The meal was cooked, and the mother and daughter woke up.

 

Breakfast consisted of radishes, cabbage, and porridge.

 

The vegetables were brought over by Aunt Wu in the morning, thinking they might not have anything to eat at home, so she brought some over. She originally wanted to invite them to eat at her house, but Jiang Mingchuan didn’t agree. Just him and He Yan were fine, but now there were two more mouths, and he felt it would be troublesome.

 

The family of four ate quietly.

 

Halfway through the meal, Jin Xiuzhu couldn’t help but gently pat the back of the girl beside her. “When sitting, keep your back straight, don’t hunch your shoulders. Hold the bowl with one hand, chew slowly, and swallow quietly without making any noise.”

 

Hearing this, Fu Yanyan turned her head to look at Jin Xiuzhu. In her memory, Jin Xiuzhu had never taught her anything.

 

But she still followed Jin Xiuzhu’s instructions.

 

Jin Xiuzhu glanced at her with satisfaction, scooped some vegetables into her bowl, and said gently, “It’s okay at home, but if you’re a guest in someone else’s house, don’t always take the dishes you like. Limit yourself to three servings per dish, and don’t let others see your preferences…”

 

These were the rules she had learned in the Marquis’s mansion. In her opinion, one should learn from the good things and change the bad ones.

 

Although she didn’t like many of the rules in the Marquis’s mansion, she had indeed benefited a lot from many aspects.

 

He Yan sitting beside her, also heard it. Subconsciously, he glanced at Jiang Mingchuan, sitting across from him. He was sensitive by nature and wasn’t sure if this aunt was implying something about him.

 

Because he tended to make noise when eating.

 

Jiang Mingchuan glanced at Jin Xiuzhu and said to He Yan, “Your aunt is not wrong. You should learn as well.”

 

It’s always better to have someone to teach than to have no one to care. A household still needed a woman. He usually never paid attention to these things.

 

He Yan softly agreed.

 

After the meal, when Jiang Mingchuan was about to leave, he took out something wrapped in a red cloth from his pocket and told Jin Xiuzhu, “I heard from the neighbor’s wife while fetching water just now that there’s a bus to the county town in the morning. If you want to go, you can go with them. We can get some things we need at home and buy clothes for the two kids.” He paused for a moment and added, “Also, get yourself some clothes too.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t bother with pleasantries. She took the red cloth and opened it. Inside were some bills and tickets, scattered and adding up to less than two hundred yuan. A hint of disdain flickered in her eyes. In this world, it might be a lot for many people, but for her, who was used to spending money lavishly, it was too little.

 

Jiang Mingchuan felt a bit embarrassed. “I haven’t saved much money before. I’ll try to save more in the future.”

 

After all, with a big family to support, things were indeed different from before.

 

After some thought, he decided to call his foster parents in the capital to let them know that he wouldn’t send money back home in the future.

 

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t know what he was thinking. She silently calculated how to get through the days ahead.

 

After washing the dishes, Jin Xiuzhu took the two children next door. Qian Yufeng next door was still thinking about whether to go to the Jiangs’ house to inquire, but unexpectedly, they came over instead.

 

Seeing Jin Xiuzhu, she warmly greeted her, “Come in and sit down, sister. I’ll just change my shoes and then we can go out.”

 

Aunt Wu, seeing Jin Xiuzhu with the two children, kindly offered, “Do you want to leave the children at my place? They’re so young; it might not be convenient for them to go with you. Daya and I can take care of them at home.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t think much about it and looked at He Yan and Fu Yanyan. “What do you think? Should we go to the county town or leave you at home?”

 

Fu Yanyan remained silent but leaned closer to her. He Yan noticed and whispered, “I’ll go with my Aunt.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu then said, “Let’s go together. These two kids are well-behaved, and there’s nothing inconvenient about bringing them along.”

 

She never had the chance to go out and play as a child. Later, in the Marquis’s mansion, she was confined to the small courtyard all day. Every time she went out, it would make her happy for a long time.

 

Mrs. Wu wasn’t displeased with the rejection. She was just a bit surprised that this young daughter-in-law would let the children decide for themselves and that in just one day, He Yan had begun to warm up to her.

 

Although He Yan had been living with her family for nearly half a year and was indeed sensible, there wasn’t much closeness between them. She could understand it, though. She had heard from Captain Jiang that He Yan’s father had died when he was four years old.

 

His mother remarried, taking half of the subsidy, and He Yan lived with his grandmother at his uncle’s house. When Captain Jiang went to see him, he found the little boy standing on a stool, skillfully cooking, looking as thin as a skeleton. At his uncle’s house, he could only eat after the rest of the family had finished, had nowhere to sleep, and spent the nights alone in the yard, without even a shed.

 

When Captain Jiang proposed to take He Yan away, the whole family was unwilling.

 

“Go ahead, accompany Yufeng and explore. She’s familiar with the county town.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu crisply agreed.

 

Qian Yufeng took her to the gate, where a green car was waiting. It was somewhat similar to the carriage Jin Xiuzhu had ridden before, but much larger and without any horses pulling it.

 

Jin Xiuzhu and Qian Yufeng lifted the two children into the back of the car, then climbed up themselves.

 

There were other people inside, but Qian Yufeng wasn’t very familiar with them. She greeted one of the women and then took Jin Xiuzhu to sit in a corner. She said to her, “We’ll arrive at the county town around nine o’clock. The car will return at eleven o’clock, so we don’t have much time to shop. If you want to buy something, tell me now, and I’ll take you to see it directly later.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t stand on ceremony, “I want to buy clothes and seasonings. Both me and the children don’t have any clothes to wear.”

 

Qian Yufeng nodded, “You can directly buy the seasonings from the supply and marketing cooperative. The county town’s cooperative is large and has everything. As for clothes, let’s go to the department store, but the ready-to-wear clothes there are expensive. Our family usually just buys fabric and makes them ourselves.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu agreed with a nod, “Okay.”

 

The car drove along the mountain road, swaying uncomfortably. Fortunately, it was faster than taking a boat.

 

The driver deliberately dropped them off at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative. After getting off, Qian Yufeng took Jin Xiuzhu and rushed inside. Since the Spring Festival had just passed, there were many people visiting relatives, so they had to hurry to buy things.

 

Jin Xiuzhu instructed He Yan to wait with his sister at the door while she went in to make purchases. “No running around. I’ll buy you some candy later.”

 

He Yan held Fu Yanyan’s hand and nodded obediently. “Auntie, my sister and I will wait for you here.”

 

Without a second thought, Fu Yanyan shook off his hand.

 

He Yan wasn’t angry, thinking his sister was still not familiar with him.

 

Jin Xiuzhu followed Qian Yufeng as they squeezed into the crowded throngs of people. Qian Yufeng was experienced, leading Jin Xiuzhu deftly through the crowd until they reached the innermost part. Qian Yufeng didn’t buy anything for herself, but she helped Jin Xiuzhu buy sugar, soy sauce, vinegar…

 

Qian Yufeng had assumed Jin Xiuzhu, coming from the countryside, would be frugal, but she was surprised to find that Jin Xiuzhu was more extravagant in her shopping than city wives. However, being extravagant was better than being stingy; Jin Xiuzhu wasn’t one to take advantage of others.

 

After finishing their shopping there, they headed to the department store. Jin Xiuzhu came out and explained to the two children, “There’s nothing tasty inside. Let’s go home, and I’ll make something for you.”

 

These were words commonly used by adults to coax children, and neither of the two children nor Qian Yufeng took it seriously.

 

Although there were many people in the department store, it was spacious inside, and they didn’t have to squeeze. The first floor sold relatively inexpensive items like fabrics, shoes, fruits, candies, pastries, etc., so they headed to the second floor first.

 

There were fewer people on the second floor, but the items were relatively more expensive — watches, radios, ready-to-wear clothes, eyeglasses, etc.

 

There were a few people at the entrance of the watch store, but no one was looking at the radios. Jin Xiuzhu didn’t even know what it was. The store looked empty, and Jin Xiuzhu only learned from Qian Yufeng that the two small black gadgets on display in the store could tune in to radio news, but she didn’t really understand the specifics.

 

Jin Xiuzhu looked puzzled, and Qian Yufeng couldn’t explain clearly either. So she just pulled Jin Xiuzhu to the watch counter and pointed at the watches inside, saying, “Ask your man to buy you one of these. Nowadays, they give these as wedding gifts.”

 

She said with a sour face, “When I got married, Lao Wu gave my family a bag of rice. The battalion commander, on the other hand, bought a sewing machine for his wife. The more I think about it, the more I feel like I got the short end of the stick.”

 

“Sewing machine?”

 

“Yeah, it’s a great thing. You don’t need to sew clothes by hand anymore. Just press your foot a few times, and it’s done quickly and neatly.”

 

Curiosity flickered across Jin Xiuzhu’s face.

 

Fu Yanyan, who was standing nearby, heard these words and looked at Jin Xiuzhu with some concern, afraid that she might feel inferior. However, she seemed to have misunderstood. The current Jin Xiuzhu was very calm and said, “I don’t have money. It’s too expensive. We’ll talk about it when we have money in the future.”

 

Qian Yufeng expressed her understanding, “Okay, now let’s go look at some clothes.”

 

At the counter of the ready-made clothing store, the staff inside saw them coming, glanced at them, then directly turned their heads away, as if they hadn’t seen them.

 

Qian Yufeng felt a little unsure and asked, “Do you want to look some more?”

 

She only dared to show some face in front of Jin Xiuzhu. In front of these city people, she still felt a bit inferior.

 

Jin Xiuzhu glanced at the clothes hanging on the wall inside, feeling that the styles were simple. She could even make them with her eyes closed, and the fabric wasn’t very good either. In the past, she wouldn’t have spared them a second glance.

 

She directly pulled Qian Yufeng away, “Let’s go downstairs and buy some fabric. I’ll make them myself.”

 

Qian Yufeng was surprised, “You can make clothes?”

 

“A little.”

 

Qian Yufeng smiled, “If you don’t know, you can ask my mother-in-law. She knows how. All the clothes in our family are made by her hands. When she was young, she served as a maid for a landlord and learned needlework from an old nanny for a few years.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu nodded, and the group went downstairs. There were several counters selling fabric downstairs, all of which could be touched.

 

Jin Xiuzhu spent all her fabric coupons and planned to make two sets of clothes for each member of the family of four. Qian Yufeng, who was beside her, was speechless. How could she spend money like this? Seeing Jin Xiuzhu still wanting to buy cotton, she quickly stopped her, “I’ll buy the cotton for you from the village. It’s much cheaper. Don’t spend money randomly.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu could only reluctantly put down the fabric.

 

In the end, the four of them returned home with full loads.

 

By the time they got back, it was already noon, and Jiang Mingchuan had already come back and prepared lunch.

 

Seeing Jin Xiuzhu bring back so much fabric, he opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn’t say anything. He just asked, “I’ve already submitted the marriage report. Once it’s approved, we’ll get our marriage certificate. How about having two tables in the canteen for the celebration? What do you think?”

 

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t know the customs here, so she just nodded. “I’ll leave it up to you.”

 

She didn’t pay much attention to these things. No matter how lively and grand the wedding was, many ended up in a miserable state. She had long understood a principle: no matter who she married, she had to keep her heart to herself for life to go smoothly. Men and children couldn’t be relied upon.

 

Jiang Mingchuan nodded, remembering something. “The captain invited us to dinner at his house tonight, so we don’t have to cook tonight.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu had long anticipated this moment, so she wasn’t surprised. “Alright, do we need to bring anything?”

 

“No need. The captain isn’t like that.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘like that’? Isn’t that basic courtesy?”

 

Jin Xiuzhu ignored him, grateful that she had prepared in advance.

 

After Jiang Mingchuan finished eating, he left. Jin Xiuzhu began to busily prepare. There weren’t many ingredients at home, only the flour and beans Jiang Mingchuan brought back last night.

 

Although Jin Xiuzhu wanted to make her favorite fried abalone-shaped pastries, it required milk, which they didn’t have. So, she had to make “golden cake” instead. Golden cake was the term used in the Marquis’ mansion. Mrs. Liu in the kitchen said it was called “bean cake” in her hometown.

 

When Jin Xiuzhu was a maid in the Marquis’ mansion, she dreamed every day of earning enough money to buy her freedom and start a small business outside. So, she tried to please the skilled old maids in the mansion, following them to learn some skills.

 

Because she served in the eldest son’s courtyard at that time, they were willing to teach her a little. Later, when she became the Marquis’ person, she secretly learned how to read and manage accounts from the old maids. She knew that those noble-born ladies in the mansion looked down on her behind her back, but so what? She wasn’t inferior to them. Even the Marquis praised her exceptional intelligence, but unfortunately, she was born a woman.

 

Jin Xiuzhu took out the soaked beans from the morning, added some water, and boiled them in a pot. While doing this, she and He Yan took all the stools and chairs from inside and placed them outside to dry. They also fetched a basin of water and cleaned both inside and outside the house.

 

By around two in the afternoon, she had cooled the cooked beans slightly and put them in soup bowls. Using a spatula, she stirred them into a fine bean paste. After preparing it, she put the bean paste in a pot, added white sugar, and kept stirring over low heat until it became a thick paste. Then, she scooped it up and put it on plates to cool.

 

Now that the weather was getting cooler, there was no need to specially chill it. After waiting for about half an hour, it solidified into a paste.

 

Jin Xiuzhu originally intended to give this to someone as a gift, so she soaked plenty of beans. She put a plate onto the cutting board and then sliced the frozen paste into small strips, arranging the nice-looking ones neatly on the plate, while the less appealing scraps were placed in two bowls for the children.

 

In the end, three plates were arranged nicely.

 

Jin Xiuzhu covered one of the plates with a golden cake using a bowl and instructed He Yan, “Take your sister and deliver this to your Aunt Qian’s house. Also, ask her if she has any clean jackets to lend me for the night. I’ll return them to her tomorrow.”

 

He Yan held the golden cake in his mouth, reluctant to swallow it. He listened attentively to Jin Xiuzhu’s words, then nodded vigorously, “Okay.”

 

Then he carefully carried the plate out, walking slowly, afraid of dropping it.

 

Fu Yanyan followed behind him.

 

The two children soon returned. Not only did He Yan hold a large green cotton jacket, but Fu Yanyan also wore a clean little jacket. Before Jin Xiuzhu could ask, He Yan hurriedly explained, “Grandma Wu gave it. It’s the jacket Xiao Jun wore when he was a child.”

 

He Yan blushed. Xiao Jun is at his home now. After taking a bite, he exclaimed how delicious it was and praised his new aunt for being so talented. He had never eaten anything so delicious before, which made He Yan feel very proud.

 

For the first time, he didn’t feel inferior in front of Xiao Jun. Now he also has parents. His mother could make delicious bean cakes, and he was no longer a pitiful child without a mother.

 

Jin Xiuzhu nodded in satisfaction and handed them two bowls, saying, “Take these to eat. But don’t eat too much at once, as it’s a cold snack after all.”

 

Fu Yanyan looked at her, belatedly realizing that she had been asked to come along just to ensure she also got a clean outfit.

 

But she didn’t understand why Jin Xiuzhu didn’t ask for two jackets at the same time.

 

The two little ones walked out holding their bowls, their faces showing disbelief. He Yan hadn’t expected such a large bowl to be his own, while Fu Yanyan hadn’t expected Jin Xiuzhu to cook. In her memory, Jin Xiuzhu had never done such things; she always said it was a waste of money.

 

As the evening approached and the sky darkened, Jiang Mingchuan returned.

 

Jin Xiuzhu had already changed her clothes and had even washed herself and the two children. She was neat and tidy. Seeing Jiang Mingchuan return, she hung a small basket containing a plate of bean cakes on her wrist and asked him, “Are we leaving now?”

 

She knew that people in this place were quite particular about certain things, so she had told the two children that this was called bean paste to avoid gossip.

 

Jiang Mingchuan suddenly saw Jin Xiuzhu, clean and neatly dressed, and couldn’t help but pause for a moment before saying, “Let’s go.”

 

Seeing the basket on her wrist, he asked in confusion, “What’s that?”

 

“I made some food myself. It’s not anything valuable. I just thought it wouldn’t be good to go empty-handed.”

 

Jiang Mingchuan nodded, “Hmm,” in response.

 

The family of four headed towards the family building ahead. Captain Wang’s family lived on the fourth floor. When they reached the fourth floor, the door at the staircase was open, and it seemed lively inside, as if many people were there.

 

Jin Xiuzhu looked at Jiang Mingchuan. She had thought from his tone that they were only inviting their family, but it seemed not.

 

Jiang Mingchuan also seemed a bit surprised. There was a hint of astonishment on his face, but he quickly regained his composure and said to her, “Let’s go in. If my sister-in-law says anything later, just smile.”

 

Jin Xiuzhu felt that he underestimated her. She wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

 

Little did they know that as soon as they entered, a voice greeted them cheerfully, “Hey, aren’t these Qian Yufeng’s clothes?”