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Back home, Su Zhi prepared two simple dishes. It was winter, and there weren’t many fresh vegetables available, only cabbage, radish, and potatoes. Unlike many ancient people who called cabbage “baicai,” here it was just called cabbage. Potatoes had another name, “tuguozzi.” Su Zhi regretted that potatoes had already been discovered by people of this era; otherwise, she could have seized an opportunity. Nevertheless, she was grateful for having potatoes now; otherwise, she would have lacked a dish this winter.
Not only had people discovered the edibility of potatoes, but even sweet potatoes had been found. They were still called sweet potatoes.
Su Zhi didn’t feel discouraged. It was a good thing that potatoes and sweet potatoes were being grown as staple foods in this world. If those opportunities for wealth were gone, weren’t there others? Things like Sichuan peppercorn, fennel, hawthorn, and other such items were waiting for her to promote their deliciousness, weren’t they?
What made her happiest now was that she could eat potatoes and sweet potatoes this winter. She could eat as much as she wanted! Instead of waiting until next year or until she discovered them herself, she didn’t want to spend her whole life here without ever discovering these things and missing out on eating them!
Su Zhi quickly stir-fried some chili potato shreds and stewed radish with meat. She also made a cabbage heart salad. She regretted not having vinegar; otherwise, it would have tasted even better. However, with these three dishes served with rice, Su Zhi felt it was much better than when she first arrived at the Shen family’s house. Back then, it was green vegetables stir-fried with green vegetables, thin porridge with coarse grain pancakes every day. The best meal she had was the seasonal “corn” pancakes, which were considered the best because they were fried in oil. Just thinking about it made her feel sentimental.
Shen Zi’an was also very satisfied with the current situation. He had always believed that once they separated from the family and lived independently, he would be able to provide his wife with a good life. The current situation was even better than he had imagined because he hadn’t expected to marry such a good wife. As he ate the meal she prepared, he found it delicious.
Just after finishing their meal, Aunt Jinhua and the others arrived.
“Your family’s courtyard is really big, almost as big as the landowner’s estate. I think if you have money in the future, you should hire someone to be your gatekeeper, otherwise, wouldn’t the main gate just be for show?” Li Qing’s wife remarked as soon as she entered.
Currently, although there was a gate at Shen Zi’an’s house, it was only closed to conceal, not locked. They only closed the gate to the small courtyard; otherwise, they wouldn’t even hear someone knocking on the main gate.
Aunt Jinhua smiled and said, “Niece, remember when you said you wanted to invite the Sacred beast to live here? Will it really come? If it does, I guess not many people would dare to come to your house.”
Su Zhi thought to herself that Aunt Jinhua was indeed an interesting lady, still thinking about that matter. “I will go and invite it, but whether the Sacred beast will stay here permanently or just visit from time to time, that’s uncertain,” Su Zhi replied, noticing the three women looking at her. “If they’re afraid, they can come when the Sacred beast isn’t here. Besides, if the Sacred beast can get along with humans, it won’t easily bite anyone unless provoked.”
Shugen’s wife nodded and said, “That makes sense. But I really don’t have the courage to face the Sacred beast. If it really comes, you should just go out more and chat with Aunt Jinhua and me.”
Li Qing’s Wife chuckled and said, “That’s a good idea. We don’t have to worry about not having a gatekeeper anymore. No one would dare to come to the door. It’s more effective than hiring a hundred or a thousand guards!”
Everyone laughed and dropped the topic. They asked Su Zhi to bring out fabric, needles, thread, and cotton. They planned to start making quilts.
Shen Zi’an left, leaving the inner room to the women.
It was already December, winter had arrived, but the weather was unexpectedly mild this year. The room only needed a heated kang (a traditional Chinese heated bed) to stay warm. Su Zhi spread two clean old quilts on the kang, making it comfortable to sit on and keeping it warm. Worried about people bringing dirt from their shoes onto the kang, she had prepared several pairs of cotton shoes with soft bottoms made of cotton, suitable for wearing on the kang. This way, people could change into these shoes before getting onto the kang, preventing it from getting dirty and keeping their feet warm. Su Zhi called these “cotton socks.”
“Your thinking is really clever, sister. You came up with such a great idea. I’ll make a few pairs for my home too,” Li Qing’s Wife praised Su Zhi incessantly. She wondered how this girl’s mind worked, coming up with so many ideas. But when she thought about the house and furniture plans, and then looked at the kang, these specially made cotton shoes didn’t seem so surprising anymore.
Aunt Jinhua and Shugen’s wife also praised Su Zhi. They thought they should interact more with her in the future. This young lady had a good heart and a sharp mind. Perhaps there would be more good things in the future that they could benefit from being associated with her!
There’s strength in numbers, an eternal truth. Su Zhi’s kang was quite large, with enough space for two beds even with kang cabinets on both sides. Since there were four of them, they each took on making one quilt together. They chatted and laughed as they worked, quickly finishing the quilts in less than two hours. Su Zhi didn’t expect others to do all the work for her. She only took out materials for two quilts, two mattress covers, and three pieces of cotton curtain fabric. They all worked efficiently, completing the task in no time.
“Thank you all for your help. Please don’t leave today. Zi’an and I will treat you to dinner. Go and invite Uncle Li Zheng, Brother Shugen, Brother Li Qing, and the children. I’ll prepare some delicious dishes,” Su Zhi said as she neatly stacked the last mattress cover on the kang cabinet. She told the three women that they had become quite close, and they should continue to interact more in the future. Since they had helped her today, it was the perfect opportunity to strengthen their bond over a meal.
Aunt Jinhua shook her hand and said, “No need, you’ve just moved into a new house and must be quite busy. We won’t trouble you. Let’s eat together on the day of the House-warming. If you really want to treat us to a meal separately, let’s wait until things settle down after the House-warming.”
The two sisters-in-law agreed in unison.
Su Zhi thought it was fine. However, they had come to help her, leaving their children behind. She felt quite grateful for their assistance and prepared three bags of melon seeds and candy.
“Take these back for Little Shuanzi, Brother Li Qing and Huzi to enjoy. Tell them I’ll invite them for some snacks once I’ve prepared them.”
Su Zhi insisted, and after some back and forth, the three finally accepted. Seeing that it was getting dark outside and they still had to go home to cook for their families, they bid farewell and left.
After seeing them off, Su Zhi returned home to find Shen Zi’an carrying a bundle of branches. These branches were perfect for making baskets, and Su Zhi had mentioned that they needed more baskets and crates. As soon as he had some free time, he started preparing them.
Su Zhi was also interested in weaving, otherwise, she wouldn’t have woven so many nets. When she saw Shen Zi’an come back with a strip of branches, she eagerly followed him, intending to weave together.
As soon as Shen Zi’an put down the branches and the two of them were about to sit down, they heard Li Qing’s Wife’s voice. Going out to see, they saw Li Qing’s Wife running over, her face flushed and panting heavily. She was vigorously tapping her chest, trying to calm herself down a bit, but when she saw Su Zhi and her husband, she still grabbed Su Zhi and started talking.
“Sister, Liu Siniang got beaten badly, really viciously! A lot of people have gone to watch the commotion! You should go take a look too. This matter is related to us. It’s because we lent her money that this happened!”
Su Zhi raised her eyebrows. It wasn’t surprising that Liu Siniang was beaten. With such a wicked mother-in-law, it would be rare for her not to be beaten. However, she was surprised that this matter was related to her.
“What exactly happened?”
Su Zhi helped Li Qing’s Wife calm down and walked with her outside. She thought that no matter what happened, she should first go and see Liu Siniang. The fact that this woman was beaten was still related to her, and it made her uncomfortable to hear about it.
Shen Zi’an also locked the door and followed them outside.
Li Qing’s Wife had calmed down by now and said, “Siniang lost the money. Didn’t you lend her money? Originally, this matter could have been kept secret, but it leaked out. The problem lies with that Dazhu’s wife!”
It turned out that when the two and Aunt Jinhua left Shen Zi’an’s house and were heading home, passing by the back of Liu Siniang’s house. They saw many people gathered around, watching the commotion. It turned out that Liu Siniang was beaten by her mother-in-law again, and this time it was quite severe. The three of them had spoken to Liu Siniang earlier today and knew about her losing the money. They wondered if the information leaked. They went to inquire and found out that indeed the matter had leaked, but unexpectedly, it led to other matters related to Liu Siniang’s reputation.
Li Qing’s Wife said indignantly, “It’s all because of that Dazhu’s wife, that sharp-tongued woman! She found out from Granny Zhao that Siniang came back in your carriage and also knew about the meat incident. Knowing about Siniang losing the money, she must be envious that Siniang got to ride in your carriage while she didn’t, so she went and told Granny Zhao about it. She exaggerated the story, saying that Siniang’s money was obtained through improper means, claiming it was given to her by a man. When we heard this, we couldn’t believe it. We went to speak for Siniang, but Granny Zhao didn’t believe us. So, I had to come find you to act as a witness. A woman’s innocence is a serious matter; we can’t let them tarnish Siniang’s reputation like this!”
Su Zhi was also furious after hearing this, feeling frustrated that her efforts to help someone had backfired.
The most despicable one is that Granny Zhao. How could she believe everything she hears and not only physically and verbally abuse her daughter-in-law but also tarnish her reputation? What good does it do for their Zhao family?! And that Dazhu’s wife, I used to think her being gossipy was just a flaw, but now it’s clear that it’s not just a flaw—it’s pure malice!
Su Zhi felt like her heart was covered in thorns as she hurriedly made her way to Liu Siniang’s house, even though it was quite far. When she arrived, she saw a crowd of people gathered there…
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