Mrs. Xue and Jinghan had been selling the tender fiddlehead ferns for eight or nine days straight, each day bringing home over a hundred wen. It wasn't until the fiddleheads became too old to sell that they stopped, having earned just over one tael of silver in total. Each time they returned from town, Mrs. Xue would always bring back some delicious snacks for the family, and Jinghan was, of course, the first to enjoy them. She didn't feel the least bit embarrassed about it; after all, wasn't the purpose of their hard work to be able to eat something nice? Similarly, Mrs. Xue would also bring home some rice and flour, and sometimes she would buy a piece of meat to share, so the whole family could benefit.
Mrs. Chen felt a little heartache seeing Mrs. Xue and her daughter toiling away every day, so she made sure to prepare the meals early so they could eat as soon as they returned. Every time she saw Mrs. Xue buy things to take home, she would tell her she was being too wasteful, and that she should save some money to make some clothes for the children. The weather was growing warmer and the children's light clothes had yet to be made; last year's clothes were too small.
"Mom, after selling the fiddleheads, it will be time to gather lady ferns and bracken. With the money we make from those, we can buy fabric to make clothes for the children. They're growing up and should have more nutritious food to help them grow faster," Mrs. Xue said to her mother-in-law with a smile.
"You, Mrs. Xue, Jinghan is only eight years old and she's running all over the mountains with you. No matter what, this year we need to make her a new piece of clothing. She can't just keep wearing Jingya's hand-me-downs; she's getting older and should have a few new clothes of her own," Mrs. Chen said, pulling Jinghan closer. "Girl, are you tired from going up the mountain every day?"
Jinghan leaned into her grandmother's embrace and hugged her neck, "Granny, I'm not tired. I don't even notice when I'm running around all day. To be like my older sister and stay at home doing needlework all day—I wouldn't be able to stand it. Everyone says I'm a tomboy anyway. It's fine if I don't get new clothes; I always love to go into the forest, and I'd probably just ruin new clothes. Sister's clothes aren't old; they're fine for me to wear." It wasn't that she didn't like looking nice, but she couldn't stand being unable to do anything for fear of damaging her new clothes.
Looking at her young granddaughter in her arms, with rosy cheeks and bright, sparkling eyes radiating with healthy beauty, the old lady said, "Our Jinghan is really sensible. She knows how to earn money at such a young age and doesn't even want new clothes. Granny will take care of it; this year you'll definitely have new clothes. Meilin, tomorrow I'll give you some money to buy some fabric from town. Since I don't go to the mountains, I might as well stay at home and make clothes for the children. Although our family is experiencing some difficulties, the children still need clothes to wear, don't they?" The old lady truly adored her grandchildren.
It just so happened that Xu Huixin also came out of the house then, "Elder sister, let me help too. I don't have much to do all day; I can manage some needlework." These past few days, Xu Huixin had been following her mother to learn cooking. She was quite intelligent and learned things very quickly; whatever Mrs. Chen taught her, she would grasp in no time.
Jinghan gave Huixin a look, "Auntie, you seem much stronger recently." She noticed that her aunt's chronic condition seemed to improve as the weather warmed up. "Oh right, Granny, does anyone in our village raise sheep? We could buy one to bring home and milk for auntie to drink, they say it's very nourishing. It might help her." Food is the best medicine, and sheep milk is indeed beneficial.
Mrs. Chen thought for a moment, "Old Hu from the east end of the village has quite a few sheep. I'll go and ask. I'm guessing one sheep will cost several taels of silver. If it really does help your aunt, it will be worth it." Mrs. Chen had also heard about the benefits of sheep milk; she looked at her daughter and, after some deliberation, decided to buy a sheep for her.
"Aunt, don't spend that money, I'm much better now," said Huixin, reluctant to part with the money.
"Huixin, don't fret over the money. If we buy a sheep to raise, it might even bear lambs later on, so it's not a loss. Any of the kids here can go out and cut some grass to feed it. If it helps improve your health, your sister-in-law is willing to pay for it," Mrs. Xue said. When she married into the Xu family, Huixin was only four years old. At the time, Mrs. Xue had no children of her own and took care of Huixin every day, either carrying her on her back or in her arms. Mrs. Xue treated Huixin as if she were her own daughter.
"Sister-in-law, you should save more money. Wenhan is already twelve, and in a few years you'll have to arrange a marriage for him. And there's Jingya; you need to prepare a dowry for her too. You have enough to worry about," Huixin, who was close to Mrs. Xue, didn't want her to spend any money. She always looked out for Mrs. Xue's interests.