Mrs. Chen watched the two sisters-in-law politely refusing to accept the money with great pleasure, "Alright, I'll take the money then. Meilin, you really should start saving some money. Even if Wenhan isn't eager to marry just yet, doesn't he still have to study? That's going to cost a fair sum. Hui Xin, the money you earn from needlework should be kept for yourself. A woman needs to have her own stash. If you get married in the future, you won't have to be completely controlled by others." The old lady then looked at Jinghan, "Little girl, let your mother keep the money you earn separately for you. Our Jinghan is so capable, in the future, you'll have to find a good family to marry into."
Jinghan bolted out at the mention of this, "Granny, I am still young. I'll start saving money after my aunt and elder sister are married. I'm not going to cook for you all now; I'm going to see my elder sister." Saying that, she returned to the east wing room. Jingya was still sewing in the room, showing great skill in her embroidery, earning a few hundred wen each month. Mrs. Xue always put it away separately for her, saving it for future use.
At this moment, Jingya was focusing intently on her embroidery frame, stitching a flower. Jinghan ran up to her and took a glance at the item in her sister's hand, "Wow, elder sister, you are embroidering peonies?" The peonies were indeed very lifelike, with color matching and shading done so well that Jinghan couldn't help but admire her sister's skill. "It's so beautiful. Are you embroidering a pillowcase? I remember pillowcases are usually embroidered with things like mandarin ducks playing in the water. Why are there peonies?"
"Mandarin ducks playing in the water are used by married couples; at other times, it's mostly flowers and the like," explained Jingya as she continued to embroider and answer her sister's questions. "Jinghan, didn't you say you wanted to learn needlework? How come you haven't picked up a needle after just two days?" Jingya knew her sister couldn't sit still for long.
"Look how nice the weather is, elder sister. You expect me to stay cooped up at home all day doing needlework; wouldn't that kill me? Let's talk about it again in the winter when there's nothing to do. Anyway, I'm still young and not in a hurry to learn these things." Jinghan grew restless at the sight of clear skies each day, eager to run to the mountains. She simply couldn't keep up the pretense and reverted to her usual self.
"You know, I thought you had changed your ways for a bit," Jingya said, a bit tired, as she put down the embroidery frame and covered her work with a cloth before stretching. "Let's go, I need to get out too. Staying at home all the time is really suffocating." Jingya took Jinghan's hand and they headed outside together.
Jinghan held her sister's hand, feeling how smooth and delicate it was compared to her own rough one. That was the difference between those who climb mountains and those who stay at home. Jingya had to do needlework every day, especially fine embroidery with silk thread; meticulous hand care was needed to prevent snagging the delicate threads. Mrs. Xue had once bought a box of ointment specially for Jingya to soften her hands. Jinghan's were different; she was constantly climbing mountains, foraging for young shoots and such, which left her hands stained with plant sap and soil, far from being smooth and soft.
The sisters walked hand in hand to the riverside. At twilight, the sunset bathed the sky in shades of red, washing the river surface in a golden glow. They found a stone to sit on, quietly taking in the view. Fortunately, there weren't too many mosquitoes around yet, or it would have been miserable.
"You should come out for walks more often, sister. You can't do needlework all day; it's bad for your eyes. If you don't take care now, you'll regret it when you're old," Jinghan advised.
"Yeah, I know, our mother has told me before," Jingya replied softly.
In the distance, two figures approached; it turned out to be Wenhan and Zixuan. "Jingya, Jinghan, what are you doing here? Lucky there aren't any mosquitoes yet, or you'd be covered in bites," Wenhan hurried over to his sisters.
"Big brother, I brought elder sister out for a walk; otherwise, she's always stuck at home. Why did you come home so late today?" Jinghan felt it strange since Wenhan would usually be home by this time.
Wenhan laughed, "Today our teacher set a few problems for us to solve, which is why we're late. Since tomorrow is a day off for bathing, I discussed fishing in the river with Zixuan, hoping we can catch some fish tomorrow morning. The fish are biting well during this season; it's the best time." Wenhan showed Jinghan the fishing traps in his hand. "We've already placed a few along the way, and we have two or three left. Wait for me to finish and we'll go back home together." After that, he and Zixuan went ahead to set the remaining traps.
Soon, the two returned, and after Zixuan went home, Wenhan headed back with his sisters. Upon arriving, they saw Mrs. Chen had finished preparing dinner and urged everyone to wash their hands and eat quickly. The evening meal featured meat thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Xue and her daughters, and Mrs. Chen picked through it, allocating a portion for the children. Meat was scarce and it was good if each child got two slices; they devoured it hungrily. Mrs. Wei, seeing no more meat in the dish, couldn't help but search with her chopsticks for more.
"What are you doing, second daughter-in-law? Stop picking through the dish like that; will others still want to eat? There were only a few pieces of meat to begin with, brought by your eldest sister-in-law from the town. You're an adult, more eager than the children; what harm is there in eating a little less? If you want to eat well, go earn your own money. You have money in your hand, buy whatever you want and eat it as you like. Why are you stirring up the serving dish?" Mrs. Chen scolded Mrs. Wei upon seeing her behavior. Mrs. Wei wasn't always like this; though she had a big appetite, she was never picky and didn't care about food, but what had gotten into her now? She disregarded others while eating, incessantly scraping the good stuff into her own bowl.