Chapter 640 Rescue
The turning point came from Hongxiu's decisive action during an unexpected incident.
It could be said that the three of them were born with some kind of luck.
Although the shop opened by Hongxiu and her two companions had some business, it was only lukewarm, and they even suffered a slight loss.
After all, although this shop isn't exactly in a prime location, it still has a considerable amount of foot traffic, and the rent isn't cheap.
But Hongxiu and her two companions were not discouraged, and even found some enjoyment in earning money on their own.
"Sister, although we don't live the life of luxury we had in the Jin family, we don't have to smile obsequiously or worry about the disdainful looks of others. This life is still the best we can have."
Yingge sat on the table, eating a piece of cake as she spoke to Hongxiu, who was looking at the account books across from her.
Luyi, who was next to Yingge, poured a cup of tea and pushed it to Yingge, gesturing for her to take a sip. "This pastry is quite dry, but you can still eat it? Hurry up and drink a sip to help it down."
Green Ripple really didn't understand what was so delicious about these dry pastries. After Yingge sat down, she ate three pieces in a row. Seeing this, Green Ripple, who hadn't eaten a bite, felt thirsty and poured Yingge a cup of tea.
Hongxiu put down the account book in her hand, smiled and shook her head at Yingge: "Sigh, although it is free to live outside, as Madam said, life outside is not so easy."
I was thinking, let's open this shop first, save up some money in three to five years, and then buy a few acres of land outside the city.
Ultimately, having land is essential for making a living, and buying land is always a good idea, no matter when.
If our business does well in the future, we might even be able to buy this shop and the house we live in now together.
Yingge looked at Hongxiu with a light in her eyes. Although Lüyi knew that it would be very difficult to achieve what Hongxiu said, she couldn't help but have a light in her eyes just like Yingge when she heard Hongxiu say that.
"Sister, it would be wonderful if that day ever came!"
When the time comes, we'll learn from the ladies of wealthy families: going on spring outings in the countryside, fishing by the river in summer, climbing mountains to enjoy the scenery in autumn, and brewing tea with snow in winter.
This is truly a carefree life.
Green Ripple reached out and tapped Yingge's forehead with her finger, saying with a smile, "You, you're always thinking about good things."
If only it were that simple.
Hongxiu thought about what Yingge said, chuckled twice, and then said to the playful Yingge and Lüyi, "Alright, it's late, let's go to sleep. We have to go to the dock to check the goods tomorrow, so we have to get up early."
The next day, as soon as the sky began to lighten, Hongxiu, who lived in the east wing of the courtyard behind the shop, opened her eyes. After lying on the bed for a few breaths to catch her breath, Hongxiu got up briskly.
Hongxiu is the oldest of the three and is very opinionated and thoughtful. Therefore, among the three who have become sworn sisters, Hongxiu is respected as the eldest sister.
Yingge is the youngest and most lively of the three.
Thus, only Hongxiu lived in the east wing, while Lüyi and Yingge slept in the west wing.
After Hongxiu got up, she first went to the kitchen to fetch hot water, and after washing up, she knocked on the door of the west wing and called Luyi and Yingge to get up.
After eating the thick porridge that had been simmering in the pot the night before, the three locked the door and hailed a car on the street to go to the dock.
Hongxiu and her friends source their goods from the Jin family. Every quarter, a new batch of goods arrives at the dock, and Hongxiu and her two friends get up early to personally pick up the goods.
Actually, the goods in their little shop were mixed in with the Jin family's goods. Hongxiu felt that she was already benefiting from the Jin family's influence, and if she had to have new goods delivered to her shop, she really had no shame at all.
Thus, whenever new goods arrived, the three women, including Hongxiu, would personally come to the dock to hand them over to the Jin family's steward, saving others the trouble of making another trip to the shop.
The donkey cart clattered along towards the dock. Even before it reached the dock, just across the street, Hongxiu could feel a wisp of moisture hitting her face.
The donkey cart stopped at the outer perimeter, because going any further in would require paying a fee.
After Hongxiu paid the driver and thanked him, the three of them walked quickly side by side towards the dock.
By this time, it was already broad daylight, and the dock was bustling with people. On both sides stood many men and women carrying baskets or shoulder poles, selling local food.
A woman wearing a blue headscarf, carrying a rather large basket, was standing nearby, calling out crisply to the boats of all sizes moored at the dock, "Sticky rice, hot sticky rice!" (This is a northerner's imagination; I've only ever been to Nanjing and eaten sticky rice wrapped in fried dough sticks, so I don't really understand southern dialects. Readers can simply use their own local dialect.)
If someone calls out to the woman, she will stand still and wait for them to come down from the dock. She will then take out the dried lotus leaves from her basket and bring out the glutinous rice that she has steamed at home. If you add a copper coin, you can sprinkle some salted vegetable shreds that the woman has made herself.
Hongxiu saw Yingge staring at the woman in the blue turban and said, "Wait a moment, after we receive the goods, we'll buy one to eat."
The three arrived at their usual spot, where, as expected, a steward from the Jin family was already waiting. The three quickly bowed to the steward, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then stood aside to wait.
According to past practice, in another fifteen minutes, five or six of the Jin family's boats should have docked at the pier.
Just as the group was standing casually by the dock, they heard a sharp scream from not far away.
The three women, including Hongxiu, along with the steward and several servants waiting for the boat, all looked up in that direction.
Then I saw a woman prying open the mouth of a little child on the ground, as if she wanted to pry the food out of the child's mouth.
"Big Brother, spit it out, spit it out, spit it out, spit it out!"
The three women, Hongxiu and her companions, exchanged glances. They remembered that when they were in Chang'an, the Jin family had invited Li Sanniang to their home for medical treatment. Later, Li Sanniang visited the Jin family several times, and they could sense that Li Sanniang did not look down on or despise them for being concubines of wealthy merchants. In fact, they could even see a trace of pity in Li Sanniang's eyes.
Therefore, the three of them had a great fondness for Li San Niang.
Later, Li San Niang's medicine cured Ying Ge and also cured the young master of the Jin family. The three of them became even more curious about this female doctor, Li San Niang, so they spent money to ask the old woman in the courtyard to help them go out and inquire about Li San Niang's deeds.
At that time, Li Sanniang had already gained some fame in Chang'an City, so the three of them easily learned from the old woman that Li Sanniang had saved a child using the Heimlich maneuver (the plot of Chapters 13-15).
Later, Hongxiu, wanting to learn more, even used her private savings to buy a booklet published by the Imperial Medical Bureau, which contained detailed instructions and explanations of Hai's techniques.
Therefore, at this moment, Hongxiu guessed that the little boy might have choked.
Thinking of this, Hongxiu ran towards the woman and the child, asking, "What is Hongxiu doing?"
Thinking that saving lives was the priority, Hongxiu ran over, while Yingge, who was slower to move, replied to the steward: "Steward Jin, should Sister go and see if she can save the person?"
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