Chapter 49: Shopping Before the Feast

Little Su Huan’s eyes lit up and her mouth watered when she heard Old Lady Su mention they were going to hold a banquet. She eagerly put on her little gloves, cotton boots, and hood, then kept burrowing into Li Sumei’s arms, insisting on going into town with them.

Old Lady Su laughed heartily at the sight and waved her hand in agreement, though she still felt uneasy, so she had Su Laosan and Zhang Xiaolan go along as well.

It was still early in the day, and the morning market in town hadn’t ended yet. After Su Laowu and Su Laosan arrived with the donkey cart, they first accompanied Li Sumei to the medicine shop to sell some of the herbs they had processed in recent days.

They sold two ginseng roots—one for thirteen taels of silver, totaling twenty-six taels.

They sold one hundred jin of bupleurum, earning 396 wen, fifty jin of turmeric for 660 wen, and fifty jin of notoginseng for fifteen taels and one qian of silver.

All together, the herbs brought in forty-two taels, one qian, and fifty-six wen.

The price wasn’t especially high, but it wasn’t unfair either.

After settling the payment, Manager Lin of the medicine shop gave Little Su Huan a handful of sweet dates and said with a smile to Li Sumei, “The quality of your herbs is excellent, and the processing is done very professionally. Looks like a skilled hand was behind it. If the herbs you bring next time are of the same quality, I’ll increase your purchase price by 20%!”

It was rare to find such high-quality herbs, so Manager Lin intended to build a long-term relationship with them and was therefore generous.

Li Sumei counted the money, signed the receipt provided by the assistant, and said with a smile, “I’ll remember your words, Manager Lin. My home is fifteen li west of the capital in Qingshui Village. We have more herbs being processed. When I bring them over next time, you’d better not go back on your word!”

Manager Lin smiled as he saw them off and cupped his hands, saying, “Of course not. Safe travels, ma’am!”

“Ah, no need to see us out, Manager Lin.”

After Li Sumei left and gave a polite bow, Su Laowu also cupped his hands, and the two left the shop, carrying Little Su Huan—strapped to their chest—who was happily gnawing on sweet dates. They then headed to the morning market to meet up with Su Laosan and Zhang Xiaolan.

Zhang Xiaolan was an excellent cook with a keen eye. After one round through the market, she had already decided on the menu and what needed to be bought.

The two sisters-in-law discussed as they went from stall to stall, buying a bit at each one. When buying in bulk, Li Sumei haggled with the vendors, striving to get the best deal. After just a few stalls, the vendors realized these two women were sharp—they dared not try any tricks or shortchange them. The vegetables, poultry, and fish sold to them were all fresh. They also bought ten jars of wine.

Since carts weren’t allowed into the morning market, they had to pay two wen to park the donkey cart at the stable. If it stayed over an hour, they would have to pay eight wen. So, Li Sumei and Zhang Xiaolan didn’t linger. Once the shopping was done, they had the men carry everything to the cart. After a few trips, everything was loaded.

The only difficult items to buy this trip were the grains.

White flour was no longer available to the public. Sorghum and millet flour had previously been limited to two hundred jin per person, but now the limit was one hundred jin.

They spent two taels and five qian for one hundred jin of sorghum and millet flour, and one tael and five qian for three hundred jin of wheat bran to feed the donkeys. Fifty jin of glutinous rice cost one tael and six qian of silver.

On the way back, after finishing her dates, Little Su Huan secretly started adding things from her space to the donkey cart.

She added thirty jin of fish to the fish basin, five hundred eggs to the basket, fifty more heads of cabbage, fifty jin more of sweet potatoes and potatoes, ten more chickens and ducks, an extra basket of scallions, ginger, garlic, and various spices. She also tucked five jin of green and red peppers—which weren’t available in winter—at the bottom of the basket. She added thirty more jin of lettuce, radishes, spinach, and leeks.

Su Laowu and Su Laosan noticed the donkeys could barely move anymore, as if they were exhausted. They quickly jumped off the cart, carried the potatoes and sweet potatoes on their backs to lighten the load, and led the cart back to Qingshui Village.

The sun was high, and a slight warmth filled the cold air. Golden sunlight bathed the entire village.

In the Su family courtyard, after tallying the accounts with Li Sumei, Old Lady Su looked at the goods being unloaded by Su Lao’er and Su Lao’si and was stunned. “Why does it feel like the amount isn’t right? It looks like we bought too much?”

Li Sumei, half-doubtful and half-joking, said, “Could it be because we brought along Little Wuya this time, so everything increased thanks to her?”

Liu Yingying quickly set down her needlework and happily came out to kiss Little Su Huan, who was drinking from a milk bottle. She laughed, “I think that’s exactly it! Wuya must have gotten greedy and wanted to join our feast too. Mother, let’s hurry and start washing the meat and vegetables! We’ve been busy fleeing famine all year and haven’t held a proper feast in ages. We’re rusty—time to stretch our muscles!”

Old Lady Su chuckled, silently agreeing with her fourth daughter-in-law. She sent Yan Qi and Yan Xing to carry their little sister to the cradle to play and then rallied the whole family to get to work. Zhang Hongzhuang also wanted to help but was sent to watch the children by Old Lady Su.

That entire afternoon, the Su family busied themselves slaughtering chickens, ducks, and fish, cutting meat, steaming glutinous rice to make New Year’s cakes, frying sesame balls and crispy pork, and making marinated meats. The delicious smells spread throughout the village, and only then did the neighbors realize that Su Lao’er’s morning invitation to a separation feast wasn’t just talk—it was real!

Soon, the families of Wang Baorui, Lin Dage, the brothers Chen Daniu and Chen Dali all came to help. Even Old Scholar Jiang came with other villagers to join the excitement.

Old Scholar Jiang, being well-read, watched the Su family working in perfect order and couldn’t help stroking his beard as he recited with great interest, “Governing a great country is like cooking a small fish—not only must you know how to match dishes, but also the knife skills and heat levels. A good feast must…”

But no one was listening to him. The villagers were more interested in the gossip behind the separation banquet.

“Do you think the Su family will invite Zhang Tiegen’s lot? I bet even if they’re invited, he and his mother wouldn’t dare show up!”

“Still calling him Zhang Tiegen? He’s already followed his birth mother Li—starting today we should call him Li Tiegen!”

Everyone burst out laughing. “Hahaha!”

“Poor old Hongzhuang, really. He worked like an ox his whole life, only to get kicked out by his wife in old age. Even the house he lived in half his life got torn down by his brother-in-law. It’s pitiful!”

“But really, Zhang Hongzhuang is actually lucky! When his elder sister’s family came here fleeing famine, dressed in rags, we all thought they were some poor relatives. Who knew the Su family was richer than all of us? For a man his age to get a divorce, and yet his sister throws him a celebratory separation banquet—if they pull this off, who in a ten-mile radius would dare badmouth him for divorcing?”

Everyone nodded in sudden realization, marveling at the Su family’s cleverness and foresight.

Old Scholar Jiang, disheartened that no one was interested in his discussion of fine cuisine, turned to leave—only to spot the Su family’s little girl watching him intently from her cradle in the main hall. Her big black eyes sparkled as if she had been listening all along.

At once, Old Scholar Jiang became spirited again. Escaping the gossiping crowd, he lifted his robe and stepped into the hall, eager to lecture Little Su Huan on the art of gourmet food.

Meanwhile, in the Zhang household—

Smash!

Zhang Lishi, hearing the commotion from the Su household, turned pale with rage and smashed a teacup. She ordered the despondent Zhang Laoda standing before her, “Tell your wife to stay home and take care of your uncle. You—go borrow a cart and come with me to the Purple Gold Temple!”