Chapter 242: Today is a Good Day to Be Kind to Yourself
Only then did everyone set their worries aside, their faces flushing with a mixture of pleasant surprise and excitement.
Seeing that the others still hesitated to raise their chopsticks, Lin Daniang took the lead by picking up a piece of duck meat. “Let me try this one. It looks like it was braised with perilla. I’ve never tasted anything like this before.”
The moment it entered her mouth, the bold, commanding aroma of perilla burst forth. The pan-seared duck skin was slightly crisped and entirely free of grease, offering instead a savory, concentrated dryness.
The more Lin Daniang chewed, the more flavorful it became, and her eyes widened to their absolute limits. “In the past, I’ve only ever had perilla as a summer herbal drink. Who would have thought that braising it with duck could taste this magnificent?”
Lin Sanniang pursed her lips, hiding a subtle smile.
Perilla drinks were a common summer refresher to beat the heat in the Great Liang Dynasty. Because of the terrible harvest last year, no one had been in the mood to make such things. It was currently only the middle of May, and the weather had just started to warm up, so it wasn’t yet time to drink perilla tea.
The women were not surprised by the presence of perilla itself; they simply had never tasted duck braised with it. After all, being able to eat three to five chickens or ducks a year was already considered a grand blessing.
Still, some couldn’t help but feel curious. “When I used to help out in commercial kitchens, I never saw this perilla duck. Who on earth thought to put these two things together? The flavor is unique, but if you savor it closely, it is indeed delectable.”
Lin Sanniang smiled and said, “The owner of the manor where I currently serve is a wonderful, ingenious person who loves novel things. She was the one who instructed the cook to make this perilla duck.”
Hearing this, everyone found it reasonable. They ate perilla, but they had never eaten perilla duck, primarily because they rarely had the chance to eat duck at all.
But if it was the owner of a great manor, then it made perfect sense. A person of her status could eat as many ducks as she pleased.
Eating them in a myriad of creative ways and inventing this perilla duck was hardly surprising.
This meal provided a long-awaited influx of rich, nourishing oil.
At a time when the shadow of the famine had not yet completely faded, it acted like a miraculous elixir, restoring vitality to their depleted bodies.
As one of the embroiderers ate, tears suddenly began to stream down her face. “It’s been so long since I’ve tasted food this fragrant. It’s been so long since I’ve eaten meat.”
“When will these days ever end? We busy ourselves day in and day out, yet we can’t even secure enough to fill our bellies!”
One person’s weeping pulled the heavy, sorrowful thoughts of the others to the surface.
Someone asked with extreme caution, “Sanniang, can I choose not to eat my portion? I want to take it back… to feed my child. Is that allowed?”
Lin Sanniang shook her head. “A-Yun, I know your heart aches for your child, but the Manor Owner does not wish to invite trouble.”
Eating this food right here was a testament to her affection for her sisters.
Once they finished eating and walked out the door, the matter was completely concluded, and it had nothing to do with anyone else.
Looking at her disappointed sisters, Lin Sanniang did not wish to sound like a rigid lecturer, but she steeled herself to speak anyway.
“I know all of you sisters are decent, good-hearted souls; otherwise, we wouldn’t have gathered together. In the past, I would have thought exactly like you—wanting to look after parents, parents-in-law, family, children, and even friends, relatives, and neighbors…”
“But now I feel that in this world, the person we ought to look after and cherish the most is ourselves.”
“If we don’t even treat ourselves well, how can we expect others to treat us well?”
Lin Sanniang continued, “In another month, the grain harvest will come in, and everyone will be able to eat their fill. Right now, there are also congee distributions at the city gates, so things are no longer as desperately difficult for everyone as they were a few months ago.”
“For this meal today, let’s put everyone else aside. Let’s ensure we ourselves eat until we are full and satisfied, alright?”
Seeing their spirits droop, Lin Sanniang shifted the topic to their compensation, not wanting them to remain disappointed. “Because the garments are needed urgently this time, the Manor Owner has agreed to pay one catty of fresh rice per person, which is more than enough for you to cook a hearty meal.”
“If you have a large household, you can take it to the marketplace to exchange for regular grain. One catty of fresh, premium rice can be traded for two or three catties of old grain.”
Although the rate wasn’t quite as lucrative as the one Manager Zhang offered last month, exchanging it for nearly three catties was entirely feasible.
Sure enough, the moment Lin Sanniang mentioned this, everyone instantly perked up.
“Truly? A whole catty of rice? And it’s fresh rice?”
“A catty for every single person? All eight of us will get it?”
Lin Sanniang smiled and nodded. “Yes, everyone will receive it. And do not worry; from what I can gather of the Manor Owner’s intentions, there will be more clothes assigned to us in the future. They won’t be needed in such a frantic rush, so the wages will be a bit lower, but it will still be a steady, dependable source of income.”
At a time like this, no one was going to pick and choose between jobs.
To have work available was a massive blessing, and everyone hurriedly agreed.
“Sanniang, thank you deeply for looking out for us. If it weren’t for the relief supplies you’ve given us over this past stretch of time, we wouldn’t have lasted until now.”
Hehua and Yuxiang, in particular, had received the most assistance and understood better than anyone that by following Lin Sanniang, their lives would only grow better and more secure.
They also understood that only when they themselves were stable and well could they lead their families and children toward a better life.
Lin Daniang felt the same way. The sisters she and Hehua and Yuxiang had gathered this time were all trusted companions of impeccable character.
If anyone else possessed a flawed character, no matter how exquisite their craftsmanship, they would refuse to invite them.
When all was said and done, it was because they themselves were good that they could gather like this.
That’s right—the most vital person was themselves!
Therefore, although the women felt a lingering regret that such magnificent food could not be carried home, they took Lin Sanniang’s words to heart.
Since it wasn’t going home, they might as well enjoy it thoroughly themselves.
Yuxiang was exceptionally pleased. “I didn’t want to carry it back in the first place! If I took it home, out of all this wonderful food, barely a couple of bites would actually make it into my own stomach.”
“Sanniang has been supporting me all this time, yet when I bring home the rice and grain I earned, they act as though they are displaying immense magnanimity by letting me eat it. It’s truly laughable!”
Once Yuxiang spoke up, the other embroiderers also felt a deep wave of shared sentiment.
“Exactly. It’s not like we sit around idling; we have to manage the household and go out to work as hired hands. The harvest was bad this year, so we indeed didn’t secure many jobs, but my husband didn’t produce much grain from the fields either. On what grounds does he get to constantly glare and snap at me?”
“Tell me about it. My situation is even more infuriating. Apart from my parents-in-law, there are brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law—a massive household. The elders expect my filial devotion, while the young ones demand my care. It’s as if I’m the only one destined to suffer and toil, right?”
The woman speaking let out a sharp scoff. “Bah! Sanniang is absolutely right. On what grounds should we bring these fine dishes back to them? When they earn a bit of coin normally, distributing it to me feels like charity. Since this is a job I secured myself, why on earth should I compromise for them?”
“Let’s eat, everyone! Today, let’s only think of ourselves and forget about everyone else!”
“Yes! We earned this with our own two hands, so we should be the ones eating and drinking well!”
At this exact moment, the eight close companions suddenly became acutely aware of their own existence.
Yes, they were so industrious, they worked so grueling hard, and they were not inferior to anyone. Why should they allow others to stand above them simply on account of age, status, or gender?
The person they owed the finest treatment to was none other than themselves!
The chicken, duck, fish, and pork on the table were no longer passed around politely.
Lin Daniang was once again the first to raise her cup. “Sanniang is right! If I had been unwilling to spend coin to treat my illness back then, I wouldn’t even be in this world today. How then would I be eating such wonderful food, and how would I be looking after my child who is still in swaddling clothes?”
Everyone burst into laughter, raising their cups in unison. “Precisely! We are ourselves first, and only then are we mothers, wives, daughters, and daughters-in-law…”
Today, they used tea in place of wine, raising a toast to themselves.
Today, from this moment on, every day was a good day to be kind to themselves.
