Chapter 41
After agreeing on the terms with the landlady, the two paid the rent and began moving.
Yingxiang had brought the old lock and key with her, so there was no need to get new ones. Wenshi made two trips back and forth, which counted as moving. The two of them had settled down in the prefectural city.
"Wife, please sit down, I'll take care of it."
Wen Shi was a diligent person at heart. After buying firewood at the market, he immediately started boiling water and cleaning.
Thinking of the annual rent of six taels of silver and the child to be born next year, Yingxiang held her face in her hands and couldn't help but feel worried.
Theoretically speaking, she could live off her savings for the next few years, but she didn't want to do that. Once her child was safely born, she had to get back to work.
Before long, the entire courtyard was spotless thanks to Wen Shi's cleaning. He hurried in and out, and after tidying up, he opened his bundle and began to make the bed. Staying at an inn was too expensive; he was determined to stay in this prefectural city, so renting a room was a must.
In the afternoon, Wen Shi went out to buy groceries, but Ying Xiang didn't go with her. She also had important things to do that she hadn't done for several days.
"Husband, go and buy some meat and vegetables, we'll be getting through the winter."
The city has a wider variety of goods, but the prices will definitely not be low if you buy them at this time. Ordinary families start preparing after the autumn chill sets in.
The two arrived suddenly, and the initial expenses must have been considerable, which Wen Shi was mentally prepared for.
"Oh, by the way, husband, if there are any old hens for sale at the market, remember to buy a few, and a cage too."
"good."
When they heard this, they assumed she was tired and needed to rest, so they carried a basket on their backs and went out the door.
After he left, Yingxiang sat in the somewhat empty room, silently signing in. The next second, she entered the sign-in shop.
The system doesn't allow for make-up sign-ins; once you miss it, you miss it. Yingxiang searched for a long time to confirm that she had no money. She also noticed that the sign-in items often changed and weren't always the same.
Yingxiang didn't think much of it. These things in the mall seemed unnecessary today, and she couldn't possibly spend several hours searching through them. In the end, she chose a few pretty beaded flowers for herself, which she considered practical.
After signing in, she opened two boxes and started packing her things into the closet. Wen Shi's clothes were on top, and her own were on the bottom.
As for that simple dressing table, she took out all her previous jewelry and hair accessories and put them all inside.
The laundry tub was placed in the kitchen as usual, while the books, pens, and ink that Wen Shi used for reading were placed in the next room, which, unsurprisingly, would become his future study.
After tidying everything up, she stayed inside. Not long after, Wen Shi returned.
The basket on his back was crammed full of grain—a bag of rice, a bag of flour, two old hens with their coops in one hand, and a small sack of charcoal in the other.
"This is not enough. I'll go out again in a bit."
When I heard this, I put my things down; there were still many things I hadn't bought yet.
"I'll go with you in a bit."
Yingxiang helped him put the things in the kitchen.
"Using this for cooking? That's not appropriate."
"These are smokeless charcoal briquettes specially used for heating in winter. Once you put them inside the house, it won't be cold anymore."
“You’re pregnant right now, so you can’t suffer. That money is enough. I’ll go back to the bookstore and take on some copying jobs later.”
Wen Shi has plans for the future. Ying Xiang looked at the charcoal fire that occupied most of the sack and felt a little touched. He is really a good person.
She glanced around and realized that she was missing pots, pans, and other odds and ends, as well as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. She figured she could just buy lard and make it herself from fatty pork.
"Let's go, it's getting late."
This time, she went with Wen Shi.
The market was bustling with people. There were women adorned with jewels and dressed elegantly, as well as passersby dressed simply but very cleanly. None of them had any patches on their clothes.
The couple strolled around, stopping frequently, and their small basket was quickly filled again. Fortunately, they had bought all the major items. Yingxiang finally chose two jin of pork and an iron pot, but Xiangshi insisted on carrying them herself and wouldn't let her do it.
"It's alright, this little bit of meat isn't heavy. Let's go home first."
"good."
The two had just moved in and weren't familiar with the people in the neighborhood. Although their large bags and small packages attracted some attention, no one paid them any attention, and people just passed by and walked on.
"I washed the iron pot first. Boiling water in an earthenware pot is ultimately unsafe and doesn't get very hot."
Yingxiang nodded; the kitchen was very clean.
Wen Shi washed the iron pot clean and started a fire to prepare lard, because stir-fries don't taste good without oil.
Food is scarce right now. If you didn't stock up beforehand, the only vegetables you can eat in winter are radishes and cabbages, which you pickle or stew. That's how life is for ordinary families.
Although their lives were much better than before, and they no longer had to worry about money, it was impossible for them to indulge in lavish meals and drink without a care in the world.
"Cut it into smaller pieces."
Wen Shi, holding the kitchen knife, nodded.
The fire was lit, and the meat was cut into pieces. Wen Shi wanted to do it himself, but Ying Xiang insisted, so he stood aside to help.
Half an hour later, a pot of lard was successfully made, and Yingxiang found a clean earthenware pot.
"Stewed potatoes for dinner."
The oil pan was ready, and there was a little lean meat left. He didn't mind the smell, but he wanted to cook it himself.
This time, Yingxiang didn't insist. She sat on a small stool not far from the stove, where the firewood was burning brightly and it wasn't cold.
It will probably be very hot in the summer.
"I'd like to go queue up and get a number first thing tomorrow morning. You can just wait at home."
Yingxiang hadn't planned to go, so she nodded.
As darkness fell and fewer people appeared on the streets, the couple worked in the kitchen until the moon had risen.
The night was beautiful, with a bright moon and gentle breeze, and twinkling stars, but it was a bit cold.
Wen Shi also pickled radishes. As Ying Xiang had said before, when the meat in the pot was almost cooked, she also stuck cornbread to the side of the pot so they could eat it together when it was done.
"I'll buy another pot tomorrow, this one isn't enough, I also need to buy two wooden buckets, that one isn't enough either."
Yingxiang nodded.
She felt a strong odor emanating from her body. After eating and drinking her fill, she went to wash up. She was a clean person and knew about the smell, so she didn't stop her. However, for some reason, the family had placed the bathtub behind the screen in the study.
Moving such a large bathtub around is quite a hassle, so Yingxiang suggested that boiling two pots of water and pouring them in would be enough.
The well water was clear, and there was no pollution in those days. With a little cold water added, it would be just right for bathing.
While she was taking a bath, Wen Shi went inside to burn charcoal.
Late at night, the flames of the burning charcoal fire flickered back and forth, making the whole room warm, and the two of them slept soundly all night.
The next morning, after Yingxiang got up, she heard that Shizao had already gone out. There was breakfast ready in the kitchen. After eating and drinking her fill, she sat in the yard to bask in the sun.
Yingxiang wrapped herself up tightly, sat in the sun, enjoying the long-awaited sunshine, and felt comfortable all over.
Before she knew it, it was already the end of November. To put it bluntly, the Chinese New Year was almost here. She had been here for a few days, and looking at the small courtyard and the two old hens huddled in the corner, Yingxiang felt a mix of emotions.
Time flies. In the blink of an eye, she has been here for who knows how many years.
Getting married here and soon welcoming her child, Yingxiang looked at her belly and felt a warm feeling in her heart. Whether it was a boy or a girl, they were all her precious babies.
Wen Shi did not return at noon, but when he returned in the afternoon, his expression was normal.
"Husband, have you seen that gentleman?"
Wen Shi shook his head, but he wasn't too frustrated. He had gotten the number plate, and he planned to go there in the middle of the night.
I thought there wouldn't be many people early in the morning, but when I got there, I found that there was already a long line of people at the door. The gentleman wanted to personally examine students before accepting them, and he already had several students.
He spent the whole morning teaching them, while they had to wait outside in the cold wind.
In the afternoon, the butler would let people in for only an hour, but it was always one person coming out and one person coming in at a time, so you could see clearly when you smelled it.
"Did we arrive too late?"
Thinking of how many parents nowadays queue up in the middle of the night for their children's schooling, spending a lot of money, Yingxiang looked at Wenshi with some worry.
This has been a difficult problem throughout history; finding a good teacher is hard, let alone this is only the beginning.
"It is a bit late. The teacher's time is also limited. He only has one hour each day to examine new students."
"If I haven't successfully found a master by the time spring arrives after the New Year, or if there's no hope, then I'll just find another academy to study at, and it won't take too long."
Wen Shi didn't feel any regret after he finished speaking. Even if he failed in the end, he had tried his best, and he wouldn't regret it even if the result was not satisfactory.
This Mr. Huang is famous and capable, but what kind of person is he in private? Wen Shi has never had any contact with him and doesn't know.
These days, everyone out there looks respectable, like that Master Liu from before, but once you get to know him, you just feel he's unworthy to be a teacher.
"Then you go first, and we'll find some time later to see if there are any temples nearby where we can pray to the Buddha."
“Now that we’re settled, remember to send a letter home. Xiao Wu can read, so he can read it to his parents when he goes home for vacation.”
Wen Shi nodded.
His family must be worried about him. In the blink of an eye, he's been away for a while now. He doesn't know what the future holds, so he can only try to make the most of what he has now.
Late at night, a sudden gale arose outside, and then it began to snow heavily in the latter half of the night.
Wen Shi woke up two hours earlier than yesterday. Looking at Ying Xiang, who was fast asleep beside him, he quietly dressed by the dim light of the charcoal fire, took the invitation and number paper and went out.
He arrived earlier and was near the front of the line, so he might have a chance to meet that gentleman today.
Wen Shi was wearing a thick black coat, his expression resolute. The snow was falling heavily. He had just stepped out when he quickly closed the door. He went to the kitchen, boiled three eggs, ate one, and kept the rest. He picked a thick piece of firewood to use as a torch for lighting. Wen Shi then went out with an umbrella in hand.
It was pitch black outside, the middle of the night, and there was no one around. The wind and snow were heavy, and he couldn't help but stop several times. The firelight flickered back and forth and almost went out several times.
Even so, Wen Shi did not give up. He endured the wind and snow, walked on the not-so-wide street, straightened his back, and walked step by step to Mr. Huang's academy.
At this time, there were quite a few people at the entrance, and several carriages were parked nearby. Of course, these were reserved for wealthy students, who were sheltering from the wind and snow inside the carriages.
Only students from farming families, like Wen Shi, braved the wind and snow to come, but in the end, they could only huddle at the doorway, trying their best to avoid the cold wind.
Many people were so cold that their faces turned purple and their lips turned white. They squatted by the door, watching the torches that were about to burn out, breathing on them to warm themselves and rubbing their hands together.
It was so cold that day.
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