"Mm-hmm, it's quite a coincidence. I just went to Majie. I thought, with someone like me, I couldn't be a maid for a rich family, so finding some rough work would be fine. Then I met an old woman who said she needed someone to look after a woman in confinement. I have experience with that, having gone through confinement twice myself."
Mao Junlan said, gesturing enthusiastically.
"Which family is it? Tell me quickly," Cai Lihua urged.
"The Nan family. They said to come to the Nan family for the silver when the monthly salary is due."
"The Nan family?" A Jiu echoed. Throughout the realm, the surname Nan belonged to the royal family.
"Yes, it's in the east of the city. I saw a very large courtyard," Mao Junlan's face couldn't hide her joy. Who would have thought that after fleeing famine and enduring hardship, she would not only be settled but also have a way to make a living?
Was it like a dream? It was something many refugees wouldn't even dare to dream of.
"Exactly. With this kind of situation now, only a wealthy family would have the means to hire a nanny to look after someone in confinement. This is a good thing," Cai Lihua summarized their current joy.
"Sister-in-law, thank you for taking care of me all this way. I'll go pack now. I have to leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Mao Junlan dashed into the house:
"Oh, right, sister-in-law, they are a prominent family and even allowed me to bring the two children. They can be playmates for the other young masters. We won't have to worry about food and drink, so don't worry," she added.
"That's so good?" Cai Lihua was also happy for her.
The Nan family? A Jiu mused. But for now, it was a good thing, and there was no need to overthink it.
In the evening, Cai Lihua, in her good mood, made steamed buns again. Today was a big splurge; she spent three taels of silver to buy three pounds of horse meat from Majie Street.
A Jiu, worried about potential issues, specifically asked if it was horse meat.
"Yes, it's horse meat. I saw it being cut from the horse. The shopkeeper said that with nothing else to eat, several horses couldn't be sold and were getting emaciated. So, they decided to slaughter them and sell the meat, otherwise, they wouldn't even cover their costs."
A Jiu still sniffed it and cut it open with a knife to examine it. Only after confirming it was horse meat did she let her mother chop it for the filling.
"We're just waiting for good news from your father's side."
Cai Lihua chopped the meat filling vigorously, her two knives flashing back and forth, her chopping technique fluid and rhythmic.
The dough for the steamed buns was just being kneaded.
Two mischievous boys from the front porch came to deliver the news.
"Sister Jiu'er, someone's here."
"Sister A Jiu... someone's here," the younger one chimed in.
A Jiu poked her head out from the kitchen and headed straight for the main hall. Her eyes widened at the sight.
"Sister-in-law, you're back."
"Yes, A Jiu. I'm done over there." Liu Cai'er's joy wasn't full; her face was etched with fatigue.
"A Jiu, I'm a bit tired. Don't call me later."
With that, she headed for the back courtyard.
Cai Lihua was peeking out from the kitchen.
Liu Cai'er's eyebrows shot up, "Mo... Mother-in-law."
Cai Lihua's pupils contracted, and she quickly ducked back into the kitchen: "My heavens, is that my daughter-in-law? She's so beautiful! Wait... which son's wife is she?"
No, she had several sons?
She rolled her eyes and then realized she only had one son. This beautiful young woman seemed to be the wife of that scoundrel Meng Nanxing.
With a whoosh, she pulled open the door, smiling like a flower, "Ahem, you're back, dear. Rest for a while. Mother is steaming buns right now. I'll call you when they're ready."
Liu Cai'er was startled again. Her mother-in-law's complexion seemed much better than before, and her tone was strong and clear, no longer the soft, timid, and subservient voice from before.
"Oh, okay... okay."
Liu Cai'er kept looking back every few steps.
Every time she looked, Cai Lihua would chuckle.
But this chuckle made Liu Cai'er's back tingle.
A Jiu, standing in the courtyard, even felt that her mother's smile was quite awkward.
A Jiu followed her sister-in-law into the room, "Sister-in-law, please don't mind her. After you left, my mother lost her memory. She doesn't remember many things. At first, she even forgot about eldest brother."
"It's nothing. I think she's different from before. She looks... ah, radiant. It's better than being quiet and not daring to speak loudly. I don't mind."
Liu Cai'er lay on the bed, buttoning her clothes, looking exceptionally tired.
"Sister-in-law, you said there was progress over there, and you've returned. Why don't you seem happy?"
A Jiu spoke her mind.
Upon hearing this, Liu Cai'er suddenly sat up, got out of bed, closed the door, and then said, "Actually, something happened at the Yizhuang."