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The short man scratched his head.
“Her looks have nothing to do with you anyway. Come on, let’s go.
My head’s itching like crazy. Time to get it shaved!”
As the two men walked off, Wang San was just about to say something else—
but when he turned his head, Wang Man had already vanished.
He looked around in a panic before finally spotting her. She had gone into a clothing shop.
The shopkeeper was a savvy, well-preserved middle-aged woman with a smile for everyone. She had just sent off a bickering couple when she noticed a new customer enter.
Her face bloomed with laughter, almost forming wrinkles.
She didn’t show even a hint of disdain for the fact that Wang Man’s clothes were patched over patches.
“Miss, are you here to buy fabric or ready-made clothes?”
Wang Man glanced at her own patched clothes and asked,
“Madam, do you have anything suitable for me? Could you recommend something?”
The shopkeeper’s face lit up with a smile.
“You’re looking for ready-made clothes? Come, this section is perfect for someone your age. Take your time and have a look.”
Since Wang Man had to work every day, she thought coarse cloth would be more practical.
She picked out two sets and said,
“I’ll take these two. Also, could you help me choose two sets for a woman in her early forties?”
She needed to pick out clothes for Auntie Ma Liu as well. Since she wasn’t confident in choosing the right colors or styles, it was best to leave it to the shopkeeper.
Seeing Wang San peeking in through the door, she called out,
“What are you standing there for? Come in and pick some clothes!”
Wang San asked cheerfully,
“I get some too?”
Wang Man rolled her eyes.
“If you don’t want any, then forget it.”
“I do, I do! Of course I want some!”
Wang San grinned broadly, showing his gums, and eagerly started picking through the clothes.
The shopkeeper clearly knew Wang San and teased him,
“Wang San, you’re really lucky. Your younger sister is even buying clothes for you.”
Wang San puffed out his chest with pride.
“She’s not my younger sister—she’s my wife.”
The shopkeeper was a bit surprised and looked toward Wang Man. Seeing that she didn’t deny it, she figured Wang San must be telling the truth.
She couldn’t help but give Wang Man a sympathetic look.
Such a fine young woman, and she ended up married to someone like him. What a hard life.
Of course, Wang Man noticed the shopkeeper’s expression, but she didn’t care.
Many people probably assumed she had been sold to the Wang family, likely going hungry, and with Wang San’s reputation as a rascal, they assumed he must beat her or treat her terribly.
But the reality was quite the opposite.
She actually thought life with the Wang family was much better than living with her own.
She was free to do whatever she pleased—no one interfered.
And Wang San, though unreliable, had never once raised a hand against her. Even when she beat him to the point of jumping in pain, he still wouldn’t retaliate. Wang Man was quite satisfied with that.
Wang San: …You’re wrong! I wanted to fight back—it’s just that I couldn’t win!
As for Auntie Ma Liu, she had given Wang Man the only vegetable bun in the house. Though it had gone bad and wasn’t really edible, the gesture alone showed her kindness.
This kind of life was far better than anything she’d experienced in the Wang household.
Even though she was no longer the head of her own home and wasn’t afraid of the Wang family, dealing with those eccentric relatives every day was utterly exhausting.
“Manniang, I’ve picked mine!”
Wang San ran over, grinning and holding the clothes he’d chosen.
Wang Man frowned.
“Why only one set? Go pick another.”
Wang San shook his head.
“No need. One’s enough. I’ve still got clothes at home—I can rotate them.”
Wang Man personally selected a gray set and shoved it into his hands. Then she turned to the shopkeeper.
“Do you sell quilts here?”
The shopkeeper nodded quickly.
“Yes, yes. How many do you need?”
In the end, Wang Man bought three six-pound cotton quilts and six sets of ready-made clothes. She also ordered three sets of padded winter jackets and three quilted jackets.
The total came to just over ten taels of silver. The shopkeeper generously rounded it down to exactly ten taels.
Seeing Wang Man hand over the silver without even furrowing her brows, the shopkeeper quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had honestly been afraid the girl wouldn’t have enough money and would ask to buy on credit. That kind of customer wasn’t uncommon—complete strangers buying items and then claiming they’d pay later.
How could she agree to that? She didn’t know them—where would she even go to collect the debt?
As for Wang Man ordering winter clothes this early in the year, the shopkeeper wasn’t surprised at all.
After leaving the clothing shop, Wang Man and Wang San went to the grain store.
They bought five hundred catties of rice, two hundred catties of white flour, and enough cornmeal to bring the total to one thousand catties.
They also purchased oil, spices, salt, and rock sugar—almost filling up the ox cart used for delivery.
Fortunately, although the quilts took up space, they weren’t very heavy.
Wang Man and Wang San rode back home in the ox cart with the delivery.
Wang San, who had been sulking earlier about missing a chance to gamble, now looked puzzled by all the grain Wang Man had bought.
“Manniang, there are only three of us in the household. Why’d you buy so much grain? Is it going to get more expensive?”
The ox cart driver chuckled and answered,
“No, the price of grain isn’t going up.”
Wang San turned to Wang Man, eyes full of questions.
Wang Man gave him a sidelong glance.
“We’re going to eat it anyway—what’s so strange about buying more now?”
Wang San: …?
Fine. I can’t out-argue you. Whatever you say always ends up sounding reasonable.
When they arrived back at the village with a cart full of goods, people were surprised.
“Manya, why’d you buy so much stuff? Didn’t you nearly spend all the silver you got for selling that big snake?”
Wang Man nodded.
“I was afraid Wang San would steal the silver and go gambling, so I figured I might as well spend it all. These are all things the household needs anyway.”
The woman who asked nodded in approval.
“Yes, yes, that’s exactly what you should do. Manya is really clever.”
Wang San, having taken the blame again: …
So this is how Manniang sees me?
Why do I feel kind of… wronged?
That woman was clearly talkative. When she noticed Wang San’s bald head, she started asking questions again.
“Wang San, what happened to your hair? Why did you shave your whole head? Actually, it kind of suits you!”
Wang San: …What kind of look is that supposed to be?
“I had lice, so Manniang helped shave it off.”
The woman froze.
“That’s actually a good idea! I’ll go shave Gou Dan’s hair too!”
With that, she hurried off to find her son, Gou Dan.
The ox cart driver wiped the sweat off his forehead and let out a breath.
Finally, she’s gone. That woman could really talk.
Madam Lu was sitting and chatting with Auntie Ma Liu. When she saw how much Wang Man and Wang San had brought back, she was shocked.
“Why’d you buy so much?”
Wang Man repeated the same explanation she’d given the other woman, and Madam Lu nodded approvingly.
“Yes, yes, that’s how it should be. But this is still a lot… You didn’t spend all your silver, did you? You should keep some at home, just in case something unexpected comes up.”
Wang Man replied,
“Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ve kept two taels of silver.”
Even though Madam Lu was good to them, Wang Man didn’t plan on telling her the full truth.
After the ox cart left, Wang Man and Wang San delivered thirty catties of rice to each of the three Wang brothers’ households as a thank-you.
At first, they all refused to accept it. But Wang Man was too persuasive, so in the end, they gave in.
They said that if Wang Man ever needed help in the future, she should feel free to come to them. While they couldn’t offer much, they were more than willing to lend a hand.
Before leaving, they even reminded Wang San to live well and take good care of Wang Man.