10, It’s Not Easy Being a Woman (1 Update)
Old Mrs. Ni left for the neighboring house, and the courtyard fell silent. Xie Zhinuan finished embroidering the flowers in her hand, cut off the thread with scissors, tidied everything up, and started on the second piece. Yet her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the plentiful food March brought, how the wild game outside was abundant too; if only she could pick everything and cook it, that would be wonderful.
But being dependent on others, she didn’t dare act recklessly.
Xie Zhinuan then thought about whether she could save some silver, build a small house here, and at least have a home of her own. She could do some small business, and as long as she could make ends meet, that would be enough.
Having gone through so much, she had long lost that sense of urgent ambition, only wishing to live a peaceful life, simple and joyful.
She thought of old man Yuan’s son, who ran a restaurant in the county town. Perhaps she could sell him the recipe for braised rabbit meat. Even if he couldn’t make it as delicious as she did, it should still stand out. If all else fails, she could sell something else; it wasn’t good to always owe Doctor Wang money.
Having made up her mind, Xie Zhinuan’s embroidery speed increased even more.
Her hand moved up and down rapidly, so fast that anyone who saw it would surely be startled.
When Old Mrs. Ni arrived at the neighbors, Liuwang’s family was enjoying their dinner, the children savoring each bite while even the adults couldn’t resist indulging themselves.
Seeing Old Mrs. Ni, Liuwang immediately greeted her warmly, “Auntie!”
“Is the braised rabbit meat delicious?” Old Mrs. Ni asked.
Liuwang nodded.
Not just delicious, there was no better tasting rabbit meat than this.
He could eat it for a lifetime.
“If it’s tasty, go and eat it quickly before it’s all gone!” Old Mrs. Ni teased with a smile.
Liuwang laughed heartily and invited Old Mrs. Ni to sit.
Liuwang’s wife also hurried over, “Sister-in-law, would you like some more?”
“I’m so full, I couldn’t possibly eat another bite!”
Old Mrs. Ni hesitated over how to broach the subject.
After all, Xie Zhinuan was not her biological granddaughter, and certain things were difficult to say.
She couldn’t force her to marry Liuwang.
So instead, she started talking to Liuwang’s wife about other trivial matters…
Meanwhile, old man Yuan was speaking with Doctor Wang, “Originally, I did have this thought. Seeing how Zhinuan didn’t seem inclined to get married anytime soon…”
Doctor Wang was taken aback for a moment, then he understood, “No worries, there’s no rush for now!”
He would wait until his eldest grandson passed the imperial examination. Then he would talk about marriage again, with more sincerity.
Wang Shaoyu, trailing behind with his donkey cart, overheard the conversation and thought of Xie Zhinuan’s gentle and beautiful face, smiling to himself.
He was more than willing for this marriage!
With a plan in mind, Xie Zhinuan waited for Old Mrs. Ni to return, then brought up, “Grandma, do you think I could sell the recipe for my braised rabbit?”
“…” Old Mrs. Ni was shocked.
Surprised, she looked at Xie Zhinuan, “Why would you want to sell the recipe?”
Her heart thumped anxiously.
She had an idea: to buy the recipe for her eldest son.
But she was afraid that Xie Zhinuan might not have this intention, so she hesitated to speak.
“I don’t have any money at hand, so I thought of selling the recipe to pay back the silver I owe Doctor Wang, and also to build a house here…” Xie Zhinuan explained, looking to Old Mrs. Ni, “Grandma, that’s why I was thinking, it doesn’t matter who I sell the recipe to, I want to sell it to uncle, what do you think…”
“That would be wonderful! The taste of this braised rabbit is exceptional!” Old Mrs. Ni was overjoyed, holding Xie Zhinuan’s hand, “Good child, when the time comes, Grandma will go with you to the county town and make sure your uncle gives you a good price!”
“Alright!”
Xie Zhinuan smiled softly and gently asked, “Grandma, how much silver would I need to build a house here?”
“Well…” Old Mrs. Ni thought for a moment and said, “It depends on how big you want it to be. A large house wouldn’t be good for a young woman living alone. Something smaller, with a larger yard, might be better so you could grow vegetables and raise chickens. But I want to advise you, a girl living by herself can attract a lot of trouble, so you must be prepared!”
Xie Zhinuan took Old Mrs. Ni’s advice to heart.
Chapter 12