Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Ming Rou couldn’t even resist chasing those broods of chicks, wanting to see what dyes had been used to color them. In particular, the brilliant shade of red on several of their wings was especially striking and was her favorite color.

Just as she was darting about, a crisp voice shouted, “Who are you? Why are you trying to catch my chicks?”

Ming Rou looked up to see a girl about twelve or thirteen years old, dressed in a light blue coarse-cloth dress, standing not far away with her hands on her hips, glaring at her angrily.

Being caught in the act of trying to catch someone else’s chicks, Ming Rou knew she was in the wrong and said a bit sheepishly, “I just moved into this house. I saw the nice colors on your chicks and wanted to take a closer look.”

As soon as the girl heard that Ming Rou liked the colors on the chicks, her attitude instantly changed. Her face lit up with delight as she said to Ming Rou, “You like the colors on these chicks too? I painted them all myself.”

Hearing it was the girl who had done the coloring, Ming Rou was also surprised and didn’t hold back her praise. “You’re amazing! These colors are all so pretty.”

The girl was even happier now. She took two steps closer to Ming Rou and said, “I have several more colors at home. Later, when you come over, I’ll show them to you.”

But then she felt that, having just met and not yet knowing each other, inviting someone to her home might be improper, so she quickly added, “My name is Zhong Tiantian. My family lives at the southern end. What’s your name?”

Ming Rou previously had only Xu Qionghua and Ming Hongxuan as friends. Now, after being driven out by Du Xian, one of her friends had conveniently gone to her maternal grandfather’s home, while the other didn’t dare have any contact with her due to parental pressure. The only person she could rely on now was Ye Qiuniang. Meeting a friend her own age, and such a cute girl at that, she couldn’t help but feel drawn to her.

“My surname is Ming, and my name is Ming Rou. My sister and I just moved here.” Ming Rou had been about to say “Jiujiu,” but this girl surely wouldn’t know who Jiujiu was and would have asked again, so she simply stated their relationship.

Though usually, when Ming Rou interacted with Ye Qiuniang, she tacitly accepted that Ye Qiuniang was the wife her grandfather had found for her as a child, as she grew older, she of course understood that Ye Qiuniang’s status in the Ming Family was merely that of an auspicious maid brought in to cure her illness. Moreover, in the world around her, wives and husbands were always one man and one woman. Where were there cases like theirs, two women together?

So, when introducing themselves, she didn’t want to argue with others about such things and simply said they were sisters, avoiding much trouble.

“So you’re Sister Qiu’s younger sister! No wonder you’re so pretty. Sister Qiu is the most beautiful woman in all of Paulownia Village.” Zhong Tiantian didn’t hide her admiration for Ye Qiuniang at all.

Hearing someone praise her Jiujiu, Ming Rou’s brows and eyes curved into crescents, even happier than if she had been praised herself.

“When Qiuniang left half a year ago, we all thought she wouldn’t come back, and so many of us were sad. I never thought you’d come back together. This is wonderful! I have to go tell my brother that Qiuniang is back. Big Brother likes Sister Qiu so much; he’ll definitely be thrilled to know.”

Hearing this, Ming Rou instantly dropped her smile. Unhappily, she said, “Don’t go tell your brother. Sister Qiu won’t like anyone. She’s already been betrothed.”

With just two years left until her Hairpin Ceremony, Ming Rou naturally understood some matters of romance and marriage. Just like her mother and her father Du Xian—it was because her mother liked him that she had taken him as a live-in son-in-law. If Jiujiu were still with the Ye Family and someone liked Jiujiu, they would surely find a matchmaker to propose marriage, trying to spirit Jiujiu away to their home to bear their children.

The mere thought of such a scenario was unbearable to Ming Rou. So without a second thought, she declared her stance directly to Zhong Tiantian.

“Huh? Sister Qiu is already betrothed? Ah, what a pity. Poor Brother. Forget it, adults’ affairs are none of our business anyway. Then we won’t bother. Come on, I’ll take you to my house to see these dyes.”

Seeing Zhong Tiantian quickly abandon the idea of making Ye Qiuniang her sister-in-law, Ming Rou felt much better. She nodded and said, “Then let me first tell Sister Qiu.”

Zhong Tiantian followed behind as she ran toward the courtyard.

“Jiujiu, I’m going to Tiantian’s house to play,” Ming Rou said to Ye Qiuniang, who was hanging laundry in the yard.

Ye Qiuniang looked up and saw Zhong Tiantian following behind. She smiled and said, “Tiantian has free time to come play today?”

Ever since she was born, Zhong Tiantian’s parents had been tenant farmers in Paulownia Village. Her older brother, Zhong Lin, was a long-term laborer on the estate. The entire family made their living from the estate’s produce. Now, although the owner had changed, they continued farming and working as before; nothing much had changed.

Over the past three years, Ye Qiuniang had worked alongside the Zhong family numerous times, so they were relatively familiar with each other.

“Sister Qiu, how did you come to live here? So Ming Rou is your younger sister. But why don’t you share the same surname? The Old Patriarch of the estate before was also surnamed Ming.”

Ye Qiuniang glanced at Ming Rou with some surprise. In the past, Ming Rou would always loudly assert her claim over her. Even if she no longer said, like she did when she was younger, “Jiujiu is my wife,” she would still very ambiguously express that Jiujiu was hers.

But now, after being driven out, she was finally using her head before speaking.

Yet, hearing her say this stirred a faint, inexplicable sense of loss in Ye Qiuniang’s heart.

Still, she smiled and replied, “I went home once before to handle some family matters. After finishing, I came back.”

“Jiujiu, can I go to Tiantian’s house to see? She has red dye that can be used to make rouge.”

Having spent so many years with Ming Rou, Ye Qiuniang knew well how much this young girl loved such trinkets. Back in the Ming Residence, Ming Rou and Xu Qionghua often busied themselves with these little things at home.

Now in Paulownia Village, it was generally peaceful. A few minor spies tucked in corners weren’t a significant threat. Ming Rou would be living here for quite some time and would need to interact with the neighboring families. Moreover, the Zhong family had always been honest and upright. Ming Rou being with Zhong Tiantian meant someone was watching her, which could set Ye Qiuniang’s mind a bit more at ease when she was out.

So she nodded and said, “Go ahead. Don’t play too late. Tiantian, Rou’er has been raised indoors and doesn’t go out much. She might speak without much thought. Don’t take it to heart. If anything happens, keep an eye on her for Sister Qiu, alright?”

Ye Qiuniang had always been gentle-natured, tolerant of the children on the estate, and willing to share any treats she had. Everyone liked this gentle older sister. Now, seeing Ming Rou, though dressed in the same coarse cloth as they were, carry an undeniable noble air, she likely understood this person must have been cherished beyond measure at home.

Entrusted like this by Ye Qiuniang, Zhong Tiantian felt a surge of trust. She quickly agreed, then pulled Ming Rou toward her own home.

Although the two girls had just met, their shared interests gave them plenty to talk about. The moment they left the courtyard, they were chattering away like little sparrows in a tree, noisy and talkative.

The Zhong family had been settled in Paulownia Village for decades. Although they lived quite plainly, they had everything they needed—at least three rooms and a large courtyard, with ample living space. Near the courtyard, pig pens and sheep pens were set up, raising a host of livestock and poultry. As soon as they entered, they could hear the bleating of the sheep, creating quite a lively scene.

“Tiantian, your family raises so many little animals.”

No sooner had Ming Rou spoken than a snow-white little lamb trotted over lightly, unafraid of strangers, and tried to burrow into Ming Rou’s arms.

The Ming Family didn’t keep cats or dogs, let alone other livestock. Ming Rou had never seen such a sight and instinctively stepped back, startled. But Zhong Tiantian laughed and said, “Don’t be afraid. Little White is very gentle.”

Only then did Ming Rou calm down and carefully examine this snow-white ball of fluff. The lamb was small, barely steady on its four legs, with a pair of big, innocent eyes. It tilted its head and looked at her, as if sizing up this newcomer.

“Didn’t your family raise sheep or cattle before?”

Seeing Ming Rou’s cautious demeanor, as if she’d never even petted a lamb, Zhong Tiantian suddenly felt a bit sorry for her. When Ye Qiuniang first came to the estate, the manager had been especially strict with her, assigning her all sorts of tasks, light and heavy, day and night. Even some odd jobs were specifically assigned to her. At first, the long-term laborers and servants thought the manager had some personal grudge against Ye Qiuniang and was deliberately picking on her. They wanted to speak up for her, but she always refused. She still completed the assigned tasks methodically, and even took on extra work beyond her own.

Because of this, everyone assumed that Qiuniang came from a very poor family, so she was thus hardworking and eager to take on any job, hoping to gain the master’s favor and earn more money.

Zhong Tiantian’s older brother, Zhong Lin, couldn’t help but feel great pity for this diligent and beautiful woman, and often helped her.

Now, to everyone on the estate, the impression of Ye Qiuniang had always been: impoverished, hardworking, and virtuous.

Zhong Tiantian naturally shared this view. Since Ming Rou was Ye Qiuniang’s younger sister, her family must be very poor. How else could she have never even seen chicks or lambs?

Thinking this, she felt the young girl before her, much like herself, was quite pitiful. Compassion welled up in her heart.

Remembering Ye Qiuniang’s parting instruction to take good care of Ming Rou, Zhong Tiantian felt a surge of camaraderie and resolved to look after this new little friend from now on.

So she said to her, “You can put your hand on its head and pet it. It’s very obedient and won’t butt you.”

Ming Rou did as she was told and placed her tender hand on the lamb’s head, gently scratching it a few times. But unexpectedly, the cute little creature suddenly stood up on its front legs and, with its not-yet-grown horn buds, tried to bump her.

Ming Rou was alarmed and was about to step back, but Zhong Tiantian grabbed her and held out a hand to block.

“What are you afraid of? This little thing doesn’t have much strength. If you grab its little ears, it won’t be able to move.” So saying, she scooped up the little lamb and set it aside to play.

Emboldened by this, Ming Rou reached out and caught the head of the lamb beside her. As expected, the little thing couldn’t move and, after bleating a few times, just butted against her hand to play.

Ming Rou finally discovered the fun in this. She hugged the lamb tightly, kneading its soft wool to her heart’s content. Girl and lamb played together delightfully.

It was a good while before she remembered her purpose for coming to the Zhong home. Only then did she reluctantly let the poor lamb go.

Zhong Tiantian brought over a large bundle of flower branches from the corner and handed them to Ming Rou. “Here, these are the flowers I picked from the mountain. I pounded them myself to extract the colors. This one is blue, this is yellow, and this is red—”

When Ming Rou heard “red,” her gaze was instantly drawn to the few sprigs in her hand that looked like wild chrysanthemums. However, it seemed these branches had been picked a few days ago, as they were all wilted.

“This is called safflower. I picked it three days ago. You need it fresh to extract the color. If you like it, I’ll take you to pick some tomorrow, and we can make fresh ones when we get back.” Seeing Ming Rou’s fascination, Zhong Tiantian eagerly offered.

In the past, she had always enjoyed tinkering with these things alone. Even when she found new colors, she had no one to share them with. Now that a kindred spirit had arrived, Zhong Tiantian was eager to use all her skills to impress her.

Ming Rou naturally thought it was a great idea. The color extracted from this safflower looked so fresh and vibrant—extremely beautiful. If it could be applied to lips, who knew how stunning it would make a person. Most of the lip rouges available outside were made from ground cinnabar powder, but she had heard that too much cinnabar wasn’t good. And in comparison, the red Zhong Tiantian had mixed was much prettier.

“Alright, take me there tomorrow. When we get back, we’ll tinker with it together.”

Hearing her little friend agree, Zhong Tiantian was overjoyed. She grabbed Ming Rou’s hand and said, “Then tomorrow morning, after I get up, I’ll come call for you.”

After they set the time, Mother Zhong returned from the fields. Seeing this pretty, unfamiliar young girl suddenly in her home, she asked and learned she was Ye Qiuniang’s younger sister. The Zhong couple had a good impression of Ye Qiuniang, and coupled with the subtle interest her son held for Ye Qiuniang, they were naturally pleased to see this. They hadn’t known she had a younger sister. With their fondness extending to her, and Ming Rou being so attractive and endearing, Mother Zhong’s first impression of her was also excellent.

Just then, the rice warming on the stove at home was done, its enticing aroma wafting through the air and awakening the taste buds.

Ming Rou, who had only been eating plain porridge for the past few days, felt her stomach instantly growl.

Seeing her little expression, Mother Zhong broke into a smile. Feeling pity for the two poor sisters next door, she turned to the kitchen to scoop a bowl of rice. She also cut two pieces of the Chinese sausage that had been steamed on top of the rice and brought them over to her. “You must be starving. There’s still a small piece of sausage left from last year. Have a taste.”

Ming Rou swallowed her saliva and shook her head. “No, thank you. My sister is cooking at home. I’ll go back to eat.”

Afraid she might not be able to resist, she turned and hurried out the door without looking back.

Watching the young girl’s panicked retreat, Mother Zhong couldn’t help but laugh. But then she sighed slightly and handed the food to her daughter instead.

When it was time for bed that night, with no oil lamp at home, Ming Rou and Ye Qiuniang turned in early as well.

After Ye Qiuniang lay down, Ming Rou rolled over and burrowed into her arms. Ye Qiuniang helplessly extended her arm to cushion her little head.

“What’s the matter?” The woman’s soft, warm voice came from above.

Ming Rou looked up. In the darkness, she couldn’t make out Ye Qiuniang’s face, but she knew those dark, bright eyes of Jiujiu must be fixed on her. Remembering everything she had seen at the Zhong home that day, she said with enthusiasm, “Jiujiu, when our situation improves, we should raise chickens and sheep at home too. We’ll raise piglets as well! At Tiantian’s house today, the Chinese sausage her family cooked smelled so good.”

After speaking, she even seemed to swallow slightly.

Ye Qiuniang couldn’t help but laugh. The vibration of her chest as she laughed resonated in Ming Rou’s ears, making her feel a bit embarrassed and annoyed. She lightly pounded Ye Qiuniang’s arm and said, “Can we?”

“Alright, I’ll do as you say. Once I earn money from the estate, I’ll have A Tao help us build a shed. Whatever you want to raise, we’ll raise.”

Receiving Ye Qiuniang’s promise, Ming Rou was filled with joy. She snuggled close to her arm and said, “Jiujiu, I’ll earn money to support our family with you.”

Ye Qiuniang gently stroked her soft hair, feeling the night breeze was exceptionally pleasant. She hummed lightly in response. “I know. Go to sleep now.”