Business at the fabric shops in the East Market was always exceptionally good.
Lin Shanyue browsed the counters back and forth, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to buy ready-made clothing. Instead, she bought three bolts of patterned silk and one bolt of scattered-flower brocade, spending a total of five taels. It made her heart ache.
However, these fabrics were more versatile; even the scraps could be kept to sew small pouches, making them a better value than finished garments.
She also bought fabric for Xiaobao. Winter was coming, and they both needed thicker cloth for clothes. Fortunately, there was no shortage of charcoal at home, so the winter wouldn't be too harsh.
After buying the fabric, she naturally needed a sewing basket; a set contained all the essential tools, costing another three coins. Had it not been for the fact that she had enough food at home, she never would have dared to be so extravagant. Thinking of this, she began to pay attention to things that the Mirror Demon Young Master might like.
The young master had said that pottery, porcelain, or jade would all be fine. She couldn't afford jade for now, so after much deliberation, Lin Shanyue chose a ceramic "Cat Official" ornament. The Cat Official was the most popular pet in the capital during this dynasty and was highly favored by the upper class. The ornament was small but still cost six coins. Lin Shanyue gritted her teeth and bought it, preparing to take it home.
She wandered around the East Market for a while, and the basket in her hand gradually filled up.
Guangde Ward was too far from the East Market. Every time she went out, Lin Shanyue would end up hiring a mule cart. This was why almost every household in the Imperial Capital had a horse carriage, or at the very least, a mule or an ox. But with her current tight budget, she couldn't bring herself to buy one.
A coachman approached her. Just as Lin Shanyue was about to board the cart, a startled cry came from behind her: "Is that you?"
Lin Shanyue turned around, her heart sinking.
It was someone from the Jiang Family—likely one of the older maids out shopping.
The moment she turned, the maid recognized her and was even more shocked: "It really is you! You actually stayed here in the Imperial Capital?!"
Lin Shanyue's heart hammered, but she kept her expression neutral. "You must have mistaken me for someone else. I don't know what you're talking about."
The maid’s expression was strange. "You don't remember me? Impossible."
Even if she did remember, Lin Shanyue had no choice but to pretend she didn't. Just then, the coachman urged her, "Young lady, are we going or not?"
"Coming right away." Lin Shanyue lifted her skirt and climbed into the cart, never looking at the maid again.
The maid stared at the cart for a while, then turned and hurried away...
Lin Shanyue felt uneasy. She knew that staying in the Imperial Capital meant a confrontation with the Jiang Family was inevitable, but now that the day had finally come, she couldn't help but be nervous. She disdained being the daughter of a Marquis's estate, nor did she want to be at odds with the Jiang Family; she only hoped they wouldn't come looking for her.
Let the well water and the river water stay separate.
***
Returning home, the first thing Lin Shanyue did was go to pick up Xiaobao.
For some reason, the usually well-behaved Xiaobao was crying incessantly today. Lin Shanyue heard him before she even reached the courtyard gate; the basket in her hand nearly dropped, and she ran inside.
Auntie Pang was flustered, trying to coax him. When she saw Lin Shanyue, it was as if she had seen a savior. "Oh, you're finally back..."
Xiaobao's face was flushed red from crying, his eyebrows knotted together. Lin Shanyue felt as if her heart had been pierced and hurried to take him into her arms.
"What's wrong, Xiaobao? Don't cry, don't cry..."
"I don't know what's gotten into him today. He was perfectly fine just a moment ago, and then he suddenly started crying. I fed him at noon, so this..."
The strange thing was that as soon as Xiaobao was in Lin Shanyue's arms and smelled her familiar scent, he suddenly calmed down, gradually settling into silence...
"It’s alright, Auntie. He probably just missed me," Lin Shanyue said to Auntie Pang while patting Xiaobao’s back.
Auntie Pang sighed in relief. "I suppose that’s it. Sigh, a child this young can't be without his mother. The poor little thing..."
Lin Shanyue felt a pang in her heart. She chatted with Auntie Pang for a few more moments before taking Xiaobao inside.
Back home, Xiaobao suddenly stopped crying altogether.
Lin Shanyue held him on the bed and coaxed him for a while. "What was wrong, Xiaobao? Why did you suddenly cry?"
Xiaobao looked at her, his eyes still teary as he pursed his lips. Lin Shanyue stroked his small face. "You wouldn't have been missing me, would you?"
Even as she said it, she felt a bittersweet sensation. This child had a hard lot in life; born so beautiful, she couldn't imagine what kind of heartless parents could bear to abandon him.
Although she and Xiaobao had only been together for a few days, she felt a deep connection with him. Since the moment she decided to claim him, she had taken on the responsibility of a mother, but she really had no experience, and her current situation was awkward... It wasn't realistic to look after Xiaobao alone without going out to earn money...
"Mama!"
Suddenly, a small, clear voice yanked Lin Shanyue out of her thoughts! Was that Xiaobao calling her "Mama"?!
Lin Shanyue froze. "Xiaobao, what did you call me?!" She was both startled and joyful, clearly in disbelief.
"Mama... A-Ma..."
Having just learned to speak, Xiaobao couldn't quite distinguish between the sounds, but he made Lin Shanyue laugh out loud. After laughing a few times, she couldn't help but shed tears. She couldn't even explain why—it was just a complex surge of emotion that left her unable to stop crying...
Seeing his mother cry, Xiaobao immediately crawled over, using his hands and feet, and reached out with his tiny, short hands to wipe away her tears. "Mama... don't cry..."
After calming down, Lin Shanyue was amazed. It turned out Xiaobao knew so many words already.
Huo Yi had just returned and taken out the mirror, only to see the mother and child both weeping.
He blinked, blurting out, "Hey, what's going on? Who bullied you?"
Lin Shanyue had forgotten that the Silver Mirror was still in front of her. Coming back to her senses, she quickly wiped her tears and turned her head away. "It's nothing... no one bullied me..."
"Then why are you crying?" Huo Yi asked, confused.
In his eyes, the little girl must have been cheated while out doing business.
Huo Yi was just about to think of a way to help her when he heard Lin Shanyue say, "Xiaobao called me 'Mama,' and I got a bit emotional. Please excuse me, Young Master."
Huo Yi: "..."
Lin Shanyue was truly better now, and she quickly handed over the ornament she had bought during the day. "I spent some silver on fabric today, but I saw this while passing by a shop. It's not large, but it's quite exquisite. I wonder if you might like it, Young Master?"
Huo Yi took one look and a profanity escaped his lips: "Isn't this a Lucky Cat?!"
"A what cat?"
Lin Shanyue only knew it as a Cat Official, but she had never heard of a "Lucky Cat." Huo Yi hurried her to pass it through the mirror so he could look at it closely. The naive, adorable expression, the little paw beckoning for fortune—there was no doubt about it! Wonderful! Perhaps this inspiration had come from some Japanese person wandering around the Tang Dynasty!
"This ornament is called a Lucky Cat. Look at its paw—doesn't it look like it's beckoning fortune and good luck to your home?!" Huo Yi explained patiently.
Lin Shanyue thought about it carefully, and it really did. She couldn't help but laugh. Her smiling face was so close that Huo Yi was momentarily dazed.
As if possessed, he suddenly reached out to touch the mirror. A strange thought popped into his head: if everything else could pass through, could he also...?
But clearly, he couldn't. Not only could he not pass through, but his finger was pricked by the mirror.
"Tsk!" That actually hurt.
A drop of fresh blood welled up and landed on the mirror. Lin Shanyue was startled. "Young Master, what happened to you?!"
She had suddenly felt the mirror shake violently and reached out to steady it, only to be pricked as well, and her own drop of blood landed on it.
Then, something bizarre began to happen inside the mirror.
Lin Shanyue saw the face of a man appear within the glass...
The man was extremely handsome, but his attire clearly indicated he was not from this dynasty. Lin Shanyue’s eyes widened.