Chapter 1: The Approaching Rainstorm

After the start of autumn in July, Huating County saw over a dozen bouts of rain, some large and some small. Usually, they would pour down with thunder in the middle of the night, only for the sky to be perfectly clear by day, which was quite baffling.

The further east one traveled, the closer to the sea, and the more unpredictable the weather became.

Taobao Town, located at the easternmost edge of Huating County beside the Salt Transport River, had experienced several sudden, unannounced downpours.

Therefore, even though it had been bright and sunny in Taobao Town for six or seven days, with the air thick and scorching with heat, one still had to worry that a torrential rain might sweep in at any moment.

He Shanyue walked past the village entrance, paused for a moment, and handed the rattan basket in her hand to the woman beside her: "Mother, go sit at Aunt Qiu’s place up ahead. It’s easier to take shelter if it rains. I’ll go back and get the umbrella."

The woman’s surname was Qiu, and her given name was Erniang. She was thin, her skirt washed until it was faded and fraying. She squinted up at the sky: "With the sun this bright, will it really rain?"

She paused, then added: "Then hurry back—don't delay your father’s studies. Tell your younger sister to heat up the steamed sponge cake in the stove for your father, and she can beat an egg to steam with bean oil for her own rice."

She was quite the chatterbox.

He Shanyue looked at her mother with a smile, only to see her step into a puddle of muddy water. The mud splattered onto her limp, hemp-cloth shoes and the faded hem of her skirt. Qiu Erniang quickly lifted her skirt, grumbling under her breath: "How disgusting!"

Fearing others might hear her cursing, Qiu Erniang’s voice trailed off.

He Shanyue smiled again and trotted toward home.

Hekou Village was not large, and He Shanyue walked quickly. In less than a quarter of an hour, she returned with an oil-paper umbrella. Following behind her was a sallow-faced little girl, seven or eight years old but only the height of a five-year-old. Her face was deathly pale and her hair dry and yellow, but her eyes were bright and darting.

Qiu Erniang frowned, "You ran out, what will your father eat tonight!"

The little girl hid behind her sister’s shoulder, revealing two round, darting eyes: "As soon as you two left, Father ran off! There’s no one at home to eat dinner!"

Qiu Erniang’s hand slipped: "Where did your father go?"

"He said he was going to the east end to copy books for Scholar Huang, but I saw Father fish two coins out of the box by the bed." The little girl, He Shuiguang, rolled her eyes again: "I reckon Father went to drink—I don’t want eggs, I want the five-thread noodles from town."

"Nonsense!"

Qiu Erniang brushed the grass clippings off He Shuiguang’s shoulder, and just as she was about to speak, an ox cart rumbled past. She saw her eldest daughter already chasing after it.

"Uncle Lin, give us a ride!" He Shanyue shouted as she ran.

Qiu Erniang quickly tugged at He Shanyue, whispering: "Why take an ox cart! Do we have money to burn?"

He Shanyue looked at her pale little sister, then at her mother, who was as thin as a willow, and smiled: "If we walk to town, it’ll be dark by the time we get there. Won't the cost of dinner be more than the cart fare?"

Qiu Erniang thought that seemed reasonable, and was promptly helped onto the cart by her eldest daughter.

The ox cart was filled with fresh lotus seed pods being sent out. The three of them sat shoulder-to-shoulder, and He Shanyue slipped three copper coins into Uncle Lin’s hand: "Sorry to trouble you, Uncle, please drop us at Chen’s Embroidery Shop on the way!"

Before Qiu Erniang could feel the sting of the money, she immediately lowered her voice: "Not going to Shen’s? Shen’s may drive a hard bargain, but they already offer the highest prices in town. Unless we go to the county seat, no other shop in town can match Shen’s price."

He Shanyue patted the back of Qiu Erniang’s hand reassuringly, then slipped another copper coin to Uncle Lin: "Uncle, please wait for me at the entrance of Chen’s. At most, wait a quarter of an hour; I’ll go in and come right back out. Then take us to Shen’s on the next street, alright? When the sun sets, wait for us at Water Well Lane, and we’ll bring you some buckwheat cakes."

Uncle Lin happily tucked the money into his sleeve and looked back at Qiu Erniang with a smile: "Your husband is a hollow bun, but your eldest daughter is quite capable."

Qiu Erniang didn't like hearing that and immediately said: "Scholar Huang also says he’s just down on his luck."

Uncle Lin wisely shut his mouth and buried his head in driving the ox cart.

Hekou Village was not far from town. As they approached, the crowd grew. Beside the low city walls stood several tall, sturdy young men. Their posture was upright and their backs straight, immediately distinguishing them from the farmers in coarse hemp clothes nearby.

He Shuiguang swallowed hard and instinctively leaned toward her mother.

This group was escorting several tall, wide carriages into the city.

Uncle Lin quickly shouted in a low voice for the ox cart to pull over to the base of the wall to make way, whispering: "A great mountain god has come to a small temple; even the County Magistrate doesn't travel with this much pomp."

He Shanyue glanced sideways, then quickly lowered her head.

The carriages were made of some unknown wood, dark and polished to a high sheen. The ends of the shafts were carved with exquisite lotus flowers.

The horses were also different from the donkeys in the village; they held their heads high, looking spirited and arrogant, their manes glossier and brighter than the hair of the village girls.

They were big shots.

Big shots must be treated with respectful avoidance.

Her family was destitute and miserable in Hekou Village. Her father studied but had no official rank, and her mother, along with her and her sister, had to farm, raise chickens and ducks, and do embroidery to supplement the household income. More importantly, they were not from the village originally. Most of Hekou Village shared the surname Lin; they had fled there from another village during a famine and had no roots or clan in the village.

That was how the village was: if your ancestors weren't buried in the soil, you were an outsider. Outsiders were lowly, worth three parts less than everyone else.

That was why her mother didn't even dare to let out a curse.

He Shanyue thought to herself, reaching out to stroke the rattan basket. She calculated that once these embroidery patterns were sold, the family could buy an ox and a piglet. The ox would plow the fields, and they would slaughter the pig for meat; they wouldn't have to worry about this autumn and winter.

The carriages filed in, and only then did the commoners waiting on the side dare to move. Uncle Lin drove the ox cart to Chen’s Embroidery Shop first. He Shanyue jumped off and ran inside, returning shortly after. The ox cart disappeared into the end of the lane and arrived at Shen’s.

There were quite a few people at Shen’s, including several familiar embroiderers, as well as one or two young men who looked like servants or stewards from a landlord’s estate.

He Shuiguang stood at the entrance of Shen’s, tugging at her sister’s skirt while staring at the market: "...Five-thread noodles~"

He Shanyue understood and fished out five copper coins: "Go on, don't go too far."

He Shuiguang cheered and ran off, her sallow hair bobbing on her shoulders.

He Shanyue whispered: "...We’ll buy two jin of pork on the way back; the little one isn't even as tall as an onion."

Qiu Erniang hissed, pained by the cost but also worried about her daughter’s health. She sighed: "I only pray we can get a good price today."

Entering Shen’s, He Shanyue took the embroidery patterns out of the rattan basket one by one and placed them on the counter.

When the old shopkeeper saw the patterns, before even looking at the designs, he frowned: "Is the work getting worse? You brought them here to sell without even removing the embroidery hoops?"

The patterns were still in their hoops. The bamboo strips had been fire-treated and bent into circles, and the embroidery fabric was neatly stretched into a taut surface—all twenty or so pieces were like this.

Qiu Erniang’s heart jumped into her throat. She turned to look at her eldest daughter: she had wanted to remove them yesterday. Shen’s always demanded fine work, and even the embroiderers outside had to stitch the small seal script character "Shen" onto their work, but her eldest daughter had told her not to touch them.

He Shanyue blinked and smiled: "Shopkeeper Shen, we specifically came an hour early today, and we have scissors and thread with us. If you buy them, we will immediately remove the hoops and embroider the 'Shen' character. If you don't want them, I’ve already spoken to Chen’s at the end of the lane; he’ll help us sell them to the county seat—if we remove the hoops and embroider the character, we won't be able to sell them elsewhere."