"Why black? That’s for your father and them to wear while working. Pick a floral fabric your grandmother bought that you like," Qin mother disagreed with her eldest daughter wanting black fabric for her clothes.
A girl her age shouldn’t wear black.
Qin Junyao pursed her lips, "I’m not clean, black is more durable."
"Who says they're not clean?"
"Look, even though some of this fabric was soaked and some is yellowed, the parts we can cut off are still new. Choose one," Qin mother took out the fabrics from a basket one by one, wanting Qin Junyao to choose.
Qin Junyao pretended not to see.
She brought over her own carrying basket, rummaged through it, and pulled out a piece of red cloth, "Mother, use this to make a dress for Xiao Yu."
"Oh, this red is so beautiful. Let me see the size," Qin mother unfolded the red cloth and estimated, "Not for Xiao Yu, I'll save it for your wedding dress."
Qin Xiaoyu, sitting behind Qin mother, was peeking at the colorful fabrics. Hearing that good things were being saved for her sister, she angrily turned her back.
"Mother, I promised Xiao Yu a new dress a long time ago. That blue cloth was taken by grandmother, so this one is for Xiao Yu."
Seeing that Qin mother still intended to save it, Qin Junyao said, "Mother, don't save it. If it's left, it'll become grandmother's headscarf."
Qin Xiaoyu, who had turned her back, suppressed a giggle and turned back.
Qin mother thought about how her mother-in-law liked to use new colors for her headscarves. After a moment's thought, "Alright then, let's make a padded jacket for Xiao Yu with this red cloth to wear for New Year. I'll buy you better fabric later."
"Junyao, Mother has something to tell you," Qin mother put away the red cloth and placed it at the bottom of the floral fabrics.
"Please tell me."
"Look, after New Year, you'll be fifteen. By rights, Mother should have taught you needlework and kitchen skills years ago. Mother thinks it's not too late to learn now. Your second aunt knows a bit of embroidery, you can learn that too."
Qin Junyao's eyes flickered to the left, then she turned to look into her mother's eyes, "Mother, I didn't like it before, and I still don't like it now."
Qin mother leaned closer to her daughter, "Junyao, Mother doesn't disbelieve your grandmother saying you have a fortunate destiny. But even the most fortunate lady needs to sew a lining for her husband's clothes, doesn't she?"
Saying this, she lowered her voice even further, so quiet that even Qin Xiaoyu couldn't hear, "Mother heard that the imperial concubines in the palace also make soup."
"Heh heh, should I try then?" Qin Junyao said she would try, but in her heart, she was thinking, as long as you and second aunt don't hit me when you teach me.
Qin mother sat up straight and happily continued to sort the fabrics, telling Qin Junyao which fabric could be used for a top, what length was suitable for trousers, how to cut, and how to sew.
Qin Junyao listened attentively. Her mind grasped the concepts, but she wondered if her hands would be as capable in practice.
.
After six days, the Qin and Hou families were nearing their destination.
Yangshu Village.
They had passed by five or six villages on the way, all busy with the autumn harvest.
Their current location was a county called Yan County, about an hour's journey from Yangshu Village. It was a small county without city walls.
According to Suozi's introduction, Yan County was established to facilitate management as the population around the salt lake grew, attracting many merchants and shops.
The county town only had officials managing merchants, not a magistrate to govern the common people.
"Brother Zhou, without a county yamen, how do the common people report crimes?" Qin Erniu asked Suozi, seeking clarification.
Suozi smiled, "Who reports crimes? Most villages here consist of a single surname. They have ancestral halls and rules, and the clan can resolve any disputes.
If two surnames in a multi-surname village have a conflict, the elders of each family will come out to negotiate. If they can't reach an agreement, there's the village head, and above him is the li chang. It's rare for things to escalate to the county yamen. Besides, the county yamen is far from here."
Qin Erniu looked at Qin Sen. This was different from their hometown.
He continued to ask, "Brother Zhou, is Yangshu Village a village of the Yang surname?"
Suozi, riding his horse, laughed heartily, "Yangshu Village is named after a large poplar tree. It's a mixed-surname village, mostly families working at the salt lake."
"Heh heh, that's good," Qin Erniu was quite happy to hear it was a mixed-surname village.
He was rather afraid of going to villages with ancestral halls; they were not only united but also had strict rules.
In their original village, eight families shared a common ancestor. Together, they had produced a Xiu Cai (scholar) who built an ancestral hall and didn't allow outsiders near it.
When he was young, he wanted to go in and take a look. He was caught and severely beaten by the children of that family, almost to death.
Later, his father, grandmother, and the Hou family came out to seek justice, but none of it was granted.
If the Xiu Cai they had produced hadn't passed the provincial examination and taken most of their family members away, leaving only the old folks behind, the Qin and Hou families would have been suppressed by them forever.
Suozi couldn't say for sure if Yangshu Village was good or bad, so he only told Qin Erniu, "It's alright. Yangshu Village is a large village, with many people and many affairs. You should just live your lives peacefully."
He and Chui Zi both owned houses in Yangshu Village. Chui Zi was placing his younger brother in the village.
He did like to drink, but alcohol wouldn't last a single jar even if it was kept in the village and then moved to the Barbarian Eight Divisions.
Most of the people in this village made a living by extracting salt. The village head, who managed household registration and land, had little authority. Without clan rules and regulations, there were all sorts of shady dealings happening in the village.
However, a subtle understanding had formed, and disputes rarely reached the authorities.
.
An hour later, everyone saw the village. Houses and cave dwellings were scattered everywhere, both on the mountains and at the foot of the mountains.
The Qin and Hou families, who lived on the plains, saw houses built on mountains and cave dwellings dug into the mountains for the first time.
They were curious and intrigued.
Qin Junyao looked at it and felt a sense of familiarity. She had lived in a cave dwelling for a period in modern times, finding it magically warm in winter and cool in summer.
The carriage continued to move forward, stopping only at the very edge of the village.
Qin Junyao got out of the carriage and gazed into the distance. Thinking about the contents of the first volume of the space bamboo slips, the distant scenery became clear: Gobi Desert and sand dunes.
"Everyone, look. The houses in front and the cave dwellings behind are all empty. You can live wherever you want. This open space in front can also be used freely," Suozi gestured broadly, revealing the cave dwellings on the mountain and the houses at the foot of the mountain to the Qin and Hou families.
"These are all for us to live in freely?" Grandma Qin raised her voice and asked. If they could live there freely, she'd take ten or eight rooms and reserve some for her great-grandchildren's houses.
Suozi chuckled, "Choose freely. Big houses are five taels, small houses are three taels. The prices are clearly marked, honest to all."
Grandma Qin recognized the phrase.
"Didn't you say we could live and choose freely?" Grandma Qin thought it was free and was surprised that they were charging money.
"We bought these houses with money. You came first, so we let you choose and live freely, but it doesn't mean we won't charge. Old lady, am I right?" Suozi asked Grandma Qin, tilting his chin.
Zhao Liangcai placed his hand on Suozi's shoulder, about to speak, when Suozi interrupted.
"General, you have to listen to me this time. These houses are for our brothers who haven't arrived yet. The brothers have already given me the silver in advance, and no one can get special treatment."