Font Size:
In this era, rock sugar did exist—but it was the yellowish, earthy kind.
After buying the rock sugar, Wang Man remembered that there was no salt at home, so she bought a pound of it as well. Salt was really expensive—25 wen per pound—and what she got was only coarse, grainy salt.
Just as she was about to leave, she realized there wasn’t much grain left at home either. She thought she might as well pick some up too.
But there was nothing to carry it in—the worn-out back basket at home was still holding hawthorn and left behind in the house.
Thickening her skin, she asked the shopkeeper, “Do you have anything I can use to carry the grain?”
The shopkeeper rummaged around and finally dug out a broken back basket.
Looking at the basket, the corner of Wang Man’s mouth twitched involuntarily. The level of damage was nearly identical to the one she had at home.
Still, she didn’t complain. Something was better than nothing.
The shopkeeper was quite tactful. He found a worn-out burlap sack, patched all over, and used it to line the bottom of the basket.
Judging from the state of the basket, Wang Man didn’t dare buy too much.
She bought 20 jin of medium-quality rice and 30 jin of coarse flour, then left.
Actually, Wang Man was incredibly strong. This amount of weight was nothing to her.
In her previous life, she practiced martial arts and did strength training every day.
When she channeled all her strength into a single punch, it could easily carry over 500 jin—if not more.
Wang Man quickly scurried forward on her slender little legs. She needed to hurry back—while it was still early—to make the candied hawthorn skewers. That way, she could sell them first thing in the morning.
As she walked, she saw a man not far ahead, tugging at wild grass along the roadside as he walked.
She could even hear him humming a little tune to himself.
Wang Man…?
Who else could that be but Wang San?
Judging by his demeanor, he must have some silver on him again. Otherwise, why would he be in such a good mood?
She didn’t call out, only quickened her pace and caught up to Wang San.
Wang San was strutting along with great satisfaction when he suddenly sensed someone behind him. Turning his head, he jumped in surprise.
“Manya—oh no, I mean, Madam Man, wh-what are you doing here?”
The corners of Wang Man’s mouth lifted slightly.
“Wang San, what’s got you so cheerful? Did something good happen?”
Wang San instinctively shook his head.
“Nothing good happened. I’m not happy at all.”
“Oh? Then that wasn’t you singing just now? Was it some stray dog wandering by, whining along the road?”
Wang Man’s eyes sparkled with amusement, but her words were merciless.
Wang San…?
What kind of wife compares her own husband to a stray dog?
Who does that?
Obviously, only in the Wang San household.
“Madam Man, what did you buy? Looks like it’s quite a load,”
Wang San hurriedly changed the subject.
After all, when it came to banter, he could never outtalk Wang Man.
His words gave Wang Man an idea. She set the basket down and called out,
“Wang San, carry this back home for me.”
Wang San didn’t refuse and asked suspiciously,
“What’s inside?”
As he spoke, he reached in to poke around.
“So much grain—where’d you get the silver to buy all this?”
But right after asking, he realized the question was unnecessary.
Didn’t Wang Man take more than a tael of silver from him before?
The grain at home was probably long gone, so it made sense she’d come out to buy more.
Wang Man shook out her arms and followed behind, slipping into a casual tone:
“Wang San, you still haven’t told me—what were you so happy about earlier?
Did you win money gambling?”
Wang San shook his head.
“No. Didn’t win anything.”
“Then maybe that old flame of yours threw herself into your arms? You were so overjoyed you haven’t come back to your senses yet?”
Wang Man asked smoothly, her tone light and without a trace of suspicion.
Wang San shot Wang Man an annoyed glare.
“What kind of foolishness are you spouting? Who has an old flame?”
“Oh? So you don’t have one?
I heard the girls at Spring Breeze Pavilion in town are all sweet and charming—don’t tell me you haven’t kept one?”
Wang Man continued testing him.
“Cut the nonsense! What kind of person do you think I am? I’d never go to a place like that—it’s filthy!”
Wang San’s expression brimmed with disdain, as if he completely looked down on the women inside.
“Pfft. You’re just a petty thug—wild and shameless, indulging in drinking, whoring, gambling, and everything in between.
And you expect me to believe you don’t go to those places?
Or is it because you don’t have silver? You go so infrequently and so stingily that the girls there can’t even be bothered with you?”
As Wang Man’s accusations grew more outrageous, Wang San’s face turned grim. He snapped,
“Madam Man, that’s enough nonsense!
I, Wang San, live with integrity and have never stepped into places like that.
And you—you’re still so young—who told you all this?”
Wang Man rolled her eyes and sneered,
“You? Living with integrity? Why is that so hard to believe?
Ha! The world’s a big place, full of wonders. Even small-time thugs now know how to preach virtue. Truly a rare sight!”
As for whatever Wang San said after that—Wang Man automatically ignored it.
Wang San suddenly turned his head with a scowl, but then blinked in surprise and asked,
“Madam Man, what happened to your eye?
It’s all swollen—looks like you got stung by a bee. Did you go up the mountain?
You’re still not fully healed, why would you go up there? It’s dangerous! What if something happened?”
Seeing him act so concerned, Wang Man replied irritably,
“Just because it’s dangerous, I shouldn’t go?
What, should I starve to death at home instead?
It’s not like I chose this life—your mother and I just have terrible luck to be stuck with an unreliable scoundrel like you.”
Wang San was speechless.
If he’d known she’d snap like this, he wouldn’t have said anything.
He had only meant to show a little concern, and look—completely unappreciated, and now she was throwing these words back at him.
She really didn’t know what was good for her.
The two walked one behind the other. Even though Wang San was huffing and puffing from exhaustion, not once did he say she should carry the basket herself.
Wang Man stayed silent too. If he didn’t bring it up, neither would she—acting like she hadn’t noticed a thing.
As they entered the village, they happened to run into the Stepmother, Yao Qiao’er.
From a distance, she spotted Wang Man and Wang San and just stood there, unmoving.
Once they got close, she was the first to speak:
“Manya, I heard you brought back a big beehive?
Give me some. Your younger brother’s been making a fuss, saying he wants to eat it.”
No pretense, no small talk—straight to the point.
Wang Man…
That woman really had no shame.
Under Wang San’s astonished gaze, Wang Man said calmly,
“Sorry, it’s all sold. There’s nothing left.”
Yao Qiao’er seemed to be waiting for that very response, and without even pausing, she said,
“I heard you sold it for five taels of silver. Where’s the silver? Hand it over. Your younger brother hasn’t had meat in ages—I’ll use it to buy something to nourish him.”
Wang Man couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore.
“You really have the nerve to say that, don’t you? Your son wants to eat—then go pick something yourself!
Why come to me? You people already sold me off—I have nothing to do with your family anymore.
Frankly, your entire family’s life or death has nothing to do with me.”
Yao Qiao’er’s face—already thin and sharp—darkened, looking even more bitter and mean.
“You may have been sold, but you’re still a daughter of the Wang family.
As long as you’re part of the Wang family, it’s your duty to support us—including your older sister and younger brother.”
“Hahahaha! Oh, that’s rich—duty? Did you seriously just talk to me about duty?
You’re unbelievable!”
Wang Man wiped away the tears from laughing, then suddenly dropped her smile.
“Yao Shi, let me tell you something. You’d best go home, wash up, and sleep early—maybe then you’ll dream.
In dreams, anything is possible. No one will stop you from deluding yourself.”
Yao Qiao’er’s face flushed bright red—not from shame, but from sheer rage.
“You little brat! We are your parents! No matter what you say, even if the heavens fall, you still have to support us!”
She snarled through gritted teeth.