Mo Sang – CH 290

Chapter 290. Daily Life

Li Sangrou spent the afternoon reviewing accounts. Around dusk, she left the Shunfeng branch, bought some fresh snacks on the way, and headed towards Shima Lane.

At Zhang Mao’s house in Shima Lane, the courtyard gate was ajar. Dazhuang was practicing the horse stance in the courtyard.

Guo’er stood in front of Dazhuang, loudly counting “ninety, ninety-one.”

Cui’er held a small bamboo stick, occasionally poking Dazhuang. “Lift your bottom! Do not shake!”

The main room door was open. Xiu’er and Man’er were tending the charcoal brazier, frowning as they did needlework.

Li Sangrou stood at the door for a while, then pushed open the courtyard gate halfway.

The children all looked towards the gate. Seeing Li Sangrou, Cui’er exclaimed in surprise, brandishing her small bamboo stick, and pounced on her.

Guo’er let out an excited scream, “Auntie!” She brushed past Dazhuang and rushed straight toward Li Sangrou.

Dazhuang was turning around to look when Guo’er bumped into him, causing him to fall flat on his backside.

Xiu’er and Sister Man’er dropped their needlework and rushed out one after the other, heading straight for Li Sangrou.

Li Sangrou, holding up the pastries in both hands, reached over Cui’er and the other two, handing them to Xiu’er and Sister Man’er. Then, with one pastry in each arm, she put her arms around Cui’er and Sister Man’er, and as she walked inside, she looked at Dazhuang and laughed. “Did you hurt yourself? Have you practiced your horse stance long enough?”

“Even if he has!” Cui’er answered before Dazhuang could.

“It does not hurt; I fall every day.” Dazhuang looked up at Li Sangrou and backed away.

In the kitchen, the maid, Old Wang’s wife, peeked out, meeting Li Sangrou’s gaze with a smile, nodding and bowing repeatedly.

“Big Sister, would you like some more dishes?” Old Wang’s wife looked at Xiu’er and asked loudly.

“Take a fish out of the vat, simmer it in sauce, then kill a chicken, soak some dried mushrooms, and roast it over a high flame. Have you not rolled out the noodles yet? Do not roll them out, chop some mutton, and make mutton and cabbage pancakes,” Xiu’er ordered in one breath.

“Is your mother at the workshop? Will she not be back for dinner tonight?” Li Sangrou asked with a smile, listening to Xiu’er’s instructions.

“My mother went to Aunt Fu’s early this morning. She said if it gets late, she will stay at Aunt Fu’s. Tomorrow morning, she will go straight to the workshop. It is very busy there, always busy,” Xiu’er said, her voice crisp and clear, much faster than usual.

“Where’s your mother?” Li Sangrou asked, looking at Man’er.

“She’s very busy too. For the next ten days, it is my mother’s turn to keep watch at the workshop, so my house is locked up. I’ve moved in to sleep with Xiu’er,” Man’er said with a smile.

Li Sangrou entered the house, sat down, and took the tea offered by Man’er. She looked at each of the children, stretching out her hand to feel their seemingly thin cotton-padded jackets.

“They are all silk floss! Very warm!” Xiuxiu showed Li Sangrou her jacket. “The lining is silk; it is warm and soft against the skin, so comfortable.

You cannot use silk on the outside. If you did, it would snag and tear in less than a day. It is too expensive. Even if you have money, you cannot waste it like that. That’s what my mother and her mother say.

Dazhuang wears clothes the worst!” Cui’er squeezed in. “Mother says Dazhuang can wear through even cowhide. Every time she makes new clothes, Guo’er and I can wear them for three or four months, but Dazhuang’s clothes get dirty in three days and torn in a month, without fail!”

“Your older sister and I, even when our clothes are too small, they are still perfectly fine!” Man’er patted Cui’er on the head.

“This is Man’er’s! She wore it until it was too small; it is still new! Mother said I look better in it than Man’er!” Guo squeezed in front of Li Sangrou, showing her the little jacket she was wearing.

“Hey! How come there’s such a long tear here? You have an overcoat over this little jacket; how did it get torn?” Xiu’er, sharp-eyed, grabbed Guo’er’s jacket and asked.

“They climbed a tree! The teacher came! They tumbled down!” Dazhuang happily complained.

“I wore this for two years; it was fine, but you’ve only had it for three days!” Man’er slapped Guo on the head angrily.

“Those two are the naughtiest in the whole school! Last time they were playing so wildly they forgot about class, Mother made them kneel for half the night!” Xiu’er slapped Cui’er and Guo on the head each.

Li Sangrou listened to the children chattering and could not help but laugh.

“Can Dazhuang climb trees? Xiu’er loved climbing trees when she was little. What about Man’er? Did you ever climb trees when you were little?” Li Sangrou asked everyone.

“I can! I can!” Dazhuang jumped up and answered.

“He’s terrible at climbing trees. He struggles and falls halfway down!” Cui’er patted Dazhuang’s head.

“Has Auntie ever climbed trees?” Guo snuggled into Li Sangrou’s arms, looking up at her and asking.

“Of course I have! When it comes to climbing trees, none of you can beat Auntie.” Li Sangrou laughed.

“The first time Auntie came to my house, she jumped down from a tree!” Xiu’er added with a laugh.

“Your mother was making pancakes and was hitting you with a rolling pin.” “Li Sangrou smiled and replied, then sighed inwardly.

Back then, countless men coveted that large courtyard with its tiled roof and blue brick walls, dozens of mu of land, and the young and beautiful Zhang Mao. They asked matchmakers, broke down doors, scaled walls, and used both soft and hard tactics to coax her.

Everyone on the street advised her to choose a husband, saying that a woman with a child could not survive without a man.

Zhang Mao, her eyes red, gripped the knife, her expression unyielding.

At that time, she did not intend to help anyone, but Zhang Mao’s stubbornness broke her heart.

“When did your Aunt Fu arrive? Does she live far from here?” Li Sangrou changed the subject.

“She arrived in the second month. The day Aunt Fu arrived, we were eating when there was a knock at the door…”

“I opened the door!” Dazhuang interjected, sticking his head out.

“I am talking to Auntie about important matters regarding Aunt Fu! Do not interrupt! Go check if the food is ready.” Xiu’er slapped Dazhuang.

“Aunt Fu was very thin back then. She ate two bowls of rice and drank two bowls of soup in one go. Later, after we went to sleep, Aunt Fu kept talking to Mother.

Later, Aunt Fu stayed at my house for only about a month, maybe a month?” Xiu’er looked at Man’er.

“Twenty-five days, not even a month!” Man’er laughed.

“Aunt Fu said she had rested well. She said she had set up a stall outside the yamen to write legal documents. She said this place was too far from the yamen, so Mother accompanied her to find a small courtyard on the street near the yamen. The day after they found it, Aunt Fu moved there.

Actually, for those twenty-odd days, Aunt Fu did not rest at all. She was out every day, and at night she would read legal documents, bundles and bundles of them.

Aunt Fu’s courtyard was very small, just two main rooms, one side room, and the courtyard was tiny.” Man’er laughed. “Aunt Fu picked it herself, saying she chose the smallest one so she could sweep it quickly and easily.”

“Aunt Fu is only diligent in reading and studying; otherwise, she’s incredibly lazy!” Xiu’er sighed. “When Aunt Fu cooks, she just throws rice and vegetables into the pot, then scoops a spoonful of lard and throws it in. Mother says Aunt Fu’s cooking is worse than pig slop.”

“Aunt Fu does laundry by throwing the clothes in a basin, adding water, stirring it with a stick, pouring out the water, adding water again, stirring it again, then tossing it onto a rope—that’s it!” Man’er laughed as she recounted the story.

“Mother said she wanted Aunt Fu to live with us, but Aunt Fu refused. She said her way of cooking and washing clothes was fine; she was not particular about such things and said she was used to living alone.

Later, Mother had no choice but to find a poor seamstress near Aunt Fu’s house. She could cook and do housework, so she went to Aunt Fu’s every morning. Aunt Fu would provide for her, and she would cook and do laundry for Aunt Fu,” Xiu’er said, mimicking her mother’s sigh.

Li Sangrou chuckled at Xiu’er’s affected sigh.

“How’s Aunt Fu’s legal document stall doing?” Li Sangrou asked with a smile.

“It’s doing well, but it does not make any money.” Xiu’er sighed again, “Aunt Fu, she often writes legal documents for people, for free, and even tells them how to litigate. Several times, she even went to court for them, all for free!”

“Aunt Zhang says Aunt Fu is just like you, a spender!” Man’er said with a laugh.

“When it comes to spending money, your Aunt Fu is no match for me,” Li Sangrou replied earnestly.

“Alas! Mother says so too!” Xiu’er sighed. “Once, Guo’er said that when she grows up, she wanted to be like her aunt, and Mother said, ‘That will not do!’ She said Aunt Fu was not good at managing money, and while Aunt Fu could manage without managing money, Guo’er could not!”

“Your mother is right.” Li Sangrou nodded in agreement.

Outside in the kitchen, Old Wang’s wife called out. Guo’er, who was nestled in Li Sangrou’s arms playing cat’s cradle with Cui’er, cheered and ran to the kitchen one after the other with Cui’er.

She loved fish with sauce and mutton and cabbage pancakes!

After eating, Li Sangrou chatted with the children for a while before getting up to go back.

Outside on the street, the third watchman’s clapper had already sounded in the distance.

Li Sangrou wrapped her sheepskin coat tighter and walked slowly back to Chaomi Alley.

Turning a corner, not far ahead was the Daxiangguo Temple. Beside Li Sangrou, a man who seemed to have emerged from the darkness, hands in his sleeves and head bowed, hurried past.

Li Sangrou paused slightly, then followed the man’s direction towards the back of the Daxiangguo Temple.

Behind the Daxiangguo Temple, in a large grove of trees, small lamps flickered eerily like ghost lights.

Li Sangrou slowly approached. Under the trees, figures of men and women, some standing and some crouching, were hidden in the darkness. Lamplights illuminated a few rusty copper coins, a couple of artifacts, a few books, some pieces of jade with mottled patina, and other unidentifiable items.

Li Sangrou paused frequently, sometimes standing to look, sometimes crouching down to examine them closely. Occasionally, she would pick something up and hold it up to the lamplight for a closer look. Whenever she did, the figures in the darkness would emerge and quietly quote a price.

This was the famous Ghost Market at the Daxiangguo Temple; she had not expected it to start so early.

This was Li Sangrou’s first time at the Ghost Market, but she had heard Pan Dingbang talk about it countless times.

Each time, Pan Dingbang spoke with boundless envy, recounting how someone had found ancient coins, antiques, and books there, buying them for a few coins and spending a fortune.

He and Eleventh Master Tian had also been there, always spending money on counterfeit goods.

Li Sangrou slowly looked around. At the edge of the Ghost Market, leaning against trees, were small lamps, about the size of soybeans, lying on the ground. Underneath some lamps was nothing, while under others lay small wooden plaques, their fates sealed.

Li Sangrou stopped in front of one of the lamps. A dark figure immediately darted out from behind a tree, saying nothing.

Li Sangrou squatted down, picked up the small wooden plaque, and turned it over. On the back, several lines of text were carefully written. The first line was the amount of silver, and the second line was to avoid contact with the government.

“Pay half first,” The shadowy figure murmured.

Li Sangrou gave an “Oh,” put down the wooden sign, took two steps back, and turned to leave.

The teahouse was gone, but the market remained; the assassins had simply moved to a different location.

The next morning, Li Sangrou was awakened early by Pang’er’s excited barking.

Yawning as she came out, Pang’er heard the door open, let out a howl, turned around in the courtyard, fell face-first to the ground, scrambled to his feet, and pounced on Li Sangrou. He stood up straight, his front paws frantically scratching, trying to climb onto her.

Li Sangrou bent down, picked up Pang’er, and walked along the corridor to the vase-shaped door leading to the kitchen, pushing it open.

In the side courtyard, which Da Chang had just converted into the kitchen courtyard, a group of a dozen pigs swarmed to the south, and a group of dozens of sheep swarmed to the north. In the center of the courtyard, two pig-slaughtering beds were set up, and a row of sturdy racks had already been erected beside them, ready to hang the slaughtered pigs and sheep.

Outside a row of about ten west-wing rooms, a row of large stoves and pots stood, each stove ablaze with fire, water boiling on its surface.

Da Chang and Meng Yanqing were directing the slaughtering of pigs and sheep, respectively.

At the entrance to the side courtyard leading to the second gate, Mazha, Datou, and several Old Yunmeng guards carried in baskets of chickens and ducks, shouting at Da Chang where to put them.

Pang’er barked excitedly. Li Sangrou gasped, ducked back inside, and slammed the door shut.

She’d better hurry to the shop; she should not be in the way!

In the main courtyard, much quieter than the side courtyard, Hei Ma had already bought mutton buns, shredded cabbage, chicken salad, and a small pot of mutton offal soup. He set them on the table and ate breakfast with Li Sangrou. Li Sangrou went first, and Hei Ma, carrying Pang’er, followed behind, heading towards the shop.

This year, Hei Ma was chosen to stay with the Boss and look after Pang’er.

After all, the Boss was not fully recovered, and Pang’er was not old enough to be left alone.

After the meal, the sky became overcast, and snowflakes began to fall.

In the kitchen courtyard next door, Old Meng shouted, directing everyone to quickly set up the shed, covering the entire courtyard!

Li Sangrou did not use an umbrella, wrapped her sheepskin coat tightly around herself, and walked slowly towards the post station.

Hei Ma chose a sturdy cage, laid a thick mat on it, wrapped a piece of sheepskin around the cage, put Pang’er inside, and followed Li Sangrou towards the post station, carrying the cage.

In front of the Shunfeng headquarters, the unusually tall Shunfeng banner fluttered in the snow at the top of the flagpole. The crowds delivering letters and items beside the flagpole were not deterred by the heavy snow; they remained packed.

Li Sangrou stood under the flagpole for a while, then went into the post station, called over Old Zuo, and instructed him to quickly find people to set up a shed and cover the entire open space outside.

Old Zuo agreed and hurriedly went out to find a shed builder. Li Sangrou stood there for a while longer before turning and going to the back of the courtyard.