The Lady’s Sickly Husband

Chapter 11: There Are Many Scandals Laid Before a Widow’s Door.
Translator: Iris

The second Mo Qian Xue stepped out of Bai Yunju, the playful smile on Qi Gongzi’s face dissolved immediately. Without any delay, he ordered Manager Li to make several copies of the recipe and had some of his men to deliver the copies to all restaurant managers of Su family.

He then himself copied one and handed it to his personal page, A’lu, saying, “Be quick and let A’zhao deliver this to the capital at top speed. Right, one more message for the first young master: I’ll let Bai Yunju prosper in a few days.”

“Yes, young master.” A’lu took the recipe and well-packed it with oilskin. However, Qi Gongzi ordered again before he left the room, “Remember to let Manager Li find some learned scholars after this.”

*

Fang Fangzi learned it first time in her life what a real shopping was after she saw with her own eyes how Mo Qian Xue did it. Fang tried to stop Mo but was then convinced every time with this or that sensible reason.

They had to render another carriage as that of Zhang family was occupied. The carter was a man from the neighbored village.

“Sister, are you planning to open a shop in town?” Fang finally asked the question that haunted her all this time as they sat in the waggling carriage. She had witnessed how Mo associated tactfully with the shop owners in town.

“Sister, you know well of our condition. With the poor Shu Xiu of my husband, it is even impossible to make ends meet for himself alone. Besides, his poor health needs some toning up. If I don’t figure out a way to solve this predicament, I’m afraid we may not even make it to the end of the year.” Mo explained her plan frankly when asked.

“But stores in town are appallingly expensive. How could you make it?” Fang was startled by the plan and asked quite anxiously. The price of buying a store…even the monthly rent alone was a sum she dared not to imagine.

Mo Qian Xue smiled when she saw how anxious Fang got, “Yes, it’s impossible for now. So I’m not doing it soon. It’s getting cold and I’m planning to cook another dish to sell in town. And I can really use your help, sister.”

200 silvers were a huge sum of money for a peasant family like Fang’s. Yet it was far from enough for Mo Qian Xue’s startup. Let alone the dozens of silvers she spent this afternoon.

Fang was relieved when she heard that Mo Qian Xue had no such a plan, giving no attention to the “soon”. Reaching out her hand to touch the silver hairpin, she replied in smiles, “That is only natural. I’m free of any manual work in winter and can always land you a hand. Let’s just get this winter over and when the spring comes, you can ask the village Elders to distribute some paddy fields. Thus, your shortage of food will be solved.”

Mo Qian Xue spread a smile and though secretly to herself, “You see, the desire to look attractive is universal. Sister Fang has been constantly touching the hairpin.”

“Fret not, sister. I’ll offer you 800 notes every month for the help,” said Mo Qian Xue in a rather casual tone, which somehow startled Fang, “What? 800 notes? I can’t take it. I just wanna help…”

Mo Qian Xue interrupted before Fang could finish her words, “Sister, correct counting keeps good friendship. What I prepared is to make money. So naturally I shall pay you for the work you’ve done. You don’t want my conscience stirred, do you?”

The two argued and negotiated for quite a while before the relationship of employer and employee was settled.

As the carriage rode on the spacious road, Mo Qian Xue felt quite relieved with the pressing matter settled and everything sorted. Lifting the curtain, she was greeted by the refreshing breezes and exclaimed involuntarily in heart, “How pleasant and fresh the air is here!”

“Isn’t that Sister Guihua, widow of Gao family? Brother, please stop for a moment.”

The carriage stopped upon Fang Fangzi’s request. There stood a woman about 27 or 28 years old beside the carriage.

“Sister Guihua, why are you still here? Come on in, we can give you a ride.” Fang invited the woman to the carriage after warmly introducing the two for each other.

“No, thanks. It’s not far, I can walk home,” refused Guihua in a low voice with her head bowed.

“Not far? You kidding? It’s still about twenty miles way to go. Don’t stand on ceremony with me. If you get home late, Ni’er would have to starve.”

Guihua hesitated when her daughter was mentioned and then was pulled to the carriage by Fang.

“Sister Guihua, why didn’t you go in town by Brother Zhang’s carriage?” asked Mo Qian Xue who moved inside to make room for the two.

“That she dared not. Or else Zhang’s wife would throw a temper and curse right in front Guihua’s door…” Fang blurted out quite blankly. Apparently, she was a straightforward person who couldn’t bear to see others being bullied.

Fang’s words reminded Mo Qian Xue of what had happened this morning.

Zhang’s wife offered to let Brother Zhang take them in town. Yet when Sister Fang took out some notes for the ride, Zhang’s wife immediately took the money despite how strongly she refused by words, as if fearing that Sister Fang would take the money back.

Apparently, Zhang’s wife was by no means an amicable person.

“Please excuse me for the bother, Lady Ning. I got up late this morning. And was delayed by some errors of my embroidery due to my poor eyesight,” explained Guihua with a smile, not even trying to repute Fang’s complaints.

“How could you get up late? I bet you must have set out for town when Zhang’s carriage was far out of sight. Hump! That mean and petty harridan! You’re such a virtuous girl, yet she…”

Quite contrary to the uneasiness and timidity in town, Fang was quite competent and capable in village in handling her husband and dealing with other women.

As Fang was indulged in her condemning of Zhang’s wife, Guihua worked hard to hold back her tears.

“Sister Fang, say no more of it, please.”

Hearing her soft and gentle voice, Mo Qian Xue concluded that Guihua must be a woman of good nature and virtue as even now she didn’t even say anything bad about Zhang’s wife. Yet life was hard on her.

Alas! It’s always like this: There are many scandals laid before a widow’s door.

Guihua was young yet got quite heavy dark circles under her eyes, which must have been caused by long time of working up late for embroidery.

With a husband died young and a daughter to raise, she must have been leading a difficult life. Mo Qian Xue felt quite obliged to offer the poor woman a hand as Fang alone would be too busy to attend to all matters while she herself wouldn’t be in the kitchen all the time. So finding Sister Fang an assistant would be great.

With that well thought, Mo Qian Xue offered, “Would you like to work for me? I’m planning to prepare some dishes and sell them in town. I can offer you 600 notes a month.”

“That’s great! You don’t have to do embroidery anymore and Ni’er can stay by your side. Besides, your eyes are getting worse.” Fang couldn’t help casting Mo Qian Xue a look of gratitude when she heard the offer of 600 notes, 200 less than hers! So she was quick in persuading.

“Really? 600 notes? I’m in!” Guihua asked in disbelief. After slight hesitation, she immediately agreed with Fang persuading by the side.

It was true that her eyes were worsening every day and her embroidery often had some issues due to that. She couldn’t even make 500 notes no matter how hard she tried. Most important of all, she could make more time to take care of Ni’er, her dear daughter, who was growing day by day.

With some trivial matters on dishes discussed and settled, Mo Qian Xue left Guihua some cloth to make herself and Ning Shao Qing some robes upon Sister Fang’s suggestion.

Three women were enough for a drama. In laughs and chats they got to the entrance of the village.

Guihua got of the carriage first with the cloth Mo Qian Xue entrusted her as her house lied near the entrance of the village, her figure looking quite lonely.

The carriage went on. Yet before the carriage made it to the house, Fang Datang hurried over to hold the horse, carry the stuff and ask attentively whether Sister Fang was tired after the journey. Sister Fang, on the other hand, inquired in detail about what happened in the family as she tidied up the packages and patted her clothes to smooth out the wrinkles.

Mo Qian Xue was quite touched by the busy couple and the simplest love between them.

Unwittingly, she turned back to look at her own house, where, out of her expectation, stood an elegant figure. Then she was ravished with joy:

It is that amazing to have someone who cares about you.