he heard his daughter shout, he turned around and saw two people standing across the street. One of them was carrying several pairs of stacked baskets. It was none other than his father-in-law and brother-in-law.

He hurried to meet them, carrying the pot on his back. “Dad, Uncle, what are you doing in the city?”

“Your father has to come to the city for a checkup every three months, and today just happens to be the time,” Xiong Laoda said as he looked at the large iron pot on his back. “Why aren’t you at the barracks? Or has your family split off from the main household?”

He said this with eager anticipation.

Dagen grinned, “This is a long story. Let’s sit down by a stone over there and talk. Pear Blossom and I were just going to your house.”

“To our house?” Xiong Laoda and Xiong Laohan exchanged a glance.

“Let’s go, there’s some shade over there. Let’s talk under the tree.”

It was almost noon, and the sun was hot.

Xiong Laoda carried the baskets and helped his old father to the tree.

After sitting down on a stone, Dagen began to explain everything that had happened recently.

Father and son Xiong listened in disbelief, as though they were hearing a story, unable to believe their ears.

“The Xiang family is really inhumane to have set up such a trap for over thirty years, and they still dare to treat these children like this. A bunch of beasts!” Xiong Laoda cursed angrily. “Poor Xiufang, all these years she’s been tortured by that old woman and is almost unrecognizable. It’s just so hateful, it makes me so mad!”

After hearing this, Xiang Laohan furrowed his brows and asked, “So you’ve split from the Liu family, and you don’t want to go back to them or take their wealth. Where are you planning to live?”

Although the Liu family didn’t seem like an easy one to get along with, not wanting anything from them might be a show of strength, but what about the wife and kids? Strength alone couldn’t put food on the table.

Dagen replied, “I’ve discussed it with Xiufang and the kids. We’re planning to build a house near that piece of land, at the foot of the mountain.”

Xiang Laohan sighed after hearing this, saying, “You split, but all you got was the land, not a single coin. Wanting to build a house—it’s not that easy.”

Dagen leaned closer to the two of them and, in a lowered voice, said, “Before, Pear Blossom had a chance encounter and saved a big shot. The person rewarded her with a hundred taels of silver. She used thirty taels to pay off debts, leaving seventy taels. You don’t need that much silver to build a house.”

When Xiang Laohan and his son heard that they had silver, smiles started to appear on their previously grim faces.

“Didn’t expect that Pear Blossom girl had this ability. Well, that’s good. This way, not going back to the Liu family is better, so you won’t end up like that woman from the Xiang family, always picking on our Xiufang.”

Seventy taels of silver, if saved, could last decades.

Dagen looked around and saw no one passing by, then took out two silver ingots from his chest and stuffed them into Xiang Laohan’s hands, saying, “Father, with everything that’s happened in the family these years, Xiufang and I haven’t had the chance to properly show our respect to you. 

Right now, we’re a bit more financially comfortable. Please take this silver and buy some medicine. From now on, big uncle and second uncle won’t need to work so hard.”

Xiang Laohan and his son never expected Dagen to be so willing to give away twenty taels of silver. They were shocked—twenty taels wasn’t a small amount. It could take an ordinary family decades to earn that much.

Without a second thought, Xiang Laohan took out the silver and pushed it back, saying, “No, this won’t do. You’ve just split, and there’s nothing, everything costs silver. Building a house takes silver, and Daniu will need to find a wife in a few years—that takes silver too. Keep it for yourselves.”

Dagen quickly held his hand down, whispering, “Father, stop taking out money. Someone’s coming. Don’t let them see. This silver is something Xiufang and I agreed on. It’s Pear Blossom’s idea, and we’ve already taken it out. Once it’s out, it won’t go back.”

Pear Blossom added, “Yes, Grandpa, please take it. We have other ways to earn money in the future.”

Xiang Laohan wasn’t convinced, saying, “Well, let’s wait until you find a new way to earn.”

Just as he was about to push it back, Dagen saw someone approaching, and both sides stopped tugging.

Xiang Laohan sighed, “Father, since Dagen and Pear Blossom are being filial, you should accept it. If it really helps with the illness, then everything will be worth it.”

Seeing that he couldn’t refuse, Xiang Laohan finally stuffed the silver into his sleeve and said, “Alright, I’ll take it. Pear Blossom, thank you.”

Pear Blossom blinked her eyes and said, “If you really want to thank me, then let big uncle and second uncle help us build the house.”

When Xiang Laohan heard this, he grinned, “No need to say that. For your family’s house, I and the second brother will definitely go. Forget about whether we have silver, just the fact that you split from the Xiang family means we’ll build a better house than theirs, just to make them mad.”

Dagen said, “I haven’t been home for years, and I don’t have much contact with the village. I’m afraid I won’t be able to hire anyone. 

Today, I was planning to go to Yang village to ask big uncle and second uncle to help. What a coincidence, I ran into you, so I don’t have to make another trip.”

“When will you start? While the rice hasn’t been harvested, let’s get to work.”

“Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll have someone come check the foundation. We’ll start tomorrow.”

“Good, I’ll go with the second brother tomorrow. Let’s go, you should go back quickly, I’ll go with Father into the city for a follow-up.”

Pear Blossom asked, “Dad, since we don’t need to go to Yang village, should we buy the household goods in the city as well?”

Dagen nodded, “Let’s go to the city together and buy some more things.”

Xiang Laohan handed Dagen a pair of baskets he had prepared, saying, “Take these. You can use them to carry what you buy. 

I’ll go to the shop to sell the remaining baskets. Don’t buy bamboo baskets or bowls. I have some left at home. Tomorrow, I’ll go with the second brother and bring them over.”

Dagen thanked him again. As they left, he told them not to mention Pear Blossom’s saving someone and, for the silver, to tell others that it was a supplement from their maternal family.

The father and son agreed, and the four of them headed back to the city, with the two going to see the doctor and the others shopping.

Since the house wasn’t yet built, they focused on buying urgent necessities—besides the large iron pot they bought earlier, they went back to the blacksmith shop to buy a small cooking pot, a spatula, and a kitchen knife.

They also bought an axe, a saw, and a wood-cutting knife. If they weren’t enough, they could borrow from the Qin family tomorrow.

They bought over thirty bowls, a jar for lard, three pounds of salt, ten pounds of pork fat, and twenty pounds of flour. They also bought needles, thread, and two pieces of cloth for making clothes.

Altogether, they spent three taels of silver. The main cost was the iron tools, which were expensive. In these times, tools like knives were heavily regulated, so anything made of iron was much pricier than other goods.

When buying the pork fat, Dagen thought about buying meat for the next day, but Pear Blossom said, “Dad, it’s so hot, if we buy it now, it might go bad by tomorrow. How about you let me handle the meat-buying task from now on? I’ll go to the market every day. It’s only half an hour away, and there’s a pork stall there.”

Dagen thought for a moment and said, “Alright, if you’re not afraid of the trouble, I’ll leave it to you. But for tonight, we should still buy some for ourselves.”

“The two wild chickens we caught last night still haven’t been dealt with.”

Dagen froze for a moment, having completely forgotten about the chickens, then laughed and said, “Ah, you’re right, there’s meat at home. Fine, let’s not buy any tonight, we’ll eat the chicken when we get home.”

Pear Blossom said, “Father, buy some candy, Xinghua loves to eat them.”

Fubao loves them too.

There was no reason not to, so Dagen gave her twenty coins and said, “Go ahead, buy whatever you want.”

Pear Blossom jingled the few copper coins in her hand and happily went on her way.