The family all fell silent, the prospect of paying back five taels of Silver within a month was too difficult for them; if it were possible, they wouldn't have been paying for five years already. Hunting wasn't a daily occurrence, nor did it yield much Silver, and finding labor work during winter wasn't easy either. Everyone wore a worried and distressed expression, and even their meal didn't taste good anymore.
Xiaoxiao could see her family , and it pained her heart. Such a kind and honest family should be living happily together, yet due to financial issues, they toiled daily. Her parents-in-law were only around fifty years old, yet they looked like they were in their sixties, all exhausted by life. The entire family was skinny, and although they weren't starving, their diet lacked nutrients.
"Youngest sister-in-law, I do have an idea, and I'll just say it outright. Last time at the Bookstore, didn't you casually write a few characters that offset seven taels of Silver?" During the silence, the second sister-in-law spoke up. She then vividly recounted the incident of offsetting Silver with writing at the Bookstore to everyone.
The elderly couple listened as if they were enchanted by a storyteller, admiring the inherent talent for storytelling in their daughter-in-law. They also thought to themselves that their youngest daughter-in-law really did match their son well, with her scholarly knowledge.
"Right, the second sister-in-law really thinks of everything. I hadn't thought of that. Tomorrow, I will go to the Bookstore to ask about it. Dad, Mom, don't worry anymore. Let's eat, eat up, this is specially made for you!" she said as she served food to her elders. Everyone then breathed a sigh of relief.
The next morning, Xiaoxiao finished her breakfast and set out for town on foot, considering their debt, feeling that every penny must be saved. Walking for half an hour wasn't too long, and it was good as exercise too. This time she went alone, determined to pay off the debt as everyone in the family was doing their part; men went hunting, while women did needlework at home.
"Xiao'er, is the Shopkeeper in?" Xiaoxiao asked as she entered the Bookstore.
"Our Shopkeeper left for a trip yesterday. Miss, are you looking for the Shopkeeper for something specific?" The attendant, who wasn't present during her previous visit, was unaware of the last incident.
"When will he be back?"
"The Shopkeeper didn't specify, so I'm not very clear on that!"
Xiaoxiao was dismayed. How could her luck be so bad? She had hoped she might be able to easily repay the Silver by writing, but now that plan was ruined.
"Brother Xiao'er, I had written calligraphy for the Shopkeeper before, do you accept those here?"
"We never accept that kind of item. We only copy books here!"
"Then how is the copying done? Can you explain it in detail?"
"Copying a book pays a hundred coins. The ink and paper are provided by us. If you copy fast, you can finish five books in a month! But we don't accept poor handwriting. Before taking the job, you'll need to write a sample here to see if your writing is good enough to decide!"
"If I take on five books, do you have a time requirement for how long I should take?"
"There's no specific requirement, but obviously, the faster, the better. You should not take more than two months for five books."
Books were so expensive, yet copying them was so underpaid, earning only five hundred coins in a month. But without other sources of income, she had to start copying books. Thus, she wrote a sample for Xiao'er, passed the evaluation, and walked out of the Bookstore with ink, paper, and five books.
Luckily, the characters here were the same as in modern times. She had initially thought they might be in traditional script, but having seen the simplified characters on signs around the town, she had boldly offered to write previously, perhaps her classical studies could be applied here. Xiaoxiao thought to herself as she walked, but unexpectedly, she ran into a scholar coming from the opposite direction.