Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

The next morning, before Da Niu and Shi Jiu were even fully awake, Aunt Ma knocked on the door. Shi Jiu had woken up the first time Aunt Ma knocked, and looking at the black padded jacket under her head, she thought about asking Da Niu to get up and open the door. But after the knocking stopped, seeing Da Niu's snoring on the other side of the kang table without stopping, and remembering Uncle Ma knocking on the door the night before, Shi Jiu resignedly climbed out of bed in her thin clothes to open the door for Aunt Ma.

As soon as the door opened, a gust of wind mixed with snowflakes rushed in. Nineteen, who had just come out of her warm bed and wasn't wearing a cotton-padded coat, shivered from the biting cold wind.

"Why did this girl get up and open the door without even putting on a padded jacket? Quickly go to the kang and cover yourself up." When Aunt Ma saw that the girl who opened the door was dressed in thin clothes, she quickly closed the door and pushed her onto the kang.

"You must be Nineteen, who came yesterday. This is a cotton-padded coat that Madam asked me to bring you. It's all newly made." Aunt Ma looked tenderly at the little girl sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) wrapped in a quilt.

"Thank you, Aunt Ma, for bringing it so early." Nineteen replied sweetly.

"Oh, no need to thank me. It's what I should do. You can sleep a little longer. There's nothing to do if you get up now anyway, and breakfast won't be ready for a while. Come to the first room to get your things when it's time to eat."

"Okay, Aunt Ma."

Aunt Ma tucked the blanket around her again, glanced at the loud snoring girl next to her, smiled, shook her head, and said to Nineteen...

"I'll go out and close the door in a bit. When you get up, lock the door, okay? You'll catch a cold if you get blown by the cold wind again."

"Okay, Aunt Ma, then I won't see you off. Be careful not to slip on the snowy, slippery road."

"Oh, I'm leaving." Looking at the two girls on the kang (a heated brick bed), Aunt Ma seemed to see herself and her friends from more than 30 years ago.

Once outside, Aunt Ma carefully closed the door, but it was blown open as soon as she let go. Helpless, Aunt Ma could only hold onto the door knocker and say to the person inside.

"Nineteen, the wind is too strong. I'll hold it outside. Get up and lock the door."

"Alright, I'm coming." Hearing Aunt Ma's words, Nineteen quickly jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed), slipped on his shoes, and reached the door in a few steps.

"It's all installed, Aunt Ma. You should go back now, it's quite cold outside."

Hearing Nineteen's voice from behind the door, Aunt Ma let go of her hand, responded, and went back inside.

Everyone who lives here knows that another little girl has arrived, brought over by the two masters yesterday. When they see Nineteen, who came with Da Niu to collect her meal, wearing the same linen cotton-padded jacket as everyone else, her big, round eyes and pretty smile before she even speaks make the aunties with daughters adore her.

Aunt Zhou, who was serving rice by the pot, held Nineteen's hand, about to praise the child for his cute appearance, but the feel of the food in her hand made her feel strange.

"Nineteen, how come your hands have so many calluses?" Aunt Zhou said with some surprise, touching the thick calluses on Nineteen's hands.

Nineteen calmly withdrew her hand and said with a smile, "There's a lot of farm work at home, and I've developed calluses from doing so much. Auntie, I don't even have a bowl yet, how am I supposed to eat?"

"Aunt Ma has arranged everything. She brought your bowls and chopsticks over early this morning. I just washed them for you." As she spoke, she took two bowls and a pair of chopsticks from the cupboard next to her.

"Take this basket of steamed buns back first, then come back later for the vegetables and porridge." As he spoke, he shoved a basket of steamed buns into Nineteen's hands.

Looking at the basket in his hand containing more than a dozen steamed buns, Nineteen asked, somewhat puzzled, "Do we have a separate room for meals? Do we all eat together?"

"No, usually everyone takes their food back to their own room to eat," said Aunt Zhou, who was serving dishes, without looking up.

"So, do I have to deliver these to the other rooms?" Nineteen was even more confused after hearing her explanation. Did she think she was new and had to deliver steamed buns to the people who arrived earlier in the other rooms as a sign of respect?

"No need, this is for you and Da Niu." Aunt Zhou put the bowl on the stove and looked at Nineteen, saying that she didn't understand why Nineteen asked that question.

However, when she saw the confusion on Nineteen's face, she remembered that she had only arrived last night and didn't know the situation here. She patted her head and laughed, "Look, I forgot to tell you. Da Niu has a big appetite. She can eat nine steamed buns in one meal. I packed eleven in this basket for you. Come and get more if you're not full. Madam said that the food is all-you-can-eat."

Hearing Aunt Zhou's explanation, Nineteen finally understood. She never imagined that Da Niu could eat so much. Just as she was about to walk out with the basket, she saw Da Niu running back from outside.

"Hey, Nineteen, why are you so slow? I've already taken the dishes and porridge back, and you still haven't come over. Oh, you took the steamed buns! Then I'll take your porridge and dishes." After saying that, she looked at Aunt Zhou and said, "Aunt Zhou, where are Nineteen's dishes and porridge? I'll take them."

Seeing her so clumsy, Sister-in-law Zhou laughed and said, "You'd better slow down. If you break this porridge and vegetables, it'll be gone, and you'll have to compensate them with nineteen yuan."

"Hehe, I know, Auntie, please save some more porridge for me, one bowl isn't enough," Da Niu said with a grin to Aunt Zhou.

"Okay, okay, go eat quickly. I've made sure you're full every meal." Aunt Zhou waved her hand and urged Da Niu to go eat.

The two returned to the house and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), each eating from their own bowls. Nineteen was somewhat surprised by Da Niu's eating speed; she had only eaten half a steamed bun, while Da Niu had already devoured two. Seeing Nineteen watching her eat, Da Niu mumbled something indistinctly.

"Nineteen, you're so lucky! You're here for the first day and we're already having stir-fried vegetables with lard for breakfast. We're even making dumplings for lunch today." After swallowing the steamed bun in her mouth, she added very seriously, "Meat and cabbage filling. Aunt Zhou's filling is so fragrant; we get to eat it every ten days here."

"Really? I'm so lucky!" Nineteen swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking. Although she didn't eat as fast as Da Niu, she was still much faster than the others. However, she could only eat half of a large bowl of vegetables, one steamed bun, and finished her porridge before she was full.

Looking at the remaining half bowl of food, Nineteen was a little worried. It didn't seem right to have leftovers on the first day.

"Nineteen, why aren't you eating?" Da Niu asked when she saw her put down her chopsticks.

"I'm full, Sister Daniu. What should we do with the leftovers? Can I save them for the next meal?" Nineteen asked.

"Hey, we're having dumplings for lunch. If you can't finish them, give them to me. I just don't have enough with one bowl of vegetables. Are you really full?" Da Niu asked again to make sure.

"I'm really full, but this is what I left over, you..." Nineteen felt a little embarrassed when she heard that Da Niu wanted to help her eat the leftovers.

"What's wrong with that? It smells so good! My family never used this much lard when cooking for Chinese New Year." Once she was sure that Shijiu wasn't going to eat anymore, Da Niu poured the food from Shijiu's bowl into her own.

Looking at the sky outside, Nineteen boiled water on the stove, washed up again, and tied her hair up. She told Da Niu and went out towards Zhang Youtie's house. But before leaving, she went to Aunt Ma's house to ask...