Second Aunt Wei Hong

In these times, eating meat was a luxury. Being able to drink soup with even a trace of meat in it put one well above ordinary wealthy households.

"The braised meat with radish is nearly ready. brother Wei, have a taste and see if it needs more salt."

The flames beneath the stove blazed fiercely. Wei Tu shifted on his small stool, scooted back a few steps, and stopped feeding the firewood.

At that moment, the cook Xinghua looked at Wei Tu with a smile. Using a wooden ladle, she scooped out a bowl-bottom's worth of food and handed it to him.

As the saying went.

If cooks did not steal, the five grains would not grow.

It was simply impossible for a cook not to sneak bites while preparing food. Even the mistress of the Li Family turned a blind eye to Xinghua's snacking.

After all, she could not steal much food.

"Alright." Looking at the few chunks of cooked pork at the bottom of the bowl, Wei Tu's throat bobbed. He quickly glanced out the window, and once he saw no one there, he began wolfing it down.

In but a moment.

Wei Tu licked the radish and meat from the bottom of the bowl until it was spotless.

"What day is it today? Why are we having braised pork with radish?" Wei Tu set the bowl on the counter and curiously asked the cook Xinghua.

Even the masters of the Li Residence did not eat meat often—twice every ten days, once every five days.

Yet only two days had passed since Xinghua last made a meat dish.

It was not that the Li Family lacked the money to eat meat every day, but doing so would be considered squandering the family fortune by wealthy households, and after death, they would be scolded by their ancestors.

The Li Family had risen to prosperity only around a century ago, their estate painstakingly accumulated step by step by their ancestor, who had once traveled as a merchant.

"The Eldest Young Master has returned from his study tour in the Prefectural City. First Mistress was happy, so she had me buy two jin of meat from the butcher's yesterday."

The cook Xinghua replied.

"The Eldest Young Master?" Wei Tu's heart stirred, and he recalled that childhood companion.

Unfortunately.

Time had changed all things.

The distinction between master and servant had gradually become clear.

Even with their old friendship, when he saw the Eldest Young Master, he still had to address him as Young Master, to distinguish master from servant.

"Later, help me ask First Mistress for leave. I have something to do outside."

After adding another piece of firewood, Wei Tu stood and patted away the ash that had fallen onto his clothes.

Though First Mistress Li managed the household strictly, as long as one finished the work assigned to them, stealing a little leisure amid busyness was no great matter.

Wei Tu called it asking for leave, but he was merely informing the masters.

"No problem..." the cook Xinghua answered, holding an iron ladle as she began stir-frying the next dish.

But the moment she finished speaking, she cried, "Ow!" Her face flushed red as she glared at Wei Tu, who was striding out of the kitchen.

Just then, Wei Tu had pinched her buttocks.

What notions of propriety or shame did country folk have? She and Wei Tu had been exchanging glances of affection for years now. They were only waiting for First Mistress to grant her permission before marrying and starting a household.

After leaving the Li Residence, Wei Tu did not hurry directly to the Huang Family. Instead, he took out the wages he had saved over the years and hurried to a rouge shop.

During the first few years after Second Aunt Wei Hong married into the Huang Family, she had remained close with his family, returning home to visit relatives every so often.

But over the past decade or so, their visits had grown fewer and fewer. Since his grandparents passed away four years ago, she had returned to the Wei Family only twice.

One of those times had even been for a funeral.

This time, Wei Tu was asking Second Aunt Wei Hong for a favor. He did not want to suffer anyone's cold looks, so bringing a gift was better than arriving empty-handed.

The Huang Residence lacked neither rice nor grain nor cloth.

The only thing he could give was rouge and cosmetics used by women.

"Shopkeeper, what inexpensive rouge and cosmetics do you have...?"

After hesitating for a moment, Wei Tu gritted his teeth, entered the rouge shop, and asked about the prices.

Rouge and cosmetics had always been costly. With the money he had saved, he did not even dare touch the high-grade rouge.

"Inexpensive?" The shopkeeper sized Wei Tu up. Seeing his patched gray clothes of coarse cloth, he immediately understood.

He took a brocade box from a display cabinet and said, "This is Golden Swallow Rouge. One box costs five qian, enough to last for two months."

"If this young gentleman is preparing a gift, this Golden Swallow Rouge would be more suitable."

The shopkeeper paused, then added, "Our shop also has cheaper rouge, such as Purple Cloud Rouge, three qian a box. But giving that rouge as a gift would inevitably be somewhat improper..."

"I'll take the Golden Swallow Rouge." After pondering for a moment, Wei Tu nodded and took out five Thousand-Cash Coins, setting them on the counter.

Second Aunt Wei Hong was a noblewoman of the Huang Residence and had visited rouge shops far more often than he had. If he gave her Purple Cloud Rouge, even if Wei Hong said nothing aloud, she would still be displeased inside.

The weightier the gift, the weightier the affection!

Besides, since Purple Cloud Rouge was the cheapest rouge in the shop, given Wei Hong's status, the chances of her using it were very low.

The Purple Cloud Rouge he gave her would only be shelved away.

As for bargaining...

They were all fellow townsfolk. If a rouge shop cheated its customers, its business would not last long.

Since arriving in this ancient age, the one thing Wei Tu found rather good was its atmosphere of trust. Aside from despicable outsiders, locals rarely committed fraud.

Large shops like this also seldom allowed customers to bargain. Prices were clearly marked.

Wei Tu lacked money, but not to the point of delaying his business over a few copper coins.

"I'll wrap it up for you right away." The shopkeeper said with a beaming smile.

Soon after, carrying the gift box, Wei Tu arrived on a street lined with official residences.

Compared to the Li Residence, Master Huang of the Huang Residence possessed greater wealth and was more prosperous. The Shengye Ward where he lived was home to Qingmu County's officials and nobility.

After finding the residence with the plaque bearing the character "Huang," Wei Tu knocked on its side gate and explained his purpose to the gatekeeper.

"A relative of Second Mistress? Wait in the sedan hall first. I'll send word to a maid in the inner courtyard."

The gatekeeper stepped aside and had Wei Tu sit in the sedan hall, then headed toward the Huang Residence's inner courtyard.

The sedan hall was where wealthy households kept their sedan chairs, and it was always located in the front courtyard.

After waiting a while, Wei Tu was led by a maid named Qing He to a side room in the front courtyard, where he waited for Second Aunt Wei Hong.

The rules of wealthy households were strict. Outsiders, especially men, were not permitted to enter the inner courtyard.

After waiting about half a quarter of an hour, a beautiful married woman with dazzling features and skin like congealed mutton fat pushed open the wooden door to the side room and entered.

Two maids followed behind her. One of them was Qing He, who had led the way earlier.

"Wei Tu, why have you come to see your Second Aunt? Did something happen at home?" Wei Hong sat on a low stool beside the table in the side room, took a sip of the tea poured by a maid, and asked with a smile.

"Nothing has happened at home." Wei Tu rose and no longer remained seated. He bent slightly at the waist and said, "I came to see Second Aunt this time because I have a matter for which I would like to ask Second Aunt's help."

Although Wei Bao had sold him to the Li Residence, he had not cut off contact with his family.

Wei Bao had sold him only because he had no other choice.

Six years ago, the Red Dragon Turnover struck, and Qing Feng Prefecture suffered a great drought. They nearly harvested not a single grain. Going to the Li Residence to seek a mouthful of food was still better than starving to death at home.

Wei Hong's smile froze. She set down her teacup and looked sharply at Wei Tu. Though she said nothing harsh, her attitude had already made everything clear.

If Wei Bao needed something, she, as his younger sister, could still help him a little out of consideration for their sibling bond.

But a nephew...

"This is rouge your nephew bought. Please accept it, Second Aunt..."

Wei Tu took out the gift box, placed it on the eight immortals table, and pushed it toward Wei Hong.

Seeing the gift, Wei Hong's expression improved somewhat. She knew Wei Tu was not someone who knew neither shame nor proper etiquette.

Having married into the Huang Family for many years, she was now a woman of the Huang Family, not a member of the Wei Family.

"What is it?"

"If I can help, Second Aunt will do her utmost to help you. If I cannot..."

Wei Hong shook her head and said no more.