Chapter 61 – Dog Skin
Previously, Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun had witnessed Yan Xiaosi’s medical skills when she treated Yan Shuyun’s leg injury. It made sense for her to explain the medicinal recipe as from their father’s books.
Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun indeed believed her explanation without any doubt.
Ms. Zhong quickly left Jiren Hall with the ox cart.
The streets were gradually becoming less crowded as it was getting late. The ox cart traveled smoothly on the road. Since it was already afternoon, the vendors at the vegetable market should have lowered their prices. Ms. Zhong turned to ask Yan Xiaosi’s opinion, “Xiaosi, since we’ve already dealt with the baizhu, shall we go to the market to buy some vegetables now?”
After witnessing Yan Xiaosi’s courage while talking with Bai Mingyue, Ms. Zhong, as her mother, couldn’t help but want to ask for her opinion.
Yan Xiaosi had rested for a while on the ox cart and felt much better, but she was very hungry since she had eaten early in the morning. Now it was past noon, and her stomach was growling, making her feel a little dizzy.
“Mother, sisters, are you all hungry?”
Similarly, having eaten early in the morning, Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun were undoubtedly hungry as well. All four of them were starving but didn’t say anything.
Yan Shuxue and Yan Shuyun lowered their heads.
After some thought, Yan Shuqin said to Ms. Zhong, “Mom, Xiaosi is hungry. Why don’t you stop the ox cart and let her go to that bun shop over there to buy a couple of meat buns? She’s weak and unlike me, second sister, and third sister.”
Considering that Yan Xiaosi had earned fifty taels of silver today and made a significant contribution, Ms. Zhong agreed and stopped the ox cart by the roadside.
“Xiaosi, hurry up. Your eldest sister, second sister, and third sister will wait for you here.”
The bun shop was not that far, so Yan Xiaosi could already smell the fragrance of the meat buns from the cart.
The familiar smell made her swallow involuntarily. After saying goodbye to Ms. Zhong and the others, she quickly jumped off the ox cart and ran towards the bun shop.
The shop owner was a skinny but spirited old man who saw her panting and asked with a smile, “Young man, are you here to buy buns?”
Standing in front of the steaming baskets, the aroma of the meat buns was even more intense. Yan Xiaosi licked her lips, “Boss, please give me fifteen meat buns.” The old man looked at her worn-out clothes and thought she could only afford one or two buns. When she asked for fifteen, he was stunned for a moment, and then he happily agreed. He took some oil paper and wrapped up sixteen meat buns, “Young man, here are sixteen meat buns. One of them is a gift for you, and the other fifteen cost thirty wen.”
The buns were quite large. Two wen each was a good deal. Yan Xiaosi took the oil paper package and handed the old man thirty copper coins from her pocket.
The copper coins were the change she received when she bought embroidered silk handkerchiefs for Yan Shuqin and the others.
Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, and the others waited for a while before they saw Yan Xiaosi coming back with a bulging oil-paper package.
Yan Xiaosi walked back to the ox-cart with big strides and opened the oil-paper package. Inside, the plump white buns were still steaming hot.
“Mom, big sister, second sister, third sister, eat the buns while they’re hot. They won’t taste good when they’re cold.”
Knowing that Yan Xiaosi had bought a portion for herself, Ms. Zhong felt warmth in her heart, but also heartache.
“Shuqin, Shuxue, Shuyun, you girls can eat the buns with Xiaosi. Mom is not hungry, so I won’t eat. If there are any left, we’ll wrap them up and take them back for Young Master Long to eat.”
“Whatever he does, Mom, you eat.”
Yan Xiaosi stuffed a bun into her mouth with one hand, while the other hand held a bun and pushed it directly in front of Ms. Zhong, speaking with her mouth full.
“Mom, Brother Long is so big, he doesn’t need to replenish his energy. It’s a waste to give him the meat buns. Hurry up and eat.”
“Mom, you have to drive the cart back. How can you do that without energy? Listen to Xiaosi and eat.”
Yan Shuqin also persuaded Ms. Zhong, who finally picked up a bun and slowly nibbled it.
The buns were so delicious that Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun were reluctant to eat them. Only Yan Xiaosi wolfed down three of them, eventually becoming full and burping.
“Mom, big sister, second sister, third sister, I’m full now. You guys eat the rest.”
Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun each ate two and didn’t reach for the oil-paper package again.
Ms. Zhong only ate one, then wiped the corner of her mouth and sat at the front of the cart, pulling up the reins, ready to drive the cart.
Yan Xiaosi had no choice but to wrap up the remaining five buns.
There were so many leftovers. It seems that Long Hao will be getting a bargain.
Ms. Zhong drove the ox cart towards the direction of the vegetable market. “Shuqin, Shuxue, Shuyun, Xiaosi, let’s go to the vegetable market now, buy some vegetables, and then go back to Shaoyao Village.”
“Mom, we haven’t dealt with the dog skin yet.”
Yan Xiaosi suddenly mentioned the dog skin, which made Ms. Zhong anxious. She hurriedly stopped the ox cart, turned her head, and looked at Yan Xiaosi, Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun, somewhat at a loss.
“Xiaosi, what should we do? The market is almost closed.”
Yan Shuxue frowned. “We must not take the dog skin back. If Liu Qianqian sees it, the village head won’t let it go easily.”
“How about we just throw the dog skin away in Daxing Town? After all, it’s not worth much money.”
Yan Shuqin wanted to discard the spotted dog skin and be done with it.
Yan Shuyun nodded in agreement.
Yan Xiaosi glanced at the four of them and asked Ms. Zhong, “Mom, does Daxing Town have a fur shop?” In the winter, the Great Chu Dynasty would be frozen for three feet everywhere, and wealthy families would wear animal fur to keep warm. After autumn, many fur shops would appear in the markets throughout the Great Chu Dynasty. However, Yan Xiaosi was not familiar with Daxing Town, so she had to ask Ms. Zhong.
Although Ms. Zhong often visited Daxing Town, she was only familiar with the firewood market and didn’t know if there was a fur shop in the town.
“Mom doesn’t know either, Xiaosi. Do you want to sell the dog skin to a fur shop?”
The dog skin had an unattractive fur color and was not worth any money. Yan Xiaosi didn’t actually want to sell it to a fur shop. She had other plans. However, she couldn’t explain it clearly to Ms. Zhong at the moment, so she simply said yes.
Seeing her nod, Ms. Zhong said, “In that case, let Mom ask someone.”
Ms. Zhong inquired and found out that there was a fur shop located on West Street.
The family of five then rode the ox cart through the sparse crowd, heading towards West Street. Daxing Town wasn’t very big, with four streets intersecting from east, west, south, and north. Soon, the family of five arrived at West Street, where the ox cart stopped in front of a fur shop called Xu Family Fur Store.
