Surviving in the General's Mansion - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Getting Ready to Shop

Zhao Die shot to her feet, but her head was still a little dizzy, and she swayed in place twice.

Zhao Siyan hurried over to steady her.

Last night, the two of them had received word that three days from now, all legitimate male descendants of the Zhao Mansion would be beheaded. Everyone else, men and women alike, would be exiled to the Northern Frontier.

Xia Heng had been right after all.

And so, early this morning, the two of them had gotten busy without even eating breakfast.

After drinking the medicine yesterday, they were already much better today, though still somewhat weak.

Zhao Die rested where she stood for a short while. Once the dizziness eased, she immediately busied herself again.

“These clothes are probably too thin…”

The Zhao sisters were now filled with regret. The clothes they usually bought were all light, flimsy, and brightly colored.

On the road to exile, clothes like these would be all style and no substance. Aside from serving as mosquito nets, they would be useless.

“Wuwuwu… Sister, what do we do? I can’t think of what else we need to prepare… What if Mother needs something, and we didn’t prepare it?”

Zhao Die’s heart was a complete mess. She glanced out the window, then bit her lip and hardened her resolve.

As long as it could make Mother a little more comfortable, what did losing a bit of face matter?

Knock, knock, knock.

Standing outside Xia Heng’s door, Zhao Die twisted the handkerchief in her hands, anxious and uneasy.

What if she refused to help…?

Creak.

Chuqing’s round little face poked out.

“Uh…”

The words Zhao Die had yet to say were instantly swallowed back down.

“It’s Zhao Die!”

When Chuqing saw her, she turned her head and called inside.

Then Qiulin, one arm hanging in a sling, also came out. Xia Heng followed last, holding a sheet of paper and a charcoal pencil.

Seeing so many people, Zhao Die lowered her head and stammered, unable to speak.

Xia Heng was the last to step out. She turned back to close her door properly.

“Let’s go.”

At Xia Heng’s call, the three of them went straight into the sisters’ room.

Zhao Die trailed behind, watching their backs. For some reason, she felt a warmth gather in her eyes.

Inside the room, all the bundles the two sisters had brought were open.

All kinds of valuables were spread across the floor and bed, filling the place to the brim.

Xia Heng and Qiulin first stepped forward and looked them over, picking through the items.

On the table lay a glaring pile of silver.

Beside the silver, the sisters had made a list according to what Xia Heng had said.

But because they were not yet very skilled at writing, the sheet of paper was covered in both words and drawings…

Chuqing pushed the pile of silver to the corner of the table. Xia Heng plopped down on a stool, and Qiulin, cradling her arm, sat down close beside her.

“All right, I’ll start with my side.”

Xia Heng straightened her posture, picked up the charcoal pencil, and wrote a “1” on the blank sheet before her.

“Clothes and food are indispensable. Since the weather is getting cold, you need to bring padded clothes. If it gets hot, just remove the lining.

I hear the officials will distribute food, but it definitely won’t be enough, so you’ll need to bring some yourselves too. It’s best to bring things that don’t spoil easily, like naan or flatbread.”

As Xia Heng spoke, she wrote down the things she had thought of.

“You need to bring waterskins too. Otherwise, you won’t have anything to hold drinking water,” Qiulin added from the side.

Xia Heng nodded, then wrote “waterskins” after the food items.

“Should we bring a small knife? Otherwise, if we pull up wild vegetables along the way, or catch some animal while staying outdoors, we’ll have no way to deal with it, right?”

Chuqing tapped her chin with a fingertip.

“Prisoners on the road to exile are forbidden from carrying sharp weapons,” Qiulin calmly rejected the idea.

“Huh? All right, then what about a fire striker? We have to bring fire strikers, right? At the very least, bring two pieces of flint! Otherwise, it’ll be so cold at night!”

Chuqing continued offering suggestions.

“Yes! Yes! We do need that!” Zhao Siyan said from the side, suddenly enlightened. The two sisters truly had not thought of that just now.

Qiulin also nodded, showing her approval.

Xia Heng wrote “fire-starting tools” on the paper.

Then she carefully looked over the list the two sisters had made earlier.

“What is this?”

Xia Heng pointed at a square shape drawn on the paper and asked Zhao Die.
“Cloth! Oilcloth! I was thinking it could block the rain when it rains, and when it doesn’t, we can lay it under us to keep out the damp.”

“Oh, right, right, right. That’s good, that’s good. If it gets cold, you can drape it over yourself too.”

She waved a hand and wrote it down.

“Shoes! Shoes wear out the fastest on the road to exile!” Zhao Die’s thoughts gradually became clearer.

“Yes. The soles need to be thicker, and the weather’s getting cold too. Cotton-padded shoes would be best,” Xia Heng added from the side.

“Cotton-padded shoes won’t do. They’ll fall apart easily after walking for a long time, and if water gets in, they won’t dry well. Leather boots would be best. They don’t let water in as easily, and they’re more durable.”

Qiulin spoke up.

“But won’t leather boots hurt your feet if you walk in them for too long?”

Chuqing frowned. When she was little, her father had brought her back a pair of leather boots. They were pretty, yes, but after walking in them for a while, her feet had truly hurt, and they had even rubbed blisters.

The three of them instinctively looked at Zhao Die.

Zhao Die gritted her teeth. “Leather boots, then. We’ll bring an extra pair of cloth shoes too. It’s impossible for the road to be as comfortable as home.

“If it rains or snows on the way, at least the leather boots can still be worn. At worst, we’ll pad them with extra cotton inside.”

Zhao Siyan had no objection either.

Xia Heng glanced at the two of them with appreciation. That was more like it. People had to accept reality before they could look ahead.

“What about medicine? We should bring some cold medicine, fever medicine, and medicine for injuries, right?”

Qiulin spoke up. Medicine was absolutely essential.

“Ji’an Hall sells medicinal pills. I heard they can be stored for a while, but they’re not cheap.”

Chuqing could not help but remind them. If they brought medicine packets, just these three kinds alone would take up so much space. Pills would still be more convenient.

But thinking of the price, Chuqing felt she could not make the decision for the Zhao sisters.

Zhao Siyan nodded and exchanged a look with Zhao Die.

“Please write it down for now.”

They did not have much money. In the end, they could only buy whatever they could afford.

“There’s one problem,” Qiulin said.

“These things can’t be prepared in only one set.”

Xia Heng immediately understood what she meant.

“People don’t worry about having too little as much as they worry about unfairness. Besides, your mother is a weak woman. If she gets hurt because someone tries to snatch these things from her, it won’t be worth it.”

At those words, Zhao Die and Zhao Siyan’s brows knitted tightly together again.

“The clothes and shoes can’t be new.”

Xia Heng added,

“It’s best if they’re old things people have already worn. The less eye-catching, the better, as long as they keep her warm.”

“I can go ask the people in the mansion, and the aunties at the Washing Workshop! They should have old cotton-padded clothes and shoes!”

Chuqing immediately stood up and chimed in.

“Mm. It would be best to prepare a bit more, because on this journey, it won’t be only your mother.

“Most of the time, if others are willing to help look after her, your mother’s chances of staying safe will be higher.

“But they don’t need to be exactly the same. The others should have family members seeing them off too.”

“And menstrual cloths…”

The group discussed for a while longer, crossing things off the list and changing them again and again.

Only in the end did they finally come up with a list that everyone was satisfied with.

Once they had confirmed everything they needed, Chuqing was about to go ask around about the clothes. After all, time was tight.

Zhao Die called her back, and the two sisters gave the three of them a full, proper bow.

“We know that the two of us have done many wrong things in the past.

“All of you are truly righteous! We will never forget the kindness you have shown us today!”

“If there is ever anything our sisters can do for you in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask! We will absolutely not refuse!”

Chuqing hurriedly waved her hands with a grin, saying there was no need, no need at all, while her feet moved as if carried by the wind as she rushed off to ask about cotton-padded jackets.

Qiulin and Xia Heng quickly followed after her. Neither of them was really able to handle a scene like that.

Zhao Siyan looked at the three fleeing backs as if they were being chased by wolves and burst out laughing. Zhao Die also looked as if she did not know whether to laugh or cry.

“Sister, I really think the best thing that person ever did was send us into the General’s Mansion!”

At last, Zhao Die nodded.

“Yes. Truly, it was the very best thing.”