It was past eight in the evening. Jade lowered the cleaned pork intestines into the simmering pot and added another piece of firewood to the stove. Before leaving the kitchen, she double-checked all the windows and door, ensuring they were tightly shut. Satisfied, she stepped out.
As she reached the living room, a knock sounded at the courtyard gate. More visitors today? she thought, surprised. She approached the gate just as the knocking stopped, replaced by a muffled conversation outside.
"Everyone's asleep by now! You could've waited till morning!" a man's voice grumbled.
"Mind your own business! I couldn't wait! Alright, alright, stop nagging. Go to bed!" came the sharp reply. Aunt May.
The night was quiet enough for Jade to recognize the voices. "Auntie?" she called out.
"Jade! It's me!" Aunt May answered quickly, relief in her voice. "Didn't wake you, did I?"
Jade slid the bolt open. Aunt May and Uncle Wang stood outside. "Not at all," Jade reassured them, smiling. "I was just braising the intestines in the kitchen, didn't hear." She ushered them in. "Just getting back now? Hungry? I have some red bean soup left. Let me get you some." Pregnancy made her cautious; she avoided cooling mung beans, opting for nourishing red beans instead – cheap and seasonal.
The Shaws had an old-fashioned clay stove and a small earthenware pot. Jade would simmer the beans with water overnight. By morning, adding a spoonful of sugar transformed them into a soft, sweet paste. Using the leftover charcoal from the day's cooking fire made it easy. She'd started simmering them early, around five, so they were perfectly cooked now.
Aunt May, shining a flashlight for Jade, followed her into the courtyard, looking slightly abashed. "Don't trouble yourself! I'm just impatient. Wanted to tell you – we sold out! Every bit of the braised intestines today!" Excitement bubbled over. She caught up to Jade. "You wouldn't believe it! Afternoon and evening were packed! So many working women, tired after their shift, saw the ready-to-eat food next to our meat stall and just grabbed some to take home!"
"Really?" Jade's face lit up with genuine surprise and delight. She'd braced for a slow start; selling out was a wonderful shock.
She led them into the living room. Aunt May immediately sat down and started pulling crumpled bills from her pocket. Uncle Wang sat opposite, looking weary but resigned. Seeing the money, Jade smiled wider. "You count it. I'll get the bean soup."
"Oh, really, we're not hungry!" Aunt May protested half-heartedly.
Jade ignored her, heading to the kitchen. She washed two bowls, carefully lifted the small pot from the stove using a cloth, ladled out generous portions of the stewed red beans, and added a spoonful of sugar to each. Back in the living room, she set them down. "Have this while it's warm. I'll get my book to note things down." She fetched her pencil and battered notebook from the bedroom – the first few pages covered in baby clothes sketches, leaving only three blank sheets. Need a proper ledger tomorrow, she thought.
Aunt May's earlier protest was forgotten. The sight and aroma of the sweet, fragrant beans captivated them. Both she and Uncle Wang began eating eagerly, blowing on the hot liquid. "So good!" Aunt May beamed, her mouth full. "And you added sugar!"
Jade smiled faintly. "Eat up. I'll count." She pulled out a long stool from under the table, sat down, and began meticulously sorting and counting the money. Mostly small denominations – ten, twenty, fifty fen notes and coins. She separated paper from metal, counted twice, taking nearly fifteen minutes. The total matched both times: 63 yuan and 40 fen. She noted it in her book.
The cost calculation was tricky. The intestines were free from Uncle Wang's village slaughters; the stall space was theirs. Jade provided the recipe, spices, and firewood. After discussion, they stuck to the simple fifty-fifty split: 31 yuan and 70 fen each, ignoring detailed costs. Aunt May felt they got money for minimal effort; Jade was happy with the profit for work done conveniently at home. Both were pleased.
Jade recorded the split in her ledger, showing it to them. Aunt May waved it off. "No need! I can't read anyway. You keep the book." Her face glowed with anticipation. "First day! Tomorrow will be even better! Plenty of folks with money around now. One man bought three whole pounds today!"
Jade carefully folded her share of the money. "That's wonderful. Means I can buy formula when the baby comes." The comment softened Aunt May's heart. Poor girl, struggling. Lucky she met me. Someone else would cheat her out of this skill.
It was late. The couple left after a few more words, needing rest for the early market start. Jade saw them out, then returned to her room with the money and ledger.
Before dawn, Jade packaged the freshly braised intestines for Aunt May, then crawled back into bed for a few more hours. She woke properly after sunrise. With the morning free, she explored the storage shed again, unearthing a woven plastic sack full of books. Mostly primary and middle school textbooks. Only seven or eight were high school level: first-year math (both semesters), physics, second-semester chemistry, and second-year math and Chinese. A few worn notebooks lay among them.
What surprised her was the handwriting inside the notebooks: bold, flowing, almost calligraphic. A stark contrast to her own small, neat script – honed over years to hide its lack of elegance, earning teasing remarks during her internship about needing a magnifying glass. She cleaned the usable books and carried them to her room.
Around noon, she headed to the South Street market. She first visited the Wangs' stall, buying two portions of lean pork, bagged separately. Seeing them busy with customers, she just waved a greeting and moved on. She bought more vegetables and spices, then headed towards the fabric store. Near the market entrance, she bumped into May Lin.
May Lin spotted her first, grabbing her arm. "What are you doing here? What did you buy?" She immediately started rummaging through Jade's basket. The pork, purchased first, was buried under greens. May Lin only saw vegetables. Her face fell. "Why buy from them?"
Jade disliked the intrusion. Mimicking the action, she peered into May Lin's basket. "Thought your stall sold out, Mom! Got any spare for me?" she asked, feigning regret. She saw it clearly: fatty pork, tenderloin, a pork trotter, two fish, braised intestines, and two blocks of tofu – overflowing.
Quite the feast. Jade gave her a pointed look.
May Lin flushed, pulling her basket back defensively. "My stall's outside. Fine, here, take the leftovers." She thrust a bundle of wilted greens at Jade, walking briskly ahead, her voice stiff as she changed the subject. "Your belly's big now. Remember to make baby clothes. I'll knit a couple of sweaters soon." Not a word about sharing the good stuff.
Jade followed slowly. Seemingly offhand, she remarked, "The baby thanks Grandma in advance. Clothes are fine, but honestly… I'm always hungry lately."
"…"
May Lin, reaching her stall, paused while scooping the greens. Jade took the bundle but stood rooted, her gaze drifting pointedly towards the full basket. Why should they feast while the pregnant daughter-in-law went without? She carried the woman's grandchild.
May Lin looked at her. Jade blinked innocently, her eyes lingering on the basket.
"…"
Finally, May Lin, with visible reluctance, handed over one of the catfish. Jade, undeterred, also took a piece of pork and a block of tofu.
May Lin's face twitched with suppressed pain. She shooed Jade away. "You little debtor! Don't even know if it's a boy or girl! Go on, get out!" She'd never seen such nerve.
Jade flashed a sweet smile. "Thanks, Mom!" Satisfied, she turned and headed for the fabric store she'd visited before.
Her sewing was still slow. Now with income, Jade wasn't punishing herself. She selected several thicker, better-quality cotton fabrics. She showed the shopkeeper her sketches, ordering four sets of inner wear, two thick cotton one-pieces, and two small quilts for the baby.
Then, browsing further, she chose bolts of sky blue and stone grey fabric. "For men's shirts," she instructed. "He's about 6'1", average build. Make them roomy." She pointed to slate grey and oatmeal linen. "These for trousers. Men's, medium size." The idea hadn't occurred to her when she left home. Seeing May Lin's blatant favoritism had sparked indignation. Remembering the empty wardrobe Nigel had left behind, she decided he deserved some decent clothes too.
After arranging pickup times, Jade headed to Old Bus Station Street. She knocked on Ken Zhou's door, half expecting him to be out. He answered quickly, surprised. "Sis-in-Law? Come in!"
"No, no, I need to get back to cook. Came to ask a favor." She pulled a list from her pocket. "Could you find me some high school textbooks? Think it's possible?"
Ken glanced at the list. "Sure! No problem! My buddy Dayou just finished his exams. I'll ask him for his old books."
"Thank you!" Jade smiled, pulling a portion of pork from her basket. "Just came from the market. Take this."
Ken jumped back as if scalded, waving his hands frantically. "Sis-in-Law! I can't! You gave me stuff last time!"
Jade laughed. "It's fine. Might need more favors soon."
"Really can't!" Ken practically retreated inside. "I'll bring the books tonight!"
Seeing his genuine alarm, Jade relented. "Alright. Thanks, Ken."
---
Ken delivered the books that evening. He carried the entire three-year high school set into the living room, stacking them on the large table, sweating. The textbooks were filled with dense notes; test papers tucked inside showed consistently high scores.
Jade handed him a cup of water. "Eaten yet? Stay for dinner?"
"No, no! Mom's already cooked." Ken declined quickly. Jade understood; dining alone with a man could invite gossip. "Alright then. I made some pancakes. Take some back." She went to the kitchen, packing a portion of the evening's leek pancakes and some leftover pea cakes onto a plate.
Ken scratched his head, looking embarrassed but grateful. "Thanks, Sis-in-Law. I'll bring the plate back tomorrow." He asked if she needed anything else, and hearing "no," hurried off with the food.
Jade saw him to the gate. As she closed it, she noticed a middle-aged woman scurrying past quickly, shooting her a brief, unreadable glance before looking away. Jade paid it no mind.
The following days settled into a quiet rhythm: resting, studying the textbooks, and steadily earning money. Nigel didn't call again. Jade calculated he should be back soon.
She didn't expect Nigel. She expected May Lin. And she arrived with a vengeance.
May Lin stormed through the gate precisely as Aunt May arrived to collect the morning's batch of braised intestines. Her face was a mask of fury, glaring at Jade.
"Jade!" she snapped, her voice tight with accusation. "What exactly are you doing?"