Translated and given permission by MissQ to post on Puretl.com
Edited by Pure

Chapter 47: To the Market

“I heard that they will be setting sky lanterns on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, can we make a lantern as well?” Su Shuilian noticed some people walking around with materials used to make sky lanterns and became excited as she suggested to Lin Si Yao. 

Lin Si Yao smiled and nodded his head. As long as she likes, she can do anything. 

After, the two followed the paper that Su Shuilian had written the things to buy and went from store to store to purchase. 

“Shuilian jie…. Shuilian jie...”

Su Shuilian and Lin Si Yao both turned around and saw Xicui running towards them from a few meters away. 

“Xicui?” Looking at the currently bent and out of breath Xicui, Su Shuilian was confused; wasn’t she supposed to be handing in the embroidery piece? 

“Shuilian jie… phew, so tired...” Xicui took a while to regain her breaths as she excitedly reported, “Shuilian jie, you don’t know, but the pair of phoenixes piece, the embroidery house was very satisfied with it… The lady patron was so happy with it, she gave me an extra silver teal. Here, this is for you. If not for you, I would have never completed this!” Xicui said as she took out two silver taels from her pocket into Su Shuilian’s hands and honestly reported. 

“Silly girl, I said only to help, I don’t need any payment. You can keep the money for your dowry.” Su Shuilian smiled and shook her head as she said and handed back the money, “It’s fine, there are a lot of people, so put that money away.” 

“But….” Xicui shook her head, as she continued to insist, “There was no way for me to finish it myself, if not for you...”

“Fine, if you insist, then you are no longer welcome near my house.” Su Shuilian pretended to be angry as she threatened Xicui. In her heart, Su Shuilian’s impression of Xicui raised even more as she sincerely would like to be friends with her. Although she had poor communication skills in the past, that did not mean that she was clueless. Now that she was no longer Su’s House’s noble first miss, Su Shuilian naturally wanted to make a female friend of her age. 

“Shuilian jie...” Noticing a crowd gathering around them, Xicui could only shyly take back the silver taels. “Thank you, Shuilian jie.” She honestly said. Thank you for using the first three days post-wedding to help her. To help her without asking for anything and not taking the coins. This kind of thing, she herself would not be able to do. Xicui tightened her clenched fists. Since she had decided to learn from her, she must pay more attention to these things in the future for herself. 

“We are friends, aren’t we?” Su Shuilian smiled and said, “Well, at least, I think we are.”

“Nm.” Xicui was very happy when she heard this. She quickly nodded her head, she was proud that she had looked at her as a friend. 

“Oh yes, we are currently shopping for things. Do you need anything?” Su Shuilian suddenly realized she was in the middle of a task. 

“I came with my mom, she is still at a meat stall. I need to go back to her.” When Xicui heard Su Shuilian’s question, she was reminded that her mom was still at the butcher stand waiting for her. She no longer had the time to talk to Su Shuilian and bid her farewell as she ran towards the direction of the meat stall. 

“Xicui is a good girl.” Su Shuilian smiled, looking at the direction that Xicui had left as she quietly said to herself. She hoped that she would find a good partner who will care for her, just like the man standing next to her. She secretly glanced at Lin Si Yao: he was upright and handsome with sharp brows and eyes. He had caught the eyes of many women passing by, yet he did not seem to notice. 

With this thought, Su Shuilian curved her lips as she said, “A Yao, let’s also go.”

“Nm.” Lin Si Yao smiled and replied. He pulled back her strayed hair behind her ears and walked closely by her side to their next destination. 

---

They went to a fabric shop and bought two rolls of thick cotton fabric for winter clothes making.

One roll was black, she had chosen it for him. Although she disliked him wearing such dark colors, it was winter, and dark colors are to hide dirt. In addition, what she hated to admit was that the color black looked appropriate and natural on him. As if the color was meant to be worn by him. 

The other bulk was cherry red, he had chosen it for her. It was the color of a ripe cherry, it reminded him of the ripened cherries from their house’s cherry tree. In turn, this reminded him of his successful achievement and their successful marriage. The corners of Lin Si Yao’s lips lifted.  

They then went to the miscellaneous goods store and supplied the thread she had run low on as well as needles that were thick enough to sew into fur. Lin Si Yao had told her that the fur that he cleaned and dried were to be used to make knee pads, waistcoats, and such. She happily accepted and decided to make a set for him too. But with this, she will be busy for a while. Due to the piece she had to help with, it was held back for a few days. Thinking of the ten or so silver taels at home, Su Shuilian estimated it should last them the winter and the end of the year. 

And once spring comes, they would need to work on the two plots of land that they had bought along with the house. That way, the following year, they would be able to have enough cotton to make clothing with. Of course, they also have to take into consideration: the heavens. If there was a natural disaster like a drought or flood, then all their work would be for naught. 

And because of his earlier speech, about Lin Si Yao never celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival, never trying mooncakes, Su Shuilian dragged him to a dessert shop. 

She had wanted to buy some mooncake filling, but they only had mooncakes and no filling. They told her that every woman knew how to make the filling, if they didn’t know, then there was no point in making them. If they don't have an oven at home, then there was no way to make it either. 

As Su Shuilian listened, she felt that what the employee of the desert shop had said was reasonable. If they did not know how to make mooncakes, what was the point of installing a mooncake baking oven. How did Aunt Lao and the others do it? Did they make it or purchase it? 

There were three types of mooncakes: bean paste, jujube paste, and mixed nuts. She bought three of each. She also bought a catty of osmanthus cake and a catty of fruit candy. She spent a total of two silver taels. And with that, it increased her enthusiasm all the more to learn how to make desserts. 

(斤, catty - 0.5 kg) 

She then went into the grain shop and bought fifty shēng* of (husked) rice and fifty shēng of flour. With a single hand, Lin Si Yao easily picked up the two cloth bags that Su Shuilian thought to be impossible to move. After reaching the end of the street, he grabbed her and left for home. 

(升, shēng - measure for dry grain equal to one-tenth dou. About a litter.)

---

“Eh, isn’t that...” After Su Shuilian and Lin Si Yao left the streets, a woman in purple walked out from the corner. She did not move for a while as she watched the two walk away.

“Let’s go Wan jiejie, if you don’t go, those stinkin girls of Fang House will cling near Wang gongzi again!” A few meters away, a woman in a similarly glamorous dress anxiously called out. From the position of the sun, the communal meal was about to begin. If they did not leave now, they would miss the opportunity to get close to the lord’s son.  

It was only then did Lu Wan’er come back from her daze. Yes, she, Lu House’s young miss Lu Wan’er once again met the man that made her heart race. 

From the direction, it seemed he was heading out of the city… could he be a peasant farmer? No wonder she could not get any information on him from asking around. However, from his handsome face that she was crazy about and his tall and upright body that would make all of her melt, it was hard to believe that he was just an ordinary farmer. But then again, so what if he was just a farmer? Her dad also came from a small village called Fan Hua something. No big deal, he can be like her father, and just marry into her house. 

Her heart made up, Lu Wan'er raised the corners of her delicate lips, decisively ignoring Su Shuilian, who was by Lin Si Yao’s side, completely. In her heart, there was no man who would dislike her figure and attractive looks that she was so proud of. Adding on to the vast fortune of the Lu household, there is no man, especially mere peasants that would immediately reject her demands. It’s impossible. She was once again filled with confidence.

Back Index Next