Once they arrived home, the whole family began calculating the supplies they would need to purchase the day after tomorrow. Li Xiulan took out a notebook and wrote everything down.
"Xiulan, your handwriting is truly beautiful. I’d never seen you write before; I didn't realize you were so good at it."
Her mother-in-law, Zhang Guifen, leaned in, caught a glimpse of the script in the notebook, and couldn't help but offer praise. The village had previously hosted literacy classes after the workday, held once dinner was finished, so Zhang Guifen and the others could read basic text.
"I never thought of doing these things before, but now I need to stand on my own two feet. Only then can I provide a good life for Jiayu and all of you. Even though Daquan is no longer with us, I still hold his memory dear in my heart. I have no intention of remarrying; I only want to raise Jiayu well, help her go to college like her aunt did, and let her see the world."
Li Xiulan was well aware of the family's worries—they were afraid she wouldn't hold out, that she would eventually take their money and marry someone else. So, she had to play the part of the devoted widow deeply in love with her late husband, for that was the only way to earn their trust.
Personally, Li Xiulan found life as it was now to be perfectly comfortable. She didn't have to worry about mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflicts, she didn't have to worry about marrying a stranger or risking her life to have more children, and she could run her own business. As long as she maintained this persona, no one would pressure her to remarry.
"Oh, good, good. You are a good child. Your mother-in-law saw your heart clearly from the start; your whole family is honest and hardworking." Zhang Guifen’s face lit up with a happy smile as she listened.
For some time now, Zhang Guifen had been hiding in her room, quietly weeping. She didn't dare let her mother-in-law know, fearing she would worry, and she didn't dare let her daughter-in-law know, fearing she would feel sad. A son she had raised through so much hardship, all the way into his twenties—who would have thought he would just be gone? It was like someone was carving out her heart.
Yet, Li Xiulan had it even harder. She had lost her husband at such a young age, lost the one person who truly cared for her warmth and cold. Zhang Guifen was both afraid of her remarrying and pained to see her living like a walking corpse as she had been doing. Seeing this vibrant, spirited version of Li Xiulan, she had initially worried that Xiulan might want to leave, or that her money would be wasted on a failed business venture—it was a double-edged worry. Now that she had heard those words from Xiulan, she finally felt at ease.
That night, lying in bed, Feng Sixi was puzzled to see that his wife wasn't as heartbroken as before. He had spent so long trying to comfort her to no avail; why was her mood suddenly, inexplicably better today?
"Guifen, why aren't you crying today?"
"Why would I cry? You make it sound like I cry all the time. Xiulan is standing on her own now and has her own plans; I’m too happy for that. We must never mention Daquan in front of her, lest it makes her sad. We all need to be a bit more cheerful. Daquan is already gone; if we elders keep dwelling on it, it only makes it harder for her."
Zhang Guifen rolled her eyes at him, but this actually made Feng Sixi smile. He knew his wife well; if she was talking like this, it meant the knot in her heart had finally untied.
"As long as you’re happy. We’re all heartbroken that Daquan is gone, but we can’t stay sad forever. This is for the best. Xiulan is a good child, and whatever she wants to do, we elders will support her. It’s all for the sake of the child anyway. I’ve noticed she’s had more spirit these past few days. Before, she’d just eat when called, never saying a word, never crying, not even speaking to the child—it was truly worrying. These past few days, I’ve seen Jiayu talking to her mother every day, and even her face is brighter. This is how it should be."
As the father-in-law, Feng Sixi naturally found it awkward to comfort his daughter-in-law directly, but he had always been concerned about the state of the family. He kept many things buried in his heart and couldn't break down and cry like his wife, so he felt the bitterness just as deeply. All he could do was show more care for Jiayu, the only child the Feng Family had left.
Xiulan, of course, knew nothing of this late-night talk between her parents-in-law. She had just finished reviewing her notebook one last time, carefully organizing it, and was satisfied that nothing had been left out before lying down. Beside her, Jiayu was like a little stove; children were warm, and in the depth of winter, it was cozy to sleep with her. She fell asleep until dawn.
She was just discussing the dimensions of steamer baskets with her father-in-law when she saw her second sister-in-law arrive with her two children.
"Second Sister, you’re here so early! Have you had breakfast? I’ll go boil some for you."
Seeing them, Li Xiulan hurried to welcome them. Zhang Guifen, who hadn't yet headed out to the fields, heard Xinghua had returned and came out to greet them as well.
"We’ve already eaten, don't you worry about it. I spent all of last night discussing it with Youcai. I was afraid my own thoughts weren't complete and that we’d end up missing items if we went to buy them, so I ran over to consult with you."
Xinghua had talked to her husband about starting a business last night. To her surprise, he supported her idea. They had three sons; if they didn't plan ahead, she didn't know where they would live once they grew up and took wives. That was why she had been unable to wait and had rushed over right after breakfast.
"That’s perfect. Erhu, why don't you take Xiaohu and Jiayu out to play? We adults need to have a talk."
Before Zhang Guifen could even finish her greeting, Erhu was already impatiently rushing off to find Jiayu. At home, his mother always forbade them from playing outside, citing child traffickers, so now that he was in the village, he could finally let loose.
"Second Sister, tell me what you’re planning to buy, and we’ll help you think it through to see what’s missing," Li Xiulan said.
"I was thinking of buying batteries, flashlights, pots, bowls, plates, and some oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar. I want to set up a grocery stall," she said, clearly having not thought of the finer details.
"What model of flashlights are you planning to stock? Have you checked the market price? How many will you order? And for the pots and bowls, those take up space—where will you stack them? As for the oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar, are you buying them in bulk drums or something else? Do you plan to buy bottles for the soy sauce?"
After this barrage of questions, Xinghua was suddenly at a loss for words. She really hadn't thought about these things. It was true: if she wanted to sell everything, she needed the space to store it and enough money to afford it.
"Oh my, I really was just hot-headed. I didn't think of any of this. Xiulan, you’re smarter than me. Please, give me some advice! I thought I had it all figured out before I came here; my husband and I discussed it all night, yet now I can't answer a single thing."
The second sister patted her head, feeling as though her brain might burst. She had thought doing business meant just buying inventory and selling it—she had never considered these logistical matters.
"Second Sister, look, this is the list I made last night after discussing it with Mom, Dad, and Grandma. We plan to set up a stall, and buying these things in the county should be cheaper. If you think this is a good idea, you can draft your own list. Buy according to the list, and if you find something more suitable while you're there, you can adjust as you go."
"Yes, yes, that’s a great idea! I’m so glad I came to see you today. Otherwise, I would have gone tomorrow completely blind, and if we hadn't been able to finish our shopping, we’d have had to make two trips."
Xinghua felt Li Xiulan was truly amazing. The list was very clear, and she could finish everything tomorrow just by following it.
The group began offering advice for her list, and finally, they drafted a proper inventory. With this in hand, Xinghua felt much more confident.
"You have quite a lot of things to bring back. I think it’s better not to cram onto the bus; the driver won't let you on if you have too much stuff. I’ll go to the Brigade Leader’s house in a bit. He has an ox cart, so I’ll borrow it. We can just pay the Brigade Leader for the transport."
Feng Sixi had been listening to their discussion about the supplies from the side, so once they had finalized their plans, he went straight to the Brigade Leader’s house to borrow the ox cart.