Chapter 9 “Mother, I’m Actually Freezing to Death”

 

Qi Qingfeng was momentarily speechless. All he had done was ask a question, yet Xu Shuyue immediately apologized. How could someone who had just stood her ground so fiercely against Xu Laoda in the courtyard suddenly seem so timid? It was like dealing with two completely different people.

No wonder his parents had looked more shocked than he was when they heard her commanding Xu Laoda earlier.

He quietly mulled this over, unaware that Xu Shuyue wasn’t scared of him but simply embarrassed at having been caught using his bed to dry fruit.

Placing the basket of peanuts and walnuts on the table beside the brazier, Qi Qingfeng said in a neutral tone, “It’s fine. Use it if you need to. Just make sure the bed is cleared by tonight—I only need it to sleep for one night.”

At that moment, Qi Ansheng walked in carrying a large basin of water. Hearing this, he frowned and asked, “Just one night? You’re leaving tomorrow? Why not stay a few more days?”

Qi Qingfeng shook his head. “I only got a day off from my studies. I have to head back early tomorrow morning.”

He paused before adding, “But the new year is coming up. My senior classmates said the teacher usually gives us a holiday around then, so I’ll be able to stay home longer during the break.”

Qi Ansheng nodded in understanding. He mentally noted that the preparations for Qi Siming’s grave should be completed by this afternoon. Since it wouldn’t delay anything, he felt relieved. Turning to Xu Shuyue, he asked, “Shuyue, what’s the next step?”

In his hands were a bag of wheat and another of glutinous rice. Xu Shuyue opened them to inspect the grains. The quality was excellent—plump and fresh, likely harvested this year.

The wheat weighed about seven or eight jin (roughly 4 kilograms), while the glutinous rice was a bit less, around three or four jin (roughly 2 kilograms). By her calculations, these two bags could sell for around 70 to 80 wen in the market.

Wheat was cheap, but glutinous rice was more expensive. Still, once turned into maltose syrup, the value would increase significantly.

Running the costs in her head, Xu Shuyue spoke gently, “Father, we won’t need the glutinous rice for now. Let’s start by washing the wheat.”

Qi Qingfeng, watching curiously from the side, asked, “What are you making?”

“Maltose syrup,” Xu Shuyue replied as she poured warm water into the large basin. Then she asked, “By the way, Qingfeng, have you seen anyone selling maltose syrup in the county? How much does it sell for?”

Qi Ansheng began pouring the wheat into the basin, using a wooden stick to stir it around. He carefully removed any shrunken or worm-eaten grains, setting them aside as feed for the chickens.

Hearing Xu Shuyue’s question, he spoke as he worked. “There’s a stall selling maltose syrup in town. Two wen a piece. Your mother and I saw it when we went to deliver fruit earlier this year. It was too expensive, so we didn’t buy any.”

Two wen wasn’t much, but when compared to something like a steamed bun, which cost three wen and was far more filling, maltose syrup seemed like a luxury. Besides, their family sold fruit—if they wanted something sweet, they could just eat some fruit instead of spending money unnecessarily.

Qi Qingfeng shared his father’s sentiment but was still surprised that Xu Shuyue knew how to make maltose syrup. He added, “The county sells it too, but it’s one wen more expensive than in town. Still, I’ve heard from my classmates that the syrup sells well. Apparently, the person running the stall made enough money to buy a small house in the county just from selling syrup.”

Qi Ansheng’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Really?”

Houses in the county weren’t cheap. If someone could afford one just by selling maltose syrup, it spoke volumes about how profitable it could be.

Suddenly, the wheat in his hands seemed far more precious.

When Xu Shuyue had brought up the idea of making maltose syrup earlier, Qi Ansheng had assumed she simply wanted a treat. It never occurred to him that she was thinking about turning it into a business.

Now that Qi Qingfeng had brought it up, Qi Ansheng’s thoughts shifted in a new direction.

Qi Ansheng wasn’t expecting to make enough money to buy a house in the county, but if selling maltose syrup could cover Qi Qingfeng’s schooling and feed the family, that would be enough.

Qi Qingfeng, sensing his father’s growing interest, said with a resigned tone, “It’s true, Father. Have I ever lied to you? If we can start making maltose syrup, even if we can’t sell our fruits, it won’t matter anymore.”

But Qi Ansheng immediately looked disdainful and said, “That won’t do. Selling fruit is my livelihood. Unless I have no choice, I won’t give it up.”

Hearing the father and son bicker, Xu Shuyue couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curving with amusement as she quietly cracked walnuts. She was unaware that Qi Qingfeng was watching her with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

She could make dried fruit, maltose syrup, and other such crafts—skills that could easily elevate a family to wealth in a village like theirs. Why, then, had Xu Laoda been willing to sell her off to the Qi family?

Qi Qingfeng couldn’t shake the feeling that his new sister-in-law wasn’t as simple as she appeared.

After bending over to wash the wheat for a while, Qi Ansheng handed the task over to Qi Qingfeng. The two of them cleaned the wheat three times until the third round of water was completely clear, indistinguishable from fresh water drawn from the well.

Xu Shuyue took one look and said, “That’s good enough.”

Following her instructions, Qi Qingfeng fetched a large bamboo tray, cleaned it thoroughly, and lined it with fresh cloth. He spread the wheat evenly across the tray.

Xu Shuyue carefully inspected the wheat one last time, picked out any remaining imperfections, and then covered it with another layer of cloth to block the light. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Father, let’s put it in your room.”

Madam Wei and Qi Ansheng, being older, often kept their brick bed warm even during the day. Though the heat wasn’t as strong as at night, it was ideal for helping the wheat germinate.

Qi Ansheng had no objections. While he was setting up the tray in his room, Xu Shuyue grabbed another tray and went to collect the dried fruit from Qi Qingfeng’s room.

Qi Qingfeng, his curiosity piqued, followed her and helped. As they finished gathering the fruit, he finally asked, “Can I try one?”

It wasn’t that Qi Qingfeng was overly cautious, but the pile of dried fruit, which had looked plentiful on the bed, turned out to be just a small handful when collected in the tray. He didn’t want to admit he was tempted by the sight of it, but he couldn’t resist asking.

Xu Shuyue hadn’t expected that he had been eyeing her movements out of a desire to eat the fruit. She had thought he might be silently scheming to avenge his elder brother.

For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. After a brief silence, she moved the tray closer to him and said helplessly, “I made it for eating. If you want to eat some, go ahead. You don’t have to ask me.”

Qi Qingfeng chuckled lightly, rubbing his hands together before taking one slice each of dried apple and pear. After tasting them, he observed, “They’re a bit different from what’s sold in town.”

Since he was family, Xu Shuyue didn’t see the need to hide anything. She replied casually, “What’s sold in town is candied fruit. The process is more complicated than ours. The fruit is steamed and sugared, making it sweeter and more expensive. What we made here is just dried fruit, which is simpler to prepare. It’s not as flavorful as theirs, but it has its own charm.”

Qi Qingfeng nodded thoughtfully. The candied fruit sold in town was far too expensive, but this dried fruit was simpler and more accessible. A question occurred to him suddenly, and he asked tentatively, “Sister-in-law, have you ever tasted the candied fruit from town?”

Otherwise, how could she compare them so specifically?

Xu Shuyue froze for a moment but quickly regained her composure. Using the excuse of carrying the tray, she turned away so he wouldn’t notice her hesitation.

In an even tone, she said, “I’ve tasted it by chance.”

Seeing her curt response and obvious reluctance to discuss the topic further, Qi Qingfeng’s eyes darkened briefly. Feigning a sudden realization, he murmured, “I see.”

Leaving Qi Qingfeng’s room, Xu Shuyue exhaled quietly. She had been open with Madam Wei and Qi Ansheng about her skills because she knew the two elders wouldn’t dwell on where she had learned them. But Qi Qingfeng was different.

He already harbored suspicions about this sister-in-law who had entered his family so suddenly. It was only natural for him to be wary.

Educated people are just different—they’re far too sharp, she thought ruefully.

When she finished transferring the dried fruit into jars, Madam Wei had already prepared lunch: stir-fried cured pork with garlic sprouts, tangy and spicy cabbage, and radish egg soup—a sumptuous spread.

Looking at the table, Xu Shuyue couldn’t help but wonder if the entire return gift had been turned into this meal.

The family of four shared a warm and lively lunch, chatting casually as they ate. After they finished, Qi Ansheng left to consult Second-Uncle about Qi Siming’s grave, while Madam Wei took Qi Qingfeng with her to find liang brothers, and Zhuzi to assist with the arrangements.

When Qi Qingfeng heard they were setting up a grave for his elder brother, he fell silent.

Noticing that she hadn’t been given any tasks, Xu Shuyue asked curiously, “Father, where should I go?”

Qi Ansheng gave her a comforting smile and said, “There’s no need for you to go anywhere. With Qingfeng around, just stay home and rest. It’s too cold outside—you won’t be able to handle it.”

Xu Shuyue immediately understood his intentions. He didn’t want her to go, fearing she might overhear hurtful gossip and feel distressed.

She glanced toward Madam Wei, whose evasive expression confirmed that she shared the same concern. Accepting their decision, Xu Shuyue took a step back and said, “Alright, Father and Mother…”

“Make sure to call me when you gather everyone to head up the mountain,” Xu Shuyue said firmly.

Qi Ansheng fell silent. They weren’t even planning to let her be present for the burial preparations.

Qi Qingfeng looked at his parents in confusion. “Father? Mother? What’s going on?”

Madam Wei sighed, rubbing her temples as if nursing a headache. “Shuyue, you’re not unaware… They…”

Before Madam Wei could finish, Xu Shuyue interrupted urgently, “Mother, I know! I know they’ll probably talk about me, but since you and Father don’t care, why should I? Besides, how much worse could their gossip be if I’m not even there for something as significant as building my husband’s grave?”

Madam Wei froze, her expression stiffening. She hadn’t considered that angle, leaving her momentarily at a loss.

Qi Qingfeng, still out of the loop, looked from one person to the next in growing suspicion. “Father, Mother, is there something you’re hiding from me?”

His confusion deepened. From what he was hearing, it seemed Xu Shuyue didn’t have the best reputation. He glanced at her, noting her determined expression, but couldn’t piece together what might have happened.

After a brief standoff, Madam Wei sighed in defeat. “Fine, fine. You’re right, Shuyue. It’s just idle gossip. As long as we don’t let it bother us, it doesn’t matter what they say.”

She softened her tone and added, “Just stay close behind Qingfeng and me. We’ll handle everything.”

Relieved, Xu Shuyue nodded, her expression relaxing. “I understand, Mother.”

The group split into two teams.

Xu Shuyue followed closely behind Madam Wei. The bitter cold wind cut through her thin cotton jacket, which did little to keep her warm.

Madam Wei glanced back at her daughter-in-law and noticed her hugging herself tightly, her face pale from the cold. Reaching out, she grabbed Xu Shuyue’s hand and was startled by how icy it felt—like it had just come out of a freezer. She also touched her jacket and found it was practically empty, with clumped cotton in some areas and only two thin layers of fabric in others.

Madam Wei’s face darkened, and she scolded, “Shuyue! Why are you wearing such thin clothes—why didn’t you tell me?”

Xu Shuyue’s lips were almost colorless as she replied weakly, “Mother, it’s warm in the house, and I forgot…”

Madam Wei felt a surge of anger. That Chen woman treated Xu Shuyue so harshly! How could she be so heartless? Does she not fear divine punishment?

Qi Qingfeng, noticing the situation, looked up and said urgently, “Mother, we’re almost at Zhuzi’s house. Let’s hurry. We can ask Aunt Jinhua for a spare cotton jacket for Shuyue.”

Madam Wei nodded quickly. “Alright, let’s go.”

With her arm around Xu Shuyue, Madam Wei helped her navigate the uneven, snowy path as they hastened toward Zhuzi’s home.

Tangy and spicy cabbage :-

Stir-fried cured pork with garlic sprouts :-

Radish egg soup:-