Old Lady Xia gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and returned to her room. Today's events were entirely too bizarre, and she needed to go back and ponder them carefully.
By dinnertime, Xia Zhiliao was still barely able to stand. Her body was far too weak, and her legs wobbled as she walked. She had drifted in and out of a daze, sleeping away the entire afternoon, and when she opened her eyes again, it was pitch black outside. The people out in the courtyard seemed to be eating.
Her sense of smell was remarkably keen, and the aroma hanging in the air smelled very much like steamed egg custard.
*(Steamed egg custard! It smells so good. I want to eat some too, but unfortunately, there probably isn't a portion for me.)*
"Go on, take this bowl of egg custard to Zhiliao!" Old Lady Xia said.
"Mother, with Zhiliao girl's illness, a bowl of egg custard isn't going to cure her. If you don't want to eat it, you might as well give it to someone who can actually do some work. She's just a child; eating it won't amount to much."
In the past, Old Lady Xia would have thought the eldest daughter-in-law was being thorough and practical, but right now, those words grated harshly on her ears.
"Sister-in-law, is it *you* who wants to eat it? Anyway, I wouldn't snatch food from a child. Besides, what's wrong with Zhiliao? For all you know, once she eats this bowl of egg custard, she'll be jumping around as good as new tomorrow."
Although Xia Jinxiu had never treated either of her sisters-in-law very well—much like how many households had strained relationships between sisters-in-law, and she relied on being pampered besides—she genuinely doted on her little niece Xia Zhiliao. There was no special reason other than that she was fiercely protective of her own.
Xia Zhiliao carried the Xia surname; she was of their Old Xia family stock.
Especially since the little girl shared a telepathic bond with her and had just done her a massive favor. If not for her, her entire life would have been ruined.
Xia Jinjuan and his wife, along with their three sons Xia He, Xia Jiang, and Xia Hai, naturally wouldn't dream of fighting over food with Xia Zhiliao.
And while the Xia family's third son Xia Jinyu, fourth son Xia Jinheng, and fifth son Xia Jinqing had worked hard all day, they wouldn't snatch food from their little niece either.
"Second Sister-in-law, what are you standing there in a daze for? Go take that to Zhiliao."
Xia Jinxiu cheerfully handed the bowl of egg custard into Madam Xia Chen's hands. "Don't daze off. If you're any later, Mother will be displeased."
Madam Xia Chen was terrified of Old Lady Xia. With Xia Jinxiu putting it that way, she swallowed right back down any words of refusal she had prepared.
Madam Zhang (Xia) had also picked up on something from everyone's attitudes, and her heart grew increasingly uneasy. She needed to meet up with her cousin as soon as possible; her plan had to be brought forward, otherwise it would become even harder to get her hands on the land deeds currently in the old lady's possession.
"Mother, I've been thinking. Zhiliao girl has fallen terribly ill this time, and I haven't been able to help much. The day after tomorrow, I'll go to the temple to pray for blessings for her."
The temple?
Old Lady Xia paused with her chopsticks mid-air, then resumed. To pray for blessings, or to curse her to drop dead sooner?
She clenched her fists tight, her expression remaining entirely unchanged. "Go ahead. It's rare for you to have such a thoughtful heart."
"Second Sister-in-law, are you going?" Madam Zhang (Xia) deliberately asked.
Madam Xia Chen had just stepped into the room and, seeing that her daughter was awake, finally dared to speak up. "I'm not going. There's a pile of chores at home, and Zhiliao needs someone to take care of her. Many thanks to Eldest Sister-in-law for still thinking of our Zhiliao."
*(Right, Mother, you've finally been smart for once! Don't go under any circumstances, lest you end up being used as a scapegoat. When Eldest Aunt elopes, Grandma will still curse you as an accomplice and beat you half to death.)*
Madam Xia Chen's hand gave a sudden jolt. Luckily, the bowl was already resting safely on the kang bed.
She... what had she just heard?
Chapter 4: Mother, You Must Grow Strong
*(Mother, why are you staring at me the whole time? Mother is so thin, her complexion doesn't look good either, her clothes are tattered, and her hands are covered in chilblains. Looking like this, when Father places high in the imperial examinations, no wonder he ends up having a change of heart and falls for someone else!)*
Madam Xia Chen stared fixedly at her daughter. There were only the two of them in the room, and the one calling her "Mother" was none other than Zhiliao.
*(Oh, my dear mother, how am I supposed to tell you? If you remain this weak, you're going to be bullied in the future. You have to pull yourself together and take care of your appearance, otherwise Father is going to have a change of heart.)*
Looking at her daughter's innocent and artless expression, Madam Xia Chen didn't even dare to make a sound, much less ask any questions, for fear of frightening her.
No one knew how deeply she had longed for her daughter to be able to speak, even if it turned out to be auditory hallucinations right now, she was still overjoyed.
A mother and daughter share a heart; truly, she was flesh of her own flesh.
Only, Jinjuan was such a good man, how could he ever have a change of heart?
*(Mother, if you don't grow strong, there's no guarantee I won't be sent away next time! This time I lucked out, but if I get sent away again, my little life will be gone. The two of us mother and daughter will be separated by yin and yang forever, and I won't be able to protect you anymore either.)*
Madam Xia Chen shuddered all over. What a sensible daughter she had! Even at such a tender age, she was already thinking of protecting her. If she herself didn't toughen up a bit, how could she possibly safeguard such an adorable daughter?
"Zhiliao, eat!" Madam Xia Chen's voice trembled slightly.
Xia Zhiliao nodded. She was indeed hungry, and while egg custard was considered a rare luxury here, she hadn't cared much for it in her past life. After taking a couple of bites, she intended to share the rest with her frail mother.
Madam Xia Chen shook her head with a smile. "Mother just ate outside. Give it to Zhiliao. Once Zhiliao eats it and gets better quickly, Mother promises she'll never let anyone send you away again."
Xia Zhiliao let out a breath of relief. Though she didn't know what her future destiny held, at the very least, her little life was safe for the moment.
*(Mother is lying! The family is so poor, where would there be extra eggs for her to eat? She doesn't even get enough regular meals. Mother really loves me. I remember Mother's embroidery skills are exceptionally brilliant—even the master embroiderers in the capital's embroidery workshops couldn't compare. If Mother were to do embroidery work to sell, our family's living conditions would improve so much!)*
Madam Xia Chen's eyes lit up. Were her embroidery skills really that impressive?
Still, if she could genuinely sell the work, it would supplement the household income and let the family eat a few better meals.
After Xia Zhiliao finished eating, Madam Xia Chen urged her to get some rest, then walked out carrying the empty bowl.
Hesitating over her daughter's words, she finally made up her mind after a long while and boldly spoke up, "Mother, I... I..."
Old Lady Xia grew irritated just looking at her spineless, wretched appearance, and she dropped all pretense of gentleness. "What are you up to now? If you have something to say, spit it out; if you have a fart, let it fly! What is it, is Zhiliao acting poorly again?"
Madam Zhang (Xia) felt a surge of glee, assuming Madam Xia Chen had fallen out of favor. So she had been overthinking things; with the Second Branch wife's clumsy tongue and spineless temperament, how could the old lady possibly bring herself to like her?
"Don't rush, take your time and say what you need to say," Xia Jinjuan advised.
Madam Xia Chen nodded. "Mother... I was thinking... anyway, there's nothing much to do during the winter idle period, so perhaps I could do some embroidery work to supplement the household income. Before this, I used to help the neighbor aunties with their embroidery, and they all praised my stitching. Do you think that would be alright?"
Old Lady Xia narrowed her eyes. Before she could speak, Madam Zhang (Xia) glared at Madam Xia Chen. This woman was just trying to show off! When did this little bint hatch the ambition to vie for favor?
"Second Sister-in-law, what kind of people are those neighbor aunties, and what kind of people are the ones buying embroidery goods? Do you really think anyone from town would set eyes on the embroidery of a country housewife? If you just don't want to do the chores around the house, say so straight out—there's no need to play those kinds of schemes. I'll do the chores myself! How amusing, *you* earning money, heh."
"No, Eldest Sister-in-law, you've misunderstood. I'll still do the household chores; I'm not doing this to be lazy. I just thought that if it works out, wouldn't it help supplement the family's expenses?"
"Supplement the household expenses? Just make sure you don't end up wasting the money on embroidery thread..."
"Enough. You don't have to do the work, so where do you get all these endless words of nonsense?" Old Lady Xia slanted a cold glance at her eldest daughter-in-law, then turned her gaze back to Madam Xia Chen. "If it doesn't interfere with your chores, there's no harm in trying. Go into town tomorrow and ask around. If it works out, we won't have to worry about the traveling expenses for Jinjuan's imperial examinations next year."
Madam Xia Chen nodded gratefully. She was going to earn traveling funds for her husband.
Early the next morning, Xia Zhiliao was woken up by a rustling sound. It was still pitch dark outside, and she originally intended to roll over and go back to sleep, but then she abruptly remembered that today was the day her mother was supposedly going into town to inquire about the embroidery business.
Resisting her drowsiness, she opened her eyes.
Whether it was due to that bowl of egg custard last night or not, after sleeping through the night, she felt much less weak.
"So early?" Xia Jinjuan glanced at his wife.
"Yes, go early and return early, so it doesn't delay the farm work," Madam Xia Chen said softly. "Zhiliao, why aren't you sleeping anymore?"
*(Mother, take me with you! With me there, the chances of this working out will be much higher, and I really want to see what the town looks like.)*
Afraid her mother wouldn't take her, Xia Zhiliao scrambled out of bed barefoot to prove she was already much better. She grabbed her mother's arm, shaking it back and forth until Madam Xia Chen's heart melted completely.
Looking into her daughter's eager eyes, Madam Xia Chen asked gently, "Zhiliao, do you want to go too?"
Xia Zhiliao nodded vigorously, smiling brightly at her mother. She wanted to go, and her fever had completely broken.
Xia Jinjuan glanced at his daughter. Her complexion really did look a bit better, and her movements getting down to the floor were quite nimble. "Should we... take Zhiliao along? Oh, never mind, what if she can't walk all that way..."
*(Oh no, Father isn't let me go!)*
Xia Zhiliao looked at her father's slightly furrowed brow with a trace of worry.
Xia Jinjuan glanced back at her, then suddenly smiled. Why hadn't he realized before how adorable his daughter was? "I'll get up and go with you both. Zhiliao is somewhat better, but the road to town is long, and she probably won't be able to walk it all."
*(Father is so wonderful! I love Father, Father is the best! Father isn't going to turn bad, I'm going to be Father's little padded jacket!)*
Delighted and thoroughly coaxed by his daughter's enthusiasm, Xia Jinjuan turned his face slightly away and chuckled.
Hearing that Xia Jinjuan was going to accompany his wife and daughter into town, Madam Zhang (Xia) jealously nudged her sister-in-law with her elbow. "Second Brother was never this attentive before! What's gotten into him? Is he afraid your Second Sister-in-law is going to get abducted or something?"
If not for the freezing weather and the early hour, Xia Jinxiu would have wanted to go too. Even if she wasn't buying anything, couldn't she at least look around?
"What's wrong with my Second Sister-in-law? She's hardworking, obedient, and takes such good care of Second Brother. Washing his face, washing his feet—she practically wants to wash them for him personally! Unlike some people."
"Some people... what about some people? Jinxiu, who are you talking about?"
Xia Jinxiu let out a cold snort. She certainly wasn't going to pamper her sisters-in-law. "Whoever the shoe fits! Why are you in such a rush, Eldest Sister-in-law?"
"I—you wretched girl! Pick and choose all you want! You've got the body of a young lady and the fate of a maid; I want to see what kind of man you'll end up marrying!"
Xia Jinxiu turned back with a cold smile. "Then you'd better keep your eyes wide open and watch closely what kind of man I, Xia Jinxiu, manage to marry!"
"Enough! You start brawling the moment you get up in the morning—aren't you afraid the neighbors will hear? Eldest Sister-in-law, go feed the pigs and sweep the courtyard."
"Mother... Second Sister-in-law..."
She knew it! She just knew it! The Second Branch's wife was starting to get restless; there was simply no way to stay in this family anymore.
She had to get out of here fast. She'd pack her things today and leave first thing tomorrow morning!
Chapter 5: The Foremost Wealthy Merchant Turned Out to Be a Dunderhead
The distance from the village to the town wasn't very far, but it was all mountain paths interspersed with a few small streams, which were currently frozen solid, making the trek somewhat easier.
Xia Zhiliao had wanted to walk on her own, but Xia Jinjuan couldn't bear to let her, stubbornly carrying her on his back the entire way. In the bitter cold, his back was soaked through with sweat.
"Jinjuan, let me do it. You take a rest."
Looking at his withered, emaciated wife, Xia Jinjuan shook his head, a wave of bitterness welling up in his heart. She used to carry their child all day long without a single complaint of fatigue, despite being so frail herself.
"I'm her father, isn't carrying her my duty? Alright, let's keep moving. You need to eat more—look how thin you've gotten. Whenever there's heavy work in the future, call me and Jinyu's crew, don't just push yourself. It's not like our family is lacking men."
Hearing this, Madam Xia Chen felt a warmth flood her chest, even hotter than the midday sun overhead.
*(Wow, Father is so considerate! Treat Mother well, and absolutely must not have a change of heart, otherwise everyone is going to die.)*
Hearing his daughter's words, Xia Jinjuan smiled faintly. "When I pass the imperial examinations in the future, I'll let you live in luxury and you won't have to do any work at all."
Madam Xia Chen had heard such promises many times before, yet every single time she believed them wholeheartedly. "Can a person really live without doing any work?"
Xia Jinjuan shook his head. Truly, she was a woman who couldn't sit still, though she was quite pleasant just the way she was.
Shijing Town wasn't large, consisting of only a single main street lined with a few dozen shops selling all sorts of goods, basically enough to meet everyone's daily needs. If someone genuinely wanted to buy rare luxuries, they would have to travel all the way to the county seat.
Xia Jinjuan figured they should try their luck at one of the larger shops first; places that sold ready-made garments would surely need extra hands for needlework.
However, the very first shop took one look at their tattered clothing and gave them the cold shoulder. Upon hearing that they were asking if any embroidery work was needed, they met them with a round of sneering mockery.
"Embroidery work? We need it, sure, but look at the kind of fabrics our shop uses! A single foot of this cloth is probably worth a year's food and living expenses for your whole family. What if you ruin it? Are you kidding me? Shoo, shoo! Do you really think anyone off the street can make this kind of money?"
Hunched over on Xia Jinjuan's back, Xia Zhiliao curled her lips in disgust. Talk about having eyes on the top of their heads!
*(What's so great about them? In the future, even the Empress Dowager herself will love my mother's embroidery pieces!)*
Xia Jinjuan glanced sideways at his wife. Really? True or false?
This unassuming wife of his was actually this formidable?
Madam Xia Chen thought it was impossible; she just treated it as a comforting joke. Still, she never imagined that in her daughter's eyes, clumsy old her could be seen as so remarkable.
A sudden surge of confidence bloomed within her—she couldn't possibly let her daughter down, could she?
The next shop wasn't very large, and its plaque didn't look particularly imposing either, bearing three characters: "Jinyi Workshop."
Xia Zhiliao only felt the name was somewhat familiar, though she couldn't quite recall where it appeared in the original book. Right now, however, her priority was survival; putting food in their bellies came first.
When the family of three stepped inside, the front hall of Jinyi Workshop was empty, though the back parlor was quite noisy.
"Is anyone here? Excuse me, does this place need anyone to—"
"No need, no need!" An extremely impatient voice rang out from inside, cutting Xia Jinjuan off mid-sentence.
Frowning, Xia Jinjuan's scholarly pride made him reluctant to speak any further, and he gestured for his wife to try another shop.
"Aiya, it won't come out! Xizi, quick, go fetch a doctor! Young Master is choking and can't catch his breath!"
Realizing something was terribly wrong, Xia Zhiliao thought: *Is he about to suffocate?!*
*(I can save him! Father, don't leave yet! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda! It's very simple: you just need to lay the child face down across your arm, hold his back of the neck with your hand, and give firm slaps to his back, or place your middle and index fingers on his abdomen and press upward forcefully!)*
Anxious, Xia Zhiliao slapped her father's back.
Xia Jinjuan also reacted; the reason the person inside had answered so impatiently earlier was because a child's condition was critical.
There was no sense in standing by and letting someone die without lifting a finger. Without hesitation, he rushed inside, colliding head-on with a little shop assistant who was sprinting out in a panic.
The assistant gave Xia Jinjuan a deep, hurried look before dashing out.
Charging into the back parlor, Xia Jinjuan handed his daughter over to his wife. "This child probably can't wait for a doctor to arrive!"
"Then what do we do?" a man cried out tearfully. "My son! Oh, my son!"
"Don't panic, I have a way."
Recalling the method his youngest daughter had described, Xia Jinjuan draped the child—whose face was turning purple—face down across his arm, and then... what was the next step again?
In his panic, his mind went completely blank.
*(Doesn't Father know how to do this?! Aiya, Father, hurry up and press his back! Yes, right like that! Now press his abdomen—no, not there, not there!)*
Since it was his first time doing this, Xia Jinjuan was already flustered and scrambling. After Xia Zhiliao shouted "wrong" a few more times, he didn't even know where his hands were supposed to press.
Dancing about anxiously on the side and burning with impatience, Xia Zhiliao simply wobbled forward on unsteady legs. Knowing she didn't have much strength, she clenched her fists tight, gathered every ounce of power she had, and drove a solid punch right into the chubby little boy's abdomen.
Be it from panic or tension, beads of sweat covered Xia Jinjuan's forehead. When the people nearby finally registered what was happening, someone lunged forward to snatch the child back.
"Who the hell are you people?! What are you doing? My son is already like this, and you dare hit him—I'll—"
"Cough, cough... Blech!"
Suddenly, a glass marble popped out of the young boy's mouth, bouncing twice before rolling right to Xia Zhiliao's feet. Xia Zhiliao bent down and picked it up.
Then, with a somewhat smug expression, she waved it right in front of the old man's eyes.
*(If it weren't for me and Father, your son's little life would be gone! And you still dared to glare and yell at us, humph!)*
Xia Jinjuan let out a long breath of relief, wiped the sweat from his brow, and followed suit with a smile as he looked at his equally overjoyed wife and daughter.
"Aiyo, aiyo, my son! You're alright! You scared your old man to death!"
Clutching the son who had just pulled back from the brink of death, the man wept loudly. When he finally regained his wits, he pulled his son down with him to kneel and kowtow in gratitude to Xia Jinjuan and Xia Zhiliao.
"Quick, thank your lifesaver! Mingzhan, kowtow!"
Xia Jinjuan waved his hands dismissively. "No need for formalities. As long as the child is alright—since we're both fathers and mothers, we can't bear to watch a child come to harm."
"Benefactors! You are the benefactors of our Su family! For nine generations our family has had only one heir, and I only managed to have a son in my old age. If he had perished just now, how could I ever face our ancestors?!"
Xia Zhiliao stared at the chubby little boy whose face was a messy mixture of snot and tears. The little fellow had stopped crying now and was looking boldly at Xia Zhiliao, even parting his lips in a wide, goofy grin.
Mingzhan?
Su Mingzhan? Jinyi Workshop?
The foremost wealthy merchant in the original novel had actually been a dunderhead who nearly choked to death on a marble when he was a kid?!
Crap!
*(Father, it's their family! We have to tie our wagon to them. From now on, our family eating good food and living the high life all depends on this snot-nosed kid!)*
Chapter 6: Father is Someone Who Can Become the Top Scholar
Hearing his daughter's inner voice, Xia Jinjuan sized up the chubby little fellow who had just cheated death, harboring some private skepticism in his heart.
Could this silly blockhead really lead their family to wealth?
Still, wasn't everything his daughter predicted turning out to be true? He decided to give it a try—otherwise, there was no guarantee any other place would take them.
Tearful and snot-nosed with gratitude, Boss Su turned around and pulled out a silver ingot weighing a full ten liang.
Xia Jinjuan's eyes sparkled with greed. He was a clever man and didn't even need to ask to know what this meant.
"Benefactors! Thanks to you, otherwise I would have become a sinner against the Su family, failing my ancestors! This... just a tiny token of my appreciation, please don't look down on it."
Xia Jinjuan's hand actually reached out. This was ten liang! Ten whole liang of silver—enough to last their family two or three years!
*(Father! It's only ten liang of silver, don't be short-sighted and lose the bigger picture! You must know that debts of human favor are the hardest to repay. Discussing a partnership is what matters! You're a scholarly man—have some integrity! Integrity, I tell you!)*
"Ahem!"
Seeing his little daughter tugging fiercely at his trouser leg and staring unblinkingly right at him, Xia Jinjuan fought down the overwhelming urge to grab the money, forcing his hand back. Through nearly clenched teeth, he said,
"Boss Su, my daughter and I happened to cross paths with young master and save him—it's all a matter of fate. You are being far too polite. This money... we cannot accept it."
*Sob... that's ten whole liang of silver...*
Hearing Xia Jinjuan speak thus, Boss Su felt even more that the man before him was immensely noble—such a rare and lofty moral character!
He mustn't dare sully this gentleman's pure heart with such vulgar worldly lucre.
"This... I see... Then, might I ask what brings you benefactors to my humble shop today? Were you looking to purchase garments?"