Chapter 5: She Seems to Have Changed

“You…”

Lin Gengshi tried to say something else, but Song Yuntang interrupted him by raising her voice.

“If Second Young Master Lin isn’t buying anything, please leave. I need to do business.”

The Song Yuntang before him felt utterly unfamiliar to Lin Gengshi. Just a few days ago, she was still calling him and his older brother “brother.” Why had she suddenly become so cold?

But she had already made her words clear, and his current status didn’t allow him to interfere with her anymore.

“Obstinate!”

Leaving this remark, Lin Gengshi turned and left the market without looking back.

With Lin Gengshi gone, no one interfered with Song Yuntang, and the rest of her business went smoothly. Her clothes and fabrics were indeed of excellent quality, and since she rarely wore them, several pieces were practically new.

In addition to the low prices, Song Yuntang quickly sold all her clothes and jewelry, leaving only a jade hairpin. This hairpin was the most expensive of all her jewelry. It was a birthday gift from Lin Jingyao, Lin family’s eldest brother, given to her on her thirteenth birthday.

Because of its high price, it wasn’t easy to sell. Song Yuntang didn’t want to waste any more time, so she put the hairpin away.

“Let’s go.”

There were no pawn shops in Cile Town. She would take the hairpin to a pawn shop in the county when she got the chance.

As for the old clothes and jewelry, pawning them would probably bring in less money than selling them in the market.

Touching the two taels and three qian of silver in her money pouch, it might not be much for a wealthy family like the Lins, but for Song Yuntang, it was a fortune.

Song Jinsheng still carried the carrying pole, following behind Song Yuntang, occasionally glancing at her, utterly perplexed by her actions.

He didn’t know whether she was trying to attract the Lin family’s attention or if she had truly changed her mind.

…

Song Yuntang first went to a cloth shop and bought two sets of fine cotton clothes and a piece of clean cotton cloth, spending one hundred and eighty copper coins.

Leaving the cloth shop, she led Song Jinsheng into a less crowded alley and headed towards a blacksmith’s shop.

Song Jinsheng was puzzled. “Tang’er, why are you going to the blacksmith’s shop?”

“To order something,” Song Yuntang replied.

Song Jinsheng jogged to walk beside her. “What kind of thing needs to be custom-made at a blacksmith’s?”

“Naturally, a good thing.” Song Yuntang said, entering the blacksmith’s shop. “Boss, do you make very fine needles?”

The busy blacksmith stopped his work and looked up.

“How fine?”

After discussing her requirements with the blacksmith, because her demands were high, the price was slightly higher. A set of silver needles, including materials, cost a total of one tael and two qian of silver.  After paying a deposit of seven hundred copper coins and making an appointment to pick up the needles in half a month, Song Yuntang and Song Jinsheng left the blacksmith’s shop.

It was already noon, and the summer sun was intense. The hungry pair went to a noodle shop.

“Boss, two bowls of noodles,” Song Yuntang said, finding an empty table to sit down.

The boss’s voice was loud and clear. “Coming right up! Please wait a moment.”

Song Jinsheng put down the carrying pole containing the clothes and cloth. He sat opposite Song Yuntang, his mind still filled with questions, wondering why she had spent so much money on custom-made needles.

After much hesitation, he finally couldn’t help but ask, “Tang’er, you’re not a physician, why do you need needles?”

Song Yuntang swallowed the tea in her mouth and looked up at him. “Who says I’m not a physician?”

Song Jinsheng was astonished. “When did you become a physician?”

Song Yuntang pursed her lips. “I have a little knowledge, nothing amazing. I want to live a wealthy life, don’t I? Besides this, I don’t have any other skills.”

Since they all thought she couldn’t endure the hardships of a peasant’s life, let them continue to misunderstand. It would make things easier in the future.

When she earned money, she might still leave Rongshu Village.

Resuming her old profession was now crucial, even though female physicians were uncommon in this era.

Song Jinsheng believed her. “You’ve really changed your mind?”

“What else can I do?” Song Yuntang shrugged. “I’ve already broken off my engagement, and I can’t get rich by marrying in the short term. I have to find a way to support myself.”

Her words made Song Jinsheng’s expression strange.

“No girl talks about herself like that.”

He didn’t know whether to believe her. This change was too sudden.

Song Yuntang smiled and didn’t say anything more.

Soon, the noodles arrived.

A bowl of noodles in town cost six copper coins. The surface was covered with oil, with a few slices of braised pork and a sprinkle of scallions, the aroma was enticing.

They ate everything, even the soup, feeling extremely satisfied.

Leaving the noodle money on the table, Song Jinsheng picked up the carrying pole and led Song Yuntang to the grain and oil shop.

It hadn’t rained for over three months this year.  Households far from water sources hadn’t even cultivated their rice seeds.

Even the fields closer to water sources had mostly shriveled rice.

Poor families were already struggling to make ends meet. They still had to pay taxes, and the hardship of surviving the autumn and winter was unimaginable.

The Song family’s conditions weren’t good either.  There were many people in the family, and expenses were high.  It was already a struggle to feed everyone.

“Shopkeeper, how much is unpolished rice?” Song Jinsheng pointed to the unpolished rice at the entrance.

“Ten copper coins per sheng, eighty copper coins per dou, six hundred copper coins per shi.”

The price difference wasn’t significant when buying by sheng or dou, but buying by shi was forty copper coins cheaper.

However, Zhao Shi had only given Song Jinsheng enough money for one dou of rice when he left.

“Give me one dou.”

Song Yuntang stood in the distance, arms crossed, watching him. “Why not buy more?  Judging by the situation, grain prices will likely rise.”

She hadn’t experienced a famine, but she had seen it in books and on television in her past life. It was truly a time when people could be eaten alive.

If she remembered correctly, one dou of rice was only about ten or so catties. With so many people in the family, even with careful rationing, ten catties wouldn’t last a few days.

Moreover, there were two younger brothers still growing and a pregnant sister-in-law.

Although she wanted to leave the Song family, the Song family members were after all the blood relatives of the original owner.  Regardless of anything else, to avoid gossip, at least as long as she had food, she couldn’t let them starve.

Song Jinsheng took out the handkerchief package Zhao Qiao’e had given him before he left.

“You know our family’s situation. Mother only gave me this much.”

In the past two years, with the younger brother’s schooling, the older brother’s wedding, and the sister-in-law’s pregnancy, expenses had been considerable.  They had only been separated from their uncles for five years. If it weren’t for the family having saved a little in these five years, it would have been difficult to even afford the older brother’s wedding gifts.

Seeing him unfold the handkerchief and hand it to the shopkeeper, Song Yuntang reached into her waistband and took out a small piece of broken silver.

“Let’s buy a shi. I’ll cover the rest.”

Song Jinsheng looked at her in surprise. “That’s not right, is it?”

The family didn’t have any extra money for Song Yuntang’s spending money, and they had never thought of taking her money to supplement the household expenses.

Ignoring Song Jinsheng’s objection, Song Yuntang directly put the silver into his hand.

“I need to eat too.”

Song Jinsheng looked at the silver in his hand, a surge of emotion welling up in his heart.  Tang’er had always been concerned about the Lin family, even when she was living in the Song family. As a result, they didn’t dare to be overly close to her. Today, she seemed to have truly changed.

He looked up at Song Yuntang.

“I’ll borrow this money from you. I’ll have Mother repay you later.”

Song Yuntang waved her hand. “Whatever.”

In her past life, after her parents died unexpectedly, many relatives tried to take advantage of her. Although she was young at the time, she still protected her own interests.

Once she resumed her old profession, making money would definitely be easier than for the Song family. If they treated her well, she would naturally help them a bit; if not, she didn’t have to remain loyal to the Song family.

…

1 sheng = 1.5 catties 

1 dou = 12.5 catties 

1 shi = 120 catties