Ding Shi’s face stiffened.
Just as she was about to come up with an excuse to refuse, she hesitated.
Over the past few years, she had managed to marry off several daughters with generous dowries—but three to four-tenths of that money came from the monthly rental income of Shen Er’s shop.
Now, having pocketed the profits for three years, she suddenly felt a deep sense of loss at the thought of returning the property.
But before she could voice her objections, Uncle Shen suddenly spoke up, unexpectedly generous: “We never intended to keep it. Ji Ge was still young, and your family’s shop was entrusted to us for safekeeping.
Since it needed to be rented out, we simply collected the income on his behalf. Now that you’ve returned, it should naturally be given back to you.”
This infuriated Ding Shi to no end.
Her face turned red, and beneath the table, she viciously pinched Uncle Shen’s arm, making him wince in pain.
Yet, despite the discomfort twisting his expression, he stubbornly continued: “These past years, no one mentioned it, and I nearly forgot my bond with my younger brother. Now that you’re back, I’m reminded of everything Shen Er once did for me…”
His voice choked with emotion.
Even Shen Miao was taken aback.
Had invoking her father’s memory truly shaken Uncle Shen this much?
To her astonishment, he suddenly burst into tears.
Through his sobbing, he stammered: “Wait here—I’ll go get the land deed and house deed for you… And I’ll even put together some silver for you!”
Before his words had even finished leaving his mouth, Ding Shi snapped.
With a fierce kick, she knocked over Uncle Shen’s chair, sending him crashing to the floor.
Then, grabbing his ear, she roared in fury: “Shen Dalang, have you lost your mind?! How can you talk nonsense like that? That shop burned down and is nothing but a pile of charred beams!
Even if we wanted to sell it, it would be worthless! Fine, fine—the land and house deeds, whatever. But giving them silver?! You better ask my rolling pin if it agrees!”
Uncle Shen shrank back, trembling.
Not daring to argue further, he scurried into the main house.
Moments later, he returned, handing over a paper bundle.
Shen Miao opened it—inside were indeed the land deed and house deed of her family’s property.
She exhaled in relief.
She had retrieved them.
This trip had not been in vain.
With these deeds, she, Ji Ge, and Xiang Jie finally had a place to call their own in Bianjing.
As for the three years of rental income, Ding Shi had already spent it.
Trying to retrieve it now would be pointless—and more trouble than it was worth.
This was why Shen Miao never even mentioned it.
Satisfied, she decided not to push further.
Without wasting any time, she gathered Ji Ge and Xiang Jie and prepared to leave.
Ding Shi, furious beyond words, didn’t even bother to see them out.
Instead, Uncle Shen followed them to the door.
Shen Miao politely told him to stay, but he quickly grabbed her hand.
Looking around nervously, he glanced over his shoulder as if he were committing a crime.
Then, in one swift motion, he stuffed a bundle of copper coins into Shen Miao’s sleeve.
Before she could react, he bolted away like a startled rabbit.
“That’s all, niece! Uncle won’t be seeing you off—hurry back home!”
Only a fool wouldn’t take free money.
And even more so—this was Uncle Shen’s money.
Without hesitation, she tucked it safely into her sleeve.
After all, This was what Uncle Shen owed Ji Ge and Xiang Jie!
Clutching the money tightly, she hurried to get them a carriage home.
She had delayed too long at Uncle Shen’s house—if they didn’t make it back before the South Zhuque Gate closed, they wouldn’t be able to re-enter the inner city.
Luckily, the journey home was smooth.
The moment they arrived, Shen Miao pulled Ji Ge under the blankets, and the two secretly counted their newfound wealth.
She had clutched that bundle so tightly that the oil-paper wrapper was completely crumpled.
Peeling it open, they found— Exactly two strings of coins.
Two thousand wen.
For Uncle Shen, this was nothing.
But for Shen Miao and her siblings, it was a lifesaver.
The shiny copper coins gleamed under the light, reflected in their wide, excited eyes.
Shen Miao quickly discussed the plan with Ji Ge: “First, we’ll take one string of coins and repair the back courtyard’s walls and doors.Right now, our home is wide open at night—just the three of us, two children and a woman. We need to fix it before thieves start eyeing us.”
Ji Ge nodded solemnly: “Sister is right.”
Then, lowering his head, he murmured: “If only I were older… I could help guard the house.”
Shen Miao patted his head: “I understand your feelings. But you’re still young—you don’t need to force yourself. You’re already mature beyond your years.”
Ji Ge shook his head.
To him, he still wasn’t doing enough.
Shen Miao continued: “As for the second string of coins, we’ll save it. Later, it will help pay for your education when we find you a teacher.”
With their funds secured, Shen Miao took the two children out for dinner,
And bought supplies for her upcoming street stall business.
She also needed to find Old Yang, the carpenter,
To repair the back courtyard’s doors, walls, stove, and roof.
From her previous walks through the night market,
She had already studied the business layout near Jinliang Bridge.
And she had decided what she would do next.
***
The city of Bianjing had reached late spring.
The warm wind rustled the willow trees, their leaves fluttering like mist.
The night market lasted until the fifth watch, but before dawn even broke.
The streets were bustling once more, filled with merchants setting up for the early morning market.
The cries of vendors and porters echoed through the morning mist, pulling Shen Miao out of sleep.
Still half-drowsy, she burrowed into her blankets, sitting there in a daze before she fully woke up.
For the past two days, she had worked nonstop to prepare for her new business.
And with no one else to help, Ji Ge and Xiang Jie had become her little child laborers, running around assisting her wherever needed.
Their life in Bianjing had truly begun.
For the past two days, Shen Miao first sought out Old Yang and then had him recommend a skilled bricklayer.
Once they had negotiated prices and settled the wages, she left Ji Ge and Xiang Jie at home to supervise the work.
Before leaving, she prepared a large pot of Luo Han tea and a thick porridge with lean pork and millet for breakfast.
Ji Ge and Xiang Jie were instructed to serve tea and food to the workers, while making sure they properly repaired the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Shen Miao went to the Street Administration Bureau to pay 50 wen and register her stall legally.
20 wen was the rental fee for her stall space.
30 wen was a bribe for the military constables overseeing the street markets.
These blue-robed constables were mostly idle scoundrels who had paid their way into the position, often bullying market vendors.
While handling her paperwork, they shamelessly teased her, making crude remarks.
Fortunately, the current Kaifeng Prefect was a strict and incorruptible official, much like the famous Judge Bao.
Because of this, the constables dared not physically harass her, and after a few vulgar jokes, they let her go unharmed.
Shen Miao ignored their nonsense and calmly finished her business.
She was given a green-painted wooden plaque with the characters “Bing Zuo Wu” (Third Sector, Left Five) painted in red lacquer—most likely her stall number.
On her way out, she visited the actual stall location to confirm its position.
Sure enough, Jinliang Bridge had four tall wooden signposts, each labeled with a sector name: A, B, C, and D.
Following the “C” sector signpost, she counted five bridge piers forward—until she reached a tiny, narrow space barely a foot wide.
The stall was cramped, but there was no better spot available—all the other spaces were already jam-packed with vendors.
Coincidentally, her stall was right next to the same plump woman who sold herbal drinks, whom she had spoken with previously.
Seeing Shen Miao, the woman immediately noticed the wooden plaque in her hand and became wary: “So, that’s why you were asking me all those questions earlier! What are you selling?”
Shen Miao smiled: “Flatbreads. After eating a hot, savory flatbread, people will naturally get thirsty—won’t they want a cup of your herbal tea?
You and I are neighbors now, and our businesses complement each other perfectly. This is fate, isn’t it?”
Hearing this, the plump woman relaxed and her hostility faded.
She had initially feared competition, but now saw the potential for collaboration.
With her permit secured, a stall space claimed, and a good relationship built with a neighboring vendor, Shen Miao proceeded to purchase the ingredients she needed for the next day’s market:
Flour, rice, green onions, star anise, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
Pork belly, sesame seeds, mustard greens, eggs, and red beans.
Pork intestines, liver, kidneys, and other offa.
l
Much of her remaining dowry was spent.
The sheer volume of supplies was too much to carry, so she hired a porter with a handcart to deliver everything home.
Once everything was accounted for, she did the math:
Courtyard wall and window repairs – 913 wen
A cartload of charcoal – 200 wen.
Food and ingredient purchases – Over 300 wen.
Travel expenses and previous spending – About 2 strings of coins (2,000 wen).
She was running out of money fast.
“Living off savings is like eating away at a mountain—soon, there will be nothing left.”
Shen Miao sighed, patting the thin, deflated purse hanging from her waist.
That evening, she brought some fresh seasonal fruits as a gift and visited Aunt Gu to make a request: “Would it be possible to borrow your family’s handcart tomorrow morning?”
Before Aunt Gu could even respond, Gu Tusu immediately spoke up:
“No need to borrow. That cart is too heavy—I’ll bring it over and help you deliver your goods in the morning.”
Aunt Gu glanced at her son suspiciously, noting his uncharacteristic eagerness to help.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Shen Miao quickly responded:
“Thank you, Gu Er-ge! But I wouldn’t want to trouble you too often. Actually, thanks to your earlier advice, I already hired Old Yang to build me a custom cart. Once it’s ready, I won’t need to impose on you anymore.”
Before Aunt Gu could reply, Gu Tusu spoke up again: “It’s no trouble at all. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”
At this, Aunt Gu’s smile stiffened slightly.
Shen Miao immediately took her cue to leave, thinking to herself: “I should keep my distance from Gu Tusu from now on… Even if my conscience is clear, people will always gossip. As a divorced woman, I need to be careful.”
But in the end, her preparations were nearly complete.
Tomorrow, she would officially open her stall at the market.
Her new life in Bianjing was about to begin.
With everything finally in place, tomorrow would mark her first day as a vendor—and her first step toward financial independence.
Shen Miao returned to find the backyard still under construction.
She had arranged with the bricklayer to build a rammed earth and stone wall, even having the remaining standing sections of the old wall completely torn down.
Naturally, this type of construction cost more than an ordinary earth wall, but a courtyard wall needed to be sturdy and durable.
It was worth spending extra silver to build it properly, saving her the trouble of future repairs.
For the courtyard gate, she asked Old Yang to select a thick and solid piece of walnut wood, which was quite expensive.
However, Shen Miao loved the beautiful grain of walnut, and its high hardness made it resistant to scratches, moisture, and deformation.
Moreover, termites did not favor it.
In her past life, her mother had brought a set of walnut furniture as part of her dowry, and even after decades, it remained as good as new.
The leaking beams and roof of the kitchen were also repaired.
As for the kitchen door, she chose the more affordable pinewood, which was lightweight, easy to work with, and cost only half as much as walnut.
Shen Miao’s renovations couldn’t escape the notice of the neighborhood.
Curious onlookers gathered, unable to resist gossiping while cracking sunflower seeds. Some even pitied her in hushed voices:
“Do you know? The eldest daughter of the Shen family was sent back by her husband’s family.”
“Why did her husband divorce her?”
“I heard it was her mother-in-law’s decision. That scholar husband of hers… ahem… has a habit of sharing a bed with his own mother…”
“Heavens above! What kind of beast does that?”
“Oh dear, exactly! And now she’s all alone, with younger siblings to care for… Her eldest uncle is no good either, doesn’t even lift a finger for his own brother’s children…”
Shen Miao touched her nose innocently.
Were these aunts gossiping a little too loudly?
She could hear every word crystal clear, even through the half-built courtyard wall…
Still, she pretended not to hear.
After all, such rumors didn’t harm her.
She wasn’t afraid of being talked about, nor of being pitied.
This was precisely why she had to leave Jinling.
Bianjing was, after all, her hometown.
The neighbors in the alley had known the Shen family for decades, having watched her grow up.
Most of them bore her no real ill will.
Shen Miao turned her attention back to the progress of the courtyard wall.
Old Yang had found her a bricklayer named He, an experienced master craftsman in his fifties.
He worked quickly and efficiently—within half an hour, the remaining sections of the old wall were gone, and by midday, half of the new wall was already up.
She gave him a reminder, “Master He, when you finish this, let me know. I’ll discuss with you how to build the clay kiln.”
“Master” was a respectful title for craftsmen in the Song Dynasty.
This He Master was a man of few words.
He simply nodded and continued working.
They had agreed beforehand—besides building the walls and repairing the roof, he would also construct two stoves and a clay kiln for her.
Shen Miao was only reminding him in case he got too busy and forgot.
Having said her piece, she returned to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients.
She had already taken some time earlier to sort out half of the necessary ingredients.
Rolling up her sleeves, she flexed her wrists to loosen up.
Then, she gripped the knife on the cutting board with one hand.
With a flick of her wrist, the blade spun in the air, flashing brightly as it traced a gleaming arc.
Today, she had to prepare lunch for more than a dozen people.
It had to be delicious, filling, and affordable.
Time to show off her skills.
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