Ink Burns

Chapter 1 The Rainstorm That Hasn't Come

After the beginning of autumn in July, Huating County experienced more than a dozen rainstorms, both large and small. Usually there were heavy thunder at night and clear skies during the day, which was quite confusing.

The further east you go and closer to the sea, the more unpredictable the weather becomes.

Taobao Town, located at the easternmost part of Huating County and next to the Yunyan River, has experienced several rainstorms without warning.

Therefore, although Taobao Town has been sunny for six or seven days and the scorching heat is felt with every breath, people still have to worry about a downpour coming at the next moment.

He Shanyue walked past the entrance of the village, paused, and handed the wicker basket in his hand to the woman next to him: "Mom, please go to Aunt Qiu's house in front and sit for a while. It will be raining so you can hide. I'll go back and get an umbrella."

The woman's surname was Qiu, her name was Er Niang, she was thin, her skirt was washed white and frayed, she squinted and looked up at the sky: "It's so sunny, is it going to rain?"

After a pause, he continued, "Then go quickly - don't delay your father's studies. Ask your sister to heat up the egg cake in the stove for your father to eat. She will also crack an egg and steam it with soybean oil and rice to eat."

Chatty.

He Shanyue smiled and looked at her mother, only to see her step into the muddy water, which splattered her mushy linen shoes and the white edge of her skirt. Qiu Erniang quickly lifted her skirt, and Wu Limai complained, "How annoying!"

Qiu Erniang was afraid that others would hear her cursing, so her voice gradually faded away.

He Shanyue smiled again and trotted home.

Hekou Village is not big, and He Shanyue walks fast. In less than half a quarter of an hour, he came back with a black umbrella. Behind him was a little yellow-haired boy, who was about seven or eight years old and the height of a five or six year old. His face was pale and his hair was dry and yellow, but his eyes were clear and bright.

Qiu Erniang frowned, "If you run away, what will your father eat tonight?"

The little Caitou hid behind his sister's shoulder, revealing two round eyes: "As soon as you two left, Dad ran away! There's no one in the house to eat dinner!"

Qiu Erniang's hand slipped: "Where is your father?"

"Speaking of going to the east end to find Mr. Huang to copy books, but I saw Dad took two handfuls from the bedside box." The little boy's name was He Shuiguang, and his eyes rolled around again: "I guess Dad went to drink - I don't eat eggs, I want to eat the five-thread noodles in town."

"What a load of bullshit!"

Qiu Erniang patted the grass debris on He Shuiguang's shoulder and was about to speak when an ox cart rolled past them. She saw her eldest daughter running straight ahead.

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

Qiu Erniang quickly lied to He Shanyue and said in a low voice: "Why take a bullock cart? We have plenty of money at home!"

He Shanyue glanced at her pale-faced little sister, then looked at her skinny mother, and said with a smile, "It will be dark by the time we reach town. Won't the dinner money be more than the car fare?"

Qiu Erniang thought about it and it seemed to be true, so she was immediately carried into the car by her eldest daughter.

The ox cart was filled with fresh lotus pods. The three of them sat shoulder to shoulder. He Shanyue slapped three copper coins into Uncle Lin's hand and said, "Uncle, please stop by Chen's Embroidery Shop on the way!"

Mrs. Qiu didn't have time to feel bad about the money, and immediately lowered her voice: "Not going to Shen's? Although Shen's has lowered the price, it is already the embroidery shop with the highest price in town. Unless we go to the county, other shops in town can't afford Shen's price."

He Shanyue patted the back of Qiu Erniang's hand in a comforting manner, and then stuffed another copper coin into Uncle Lin Wu's hand: "Uncle Wu, please wait for me at the door of Chen's. Wait for me for half a quarter of an hour at most. I will go in and come out soon. Then you can take us to Shen's on the next street, okay? - At sunset, please wait for us at Shuijing Lane, and I will bring you buckwheat cakes."

Uncle Lin Wu happily put the money into his sleeve pocket, turned around and smiled at Qiu Erniang: "Your boss is a hollow dumpling, but for your eldest daughter, it is still very useful."

Qiu Erniang didn't like what she heard, and immediately said, "Huang Xiucai also said that he was unlucky."

Uncle Lin Wu tactfully shut up and didn't respond, concentrating on driving the ox cart. Hekou Village was not far from the town, and more and more people were gathering. A number of tall and strong young men gathered around the low city wall, standing tall and straight, and they were immediately distinguished from the farmers in coarse linen clothes on the side.

He Shuiguang swallowed his saliva and leaned towards his mother involuntarily.

This group of people escorted several tall and wide carriages into the city.

Uncle Lin Wu hurriedly shouted to the oxcart to get out of the way under the wall, and said in a low voice: "A big mountain god has come to our small temple. Even the county magistrate doesn't have this style when he goes on patrol."

He Shanyue glanced sideways and quickly lowered his head.

I don't know what kind of wood the carriage is made of, it is black and shiny, and there is a delicate lotus carved on the handle.

The horse was also different from the donkey in the village. It held its head high, looking proud and arrogant, and its mane was shiny and glossy, even brighter than the hair of the girls in the village.

He's a big shot.

Important people should be treated with respect and give way to them.

Their family lived in Hekou Village and was poor. The father was studying but had no academic achievement. His mother and her two sisters had to grow crops, raise chickens and ducks, and do embroidery to supplement the family income. More importantly, they were not from the village. Most people in Hekou Village had the surname Lin. They had fled from famine in other villages and had no roots or clan in the village.

That's how it is in the village. If you are not buried with someone of your same surname, you are an outsider. Outsiders are inferior and three points lower than others.

That's why her mother didn't even dare to curse.

He Shanyue thought to herself, stretched out her hand and weaved the rattan basket, calculating that once these embroidery patterns were sold, her family could buy a cow and a pig. She could use the cow to plow the fields and kill the pig for meat, so she wouldn't have to worry this fall and winter.

The carriages entered in a line, and the civilians waiting on the side dared to move. Uncle Lin Wu drove the oxcart to Chen's Embroidery Shop first, and He Shanyue jumped off the cart and ran in quickly. He came out after a while, and the oxcart disappeared into the alley and arrived at Shen's.

There were quite a few people at Shen's, including a few familiar-looking embroiderers, one or two maids from the landlord's family, and an unfamiliar young man dressed as a steward.

He Shuiguang stood at the door of Shen Ji, staring at the market and rubbing his sister's skirt: ".Five-thread noodles~"

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

He Shuiguang cheered and left, his yellow hair tugging on his shoulders.

He Shanyue whispered, "I'll buy two kilograms of pork later. My little girl is not even as tall as a green onion."

Qiu Erniang hissed, feeling sorry for the money and for her daughter's weakness. She sighed, "I just hope I can sell it for a good price today."

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

When the old shopkeeper saw the embroidery pattern clearly, before he even looked at the pattern, he frowned and said, "The workmanship is getting worse and worse? You're selling it without even taking the frame apart?"

The embroidery pattern was not removed from the frame, the wooden strips were baked over a fire to form a circle, and the embroidery cloth was neatly wrapped into a tight surface - this was done for all twenty or so embroidery jobs.

Qiu Erniang's heart was in her throat. She turned to look at her eldest daughter: She had wanted to take it down yesterday. Shen's always required fine workmanship, and the embroiderer outside had to embroider the small seal script of "Shen". But her eldest daughter asked her not to move it yet.

He Shanyue blinked and smiled, "Shopkeeper Shen, we came here an hour earlier today and brought scissors and needles with us. If you buy it, we will immediately dismantle the frame and embroider the word 'Shen'. If you don't want it, I have already made an agreement with Chen Ji at the end of the alley, and he will help us sell it to the county town. If we dismantle the frame and embroider the words, it will be difficult for us to sell it."

(End of this chapter)