Chapter 11 Did I bump into you because you have bad eyesight?
Back in her familiar little courtyard, Xiuxiu lovingly touched her new jacket, her excitement about going to the village school the next day mingling with the chatter of a happy little sparrow around Yu Man.
"Sister! I'm wearing my new jacket to the village school tomorrow, and Er Qiao and the others will be so envious!"
"Sister, is the homework at the village school difficult?"
"Big sister, school ends tomorrow, can you come pick me up?"
The little girl talked for a long time before finally shyly expressing her wish, not daring to look at Yu Man, and tugging at the hem of her clothes.
Yu Man knew what she was thinking and readily agreed: "Okay, I'll pick you up tomorrow."
Having received the promise, Xiu Xiu ran off contentedly. After washing up, she climbed onto the kang (heated brick bed) and soon fell into a deep sleep, clutching her new clothes. Yu Man also blew out the oil lamp and slowly drifted off to sleep, her breathing even.
However, Yu Chengfu and Deng Sanniang, who were in another room, were wide awake.
In the darkness, Yu Chengfu turned over and sighed heavily: "Third Sister, tell me... what exactly does the Pei family mean? Erlang is an excellent child, he's considerate in every way. But his father..." He thought of Pei Mingyuan's seemingly polite but actually distant attitude, and felt a weight on his heart. "I can tell that he's probably not very satisfied with our Man'er."
Deng San Niang wasn't asleep either. Upon hearing this, she didn't think Yu Chengfu was overthinking it. After all, his attitude was clear. If it weren't for Pei's mother smoothing things over today, she would have spoken up for justice. What's wrong with Aman? How come he treats her like she's worthless?
She straightened up: "He's not satisfied? What's wrong with Aman? Looks, temperament, housekeeping skills, what's lacking in her? It's just that our family isn't well-off, is it?" Her voice was as crisp as ever, but it also revealed a hint of barely perceptible frustration.
“That’s true,” Yu Chengfu’s voice lowered, carrying the honesty and worry of a farmer, “but once you’re married, you’ll ultimately have to live in your husband’s family home. If they don’t like you, even if the man is the best, life will inevitably be bumpy, and you’ll suffer…”
After a moment of silence, Yu Chengfu seemed to have made up his mind, and said in a deep voice, "No, we have to save up more dowry for Aman! We can't let our daughter go there and be ashamed because her family isn't well-off! Tomorrow I'll go look for some odd jobs, and also some land. Maybe we shouldn't plant wheat anymore; I heard medicinal herbs are valuable..."
Listening to him speak, Deng Sanniang felt a mix of sadness and warmth in her heart. She knew her husband was an honest and simple man, and that was the limit of what he could think of. She patted her husband's arm and comforted him with a firm tone, "Alright, stop overthinking, go to sleep! Our Aman is a woman of her own mind, she might not be having a bad time. Besides," she paused, her eyes sharp as a razor-sharp knife in the darkness, "with me here, I'd like to see who dares to make my daughter suffer!"
She didn't say anything more, closed her eyes, and in her heart, she was thinking: Tomorrow morning, she would take out the butcher knife that had come with her from her parents' home, which was buried at the very bottom of the trunk, and sharpen it properly. Before she got married, she helped run the butcher shop at her parents' home, wielding the knife skillfully and having a fiery temper. After marrying into the Yu family, although life wasn't wealthy, her husband was honest, her children were sensible, and her temperament had softened considerably. She even took up embroidery. But if anyone thought the Yu family was easy to bully and wanted to torment her daughter, then they shouldn't blame her for digging out her weapon again.
The next day, while it was still dark, Yu Man vaguely heard a slight creaking sound from the courtyard gate in her sleep; her father had left early. Not long after, a steady, rhythmic "swish...swish...swish..." sound came from the courtyard again; it was Aunt Xiang grinding something.
The sound wasn't harsh; instead, it carried a strange, reassuring rhythm. Yu Man snuggled against the cloth pillow, her mind drifting in and out of sleep. Drowsiness washed over her like a tide, and she turned over, pulling the thin blanket over her head before quickly falling into a deep sleep again.
I slept until the sun was high in the sky.
When she opened her eyes, bright sunlight was already streaming through the window paper, casting large patches of light on the kang (a heated brick bed). The courtyard was quiet, with only a few hens leisurely pecking at their food. The sound of sharpening knives had long since stopped; Aunt Xiang must have gone to do something else. Xiu Xiu wasn't there either; she'd probably gone to the village school long ago.
Yu Mandi stretched and slowly got up to wash up. After finishing, she touched the bottom of the pot in the kitchen, and then calmly ate the millet porridge and pickled vegetables that Deng Sanniang had left for her. After washing the dishes, she began her business for the day.
She walked to the corner and carefully lifted the covers of several earthenware jars draped with clean gauze. A rich and unique aroma of soy sauce, mixed with the mellow fragrance of fermented black beans and spices, immediately filled the air. Inside the jars was a fermented bean curd sauce she had carefully prepared a few days earlier. It was a glossy, reddish-brown color, with each bean curd grain distinct, soaked in clear chili oil and sauce—it looked incredibly appetizing. She picked up a little with clean bamboo chopsticks and tasted it. The saltiness and spiciness were just right, the spiciness was perfect, and the bean curd was chewy and delicious. The flavor was even better than she had expected.
This bean curd sauce, along with several wild mushroom sauces and spicy meat sauces she had previously devised, were the small businesses she secretly ran. She loved to eat, and she kept experimenting with food, so she simply turned her hobby into a side business. Living off the land, she made some local sauces to go with rice, and without much trouble, she delivered them to several reputable eateries and a small restaurant in the county. They were very well-received, providing her with a stable monthly income. However, she kept a low profile and never publicized it. Her father and mother-in-law, knowing about this, let her do as she pleased, even helping her when they had free time.
This dynasty still prioritizes agriculture and suppresses commerce, but under the national policy, survival is paramount. If one can make a living, doing some small business is fine; it would be foolish to starve to death.
After checking the sauces, Yu Man was planning her next trip to the county to deliver the goods and the quantity. Just then, a knock came at the gate, accompanied by a cheerful, laughing male voice: "Man-mei! Are you home?"
Yu Man lifted the curtain of the kitchen and went out. He saw a tall, strong, dark-skinned young man standing outside the fence gate. It was Pan Yue from the neighboring Lanning Village. He carried a smooth hardwood carrying pole on his shoulder, with two heavy bamboo baskets hanging from both ends. The baskets were covered with broad green leaves, and the edges were still covered with a little damp mud and dew.
Upon seeing Yu Man, Pan Yue grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and said with a bright smile, "Sister Man, I've got what you wanted! It's all fresh stuff that I just dug out of that old forest!"
Pan Yue's family were hunters by birth, living in Lanning Village, which bordered Xingcheng Village. Behind the village lay the continuous Wild Boar Ridge. Wild Boar Ridge was treacherous, with deep, dark forests, rumored to be home to wild boars, leopards, and even large insects; ordinary villagers dared not venture deep into it. But Pan Yue's father was a renowned hunter on Wild Boar Ridge, though he tragically perished in the mountains a few years ago and never returned. Pan Yue had followed his father into the mountains since childhood, honing his hunting skills and ability to identify wild game.
Yu Man had always wanted to find more unique and higher-quality mountain products to make sauces. The produce from ordinary mountains could no longer meet her requirements, and with so many people going up the mountains, she set her sights on Wild Boar Ridge. However, no one dared to go there, nor did anyone dare to take the risk themselves. Until one day, after delivering her share of the profits to a restaurant in the county, she bumped into Pan Yue at the entrance of a clinic. He was being pushed and driven away by the shop assistant because he had bought medicine on credit for his seriously ill mother. This seven-foot-tall man was so anxious that his eyes were red, but he was helpless.
Yu Man couldn't bear to see him suffer. She had just received her share of the restaurant's profits and was still relatively well-off, so she stepped forward to pay for his medicine. Pan Yue was extremely grateful and insisted on knowing her address, saying he would definitely repay her in the future. At the time, she didn't think much of it, just feeling that she should help if she could. Later, when she learned that he was a hunter familiar with Wild Boar Ridge, she had an idea. She offered that he didn't need to repay her, but only asked him to help her occasionally go into the relatively safer areas on the outskirts of Wild Boar Ridge to collect certain high-quality wild mushrooms, wild fruits, or special herbs to experiment with her new sauce recipe. He would still be paid, and it would be no less than what he earned doing odd jobs in town.
Pan Yue was worried about his mother's medicine money. When he heard that this job would allow him to take care of his family, use his skills, and earn money, he readily agreed. From then on, he often went to the edge of Wild Boar Ridge to search for things as Yu Man requested. Each time he returned, he would bring her many good things.
"Brother Pan Yue, you've worked hard. You're back so soon?" Yu Man smiled and opened the courtyard gate to let him in.
"It's no trouble at all! The mountain dew is heavy, it's just right for cooling off!" He chuckled憨厚ly, carefully placing the two large bamboo baskets in the shady spot in the courtyard, and lifting the broad leaves covering them. "Look, sister, this is the kind of porcini mushrooms with that special aroma you wanted. I searched several places before finding this small patch, and I picked them all for you without damaging a single one. And this, the kind of wild mountain peppers with a lemony scent you mentioned last time, I found that too. These are really spicy, so be careful when you touch them. There are also some star anise and wild fennel, I've separated them all..."
He listed them off one by one as if they were his own treasures, his tone tinged with pride. Yu Man carefully examined the mountain produce in the basket, still fragrant with the scent of earth. Its quality was indeed excellent, far surpassing what she could find on ordinary mountains, and a satisfied expression appeared on her face.
"Great, Brother Pan Yue, these are exactly what I need!" She straightened up, went back into her room to get the prepared copper coins, counted them out, and handed them over. "Here, this is your payment for this job. Please count it."
Pan Yue took the money, his dark face flushed slightly, and waved his hands repeatedly: "No need to count, no need to count, don't you trust me, sister! My mother said that thanks to you, she was able to keep up with her medication..." His tone was full of gratitude.
He moved swiftly, and before Yu Man could even lift a finger, he picked up the two large, heavy baskets of mountain produce and followed her into the kitchen. The already cramped kitchen felt even more crowded with these unexpected local products, leaving almost no room to move.
"Just put it here, thank you so much." Yu Man pointed to a relatively empty patch of ground in the corner.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, just a quick thing." Pan Yue chuckled憨厚ly, carefully putting down the basket, afraid of knocking over the bottles and jars beside him. Seeing Yu Man roll up her sleeves to get busy, he knew it wasn't appropriate to linger, so he said, "Then, sister, you go ahead and do your work. My mother is waiting for me to brew her medicine, so I'll head back now. Next time you need anything, just let me know in advance!"
Yu Man smiled and agreed, without saying anything more polite. She knew Pan Yue was an honest man and appreciated his filial piety and ability. After exchanging a few more words about the types of mountain produce they needed to find next time, Pan Yue, thinking of his mother at home, picked up his empty carrying pole and took his leave.
After seeing Pan Yue off, looking at the two baskets of local produce brimming with the scent of the mountains, Yu Man felt a surge of energy. With these, her sauce business might just take off again. As for the gossip in the village about her being "lazy," she paid no heed. Life was hers to live, and living comfortably and with a sense of purpose was the most important thing. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to process the fresh mountain produce, as if she could already see it transforming into jars of tempting sauces that could bring her money and confidence.
She had originally planned to make chili sauce today, but now she changed her mind and decided to make wild mushroom sauce. The porcini mushrooms that Pan Yue brought were of excellent quality and would be the main ingredient.
The preliminary preparations for making mushroom sauce are tedious yet crucial. Yu Man changed into her usual work clothes, first drawing water from a water vat, then carefully pouring the porcini mushrooms into a large wooden basin, moving gently to avoid damaging the delicate caps. The clear water quickly became muddy from the dirt and withered leaves attached to the mushrooms. She meticulously brushed away every speck of dirt from the wrinkles of the caps and the stems with her fingers, rinsing them two or three times until the water became clear again. The mushrooms she retrieved regained their original plump and clean appearance, resembling small, open umbrellas, emitting a rich mushroom aroma.
The cleaned porcini mushrooms needed to be drained. She found several clean bamboo sieves, spread the mushrooms evenly, and placed them under a well-ventilated window to dry. While they were drying, she began preparing the ingredients. She removed the stems from the wild chilies and washed them, making their unique lemony aroma even more pronounced; she also sorted out the wild fennel, star anise, and other spices for later use. Next, she took out the fermented black beans she had prepared earlier, the homemade soybean paste, the lard she had rendered earlier, and the precious rapeseed oil.
These preparations alone took up most of the day. Yu Manjiao was slightly sweaty. She straightened up, rubbed her aching neck, and glanced out the window to see that the sun was already setting quite a bit. Judging by the time, the village school should be closing soon. Remembering that she had promised Xiuxiu last night to pick her up, she put down what she was doing.
Back in her room, she changed out of her old, somewhat shabby clothes, stained with mud and mold, and put on a clean, moon-colored cotton dress. She wiped her face with a damp cloth and tucked her stray hairs behind her ears. The figure in the bronze mirror looked neat and tidy; the faint scab on her forehead was almost gone.
After getting ready, she leisurely went out the door and headed towards the old ancestral hall at the village entrance, which served as the village school. Even after the sun had set, the summer sun was still scorching, brightly baking the dirt road and sending up visible, distorted waves of heat. Yu Man chose to walk along the shady walls and under the eaves, her pace unhurried. As she approached the old ancestral hall where the village school was located, she bumped into Aunt Zhao, who was hurrying along.
"Man'er!" Aunt Zhao's forehead was covered in sweat, and her face was filled with anxiety. "Are you going to pick up Xiuxiu?"
"Yes, Auntie, what's wrong?" Yu Man stopped in her tracks.
“Sigh, there’s an urgent matter at my parents’ home, I have to rush back. You know how bad Xiaochun’s father’s legs are, he’s not very agile. I’m worried that Xiaochun, that little rascal, will run around everywhere after school and won’t be home until after dark.” Aunt Zhao’s tone was apologetic. “I know you’re the most reliable, and Xiaochun listens to you the most… Could you please pick her up for me while you’re at it? Just let her go straight home, her father is there.”
Normally, the village children would walk home in groups after school, as the adults were too busy in the fields to pick them up. But Aunt Zhao's situation was special, and Yu Man could understand. She smiled and readily agreed, "Okay, Auntie, you can go ahead and do your work. I'll pick up Xiaochun and Xiuxiu together."
Aunt Zhao left gratefully. Yu Man continued walking towards the ancestral hall. Fortunately, the journey wasn't far. As soon as she reached the iconic big locust tree, she heard the chaotic cheers of children and the sound of benches being moved coming from inside the ancestral hall—school was over.
The wooden door creaked open, and a group of children, big and small, poured out like birds released from their cages, chattering excitedly. Xiuxiu, with her sharp eyes, immediately spotted Yu Man under the tree, wearing her brand-new blue-gray jacket, and rushed over, calling out, "Sister!"
Immediately afterwards, Xiaochun also saw Yu Man, her eyes lit up, and she called out, "Sister Xiaoman."
Yu Man gently rubbed the ink stains that had somehow gotten on their faces.
Pei Ji followed the children out last, his slightly worn blue robe accentuating his graceful figure. He was slightly bowing his head, listening to a pretty woman in a peach-colored dress speaking beside him. Yu Man recognized the woman; she was Liu Yiyi, the daughter of the village carpenter Liu. Her family was considered well-off in the village, and she was the boldest and most persistent among the girls in the village who admired Pei Ji, openly and secretly expressing her dissatisfaction with Yu Man quite often.
She glanced at it and looked away, preparing to hurry home; if she stayed any longer, the mosquitoes would swarm her. Just then, the electronic voice that had been dormant in her mind for so long seemed to have caught a signal and suddenly rang out sharply:
[Warning! Important female supporting character detected—Liu Yiyi! Plot point triggered! Host, please note that this female supporting character has extremely high favorability towards target Pei Ji and is highly threatening!]
[Analysis of current behavior: The female supporting character blocks the way, the target stops to listen, the atmosphere is subtle... According to database sentiment pattern matching, this scene has an 87% probability of being a "confession of love" or "gift-giving gesture of goodwill"!]
[Warning! Target Pei Ji is highly likely to accept the female supporting character's feelings! *Sizzle*]
The system's voice carried a programmed anxiety.
Yu Man was a little uncomfortable from the noise of the electronic pet. She looked up and saw Liu Yiyi take out a red paper from her sleeve, her cheeks flushed, and shyly hand it to Pei Ji, saying something, but she couldn't hear it clearly from a distance.
[Look! Look! Host, did you see that? The love letter was delivered! He accepted it! He accepted it!] The system's voice was almost cracking.
Pei Ji's gaze lingered on the paper for a moment, his face expressionless, showing neither surprise nor disgust. Under Liu Yiyi's expectant gaze, he reached out his hand.
[It's all over! He accepted it! He really did accept it! Host! You...]
"you……"
Yu Man suddenly interrupted the electronic pet's noisy alarm in her mind, her tone slightly hesitant, "Is your eye not good?"
The electronic noise in my mind stopped abruptly.
Several seconds passed before the system's previously enthusiastic voice sounded again, but it was noticeably weaker, even carrying a hint of awkwardness and lack of confidence after being exposed: 【...Host, you...how could you think that? This system is fully functional and has comprehensive monitoring capabilities...】
"I guessed." Yu Man looked into the distance. After Pei Ji took the red paper, he did not say much to Liu Yiyi as the system had expected. He just nodded slightly and returned to the school. After a while, he handed the red paper with ink stains to Liu Yiyi, then walked past her and his gaze swept directly towards Yu Man. He accurately caught her figure, and his originally calm eyes instantly turned into a smile.
Yu Man then answered the system's question: "Because your 'analysis' just now seems to deviate quite a bit from the actual situation."
This red paper was clearly a betrothal letter. She had heard from Deng San Niang that Liu Yiyi was engaged to a man from the county, whose family was well-off. Even though she was usually spoiled, she had agreed to the marriage. She didn't know if she had given up on Pei Ji or if she was under pressure from her family.
It seems that the two families started exchanging birth charts, but since no one in either family was literate, they had to seek out one of the few literate people in the village.
The system went completely silent, leaving only a faint buzzing sound, like a program malfunction. It stared at the original novel in its hand, something seemed wrong.
A note from the author:
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Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, little ones! [hugs]
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