Chapter 3: Divorce (Part 1)

Just after the Minor Heat, the cicadas on the jujube tree outside Li Sanniang’s boudoir began their "zhi-liao, zhi-liao" chorus as soon as the daylight was bright enough.

Although the family was taking care of Li Sanniang’s body after her recent miscarriage, Li Second Sister-in-law was heavily pregnant, and Mother Li had her own work as a midwife to attend to. With Li First Sister-in-law managing the food and drink for so many people alone, she was under quite a bit of pressure.

Whether it was because transmigrating had strengthened her constitution or because the original Li Sanniang had a naturally sturdy foundation, it had already been seven days since the miscarriage. The lochia had not yet cleared, but perhaps the decoctions prescribed by Father Li were taking effect; while she couldn't say she was full of energy like a normal person, she didn't feel the overwhelming weakness and discomfort either.

She was very grateful that the great Martial Emperor who had transmigrated before her had improved the design of trousers, sparing her from having to wear those drafty, crotchless ones.

However, the feminine hygiene products were truly too primitive. A strip of cloth less than three fingers wide filled with burnt plant ash, tied around the waist with thin strings—this was the ancient version of a sanitary pad.

Although Li Sanniang understood rationally that burnt plant ash was relatively clean, she truly missed the sanitary pads of modern society.

Li Sanniang even considered that if her first task was successful, she might be able to draw an infinite supply of sanitary pads as a reward.

Considering Li Sanniang was only eighteen and had no intention of marrying or having children again, she still had over twenty years of menstruation ahead of her!

Li Sanniang first touched the rosy, sleeping face of little Luzhu beside her and kissed her forehead before getting out of bed lightly to rummage through the cabinet for a clean menstrual belt to replace the one she had used last night, which was stained with lochia.

It was simply unbearable that this thing had to be reused!

Carefully putting it away into a wooden basin under the bed, Li Sanniang quickly got dressed, wanting to go to the kitchen to fetch some hot water for washing.

Before she could reach the kitchen, Mother Li came walking toward her carrying a bucket of water.

"Sanniang, why are you up so early?"

As Mother Li spoke, she gestured for Li Sanniang to head back.

"Mother, I can do it myself. My body is fine; I’m not made of porcelain. I was thinking of helping First Sister-in-law prepare breakfast."

"You don't need to worry about First Brother's wife; she’s already finished everything. You should be focusing on recovering your health right now."

While they were talking, they had already entered Li Sanniang’s boudoir. Coincidentally, little Luzhu on the bed was just sitting up and rubbing her eyes, looking so adorable that one couldn't help but want to scoop her up and shower her with kisses.

Mother Li set down the small wooden bucket and quickly sat on the edge of the bed, half-hugging Luzhu and smiling, "Grandma’s little sweetheart, why didn't you sleep a little longer?"

Seeing that Luzhu was being taken care of, Li Sanniang quickly took the wooden basin from the stand by the bed, poured in some hot water—not too hot, just warm—and used a small towel from the rack to dampen it, handing it to Mother Li before washing her own hands and face.

Mother Li helped Luzhu wash her hands and face before taking a small *ru* skirt from the hanger on the other side of the bed to dress her.

By the time Mother Li had finished combing Luzhu’s hair into two little buns, Li Sanniang had already helped her sister-in-law set the table.

Although they were not a wealthy family, the Li family still ate at separate tables in the morning. Millet porridge and homemade side dishes were served in abundance. Aside from the four little ones who went to the academy and little Luzhu, who each had an egg, only the pregnant Li Second Sister-in-law and Li Sanniang, who had recently miscarried, had eggs to eat.

After all, they were in Chang'an City, where it was impossible to raise chickens. Except for the well in the backyard which made water access convenient, all other ingredients had to be bought at the market.

However, on days ending in five or eight, villagers from outside the city would come to the streets outside the market to set up small stalls, selling their own vegetables and eggs. The government office only charged one copper coin, which was used to pay those who swept the streets to maintain hygiene.

Therefore, the family’s eggs were prioritized for those who needed them most.

After the meal, Father Li and Second Brother Li said they were going to inquire with the *fangzheng* (neighborhood head), while First Brother Li had already left for his shift at the fourth watch.

Mother Li also had a family she had long agreed to assist with a birth, so she tidied up and left as well.

The four little ones helped clear the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen, then shouldered their school bags and headed to the academy together.

Li Sanniang and First Sister-in-law washed the dishes with the hot water from the bottom of the pot, then took their baskets and joined Second Sister-in-law under the jujube tree to do chores and chat.

Luzhu was well-behaved, playing with a cloth tiger for half the day.

Father Li and Second Brother Li carried pastries from Xianggui Ji, milk curds sold by Hu merchants in the West Market, and a ginseng root they had prepared in a brocade box at home, heading first to the home of Li’s eldest uncle, Li Mulin, on Zhuque Avenue.

The Li family had migrated to Chang'an from Lu during the previous generation. Father Li and the eldest uncle were cousins, but due to some grievances between the elders, Father Li had a difficult youth and had to apprentice under someone else to enter the medical profession.

The eldest uncle had followed his father to study medicine from a young age. His talent was average, but he was lucky in his offspring; his eldest son, Li Lingxiao, was exceptionally gifted and known for his intelligence from a young age. He was now a physician in the Imperial Medical Bureau, ranked at the lower ninth grade.

It was only after the eldest uncle’s father passed away that the two families began to interact again, but the depth of their relationship was hard to define. After all, there was a human life between them, and for nearly twenty years, they had been estranged. Thus, the children of First Brother Li and the children of the eldest uncle’s branch were ranked separately.

The original marriage between the Wang family and Li Sanniang was not without the Wang family’s interest in this connection.

Upon reaching the gatehouse and stating their names, they waited a moment before being invited in.

Only the eldest uncle stood at the entrance of the main hall waiting. After the little maid served tea and they chatted for a few moments, Father Li explained their purpose.

The eldest uncle pondered for a moment before saying, "Sanniang’s matter is neither easy nor difficult to handle. With the precedent of Princess Cheng'an, the Wang family cannot refuse to acknowledge it. I learned from Second Brother that apart from the eldest Wang son, who resembles his father, the younger Wang son is not a decent person. Not to mention, without the restraint of the eldest Wang son’s father, that short-sighted woman in the Wang family is quite easy to deal with if you grab her by the throat."

"Since Sanniang is willing to part with some money, First Brother has some connections with the Li clerk in the Household Registration Department. As long as the *fangzheng* also stands on our side and reasons with the Wang family, it is very possible for Sanniang to bring the little girl back."

Hearing that the eldest uncle was willing to help negotiate, Father Li and Second Brother Li felt as if a giant boulder had been lifted from their hearts, and they breathed a sigh of relief.

After a few more words of small talk, the two left the eldest uncle’s house.

They detoured to hire a donkey cart back to Changshou Fang, and Second Brother Li bought four types of pastries at Xianggui Ji before getting off the cart with Father Li to go to the home of the *fangzheng*, Sun Fugui.

After explaining the matter in detail, *fangzheng* Sun thought for a while and said that as long as the Wang family agreed to let the little girl return home to be raised by her mother, he could stamp the divorce agreement and then go to the Ministry of Revenue to register the red deed.

As for the marriage of the little girl after she came of age, which Li Sanniang mentioned, that was also easy to handle; they could just write a contract and file it at the government office.

And Li Sanniang’s desire to establish a female-headed household was also simple—she just needed to own property within the neighborhood.

Not to mention that Li Sanniang was willing to pay the substantial deposit to the government office; this matter should be achievable.

Having received a satisfactory answer, Father Li and Second Brother Li exchanged a few pleasantries and returned to the medical clinic.

By this time, the clinic had opened. The plaque hanging over the main entrance read "Bencao Tang," and two young assistants were busy filling prescriptions.

Father Li hurried to take his seat, and Second Brother Li went to the back to announce their return before going to the medicine cabinet to fill prescriptions for people.

After a busy morning, Li Sanniang and First Sister-in-law set lunch on the table, and the five of them began to eat once Father Li picked up his chopsticks.

First Brother Li was a member of the Jinwu Guard and usually didn't return for lunch. Mother Li was a midwife and was likely eating at her client's house today. The four little ones ate at the academy.

In fact, it was only after the Martial Emperor ascended the throne and vigorously developed agriculture—introducing Champa rice from Annam and sweet potatoes brought by southern merchants—that people began to eat lunch, a practice that slowly spread from Chang'an outward.

But it was likely only the commoners in Chang'an City who could afford to eat three meals a day like this.

Before eating, Father Li signaled for Second Brother Li to tell everyone about their morning visit to the eldest uncle’s house and the *fangzheng*’s house.

In the afternoon, they would give a few copper coins to some boys on the street to help deliver a message to the Wang family, and tomorrow they would all go to the Wang family to discuss Li Sanniang’s divorce and bringing little Luzhu home.

Li Sanniang hurriedly distributed the bowls and chopsticks and said, "Father, I will go along. Once we get the divorce agreement, we will go to the government office to register the red deed. It would be perfect to also demand a contract from the Wang family stating that they cannot arbitrarily decide Luzhu’s marriage.

As for the dowry the family gave me when I married, I used some of it during those years of marriage, but that was only the income from those twenty acres of land outside the city and the share of the Yiyuan Powder profits given to me by the shop. The private money Father and Mother gave me back then is still there; it should be enough to pay the deposit at the government office."

Father Li nodded and agreed.

Lunch consisted of boiled sweet potatoes, homemade side dishes, and a large basin of fresh vegetables bought at the morning market—plenty for everyone to eat their fill—along with mung bean soup that First Sister-in-law had boiled in the pot.

Because the Martial Emperor had opened the path to sun-drying salt from seawater after ascending the throne—a government-run business—the technological innovation had brought pure, white, snowflake-like salt. It was high-quality, affordable salt that was salty without any bitterness, so even commoners could afford to add salt to season their dishes.

Father Li was a physician himself and knew that people would have no strength without salt, but too much salt was also bad and would lead to illness.

Therefore, their homemade side dishes were never heavily salted like other families'; they were perfectly seasoned and tasted delicious with anything.

The Li family had a habit of taking a nap in the afternoon. Accompanied by the "zhi-liao, zhi-liao" sound of the male cicada on the jujube tree, Li Sanniang fanned little Luzhu to sleep, and then she herself drifted off into a drowsy slumber.

About less than half an hour later, Li Sanniang was woken up by the urge to urinate. She thought the mung bean soup First Sister-in-law made was too delicious, and she had only had one extra bowl; if she had drunk more, she would have woken up even earlier.

After resolving her urgent need, she saw that little Luzhu showed no signs of waking up, but she hardened her heart and woke her, fearing that if she slept too much during the day, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Just after feeding Luzhu some warm water and carrying her outside, she saw Second Sister-in-law in the courtyard turning and drying the medicinal herbs collected from the village.

Although Second Brother Li went to the village outside the city every half month to collect herbs and taught some villagers who often went into the mountains—including Second Sister-in-law’s maiden family—how to simply process the herbs they picked, they weren't professionals, so most of the work still had to be done by themselves.

Li Sanniang walked over and gently used some strength to guide Second Sister-in-law to the bamboo chair under the jujube tree.

"Second Sister-in-law, take a rest. The sun is still fierce right now. You help me watch Luzhu, and I’ll go turn and dry those herbs."

"This is my third pregnancy; I’m idle anyway. You’re the one who’s precious."

"Even if it were your tenth, you’d still be precious," First Sister-in-law teased as she came out of the kitchen carrying a tea tray.

The three of them had been sitting around the small bamboo table for less than a quarter of an hour when Mother Li returned with a basket.

Li Sanniang quickly stepped forward to take the basket from Mother Li and put it in the kitchen, intending to boil water after dinner to scald and disinfect the tools for next time.

"Mother, how did it go? I see there are ten red eggs in the basket," Li Sanniang asked curiously as she brought Mother Li a cup of tea.

"It went quite smoothly. Mistress Zhou isn't having her first child, and her family sells meat, so they eat well and she has a strong constitution. It didn't take many hours before she gave birth. It’s a healthy little girl with thick hair; she looks like a beauty," Mother Li said, draining the teacup and speaking to the three of them.

"I delivered all three of the Zhou brothers when I was young. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed. I’ve delivered seven or eight times for their family, and finally, there’s a little girl. They were so happy they gave me a string of copper coins on the spot," Mother Li said, pulling a wrapped cloth bundle from her bosom and taking out the copper coins strung together with a thin cord.

"Old Man Zhou was so happy in the courtyard that he even invited me to come drink at the full-month celebration."

Sorry, I’m a bit late today.

Thanks to Huai Xun 1 for the 5 recommendation votes, and He Xiao Ge Guo for the 1 recommendation vote. Thank you.

(End of chapter)