After Shi Xiaolan left, An Jing said to Xiao Changyi, "Husband, if they don’t report this to the authorities this time, I really don’t plan on associating with them anymore."
When there’s a way to prevent being bullied and yet they continue to suffer in silence, such friends are truly too vexing, it’s better not to have them at all.
Thankfully, they stood up for themselves in the end and chose to report it.
Xiao Changyi responded, "As you wish." He had her and that was enough for him. Whether or not to associate with others was of no concern to him.
Understanding the deep meaning in his words, An Jing’s smile bloomed beautifully.
An Jing originally said she would try to complete one thousand catties of fermented bean curd for Wang Youbao within a month, but in reality, it took only fifteen days to finish, which so surprised Wang Youbao that he personally came to ask what had happened.
An Jing didn’t hide anything, and honestly said, "There’s not really any issue, it’s just that next month we need to transplant the rice seedlings and collect the rice harvest, so we won’t have as much time. It’s simply better to get it done this month for you."
As soon as the one thousand catties were done for Wang Youbao, An Jing and Xiao Changyi worked non-stop on the two thousand catties of fermented bean curd for Xing Cashier. By the 4th of June, the two thousand catties of fermented bean curd were finally ready.
Xing Cashier was both surprised and delighted to get the fermented bean curd so many days in advance, paid the remaining ten taels of silver, thanked them several times, and then departed.
Initially, An Jing and Xiao Changyi were down to just three coins in their possession. Now, having received another ten taels, their entire household’s combined resources amounted to ten taels and three coins.
Xing Cashier paid in small silver fragments rather than giving a single ten-tael gold ingot. An Jing gave Xiao Changyi one tael of silver to keep on hand for emergencies, while she kept the rest of the money herself.
After securing the money, An Jing asked, "Husband, the appointment we made with the blacksmith is for tomorrow, right?"
Xiao Changyi nodded, "Yes, tomorrow, June 5th."
"Then let’s go pick up the items we commissioned the blacksmith to make tomorrow." They had already retrieved the items made by the carpenter and were just waiting for the blacksmith to finish before they could assemble the rice-threshing machine.
The next day, Xiao Changyi and An Jing went to the town and collected the custom-made items from the blacksmith. However, instead of heading straight back, Xiao Changyi took An Jing into a musical instrument shop.
The shop contained musical instruments like the pipa, guzheng, qin, xiao, and flutes.
As Xiao Changyi parked the oxcart next to the musical instrument shop, An Jing understood immediately and smiled, radiating sweetness and joy. Her husband truly remembered every single word she spoke.
Upon entering the shop, Xiao Changyi led An Jing straight to the flutes. An Jing had thought Xiao Changyi would buy one for her, but instead of purchasing, after carefully examining the instruments, Xiao Changyi pulled her out of the shop.
An Jing suddenly felt disappointed until they got back on the oxcart. Then she murmured softly, "Aren’t you buying it for me?"
As Xiao Changyi drove the oxcart, he squeezed her hand and said in a gentle voice, "I will make one for you."
An Jing’s eyes immediately sparkled, as if they were lit up; her mouth curved into a wide smile.
Oh, how she adored her husband.
"Do you know how to make one?" An Jing asked.
"I should be able to." He had carefully observed the structure of the flutes and making them shouldn’t be difficult.
An Jing understood his meaning and said with a beaming smile, "Then I’ll be waiting for your flute."
Afterward, Xiao Changyi took the one tael of silver An Jing gave him the day before and bought fifty catties of polished rice. The rice was twenty coins per catty, so fifty catties cost precisely one tael of silver.