Chapter 8: Meat for Dinner Tonight

Xia Qingfeng planned to first go to the fabric shop to sell the embroidery work. This was a job she had taken over from the original owner. Although Xia Qingfeng inherited the original owner’s embroidery skills, she didn’t enjoy embroidery because it strained her eyes too much. After reluctantly finishing this job, she decided she would not continue embroidering.

Xia Qingfeng arrived at the fabric shop, where the female shopkeeper was attending to a customer. Xia Qingfeng wasn’t in a hurry and casually flipped through the fabrics. Previously, they wore rough cloth clothes, which were very uncomfortable, especially now that Xiaoxiao’s skin was delicate and shouldn’t wear such materials. She thought it would be better to buy some fine cotton fabric so that the clothes would be more comfortable to wear.

Just as Xia Qingfeng finished picking out the fabric, the shopkeeper finished with her customer and cheerfully greeted her: “Miss, you’re here.”

“Yeah!” Xia Qingfeng handed over the handkerchief she was holding and said, “Shopkeeper, please check it.” She then took out a few more handkerchiefs from the bottom of the pile and added, “I changed the edging method for these handkerchiefs. Please have a look, are they okay?”

The handkerchiefs previously made were embroidered by the original owner, and these were the ones Xia Qingfeng had embroidered. The difference lay in the edging. Traditional handkerchiefs simply had their edges folded and sewn with a few stitches, and then flowers were embroidered. But Xia Qingfeng, after folding the edges, used an iron from her space’s clinic to flatten them, then stitched simple designs with colorful threads around the edges, adding patterns like flowers, plants, trees, bamboo, rocks, and more.

The shopkeeper took the handkerchiefs and immediately beamed with delight. She said happily, “Your embroidery is just excellent, and it’s special! I’ll pay you an extra ten copper coins for each of these handkerchiefs. From now on, I’ll want these kinds of handkerchiefs.” She then quickly took out her abacus and started calculating the money, giving her the copper coins.

Xia Qingfeng accepted the copper coins with some embarrassment and said, “Shopkeeper, this will be the last time I bring embroidery work to you. There’s too much going on at home, and I’m too busy. I’ve decided to stop embroidering.”

The shopkeeper was surprised but soon understood. She knew about Xia Qingfeng’s family situation and sympathized with her struggles. She said, “Your embroidery is the best here. It’s such a pity that you won’t be embroidering anymore. If you ever want to do it again, feel free to come back to me. I’ll always welcome you.”

Xia Qingfeng was moved by the shopkeeper’s sincere words. When the original owner first settled in Yong’an Village, she had no money and nervously came to the fabric shop, embroidering a handkerchief in front of the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper trusted her and gave her the thread and handkerchief on credit to take home and finish. Xia Qingfeng still remembered that kindness, even though it wasn’t her at the time.

Thinking of this, Xia Qingfeng said, “Thank you for all your care these past few days. Well… let me tell you about the new edging method I used for the handkerchiefs, and when I get back, I’ll draw a few designs for you, just as a keepsake!”

The shopkeeper was, of course, pleased to hear this. When she first met the young woman, she was at her lowest point, but over the years, the shopkeeper had come to realize that this young woman, in terms of appearance, speech, and knowledge, was certainly not just an ordinary farmer’s wife. Smiling, she said, “Okay, I’ll be waiting. By the way, my maiden name is Chen. From now on, just call me Sister Chen.”

Xia Qingfeng smiled and replied, “Hello, Sister Chen!” The shopkeeper was delighted to hear this.

Xia Qingfeng bought the cotton fabric she had selected earlier, along with half a pound of cotton, and the shopkeeper even gave her a lot of fabric scraps as a gift.

After bidding farewell to the shopkeeper, Xia Qingfeng went to buy some grain and meat. She had previously tested it out—although her space was a clinic, it also had a preservation feature. No matter what she placed inside, no matter how long it had been stored, it would always remain the same. This was something her daughter, Xiaoxiao, had reminded her to try. Since she was planning to go to Youzhou to find her adoptive parents, she needed to start stocking up on food now.

Xia Qingfeng only left two liang of silver, spending the rest of her money on grain and meat. She went to a secluded place and put most of the grain, meat, and cotton cloth she bought from the cloth shop into her space, leaving only five jin of rice, five jin of flour, and one jin of meat in her backpack.

She then went to the grocery store to buy some seasonings. There were simply too few spices here. She didn’t have time today, so Xia Qingfeng planned to look for more when she went to the pharmacy to sell herbs next time, as many seasonings also served as medicinal herbs. After filling up her backpack, she covered it with some scrap cloth and slung it over her back, heading towards the city gate.

When she reached the city gate, she found that everyone had arrived. They were chatting about the day’s harvest, all smiles on their faces. Li Dazhu quickly came over when he saw Xia Qingfeng, grabbed her backpack, and said, “I didn’t buy much, so let me carry it all for you.” Xia Qingfeng didn’t hesitate, thanked him with a nod, and walked back with the villagers.

On the way back, everyone was chatting and laughing. People kept coming over to thank Xia Qingfeng, showering her with compliments that made her face turn red. The village head’s smile didn’t fade, and he said, “Girl, these herbs are too valuable. We really have to thank you.”

“Village head, no need to thank me anymore. If you keep thanking me, I’ll feel embarrassed. My child’s life was saved by the villagers, so this little bit of help is nothing in return,” Xia Qingfeng replied, “But actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. The herbs on the mountain are limited, and the deep mountains are too dangerous for us. We certainly can’t go there.”

As soon as the village head heard this, he became anxious, saying, “So, you mean, we won’t be able to sell these herbs for much longer?”

“Village head, don’t worry. I think we should try planting the herbs. That way, we can have a steady supply of herbs to sell all year round.”

The village head’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he said, “Girl, you tell us how, and we’ll follow your lead.” Other villagers also expressed their determination, “Whatever you say, we’ll do it. We’ve got plenty of strength!”

“Village head, if we clear land on the mountain, what are the policies from the government?” Xia Qingfeng knew that the policies for land reclamation varied by dynasty, and since this was a fictional setting, she needed to clarify the rules first.

The village head asked everyone to rest by the side of the road, took a drink from his water pouch, and said, “Our government encourages land reclamation. If you clear one acre of land, not only will you be exempt from taxes for three years, but sometimes they even give you seeds. But, because of the poor harvests these past two years, they haven’t provided seeds.”

Xia Qingfeng thought: Encouraging land reclamation is a good thing! For any country, agriculture is fundamental. Especially in ancient times when productivity was low, agricultural output could even determine the rise or fall of a nation. It seems the current emperor is a wise ruler.

She then said, “Village head, that’s great! So, should we go ahead and clear land on the mountain to plant medicinal herbs?”

“Can we really do it?” The village head was uncertain. “We’ve only learned to dig up herbs; can we actually grow them?”

“I know a bit about it. Village head, uncle, why don’t we give it a try?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll go back and discuss it with the villagers. The land reclamation should be fine on my side, and since everyone has made money from selling herbs, they’ll definitely be willing. But what about the seeds for these herbs? We don’t know anything about that!”

Xia Qingfeng thought for a moment and said, “Last time when we were digging up herbs, I saw some Chai Hu (Bupleurum) and dandelions. We can start by transplanting some of those. In a few days, I’ll also go to the town and ask the pharmacy owner if they have any seeds available.”

“Alright, it’s settled then. Since we’re clearing land, even if we can’t grow them, it’s no big deal—it’ll just take more effort,” the village head said, decisively making the decision.

“Right, right, if it doesn’t work, it’s fine. We’ve got plenty of strength; it’s no big deal,” the villagers chimed in, agreeing enthusiastically.

“Thank you all for your trust. We’ll give it a try,” Xia Qingfeng said. She was actually quite confident, but there was no need to say too much for now.

“Hahaha, now that we’ve got the herb situation sorted, have we all bought some meat?!” The village head relaxed and stood up, asking everyone.

“Yes, yes! We’re having meat tonight.”

“Yep! I bought a jin of meat today. My kids are going to feast tonight, hahaha!” The villagers all laughed happily.

That evening, the smell of meat wafted from every household—something that only happened during the New Year.

Xia Qingfeng’s house also cooked meat. By the stove, Xu Xiaoxiao and the white fox were both drooling. Although there was food in her space and they wouldn’t go hungry, sometimes a change of flavor was welcome. But eating the same thing every day would get tiresome. This was actually their first real meal of meat since they crossed over. At that moment, Xu Xiaoxiao was slurping up saliva, gazing eagerly at the pot. Xia Qingfeng couldn’t help but laugh—this was exactly how a child should behave.This Time Travel is Such a Great Deal! Chapter