"Take all the food grains and carry them to my room."
Qin Sang instructed. Tian Dazhuang and the others dared not object; this was how it had always been done. In the past, the amount of rice for each meal was also portioned out daily by their mother.
Qin Sang simply wanted to be able to directly replenish the rice and grains she would exchange from the Mall in the future. The water vat had been moved into the kitchen by Tian Dazhuang, and the hoes and sickles had all been put away. Qin Sang felt her body had been jostled to pieces from riding the ox cart all the way. Sitting in the Main Hall, she counted out fifteen copper coins and handed them to Zhou Dahua:
"Go give this money to Uncle Xu. Pour him a cup of water and let him have a drink before he leaves."
Zhou Dahua's hand trembled as she received the copper coins, nearly dropping them.
Then she clenched them tightly and hurried out.
Zhao Huan also saw the mugwort in the bamboo basket that had been brought back:
"Mother, didn't you sell this mugwort?"
After Zhou Dahua saw Old Man Xu off and returned, she also saw the mugwort by the table. She was equally surprised that the mugwort hadn't been sold and that there was less of it.
But perhaps Mother couldn't carry it all and discarded some along the way.
Qin Sang took another two big gulps of water from the bamboo tube. On the road, she had to inquire about local customs and chat with Old Man Xu until her mouth felt parched and smoky:
"I saw some on the road and picked a handful in passing." Her mall coins were insufficient; she needed to save a little wherever she could.
"Then, Mother, where did you get the money to buy so many things?" It was Tian Sangui who asked. The others also looked at Qin Sang curiously. Eldest Girl thought of something and shrank back, hiding behind Zhou Dahua.
Qin Sang swallowed the water, her throat feeling a bit better before she spoke:
"I saved a child from a wealthy family. They gave me a consultation fee."
Zhao Huan was more concerned about something else:
"Then, Mother, after buying so many things, is there... any left?"
Qin Sang glanced at her:
"Do you want some?"
The Original Body had long been without a smile. Although Qin Sang's sharp and mean features had softened considerably since she transmigrated, even a slightly serious expression was enough to scare a child to tears.
Zhao Huan's wrist, which was waving a palm-leaf fan, trembled:
"N... no, I don't. Mother is so amazing, you even know how to save people."
She said this outwardly, but in her heart, Zhao Huan was absolutely certain that a good amount of money remained. Otherwise, this old miser wouldn't have been willing to buy so many things.
Thinking of this, Zhao Huan waved her palm-leaf fan in front of Qin Sang, creating a blur of motion.
Hearing that these things were obtained by saving someone, Zhou Dahua felt a weight lift from her heart:
"Mother, are you hungry? Would you like to have the midday meal now?"
Just thinking about last night's bowl of porridge made Qin Sang's throat ache. She waved her hand:
"Eldest Girl, Grandma's legs are numb. Come over here and massage them for Grandma."
Zhou Dahua hurriedly pulled her daughter out from behind her and pushed her in front of Qin Sang.
Eldest Girl stood somewhat fearfully before Qin Sang, obediently making small fists and starting to massage Qin Sang's legs. Qin Sang spoke again:
"How did the tasks I assigned you this morning go?"
Tian Sangui, looking eager for praise, pointed at the two large bundles of mugwort by the main gate:
"Mother, look, these two big bundles were cut by me and Big Brother this morning. Lots, right?"
Qin Sang nodded with satisfaction, then lowered her gaze to ask the timid girl in front of her:
"Eldest Girl, is all the mugwort in the courtyard your doing?"
Eldest Girl gathered her courage and nodded:
"Mm. My mother is responsible for chopping, Fourth Aunt is responsible for moving, and I'm responsible for drying."
Qin Sang nodded with an air of seriousness:
"Oh? You even know about division of labor and cooperation. Not bad, not bad. Grandma will reward you with a Sesame Balls."
As she spoke, Qin Sang took a Sesame Balls from the oil-paper package in her bosom and fed it to Eldest Girl's mouth.
Eldest Girl's dark, bright eyes darted around in their sockets. Subconsciously, she opened her mouth, and a Sesame Balls the size of a fingertip was eaten. It was sweet and fragrant.
"Is it good?"
Eldest Girl looked at the kindly Grandma asking her if it was good. Tears blurred her eyes, and she nodded heavily:
"It's good, Grandma. This is the best Sesame Balls Eldest Girl has ever eaten."
Zhou Dahua, standing at the doorway, couldn't help but turn around to wipe her tears. Tian Dazhuang's chest heaved with emotion as he kept scratching his head, a smile he couldn't suppress on his lips.
Tian Sangui spoke up:
"Mother, you even bought Sesame Ballss? What do they taste like? It's been so long since I've had one, I've forgotten."
Zhao Huan quickly followed: "Yes, Mother. Your golden grandson is also asking in your daughter-in-law's belly, what do Sesame Ballss taste like?"
Qin Sang was not stingy. She had bought them to improve their lives. She opened the oil-paper package, gave another one to Eldest Girl, selected two more, called Zhou Dahua, and gave Tian Dazhuang, Tian Sangui, and Zhao Huan two each. She then turned her head and looked:
"Where's Si Jin? Where did she go?"
Zhao Huan's eyes flickered:
"I don't know. She ran out after finishing her work. Probably went out to play."
Qin Sang didn't ask further. In her memory, the child Si Jin often went out to play with sisters from the same village; she might be at a neighbor's house.
Putting away the remaining Sesame Ballss, Qin Sang pointed at the cloth on the table:
"Do you know how to make clothes?"
Zhao Huan's eyes lit up as she touched the Hemp Cloth on the table:
"Mother, I do know how, but I'm pregnant now and can't sit for long."
Zhou Dahua said from the side, "Mother, I can make them. Are they for you or for Little Uncle?"
"For everyone. Wen Mo's clothes were just recently made. First, make a set for Eldest Girl. I see she's still wearing the clothes that got torn last night. Make two sets for each person first. If there isn't enough cloth or thread, let me know."
Zhou Dahua's voice trembled slightly:
"We... have some too?"
"Mm." Qin Sang nodded.
After arranging things, Qin Sang returned to her room to take a nap. When she woke up, it was already the Hour of the Goat.
Eldest Daughter-in-law immediately had Eldest Girl follow her to the kitchen to bring out the midday meal. Soon, a table of soups and watery dishes was laid out. The bowls of the eldest brother's family contained porridge so thin you could see the bottom. Only Qin Sang and Third Brother's Wife had slightly better portions in their bowls.
Qin Sang truly had no appetite. Moreover, before coming out, she had exchanged two Shumai dumplings and eaten her fill with Eight-Treasure Porridge from the Mall. So, she directly picked up the bowl in front of her and divided the thick porridge from her bowl into the bowls of Eldest Brother's Wife and her eldest granddaughter.
She hadn't instructed them to cook dry rice for the midday meal because she was worried this family, having never eaten their fill, might not adapt well to a sudden improvement in their diet:
"I have no appetite. Eldest Daughter-in-law, cook dry rice tonight. I'll go check the Chicken Coop. If there are Eggs, we'll add an egg soup tonight."
Zhou Dahua was slow to react to her Mother-in-law's action of sharing the porridge. By the time she processed it, Qin Sang had already walked to the main gate:
"Mother-in-law, I checked this morning. The hens at home didn't lay any Eggs today."
Qin Sang waved her hand: "You eat. Maybe they didn't lay in the morning, but they did at noon."
Qin Sang went to the Chicken Coop. The family raised three old hens, one rooster, and about ten half-grown chicks.
At this hour, the hens had gone out to forage for themselves. Qin Sang reached her hand into the nest and, when she withdrew it, held three Eggs.
One Mall coin each, free-range Eggs. They tasted better than Eggs from farms and were more like genuine free-range Eggs.
After placing the Eggs in the kitchen, Qin Sang returned to the Main Hall to drink water. Seeing a bowl of porghum left untouched on the table, she wondered, "Has Si Jin still not returned?"