Chapter 19: The Residence

Lin Qiuran stood up. "Zhao... Brother Zhao?"

The intermediary, Zhao Guangcai, had spent the last few days negotiating with the landlord. After much persistent persuasion, the landlord finally agreed to lower the price. What was originally forty taels was now thirty-seven.

He had felt he did his best, and once the price was set, he went to the South Street as Lin Qiuran had instructed. However, for two consecutive days—the second and third of the month—Zhao Guangcai hadn't caught a glimpse of anyone from the Xiao family.

He had worried they were just toying with him, but after asking around, he learned that there were indeed a couple in their forties who sold fried fish there. They were quite popular, but they hadn't appeared since the thirtieth.

It had rained all day on the thirtieth, but what about the first, second, and third? It had been days.

Today, Zhao Guangcai came to try his luck again, not expecting much. When he saw Lin Qiuran and Mrs. Xiao sitting there from a distance, he felt a mix of anxiety and irritation, his words stumbling. "Mistress Lin, it is you! Where have you been these past two days? Didn't you say to look for you here in the South City? You... you!"

Lin Qiuran’s mind went blank the moment she saw him. She had remembered the matter earlier and told Mrs. Xiao and Xiao Dashi to keep an eye out at the end of the month, but after two days of selling fish without seeing him, they had let it slip.

It rained all day on the thirtieth, so they didn't go into town. After that, they were busy at the courier station, and Lin Qiuran had been preoccupied with cooking, letting the matter fade from her thoughts.

She had truly forgotten. Could Zhao Guangcai’s visit mean there was news?

Lin Qiuran quickly apologized. "Brother Zhao, I’ve been so busy lately that my parents-in-law didn't come to sell fish. I am truly sorry. Is there news about the house? Have you eaten yet? Why don't you have a bite here, and we can discuss it while you eat?"

Zhao Guangcai huffed and sat on a stool next to her. "I’ve already eaten. Sigh, I asked about the house, and they are willing to lower the price by three taels. It’s thirty-seven taels in total. What do you think?"

Lin Qiuran bit her lip. She had earned one tael and six hundred coins over the last few days. Combined with the money from selling fish and catering last month, plus their savings and the gold she planned to exchange, they had thirty-four taels in total. They were still three taels short.

Three taels was a significant amount; they would have to delay or negotiate further.

Lin Qiuran said with difficulty, "Brother Zhao, could you ask if they might lower it further? Even just one or two taels less would help us immensely; we could manage to scrape that together. If it's more than that, we wouldn't be able to borrow it even if we tried."

The villagers in Xiao Village were all ordinary folk. Mrs. Xiao and Xiao Dashi had only saved seven taels over many years; most families had little more than that. Borrowing even one tael was a major hardship. Especially since Xiao Xun had passed away, people worried that if they lent money, Lin Qiuran might run off, leaving the elders unable to pay it back.

Seeing Lin Qiuran’s plight—a young widow living with her parents-in-law, currently pregnant and relying on cooking to make a living—Zhao Guangcai felt a pang of sympathy. She was young and beautiful, and fortunately skilled, or life would be even harder.

Zhao Guangcai sighed. "Fine. The house hasn't sold in these few days, so I can try to ask, but I can't promise anything. There are quite a few people asking about it. If you truly have your heart set on that house, you had best find a way to scrape the money together." If the owner insisted on thirty-seven taels, there was nothing he could do.

Lin Qiuran’s brow relaxed, a hint of gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you, Brother Zhao. We will certainly find a way to gather the money. Please, continue to keep an eye on the house for us."

Zhao Guangcai felt helpless. "Alright, alright. If there’s news tomorrow..." He hoped it wouldn't be like the last two days, where he couldn't find them no matter how much of the South City he scoured.

Lin Qiuran said, "My parents-in-law will be here selling fish tomorrow. Even if they aren't selling, someone will be here at this time. Don't worry."

Zhao Guangcai patted the dust off his legs and stood up. "Then wait for word."

Mrs. Xiao didn't know exactly how much money they had, just a rough estimate. Once Zhao Guangcai left, she asked, "What if it's still not enough?"

Lin Qiuran replied, "We'll sell fish tomorrow. If that's not enough, I'll go to my maiden home to borrow some. Mother, don't worry. Even if we borrow it, we'll pay it back quickly with interest. I think we can manage."

Mrs. Xiao worriedly said, "I'll try to borrow some too. There's no hope from your father's brothers, but I'll ask Auntie Yu."

Lin Qiuran’s mood remained heavy. "Hmm."

Time was tight. If they could wait, she could take on two more catering jobs to make up the difference. But the house was urgent, and she feared someone else might buy it. For now, she had to earn and borrow simultaneously.

She wondered if Xiao Dashi had caught any fish today.

The two hurried home. If Xiao Dashi hadn't been fishing, they could still get him to go before noon. Halfway there, Lin Qiuran stopped to drink some water. Seeing sweat on her forehead, Mrs. Xiao offered, "How about I carry you back?"

Lin Qiuran replied, "I'm fine, Mother. I'm not tired, and walking a bit more is good." Walking more would make the birth easier later. If she truly felt unwell, she would tell Mrs. Xiao.

***

By two o'clock in the afternoon, they arrived back at Xiao Village. On the way, Lin Qiuran ate some steamed buns and tea eggs; she wasn't too tired.

Back home, Mrs. Xiao saw that Xiao Dashi wasn't there. She looked around; the chicks had grown quite a bit, losing their downy fluff. They were a bit ugly but sturdy.

There were still fish in the bucket—carp and crucian carp, kept separately. Mrs. Xiao counted them and said to Lin Qiuran with pleasant surprise, "Qiuran, your father caught fish! Seventeen carp and over forty crucian carp!"

Lin Qiuran went to look; not a single one was floating belly-up. The fish were in excellent condition.

This was another sum of money. Lin Qiuran said, "Mother, tomorrow you and Father go to the county town again to sell these." They hadn't been in a while, so business should be good.

Mrs. Xiao nodded. "Alright. Your father is either in the fields or fishing. He'll be back soon; I'll go start dinner."

Lin Qiuran said, "We’ve been eating well at the courier station, so let's keep it simple." They had been eating leftovers from her catering. She didn't want meat today.

Mrs. Xiao readily agreed. "I'll see to it."

There were plenty of vegetables in the garden, and Mrs. Xiao stewed a pot. By the time the rice was ready, Xiao Dashi returned with another bucket of fish—seven more carp.

He was pleasantly surprised to see them. "Is everything finished over there?"

Mrs. Xiao nodded. "Yes, and Qiuran sold two jars of spices. Also, that Manager Zhao came by today; he said the house price dropped by three taels, so we need to find a way to scrape the money together."

Mrs. Xiao was now more inclined to move to the county town. After all, there was more work there. In all this time, the village had only seen one catering job from the wealthy family in Yujia Village, whereas in the county, they had already done two. This was just the beginning; it would surely get better. Furthermore, she worried about leaving Lin Qiuran home alone while they went to sell fish.

Xiao Dashi asked, "How much are we short?"

Lin Qiuran said, "Father, between what we’ve earned and our previous savings, we have thirty-four taels. We are short by three. If we sell these fish over the next two days, we should be able to gather another tael. If Manager Zhao can negotiate a bit more, and we borrow the rest, we’ll be prepared."

But Lin Qiuran wasn't sure she could borrow from her own family. Her mother, Mrs. Liu, didn't seem to have much money, and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Yu, managed the household. Given Mrs. Yu’s temperament, Lin Qiuran felt it would be difficult. If all else failed, she planned to ask Auntie Yu, which she thought might be more promising than her maiden home.

Xiao Dashi didn't understand accounting, but he knew they were short of money. He looked at Mrs. Xiao and then at Lin Qiuran. "Should we sell the land?"

The Xiao family had three acres. Land in the village wasn't worth much, but one acre could fetch two or three taels.

Lin Qiuran was stunned. Mrs. Xiao and Xiao Dashi lived by farming; it was only through those few acres and hunting that they had saved seven taels over the years. They didn't know how to cook; if they sold the land, they wouldn't have to worry about her remarrying, but they would have no way to make a living themselves.

Lin Qiuran shook her head. "We aren't short by that much, and the harvest is coming soon; selling land now would be a huge loss. Father, unless it's a last resort, let's not consider selling the land."

Xiao Dashi nodded.

After dinner, Mrs. Xiao took some money to trade for garlic. Lin Qiuran took a nap in the afternoon, and by the time she woke, Mrs. Xiao had already peeled the garlic.

Dinner was simple again. The next day, Lin Qiuran rose early to fry and braise the fish. Though she needed money, she feared not selling them all, which would be a loss, so she prepared only carp.

There were twenty-four in total. Once cooked, they were packed into wooden buckets and loaded onto the cart by Mrs. Xiao and Xiao Dashi.

Lin Qiuran stayed home. Before leaving, Mrs. Xiao urged, "Qiuran, don't go to your maiden home alone. Wait for me to come back and go with you."

Lin Qiuran replied, "I will. If they don't sell, I'll come home. Remember to eat; the money isn't worth skipping meals."

It was just as well; she didn't know where her maiden home was, so having Mrs. Xiao was better. She planned to stay home, thinking perhaps someone might come looking for catering services.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Mrs. Xiao and Xiao Dashi returned. It wasn't much later than usual; the fish had sold quickly. The Xiao family hadn't been there for days, and their regular customers truly missed the taste.

However, there was still no word from Zhao Guangcai. Mrs. Xiao hadn't seen him; she guessed they would have to wait a while longer.

***

After resting for a moment, Mrs. Xiao took four eggs and some fresh vegetables from the garden in a basket; one couldn't go to borrow money empty-handed.

It was just as Lin Qiuran feared. Mrs. Yu, who managed the Lin household, was unwilling to lend. "Only now do you know the value of money? I told you to remarry long ago, and you wouldn't listen. The Feng family offered five taels, and now you come asking for one. Since you wouldn't listen to your own family, don't come here begging for favors!"

Mrs. Yu rolled her eyes at Mrs. Xiao and Lin Qiuran. "It’s not too late to remarry now. Don't end up with nothing and come back to your maiden home crying poverty."

Mrs. Liu’s face showed a flicker of reluctance, but she was soft-natured and had married into a household with a sharp-tongued daughter-in-law, so she had no say.

Mrs. Xiao had no way to respond; this was Lin Qiuran’s maiden home, and she couldn't cause a scene.

Lin Qiuran took a deep breath. "Sister-in-law, if you won't lend, that's fine, but there's no need for such harsh words. I came today to visit my mother. As for the money, just pretend I never asked."

As they left the Lin household, Mrs. Liu chased after them. "Qiuran!"

Lin Qiuran stopped and smiled at Mrs. Liu. "Mother, please go back."

Mrs. Liu caught up and shoved a pouch into Lin Qiuran’s hand. "Your sister-in-law has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Don't take it to heart. This is what I’ve saved; take it and use it."

Mrs. Liu looked down. "I’ve saved one hundred and thirty coins; I’ve brought it all. Your sister-in-law has it hard too; money isn't easy to come by. Don't blame her, and you didn't even say what you needed the money for..."

If Lin Qiuran had told her, she wouldn't have been able to borrow it at all. If Mrs. Yu knew she had money to buy a house, she would certainly have tried to squeeze it out of her.

She accepted the pouch, just in case they were short by a little. "Mother, I will return this money in a few days."

Mrs. Liu walked them to the village entrance. "How is the baby? Any symptoms?"

It had been three months, and generally, the pregnancy was stable. The first and last three months were the most critical. With Mrs. Xiao present, Mrs. Liu couldn't urge her to terminate the pregnancy anymore; her daughter was determined to see it through. Seeing her complexion was still good—though she hadn't gained weight, she looked more spirited than before.

Lin Qiuran said, "I'm doing well, no symptoms. Don't worry about me."

At the village entrance, she urged Mrs. Liu to go back. "Mother, don't walk any further. Go home."

How could a mother not worry about her own daughter? But once married, ties to the maiden home faded, and with Mrs. Yu being so overbearing, even if she wanted to interfere, Mrs. Liu couldn't.

Lin Qiuran understood this. She would show filial piety to Mrs. Liu in the future, but as for Mrs. Yu, she would not help her with anything.

On the way back from Lin Village, Mrs. Xiao went to Auntie Yu’s house to ask. After a quarter of an hour, she returned with one tael of silver. Combined with the fish sales from the day before, they had thirty-six taels.

Lin Qiuran breathed a sigh of relief. Still short a bit, she said, "I'll ask around if there are any catering jobs in the village over the next two days."

She had always felt this child was a blessing. Finding the ganoderma, digging up gold, selling fish, going to the county—even if they didn't make hundreds of taels, they were never short of money.

Mrs. Xiao: "Alright."

Just after Lin Qiuran stepped out of her house and walked a short distance, she saw Li Cuihua, who lived behind them, sitting under a willow tree chatting with three women of similar age.

Li Cuihua was beaming. "My nephew is getting married in two days. Sigh, it's not easy raising so many children."

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to help out, or are you hiring a cook?"

Generally, people did it themselves; only wealthy families hired professionals.

Auntie Li coughed. "My maiden family isn't short of money; they certainly won't do it themselves. They said they're looking for a good cook. But I've raised three sons and have good fortune, so I'll definitely go help."

Lin Qiuran had intended to walk past, as Li Cuihua was fond of making snide remarks, and Mrs. Xiao had warned her to stay away. Just as she was about to pass, one of the women’s eyes lit up. "Hey, isn't that Qiuran from the Xiao family good at cooking? I heard from Auntie Yu the other day that she went to the wealthy carpenter’s house in Yujia Village to cook for a funeral, and the food was so good that everyone praised it! Why not hire her?"

Li Cuihua rolled her eyes, her voice rising. "Hire her? I wouldn't even want her there for free! A funeral is one thing, but my nephew is getting married! Her husband just died; she has no luck. What if she brings bad luck? How ominous! Let me tell you, you lot should stay away from her family too, or you'll never wash the bad luck off."

Lin Qiuran retracted the foot she had stepped forward.