Chapter 43: Yes, we’re going to set up a stall in town…

He Ningwen let out a satisfied burp. She had eaten a bit too much that morning and still felt full.

Turning her back, she gently rubbed her stomach, regretting her overindulgence.

“Does your stomach hurt?” Sister Yun asked, noticing her constant rubbing.

He Ningwen sat down beside Sister Yun and helped organize her embroidery threads. “Sister Yun, my stomach doesn’t hurt, I just feel a bit too full.”

She burped again.

Sister Yun smiled and went inside to fetch a hawthorn pill. “Here, eat this. It’s a bit sour.”

He Ningwen thanked her. She had tried these before—they were pleasantly sweet and sour, so she didn’t pay much attention to Sister Yun’s warning about the sourness.

She popped the whole pill into her mouth and bit down. The intense sourness made her grimace immediately.

“Phew, it’s really sour!” She quickly swallowed it whole, afraid to chew again.

Sister Yun shook her head with a smile, amused by the child’s reaction.

Inside the room, the broker stood in the middle, placing the lease agreement on the wooden table.

The landlord was an elderly gentleman. Upon inquiry, he learned that Su Yian and her companion had previously run a street stall in town and now intended to continue their food business by renting a shop.

Perhaps it was fate, but when the broker mentioned the annual rent of fourteen taels, the landlord readily agreed.

The lease was for one year, during which the shop and courtyard could not be sold.

With all the terms clearly outlined, the landlord, satisfied with the agreement, instructed the broker to pass the lease to Su Yian for her review.

The document was densely packed with text. After a quick glance, she pushed it toward He Yunhuai.

“You sign it,” she said.

Times were tough, and society was harsh on women. Some landlords even refused to lease properties to young ladies.

He Yunhuai assumed she was concerned about these biases and signed his name after carefully reviewing the terms.

With the lease signed and the rent paid, the deal was done.

Su Yian accepted the keys from the broker. Now they could finally open their own eatery in town, no longer needing to wake up early each day to haul their cooking equipment. They had finally found a place to settle down.

The shop was nearby, so Su Yian took He Yunhuai to inspect it first. They planned to open after the Lantern Festival, so they needed to prepare everything in advance.

“The house is fully furnished,” Su Yian said, opening all the windows to air out the rooms. “We just need to clean it up and bring our bedding.”

The courtyard had four rooms. Su Yian told He Ningwen to choose first.

Hearing this, He Ningwen realized she probably wouldn’t be sharing a room with Sister Su. “Which room are you taking, Sister Su?” she asked. “I want to be next to you.”

Su Yian pointed to the room adjacent to the shop.

He Ningwen had already looked at that room. While it was fully furnished, a large tree blocked the window, making it dark even during the day.

“I’ll mostly be here to sleep,” Su Yian said. “Besides, the tree will keep the room cool in summer.” She wasn’t trying to be self-sacrificing; she genuinely liked the room.

Seeing the situation, He Ningwen chose the adjacent room, leaving only a wall between them.

He Yunhuai didn’t select a room yet, as he still needed to pick up He Xingchen. He would wait for He Xingchen to choose the remaining room before settling in himself.

After all, Mother He and the others couldn’t come right away, so there was no need to keep the room empty.

The three of them worked tirelessly in the shop courtyard all day, finally finishing the cleaning. They decided to bring the rest of their belongings from home the next day.

Mother He wasn’t idle at home either. Knowing the children were going to town, she had taken apart the bedding early that morning and started remaking it.

Su Yi’an had bought Wan Xu a bolt of cloth. Wan Xu had only used a small piece to make Manmei a bib and some small clothes. She had intended to make Yi’an an outfit with the rest, but she gave birth before she could cut the fabric.

During her postpartum confinement, Mother He forbade her from touching needles and thread, leaving the cloth unused.

“Mother, why don’t you help me make the clothes? Yi’an can take them to town later,” Wan Xu said, pulling out the cloth and placing it by the edge of the heated kang.

Mother He continued sewing the quilt in her hands without looking up. “Don’t you understand Yi’an’s temperament? She bought the cloth for you without expecting anything in return. She’d never accept an outfit made from it.”

Wan Xu was at a loss. Should she just leave the cloth unused?

“When you go to town next time, buy another piece of cloth. Then you can make her a few outfits,” Mother He said, putting down her needle and spreading the quilt on the kang for Wan Xu to feel its thickness.

The quilt on their kang was thin, but a thick layer of dry rice straw underneath softened the surface, making it surprisingly comfortable to sleep on.

Since they couldn’t bring dry straw to town, Mother He made the mattresses much thicker.

“It’s quite soft,” Wan Xu said, feeling the mattress.

“I’ll make a few more quilts these next few days, and then you can all have new ones,” Mother He said, treating the children equally. Since she was preparing supplies, everyone would get their share.

After sewing three mattresses, Mother He finished for the day.

As the only one in the household who could cook, she needed to prepare dinner so that Su Yi’an and the others would have a hot meal waiting for them when they returned.

She rinsed the rice and steamed a pot of sausage rice.

Su Yi’an had taught her this method: rinse the rice thoroughly, dice the sausages, combine both in a bowl with half a bowl of water, and place it in the steamer. While the rice cooked, she could also simmer a soup in the pot below. By the time the soup was ready, the rice would be cooked as well.

After the rice was steamed, Mother He fried two eggs and mixed them into the rice. She remembered this dish was called “egg-fried rice.”

“Grandma! What’s the special occasion today? Why are you making so much good food?” He Xingchen, tired of being inside, ran to the kitchen, drawn by the delicious aroma even before he entered.

It wasn’t a special occasion, but Mother He felt the children had been running back and forth to town these past few days, working tirelessly. She wanted to treat them to a nourishing meal.

A pot of pig’s trotter soup simmered on the stove, made with freshly purchased trotters from the market.

“If you go to town, do you remember what Grandma told you?” Mother He asked He Xingchen earnestly, pulling him close in the kitchen where they were alone.

He Xingchen nodded. His parents had also reminded him of the same things earlier that day, and he had taken their words to heart.

“Listen to Young Aunt, help her with her work, and if you go to the Academy, listen to the Master,” He Xingchen recited slowly, emphasizing each word.

Mother He patted his head and added, “If anything troubles you, tell Young Aunt. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

She had wanted to say more, to warn him that their family’s circumstances were different now and that he shouldn’t compare himself to others at the Academy. But then she remembered he was just a child. Why burden him with worries he couldn’t yet understand?

“I remember everything, Grandma,” He Xingchen said, throwing his arms around her in a hug.

Su Yi’an and the others returned just as dinner was ready.

Each person received a bowl of pig’s trotter soup and a bowl of egg fried rice.

He Ningwen refused to let Mother He serve her rice, insisting on serving herself. Her bowl contained even less rice than He Xingchen’s.

“Why are you eating so little?” Mother He asked, worried that He Ningwen might be ill and have lost her appetite.

Embarrassed, He Ningwen mumbled, “I ate too much earlier to support Second Brother’s cooking.”

“No way,” He Xingchen said, biting his chopsticks and shaking his head. “Uncle’s breakfast this morning was terrible. How could you possibly have overeaten?”

He Ningwen: …

He Yunhuai: …

It was precisely because the food was so bad that I ate half a bowl more, not wanting to discourage Second Brother’s cooking enthusiasm. Who knew it would leave me feeling full all day?

Su Yi’an recalled the large pot of thick, lumpy soup from breakfast. It had been difficult to swallow, and she had only managed a small portion.

I can’t imagine why He Yunhuai thought he could cook so early in the morning. Did boiling noodles twice make him think he was a culinary genius?

The next day, Mother He’s eyes stung as she gazed at the bundles in the bamboo basket. For the first time, the reality of their impending separation struck her.

Though they were only moving to town, they wouldn’t be able to see each other daily.

“Mother, it’s not like we’re never coming back,” He Ningwen said, offering her mother a handkerchief. Seeing her mother cry, she struggled to hold back her own tears. “Besides, once Sister-in-law feels better, you’ll be coming to town too.”

“Mother, don’t worry,” Su Yi’an reassured her, nudging He Xingchen into Mother He’s arms so he could have one last hug. “We’ll take good care of them both.”

The three embraced tightly, sobbing quietly for a long moment.

As the morning wore on, they realized they would miss the oxcart to town if they didn’t leave soon.

Mother He wiped her tears and released them. “Go quickly,” she urged. “Take good care of yourselves in town.”

The four shouldered their baskets and left home. As they walked away, Su Yi’an glanced back and saw Mother He standing alone by the door, still watching them.

Su Yi’an felt a strange mix of emotions, as if this were the first time she had ever left home knowing someone cared so deeply.

Once they boarded the oxcart, the woman sitting across from them kept staring at them curiously.

Su Yi’an recognized the woman. After a moment, she realized it was Aunt Lin, who had asked her the other day if her stall was profitable.

Su Yi’an couldn’t help but glance at Aunt Lin again. Today, Aunt Lin was carrying a heavy bamboo basket on her back, clearly laden with goods.

Deliberately, Su Yi’an asked, “Aunt Lin, are you heading to town to set up your stall?”

The moment the words left her mouth, everyone on the oxcart turned to look.

Aunt Lin was indeed planning to set up a stall in town, as evidenced by her husband sitting beside her. However, she didn’t want the villagers to know about her venture. After all, she had asked Su Yi’an about the profitability of stalls, and now that she was trying it herself, she imagined the villagers would gossip behind her back.

Aunt Lin stammered, “Oh, no, we don’t have the skills for that.” She quickly countered, “But judging by your appearance, you must be heading to town to set up a stall yourselves.”

“Ah, earning money isn’t easy,” Su Yi’an replied. “Every penny counts. The He Family has so little land compared to families like yours, Aunt Lin.” In her memory, farmland was allocated based on household size, with larger families receiving more land. Though the He Family now had a decent number of members, they only owned six mu of land, likely one of the smallest holdings in the village.

The other families on the oxcart felt much better upon hearing this. After all, every family riding the oxcart today was better off than the He Family.

As soon as they disembarked, He Ningwen, who had been holding her tongue the entire ride, couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Su, was it wise to be so straightforward? What if they all copy us?”

“If others find out, they’ll naturally try it themselves. Look at Aunt Lin today,” Su Yi’an replied, taking He Xingchen’s hand to keep him from getting lost.

“But Aunt Lin said…” He Ningwen suddenly realized Aunt Lin’s words had been a lie!

Su Yi’an smiled. “This kind of thing can’t be kept secret forever. Rather than hiding it and breeding jealousy in the village, it’s better to be open about it. After all, we’re all just setting up stalls and earning money through our own efforts.”

He Ningwen understood. Lifting her small face, she sincerely praised, “Sister Su, you’re so clever!”

He Yunhuai, who had been following silently behind them, couldn’t help but smile at her words.

Indeed, Su Yi’an was remarkably clever. Her openness left others with no room to maneuver.

The four of them walked slowly toward the shop, two in front and two behind.

As they approached, they spotted a man brazenly leaning against the shop door, peering inside.