Jiang Sheng followed along when Jiang Si went to the clinic. What was he up to?
Jiang Sheng glanced around with suspicion, sensing something fishy was going on, but Jiang Er had just handed over the Jiuzhen Store to her, so she nodded, “Then let’s go together.”
Jiang San tied the reins outside while Jiang Si thoughtfully latched the small yard’s gate and brought Xiao Zhu along to Tian Street Corner.
The clinic opened late, and there were already patients waiting outside.
The candied chestnuts from Jiuzhen Store were still wildly popular as always. Miao Zhaoying swung the shovel up vigorously, his arms noticeably thicker.
Jiang Sheng had just jumped down when she felt someone’s gaze on her.
She turned her head to see an old lady with simple clothes but an exceptionally distinguished air standing at the end of the line for candied chestnuts. She was smiling at Jiang Sheng.
It turned out to be Old Lady Jiang in civilian clothes.
As a prominent family in Fengying, she usually wore silks or satins, and even her simplest clothes would be of embroidered gauze. Finding a set of plain cotton clothes took quite some effort.
As for lining up to buy candied chestnuts, that was out of the question.
One look at Tan Yue’s worried face said it all. “Old Lady, if you want candied chestnuts, just order the servants. Why go through the trouble yourself?”
Old Lady Jiang gently caressed the rough fabric and smiled faintly. “Others may not know, but how could you not understand? I didn’t come for the chestnuts.”
“But you’re from the Jiang family...” Tan Yue was about to say more but shut her mouth when she met Jiang Sheng’s questioning eyes.
But it was too late.
Jiang Sheng had noticed something off about them. She came over with her hands on her hips, eyebrows scrunched together, apparently lost in thought.
Old Lady Jiang stood unfazed, smiling as she let Jiang Sheng scrutinize her.
When they were closer, the old lady suddenly stretched out a hand and called softly, “Young lady...” Then with an “Ow!”, the prestigious and elegant Jiang family matriarch plopped down on the ground, gently massaging her ankle while looking at Jiang Sheng in shock and fear.
As if looking at the culprit.
Jiang Sheng scrambled back two steps, eyes wide. The only thought in her mind was “I’m done for!” She had unintentionally swindled an old lady.
Clearly she had done nothing. The old lady had fallen by herself.
“Don’t falsely accuse me. I’m very poor,” Jiang Sheng could barely get the words out. “I have no father or mother. I’m penniless and go hungry every day, doing hard labor for others. I have no money to give you.”
Old Lady Jiang said nothing, just glanced over at Jiuzhen Store, her face the epitome of disbelief.
“It belongs to my second brother, not me,” Jiang Sheng lifted her sleeve to reveal the burn scars on her arm from when she was six, hoping to strengthen her argument. “I used to beg. I begged at an evil family’s door and they didn’t feed me, only clamped my arms with hot tongs. I barely escaped with my life.”
Although four years of prosperity had fattened up the girl, the scars from her past were permanently etched onto her body.
The two long, deep scars shocked not only Old Lady Jiang but even the bystanders in line. Tan Yue covered her mouth, on the verge of tears.
The only smug one was Jiang Sheng. She put her sleeve down and placed her hands on her hips. “You can’t falsely accuse me, but since you fell while lining up to buy our chestnuts, I can ask my fourth brother to treat your injury.”
She pointed to Wen’s Clinic and added, “My fourth brother is also poor. The clinic owes money every day.”
Old Lady Jiang remained silent, sitting frailly on the ground.
Jiang Sheng grew anxious. She considered giving out two catties of candied chestnuts to placate the old lady and send her on her way, but also worried it would draw more scammers emulating the behavior for handouts.
After thinking it over, she slapped her thigh and shouted, “Old granny has endured the trouble of lining up to buy our Jiuzhen Store’s candied chestnuts despite her age. She even sprained her ankle. It’s truly remarkable.” Clasping her hands, she pleaded, “I implore Jiuzhen Store’s owner to make an exception and gift two catties of candied chestnuts to Granny. Next time, please ask your grandchildren to purchase them instead. If anything happened to you at such an old age, it would be terrible to alarm the authorities.”
With this, she had comforted the people, absolved herself of suspicion, touted Jiuzhen Store in passing, and warned potential scammers there would be no more handouts.
The shopkeeper promptly brought over two catties of the treats. Jiang Sheng swiftly packed them up and gently tossed them onto Old Lady Jiang’s lap. Smiling ingratiatingly, she asked, “Granny, can you get up or do you need help?”
She definitely wasn’t going to use her own hands no matter what.
To her surprise, Old Lady Jiang laughed, though it was unclear whether in delight or anger. She merely said lightly, “I tripped by myself. I never blamed you at all. What are you afraid of?”
Tears welled up in Jiang Sheng’s eyes. The rascal inside her screamed: Why didn’t you say so earlier?!
She tentatively held out a hand. “Then...do you still want the chestnuts? We just gave them out, it would be quite awkward...”
“Of course not.” Old Lady Jiang’s expression was frosty but she gathered the package to her chest protectively. “Help me up, Tan Yue.”
The old lady who was sitting on the ground just moments before now stood, an aura of nobility and grace about her.
Leaning on Tan Yue with one hand while cradling two catties of chestnuts with the other, she said, “But since you’re truly so kindhearted, I shall begrudgingly accept them.”
Jiang Sheng gaped in shock.
Old Lady Jiang gave a faint smile and strode off without a speck of dust on her clothes.
Jiang Sheng felt hoodwinked. She shouldn’t have given anything, but seeing a pathetic old lady sitting at the doorstep...in the end, it was just two catties.
Jiuzhen Store was a business; little disputes were unavoidable. As long as the other party wasn't a habitual offender, it was better to sacrifice some profit than prolong arguments that could tarnish their reputation and image.
She only regretted not having eaten a single candied chestnut herself today.
Jiang Sheng wiped the corners of her mouth wistfully before skipping into Wen’s Clinic, curious what her fourth and fifth brothers were whispering about.
She didn’t notice that in the corner of Tian Street, the hobbling old lady from before was gazing over solemnly, eyes brimming with complex emotions—seemingly wistful yet mournful at the same time.
“Old Lady.” Tan Yue carefully ventured, “What did you make out?”
Old Lady Jiang returned to the present, blinking away the moisture in her eyes. “Quick reflexes and witty, yet good-natured. Specifically a good-nature learned from bitter experience, more precious than naive genuine kindness.”
“She’s much smarter than I imagined. She speaks coherently and can even do business with the You Ran House. Clearly she’s no simpleton.” The old lady placed the piping hot chestnut against her chest, as if to feel an adored granddaughter’s snuggle. “At the very least, there’s no need to worry about her being bullied by the Jiangs. However there is one thing...”
Tan Yue turned back in surprise.
Old Lady Jiang recalled Jiang Sheng’s rosy lips, nimbly and vigorously spitting out one mountain hawthorn seed after another. She smiled helplessly, “There’s still a ways to go before she can integrate into the Jiang household and earn the respect of established families.”
