Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The maidservants had eaten these things in the village before they were sold into service. Although they weren't fried with as much oil, the taste was just average, so they couldn’t understand why the beautiful lady was so surprised.

The beautiful lady was completely stunned by the aroma and kept eating one after another.

"I didn't expect that little lady to be quite skilled."

The young master was somewhat proud and urged the beautiful lady to buy the remaining small river shrimp.

The beautiful lady thought for a moment and then sent a maid to make the trip, also giving Lin Chunyan some small silver fish as a reward.

"We can't let her give us these things for free."

However, when the maid went, she found that all the small river shrimp had been bought by someone else.

The maid was momentarily stunned.

Not only her, but even the sugar water vendor and those secretly observing Lin Chunyan did not expect that Lin Chunyan had already sold everything.

Just a moment ago, when there was still half a basket of small river shrimp left, Officer Sun, who had passed by, asked about the price and directly paid for them.

These officers often gathered to eat together, and the small river shrimp made perfect appetizers for their drinks.

"The only thing left is this shrimp powder, which can be used as a seasoning in noodles and tastes quite good."

The maid hesitated, thinking about the small silver fish, but still brought back the shrimp powder.

The small silver fish was worth a lot of money, but for these wealthy people, it was merely a casual tip.

Lin Chunyan accepted it.

The maid returned, dazed, and upon hearing that the small river shrimp were gone and only some shrimp powder remained, the young master pouted and almost cried.

The beautiful lady hurriedly comforted the young master, "Do you know if she'll come back tomorrow?"

The maid had forgotten to ask and ran back, only to find that Lin Chunyan had already left after selling everything, leaving the rest to the sugar water vendor to entertain her grandchildren.

The sugar water vendor felt embarrassed receiving it but offered a small bowl of tangerine peel drink from her supplies.

This drink wasn’t expensive but tasted sweet and sour, making it refreshing in summer.

After drinking it, Lin Chunyan left, planning to buy lard.

Not seeing anyone, the maid became anxious and broke out in a sweat. The sugar water vendor kindly said, "The little lady should come back tomorrow, though we don’t know what she’ll bring."

The maid reported back, and the young master, knowing he wouldn’t see her, reluctantly looked at the shrimp powder.

"Mom, let's go home. I want to eat some noodles with this shrimp powder on top."

The beautiful lady quickly agreed, although she didn’t know what was so special about the shrimp powder, which looked like some dark powder and smelled of seafood, but at least the young master stopped crying.

There were two meat shops in town. Lin Chunyan asked the sugar water vendor and chose one where more people came, ensuring fresher meat.

Few people were buying meat at this hour, so Lin Chunyan picked a fatty piece and also bought several large bones.

She planned to use the bones to make broth.

Thinking further, Lin Chunyan went to the general store and bought some white sugar.

White sugar was relatively expensive. Seeing her young age and not-so-new clothes, the shopkeeper took out some slightly yellowish white sugar.

"The taste is the same; it just doesn’t look as good. If you’re eating it yourself, this is a better deal."

Lin Chunyan carefully compared the two types and ultimately chose the cheaper one.

Seeing the shopkeeper seemed honest, she asked if he had any seasonings.

He brought out what he had, but there wasn’t much. Some seasonings could only be bought at the pharmacy, so Lin Chunyan decided to save up more money.

She didn’t plan to use the small silver fish yet, keeping it for emergencies.

Finally, she had some small shrimp left. Lin Chunyan went to the steamed bun shop and asked if they wanted them.

The steamed bun shop was the one Lin Chunyan had passed by yesterday. It smelled delicious and was run by a couple.

Lin Chunyan bought two meat buns and two vegetable buns. Wang Niangzi, seeing her purchase, couldn’t refuse outright but said the shrimp weren’t useful.

"Putting them in the vegetable buns can enhance the flavor."

Lin Chunyan explained how to use them, and Wang Niangzi hesitated.

"We’ve never tried this before, so we don’t know how it will taste."

Lin Chunyan left some for them to try.

The vegetable buns were filled with leeks and eggs, not as fragrant as they smelled.

If Lin Chunyan were to make them, she would add mushrooms and wood ear fungus for flavor.

The meat buns were pork and scallion, and as expected, they were very tasty. Lin Chunyan ate both of them.

She didn’t plan to bring any back for Mrs. Zhang.

After finishing, she set off. When she arrived home, it was still early, but the sun was scorching, and she was soon covered in sweat.

The air felt sticky, and even the wind couldn’t penetrate it.

A few people sat under the big tree at the entrance, and upon seeing Lin Chunyan return, they couldn’t help but take a closer look.

This look was something she hadn't seen before.

Lin Chunyan could hear them talking about small river fish from a distance. As she approached, a kind-looking auntie stopped her.

"Your mother said you've become quite accomplished, even frying small fish to sell in town?"

It was then that Lin Chunyan realized Mrs. Zhang had been spreading rumors again today, praising her as an exceptional chef with unparalleled skills.

In the past, because she hadn't given birth to a son, Mrs. Zhang feared being ridiculed by the villagers and liked to boast outside about how well Lin Laodai treated her.

For example, she claimed he didn't let her work in the fields, only needing to lie around at home and tidy up, or that he bought new fabrics for her frequently.

These stories were a mix of truth and lies, but the villagers didn't entirely believe them; they just enjoyed the gossip.

However, Mrs. Zhang lived in her own fabricated world, believing others envied her greatly.

Even without a son, she considered herself one of the best-off in Lin Village.

Who knew that Lin Laodai would take a mistress and have a son, not bringing the child under her care but instead giving her a divorce letter.

Mrs. Zhang felt like her world had crumbled and stayed away from the big tree for a few days.

But now, feeling somewhat emboldened, she went out to spread more tales.

When Lin Chunyan returned home, she found Aunt Lin Er and Li Shi there.

These two had heard the commotion and came to investigate.

Seeing Lin Chunyan return, Mrs. Zhang met her gaze and felt a twinge of guilt.

She quickly straightened her back, thinking Lin Chunyan might be getting too full of herself and needed a good scolding.

With this thought, she saw Aunt Lin Er and Li Shi already asking about selling the small river fish.

"Can you really sell them?"

"How much did you earn on this trip?"

Lin Chunyan noticed their eagerness, even Li Shi, who usually looked down on them, had bright eyes.

She placed the basket on the stove, keeping its contents hidden, washed her face, and fetched some melons from the well, first offering pieces to Aunt Lin Er and Li Shi.

The two children they brought also received pieces of the sweet melon, cooled by the well water, which calmed their restlessness.

One doesn't hit a smiling face, and although Lin Chunyan was typically quiet, the sweetness of the melon made Aunt Lin Er more patient.

After eating the melon and washing their hands, Lin Chunyan replied, "I can sell them, but I only earned five copper coins this time, not counting the expenses for lard and flour, which makes it..."

She left the rest unsaid, but Aunt Lin Er and Li Shi understood—it wasn't much of a profit.