Chapter 23: Shopkeeper Lin of the Embroidery Workshop

"Oh, Chunnuan, you don't understand. We're just a humble, poor family; how could we possibly afford medicine?" Aunt Luo doubted Chunnuan's medical skills, but she also truly felt that medicine was too expensive. "The two pharmacies in town, Baicaotang and Qianjintang, charge a fortune. You can't even get a consultation or medicine for less than two taels of silver. People like us have cheap lives; we either endure it ourselves or just go meet the King of Hell."

"Yes, medicine is indeed expensive," Chunnuan nodded in agreement. "If you have this kind of condition, Aunt, you don't necessarily need medicine. You just need to rest, especially during the days when your monthly cycle arrives. Be sure not to overwork yourself, avoid cold drinks, and stay away from cold water."

"There is another way. Conditions born from childbirth can sometimes be healed through another pregnancy, if you take good care of yourself during that time."

"I can't have any more, I really can't." Aunt Luo laughed. "I'm forty-six this year. I've had nine children, and three passed away early. These ones are the lucky ones who survived. I hit menopause at the end of last year; I'm too old for that now." She laughed again to herself.

"Look at me, talking to a young girl like this," Aunt Luo said, her words quick and frank. "Anyway, Chunnuan, the melon seedlings are all planted. Go scoop up some diluted manure water and give them a soak. Every three to five days, give them a little more. Don't let them dry out, but don't overwater them either."

"Thank you, Aunt Luo."

Watching Aunt Luo's retreating back, Chunnuan sighed. Aunt Luo hadn't believed her in the end. Of course, it was also true that medicine was expensive. Her grandfather was right; women never truly considered themselves human beings. None of these physical ailments were treated as actual illnesses. As long as they didn't die, they just gritted their teeth and endured.

Chunning followed Aunt Luo's instructions and borrowed a manure bucket. At his age, this was his first time facing the contents of a manure pit, and he felt nauseous—it was smelly and disgusting. But he knew he had no retreat. This was the life of farming, and he had to face it. If he didn't carry the manure, who would? He couldn't let his older sister do it.

Chunning suppressed his revulsion and scooped half a bucket. He tried to hook the shoulder pole onto the ropes, but he couldn't get the pole to rest on his shoulders.

"Hahaha, Chunning, you aren't even as tall as the manure bucket!" Aunt Luo laughed. "With the frame and the ropes, you can't reach. Put the pole under the frame, that’s how you carry it."

Guided by Aunt Luo, Chunning finally managed to shoulder the buckets. He wobbled his way to the edge of the sandy field and watered the seedlings. When he finished and returned, he was drenched in sweat but looked excited.

"Sister, I learned a lot today!"

"Yes, you are very capable."

Chunning's mindset alone was worth praising. While she didn't believe in glorifying suffering, what good did complaining do when life dealt you a hard hand? It was better to bury your head and work hard. Things change—as the saying goes, the river flows east for thirty years and west for thirty. As long as they didn't die, they would work until they succeeded. She firmly believed the Xiao family would overcome these hardships!

"I feel capable too," Chunning nodded. "It took me three days to learn how to climb a tree, and now I can climb up to pick flowers just like Xiaogang. I've learned how to sell flower cakes, how to haggle with shopkeepers and clerks, and how to dig soil and plant vegetables..."

Chunnuan smiled, but her heart ached: her younger brother had truly, really grown up.

"Tomorrow when you go to the wharf, ask who owns that embroidery shop. See if we can find some embroidery work for Mother and the others."

"Sister, we can support the family. Don't make them work so hard; needlework hurts the eyes."

"Chunning," Chunnuan knew this was his filial heart. "A family belongs to everyone, and there are many expenses. Chunyan and Chunshu are both working hard. If we don't let Aunt and Mother do something, they will feel like they are just eating for free. Once people feel useless, their minds wander. We don't care how much money the embroidery is worth; we want them to realize they can contribute to this home. Giving them something to do keeps them from having time to dwell on other things."

"Sister, I understand."

Chunning knew that although the elders in the family didn't say it, they were always worrying about their loved ones exiled to the northern desert. He had heard Chunxin say that she saw the eldest sister-in-law crying in secret. Chunning had taught her to take care of the eldest sister-in-law, putting the responsibility of cheering her up on the two-year-old Chunxin. Sure enough, because the eldest sister-in-law was busy with Chunxin, she had less time to fret over her brothers.

After Chunning finished selling his flower cakes at the wharf, he went to the embroidery shop to look at the wares.

"Little brother, are you looking to buy something for a young lady?" Shopkeeper Lin was a woman in her prime, leaning against a door pillar, smiling as she teased him.

"No, no." Chunning's face turned red to the tips of his ears. "Shopkeeper, my mother can embroider. I wanted to see if you needed any embroiderers."

"I don't." Shopkeeper Lin had hoped for a customer to make a profit, only to find someone looking to take her money.

"It doesn't matter if you don't need one right now." Chunning took out a handkerchief his mother had embroidered and showed it to her. "The bamboo on this handkerchief was embroidered by my mother. If you ever need an embroiderer, my mother can help."

"This..." As an expert, Shopkeeper Lin was stunned the moment she saw the handkerchief. "Let me see."

"Please, go ahead."

"Looking at the stitch work and technique... is this Shu embroidery?" Shopkeeper Lin looked Chunning up and down. "Where do you live? Is your mother a professional embroiderer?"

"We live in Shuikou Village in Anan Town. My mother is not a professional," Chunning replied honestly. "She just enjoys embroidery and wants to find something to do to earn a little money to help the family."

Shopkeeper Lin narrowed her eyes at him: *I don't believe a single word you're saying!* She knew everyone in Shuikou Village, her hometown; none of the women there had such skill, and she had never seen this boy before.

"You're from Shuikou Village? What is your surname? What are your parents' names?" *Little brat, it only takes a moment to expose your lies!*

"My surname is Xiao, my father's name is Xiao Changqing, and my mother's surname is Huang."

"Surname Xiao, Xiao Changqing?" Shopkeeper Lin laughed in disbelief. "You're so young, why aren't you learning to be honest? What do you gain by lying to me? There are no families surnamed Xiao in Shuikou Village! And Xiao Changqing... oh, wait, there is a prominent Xiao clan between Anan Town and the wharf; they do have a 'Chang' generation. Don't tell me you're from the great Xiao clan!"

"I am not from the great Xiao clan." They had been cast out; the great clan looked down on them, and they had no desire to cling to them. "But our surname is indeed Xiao. We are not locals; we just moved here. We are tenant farmers for Master Zhang, and we are renting our house from Auntie Zuo."

"Are you from the family of Imperial Physician Xiao from the capital?"