Chapter 30: Scallion Meat Roll. (1/2)
They were facing away from the alley entrance, each busy with work.
Some had a needle and thread basket on their laps, doing embroidery; some had a small basket, peeling peanuts; some held an old loofah, with a wooden basin at their feet, washing bottles and jars.
The most talkative, Aunt Li, was naturally among them.
Although Shen Miao was carrying a heavy load, she walked lightly, silently approaching.
They were so engrossed in their work and talking that they hadn’t noticed her.
So, Shen Miao stood behind them, near a messy pile of miscellaneous items, and listened for quite a while.
One said: “Why hasn’t the Xie family come these days?”
Another replied: “It’s probably because Steward Zheng doesn’t think much of Sister Shen!”
Another person sighed: “Although they are slaves, they are slaves of the Xie family!
Their monthly salary is probably more than what we make doing business.
Even if Sister Shen is married to him, it’s still climbing too high.
So, it makes sense that he doesn’t like her.
Sister Shen is pitiful, but after all, she’s been married, she’s not a young maiden anymore.”
One more person said: “Not necessarily, I heard her ex-husband is impotent.”
Another questioned: “No, that’s not right, I heard it was Sister Shen who couldn’t have children, that’s why her mother-in-law divorced her.”
“Three years without children, that’s too hasty, right? No, I heard from Mrs. Gu that her ex-husband had that kind of strange habit of sleeping with his own mother, and Sister Shen couldn’t bear it, so…”
Another added doubt.
Some were disgusted: “I’ve heard that too, it’s really hard to believe, stop talking about it.”
Others sighed for her: “No matter what, Sister Shen looks great, not just in our alley, but even within ten miles there’s no one so neat. What a pity that her husband divorced her, and now she has that label of possibly being infertile”.
“Even if she’s still beautiful, no one would dare get involved with her. Sigh, the Shen family, one after another, all have miserable fates.”
Xiang Jie looked up at her sister in confusion, seeing her even smile for a moment before tilting her head, continuing to lick the sugar candy her sister had made for her before going to the market.
Since her sister wasn’t angry, she didn’t mind!
All Xiang Jie’s little head could think about was food and her sister.
This candy was something her sister made for her before leaving for the market, slowly melting rock candy over a small fire and then sprinkling roasted walnuts and peanuts.
After turning off the fire, she used a bamboo stick to wrap the candy into a round ball.
The candy was mixed with fragrant, crunchy nut pieces, making it delicious!
Xiang Jie was so obsessed with eating candy, and Shen Miao was also quite entertained by the conversation, until Aunt Li, who was stitching a handkerchief, suddenly bit off the thread, sourly commenting about Ji Ge’er:
“Sister Shen really lowered her face to curry favor with that Steward Zheng, but it wasn’t all in vain”.
“Yesterday, the dog came back saying her brother, Ji Ge’er, was secretly studying poetry, and he even had some exquisite writing supplies, which must have been something Sister Shen got from the Xie family!”
Today, Ji Ge’er wasn’t going out, staying home to study.
Shen Miao’s mud kiln was already dry, making it much faster to bake red bean rolls.
The kiln was well-sealed, the temperature was stable, and there was no need for him to monitor the fire.
And with the summer exams in less than half a month, Ji Ge’er had to focus.
So, she kept him at home, and he could study quietly by himself.
Shen Miao had assigned Ji Ge’er a lot of homework based on the points Xie Ji Ge’er had drawn before:
Write fifty pages of calligraphy every day, write an essay on the “Four Books,” memorize the “Sound and Rhyme Primer,” write two rhyming poems, and three essays on praise… No, it was more like strategy essays.
Actually, there was no “Sound and Rhyme Primer” in the Great Song Dynasty, but Shen Miao had memorized it!
She directly recited it to Ji Ge’er, letting him write it down word by word and then memorize it himself.
Though her family had been cooks for three generations, Shen Miao wasn’t uneducated!
Her grandfather was good at calligraphy, painting flowers, birds, and landscapes, and the family had a room full of classical books.
Her parents had met since childhood, and their families lived just a street apart, so sometimes after tiring of learning cooking from her grandfather, she would go to her grandfather’s little courtyard to sit.
The courtyard was breezy and sunny, her grandfather would read books, brew tea, and she would sit in his arms, listening to him read, drink tea, and nap.
Those days, it seemed, neither life could forget.
The books and principles she had learned from her grandfather remained engraved in her mind.
Now, just as her grandfather had recited the “Sound and Rhyme Primer” for her, she recited it for Ji Ge’er and explained:
“This was compiled by an esteemed scholar from Jinling. I think it’s excellent for learning the old rhymes, tones, antitheses, and using rhymes.”
Ji Ge’er was immediately fascinated and copied it down, memorizing it every day.
In fact, drilling with practice questions is the fastest way to improve test scores, and these past days, Ji Ge’er’s progress was so remarkable that even Shen Miao could see it.
She had even gotten a few damp wooden boards from Old Yang, coated with waterproof paint, so they could be easily washed off after use, to help Ji Ge’er practice calligraphy and save paper.
So for the past few days, Ji Ge’er was so absorbed in studying that during the day, he seemed a bit dazed, and even dreamed of rhyming rules at night:
“Clouds match with rain…snow with wind…sunset matches with clear sky…”
The women here gossiping about Shen Miao were harmless, but they couldn’t say anything about Ji Ge’er, who was studying diligently.
So, Shen Miao suddenly spoke from behind them: “Aunties, how are you? You’re all here?”
The sound was so unexpected, it startled the gossiping women, and the things in their hands almost fell to the ground.
When they nervously looked up, Shen Miao had already adjusted her expression.
Without giving them a chance to speak, Shen Miao pointed at them sadly:
“You can say whatever you want about me, but you can’t spread such gossip about Ji Ge’er. Do you know that in life, there are many things that can be obtained by flattery, but knowledge can’t!”
She added:
“If knowledge could be bought with good ink and paper, everyone would be a scholar. Aunt Li, when Ji Ge’er wasn’t studying, you criticized him, and now that he’s studying hard, you still find fault with him?”
“Forget about everything else, just answer me one thing, did our family eat your rice or wear your clothes? Why do you treat us, the siblings who’ve lost our parents and rely on each other, like this?”
Aunt Li turned red and pale, clearly guilty.
Shen Miao didn’t act angry; instead, her voice trembled as she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, pretending there were no tears, and said:
“Aunties, you have such a cruel heart! You’re trying to drive us to death! If I hear more of this, I’ll find a rope and hang myself in front of your doors! We’ll see each other every day, and talk about the old times!”
The women hastily scattered, and Aunt Li also made an excuse to leave.
Shen Miao slowly stood up, adjusted her posture, and said to Xiang Jie:
“Xiang Jie, let’s go.”
Just as they reached the door, ready to open it, she saw that Gu Tusu was standing in front of the Gu family’s door, not sure how long he had been listening.
Shen Miao turned her head and nodded slightly in greeting.
Unexpectedly, Gu Tusu lowered his head and suddenly said:
“Sister, you’ve changed a lot compared to before.”
Shen Miao stopped in her tracks and turned around.
“In the past, if they had gossiped about you, you would have cried and rushed home…”
“Gu Er Ge.” Shen Miao interrupted him, sighed helplessly.
She wasn’t worried about being exposed as not the real Shen Dajie, she raised her head and said:
“Since I returned to Bianjing, I’ve changed. The Sister Shen who was pampered, who didn’t understand the world’s cruelty, is no longer here. The hardships I faced in these three years, only I know.”
Although she was no longer Shen Dajie, only she understood her.
Shen Miao softly added:
“This life, whether it’s good or bad, I have to accept it, and I believe that no one will always be unlucky. I like a play where the character says ‘My fate is in my hands, not in heaven.’ It might sound cliché, but I believe one day, I’ll live a good life through my own efforts.”
She looked at him seriously and said:
“Gu Er Ge, since I have returned,also you’ve helped us a lot, and I’m very grateful. But I’ve already changed. Please look forward. I hope you find someone you like and live a happy life. As for me, I’ll live well, I promise.”
“Please don’t worry about me anymore.”
After saying that, she bowed deeply, without waiting for a reply, and led Xiang Jie into the house.
She had thought about talking to Gu Tusu before, but didn’t expect the opportunity to come so suddenly.
It was better this way, though; Gu Tusu was not a bad person, but she didn’t want to continue carefully navigating this relationship, especially with the Gu family.
Gu Tusu stood in place for a while, seeming to find his breath again, leaning against the rough courtyard wall.
The sky in the alley was a deep blue, with thick clouds hanging in the sky.
He seemed lost in thought.