Chapter 12

Wu Qi’s lips twitched again. Should he say this woman was refreshingly straightforward or just shameless?

Without wasting words, he pulled out a bulging brown coin pouch from his belt and said, “This is the reward our General has prepared for Miss Yun. It contains two strings of cash.”

As he spoke, he felt a pang of sympathy, unable to resist discreetly observing the woman’s reaction. He hadn’t expected the General to be so generous—actually ordering him to give two strings as a reward!

One string was equal to one tael of silver, or a thousand copper coins. Two strings equaled two taels, or two thousand coins—much more than a regular soldier’s monthly pay, which was only about seven hundred copper coins. While the General wouldn’t be short on money for giving away this sum, it was money he’d carefully saved little by little.

In truth, the General had already arranged for the Wu family to be secretly watched. Finding Wu Chengqi was only a matter of time. The reason he sent Yan Fang and the others to search so loudly was partly to uncover clues—and partly to mislead the Wu family.

In Wu Qi’s opinion, the General didn’t need to give out such a large reward.

Two strings of cash?

Yun Shuang was admittedly disappointed. While two strings of cash were a windfall to someone in her position, it was still a steep drop from the ten or so taels she’d secretly hoped for. Still, she knew better than to complain about something that hadn’t been promised. She accepted the pouch and replied mildly, “Please convey my thanks to the General.”

Wu Qi: “…”

Wait, shouldn’t she be overwhelmed with gratitude—or at least a little thrilled? Why did she look less excited than before? Was she actually unhappy with the amount?

Though she’d felt a twinge of disappointment, the moment that heavy pouch landed in her palm, Yun Shuang’s spirits soared again. Their household finally had more than a measly handful of copper coins!

And just like that, her smile turned more genuine. She looked at Wu Qi cheerily and said, “The children are hungry, and I must finish preparing dinner. Forgive me for not offering proper hospitality.”

This is practically a direct order to leave.

Wu Qi: “…” Yep. No doubt about it—this woman had zero interest in cozying up to them. Anyone deliberately approaching them wouldn’t care so little about their presence, while caring so much about silver.

He cleared his throat and said, “No need to be so formal, Miss Yun. I must report back anyway.”

“Oh? Then I won’t see you off. Safe travels, sir,” Yun Shuang said sweetly, then slammed shut the worn-out door behind him.

—

That evening, when Wu Qi returned, Jiang Xiao asked him—routinely—how that Miss Yun had reacted.

Wu Qi wore a complicated expression. “She was… very calm.”

After a pause, he added, “She seemed to think the General’s reward was too small.”

Jiang Xiao: “…”

Recalling the unusual composure of that woman, Jiang Xiao’s eyes darkened slightly.

On their return to camp, others were chatting about her beauty and cleverness, but what stuck most in Jiang Xiao’s mind was her unflinching calm. Those clear, limpid eyes seemed to hide an unyielding resilience.

He couldn’t help but wonder—what had she been through to become that way?

—

Once the door was shut, Yun Shuang finally dropped the calm facade, grinning ear to ear. Behind her, the two wide-eyed little dumplings stared up at her.

Unable to hold back, she crouched down and wrapped them in a bear hug, her voice bubbling with joy. “Erya, Goudan—we’ve got money! Tonight, we finally get to eat a full meal!”

Not just a full meal—this two-string reward meant she now had seed money to start a small business. Their lives would surely begin to improve.

Erya and Goudan both understood that silver was something precious. But they had no concept of how much two strings actually meant. After all, in their whole lives, they’d never seen so much money before.

Erya was overjoyed to be hugged by her mother. Like a little puppy, she nuzzled Yun Shuang’s cheek and giggled, “Mother, now that we have so much silver, can I eat lots and lots of steamed buns tonight?”

She meant the big, soft kind—freshly steamed and still billowing with warmth.

Erya had eaten steamed buns before, but they were either rock-hard from sitting out too long or slightly spoiled. The family could only afford the leftover buns that shops couldn’t sell. She had tasted proper buns once—last year during New Year’s, when Sister Hua gifted them a basket of freshly steamed buns her family had made. The fragrant aroma and pillowy texture were unforgettable. Just thinking about it made Erya’s mouth water. She, her brother, and her mother had savored every bite. That was the happiest memory Erya had.

Yun Shuang smiled. “Not just steamed buns—we can buy meat too!”

“Buy meat!” Erya clamped both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide as saucers. Was she dreaming? Their family could actually afford meat!

Goudan, still in Yun Shuang’s embrace, seemed a little awkward but didn’t pull away. He muttered, “Meat’s expensive…” Even now, with a little money, he instinctively clung to frugality.

“It’s okay! It’s a rare chance. Tonight, we’ll treat ourselves. From now on, Mother will make sure we live well. We’ll have plenty more chances to eat meat!”

Goudan held his tongue, then finally couldn’t resist reminding his overly optimistic mother and sister, “Mother, the roadside market outside the village only opens in the morning. It’s too late now to go into town. We can’t buy meat tonight.”

Nor steamed buns.

Yun Shuang: “…”

Darn! She’d totally forgotten. After living in the modern world for so long, she’d forgotten just how limited and inconvenient things were in ancient times. In the end, she went next door to Sister Hua’s and bought some millet, three taros, and five eggs.

She’d wanted to buy more, but knew Sister Hua’s family was also getting by on very little and likely didn’t have much in storage. So she restrained herself and only asked for what they needed for dinner.

Sister Hua was surprised. “How come you’re suddenly buying so much? Do you have enough money?”

Yun Shuang just smiled and said that she was recovering from illness, and her kids couldn’t keep going hungry. Food was a necessity, and she had resolved to earn money and live well from now on. She knew Sister Hua was kindhearted, but she couldn’t go around flaunting her wealth. No way could she admit she’d reported Wu Chengqi’s whereabouts and received reward money—so she just found an excuse.

Sister Hua was sincerely happy for her. She squeezed Yun Shuang’s hand and said earnestly, “It’s wonderful you’ve picked yourself up again. I’ve watched those two kids suffer daily, and it breaks my heart. They’re good children—and even if not for yourself, you must live strong for them. If you ever need help, just ask!”

She sent her youngest to fetch the items, took only five copper coins symbolically, and wouldn’t accept a coin more—even stuffing some scallion, ginger, and garlic into Yun Shuang’s hands.

So, arms full of ingredients and heart full of warmth, Yun Shuang returned home.

Xiazhou was in the north, where the staples were wheat and millet. Yun Shuang adapted quickly—she made a pot of chestnut millet porridge, steamed the taro, brewed a big pot of mushroom and fish soup, and finished with scallion-scrambled eggs.

When the meal was laid out, the children’s eyes nearly popped. It was the most abundant dinner they’d ever seen! Not even New Year’s had felt this generous.

With the addition of ginger, scallion, and garlic, the fish soup was much tastier than the day before—less earthy, more fragrant. Erya downed three bowls in excitement and scarfed multiple servings of porridge.

Goudan didn’t say much—but his chopsticks never stopped moving. Before long, the trio had devoured everything on the table.

For the first time since arriving in this world, Yun Shuang felt the bliss of being truly full. That night, she snuggled up with Erya, drifting off to sleep with dreams of a better life ahead. But the next morning, she woke drenched in heat. Groggy, she realized she was hugging a little furnace—one that kept tossing and turning, mumbling in pain.

“Mother… it hurts… It really hurt…”