Chapter 44.2

Translated by Aviana

Reaching the town, both of them first went to the Jinxiufang to turn over their work and to also receive more work to take back home. Lin Qingwan earned 360 wen, while Yao-shi received 120 wen.

文 (wén): A currency denomination used in China in imperial times. A string of 1000 wén was supposed to be equal in value to one tael (liǎng) of pure silver

Looking at the small pouch of copper coins in her hand, Lin Qingwan felt it was like pouring a cup of water on a burning cart of firewood.

杯水 车薪 (bēishuǐchēxīn): lit. a cup of water on a burning cart of firewood (idiom); fig. an utterly inadequate measure

Although she and Yang Tiezhu still had around 40 taels of silver. Lin Qingwan still couldn’t help but feel the crisis. It was still unknown by when can Yang Tiezhu fully recover, and for a short while can’t go out to earn money. In the home, too, she had just renovated the kitchen and had ordered the carpenter to make a wood shelf. Additionally, she still had to buy the kitchen supplies.

Lin Qingwan estimated that all of these would approximately cost around 4- 5 teals. And they still need to buy ingredients by themselves to make food for Yang Tiezhu, which is another expense.

For at least the upcoming three months, they won’t have any income. Inescapably, Lin Qingwan’s thoughts fell on how to open a water source and reduce outflow. She can’t not buy all of these things. These are the things she needs to buy by all means. As such, she had to increase her income.

开源 节流 (kāiyuánjiéliú): lit. to open a water source and reduce outflow (idiom); to increase income and save on spending / to broaden the sources of income and economize on expenditure

After pondering for a while, Lin Qingwan bought a few high-quality embroidery threads, a finest silk fabric, and embroidery frames from Jinxiufang. Yao-shi didn’t understand why Lin Qingwan was making such a reckless expense. But Jinxiufang’s shopkeeper Su understood after a moment. She couldn’t help but look forward to what sort of embroidery article Lin Qingwan would bring.

After receiving the embroidery work and buying the embroidery thread, Lin Qingwan led Yao-shi to buy kitchen supplies. As most of the bought things were ironware, they were slightly expensive, a little over one tael.

After buying everything, they left all of them in the shop itself for a while as they were too heavy for two women to lift. After which, Lin Qingwan and Yao-shi went to the town market to buy rice noodles and tableware, and few condiments. She also bought few pig trotters, chicken meat, and few vegetables.

Yao-shi was quite excited about being able to earn 120 taels today. As such, for first time ever, she generously bought a few sweets, cakes, candies, and such for her two children at home.

By the time they were done with all this, it was already noon.

Lin Qingwan pulled Yao-shi to look for a noodle stall to have a seat to have lunch first.

The noodles sold here were Clear Soupy Noodles with just a few green vegetables here and there. And this simple small bowl of noodles cost 3 wen.

Thinking that it was too expensive, Yao-shi asked Lin Qingwan to simply buy a few mantous.

Lin Qingwan ignored her words and forcibly pulled her to take a seat. Persuading her that eating here was just secondary, the main reason was that they could rest here for a while.

Indeed, people who ordered mantou didn’t get to sit on the chairs. They can only squat in the corner and eat. Two women squatting in the corner and nibbling on a mantou, how disgraceful would it be…. Just imagining such a scene made Lin Qingwan dispel the idea of saving money.

After thinking for a while, Yao-shi also felt she was drained from all the walking since morning. Thus she didn’t object anymore.

Soon, the boss came out with a bowl of noodles.

They soon dug into a bowl of noodles. Lin Qingwan was speechless, looking at the noodles. There was nothing special in it, just a few pieces of vegetables. There wasn’t even a chunk of meat in it. However, the noodles were made of wheat flour and tasted good. Yao-shi found them very delicious because year in year out, they only ate noodles made of coarse grains in Yang jia. Harvested grains like wheat were all exchanged with silver.

After eating the noodles and having ample rest, Lin Qingwan paid for the noodles and got up with Yao-shi.

Once again, they went to the market to buy the things they didn’t get in the morning before going to Rental Carriage Dealer to hire an ox cart.

Lin Qingwan had bought too many things and were quite heavy. Without hiring a cart, just two of them would be unable to carry them. After negotiating the hiring fare with the owner, they agreed with 20 wen to carry all the things to the carriage and send them to the Luoxia village.

They all then went to the ironware shop, where the boss of the ox cart helped them carry all the things into the carriage. After which, Lin Qingwan and Yao-shi sat on the cart and set off to Luoxia village.

Back in Yun jia, seeing them coming back, Yang Tiegen welcomed them by Yun jia’s gates and helped Lin Qingwan carry all the things to the second branch’s room. When Wang-shi saw Lin Qingwan return with so many things, she walked to them.

“Aiyo, second dimei, you bought so many things?”

弟妹 (dìmèi): younger brother’s wife

Lin Qingwan put on a fake smile and said: “I can’t do anything about it. I have to cook for Yang Tiezhu every day specially. I can’t always hoard on the stove in the house and inconvenience you from having meals. It would be more convenient to buy everything by myself.”

“Aiyo, there are so many things! They must have costed a ton, right?”

Ignoring her, Lin Qingwan paid the fare to the ox cart owner. This while, Yang Tiegen had already carried everything in.

Lin Qingwan and Yao-shi strode into the courtyard, with Wang-shi also following behind them.

“Aiyo, third dimei, you must be quite rich to buy so many things?” Seeing Lin Qingwan ignoring her, Wang-shi’s eyes once again fell on the small bag in Yao-shi’s hands.

In it were the embroidery work Yao-shi brought home, along with some candies and cakes she bought for the kids.

Lin Qingwan secretly rolled her eyes before turning around and taking the bag from Yao-shi’s hands. She then said to Wang-shi, “Eldest sao, these weren’t bought by the third dime. They are mine.”

sǎo: elder brother’s wife

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