Chapter 2: Second Aunt Wei Hong

These days, eating meat is a luxury; being able to eat soup with a bit of grease in it is already better than many wealthy households.

“The radish stewed with meat is almost ready. Wei-ge, have a taste and see if the saltiness is right.”

The fire in the stove was roaring. Wei Tu shifted the small wooden stool he was sitting on, retreated a few steps, and stopped adding firewood.

At this moment, the cook, Xinghua, looked at Wei Tu with a smile and used a wooden ladle to scoop out a bowl of food, handing it toward him.

As the saying goes If the cook doesn’t steal a bite, the harvest won’t be gathered.

It was impossible to stop a cook from sneaking a taste. Even if Xinghua stole a bite, the mistress of the Li household would just turn a blind eye.

After all, she couldn't steal that much.

“Alright.” Looking at the few pieces of cooked pork at the bottom of the bowl, Wei Tu’s throat bobbed a few times. He glanced quickly out the window, and seeing no one, he began to gulp it down.

In just a short moment.

The radishes and meat at the bottom of the bowl were licked clean by Wei Tu.

“What’s the occasion today? Why are we having radish stewed with meat?” Wei Tu placed the bowl on the counter and asked the cook, Xinghua, out of curiosity.

The Li family didn’t eat meat often—only twice every ten days, meaning once every five days.

And it had only been two days since Xinghua last cooked meat.

It wasn’t that the Li family lacked the money to eat meat every day, but for a wealthy household, doing such a thing was considered squandering the family fortune, and they would be scolded by their ancestors after death.

The Li family had only been prosperous for about a hundred years, their wealth accumulated step by step by the Li ancestors who started as traveling merchants.

“The eldest young master has returned from his studies in the prefectural city. The mistress is happy, so she had me go to the butcher shop yesterday to cut two jin of meat.”

The cook, Xinghua, replied.

“The eldest young master?” Wei Tu’s heart stirred as he thought of his childhood playmate.

Alas.

Times have changed.

The distinction between master and servant has become increasingly clear.

Even with their past friendship, when he sees the eldest young master, he must still address him as "Young Master" to distinguish their status.

“Help me ask for leave from the mistress later; I have something to take care of outside,” Wei Tu said after adding a piece of firewood and standing up to brush the soot off his clothes.

Although the mistress of the Li household was strict in managing the family, as long as one finished their assigned duties, stealing a moment of leisure wasn't a big deal.

When Wei Tu said he was asking for leave, it was really just a courtesy to the masters.

“No problem…” Xinghua replied, holding an iron spatula and beginning to stir-fry the next dish.

But just as she finished speaking, she let out an “Ouch!” Her face turned bright red as she glared at Wei Tu, who was already stepping out of the kitchen.

Just now, Wei Tu had pinched her bottom.

Country folk had little regard for rigid etiquette or shame; she and Wei Tu had been “flirting” for several years now, just waiting for the mistress’s permission to marry and start a family.

……

Leaving the Li residence, Wei Tu didn’t rush directly to the Huang residence. Instead, he took out the wages he had saved over the years and ran to a cosmetics shop.

In the first few years after his second aunt, Wei Hong, married into the Huang family, she stayed close to his family and would return to visit her maiden home every so often.

But in the last ten years or so, she had visited less and less. After his grandparents passed away four years ago, she had only returned to the Wei family twice.

And one of those times was for the funeral.

Since he was asking his second aunt, Wei Hong, for a favor this time, Wei Tu didn’t want to be met with cold looks. Bringing a gift was better than going empty-handed.

The Huang residence didn’t lack grain or cloth.

All he could afford to give were the rouge and powder used by women.

“Shopkeeper, what kind of affordable rouge and powder do you have…”

After hesitating for a moment, Wei Tu gritted his teeth and walked into the shop to ask about the prices.

Rouge and powder were never cheap. With the savings he had, he didn't even dare to touch the high-end products.

“Affordable?” The shopkeeper looked Wei Tu up and down. Seeing his patched, coarse gray cloth clothes, he immediately understood the situation.

He took a brocade box from the shelf and said, “This is ‘Golden Swallow Rouge.’ It’s five qian a box and will last you two months.”

“If you are planning to give it as a gift, this Golden Swallow Rouge is quite suitable.”

The shopkeeper paused and added, “Our shop has cheaper rouge, such as ‘Purple Cloud Rouge,’ at three qian a box, but that rouge might not be appropriate for a gift…”

“I’ll take the Golden Swallow Rouge.” Wei Tu thought for a moment, nodded, and placed five “dangqian” coins on the counter.

His second aunt, Wei Hong, was a noble lady of the Huang residence and visited cosmetics shops far more often than he did. If he gave her the Purple Cloud Rouge, even if she didn’t say anything to his face, she would be displeased in her heart.

Only when the gift is substantial does the sentiment carry weight!

Besides, since the Purple Cloud Rouge was the cheapest in the shop, given Wei Hong’s status, the probability of her actually using it would be very low.

The Purple Cloud Rouge would likely just be tucked away on a shelf.

As for haggling…

They were all fellow villagers; if the shop cheated customers, they wouldn't stay in business for long.

The only thing Wei Tu found pleasant about coming to this ancient world was the environment of integrity. Aside from despicable outsiders, the locals rarely engaged in fraud.

Large shops like this rarely allowed customers to haggle; everything was clearly priced.

Wei Tu was short on money, but not so much that he would waste time over a few copper coins.

“I’ll pack it up for you right away,” the shopkeeper said with a smile.

A short while later, Wei Tu, carrying the gift box, arrived at a street lined with official residences.

Compared to the Li residence, the Huang family’s Master Huang had more wealth and was more prosperous. The Shengye Ward where they lived was home to the high-ranking officials and nobles of Qingmu County.

Finding the mansion with the plaque reading “Huang,” Wei Tu knocked on the side door and stated his purpose to the gatekeeper.

“A relative of the Second Mistress? Wait in the sedan hall first; I’ll go inform the maid in the inner courtyard.”

The gatekeeper stepped aside, let Wei Tu sit in the sedan hall, and then set off toward the inner courtyard of the Huang residence.

The sedan hall was where the wealthy kept their sedan chairs, located in the front courtyard.

Wei Tu waited for a moment before being led by a maid named “Qinghe” to a side room in the front courtyard to wait for his second aunt, Wei Hong.

The rules of wealthy households were strict; outsiders, especially men, were not allowed to enter the inner courtyard.

After waiting for about half an incense stick’s time, a beautiful woman with a gorgeous appearance and skin like mutton-fat jade pushed open the wooden door of the side room and walked in.

Behind her followed two maids, one of whom was “Qinghe,” who had led him there earlier.

“Wei Tu, why have you come to find your second aunt? Has something happened at home?” Wei Hong sat on a stool by the table in the side room, took a sip of tea poured by a maid, and asked with a smile.

“Nothing has happened at home.” Wei Tu stood up, no longer sitting, and bowed slightly. “I came to see you this time because I have a favor to ask of you, Second Aunt.”

Although he had been sold to the Li residence by Wei Bao, his connection to his family had not been severed.

Wei Bao had been forced to sell him out of desperation.

Six years ago, the Red Dragon turned over, causing a great drought in Qingfeng Prefecture. With almost no harvest, being sold to the Li residence to get a bite to eat was better than starving to death at home.

Wei Hong’s smile faded. She placed her teacup on the table and looked at Wei Tu with a sharp gaze. Although she didn’t say anything harsh, her attitude made everything clear.

If it were Wei Bao who had trouble, she, as his younger sister, could help out a little, out of consideration for their sibling bond.

But a nephew…

“This is some rouge I bought, Second Aunt, please accept it…”

Wei Tu took out the gift box, placed it on the Eight Immortals table, and pushed it toward Wei Hong.

Seeing the gift, Wei Hong’s expression softened slightly; she knew Wei Tu was not a person who lacked shame or etiquette.

Having been married into the Huang family for many years, she was now a woman of the Huang family, not the Wei family.

“What is it?”

“If I can help, I will do my best to help you. If I can’t…”

Wei Hong shook her head and didn’t say anything more.