Chapter 366: Shocking
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ding Wan went to Shi Cui’s house after visiting Zhou Wen’e. Shi Cui’s family was relatively poor, and her shabby thatched house was very run-down. That was because Shi Cui and her husband did not know how to farm, causing their yield to be insufficient even though they planted crops.
Two years ago, Shi Cui found her son a wife, but the bride ran away with all the family’s money. Thus, Shi Cui’s family situation worsened and became severe.
Shi Cui was away when Ding Wan arrived. Ding Wan was confused and wondered why she had not returned since it was already noon. She was about to leave when she saw Shi Cui’s figure nearby.
Shi Cui was washing her clothes in the river and had just returned. “Madam Ding?”
She was stunned when she saw Ding Wan, thinking her eyes were tricking her.
“Shi Cui, I’m here to discuss something with you.”
Shi Cui tightened her grip on the basket and ran a few steps forward. She put the basket down when she reached the door and then stood on her tiptoes to take a key from the door frame.
Then she opened the door and said, “I didn’t expect you to come here, Madam
Ding. Fortunately, I just finished washing my clothes and returned in time.”
Shi Cui had a big heart and was not afraid of people finding out where she hid her key. Her family was poor anyway, so she did not fear others coming into her house to steal things.
“Quick, come in, Madam Ding.” Shi Cui’s house had tiny courtyards, and she did not have a brick bed either. She was too embarrassed to let Ding Wan into the house.
She could only use a broken bowl to scoop some water and offer it to Ding Wan.
“Have some water, Madam Ding.”
Ding Wan looked at the house and noticed that the roof was leaking. She looked at the family and did not know how to start. After some time, she asked, “Did your son and husband leave for work?”
Shi Cui’s family had the surname Yang, and their son’s name was Yang Sitan. Some Su Teng villagers gave him this name because they felt it would be easier to raise him.
“Sitan and his father went to the back of the mountain to chop firewood. They’ll probably be home later,” Shi Cui said, “The two don’t know much, so they can only do some work. Since it’s getting colder, we can cut more wood and sell them in town for some money.”
It was still challenging to sell wood in town, but it was better than nothing and staying home. Moreover, Shi Cui’s family was reluctant to use the wood they chopped. The family also ate cold and hard food to use as little firewood as possible.
“Shi Cui, can you still do embroidery?” Ding Wan asked after a moment of silence.
“I stopped doing it long ago. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you look at my hand.” Shi Cui showed Ding Wan her finger as she spoke.
Ding Wan looked at Shi Cui’s hand and was astounded. “What happened?”
Shi Cui’s hand was full of cuts, and now it was bruised and swollen. It was a dreadful sight. “My hand gets like this whenever it gets colder. I can’t do needlework this way, let alone embroidery.”
She felt bitter when she said those words but had also seen through them. She knew life had to go on.
“You must rest your hand and keep it warm.”
Shi Cui sighed. “Madam Ding, you know farmers aren’t so delicate. They need to be raised. Who’s going to do the housework? I need to wash my clothes too. Besides, what will we eat if my son and husband don’t work?
“The situation is more difficult with my hand like this since I can’t fight to work at the tofu factory.” She recalled the past and felt sad as she spoke.
She stopped the topic and asked Ding Wan, “By the way, why’d you come to visit me, Madam Ding?”
Ding Wan said, “Binglan will open an embroidery shop soon and needs to hire people. She’s looking for a few people from our village to work with her first. When the shop is complete, she’ll hire more people.
“Shi Cui, I know you used to be good at needlework and knew how to embroider, so I wanted you to work in the embroidery shop.”
Shi Cui’s expression changed when she heard this. She was a little excited. However, she felt suffocated when she looked at her hand.
“Madam Ding, thank you for thinking about me, but I can’t do needlework in my current state, let alone embroidery.
Ding Wan’s heart ached as she pulled Shi Cui’s hand over to take a look. She said, “Binglan will be giving free consultations again tomorrow afternoon. You should get this checked out. Maybe she can cure your hand.”
Shi Cui shook her head. “Madam Ding, I know Miss Su has excellent medical skills and is a good person. The cheapest medicine she can get is only five coins, but to be honest, we can’t even afford five coins.”
Ding Wan said, “Shi Cui, you must think about it. You can do many things when your hand is better. You can also earn back the money you used for the medication. Your health is most important, so you must go for the consultation.”
She knew Shi Cui’s hand would freeze whenever it got cold, especially if she did not keep it warm.
Some would not catch a cold if they were more careful, while others were more severe, and it was useless no matter how much attention they paid.
Ding Wan could not imagine how Shi Cui washed her clothes in the cold river. Ding Wan remembered Shi Cui’s hair was all black, and she looked better a few years ago.
However, Shi Cui had a hunched back, and her hair had turned white, looking much older than her peers.
“I honestly took things for granted. I used to think I could do many things if my hand wasn’t like this,” Shi Cui said with a lowered head, “But what can I do with this hand? I must do housework and wash clothes, so my hand will freeze again even after it recovers.”
“It won’t be like that, Shi Cui.”
Shi Cui knew Ding Wan was doing it for her good, but Shi Cui dared not think about such things anymore and would just go on with her days. She did not know if she would freeze to death during the winter, but she thought it would be okay if that happened.
Ding Wan felt that Shi Cui no longer had the vigor to live as she did in the past. ‘It’ll be easier for her to get sick if she stays like this. It’s just like Binglan said, and Shi Cui will get depressed.’
“Shi Cui,” Ding Wan said thoughtfully, “I have money. You can take it to get medicine.”
She removed ten coins from her purse as she spoke. She did not have much on hand then, but she received some for emergency use when she returned.
Shi Cui quickly shook her head and waved her hands. “No, no, there’s no need, Madam Ding.”
“Shi Cui, listen to me,” Ding Wan said, “This embroidery shop is excellent. I’ll get at least 60 coins a month or two coins a day. That’s the basic pay, but the more work you do, the more money you get.
“For example, if you make one more item, you can earn one or two more coins.
You’ll even get a subsidy at the end of the month. You will earn a lot, and it’s possible even to earn a few silver taels a month.
“How can that not be enough for your medical fees? I’m not lending you this money for fun. You can pay me back after you get paid for working at the embroidery shop.
Shi Cui was astounded when she heard Ding Wan’s words. She became as stiff as a statue and could not return to her senses as she wondered how she could get that much salary in just a month.
Shi Cui felt embarrassed when that unfortunate situation with the runaway bride happened. She almost stopped communicating with the villagers.
She knew very little and did not know how much money the tofu factory workers had made, but she heard how much she could get every month for working at the embroidery shop.
‘The more I do, the more I earn?’
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