Tangli Fried Snow

She handed the copper coins to the shopkeeper, and the document was in triplicate; Shirley kept her copy carefully. As for the signature, she just used a contract she had scavenged from Brother Shan and signed it under the name Zhang Jun, so no one could trace it back to her.

Once the formalities are completed, the house will be yours.

She went back and drove the carriage to the new house. First, she fed the horses some hay, and then she and the two women started tidying up the house.

Fuling said happily, "This house is really nice, it's clean and spacious."

Jiu'er looked around excitedly.

It's fairly clean here; there's only some dust to sweep away.

Sherry said, "Let's sweep up the dust first." The two readily agreed.

They drew some well water and the three of them wiped the house inside and out. The other two were good at working and finished cleaning in no time.

The three of them took the bedding and clothes off the carriage and tidied them up on the kang (a heated brick bed). Shirley took her own clothes out to air them in the yard.

Even if these women settled down here, they would have a place to call home.

Sherry looked at the two of them and said, "You both need to wash your hair and bodies. Why don't you boil some water first, take a bath, and change your clothes?"

Needless to say, Jiu'er was covered in dirt, and Fuling hadn't taken a bath in a long time either. They both laughed and agreed. "Okay, okay, I've been wanting to take a bath for a long time."

They closed the doors and windows in the kitchen and started heating the brazier, boiling water, and heating the kang (a heated brick bed). Once the room was warm, Xue Li told Fu Ling and Jiu Er to take a bath and change clothes, saying, "If Jiu Er really has lice, that would be terrible. She needs to take a good bath later."

Jiu'er said shyly, "I will definitely wash it clean."

Sherry also added mugwort and other herbs to the water and gave them Jin Cheng's high-end shampoo soap.

They were given a new set of clothes, all clean men's clothes they had scavenged from Brother Shan. Some were thin, some were thick, enough for several people to wear.

The two of them took a bath together, so they could look after each other and even scrub each other's backs. They probably had a lot of old, accumulated grime, and it took them more than half an hour to bathe.

Shirley drew some water from the well and first soaked the two people's clothes in soap beans, carefully washing them clean. She also soaked them in hot herbal water, trying her best to prevent fleas and bacteria from surviving.

After she finished washing the clothes, the two of them also finished washing. Shirley wouldn't let them go out, but only let them sit on the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) until their hair was completely dry before allowing them to get off the kang.

There wasn't much to eat here, so Shirley went to the street and bought three bowls of hot noodle soup. The three of them sat around on the kang (a heated brick bed) and ate until they were stuffed.

The kang (heated brick bed) was warm and cozy, her stomach was full, there were no men, no danger or imprisonment, and the people around her were friends she had risked her life for. Shirley felt at ease, and fell asleep as soon as she lay down. When she woke up again, it was already completely dark.

Dinner was cooked by Jiu'er.

There was some food that Xue Li had taken out of her space in the kitchen. She had cooked a pot of thick rice porridge, made a stir-fried cabbage dish, and some steamed buns.

The three of them sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and ate dinner like a family.

The two of them washed themselves very clean, put on neat clothes, ate a good meal, and slept all afternoon. Now they both looked radiant and had a rosy glow on their faces.

Xue Li carefully observed them. Both girls were quite pretty, especially Jiu'er, a true beauty with an oval face and big eyes. Fu Ling, being late in her pregnancy, was somewhat swollen, but it was still clear she had always been a beauty; otherwise, why would those wealthy gentlemen be vying for her?

All three women had escaped their previous tragic fates and now exuded a vibrant energy. They chatted animatedly as they ate.

She used to be pampered with fine clothes and delicacies, and the food didn't taste good. Now, however, she finds simple meals delicious. Xue Li happily ate until she was full.

After washing the dishes, Jiu'er came back and asked her, "Miss, why don't you sleep in the main room? I'll sleep with Sister Fuling."

Shirley was thinking of sleeping alone, so she quickly agreed, "Okay, then go and heat up the kang in your room too." Jiu'er agreed and went to heat up the kang next door.

When she returned, the three of them held a discussion on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Sherry said to the two of them, "Although we have settled here temporarily, it is not safe. First of all, we need to be careful about our identities and not give anyone any leverage over us."

She took out all the indentures she had swindled from Shan Ge and asked Fu Ling, "Sister Fu Ling, how many people died in that fire? The authorities will definitely investigate. If you use the previous indentures, or even just one of these indentures, won't people investigate? I rented this courtyard today under Zhang Jun's name; will the authorities trace it back to us?"

Fuling thought for a moment and said, "The government doesn't know how many people he has. Many of them were swindled and cheated. Their indentures are all fake. Some people have died mysteriously or been transported to other places. Some of these indentures are real and some are fake. We're not afraid of them investigating."

She carefully examined each of those indentures, and tore up the ones that looked fake at first glance.

Finally, he picked out three contracts and said to Sherry, "This Zhang Jun is a jinx, he died a long time ago. This contract is real, Miss. You should disguise yourself as a man. It will be more convenient this way. You are too beautiful, so you will always attract attention in places like this. If you cover your hair with a hat and wear a scarf when it gets cold, and wear thick clothes, you will at least be safe this winter."

She held her own indenture in her hand and said, "I'll just use my own name. Now I'm a free person. As for Sister Jiu'er," she said, holding the third indenture, "you can use this one. This one is also real. This girl's name is Qiu Ling. She was sixteen years old. She died of illness and was hastily buried in the back mountain. Nobody knows. This indenture is perfect for you."

Holding the paper, Jiu'er's hand trembled slightly. She said excitedly, "Then I'll be Qiu Ling from now on, and I'll be a free person. Miss, I'll serve you for the rest of my life!"

Shirley smiled and said, "Don't call me Miss, my name is Shirley. From now on, you two can both call me Zhang Jun. If anyone asks, just say we are family. I am the second brother in the family, and my name is Zhang Jun. Qiu Ling is the younger sister in the family, and Fu Ling is the eldest sister-in-law in the family. The eldest brother is a businessman who has gone out to do business and will not be back until the New Year."

She paused for a moment and then said, "I have a few secret recipes for snacks. We can make some snacks and sell them. You two will also have a skill to make a living, so you can earn a living wherever you go. I've managed to scrape together some money from Brother Shan. Once Fuling has her baby, we'll have money to eat, and we won't have to worry about food for at least two or three years."

After hearing her words, the two were thrilled. They had gained the status of free people, had a skill to make a living, and enough money to get through the winter. This was truly the happiest time in the world.

With the most difficult problems solved, the three of them happily crawled into their beds to sleep. Sherry had aired the blankets during the day, and the blankets still smelled of sunshine.

She wrapped herself in the blanket and slept soundly.