Clara gave Adam and Ben a look. The two boys immediately understood. One went to fetch a basin and brought it in, while the kettle on the brazier was just beginning to steam. He poured the hot water in, mixing it to a perfect, lukewarm temperature.
Ben pinched his nose and came in with two pairs of unwashed socks, tossing them into the basin.
Clara handed him a piece of soap and reminded, "Wet it, rub it onto the socks, then scrub."
Ben did as told, and soon bubbles began to foam up. Chad, watching from the side, exclaimed in amazement.
Even more magical—once the soiled fabric was rinsed, it turned clean in an instant. The stains seemed to melt away into the water, swept away by the bubbles.
"It worked," Clara raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. She brought out the remaining eleven bars of unused soap and placed them neatly into the cupboard.
By spring, when the flowers bloom, she might even experiment with scented versions. Imagine taking a bath and coming out smelling lovely.
At one point, Clara had considered selling the soap, but that idea only lasted two days before reality crushed it. The two main ingredients—lard and seashell ash—were too difficult to obtain in large quantities. Making enough for home use was fine, but selling it? She didn't even know where to source that much lard.
She selected six bars and wrapped them in two sheets of oiled paper. Two bars would be sent to the old house, and the other four, if time allowed, she would personally deliver to Emily Ding.
Word around town was that Master Ding had gone to the capital and hadn't returned, and apparently hadn't passed the exam either. With the long journey back and exams ahead, he simply decided to stay in the capital and try again next year.
Clara had originally hoped to speak with him about enrolling her children in the Ding clan school, but now that he wasn't coming back, she would have to explore other options.
Emily seemed a good candidate to ask for help.
After tying up the two soap parcels, Clara turned around and found the four siblings—Adam, Ben, Chad, and Deb—no longer interested in eating chestnuts. Instead, they were taking turns squatting around the basin, washing Ben's smelly socks with great enthusiasm.
Because they could make bubbles—it was genuinely fun.
The sly Ben had already snuck off, sitting by the brazier, roasting chestnuts and munching away.
This time, he learned his lesson—he bit a slit into the chestnut shell before roasting, so they wouldn't explode like last time.
Clara shook her head helplessly and left the hall to start cooking.
She didn't often get the chance to cook herself, but when she did, she enjoyed it. The kids were always appreciative, never picky about her dishes, and everything she made was eaten down to the last bite.
Today, since they already had tasty dishes from the restaurant, Clara simply steamed a pot of rice and made a pot of pumpkin soup.
The pumpkin was from her own garden. She'd harvested seventeen or eighteen in total, stacked them in the kitchen corner. They kept remarkably well—only three or four left now.
After dinner, Old Walter Liew sent Logan over to remind Clara that it was time to sow wheat, lest she delay.
Knowing Clara wasn't exactly gifted at farming, Old Walter had deliberately waited until they finished planting their own before notifying her. With their help, her ten acres could be done in just two days.
This year's harvest had been bountiful, and with the sons now working at the waterwheel workshop, Old Walter's family only planted half of their land to let the rest rest. That's how they had time to help Clara.
Clara appreciated the kindness.
But the moment Logan left, just thinking about going to the fields the next day ruined her mood.
That night, she had a beautiful dream—of owning a thousand acres of good farmland and commanding hundreds of servants while she lay back enjoying a life of leisure.
Alas, once daylight came, reality returned.
Clara looked up at the gloomy sky and sighed. As she passed the children's room, she saw a light still on and heard Ben reading aloud, full of vigor. She walked in and, pleased, patted his shoulder encouragingly.
"Ben, study hard and earn top marks. Whether I get to be a proper landlady in the future depends on you."
Then she hoisted a hoe onto her shoulder and dragged herself, full of reluctance, to the fields.
Ben, startled, was nearly in tears. His mother was like a ghost—no footsteps at all. She suddenly appeared and placed a cold hand on his shoulder while he was deep in his book. The fact that he didn't scream was already commendable.
In this rhythm of busy days, November arrived.
Gavin White came to collect the last batch of ultra-compact water mills and paid the final balance.
The workshop recorded an income of 120 taels. After deducting costs and wages, Clara and Carpenter Liew each took home 22 taels and 8 silver coins.
Although expected, having over 20 taels of silver in his hands nearly moved Carpenter Liew to tears.
Never in his life had he held so much money at once. With this, he could finally repair the family house and not worry about next year's corvée labor.
If he dared to dream a little, maybe even send his youngest son and grandson to school.
Who knows—maybe one day, their family might produce a scholar.
While Carpenter Liew was nearly overwhelmed with emotion, Clara calmly stored away her share. She then took the 1 tael owed to the clan for stone materials and went to visit the clan head.
Who wouldn't be happy to collect money?
Even if it wasn't going into his own pocket, the clan head beamed. He even began to consider using the funds to repair the village road.
Clara used the opportunity to bring up the matter of land, expressing her desire to purchase good farmland and asking the clan head to help keep an eye out.
The clan head knew her situation well. Originally, Lester Liew had secured quite a few good plots, since no one dared shortchange him—he'd make your whole family suffer if he didn't get his due.
But those fields didn't last two years before being sold off.
Some went to cover labor taxes, some just for food.
Fearing grain taxes, he eventually sold all their land. People watching on were fuming with frustration.
After reminiscing, the clan head cautiously asked, "Are you hoping to buy back the original fields?"
Clara nodded. She was genuinely fond of the ten acres of fertile land she was renting now. But after probing Frank Liew's intentions, it was clear he wasn't looking to sell.
She understood, of course. In his position, she wouldn't want to either. His family was healthy, financially stable, and the land connected various other plots he owned. For convenience, he'd already dug canals for irrigation. The investment alone had been hefty.
And honestly, Clara wasn't interested in any other land in the village.
If Frank were a stranger—or the exploitative kind—she had ways to make him sell.
Unfortunately, he'd always treated her kindly, and was generous with his tenants too.
Not wanting to offend someone who'd been good to her, yet unwilling to give up the land, Clara had no choice but to turn to the clan head.
The clan head, who'd just been smiling over the stone money, now frowned deeply again. "That won't be easy."
Clara knew it wasn't going to be easy, so she added, "If he's willing, I'm prepared to pay a premium. I'd be grateful if you could ask on my behalf. It's inconvenient for me to approach him directly, and I'd hate for this to cause tension between our families."
The clan head pondered for a moment, then nodded with some reluctance. As Clara was leaving, he muttered under his breath, "You really know how to make life hard for me, girl."
Despite his grumbling, he acted quickly—inviting Frank Liew over that very evening to probe his thoughts.
Frank thought long and hard… but didn't budge.
He was being pragmatic. If someone wanted his good land, they'd have to offer something equally good in return.
A premium price didn't cut it—not unless it was double.
And Clara couldn't afford double, so they didn't reach an agreement.
At that moment, her desire to slice Lester Liew into a thousand pieces hit its absolute peak.
(End of Chapter)
Enjoying the story? Get early access to new chapters on my Patreon: patreon.com/c/TinaWriterXD
Thank you for your support! 💛