The creak of a door sounded as the large red wooden gate swung open. A beautiful woman stepped out, her dark headscarf doing little to hide her radiance. "Dear, I'm going out for a bit." Her voice was soft and sweet.
"What are you going out for? The world's in such chaos, and you still want to show your face in public?"
The middle-aged man scolded her, then suddenly noticed her tightly clenched fist. With the child in his arms, he came closer. "What are you holding?"
"Nothing!" the woman replied in a trembling voice.
The middle-aged man seized her hand, only to find a pair of earrings clutched in her palm. The sparkling studs were set with dazzling gemstones—clearly a fine pair of earrings.
The middle-aged man let go, his brow furrowing. "Are we out of money again? Even if we are, there's no need to pawn this precious keepsake you've kept tucked away. The young master gave it to you back then. Even if we go hungry, we can't pawn it. Besides, those merchants may not even know what they're looking at. It'd be a needless insult to the young master's kindness."
The woman bit her lip. "We're almost out of food. It doesn't matter if you and I go hungry, but what about our three children? The earrings are lifeless things, but people are alive. Even if the young master found out, he wouldn't blame us."
"Enough. Don't say another word. A wife should be able to count on her husband for food and clothes. Back then, I was a famous figure who shook the land. Even if I've fallen on hard times, I still won't let you pawn your jewelry. I'll swallow my pride and find a way to keep our family fed."
As he spoke,