Chapter 49: Woman in the Wilderness

At long last, they had crossed the borders of Qinglu County, and the grand markets in the surrounding areas were beginning to open one after another.

To avoid making a wasted trip, Wu Wei made a special detour to the nearby Little Locust Village. She checked the notice board at the village entrance to confirm that the market was indeed open.

With spring underway and the weather warming up, the first batch of spring vegetables was ready for harvest. Last year’s winter stores had plummeted in value, and every household knew it. So they chose this time to sell off some of the remaining vegetables from their cellars—enough to tide them over until the fresh spring crops came in.

Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden didn’t know this “custom,” but by lucky coincidence, their own winter vegetables were nearly depleted. They had timed it perfectly to snag the bargains.

That day, Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden shouldered their bamboo baskets and set off for the market, carrying the hundred coppers they had earned from selling firewood lately.

Wu Wei had also tucked a few strips of cured pork into her basket. She figured that once the ice melted and the snow thawed, she could head up the mountain and check a few snares for rabbits, pheasants, and the like.

After all, meat was always best fresh.

At the market, Wu Wei found an empty spot and had the Embroider Maiden set her upturned basket there as a seat. She tied the cured pork with straw and laid it out on the ground in front, the price already agreed upon: twenty coppers per strip, no haggling.

“Embroider Maiden, I’ll go check out the vegetables. You stay right here and wait for me. Even if the pork sells out, don’t wander off. I’ll come find you once I’ve bought the veggies.”

“Alright.”

“Remember: twenty coppers, no haggling!”

“Mm.” The Embroider Maiden’s cheeks flushed a little, but she was no longer as nervous or afraid of strangers as she had been the previous year. Ever since the Wu Family Young Master died, every time she ventured out, the villagers had mocked her, sneered at her, and deliberately kept their distance.

Some children would even pelt her with stones and clods of dirt while shouting “Broom Star!” and “Doom Bringer!” Those painful experiences had left deep scars in her heart, making her averse to anyone except Wu Wei.

However, during the New Year in Zhang Family Village, she hadn’t been hit or cursed at. And on the few subsequent market trips with Wu Wei, she’d encountered no rudeness either. Little by little, the wounds in her heart were beginning to heal.

Watching Wu Wei’s retreating back, the Embroider Maiden felt a swell of gratitude and peace. Wu Wei was the only one who knew her entire story yet never showed even a flicker of different emotion in her eyes.

Even Second Sister Liu’s gaze toward her sometimes carried a hint of something “other.”

From start to finish, the only one who had always treated the Embroider Maiden as just an “ordinary person” was Wu Wei.

Today’s market buzzed with energy, calls from vendors rising and falling like waves. After so long living in the quiet isolation beside the Charity Mortuary, it actually felt nice to be in such a lively place now and then.

“Tofu~~~ Fresh tofu~~~ Five coppers!”

“Hand-stitched insoles, nice and sturdy—take a look!”

Only then did the Embroider Maiden notice that Wu Wei had chosen a spot flanked by female vendors. To her left was a matron with a cart selling tofu; to her right, a white-haired old woman hawking shoes.

Seeing the matron successfully sell two blocks of tofu, the Embroider Maiden felt inspired. She cleared her throat and called out, “Cured pork! Twenty coppers a strip!” Though no one seemed to glance their way, she felt as if a massive weight had lifted from her chest after that shout.

…

Wu Wei hadn’t expected the vegetables at today’s market to be so cheap. She snapped up some cabbage, potatoes, radishes, and sweet potatoes, filling her basket to the brim. She headed back to the Embroider Maiden.

The Embroider Maiden hadn’t anticipated Wu Wei returning so quickly. She hadn’t sold a single strip of pork, and her face turned red. Wu Wei just chuckled and said, “No idea what’s up with the veggies today—they’re dirt cheap. Give me that basket. I’ll grab the rest and come back to sell the pork with you.”

“Alright. I tried calling out too, but people passing by won’t even look… Should we move to a different spot?”

“No worries. Wait here for me.”

“Mm.”

…

A short while later, Wu Wei returned with a basket overflowing with vegetables. She set it down beside the Embroider Maiden, winked at her, picked up a strip of pork, and bellowed, “Come one, come all, take a peek! Don’t miss out passing by! Genuine wild boar cured pork! Only fifty pounds per pig! Just a few strips left—tearful clearance sale! Twenty coppers, you can’t lose, you can’t go wrong—buy it and you’re winning big! Real wild boar pork, folks, wild boar!”

Wu Wei’s novel hawking drew eyes immediately. The Embroider Maiden blinked in surprise and tugged at the fabric of Wu Wei’s clothes from behind. “Weiwei?!”

“Shh, just watch~.”

The Embroider Maiden thought to herself: But these strips aren’t from Second Sister’s family gift? Where’s the wild boar…?

“Let me see.” A woman approached the stall, lifted a strip of pork, and examined it closely. “Isn’t this just regular cured pork?”

“Ma’am, don’t let its humble looks fool you. One bite, and you’ll crave it again. Look at those perfect layers of fat and lean—prime quality at a glance.”

Seeing the woman still hesitate, Wu Wei pressed on. “Compare it around—you won’t find better. I’ve only got these few left anyway; once they’re gone, I’m packing up early. Back before New Year, I was charging fifty coppers each!”

The woman finally relented, chose the largest strip, paid, and left.

Truth be told, selling these at twenty coppers was a loss. They were a thank-you gift from Second Sister Liu’s family for saving the Old Madam—carefully selected cuts. Zhang Shuisheng and his father had helped villagers butcher pigs for New Year for years, so their meat was always superior. The only reason it wasn’t flying off the shelves was that cured pork wasn’t essential, especially right after a brutal winter and the holidays—folks were short on cash.

If they’d held out until after the autumn harvest, thirty coppers a strip would’ve been a steal.

With the first sale broken, the rest went smoothly. All five strips sold, netting fifty coppers profit after subtracting the fifty spent on vegetables.

On the way home, the Embroider Maiden voiced her doubts.

Wu Wei explained, “The ‘wild boar’ bit was just a hook to draw eyes. The real draw was our pork—worth every copper, even more. That’s why they bought. Most market-goers plan their buys ahead, and right after New Year, bellies are full enough; even fresh meat doesn’t sell well, let alone cured. Without catchy calls, folks won’t even glance our way—how could they buy? Our pork might not be wild boar, but they weren’t buying the gimmick. Hmm… False advertising’s not right. I won’t do it next time.”

The Embroider Maiden pondered, then said, “It had nothing to do with wild boar. Our price was fair—they bought because it was a bargain!”

Wu Wei smiled at that and said, “We’ll save this money. Once it warms up more, we can buy some chicks to raise.”

“Mm.”

“I found a clay pit earlier. Tomorrow, I’ll check if it’s thawed. If it has, I’ll dig some yellow clay to make adobe bricks. We’ll build up the courtyard wall and patch the house. I spotted a new crack the other day—on the west wall.”

“Alright. I’ll go with you.”

…

That night, no moon lit the sky, only a scattering of stars.

The Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei finished washing up and slipped under the covers, ready for bed.

Suddenly, a woman’s shrill scream pierced the silent wilderness outside. Wu Wei shot upright and turned to the Embroider Maiden.

The Embroider Maiden clutched Wu Wei’s arm. “Weiwei!”

“You heard it too?” Wu Wei asked.

“…Mm. A woman’s voice.”

“Don’t be scared. I’ll go check.” Wu Wei threw on her clothes, relit the recently snuffed candle, and grabbed the dagger from the windowsill.

“Weiwei!” The Embroider Maiden scrambled to the edge of the kang and seized Wu Wei’s arm. “Don’t go! Out here in the wilds, how could a woman be… It might be a ghost!”

“There’s no such thing as ghosts in this world. A woman wouldn’t come here willingly—I worry some villain dragged her. Stay inside; I’ll scout in the dark.”

With that, Wu Wei hurriedly dressed, then grabbed the door-barring stick. She blew out the candle and whispered, “Stay in the room. I’ll call out when I return.”

…

Wu Wei stepped outside. Without moonlight, visibility was poor, but she knew the area intimately, so it didn’t hinder her.

She slowed her breathing, lightened her steps, gripped the door-barring stick in both hands, and listened intently to the sounds around her as she advanced.

Suddenly, she heard heavy panting and frantic footsteps rushing straight toward her. Wu Wei’s heart clenched—who wouldn’t be afraid?

She took a step back and shouted, “Who’s there!”

The figure suddenly let out a shrill scream and bolted off in a different direction.

It was a woman’s voice!

Wu Wei’s fear and wariness eased considerably. As she gave chase, she called out, “Miss, I’m from a family nearby. What happened to you? Don’t run!”

The woman’s frantic footsteps gradually slowed to a halt. She stopped, still keeping some distance between them, and asked, “Where is this place? Who are you?”

Wu Wei’s heart skipped a beat. Where is this? Could this miss be a transmigrator too? No way…?

“This is Little Locust Village in Qinglu County, out on the village outskirts,” she replied. “I’m Wu Wei. My home is right over there. Miss, please don’t run—it’s not safe out in these wild hills.”

“Qinglu County?”

“Yes. Miss, where are you from?” Wu Wei asked.

A set of footsteps approached, and the woman came to stand before her. “Take me to your home,” she said.

“Follow me.”

When they reached the door, Wu Wei called out, “Embroider Maiden, open up.”

The door swung open. The three of them stepped inside. It had been too dark outside for Wu Wei and the woman to make out each other’s faces clearly. Wu Wei lit a candle, and the woman gasped in astonishment. “It’s you?!”