Sold immediately after wearing it? I took my family and fled the famine.

A group of people pushed their carts toward the cloth shop. The shop was at the end of West Street, a small storefront with an indigo cloth sign hanging at the entrance, embroidered with the character for "cloth," fluttering in the wind. The shop assistant, a young man in his early twenties, was squatting by the door arranging a bundle of newly arrived linen. Seeing the group of people pushing their carts, he quickly stood up, dusted off his knees, and greeted them with a smile: "Are you buying cloth or cotton? Please come in!"

The shop wasn't big, but the fabrics on the shelves were neatly arranged: cotton, linen, and coarse silk in gray, blue, and brown—all dark colors that were resistant to dirt, but the textures felt quite good.

Tie Dan and Shi Tou volunteered to guard the cart at the door. Jiang Xing reminded them a few times, "Don't run around." The two children then squatted down on either side of the cart, like two little door gods.

Several families entered the cloth shop, and Shen Dehou was the first to speak. He touched each piece of cloth on the shelf; the coarse linen was rough but sturdy, perfect for making outer garments and working clothes; the cotton was softer and wouldn't irritate the skin when worn next to the body. After considering for a while, he said to the shop assistant, "My family needs four feet of cotton cloth, six feet of coarse linen, and five catties of cotton."

Wang Laoshi also reported the numbers: "My family has six feet of cotton cloth, eight feet of coarse linen, and five catties of cotton."

Widow Sun stood in front of the shelf, picked up a piece of cotton cloth, touched it again and again, hesitated for a long time, and then said softly, "I...I want two feet of cotton cloth, four feet of coarse linen, and four pounds of cotton."

Just as the shop assistant was about to write it down in the ledger, he looked up at Widow Sun upon hearing this. Her cotton-padded jacket was so thin that it couldn't be thinner, and the cuffs and collar were worn shiny. Tie Dan's jacket was even more tattered, with cotton peeking out from several holes, looking dusty and worn.

The shopkeeper opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back. Instead, he put down his pen and kindly reminded her, "Sister-in-law, you might not know what winter is like in the southwest. It doesn't snow much, but it's very damp, and the cold seeps into your bones. If you only buy this much cotton, it might not be enough to keep you warm."

Widow Sun lowered her head, clenched her hands on the hem of her clothes, and pursed her lips into a thin line.

She knew the shopkeeper was telling the truth. But she had only earned one tael and one mace from selling medicinal herbs that day, spent two hundred coins on a water vat, and gave Jiang Xing four hundred coins for grain. She didn't have much left.

She wanted to buy more cloth and more cotton, but she couldn't. With no man to support the family, she had to do everything herself, and every penny had to be carefully counted.

Jiang Xing stood beside the shelves, observing Widow Sun's expression. She didn't say much, but turned to the shop assistant and said, "I want two bolts of cotton cloth, twenty catties of cotton, and two quilts."

"The guy is right. We've come all the way from the north and finally found a place to stay. We can't afford to get sick from the cold before we've even settled in. People need to be warm to have the strength to work and make a living."

Shen Dehou paused for a moment, then nodded and said to the shop assistant, "Give me two more jin of cotton." Wang Laoshi also said, "Then I'll add two more jin too." Several families added more jin.

Widow Sun stood there, her hands clenching the hem of her clothes tightly.

She glanced at Jiang Xing, then at Tie Dan squatting beside the cart by the door, bit her lip, but ultimately didn't ask for more.

Jiang Xing didn't try to persuade her any further. She knew Widow Sun's predicament; forcing her to spend money wouldn't help her, it would only put her in a difficult position.

The shop assistant quickly wrote down the bill, then turned around and went to the back to cut the fabric and weigh the cotton.

When it was time to pay the bill, the waiter also picked up a bunch of scraps of cloth, tied them into three bundles with straw rope, and stuffed them into Jiang Xing's basket: "These scraps of cloth are not worth much money. They are leftover scraps from making clothes. If you take them back and piece them together, you can make a few pairs of shoe soles. Consider it a small gift for you."

The families thanked them repeatedly and left the cloth shop carrying fabric and cotton.

Tie Dan and Shi Tou were still squatting beside the cart, one on each side, looking very serious. When they saw them come out, the two children quickly stood up to help carry things onto the cart.

The cloth was fragile, so Jiang Xing placed it on top of the grain sacks and covered it with an extra layer of oilcloth. The cotton was also piled on top and tied tightly with hemp rope.

Just as I was busy working, a sweet, delicate voice came from not far away.

"Uncle Shen! Uncle Wang! Third Uncle! You're all here too!"

Everyone looked up and saw Chen Sumei walking out of another fabric shop across the street.

Chen Sumei was carrying a stack of things, with a piece of light red cotton cloth on top. Underneath the cloth, half of an embroidered cotton shoe was visible, with a small peony embroidered on the toe. The stitches were fine and dense, clearly indicating that it was not a cheap product.

She also wore two silk flowers in her hair, one pale yellow and the other light pink. The colors were different, but both were bright and vibrant, swaying gently with her steps.

"My parents are already waiting at the city gate," Chen Sumei said with a bright smile as she walked up to the group, her tone light and cheerful. "Let's go together."

Without giving it much thought, the group packed their things and pushed the cart toward the city gate.

Jiang Xing walked beside the cart, subtly glancing at Chen Sumei. The light red cotton cloth was clearly newly bought; the color was perfect, and the quality was much better than the ones she had seen in the fabric shop next door.

Those embroidered cotton shoes were exquisite, with tightly stitched soles and peonies on the uppers clearly hand-embroidered, not some cheap, ready-made item from a shop. Add to that the two new silk flowers in her hair, and all these things together must have cost a considerable sum.

The corners of her mouth curved slightly, forming a very faint arc, not quite a smile, but more like she had seen through something. She withdrew her gaze and continued pushing the cart forward, saying nothing.