Volume One, Chapter 16: Uncertain Which Old Friend Came to Mind

“L-let go of me!”

Jiao’s heart was filled with terror. “I am your grandmother; you can’t treat me like this! My arm—it’s about to break! I won’t sell that girl, Tian Tian. Y-you, let go!”

“Master...”

Yin Tiantian called out to him anxiously. He snapped back to his senses and released Jiao’s hold.

“Master, are you alright?”

Cui Heng’s hands trembled. Yin Tiantian took his hand gently. “Master is fine now. Grandmother wasn’t really trying to sell me, so don’t be angry!”

Yin Tiantian sensed that his anger wasn’t truly directed at her, but rather he seemed to be blaming himself through her. Yet she couldn’t guess the reason for his self-reproach.

“Tiantian, please ask the outsider to leave.”

The only outsider in the courtyard was Jiao herself.

Outside the door, some villagers had gathered to watch the commotion. Yin Tiantian agreed and called out.

“Grandmother, if you still have any shame left, leave my house! We will never return to the Shen family; give up on that hope! As for filial piety, there are so many in the Shen family. Do you really think that without my parents, you and the old master will starve to death?”

“How dare you speak to me like that? Are you cursing me to die?”

Jiao was reluctant to give up; after all, it was ten taels of silver. These days, selling a grandson wouldn’t necessarily fetch ten taels!

“Have you forgotten the last time you came? The moment you heard the Hou family might return, you ran off immediately. When the county officials came this time, didn’t you hide outside for days? Are you truly sincere about reconnecting with our ancestors? Aren’t you afraid the Hou family might come after you?”

“You were the mastermind behind the child swap. My parents had no idea. Do you think the Hou family won’t punish you? Father, mother, young master, why don’t we pack our things and move back to the old Shen family residence now? If the Hou family comes after us in the future, with grandmother bearing the brunt, once the noble patrons of the Hou family have vented their anger, maybe they won’t trouble the young master anymore!”

“Grandmother, what do you think?”

Jiao was so frightened that she kept retreating step by step as Yin Tiantian advanced. With every step Yin Tiantian took, Jiao stepped back.

“Sacrificing you might calm the noble patrons of the Hou family. Maybe the young master will even pass the imperial exams and bring glory to our Shen family! Grandmother, have you really thought this through?”

Jiao retreated beyond the doorway and then turned to flee—her speed betraying a desperate fear of being caught.

Yin Tiantian glanced at Wang Cuihua, who was still peering outside to watch, then slammed the door shut, locking Chen Ergou outside.

“Tiantian, open the door! I picked some persimmons from the mountain to share with you!”

Ergou had gathered a few persimmons in his clothes and approached the Shen family’s gate.

Wang Cuihua couldn’t help but kick him in the rear.

“You good-for-nothing! Why did you hide that day? If you’d kowtowed, you could have gotten money. Why didn’t you earn that money?”

Chen Ergou felt terribly wronged.

“Mom, didn’t you grab my ear and drag me home? I wanted to protect Tiantian too…”

Wang Cuihua felt a knot of pain in her heart.

“Get lost! Didn’t you see they don’t want you around? How can those few worthless persimmons buy a bowl of meat soup?”

The aroma of food wafted from the Shen family kitchen, making Ergou reluctant to leave.

“I’m not here just for the meat soup!”

The excitement died down, and everyone dispersed, returning to their own homes and affairs.

Bone broth alone wasn’t enough to fill anyone’s stomach. Yin Tiantian used wild onions she’d picked from the mountain to cook pancakes, adding eggs so that the pancakes were golden on both sides and looked very appetizing.

When the meal was brought inside, Shen father and mother swallowed hard.

“Brother Heng, Tiantian, you two eat. I’m not hungry!”

“I’m not hungry either!”

Before their words even ended, both elders’ stomachs rumbled loudly.

Yin Tiantian pressed pancakes into their hands and served the meat-bone broth into their bowls.

“Eat when you’re hungry, drink when you’re thirsty. No need to save up. Money is earned, not saved. I can support our whole family with my embroidery! So that the young master can have bone broth every day!”

The most expensive pork was the fatty meat used for rendering lard, followed by lean meat, then bones, which were cheapest. There was even cheaper stuff—pig offal, which could be bought for just a few coins, but it was hard to prepare and smelled strong. Worried the young master wouldn’t tolerate it, she hadn’t bought any.

“Next time, I’ll buy some fatty meat to render more lard. We’re almost out of the oil we made last time!”

“Next year, we can plant some rapeseed for oil!”

When Shen father and mother divided the family land, they got none, but they were industrious. Year after year, they reclaimed wasteland. Now they had two or three acres, though the barren land didn’t produce grain, only some beans with modest yields. After a few years of bean planting, with one more layer of fertilizer this year, they could try planting wheat.

“Father, our fertilizer is ready. Tomorrow I’ll take it to the fields. Let’s plant some wheat this year!”

At the mention of farming, the worry on Shen father’s face finally vanished.

“All right, we’ll follow Tiantian’s advice!”

Early the next morning, Shen father helped her carry fertilizer to the fields. Together, they tilled the land, and after the next rain, they could sow wheat. Next year, their family would have flour to eat!

After their work, Yin Tiantian resumed her embroidery, while Cui Heng used the paper and brushes sent by Mr. Song to paint.

When Yin Tiantian went to help clean up, she noticed all his paintings were of flowers.

“Master, what are you painting? Chrysanthemums?”

There were many varieties of chrysanthemums. Yin Tiantian was a rough sort, often ridiculed in the Hou family in her previous life. Later, when she learned embroidery, she recognized all the flowers.

She recognized the chrysanthemum Cui Heng was painting as the rare green peony chrysanthemum.

“Master, do you like this chrysanthemum? I can embroider it for you!”

In previous years, the Hou family would have received many banquet invitations around this time, where exquisite chrysanthemums would be admired. Unfortunately, this year the young master couldn’t attend the banquets to enjoy the flowers. No matter—she could embroider one for him to see!

Cui Heng said nothing. Yin Tiantian stretched the embroidery cloth again and, following his painting, stitched the flower with green silk thread. Cui Heng stared out the window, lost in thought. When he came back to himself, Yin Tiantian had already embroidered a blooming green peony chrysanthemum, identical to the flower king she had seen at that year’s banquet.

“How did you know to use green thread?”

Cui Heng’s gaze finally focused, resting on her embroidery with surprise.

The green peony chrysanthemum was precious; many had never seen a green chrysanthemum.

“Ah, master, didn’t you just say to use green thread?”

Yin Tiantian countered. Cui Heng’s eyebrows knitted slightly, as if doubting.

Almost exposed!

Yin Tiantian brought the finished cloth over to him.

“Master, I’ve never seen this flower before. How do you think I did?”

On the smooth silk fabric bloomed a green peony chrysanthemum. Cui Heng was somewhat entranced.

“Without this piece of fabric, can you submit it to the embroidery workshop?”

Yin Tiantian had used leftover fabric from the workshop, and he worried for her.

“Don’t worry, master. It’s acceptable! I used the leftover fabric from last time!”

Seeing him pleased, Yin Tiantian felt happy too. After finishing dinner, she sat down to continue her embroidery.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Cui Heng staring blankly at the embroidered green chrysanthemum.

She wondered which old acquaintance he was recalling.