After entering autumn, it was time to rush through making winter clothes. Ah Xu took the money Xu Yi had given him and went to the clothing shop to buy cotton. Cotton was expensive, a string of cash couldn’t even buy a few jin.
The cotton tree, also called “spotted branch flower” or “wood cotton tree,” was cultivated in the outskirts of Yanting County. Although the planted area wasn’t extensive, most of the annual production still had to be sent as tribute.
The Records of Song Institutions documented: “Order the various prefectures of Sichuan and Shaanxi to cease weaving various types of exquisite silk textiles as tribute, and only weave damask, gauze, silk, plain silk, camel cloth, cotton, etc.” The “cotton” mentioned here referred to kapok cotton, which shows just how expensive cotton was at the time.
Xu Yi had originally planned to buy more hemp, which was the common people’s first choice for keeping warm in winter. However, hemp wasn’t as good as cotton. Stuffing too much made clothes bulky and inconvenient for movement, while stuffing too little couldn’t ward off much of the severe cold.
Besides, he still had most of the silver and paper certificates left over from selling the agarwood last time.
No matter how much he wanted to save, he wouldn’t shortchange himself and the two children.
On this end, Ah Xu bought the cotton and cotton cloth, then brought Ah Jin to knock on Madam He’s door.
Madam He happened to be feeding chickens in the courtyard. Seeing them arrive carrying a pile of things, she immediately stood up to open the door.
“Why bring so many things? Is this newly bought cotton?” Madam He thought for a moment and understood what was happening. She asked them, “Did Brother Yi send you over to have me tailor new clothes for you?”
Ah Jin nodded obediently and said, “We’re troubling Madam He. Our master said to make two outfits for my brother and me, and when he returns, to make one for him.”
Madam He said, “Come inside first. Let me take a look for you.”
After speaking, she took the cotton from Ah Jin’s hands.
The cotton looked fluffy and soft but wasn’t heavy. After entering the house, Madam He opened the bundle and looked at the cotton wadding clustered inside. She pinched it and found no hard objects. The quality seemed acceptable.
She said with satisfaction, “This much cotton is enough to make several outfits.”
Ah Xu said, “Madam He, please measure my sister’s height first.”
He told Madam He that their master required the winter clothes to be narrow-sleeved long robes with fitted collars, needing two inner layers, one for stuffing cotton and another layer of cotton cloth sewn inside to thicken the clothes.
As for the labor fee, it should follow market rate, so she couldn’t secretly give them a discount.
Upon hearing this, Madam He covered her mouth and smiled. That child Xu Yi was just like this. Even after becoming so familiar, he still worried about her suffering losses.
“Just go back and tell your master that whatever the going rate is outside, that’s what I’ll charge. Tell him not to worry.” As Madam He spoke, she beckoned Ah Jin forward.
She pinched Ah Jin’s arm and sighed that she had grown taller and gained more flesh. The clothes couldn’t be made to fit exactly. They needed to be made longer. She would leave an extra two inches of fabric sewn at the sleeves and bottom of the robe, so when the child grew taller next winter, they could unpick the seams and continue wearing them.
She measured the tailoring dimensions for the two siblings. Cutting and sewing clothes would take time, so Madam He said that once she finished making them in the next couple of days, she would bring them over to the Xu household.
Ah Xu and Ah Jin nodded. They hadn’t forgotten Xu Yi’s instructions. Before leaving the He household, they left eight wen for Madam He, saying this was to treat her to hot tea, not labor fees.
Madam He: “…”
…
Xu Yi brought Little Huang up the mountain. Little Huang hadn’t followed him up the mountain to play in a long time. Once he released the rope, Little Huang was like an unrestrained wild horse, happily running into the forest.
Little Huang would run about, then come back to find Xu Yi. One person and one dog quickly found what they wanted in this mountain where no one else was present.
, Cold-dispelling medicinal herbs.
Among them were the wild ginger, asarum, evodia, and fennel that Xu Yi wanted.
The fennel could not only be made into cold-dispelling medicine but was also a spice. Finding it was an unexpected bonus. Following the principle that since he’d already encountered it, there was no reason not to collect it, Xu Yi dug it all up.
By the time the autumn equinox passed and late autumn arrived, the county’s weather would only grow colder.
Poor common people had difficulty keeping warm, and the number of people catching colds would only increase.
The prices of medicinal herbs had already fluctuated a few days ago. If he didn’t stock up on more herbs now, when prices rose later, poor people would be even more reluctant to seek medical treatment.
Lost in thought, Xu Yi’s hands didn’t stop moving. He dug up two wild ginger plants that had grown together, broke off their rhizomes (root bulbs), wiped away the dirt on them, and tossed them into the bamboo basket behind him.
Then he continued searching for medicinal herbs in the vicinity.
Xu Yi never touched those that weren’t yet mature. When he saw them, he would make a mark nearby and check again next time. If they had grown to a harvestable maturity, he would dig them up; otherwise, he would continue to leave them.
Stopping and starting, Xu Yi stayed on the mountain for four hours.
Hunger pangs came from his abdomen. Xu Yi stopped, sat down on a rock, took out the water he’d brought from the bamboo basket, washed his hands, and opened the flatbread tucked in his shirt. He ate the cold bread with cold water.
In the past, he would never have courted death like this.
Now conditions didn’t allow it, so he could only make do.
He broke off half and tossed it to Little Huang. Little Huang’s palate had become spoiled these past days. Seeing this half piece of cold bread, he whimpered pitifully.
Xu Yi: “If you don’t eat it, there’s nothing else.”
“Wuu wuu wuu~” Little Huang placed his front paws on Xu Yi’s knee and whined while wagging his tail coquettishly.
From that appearance, he seemed to want dried meat.
Xu Yi looked at the two black paw prints on his clothes and fell silent for quite a while.
“Ah Xu and Ah Jin work hard washing clothes every day, and you’re still making trouble.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and complained helplessly. If only there were a washing machine now.
Little Huang wagged his tail and stuck out his tongue, tilting his fluffy head with an “I don’t understand” expression, his mind filled only with dried meat.
Xu Yi hadn’t had time to bring dried meat when he came out today, but he did have candy. He unwrapped one and fed it to Little Huang. After eating the candy, Little Huang finally stopped acting coquettish.
Xu Yi clicked his tongue twice: “…” The candy was more effective than his words.
After eating the cold bread, Xu Yi planned to continue exploring the area.
He hadn’t walked far when he heard “fluttering” sounds.
There were ditches and gullies in the mountains, and small streams in the lower areas. Although the streams weren’t large, small animals would go to the streams to drink water.
This commotion sounded like some small animal was nearby.
Xu Yi signaled Little Huang to be quiet. Little Huang had also heard the sound and alertly fell silent.
They approached the nearby stream one in front of the other. Through the grass, they saw two wild pheasants by the river.
The tail feathers of the wild pheasants were very beautiful, and their body feathers displayed brilliant, colorful patterns under the dappled sunlight. They walked by the river without a care, pecking at food on the ground from time to time, occasionally spreading their wings. The “fluttering” sounds came from this.
Little Huang crouched down, his gaze locked on the two wild pheasants.
Seeing this, Xu Yi patted him and gestured an instruction, telling him to lie down and not move.
He quietly set the bamboo basket on the ground and pulled out the bow and arrows inside. Removing the outer cloth, he drew the wooden bow and aimed in the direction of the wild pheasants.
If this had been Xu Yi from half a year ago, upon seeing wild pheasants, his first thought would have been that these things were Class II protected animals and couldn’t be touched.
Half a year later? Well, having meat to eat was better than having none. Wild pheasant didn’t taste bad, and when braised, the aroma was more fragrant than domestically raised chicken.
Last time, half of the one Zhang Tiegou had sent ended up in his stomach.
He half-closed his eyes, aimed at one of them, and released the arrow in his hand.
“Whoosh, “
The wooden arrow passed through the grass, bringing with it a slight breeze. At this moment, the wild pheasant that had been leisurely foraging for food sensed danger and fluttered its wings trying to escape.
Xu Yi understood his archery skills well. Relying on himself alone to catch the wild pheasant wouldn’t work.
He immediately gave Little Huang a command: “Go.”
Hearing his words, Little Huang shot out with a “whoosh,” running in front of the startled wild pheasant and viciously biting its wing.
“Cluck cluck… flutter…”
“Cluck cluck…”
Taking advantage of the chaos, Xu Yi raised his bow again and shot two arrows in succession. One of them successfully hit its mark.
After being shot by Xu Yi, the fluttering wild pheasant soon convulsed a few times and stopped moving.
Little Huang carried the wild pheasant in his mouth and happily ran toward Xu Yi.
He placed the prey on the ground and barked happily at Xu Yi: “Woof woof woof.” Clearly waiting for Xu Yi to praise him.
Xu Yi smiled and rubbed him, praising him a few times before going forward to pick up the wild pheasant. The wooden arrow had hit its side abdomen; a fatal strike.
He picked up the other wooden arrows, went to the stream to wash them clean, and put them in the arrow tube.
“Little Huang, let’s go back.”
He called out to Little Huang, who was still searching everywhere for prey.
Carrying the bamboo basket and holding the wild pheasant, he descended the mountain with a full load.
…
When Xu Yi reached the foot of the mountain, he put the wild pheasant in the bamboo basket. On the way back, he chatted with Old Liu about his plans for the near future.
Xu Yi asked Old Liu, “In a few days, when it gets colder, I won’t be going up the mountain. Old Liu, do you have other uses for your cart?”
Old Liu said, “Ever since I rented the cart to Doctor Xu, I haven’t dared to presume to take it elsewhere for use. At most, if someone in the village needs it, I’ll haul goods and such, but it won’t delay Doctor Xu’s use of the cart.”
Xu Yi said he didn’t mind.
Although he wouldn’t be going up the mountain, he would occasionally still need the cart. However, communication was inconvenient these days. Old Liu didn’t live in the county town, so the cart couldn’t be used at any time. If he had Old Liu come into town to find him every day, Xu Yi feared it would be too much trouble for Old Liu.
Hearing that this was what he was worried about, Old Liu smiled and said he could solve it.
“Since Doctor Xu doesn’t mind me using the cart elsewhere, I can bring scattered passengers into town early in the morning, drop them off, then come find you. That way it won’t be a wasted trip.”
Xu Yi nodded. “In that case, let’s do it Old Liu’s way.”
The ox cart could seat several scattered passengers, earning a few wen per trip. For Old Liu, this had only benefits and no drawbacks. Moreover, later on, he could even pull another cartload of people out of the city and earn a few more wen.
After entering the city, Old Liu told Xu Yi to buy some pork fat to render lard.
“I just got word that the butcher who goes to the village to buy pigs for slaughter is going to raise his pork prices. Doctor Xu, you should buy more early, so you won’t have to spend more money buying lard later.”
Xu Yi thought this made sense. This was his first year spending winter in Yanting County, so there were many things he wasn’t quite clear about.
With Old Liu’s words, he had a vague feeling that not only lard but other daily necessities would probably also increase in price.
Xu Yi nodded in agreement, planning to take money to the butcher’s the next day to buy a slab of pork fat. One slab of pork fat could render a pot of lard, which, according to Xu Yi household’s daily usage, could last two months.
After getting off the cart, Xu Yi said goodbye to Old Liu and returned home, telling Ah Xu to boil a kettle of water.
“I hunted a wild pheasant on the mountain.” Xu Yi smiled and took out the wild pheasant to show them.
The moment Ah Xu and Ah Jin saw the wild pheasant, they exclaimed softly with joy, their eyes bright and shining as they stared at the pheasant while drooling.
Speaking of which, they used to be pitiful children that everyone in their village knew about. After coming to the Xu household, if those village children knew what kind of life they were living now, they would definitely be green with envy.
“Master, master, I’ll handle it.” Ah Xu happily ran to the kitchen to boil water.
Ah Jin went to prepare the seasonings for making the pheasant.
Ginger, scallions, and garlic, none could be missing.
Ah Jin was becoming increasingly skilled at handling these. Wielding the cleaver with practiced ease, she chopped garlic paste with “thunk thunk thunk” sounds. After three months of practicing martial arts, the strength in her arms had increased greatly. Holding the cleaver and working away, she wasn’t tired at all.
She prepared all the seasonings. The water boiling on the stove was just coming to a boil. Ah Xu poured the water into a basin and soaked the wild pheasant in the hot water.
Xu Yi changed his clothes and came out to see Ah Xu and Ah Jin crouching by the basin plucking chicken feathers.
He looked at them with gentle eyes for quite a while, then turned and went to the bamboo basket to begin processing the medicinal herbs he’d brought down from the mountain.
Dried ginger needed to be processed. Processing methods included directly slicing and sun-drying, or salt-curing before sun-drying, among others. Directly slicing and sun-drying was the most commonly used method, but to achieve the best medicinal effects required repeated steaming and sun-drying.
That is to say, three processings, or nine processings. Nine-processed dried ginger was the most troublesome and tedious, requiring nine steamings and nine sun-dryings to complete.
Xu Yi never feared trouble when processing medicine, especially when thinking about how nine-processed dried ginger had the best effects, he was actually somewhat looking forward to it.
He washed the wild ginger he’d dug up clean, dried it with a cloth, and put it in a wooden basin.
Taking the wooden basin into the kitchen, he pulled out the medicine-cutting knife he’d commissioned last time. Holding the wild ginger in one hand and gripping the knife handle with the other, he quickly sliced the wild ginger into pieces.
The sliced ginger pieces were placed in a steaming pot to steam until cooked, then spread on winnowing baskets to dry.
After processing the wild ginger, he went to process the asarum.
Asarum only required the roots, so there was no need to chop them. They could be dried directly as whole roots.
He kept only a small portion of the fennel to use fresh as seasoning, planning to add it to the braised wild pheasant later for flavoring. The rest he washed clean and hung on hemp rope under the eaves to air-dry naturally.
Time passed quickly.
Before long, Xu Yi smelled the aroma of chicken. Outside, the sky gradually darkened. Ah Jin entered the room, lit the oil lamp, and by the way added a spoonful of oil to the lamp dish.
“Is the wild pheasant ready?” Xu Yi sniffed and asked Ah Jin, who had come in to light the lamp.
Ah Jin smiled sweetly and answered, “Master, it’s almost ready.”
After speaking, she ran over to help Xu Yi sun-dry the medicinal herbs.
She stood on tiptoe to spread the herbs evenly on the winnowing basket. When her height wasn’t enough, she just spread the herbs and let Xu Yi place the baskets on the rack.
The two cooperated together, and before long, all the remaining medicinal herbs were processed.
Xu Yi twisted his neck and moved his hands and feet, saying, “Today we’ll eat inside the house. Take this fennel to Ah Xu and have him add it to the pot for flavoring.”
Ah Jin responded and took the fennel, trotting outside to find Ah Xu.
At this time, in the Chen household next door.
Chen Erwang smelled waves of meat aroma. His expression was gloomy, but his throat involuntarily rolled. He swallowed his saliva and turned back to see Madam Chen making mixed porridge mush, snorting with disdain.
Madam Chen pretended not to hear and continued busying herself with the work at hand.
At this time, Chen Erwang couldn’t sit still again and paced back and forth in the room.
Unable to wait for Madam Chen to speak to him first, he couldn’t help but speak up: “Aren’t you usually friendly with that Xu kid? How come I don’t see him giving you the sewing work, but giving it to the He family instead?”
Madam Chen didn’t even lift her head. The matter of Xu Yi having Ah Xu and Ah Jin take fabric and cotton to the He household today, she had learned about it when she went to chat with Madam He, saw her busy tailoring clothes, and asked about it.
But she didn’t know how Chen Erwang had learned of it.
“My sewing skills don’t compare to Madam He’s. Brother Yi is kindhearted, not stupid. He knows who to give such work to.” Madam Chen said calmly, lifting her eyes to look at him. “Whatever scheme you’re plotting in your heart, you’d better swallow it back down honestly and don’t drag me down with you.”
Chen Erwang rebutted somewhat guiltily, “How would I dare? Last time when he wouldn’t treat me, I suffered quite a bit.”
Madam Chen glared at him. “You still say you’re not scheming? A few days ago you went to find Auntie and were secretly chatting about something, did you think I wouldn’t know? Have you set your sights on Auntie’s daughter?”
Chen Erwang’s eyes widened in shock: “!!!”
“You… how did you know?”
Madam Chen laughed without humor. “You don’t visit the temple without a reason. Auntie is normally very stingy, only eating others’ food, who could extract anything from her hands? Yesterday, why did she suddenly bring things to visit, asking about Brother Yi’s affairs in veiled terms? I thought about it, and aside from that daughter of hers, I couldn’t think of anything else that would motivate her.”
Chen Erwang’s auntie didn’t live in the city but in a small village outside the city. Without someone mentioning it to her, how would she know about a talent like Xu Yi?
Especially since this auntie had very high standards, always wanting her daughter to marry up and climb to a good connection. Although Xu Yi’s family was on South Street, he was a county town resident with abilities. In outsiders’ eyes, his household even had maidservants and manservants, it sounded extraordinary.
No matter what Chen Erwang told her, with such conditions, she had definitely taken notice.
What worried Madam Chen was that Auntie had no sense of propriety. She only saw what she wanted and didn’t know shame. She might very well bring a matchmaker over to propose a match!
Madam Chen said coldly, “No, you must tell Auntie that there’s nothing wrong with her daughter wanting to choose a good husband, but she can’t set her sights on Brother Yi. Otherwise, we’re getting divorced.”
“What?” Upon hearing this, Chen Erwang was so shocked that he froze completely. After several seconds he came to his senses. “You woman, you actually dare divorce me?”
“That’s right. In this world, can only men cast out their wives? Can’t women seek divorce?” When Madam Chen said these words, her hands hidden in her sleeves trembled slightly.
Day and night she looked at this person, her disgust growing stronger each day. If she could have her way, she wasn’t afraid of being scorned, she would divorce him. So what?
Chen Erwang cursed angrily, “You’re just an ignorant village woman. If you hadn’t married me, could you have come to live in the county town? Living the good life of a proper lady? What, now that I’ve lost my accounting work, you look down on me?
Let me tell you, no way! You… you… shrew, unreasonable, actually daring to talk about divorce, truly ignorant, unspeakably stupid…”
Chen Erwang was so angry his words became jumbled, cursing whatever came to mind.
Not satisfied with just cursing, he raised his foot and kicked over the stool beside Madam Chen.
“Clang”, a muffled sound.
In the dim room, the atmosphere became tense and precarious.
Chen Erwang looked at Madam Chen, who was staring at him defiantly. A ball of fury rose in his chest, and he raised his hand to strike her.
How could Madam Chen just stand there and let him hit her? Seeing him raise his hand, she turned and raised the cooking cleaver toward him.
“You dare!”
“Chen Erwang, if you dare hit me, tomorrow I’ll go to the yamen and report you to the officials, saying you bullied me. Even if you bully me, I’m not afraid. Rather than living so miserably, I might as well lose my life early.”
Seeing her raise the knife, Chen Erwang was frightened and his imposing manner deflated. He didn’t dare actually hit her.
“Put the knife down! That knife has no eyes, what if it hurts someone?”
“…” Madam Chen looked at him wordlessly. So timid and cowardly, this really wasn’t the behavior of a real man.
Arguing with such a person, Madam Chen felt she was also stupid. After so many years, she still didn’t understand his nature.
She put down the raised cleaver and said coldly, “Tomorrow you go see Auntie and tell her she’s not allowed to disturb Brother Yi. Otherwise, I’ll still fight you to the death.”
Cold sweat broke out on Chen Erwang, and he hurriedly said, “Fine, fine, fine, I’ll listen to you. Just put the knife down quickly.”
…
Next door at the Xu household, Xu Yi and the others heard a commotion. Ah Jin frowned and asked what was going on.
Ah Xu shook his head. Chewing the chicken in his mouth, he said, “Seems like Madam Chen and Uncle Chen are arguing again.”
Ah Jin blinked. “Why does Madam Chen always argue with Uncle Chen? Did Uncle Chen do something to wrong Madam Chen?”
Xu Yi: “…”
“Cough cough cough.”
He immediately pretended to cough, reminding them, “This is Madam Chen’s family matter. If you see Madam Chen and she doesn’t bring it up, you must not ask.”
Ah Xu said, “Master, I understand.”
Ah Jin also said, “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, I won’t speak carelessly.”
Hearing their answers, Xu Yi nodded in approval and told them to eat properly.
His hearing was good. They hadn’t deliberately lowered their voices, so Xu Yi still heard some of it.
Although not entirely clear, it seemed… Madam Chen wanted to divorce Chen Erwang?
Current times were harsh toward women. Women were always in a subordinate position in marriage. Men taking concubines, keeping mistresses and bed warmers were all considered reasonable. As the principal wife, one couldn’t be jealous or envious, otherwise one would be cursed as a jealous woman. Wanting a divorce was also difficult. As long as the man didn’t agree, then divorce had almost no chance. However, he could seize upon a fault and cast out his wife.
Xu Yi fell silent, then sighed.
Women who were cast out by their husbands or divorced often didn’t have good lives afterward. Of course, there were also those who lived better lives, but it was too difficult.
…
The next day at dawn, Xu Yi was about to go out. At the Chen household next door, Chen Erwang was also leaving. Seeing Xu Yi, his expression was awkward. Not daring to say much, he left Stone Well Lane with a dry laugh.
Xu Yi thought about his expression, puzzled about what guilty deed the other had done, when he saw Madam Chen also come out.
Madam Chen had suffered from a sleepless night. Now seeing Xu Yi, she paused somewhat dazedly.
“Madam Chen?” Xu Yi called to her.
Only then did Madam Chen come back to her senses. Offering an apologetic bow, she said softly, “Brother Yi, you must have heard the argument last night.”
Xu Yi blinked innocently: “…”
Madam Chen continued, “This matter is originally a family disgrace, not fit for others to hear, but since it involves you, I think it’s better to let you know.”
That Chen Erwang was both cowardly and timid. He might not be able to talk down Auntie, who had such a glib tongue.
If he couldn’t dissuade Auntie, she would inevitably harbor designs later. It was better to tell Xu Yi so he could be mentally prepared.
Xu Yi said, “Madam Chen, please speak freely.”
Madam Chen’s face showed embarrassment, but she still quietly told him about the matter between Chen Erwang and his auntie.
Xu Yi: “?”
He seemed to instantly understand why, in such a living environment, Madam Chen still wanted to divorce Chen Erwang.
Could Chen Erwang be any more stupid?
And so on this day, before Xu Yi could go to the butcher to buy pork fat, he first heard a bellyful of gossip at his doorstep.
And it was gossip related to him. Only now did he realize he was very popular on South Street.
Families with daughters all wondered if they could find a son-in-law like Xu Yi. If people didn’t know Xu Yi was still in his mourning period, who knows, the courtyard gate of the Xu household might have already been trampled through by various matchmakers.
He took a deep breath. “Thank you for the warning, Madam Chen.”
Madam Chen waved her hand and said with some emotion, “You and I are of different generations. I originally thought I would have nothing to talk about with a young scholar like you who has read books. Who knew that sometimes you would turn around and console us, understanding the hardships of us women.”
Xu Yi smiled modestly. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he scratched his head. There was no helping it, studying Chinese medicine also required studying psychology.
For some emotional ailments, sometimes the doctor had to provide counseling. This was his occupational responsibility.
Xu Yi said, “Madam Chen must still broaden her heart. Prolonged melancholy blocks the pulse channels, easily causing poor qi and blood circulation and accumulating stagnation into illness.”
poor madam chen, i really pity her