Divorced woman with child travels through time

Chen Wenfang and Aunt Liu were busy until almost closing time in the late afternoon. Perhaps it was because Young Master Ouyang's purchase of the herbs had made a name for themselves, but Chen Wenfang's herbs were gradually selling out. She secretly calculated that, aside from the silver given by the young master, she had received copper coins, probably over a thousand. With each packet sold, she would instruct the seller that it could be used for a dry, sore throat and yellow nasal discharge, but not for other symptoms. By the end of the afternoon, the entire market was practically aware of this young woman selling herbs.

Chen Wenfang planned to go shopping with Aunt Liu, Dazhuang, and Chen Xuanyu. The market was lined with shops, and they had everything they needed. Aunt Liu helped carry the baby, and Chen Wenfang calculated that she needed to buy a spatula, chopsticks, a hoe, an oil lamp, shoes, and clothes—too much to carry! She had to ask Dazhuang to put them back at the stall later. Prices in ancient times weren't high, except for iron items. She bought a wooden spatula for three copper coins, eight pairs of chopsticks for two copper coins, and a hoe was more expensive—twenty copper coins for just the head, so she had to make her own handle. The oil lamp wasn't expensive either; she spent five copper coins, then three coins for half a jin of lamp oil. Seeing the oil, she remembered she needed some for herself, so she spent thirty coins for five jin of soybean oil, thirty jin of cornmeal (ten coins per jin), twenty jin of flour (fifteen coins per jin), and a wood-chopping knife (twenty coins). Money really didn't last long! Chen Wenfang spent almost all her copper coins on flour, leaving her with about three hundred. I'll have to buy some rice next time.

Chen Wenfang went to the clothing store and bought two sets of coarse clothes for herself and her child. She took out the two small pieces of silver she had saved up and spent them. She also bought bed sheets and pillows, and bought a piece of cloth and some needles to sew a quilt cover herself. That was how she spent all the two pieces of silver.

Seeing someone selling straw mats, they bought one and two pairs of straw sandals. The straw mats weren't expensive, only eight coins for a large one, and the straw sandals were even cheaper, three coins a pair. They then went with Aunt Liu to buy sweet potato seeds. After shopping, they saw someone selling candied hawthorns and bought a skewer for each of the three children. They also bought ten steamed buns for ten coins each for everyone to eat. Aunt Liu's two children ate with glistening eyes. Liu Hai silently looked at Aunt Liu, and the two nodded to each other, thinking to themselves, "This Mrs. Chen knows how to treat people."

After eating the steamed buns and packing up their things, they went home together. Looking at the brightly dressed children on the street, and then at her own child dressed in rags, Chen Wenfang thought to herself that when she made money, she would also open a shop so that her child could have a good life. This time, everything sold well, and everyone was in a good mood. They walked home quickly and went to Aunt Liu's house first.

Chen Wenfang took out the fifteen jin of cornmeal she had packed and said sincerely,

"Aunt Liu, this is to repay you with cornmeal. I don't know how to express my gratitude, please accept it."

Aunt Liu declined, saying, "It's not easy for a woman like you to raise a child alone. Your Uncle Liu Hai said he'd give it to you, so just because he said so doesn't mean it's yours."

Uncle Liu Hai chimed in, "You can't ask for things back once they're given away, so keep them."

Chen Wenfang said, "If you don't accept my money, I won't be able to come to your house again. You absolutely have to accept it. I just made quite a bit of money, as you saw. A person should always repay kindness. I won't feel at ease if you don't accept it."

Aunt Liu declined several times, but finally accepted it. Uncle Liu Hai took it and carried it; it weighed about fifteen pounds. This Mrs. Chen is truly an honest person. Worthy of being friends.