Following Auntie Wang, Nan Shiying walked for a full hour before reaching Jilin Street.
At the bridgehead, Auntie Wang leaned on the railing and took a breath. She bent slightly, patting her sore calves. She hadn't even been able to walk like this a year ago.
Auntie Wang turned and looked at the niece of Granny Bian with a hint of admiration. She seemed frail, but she had surprisingly good stamina, not panting even after such a long walk. It was youth, after all, a good constitution. She thought to herself, her gaze drifting downwards, circling Nan Shiying’s lower body. Her hips were a bit small, she wondered if she'd be suitable for bearing children.
Nan Shiying felt Auntie Wang's gaze and was slightly startled. She hadn't encountered such blatant appraisal and calculation, as if she were livestock, in a long time. The scenes lodged deep in her memory had long since blurred, but the tragic past of her original body, though insufficient to erase her ingrained demeanor of a ruler who had sat on the throne for decades, wielding the power of life and death, had taught her how to react when being scrutinized like this, as someone as lowly as dust.
Like a startled quail, Nan Shiying quickly lowered her head, her freckled cheeks flushing slightly. As her eyes drooped, Auntie Wang noticed her long, thick eyelashes, as dense as fans. Although this girl from the Luan family was plain-looking, with her lowered head and downcast gaze, she possessed a peculiar charm. Her nephew, who had lost his wife many years ago and had been a widower for a long time, should be ready to remarry. Her nephew was more than a good match for this Luan girl. When she returned, she would tell Granny Bian, who would surely be grateful.
With this thought, Auntie Wang couldn't help but adopt an air of seniority. She tilted her head slightly and said to Nan Shiying, "Why are you so unobservant? An elder is tired; shouldn't you offer to help?"
Nan Shiying raised an eyebrow slightly.
Auntie Wang had been quite polite earlier, but why had her demeanor changed? Had she revealed her petty nature now that they were away from Jijiang Alley and the watchful eyes of the neighbors?
However, Nan Shiying didn't get angry. She raised her hand and steadied Auntie Wang's arm.
Seeing her obedience, Auntie Wang nodded, becoming even more pleased with her. She leaned on Nan Shiying, imparting wisdom from an elder's perspective on the importance of a husband's authority in marriage.
Nan Shiying: "...?"
Nan Shiying didn't know what had gotten into Auntie Wang, but she couldn't be bothered to retort or dwell on it. They walked down the bridge and onto Jilin Street. The vendors on both sides of Jilin Street laid out their wares on simple straw mats. The "cheap vegetables" Auntie Wang mentioned had wilted leaves drooping downwards, clearly having been out for a long time. However, for the common folk, whether the vegetables were fresh or not, as long as they could fill their stomachs, that was all that mattered.
Nan Shiying crouched down and began to pick through the vegetables. The vegetable vendor glared at her fiercely and shouted gruffly, "Are you buying or not? If not, get lost! Stop picking through them. If you have money, buy the fresh vegetables. If you don't, just eat these honestly!"
Auntie Wang, hearing the vendor dare to scold her future niece-in-law, was immediately displeased. She shot forward and exclaimed, "You dare say that again to me? What kind of skill is it to bully a young girl? You're selling vegetables, and you don't allow customers to pick? What kind of logic is that? Everyone, judge for yourselves, this vendor doesn't let customers pick vegetables, trying to force sales? Such a big man bullying such a small girl, pah, have you no shame!"
Auntie Wang shouted and spat repeatedly, causing the burly vendor to flinch back. Her display of public tantrums truly stunned the vegetable vendor.