Pang's wounds had healed somewhat, and she came more and more frequently. Du Xiaohui also brought Wang Er several little kiwifruits she had picked from the mountains every day.
Li Yao saw everything but did not interfere. Her main goal was to make money and then retire. Everything else could take its own course.
It was getting dark again, time for the villagers to come and sell herbs.
Today was already the fourth day of buying herbs, and people's harvests were not that great anymore. Fortunately, there was enough, so Li Yao announced that starting tomorrow, she would no longer buy herbs.
"Really no more?"
"We can still dig in more distant places."
"Why not buy for one more day?"
...
The villagers were all reluctant.
But now there were enough herbs. Making the villagers take risks going deep into the mountains would not be good if something happened.
...
The herbs had been dried, and Li Yao was ready to start making the second batch of herbal ointment today. After working hard all morning, she finally extracted more than ten catties of tea seed oil, enough to make 300 portions of ointment.
But she was in no hurry this time. She only took a big tub and soaked the herbs in oil so that although it was slower, the effect would be better.
"Mother," When Da Zhuang came back at noon, he was carrying a large piece of beef. "The boss of Zou's Rouge Shop gave this to us. I didn't want to take it, but he put it in our cart and left, so I could only bring it back. What should we do?"
Beef was a rare commodity nowadays.
Raising a cow was not easy. Slaughtering required reporting to the county and obtaining permission before killing. Such a large piece of beef would cost at least two taels of silver, and even if you had money, you might not be able to buy it.
"Did he say why he wanted to give us beef?"
"He did," Da Zhuang said. "He asked me to tell you that he hoped to order more herbal ointment because he wanted to take it to sell in Yizhou Prefecture."
"I see," said Li Yao. "Next time he comes to find you, tell him the goods are available but he'll have to wait a few more days."
Since this was a business favor, Li Yao would not stand on ceremony.
After coming here for so long, she still hadn't tasted the beef in this world.
Looking at this piece of beef, it was mostly fat - beef brisket. Li Yao felt a little regret. But the people in this world probably thought this kind of fatty beef was the best.
"Then let's have braised beef brisket today."
Hearing this, the children were overjoyed.
This was beef!
In all their lives, they had never tasted beef before!
Mother was really amazing.
Now everyone wore new clothes and shoes every day, and had very comfortable quilts to sleep in at night.
They could eat meat every day, and now they were even having beef. Their lives were as good as those of wealthy households!
Xiaoya He also came out of the hatchery and went straight to the kitchen. She wanted to hurry up and learn how to cook beef.
Braised beef brisket was simple - cut into pieces, blanch, stir fry with oil, add eight-cornered fruit, cassia bark, and various seasonings, then simmer until soft and glaze at high heat.
The soft, aromatic braised beef brisket was ready.
The unfamiliar fragrance, so different from pork, made the children swallow mouthful after mouthful of saliva.
Li Yao handed the chopsticks to Xiaoya He and let her try it first.
Xiaoya picked up a piece from the pot, blew on it, and put it in her mouth to carefully taste the first beef of her life.
"Is it delicious?"
"Delicious!" Xiaoya nodded violently. "Even better than I imagined!"
It took a long time to braise the beef brisket, and it was already past noon. Everyone was starving with hunger. They hurriedly served the dishes and rice.
"I haven't eaten beef for many years," Scholar Lv was also looking forward to it today. "The last time was when I was studying at the academy."
"Then let's eat."
Just as the family and Scholar Lv were about to pick up their chopsticks, the neighbor Lady Pang came over leaning on a cane.
Seeing they were still eating, she stood in the yard and waited. Li Yao noticed she looked unwell, with red eyes, so she went out.
"Lady Pang, what's the matter with you?"
"Sister Li," Pang had just said a few words when tears streamed down her face. "I know I shouldn't bother you with my family's affairs, but I really have no choice."
"Just tell me what's going on."
"My mother-in-law said she wants to sell Xiaohui."
Li Yao was slightly stunned and it took her a while to regain her composure.
She had always felt that selling one's children was a very distant tale, but now it was happening right before her eyes.
She didn't know the exact circumstances in the Du family, but if they weren't truly destitute, they certainly wouldn't sell their own daughter.
"Why sell Xiaohui?" Li Yao asked.
Pang had two children. Her eldest son Du Changming was the same age as Da Zhuang, but he still wasn't married, which made Pang's mother-in-law very anxious.
Some time ago, she had arranged a marriage for him, thinking it wouldn't happen, but unexpectedly the other party sent a matchmaker to speak yesterday and agreed.
But the bride's side had a condition that they must pay a bride price of 2 taels of silver, and another 2 taels of dowry at the wedding.
Even if it wasn't a disaster year, 4 taels of silver was not a small sum for an ordinary family. Where could the Du family get it now?
This was why Pang's mother-in-law had insisted she go take the risk to dig for herbs these past few days.
But without money, Du Changming could not marry. If it dragged on for another two years, he would become an old bachelor, and it would be even harder to find a wife.
Xiaohui was too young to marry out for the bride price and dowry, so Pang's mother-in-law decided to sell her. This way, the family would have one less mouth to feed, and her grandson could perfectly resolve the issue of his marriage.
"Sister Li, I don't want to sell Xiaohui. Please think of a way to help me, I'm begging you!"
At this time, the children also came out upon hearing her words.
Da Zhuang had watched Xiaohui grow up. Wang Er was also on good terms with Xiaohui. And Lao San and Lao Si had often played together with Xiaohui before the two families completely fell out.
Xiaoya He didn't know Xiaohui well, but as a young girl herself, she naturally didn't want to see Xiaohui sold off. Being sold to others was miserable. When she was naughty as a child, adults would always threaten her with it.
"Mother," Da Zhuang said, "why don't you help Aunt Pang?"
"Yes, Mother," Lao Si Wang said. "I don't want Sister Xiaohui to be sold away. That would be so pitiful, never able to see her parents again."
Li Yao didn't want to meddle too much in others' affairs.
Not just the Du family was poor.
The whole village, the whole county, the whole country was going through difficult times now. How much could she help?
But seeing the pleading in the children's eyes, she suddenly felt somewhat reluctant for reasons unknown.
She never thought that she, a cold-blooded killer, would be moved by such innocent eyes. If this got out, it would surely make her colleagues laugh their heads off.
There was also the matter of selling a granddaughter to get a bride for a grandson - just hearing it made her very averse.
So she said, "I can lend you money."
Seeing she didn't refuse outright, Pang was overjoyed: "I don't want to borrow money. I'm afraid I can't pay it back."
"Then you..."
"My thinking is, since my mother-in-law has decided to sell Xiaohui, then sell her. But I hope you can buy Xiaohui to be a maid for you, just to give her a meal to eat. That's all that matters."
Li Yao: ...You didn't come to ask for help, you came to make a sales pitch!
Even if Li Yao had more money, she had never thought of buying a maid!
Such enslavement of others went against every fiber of her being.
"No."
"Sister Li, I beg you..."
"I said no means no." Li Yao said coldly. "If you keep pushing this, go back home and don't come to my home again."
Pang didn't dare make another sound, only silently wiping away her tears.
Seeing this, Li Yao sighed softly to herself and said, "But I do need an extra hand at home to help cut grass and sweep every day. So you can have Xiaohui come work for me as a monthly hire. 50 coins a month, with meals included. I know you need money urgently now, so I can pay a year's wages upfront."
Pang suddenly lifted her head in disbelief and stared at Li Yao.
More than 600 coins upfront for a whole year - was she dreaming?