But Chen Wanqing hadn’t expected that this girl, who looked so innocent and naive, would be so sharp-witted.

Seeing the girl’s quiet and well-behaved demeanor, she felt a surge of affection for her.

"It’s a design for ’winning the top prize.’ The symbolism is auspicious. I’m making it for your older brother, hoping he’ll successfully pass the Scholar examination next year."

An irrepressible joy blossomed on Xiang’er’s shy face.

"With your sachet, Big Brother will definitely study even harder. He’s sure to pass the Scholar exam next year, and then you’ll be a Scholar’s wife."

Chen Wanqing smiled. "Alright. I’ll be the Scholar’s wife, and you’ll be the Scholar’s sister."

As they spoke, Xiang’er mostly asked about embroidery techniques, and Chen Wanqing taught her. When asked how she practiced her calligraphy and managed to show such skill even when embroidering on plain cotton, Chen Wanqing began to explain her methods for practicing writing.

At the height of her explanation, she even picked up a small wooden stick and began demonstrating on the ground.

Xiang’er, completely captivated and enthusiastic, also grabbed a small stick and squatted down to copy the strokes on the ground.

Her legs eventually grew numb from squatting. Just then, Yao’an came over at his mother’s behest to keep them company. Xiang’er finally stopped practicing her characters and listened to Yao’an talk about his private school instead.

The sun began to slant westward, and the midday meal was finally ready.

Wisps of smoke from the kitchen carried the rich aroma of chicken throughout the courtyard. It was a moment of peaceful tranquility that set everyone’s hearts at ease.

The Chen family’s square table was a decent size, and by squeezing in a bit, everyone managed to sit down.

To welcome their two guests, Xu Su Ying had not only stewed a chicken but had also prepared a fish.

The chicken was braised, the fish was steamed, and she had also made stir-fried green peppers with eggs and a mapo tofu.

Worried that Jing and his sister might not care for rice, she had also hand-pulled some noodles to be tossed in the chicken broth.

With the addition of the basket of scallion pancakes Zhao Jing and his sister had brought, there was more than enough to eat.

The meal was simple, but for a farming family, it was a respectable spread. No one could gossip about serving such a meal to a future son-in-law.

As they all sat around the table talking and eating, everyone ate more than usual without even realizing it.

Xiang’er had the appetite of a bird and was usually full after just a couple of bites of rice. Today, however, she had finished a whole small bowl without realizing it.

When she set down her chopsticks, she let out an uncontrollable hiccup, and her fair face instantly flushed crimson with embarrassment.

Worried Xiang’er would feel awkward, Chen Wanqing led her inside for some hawthorn water.

The hawthorn was sliced and sun-dried, so it just needed to be steeped in hot water. It was good for stimulating the appetite and aiding digestion.

Xiang’er felt much better after drinking the hawthorn water. Just as she was saying they should be heading back, a commotion erupted from outside the courtyard.

It was the old woman. The moment she stormed into the courtyard, she began shouting at Chen Song, who was chopping firewood. "Chen Song! I’m here to demand money from you! You kicked your third brother and broke his leg! He’s going to be bedridden for a long time, so you have to pay for his medicine and lost wages. I’ve done the math—it’s fifty taels in total. Hand over the money right now."

Xu Su Ying walked out of the main hall. Hearing the commotion, Zhao Jing and the others came out as well. By the time Chen Wanqing emerged with Xiang’er, the entire family was outside.

When the old woman saw the siblings, Zhao Jing and Xiang’er, her face turned pale with fury.

It wasn’t that she felt guilty; she was just embarrassed to be making such a scene in front of the younger generation.

But she had no choice but to cause a fuss. Her third son had spent eighty taels of Silver. Fifty of those went to buying a courtyard. Of the remaining thirty, he spent ten on furniture and new clothes for that young widow and her daughter. The other twenty, he’d completely squandered on food, drink, and gambling.

If they sold the small courtyard and pooled it with the Silver they currently had, they could just barely manage to pay off the debt.

But then she would be left with nothing. Her heart panicked when she had no money, and when she panicked, her thoughts ran wild.

The old woman couldn’t bear being penniless; she was terrified of poverty.

Unfortunately, her third son was a real spendthrift. After blowing through those twenty taels, he didn’t have a single cent left to his name.

When the old woman asked Mrs. Li for her private savings, Mrs. Li claimed she had already handed over more than half the Silver she earned from selling soup and rice. As for the few copper coins she had left, she spent them on candy for her son one day, a hair flower for her daughter the next, and fabric for a decent set of clothes the day after that. She insisted she had spent every last coin—her pockets were cleaner than her face.

In short: she had no money to give, only her life.

In the end, the old woman had to hold Mrs. Li down while the third son beat her, only managing to fish out five taels of Silver from her waist pouch.

But what good were five taels of Silver? It was barely enough to cover the interest.

And to make matters worse, Wanyue had come to her, insisting they couldn’t sell that courtyard because it had to be saved for her dowry.