After satisfying their curiosity and seeing what ginseng looked like in the soil, the two sisters left the nursery with Tian Jing.
Seeing Tian Jing accompanying them, Shen Jianrong asked, "Aren't you working?"
"I am," Tian Jing nodded. "My work hours are irregular."
Shen Jianrong was relieved. "Then let's go buy a couple of pairs of cloth shoes? We'll go to the Hot Spring Valley tomorrow."
Tian Jing looked down at the wedge-heeled leather shoes the sisters were wearing. They were indeed unsuitable for a trip, so she took them to the home of the second son of Secretary Yang, who lived closest to the greenhouses.
The shoes made by Ma Changying were quite popular with tourists, who often returned to buy more.
Because Ma Changying had strong hands, the soles of her shoes were sewn tightly, making them durable and wear-resistant.
Ma Changying brought out shoes she had made for all four seasons.
As soon as the sisters saw the handmade cloth shoes, they busied themselves picking out the ones they liked, holding them up to their feet to check the size. Once they felt they fit, they put them on directly.
Stepping onto the ground, Shen Jianrong finally let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, my feet are finally free."
Tian Jing smiled. "I thought you were used to wearing leather shoes?"
"We are used to them," Shen Jianrong nodded. "But after wearing these cloth shoes, I realize wearing leather shoes is like looking for trouble."
"From now on, I won't care what anyone says. I'll pair cloth shoes with any outfit."
"Let whoever wants to laugh, laugh. What's comfortable for yourself is most important. However..."
Shen Jianrong lowered her voice and whispered in Tian Jing's ear, "After you went to the capital, hehe, wearing cloth shoes became a trend in our circle."
"That's also why we want to take some cloth shoes back. They're authentic products from Kushan."
Tian Jing's mouth twitched. "Then do you want to wear clothes from Kushan too?"
Shen Jianrong shook her head firmly. "No. I can tolerate people laughing at my shoes because shoes are genuinely comfortable."
"But I can't stand people laughing at my poor figure."
The clothes from the countryside were only comfortable, and they made one look too bulky.
Shen Jianfang gently patted her younger sister's arm and chided, "Stop talking nonsense, hurry and pick out your shoes."
Each sister picked out two pairs. There were no more shoes they liked that fit.
Tian Jing wanted to pay, but Shen Jianrong stopped her. No matter how cheap the shoes were, she had to pay for them herself.
Shoes were for walking, and it was equivalent to asking someone to leave. Furthermore, "shoes" sounded like "evil."
One must never give shoes as gifts to friends or lovers.
Tian Jing knew the taboos in the north. After Shen Jianrong paid, she asked, "Do you know how we southerners talk about shoes?"
"How do you say it?"
"We say 'hai zi' for shoes, which sounds like 'child.' So, giving shoes is not taboo."
Shen Jianrong was speechless. "Is that how it works?"
Shen Jianfang paid for her own shoes and said to her younger sister, "Every place has its customs. We'll follow our customs."
Shen Jianrong nodded. Yes, the differences between north and south were significant. They should follow their own customs.
Walking eastward, Tian Jing took them to a few more households that made comfortable shoes.
The sisters found very few they liked.
Tian Jing told them to go back and rest. After they finished at the Hot Spring Valley, they could visit villages one and two again.
The sisters were indeed tired. After returning, they slept until the sun began to set.
Carrying their washbags, the sisters washed up in the second courtyard and then it was time for dinner.
Dinner was simple: millet porridge with steamed buns and mantou, accompanied by pickled vegetables from Mother Li and sauerkraut prepared by Tian Jing.
Of course, there were also salted wild eggs.
Facing such a simple dinner, Shen Jianrong, who had felt her lunch hadn't been fully digested, found she had an appetite again.
Shen Jianfang only drank the porridge and ate a salted wild egg.
After eating, she pulled her younger sister out for a stroll. If she didn't digest her food, her stomach would bloat.
As the sun went down, more people came out to socialize in the village.
Children ran around everywhere, creating a very lively atmosphere.
Walking along the village road, listening to the children's laughter, the sisters felt their moods lighten.
"Zi Yu's mother, Zi Yu's aunt, have you eaten dinner?"
Sister-in-law Niu sat in front of her own yard with a bowl, doting on her grandson beside her.
Shen Jianrong and her sister stopped. "We have eaten. We're just out for a walk to help with digestion. Is this your grandson?"
Sister-in-law Niu nodded. "Yes, it's Xiao Shui. Call her Grandma Shen. Both of them call her Grandma Shen."
The two-year-old child shyly hid behind his grandmother.
Sister-in-law Niu reached back to pull her grandson out, but the child squatted down, making it impossible for his grandmother to catch him.
Shen Jianrong chuckled. "The child is young and shy. Don't scare him. You should eat. We're leaving."
After the sisters had walked further away, Da Niu's wife came out from the opposite courtyard.
"Mother, were those two the in-laws of Captain Tian?"
Sister-in-law Niu glanced at her eldest daughter-in-law. "Why didn't you come out earlier? You can't go out yourself, and you can't let the child go out either."
Da Niu's wife lowered her head. "We don't have much experience, do we? You don't let us go out and see things, we always stay in this mountain village."
"So it's my fault?" Sister-in-law Niu raised her voice.
"If you want to go out, then don't expect any of the household dividends. Just take the travel expenses and living expenses for one month, and then go out. You'll definitely gain experience."
Da Niu came out and pushed his wife aside.
"Mother, don't be angry. Since her heart isn't here, then let her go out by herself."
"My second brother and I still need to manage the shop in the Hot Spring Valley. We don't have time to go out and gain experience working for others."
Sister-in-law Niu glared fiercely at her eldest daughter-in-law. "If you want to go out alone, then go through the procedures."
"My family doesn't have women who abandon their husbands and children to go out and have fun."
"Wuwuwu," Da Niu's wife covered her face and ran back to the small Western-style building.
Sister-in-law Niu turned and yelled at her eldest son. "You fool, I told you to keep a closer eye on her, but you wouldn't listen."
"Even people from the capital want to marry into our village, and our village's young wives want to run away. It means they've had enough of living in a honey pot and want to cause trouble."
"They go out to make money, but she says she's going out to gain experience. Is she going to gain experience by spending our family's money?"
"With that money, I'd rather let my grandson gain experience, why should I let her gain experience?"
"Is she going out to learn from factory workers who work overtime until midnight?"
"Or learn from those mistresses who are taken out sightseeing by wealthy businessmen with a wave of their hand?"
"From the beginning, I didn't agree to you marrying her. Even though she always lowers her head and doesn't speak, her eyes are never steady. I don't know what she's plotting."
"She's already had two children, and she thinks she's a hero of the family. She dares to blame me for not letting her go out and gain experience."
"Da Niu, Lin Wan has already started making moves. Your wife definitely won't be able to stay put. Be careful."
"If she dares to sneak out with money, I'll immediately report her to the police for running away with another man. Don't think you can come back to my house after a trip."
"Er Niu's wife is the same. Among all the young wives in the village, they don't associate with them, but they go to associate with that bad influence, Lin Wan. They're courting disaster!"
Sister-in-law Niu became more and more angry as she spoke. Both daughters-in-law were not bad in appearance.
She didn't fancy them at the time, but both sons agreed.
After they got married, one couldn't do this, and the other couldn't do that.
The second one didn't do anything because the first one didn't.
She herself was busy and didn't have time to manage them.
The two sons also couldn't manage them, so they spoiled the two daughters-in-law more and more.
In the past two years, she had seen her two daughters-in-law talking with Lin Wan many times.
As soon as Lin Wan saw her, she would run away.
Looking like she had a guilty conscience.
Da Niu nodded. "I know."
Raising children for a hundred years brings ninety-nine years of worry.
Sister-in-law Niu sighed and took her grandson back to her old courtyard.