Chapter 7

Frost has accumulated on the roof, and the weather is getting colder.

Then let us go find Third Sister and discuss it with her

At noon, Xuelan returned home with silver dollars and cotton cloth

Xuelan pushed her hand away and complained, "Don't touch me, my hands are cold. I still want to sleep, let's talk about it later."

She also saw the patrol with long braids and a stick, as if she were watching a movie

Alas! In the end, she sighed, sitting silently at the edge of the bed

Miss, would you like to buy some jewelry

"What? You came to hear a few jokes from my mother?" Aunt Li said coldly

I turned over, covered my head, and was just about to continue sleeping when a hand reached into the blanket and woke me up

"No, I sell jewelry." Xuelan took a box out of her pocket, "All of these are for sale, including three pairs of silver bracelets, two hairpins, and two pairs of earrings"

Aunt Li fell silent for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said: "Go! I don't care, you two sisters, under no circumstances should you let them be mistreated."

The female clerk displayed a commendable level of professionalism, her smile unwavering as she bent slightly to lead the way, saying: "Let us have our master in the store take a look."

Xuelan said, "Uncle, please take me to find a more honest pawn shop."

What is a scalper ticket

The coachman turned back in surprise: "Fifth Sister, what do you need at the pawnshop?"

This is Xuelan's first time going out, and to be honest, she feels a bit anxious.

You still do not understand that the librarian is determined; she wants to support her daughter, and who can stop her

Aunt Li seemed to have been standing at the door waiting for her. As soon as she saw her return, she hurriedly pulled her into the room and anxiously asked: "Did you sell it?"

These pieces of jewelry sold for a total of 28 silver dollars. The store clearly underpriced them, but Xuelan, being an introverted and ineffectual person, could not negotiate a higher price. She wrapped them in a piece of cloth and tucked them into her bosom; this was a substantial sum of money, enough for the three women to eat steamed buns and pickled vegetables for two years.

Xuelan looked at Aunt Li and suddenly thought of her own mother, both of whom toiled and worried for their daughters

Accompanied by Aunt Zheng's melodious laughter, the room was so quiet that one could almost hear the sound of breathing

At this moment, the carriage stopped, and the driver lifted the curtain, saying: "We have arrived, please disembark."

"Does that lady still want to redeem the jewelry?" the coachman asked

"Do keep your voice down," said Aunt Li in a lowered tone

Then... Aunt Li hesitated with a face full of uncertainty, "You say..."

The coachman is responsible for taking the young ladies to school every day. He is somewhat familiar with the previous Miss Wu and asks Xuelan where she is going.

Oh, so this is where they sell scalped tickets. Xuelan touched her head, thinking that in this day and age, even those selling scalped tickets can advertise.

You look at this advertisement, Liaozhi Ejing Store, located at the southern end of North Second Street in the Xisi District, next to the train station, selling train tickets

Aunt Zheng stood at the door and said: "Sister, there is no need to vent your anger on me; it would be better to spend more effort teaching Third Sister. I have heard that the deputy director enjoys playing tricks, and I don't know how many young ladies he has tormented. You, being someone from the brothel, naturally know better than us who are more sensible. Teach her how to handle it, so that she may avoid a fate of beauty meeting an early demise"

Sister is upset; how can I let the two young ladies go hungry as well? Third Sister, Fifth Sister, please eat something. If your heart is not at ease, you must not neglect yourself.

Aunt Li swayed slightly and fell to the side of the table, the tears she had just managed to hold back now flowing uncontrollably.

That night, the candle next door in Shelan burned all night, occasionally accompanied by the sound of Aunt Li's weeping

Xuelan put on her cotton coat, got out of bed, and handed her a newspaper.

"Why don't you speak?" Aunt Li, with two large dark circles under her eyes, clearly having not slept all night, anxiously asked, "Where did you learn all this?"

Alas! The coachman sighed and said, "Master cannot do without Third Sister, and Madam should also take it easy."

Aunt Li cannot leave the house, but Xuelan is different; she is the young lady of the family. She can simply call for the family carriage to go out, buy some snacks, or browse a bookstore, and just give a command.

Since Liu Sanjie learned that she was to be sent away to become a concubine, she had not eaten for several days, and her visible figure had grown thinner. After hearing the words of Xuelan and Aunt Li, she was completely stunned. After a while, she unexpectedly shed tears.

Scalped tickets... In short, this ticket can be purchased temporarily; as long as you can afford the price, it is fine

Mother, are you really going to take me away? Aren't you afraid? I am so scared. How will we live once we go out?" Third Sister sobbed in Aunt Li's embrace, crying in gasps.

Aunt Li was so enraged that her whole body trembled; she raised a hand to slap her, but Aunt Zheng managed to dodge.

On the second day, a thick fog descended, and the outside appeared dim and murky

Aunt Zheng entered the household two years later than Aunt Li, and over the past decade or so, the two have been at odds with each other like crows fighting. Whenever Aunt Li sees her, it only makes her more displeased

Xuelan suddenly woke up, thinking just moments ago that she was sleeping in the modern era, with her mother calling her to get up.

Xuelan twisted a couple of times in the quilt, arching her back like a shrimp, resembling a large silkworm cocoon

Then sending it to the pawn shop would not be worthwhile; it is better to sell it directly to the jewelry store. They will process it and sell it as new, so they also accept old jewelry. Although you won't get even fifty percent of the original purchase price, it is still better than going to the pawn shop.

"Get in, make sure you are seated properly." The coachman cracked the whip, and the carriage began to move

I ask you, how did you find out about yesterday's events? Do you know where to catch the train? How do you take it?

"Auntie just wants to earn a bit more money," Xuelan said

Xuelan knows she is conflicted, perhaps out of fear. A woman who has lived in this courtyard for over ten years finds the outside world too vast and unfamiliar. How will the three women survive outside this residence? What if they fail and are caught again? She musters the courage for the sake of her own flesh and blood, yet this courage is no match for the helplessness of being unprepared.

"Aunt, are you ready to leave?" Xuelan asked her

She walked out the door, and before she forgot, she turned back to say: "By the way, you are a mother, so don't be like your fifth sister, who jumps into the pond whenever she's unhappy"

"Have you decided to leave?" Xuelan asked

"Very well, I will start making the cotton-padded jacket right away," said Aunt Li

"Get lost!" Aunt Li scolded, "Let me tell you, don't think you can watch us make a fool of ourselves here. Today’s me is tomorrow’s you; do you really think you can escape!"

Aunt Zheng smiled gently, arranging the dishes from the food box one by one, and even touched Xuelan's face: "Look at how thin Fifth Sister is; your aunt doesn't even know how to care for you."

Aunt Li looked at it for a long time, then threw the newspaper aside and said, "What are you showing me? I can't read."

"Aunt, have you spoken to Third Sister?" Xuelan asked

The female employee in the store immediately approached and directly spoke to Xuelan, who was wearing a satin cotton jacket

You need not be anxious; let us prepare slowly. Xuelan said, "After all, we have tried, and even if we do not succeed, it is better than letting anyone handle it carelessly"

She lifted the curtain of the carriage, and everything outside was incredibly unfamiliar. The ancient streets were bustling as if washed anew, with various unbelievable sights passing by one after another, including rickshaw pullers and individuals in qipao and long gowns, leaving her astonished and speechless

"Fifth Sister, wake up," Aunt Li said as she shook her. "I have something to ask you."

Xuelan said: "It was my aunt who asked me to come. My third sister is about to go out. My aunt is not capable of providing her with anything, so she thought of giving her a few pieces of jewelry, exchanging them for silver dollars, so that my third sister can take them with her when she goes out, saving her the trouble of searching for them over there"

Then let's listen to Uncle," Xuelan said

Daughter, your mother comes from a poor background and understands the hardships that the poor endure outside. However, even in suffering, it is better than sending you off to be mistreated by those people. Even if we must die, at least we three will die together; on the road to the underworld, we will not be alone

"Hey, I'm talking to you, wake up." Aunt Li shook her again.

Xuelan hesitated, her heart pounding incessantly. She cautiously extended her head, looking around, and only then did her feet touch the ground. She then tucked her neck in and followed the coachman into a jewelry shop

Xuelan placed the silver dollars on the table and said: "A total of 28 silver dollars were sold. I exchanged 2 silver dollars for change at the fabric store. When we make the cotton-padded jackets, we will sew the silver dollars and jewelry inside, and wear them while running."

Xuelan was awakened by the sound of a door opening. She lay in her warm, soft bed, not wanting to get up at all

I have not yet told her. Aunt Li wiped her eyes and said, I am a useless person; if I cannot take her away, then I have only made her happy in vain.

After leaving the jewelry store, Xuelan said, "Auntie also asked me to go and cut two zhang of cotton cloth."