Chapter 24: Xu Nian Teaches Her Mother

The maid took the tray from Tian Shi’s hands and placed it in front of Shen Shi for her to see.

When Shen Shi saw the bright red cherries on the tray, she was so surprised that she covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

Even in the summer, it was rare to find such high-quality cherries in Beijiang, let alone in the bitter cold of winter.

Looking at the maid holding a whole plate of them, Shen Shi was utterly astonished.

“Such a precious gift, yet Sister Tian has given me so many—I feel a bit embarrassed to accept them.”

She then turned to her maid. “Huan’er, I remember there’s a set of white porcelain tea ware in storage, collected by my husband. Bring it here.”

Shen Shi smiled and patted Tian Shi’s hand.

“Sister Tian, you mustn’t be so formal with me. I don’t have anything particularly valuable to give in return, but when you leave, take something back with you.”

“Then I shall shamelessly accept Sister Shen’s fine gifts,” Tian Shi replied with a laugh.

“I’m merely passing along someone else’s kindness. As we traveled, we had nothing suitable to present, so these were a gift from my husband’s friend.”

Hearing Tian Shi joke like this, Shen Shi laughed even more heartily.

After chatting for a while, Tian Shi took her leave from Qingfeng Hall. Her eyes reddened slightly—thanks to Nian’er, she had finally broken through this difficult situation. She couldn’t afford to let her daughter down now.

Returning to her quarters, she carefully stored the tea set before taking another plate of cherries to the assistant magistrate’s wife, Lady Rong. Of course, this plate contained far fewer cherries than the one given to Lady Shen.

The courtyard where Lady Rong lived was the same size as Tian Shi’s, but she had a cook and a young woman serving her.

That young woman had once been the assistant magistrate’s personal maid, but now her status was lower than even that of an ordinary maid. At the very least, the head maid beside the magistrate’s wife still had some standing.

After handing the gift to the maid, Hua Mei, Tian Shi returned to her own quarters.

That Evening

Thanks to the slab of pork fat Xu Nian had brought, Xu Yaozu and Tian Shi finally had a meaty dish on their dinner table.

When Xu Yaozu returned from work and saw the meal, he joked, “Something good must have happened today—you’re finally willing to let me eat meat!”

Tian Shi rolled her eyes at him.

“You think I don’t want to feed you well? We’re just trying to save money.

This was all brought by your daughter today.”

Hearing that Xu Nian had visited, Xu Yaozu immediately asked, “What was Nian’er doing in town? Since she came, why didn’t you let her stay for a few days?”

Tian Shi placed a bowl of tofu soup next to him before replying, “Nian’er came with Second Brother to sell winter clothes. She brought us some silver and then left.”

Seeing the worry on Tian Shi’s face, Xu Yaozu asked, “Did something difficult happen at home?”

Tian Shi shook her head and instead recounted everything her daughter had taught her that day.

“Nian’er told me that if Lady Shen gifts us a tea set, it means she and Lady Rong are close. That means I must be cautious in how I interact with her…

She also said that borrowing influence doesn’t just mean relying on people—it can also mean using objects to our advantage. Sure enough, after I gave Lady Shen the cherries, her attitude changed drastically.

Yaozu, don’t you think Nian’er is a little too clever?”

Xu Yaozu put down his chopsticks, his expression turning serious.

“Our daughter is someone blessed by the Mountain Goddess. What’s wrong with being intelligent?

Don’t ever say things like that again. Whether she’s as wise as a spirit or as foolish as a pig, she will always be my daughter, Xu Yaozu’s daughter.”

This was the first time Xu Yaozu had spoken so sternly to Tian Shi, and she felt a little aggrieved. “I’m just worried about her because I care. You make it sound like I’m some kind of wicked stepmother.”

“…”

Back in Wanying Village

After leaving the county office, Xu Nian didn’t linger in town. Instead, she and Xu Fugui returned directly to Wanying Village.

Seeing her son and granddaughter return with an empty cart so early, Wang Shi immediately knew the winter clothes had sold well.

“Grandmother, it’s freezing outside! Why are you waiting out here? Did you miss me after not seeing me all morning?”

Wang Shi glanced at her granddaughter and replied with a straight face, “I was waiting for your grandfather and the others to come home for lunch. Who would wait for a thick-skinned girl like you?”

“Of course, it must be my beautiful, endlessly loving grandmother who was waiting for me!”

Wang Shi’s face flushed red. This granddaughter of hers was becoming more and more shameless. Talking about love and affection so openly… But the slight curve of her lips betrayed her good mood.

Standing at the door, Xu Fugui felt exasperated. Am I invisible? A grown man like me is standing right here, yet no one even notices?

Hearing the commotion, Zheng Shi and Little Wang Shi also came out. When they saw the goods on the donkey cart, they happily helped carry everything into the hall.

The two sisters-in-law happily took the seasonings, pork fat, and other items to the kitchen. Now that the household supplies were gradually being stocked up, they felt an increasing sense of hope for the future.

Xu Nian noticed the two little ones standing next to the basket and took out two candied hawthorns, handing them over.

“Here, take these and eat them. But remember to rinse your mouths afterward.”

Xu Ling and Xu Cai jumped up and down with excitement, taking the candied hawthorns and licking them in small bites.

Xu Nian handed the remaining money from selling winter clothes to Wang Shi.

“I went to the county office to visit my mother and left them 20 taels. This is the leftover money from the purchases. Please keep it safe, Grandmother.”

Wang Shi counted the silver and found there were more than 12 taels left. Her eyes crinkled with joy.

“With this money, I can finally feel at ease.”

Xu Nian found her grandmother’s way of collecting silver particularly endearing.

“Just this much, and you already feel secure? Just wait—your granddaughter will earn big money for you. Then you’ll feel more at ease than ever!”

“Haha! Then I’ll be waiting.”

As they were speaking, Grandpa Xu and the others returned.

Seeing the men’s faces and hands red and swollen from the cold, Xu Nian suddenly remembered the fur hats she had bought.

“Grandfather, I bought fur hats for you and my uncles. If you wear them when you go out, you won’t have to worry about the wind anymore.

Once I come up with a pattern, I’ll ask Auntie to make you all some cotton hand covers, so you won’t have to suffer as much.”

Grandpa Xu tried on the fur hat, and sure enough, it was quite warm.

“Haha! My granddaughter is the most thoughtful one. Third and Fourth, come try yours on too.”

Xu Youliang and Xu Weian put on their hats, feeling very pleased.

Xu Weian, in particular, now truly understood what it meant for the cold wind to cut through to the bone.

After learning that Xu Nian had gone to the county office, Grandpa Xu asked about the situation of Eldest Son and his wife.

Xu Nian, of course, only shared the good news and not the bad. However, since everyone was gathered, she took the opportunity to explain the money situation.

“I noticed there wasn’t even a teapot in the house over there. With so many people coming and going, it would be easy for others to look down on them. So, I left my mother with 20 taels of silver.”

Grandpa Xu nodded in agreement. “That’s the right thing to do. The official world isn’t like our village—you have to spend where it’s necessary.”

“Today, my mother told me that my father’s annual salary is about 58 taels. It sounds like a lot, but in official circles, it’s probably not much at all.

So I was thinking, once we make more money, we should invest in some properties. Even if we only collect rent each year, it would still be beneficial.”

Hearing this, Zheng Shi became anxious.

“How is it that after becoming an official, he has to spend even more money? Wouldn’t it be better not to be an official at all?”