Transmigration: A Farm Girl's Brocade-Chapter 38 - Flower-Selling Girl_1
Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Flower-Selling Girl_1
Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Flower-Selling Girl_1
Qian Yixiu and a few others made their way to the northern end of the village to wait for the ox cart. Since it wasn’t a market day in the county, there weren’t many people heading to the county town. By exactly Chen hour, including her family, there were only six people, and Uncle Wu urged the ox cart forward.
Apart from the three members of their family, the other three were a man with two children. Though the man showed some interest in the items they were covering and took a few extra glances, he wasn’t like the women who would eagerly pry for information. After exchanging greetings, everyone fell silent, and Qian Yixiu fell asleep in Lady Wu’s arms.
Upon reaching Xishan County, Lady Wu reluctantly handed over five wen money to Uncle Wu. Uncle Wu also mentioned that they would return from the west city gate at precisely Wei hour’s end, and they would not wait for any stragglers.
Xishan County was considered a large county within Ji’an Province, with a prosperous and bustling county town. As they entered the city gates, they saw wide cobbled streets flanked by shops arranged in close succession. Even on a non-market day, the place was extraordinarily lively. This street was considered the Golden harbor of the county town and a matter of prestige, so the storefronts were all open and opulent, mostly two or three-story buildings.
Lady Wu said to Qian Yixiu, “This place might look nice, but there are plenty of bad people around, and lots of pickpockets as well. Hold your little auntie’s hand tight and don’t get lost.”
Qian Yixiu responded, “Oh, Nanny, is the South Market far away?”
Lady Wu replied, “Not too far. We entered from the west gate, so it’s less than forty-five minutes walk to the south from here.”
They left the street and turned south into a residential area, where the noise level dropped. The alleys here were narrow, flanked by one small courtyard after another.
After passing through this residential area, they came across a wide road and a narrow one. Without a second thought, Lady Wu headed down the narrow path. Qian Yixiu knew that the wide road would lead through the affluent neighborhood, so she tugged at Lady Wu’s hem and protested, “Yixiu doesn’t want to take the shabby road; I want to take the nice road.”
Feeling sorry for her, Lady Wu spoke softly, “That street is where the rich people live. If Yixiu walks there, you must not shout or scream.”
How could she sell flowers without shouting or screaming?, Qian Yixiu thought to herself, but she still energetically nodded her small head.
They crossed another lane, and suddenly the view opened up. The road widened, and the high brick courtyard walls were long and tall. Peering over the walls, they could see layers of black tiled roofs peeking out from the greenery of trees and bamboo. The occasional passerby on the road was dressed in fine garments.
This area was home to the large, wealthy households of Xishan County, with most of its top-level magnates living here.
Qian Manxia’s face turned red with envy as she admired the rooftops within the courtyard walls.
Qian Yixiu had visited this place many times before when she was still a ghost.
Qian Yixiu stopped and asked Lady Wu to hand her a basket of flowers, while also asking her little aunt to remove the cloth from the large basket. In her other hand, she held a beautiful big bouquet. She then instructed Lady Wu to maintain a certain distance, it would be enough to see them from afar.
Lady Wu asked in astonishment, “What are you going to do, Yixiu?”
Qian Yixiu said, “Sell flowers. Just me and little aunt selling flowers…” Having two young girls selling flowers was more likely to garner sympathy.
“The people who live here are wealthy; you can’t peddle here. Yixiu, don’t cause any trouble,” Lady Wu cautioned softly.
Qian Yixiu replied, “Why can’t we peddle? Look, there’s a peddler ahead; if he can sell, so can Yixiu.” Then she pulled her little aunt along and ran a few steps. Lady Wu had no control over her granddaughter and could only follow at a distance of a few dozen meters, ready to step forward if anything happened.
As they walked along the courtyard walls, they heard the Peddler up ahead shouting a few times before stopping. Qian Yixiu then held the basket of flowers and began to sing:
Little girl who gets up at the crack of dawn,
Hands holding fresh flowers heading to the market.
Passing through main streets and narrow lanes,
Selling flowers, selling flowers, singing as we go.
Oh, the pristine Gypsophila,
Blooming beside the brook at the foot of the mountain
Is the beautiful Dendrobium
Fiercely blooming in front of the valley
A display of filial piety through fresh flowers
For mother’s treatment and to pay for medicine
No father and no money
Life is fraught with hardship at every turn
Bouquets of flowers remain unsold
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
Tears keep falling without end
Baskets full of flowers, but an empty purse
How to return home and face dear mother
…
Once upon a time, when her unit organized a performance, they used this song as background music for the dance by the children from the unit’s kindergarten, and she learned to sing it.
At that time, her mother happened to visit her and told her that this song was from a certain movie. She mentioned how touching the movie was, that decades ago, when watching it, the cinema was filled with the sound of weeping. Qian Yixiu had specially searched out this old movie online and watched half of it but didn’t continue on, feeling no connection to it.
Ever since she was reborn here, the miserable days had reminded her of that movie, and she had come to truly understand it. She modified the lyrics slightly, finding them perfect to sing in this terribly feudal society. The song powerfully expressed her deep sympathy for the exploited peasant class and her relentless critique of the feudal ruling class.
The young master’s voice was clear and pleasing to the ear. Although Qian Yixiu’s singing in her previous life couldn’t compare with that of a professional singer, she easily handled this simple tune. Coupled with the beautiful and sorrowful melody, and with her genuine feelings infused into it, her singing was poignant and moving. Not to mention her own tears that she could not help but shed, even Qian Manxia’s eyes reddened.
Those who walked near this mansion were mostly the residents, visitors, or servants, and it was very tranquil, void of any loud noises. Occasionally, a peddler’s call could be heard, skillfully moderated so that it could reach the ears of those inside the courtyard without being too abrupt. Otherwise, startling the residents could not only ruin a sale but might even lead to a beating.
At that moment, the sudden singing of a child broke the silence of the estate. The song was melodious and appealing, innocent and bright. On closer listening, the lyrics were so heartbreakingly earnest.
Passersby saw two raggedly dressed little girls, each holding a bouquet and a basket of flowers, singing and selling flowers as they went. The older girl appeared to be a little over ten, while the younger one was only four or five, and although their clothes were tattered, they were clean and pretty.
Especially the younger child, wearing a pair of small straw sandals, revealing her thin little feet. The clothing wrapped around her small frame was short, small, and patched over patches. Her sparse hair was tied up in two buns on top of her head, softly curling down like two small blooming chrysanthemums. Because she was so thin, her eyes appeared even larger and rounder. She sang her little song with barely concealed sadness, and even though tears were already streaming down her cheeks, she suppressed her sorrow and continued to sing.
Anyone who saw her like this couldn’t help but feel a surge of sympathy.
In this era, almost no one wandered streets and alleys to sell fresh flowers, let alone floral arrangements or baskets. People mainly bought flowers at the Flower Market, or they would buy seeds to plant themselves or buy potted plants directly. If they wanted to arrange flowers, they would simply pick a few from their own garden and place them in a vase. However, flower shops did sell arranged flowers, usually using a metal frog, which were relatively expensive, so ordinary families wouldn’t buy them.
But because the little girl’s singing was so captivating and heart-wrenchingly sorrowful, and with flowers like Gypsophila, which had such a pleasant name, pedestrians halted and turned to look at them, some even approaching to take a closer look, and there were those who peeped out from small gateways.
Upon closer inspection, these bouquets and flower baskets were incredibly beautiful – the large blossoms enshrouded by tiny white flowers, creating a misty and attractive appearance, with an almost dreamy quality. They had seen many arrangements before but had never encountered anything quite so unique.
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