It was the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, with New Year’s Eve just one day away.
Wu Wei had waited and waited, and she finally got her chance to head to the market. Zhang Shuisheng had borrowed an ox cart and was pulling Embroider Maiden and Second Sister Liu along, while Wu Wei wore Old Man Zhang’s sheepskin jacket and knee guards as she walked beside Zhang Shuisheng on the road. Suddenly, Second Sister Liu called out, “Weiwei!”
“What’s wrong, Second Sister?” Wu Wei hurried over to her side and asked.
“The market’s still a ways off. Why don’t you hop up and sit?”
“No need. Pulling three people to the market and then hauling back New Year’s goods on the way home would wear out the old ox too much.”
Second Sister Liu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Pulling the cart doesn’t take much effort at all. You’re too kindhearted for your own good—now hurry up and climb aboard.”
“It’s fine, Second Sister. I’ve walked this road so many times now that I’m used to it, and it doesn’t tire me out.”
“Come up first. I have something to tell you.”
“Oh, alright.” Wu Wei braced one hand against the cart and vaulted aboard with effortless grace, settling down beside Embroider Maiden.
“Are you cold? Want a cushion?” Embroider Maiden asked.
“I’m good. So, Second Sister, what’s on your mind?”
Second Sister Liu was in high spirits today. She was carrying more than six thousand copper coins to exchange for silver at the money house, and shopping for New Year’s goods felt downright lavish—all thanks to Wu Wei. Naturally, she knew the importance of returning the favor.
She took hold of Wu Wei’s hand. “Weiwei, I’m a few years older than you, so I get to call you little sister. Truth is, I can tell you’ve never had to live through hardships like ours before. I’ve been a married woman for years now, so I’ve picked up a thing or two. Let me share some advice while we’ve got the chance.”
“Go ahead, Second Sister.”
Second Sister Liu glanced at Embroider Maiden. “You listen closely too, Third Sister.”
“Got it.”
She went on. “Do you two know why we’re only hitting the market today, when tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve?”
Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei both shook their heads. Wu Wei, having come from another world, had no clue, and while Embroider Maiden belonged to this time and place, it was her first year truly running a household—so there were still things she didn’t know.
“First off, your brother-in-law spends every year helping folks slaughter pigs and sheep, and he’s only free starting today after being tied up for days. Second, our family doesn’t have an ox cart, so we have to borrow one from the neighbors, and they need theirs for shopping too. If we borrow too early, we hold them up and make them resent us. Once or twice is fine, but do it too often and no one will deal with us anymore. And the biggest reason? Tomorrow’s the holiday—market vendors and street shops will all close by noon to head home for reunion dinners and staying up through the night. By going today, we can snag all sorts of bargains. They’ll sell even at a loss because, after New Year’s, this stuff won’t be worth much anymore. Plus, after these past ten-plus days, the vendors have already made back their costs. From here on, it’s just whatever profit they can squeeze out, so they’re happy to discount.”
Wu Wei understood perfectly—it was like bottom-fishing for deals.
Second Sister Liu spoke with earnest concern. “Getting by in life is all about steady thrift over time. Nobody goes through life without hitting some disaster or another. You save money bit by bit. Skimp fifty cash on New Year’s goods this time, and next time trouble strikes, you’ve got those fifty cash for emergencies. Weiwei… you can’t keep spending like a bachelor who only has to feed himself. Take that sheepskin for Third Sister’s jacket—twenty-five cash was plenty. Your brother-in-law put in some work, sure, but even at twenty cash, they’d have handed it over to you first! I know you’re trying to save his face, but face like that in ordinary families? It doesn’t cost much. When a real crisis hits, even a single coin can stump a hero.”
“Second Sister…” Embroider Maiden shot Wu Wei a nervous glance, but Wu Wei just looked calm and sincere as she replied, “Thank you, Second Sister. I get it.”
Maybe Second Sister Liu’s words wouldn’t apply perfectly to the world Wu Wei had once known, but in this era, every single one rang true from the heart. Wu Wei could tell that Second Sister Liu didn’t see her as an outsider—she truly wanted her to build up some life experience early and avoid future suffering.
“As long as you don’t think I’m nagging.” Second Sister Liu patted the back of Wu Wei’s hand. Wu Wei smiled reassuringly and hopped back down from the cart.
When she reached Zhang Shuisheng’s side, he grinned and said, “Little sis, don’t take what your Second Sister says to heart. She’s just a housewife with a narrow view—you’re meant for bigger things.”
“Second Sister’s got a point, though. Getting by really does call for that steady thrift.”
…
They arrived at the market, where far fewer people milled about than usual. Folks from Zhang Family Village had an advantage, being so close by—villagers from the mountains might take two days just to get there and thus miss out on these last-minute deals.
The streets overflowed with dazzling wares, hawkers’ cries filling the air nonstop. It was a thick New Year’s atmosphere that Wu Wei never could have felt back on Blue Star. The ox cart couldn’t squeeze into the market, so in past years Zhang Shuisheng had always stayed with it while Second Sister Liu shouldered a basket and shopped. But not this year—they had over six thousand copper coins to convert to silver, so Zhang Shuisheng had to go.
They switched places: Second Sister Liu stayed to watch the cart while Zhang Shuisheng headed off to exchange the money and buy the goods.
She was still fussing over him with instructions—what he absolutely had to buy, what else he could pick up if it seemed right, and to remember to haggle hard. Meanwhile, Wu Wei had already grabbed a bamboo basket, slung it over her back, and set off with Embroider Maiden.
This wasn’t the same market where Wu Wei had sold firewood before, but she’d gotten familiar with it over the past few days hawking Spring Festival couplets. First, she led Embroider Maiden to the money house, where they exchanged two thousand copper coins for two taels of silver and handed it over. Embroider Maiden was ready; she pulled a purse from around her neck, tucked the silver inside, tied it securely, then stuffed the whole thing deep against her skin. Finally, she wrapped her headscarf around her neck a few times to keep anyone from yanking the purse away from behind.
Embroider Maiden patted her chest. “All set!”
Wu Wei burst out laughing at the flurry of precautions. Hand in hand, they left the money house and made straight for the cloth shop.
After setting aside the coins for silver and the thirty cash for the sheepskin, Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden had two hundred eighty-one cash left—all in Wu Wei’s keeping.
As they walked, Wu Wei asked, “Embroider Maiden, we’ve got enough copper coins left to get you a nice set of ready-made clothes. My thinking was… I’d buy you a ready-made set too. I know none of those tailors at the shops can match your skill, but after slaving away all year, you deserve a break. Still, it’s up to you. Want ready-made clothes, or should we buy cloth and make our own?”
Embroider Maiden thought it over seriously for a moment, then turned to gaze up at Wu Wei. “I’d still rather… buy cloth and make them ourselves. Ready-made isn’t a good deal.”
“Alright then, cloth it is.” Deep down, Wu Wei had hoped Embroider Maiden would take it easy, but she respected her choice.
Besides, Second Sister Liu had a point earlier. Every one of those copper coins earned at home was Embroider Maiden’s property—Wu Wei wasn’t taking a single one with her. Saving even a little more for her was all to the good.
They reached the cloth shop, and Wu Wei’s eyes immediately locked onto a splash of red behind the counter. “That red cloth is gorgeous.”
Embroider Maiden tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Weiwei, I can’t wear red…”
Wu Wei realized her mistake—Embroider Maiden’s father had only just passed—and hastily corrected herself in a low voice. “My undergarments are falling apart. Could you make me a couple?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Embroider Maiden’s eyes. She glanced nervously at the counter and, seeing the clerk hadn’t noticed them, gave a quick nod.
Wu Wei whispered on. “Then I’ll pick out some other color for you. We each make two pieces—sound good?”
Wu Wei had seen Embroider Maiden’s undergarments, and they were indeed threadbare.
A pink flush crept over Embroider Maiden’s cheeks as she nodded, then added worriedly, “One chi of cloth is enough for two.”
“What can I get for you two ladies? Our shop’s closing for the year today—we won’t reopen till after the Lantern Festival. Not much stock left.”
“This red bolt here, and the green one next to it—how much?” Wu Wei asked.
“You’ve got a good eye, ladies. But we don’t have whole bolts of those colors anymore. Red’s twenty-five cash per chi, green’s thirty.”
Wu Wei frowned at the prices. A bolt was forty chi, so these two came out to well over a thousand cash each—while normal cloth ran around four hundred for a bolt. Hadn’t Second Sister Liu said today would be full of bargains?
“Your cloth’s way too pricey! Other places have whole bolts for under four hundred!”
Embroider Maiden hurriedly whispered, “Weiwei, this is silk…”
“Miss, let me bring them down for you to feel. These aren’t ordinary cloth—they’re silk! A good bolt normally goes for a thousand cash, and with this quality and hand-feel? You get what you pay for!”
Wu Wei realized she’d shown her ignorance. She rubbed her nose with an awkward chuckle. The silk really did feel far smoother than regular cloth—perfect for something next to the skin.
Wu Wei turned to the shop clerk and said, “It’s already the twenty-ninth today, and you don’t even have a full bolt left. Rich families won’t want such a small amount, and ordinary households can’t afford it. If you don’t sell it today, after the New Year… these two and a half bolts of silk will just sit gathering dust in the warehouse.”
Seeing this, the clerk didn’t hide anything and nodded in agreement.
Wu Wei continued, “I’ll take one foot of the red and one foot of the green…” At this point, she paused, recalling how her mother always bargained—politely slashing the price in half first, then haggling from there.
“Thirty-two coppers. Otherwise, we’ll check out the other shops…”
“Deal!” Before Wu Wei could finish her words, the clerk had already snatched up the measuring stick. With practiced ease, he cut a foot from each bolt of silk, rolled them up neatly, wrapped them in paper, and tied them secure with a straw rope. He handed the package over with both hands and called out cheerfully, “Thirty-two coppers for one foot each of green silk and red silk. Here you go—pay at the counter!”
Wu Wei’s lips twitched, a numb sensation spreading through her entire body. In her heart, only one thought echoed: I’m done for. I paid too much…
