Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Lin Chunyan teased her intentionally, "Mom, you really dare to spend this money on a cart. Aren’t you afraid it will be wasted?"

Mrs. Zhang had her own accounts and counted the copper coins every day.

Although she didn't know how much Lin Chunyan had saved before, since she started selling at the dock, she had almost saved up one string of coins.

The key was, how long had it even been!

If they had a cart, the daily earnings would likely increase, and eventually, they could earn back the cost of the cart.

"An old cart costs about three strings of coins, but a new one requires four or five."

Seeing that Mrs. Zhang was serious, Lin Chunyan stopped teasing her. After Lin Taohong finished washing the dishes and returned, the three sat down at the dining table to discuss.

Lin Taohong was quite excited, though she wasn't sure what to say. But being invited to join the discussion meant she had a voice in the family.

Mrs. Zhang glanced at Lin Taohong's excited expression, drooping her eyelids without saying anything.

Though Lin Taohong liked to compete with others and was somewhat lazy, she was willing to put in effort when it came to selling goods.

Mrs. Zhang said, "I think we should buy an old one first and make do with it."

Lin Chunyan thought for a moment and looked at the acorn tofu in the courtyard. "Buying an old one, we don’t know how long it will last before breaking. Then we’d have to replace it again. We need it every day. It’s better to buy a new one, which is only two strings more expensive."

Mrs. Zhang drew a sharp breath. From Lin Chunyan’s words, it seemed those two strings of coins were easily earned.

"We not only need to buy the cart but also set up a stove on it. That will cost more than just two strings."

Lin Taohong also thought buying an old one would be better.

"What if it breaks after a few days? What then?"

This thing wasn’t like others; it wouldn’t be easy to replace if it broke.

"How about saving up a bit more?" Mrs. Zhang thought it was reasonable. If those two strings were lost, she might not sleep at night.

"Save up a bit more. The acorns are already soaked. Let’s make acorn tofu and sell it tomorrow. This way, we can earn more each day, and it won’t take too long."

Hearing this, both felt energized and no longer tired, helping Lin Chunyan scoop out the acorns.

Mrs. Zhang, mindful of the two strings of coins, reached out to take them back. "I’ll keep them for now and give them to you when needed."

But Lin Chunyan kept the money. "We’ll need it soon for the cart. I’ll hold onto it. What if you change your mind later and don’t want to give it?"

Mrs. Zhang hadn’t expected that even without buying the cart, she couldn’t get the money back. She slumped, losing all spirit. "Of course I’ll give it. Am I that kind of person?"

Lin Taohong cautiously nodded in agreement, which almost made Mrs. Zhang chase after her to hit her.

Mrs. Zhang truly regretted her impulse. Now she was filled with remorse.

She stared at the money for a long time but couldn’t get it back from Lin Chunyan. She repeatedly urged her to keep it safe.

"If it gets lost, it will be the death of me!"

"Don’t worry, Mom."

Mrs. Zhang beat her chest, wishing she could go back and slap herself.

After soaking for four or five days, the acorns had become soft, and the water turned brown. They changed the water several times before it was clean.

Next, they ground the soaked acorns into powder using their stone mill, which Lin Chunyan had previously used to try making a drink from wild fruits.

However, because the fruits were too sour, the drink didn’t work out.

Using the stone mill finally cheered Mrs. Zhang up. Since buying it, it hadn’t been used much, only occasionally for grinding grains.

They bought it because the second and third households had one, and having many people in their household made it useful. But Mrs. Zhang, always competitive, insisted on having one too.

Mrs. Zhang proudly told Lin Chunyan, "Your father didn’t want me to buy it, saying it was a waste of money. Good thing I didn’t listen to him."

If they hadn’t bought it, they would have had to spend money on it now, another expense.

The acorn powder turned yellow. Lin Chunyan used well water to rinse the stone mill, collecting the residue in a bucket. Lin Taohong brought over a strainer lined with cheesecloth to filter the acorn water several times.

After filtering, the residue was removed, and the remaining acorn water needed to settle overnight.

Mrs. Zhang saw there was still a lot of residue left and asked if the chickens could eat it.

Their chickens had grown significantly. Besides letting them find food in the courtyard, they needed additional feed daily.

Lin Chunyan suggested trying it, remembering that pigs could eat the residue.

If they had more hands, Lin Chunyan would have loved to raise a pig for slaughter during the New Year.

Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong fed the acorn tofu residue to the chickens. The four or five chickens ran over, attracted by the smell.

"Oh, they’re actually eating it!"

Mrs. Zhang was delighted and had Lin Taohong pick some rotten leaves from the field, mixing them with the residue. The chickens ate even more enthusiastically.

Mrs. Zhang peeked under the chickens’ bottoms. In recent days, while she was away selling, she had relaxed her watch over the chickens. Two eggs ended up in the backyard, discovered by Little Hei, who barked to alert them.

Little Hei had grown considerably. During the day, with no one home, he played with the chickens, who were slightly afraid of him and backed away when he approached.

Little Hei sniffed the acorn tofu residue but found it unappetizing and left.

At mealtime, Little Hei wagged his tail excitedly around Lin Chunyan, enjoying bones and leftovers.

The next morning, Lin Chunyan poured out the acorn water that had settled overnight, leaving behind the acorn flour.

This acorn flour could not only be used to make tofu but also be brewed and drunk.

Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong came over, and upon seeing the acorn flour, they both showed looks of surprise.

"Big Sister, you're too amazing."

Lin Chunyan added some more water to the bucket, poured everything into a pot, and after it boiled, she continuously stirred until the acorn water became thick and sticky.

She then placed the thick acorn flour in a bowl, waited for it to cool down, and turned it out onto a cutting board.

The acorn tofu was now ready.

Lin Chunyan cut the acorn tofu into small pieces, planning to have it for breakfast today.

Mrs. Zhang refused to leave the kitchen, not minding the heat, and kept muttering, "My goodness, if these acorns can be eaten, no one will starve anymore."

"The color isn't very appealing," Lin Taohong commented, thinking that if the acorn tofu were white and tender, it would sell better.

"Just wait until you taste it."

Lin Chunyan put the acorn tofu in a bowl, added ginger, garlic, and dogwood berries, then poured hot oil over it to make a cold dish.

She also cut the acorn tofu into small pieces, heated up some oil, added minced garlic, and stir-fried the tofu with dogwood berries for seasoning.

Once these two dishes were served, Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong stopped complaining altogether.

Lin Taohong didn't even use chopsticks; she grabbed a piece and put it in her mouth. The acorn tofu was soft, chewy, and not at all bitter or astringent, instead having a fragrant taste.

She nodded while eating, and Mrs. Zhang couldn't resist taking a bite either, slapping her thigh as she did so.

"My goodness, we must have been blind before. We wasted such good food."

She looked as if she regretted it deeply.

"Let's go pick more acorns later!"

Mrs. Zhang was full of energy, wanting to gather all the acorns from the mountain without needing Lin Chunyan to urge her. She ate quickly.

"Next time, I'll let you try the acorn flour mixed with water. It's filling too."

Mrs. Zhang worked even faster, thinking about how many acorns there were on the mountain and how to bring them all home.

Seeing her enthusiasm, Lin Chunyan couldn't help but laugh. "Mother, don't rush. We can't do everything at once. Take it slow."

There would be plenty of time to gather acorns, and Lin Chunyan planned to store a lot. Besides selling them, she wanted to keep some in the cellar for her family to eat slowly.

The cellar was much fuller than before, no longer empty when they entered, which gave them a sense of security.

After breakfast, they weren't in a hurry to go to town. The three of them went up the mountain and collected many acorns, soaking them in water before heading to town.

Both their baskets contained some acorn tofu, intending to try selling it.

To prevent Mrs. Zhang's shoulders from hurting, Lin Chunyan didn't pack too much and let her rest several times along the way.

Mrs. Zhang knew Lin Chunyan was concerned about her and felt incredibly warm-hearted. She no longer cared much about the money and felt energized walking to the dock.

Earlier, if someone had told her she would carry goods to the dock to sell, Mrs. Zhang would have spat in disbelief.

But now, she found the daily routine of vending at the dock incredibly reassuring.

Lin Taohong was also very excited on the way. When they arrived in town, she started calling out customers without waiting for Lin Chunyan to do so.

The sugar water vendor was no longer surprised but still expressed amazement at the new items Lin Chunyan brought every few days.

Especially this time, the item was something she had never seen before, called jelly tofu.

This name was chosen by Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong together, as they didn't want people to know it was made from acorns.

Since Lin Chunyan said it was like jelly, they thought the name fit, even though they didn't know what jelly was.

Before going to the dock, Mrs. Zhang reminded Lin Chunyan not to reveal anything.

The sugar water vendor had never heard of jelly tofu and asked why its color wasn't white like regular tofu.

Lin Taohong quickly replied, "This tofu is naturally dark, but it's guaranteed to be delicious."

Lin Chunyan cut a small piece of acorn tofu for the people around her to try.

The old man who sold sugar paintings had lost his teeth, but his family was doing well, and his children were successful. However, he could eat very little, like the meat buns he couldn't even taste.

But the acorn tofu was different. He could swallow it easily without chewing.

The taste was somewhat different from tofu, and he couldn't tell what it was made from. Lin Chunyan mentioned that if cooked or mixed at home, it would have another flavor.

The old man took out some copper coins, asked the price, and bought some.

Lin Chunyan had set the price at home, making it cheaper than tofu since tofu requires soybeans and is more labor-intensive.

Hearing it was only one coin per pound, the old man took out two more coins. "Then give me a bit more."

When people heard how cheap it was, even Aunt Fang took out a coin and bought a pound.

Though the acorn tofu was cheap, it weighed a lot. Even so, Aunt Fang was very happy.

Even Fang Xiaotian couldn't help but smile.

Yesterday was her first day helping Aunt Fang. After returning home, she helped cook and clean up for her little brother, but Fang Xiaotian felt that life was full of hope, especially feeling useful.

At night, Aunt Fang counted the copper coins they had earned, and she was so moved that tears fell from her eyes.

There were even more than she had imagined.

Her husband coughed a few times during the night, covering his mouth, but seeing so many copper coins, he felt a glimmer of hope for their life.

"Later, I'll find you a better doctor; surely, your illness can be cured."

Her husband didn't refuse. He knew that only by getting well quickly could Aunt Fang and Fang Xiaotian stop suffering, and their family's life would improve.

Lin Taohong couldn't hide the smile on her face. She said that this was the first day selling tofu, unlike roujiamo, which everyone knows is delicious at first sight. She thought it might not sell well, but in just a short while, quite a bit of tofu had been sold.

She grinned widely, discussing with Lin Chunyan whether to buy some soybean paste later. Lin Chunyan had always wanted to make soybean paste but had been too busy.

"Of course we should go. I think we should return home earlier today and..."

Before she could finish, someone rushed towards them. Lin Chunyan was shocked; the person looked fierce, and behind them was Wang Yingniang. It was clear they were here to cause trouble.

But she noticed too late. Aunt He had already reached them and started smashing things without a word.

Lin Chunyan tried to stop her but was intercepted by Wang Erlang and others. Wang Yingniang stood at the back, dragged along against her will, her head bowed, not daring to look up.

Lin Taohong was stunned for a moment, then saw all their goods smashed and became so angry that her whole body trembled. She rolled up her sleeves and tried to pull Aunt He away.

The people around them came to help. Aunt Fang and the sugar water vendor, who were closest, one went to help Lin Chunyan, and the other helped Lin Taohong pull Aunt He away.

Seeing Wang Erlang and others about to join in, the sugar painting and sugar water vendors also rolled up their sleeves.

The vegetable sellers, flower sellers, and egg sellers, all familiar faces, came over to break up the fight, quickly controlling Aunt He and the others.

Aunt He, seeing she couldn't continue smashing, covered her face and began crying, asking the crowd to judge, "You mustn't let them deceive you. These two young ladies have ill intentions and locked our family head in the government office."

Lin Chunyan, who had beaten Wang Erlang earlier, didn't hold back her strength. Hearing this, she snorted coldly, "As if the government office is ours to lock people up!"

The people around them murmured, but no one believed Aunt He.

The sugar water vendor chimed in, "If they could lock up your family head, it must be because he did something wrong. Earlier, when Yan Niang was alone, your family plotted countless schemes."

Initially, no one knew who they were, but seeing Wang Yingniang, they understood the situation.

The stall owners knew the enmity between them and criticized Aunt He.

Wang Erlang, ignoring his pain, argued, "My father was indeed framed by them. Regardless of what happened before, later, we even considered proposing marriage to join our families. How could we frame them?"

Lin Taohong spat at him. Her hair was disheveled from fighting with Aunt He, but she didn't care. Thinking of the oak tofu and tofu sticks on the ground, she felt a pang of heartache.

"How shameless!" Lin Taohong exclaimed loudly, "Look at your brother! He can't carry water or lift anything. My sister is such a good person; how could she ever look at someone like him? We've already said no, yet you still plot behind our backs..."

Lin Chunyan, without hesitation, continued, "Your family head colluded with your village's Chef Wang to ruin my reputation. They hired Hu Erqiang, but thankfully, I had company that day and wasn't harmed. The officials caught him. If you're not convinced, let's go to the government office and settle this."

Wang Yingniang, helping Lin Chunyan, couldn't speak as boldly, fearing it would bring trouble.

The crowd was stunned by Lin Chunyan's words.

First, they never expected Wang Chuizi to be so bold as to attempt such a thing, deserving to be caught by the officials.

Second, they were impressed by Lin Chunyan's fearlessness, speaking openly about such matters.

The sugar water vendor reacted first, exclaiming, "What a tragedy! You still dare to cause trouble in town. You should be arrested and punished by the officials!"

Aunt Fang mimicked Lin Taohong, spitting at Aunt He. Aunt He, realizing Lin Chunyan had turned the tide with her words, panicked and cried, not knowing what to say.

Fang Xiaotian, sensing something was wrong, ran to the dock under Aunt Fang's instructions. Though she had been there many times, she didn't know where Mrs. Zhang's stall was.

Fortunately, she was quick-witted and figured Mrs. Zhang's stall would be crowded. She searched for the busiest spot and found her.

Mrs. Zhang hadn't realized what was happening and smiled brightly. The oak tofu was selling exceptionally well due to its low price, attracting many buyers.

In no time, most of the tofu was sold.

She didn't recognize Fang Xiaotian, who ran over sweating profusely, trying to squeeze through the crowd. Mrs. Zhang told her to queue, reminding her not to cut in line due to her age.

"Aunt, something's wrong! Sister Chunyan's stall was attacked by Wang Chuizi's family!"

Mrs. Zhang's smile froze. Initially confused, she quickly understood and stood up abruptly, leaving her stall unattended.

The customers pulled her, insisting she weigh their purchases first, as they had waited in line.

Jin Niangzi, whose business was slow, squeezed next to Mrs. Zhang and pushed her gently, "Go check on them; I'll help sell here."

Mrs. Zhang, having sold for a long time, knew the quantity of goods.

Without saying much, she followed Fang Xiaotian, cursing the family all the way. She wished they were right in front of her so she could deal with them directly.

Despite her heavy breathing, she didn't stop, rushing into the crowd and hearing Aunt He's curses. Seeing their stall's goods scattered on the ground, her eyes widened in anger.

Not just the small river fish, fried shrimp, and crabs, but the oak tofu, made by Lin Chunyan last night, was also ruined. She had watched Lin Chunyan work hard on it.

Heaven forbid, it was all thrown on the ground!

Lin Taohong's hair was disheveled, but her face was flushed, and her eyes sparkled, showing she hadn't suffered any injustice. Lin Chunyan remained unchanged, her dark eyes revealing her anger.

Mrs. Zhang confirmed they were unharmed, rolled up her sleeves, and charged in to confront them.

Aunt He was still crying on the ground when a slap flew towards her, making her head turn and her ears ring. Before she could react, she felt her scalp ache.

"You wicked woman..."

Upon Mrs. Zhang's arrival, Lin Taohong breathed a sigh of relief and added details to the story. Wang Chuizi's sons tried to help but were held back by the crowd.

Wang Yingniang didn't move. Mrs. He, who was being beaten, couldn't fight back and shouted at Wang Yingniang, "What are you still standing there for? Can't you see your own mother is being beaten? Come over here..."

Wang Yingniang moved her lips slightly, but her feet felt as if they were glued to the ground, unable to take even a single step forward.

That morning, she had tried to persuade Mrs. He for a long time, but Mrs. He was not someone easily persuaded and ended up scolding her instead.

Mrs. He was no match for Mrs. Zhang and kept getting beaten down. Wang Erlang and Wang Sanlang couldn't come to her aid, and Wang Yingniang remained rooted to the spot. She was left with no one to help her, and her cries only ceased when Officer Sun and his men arrived.

Officer Sun knew immediately what was happening. Mrs. Zhang could not be seen beating someone in front of the officers, so she also sat on the ground crying, initially with three parts real and seven parts fake, but the more she cried, the more genuine it became, eventually reaching five or six parts real.

Mrs. Fang and the sugar water vendor's wife couldn't bear to watch and began to blame Mrs. He and the others.

Mrs. He not only got beaten but was also criticized by others, gaining no benefit whatsoever. Frustrated, she took out her anger on Wang Yingniang, "You worthless girl, look how capable other people's daughters are; why can't you do anything?"

Wang Yingniang, used to being beaten, only hung her head low, looking even thinner than before.

The sugar water vendor shook his head, "This couple is truly despicable, taking out their anger on this poor girl!"

Officer Sun and the officers behind him prepared to take Mrs. He and her family away, brandishing their weapons loudly to scare them into thinking they would be thrown into jail.

"Since you're dissatisfied with the officials, let's settle this at the courthouse," said Officer Sun coldly, which was intimidating enough to make anyone fear.

Mrs. He was momentarily frightened, and her two sons immediately started begging for mercy, pushing all the blame onto Mrs. He, claiming it was all her idea and had nothing to do with them.

Their lack of responsibility drew ridicule from the crowd, and it was no wonder Lin Chunyan looked down on them. Anyone who cared about their daughter would despise such behavior.

Mrs. He knew exactly what kind of people her sons were and wasn't particularly heartbroken. Instead, she struggled with Officer Sun, refusing to leave.

Lin Chunyan, however, wasn't going to let her off easily, "They destroyed my stall, and many things are now unusable. We worked hard to make these, and we cannot just let this go."

When Officer Sun arrived, he saw the smashed tofu and small river fish on the ground, along with some brownish substance he had never seen before.

He felt a pang of sympathy, knowing that tofu was rationed, and this destruction meant a lot of wasted effort.

Even though he hadn't tasted the new food yet, based on his knowledge of Lin Chunyan, he was sure it would be delicious!

Angry, Officer Sun demanded that Mrs. He and her family pay compensation, threatening that if they didn't, it wouldn't just be jail time but also corporal punishment.

Mr. Zhao had been busy recently and finally returned home, only to be pestered by his two children to go shopping.

When their mother was around, she didn't allow them to eat much street food, unlike Mr. Zhao.

Although his children loved eating, they were diligent in their studies. Seeing their good progress, Mr. Zhao agreed to take them shopping.

The two young boys headed straight for Lin Chunyan's stall, seeing a crowd and assuming there was a new product. They pushed their way through.

But they found only scattered items on the ground, and the stall was empty.

The culprits were still arguing about not paying compensation, leaving the two boys disappointed.

Mr. Zhao saw the fresh food on the ground and was equally frustrated. Hearing Mrs. He's unreasonable arguments, he directly told Officer Sun, "Seeing their stubbornness, if we don't punish them properly, others might follow suit and start destroying stalls. What then?"

Officer Sun agreed, knowing Mr. Zhao had considerable wealth and influence with the magistrate.

Mrs. He, seeing Mr. Zhao's words, was terrified at the thought of being sent to jail and fell silent.

Still, they refused to pay compensation. Wang Chuizi's imprisonment had already cost them a lot, depleting their savings.

Today, with their resources drained, Mrs. He couldn't swallow her anger, thinking that the girls running the stall had no backing and decided to cause trouble.

With their numbers, even if Lin Chunyan felt wronged, she wouldn't dare speak up about almost being robbed.

However, Lin Chunyan showed no fear, openly speaking her mind, seemingly unconcerned about marriage prospects.

Mrs. Zhang, seeing Mr. Zhao supporting them, was grateful and bowed repeatedly, hoping he would buy more from her in the future.

Mrs. He tried to plead once more, kneeling before Lin Chunyan, hoping her thin skin would lead to forgiveness.

Seeing her like this, Officer Sun hesitated to take her away, as Mrs. He hadn't committed any serious crimes. Even in court, it would only result in a few lashes.

But Lin Chunyan ignored her and looked at Officer Sun, "Mr. Zhao's words are reasonable. If I let this slide, what will happen next time someone causes trouble?"

Mr. Zhao nodded, impressed by Lin Chunyan's firmness and clarity.

Mrs. He, seeing Lin Chunyan's refusal to forgive her, stared in disbelief. She had already knelt, yet Lin Chunyan still wouldn't let go.

Mrs. Zhang, seeing her gaze, spat at her, "You shameless old hag."

Scholar Song had been buying small river fish frequently and later developed a taste for tofu. During study breaks, he would snack on these treats, finding them tasty and affordable, perfect for scholars like him.

A few other scholars from humble backgrounds also frequented the stall. Yesterday, Scholar Song heard about the meat buns, which sounded delicious, containing both meat and eggs.

With some money left, after finishing his revision, he slowly made his way to Lin Chunyan's stall.

To his surprise, he found a dispute, with scattered tofu and small river fish on the ground, picked up by several children.

These children, from the nearby alley, usually received extra snacks from Lin Chunyan. After picking up the scattered food, they placed it back on the stall, though it was too dirty to sell.

Scholar Song listened to their argument for a while. Seeing Mr. Zhao intervene and Mrs. He still unrepentant, he found her behavior despicable and disliked her even more.

Hearing Lin Chunyan's words, Scholar Song cheered from behind. People recognized him in his scholar's robe and made way for him.

Officer Sun and Mr. Zhao knew him, and after exchanging greetings, Scholar Song said, "I may not be much, but I stand against injustice. These people are barbaric, and I am willing to vouch for them before the magistrate."

Mrs. He's family was stunned. What was supposed to be just a few lashes now meant facing the magistrate.

The magistrate is not so easy to see; one would have to go through great trouble to come out.

That damned Lin Chunyan, where did she get such good luck? Regardless of how that Constable Sun came into the picture, both Master Zhao and Scholar Song are educated men. With her status, Lin Chunyan isn't even fit to carry their shoes.

Yet these people all willingly protect her.

Wang Erlang's two brothers didn't want to see the magistrate and only blamed Aunt He for causing trouble. One of the brothers even wanted to hit Aunt He, thinking it would help Lin Chunyan vent her anger.

Lin Chunyan was too lazy to look at these people anymore. She counted the money on her stall and told Constable Sun to charge them accordingly.

Constable Sun assured Lin Chunyan, "Once we get to the courthouse, they will have no choice but to pay."

Lin Chunyan then whispered to Constable Sun, "Wang Yingniang is different from the rest of her family; she is good-hearted. She has had a hard life and helped me."

That day, Wang Yingniang came to help her but insisted that Lin Chunyan not mention it, fearing that if Wang Chuizi and Aunt He found out, they wouldn't spare her.

Lin Chunyan respected her wishes, but today, she couldn't let Wang Yingniang suffer along with the others when they were taken to jail.

Constable Sun nodded, "I understand what to do. Don't worry."

With the commotion over, the crowd slowly dispersed. Mrs. Zhang, who had run hastily earlier and broken into a sweat, now felt shivering and dizzy.

Seeing her condition, Lin Chunyan quickly found a stool for her to sit on and got her a bowl of plum drink from the sugar water vendor.

"Perhaps you were too anxious just now, and your blood rushed to your head. Aunt, sit here and rest while I clean up."

Master Zhao and Scholar Song left with Constable Sun, taking the people away. However, the two young lads in their group stayed behind, pointing at the brownish substance and asking Lin Taohong what it was.

"It's jelly tofu, very tasty and smooth," Lin Taohong said regretfully. "Unfortunately, it can't be eaten today since it fell on the ground and got dirty."

Thinking about how their hard work on the acorn tofu went to waste, she wished she could slap those people again.

The two young lads were quite envious but knew that eating something dirty would not be approved by their mother or Master Zhao. They reluctantly walked away, telling Lin Chunyan to set up their stall early tomorrow.

After settling Mrs. Zhang, Lin Chunyan saw that the items only had surface dirt and could still be eaten after washing. Thinking about how everyone had helped her, she decided to share the food.

Worried they might be squeamish, she explained, but they didn't care about the dirt at all.

The sugar water vendor took two pieces of jelly tofu and teased Lin Chunyan, "Your product usually sells for several coins, yet you're giving us the ones that just got dusty. We're actually getting a bargain, yet you feel embarrassed."

Lin Chunyan smiled and thanked them again.

There was plenty to share, so even the children who helped pick up the items received some snails and crabs. These kids didn't mind the dirt and ate them right away.

Fortunately, the braised meat and eggs were near Aunt Fang's stove and escaped the mess. Since she liked Fang Xiaotian's cleverness, she also gave them some bean curd.

Today, selling anything else seemed unlikely, so Lin Chunyan decided to sell meat sandwiches. Seeing Mrs. Zhang rested a bit and feeling less dizzy, she asked Lin Taohong to accompany her.

As soon as they left, Hu Xiaolangjun arrived with his servants, puzzled to find nothing on the stall.

Lin Chunyan, already familiar with him, explained that an incident occurred. Besides meat sandwiches, she also made jelly tofu, inviting him to try it another day.

Hu Xiaolangjun was intrigued by the new food options, having missed out for just two days.

The meat sandwich was understandable, but he had never heard of jelly tofu.

"Then I'll have a meat sandwich first and try the jelly tofu another time," Hu Xiaolangjun said regretfully.

Lin Chunyan agreed and skillfully sliced the braised meat and eggs, filling the air with delicious aromas.

When Mrs. Zhang returned to the dock, Jin Niangzi was busy selling. Seeing Mrs. Zhang back, she asked how it went.

"They've all been taken to the magistrate!"

Mrs. Zhang said this with gritted teeth, "That old woman didn't get any advantage; I gave her a good beating. It's just a pity about our goods."

Jin Niangzi, relieved that no one was hurt, tried to console her.

Mrs. Zhang counted the money and, seeing that Jin Niangzi hadn't taken any, became less angry.

Jin Niangzi, seizing the opportunity, pointed at the jelly tofu, "This stuff sells well and looks smooth and bouncy. If you want to thank me, give me a couple of slices."

Mrs. Zhang spat, "Get lost! I'm still angry, all because of your greed for that wine!"

Jin Niangzi, embarrassed, changed the subject and casually asked, "How is this made?"

Mrs. Zhang huffed and refused to answer, saying it was their family secret.

In the late afternoon, Lin Chunyan counted the money and gave it to Aunt Fang before heading to Mrs. Zhang.

Due to her anxiety and recent exhaustion, Mrs. Zhang felt a persistent headache and as if she had fought multiple battles.

Seeing her condition, Lin Chunyan told her to rest while she and Lin Taohong made the acorn tofu.

Mrs. Zhang wanted to help, knowing that the acorn tofu sold well and many customers wanted to buy it tomorrow.

It was a complicated process, and relying on two girls alone would take forever.

Lin Chunyan agreed that three people weren't enough, especially considering the other tasks like making fish in clay pots, snails and crabs, and bean curd.

Now with the addition of acorn tofu, Mrs. Zhang didn't want to give up any of these items, as each brought in significant sales.

Unable to convince Mrs. Zhang otherwise, Lin Chunyan thought about bringing in Lin Cuixiang.

Lin Taohong disagreed, "She's from the second branch. How can you tell someone else about our business?"

"But we can't make all the acorn tofu ourselves. There are so many acorns on the mountain."

Lin Chunyan never intended to keep the acorn tofu recipe a secret for long, knowing that collecting acorns would eventually be discovered.

The three of them weren't on the same page. Just then, someone knocked on the door, and Little Hei barked at the entrance. Lin Chunyan went to open the door and saw a young lady in willow-yellow attire smiling sweetly at the doorstep.

She was holding a basket filled with mushrooms and wood ears, all picked from the mountain, along with several sour fruits beside them.

Lin Chunyan recognized her; it was she who had asked Lin Chunyan if she wanted to buy mushrooms when they were on the mountain before.

"Yan Niang, look, these are fresh from the mountain. I'm not sure if you still want them."

Zhao Xinghua had willow-leaf-shaped eyebrows, a soft and delicate voice, and a few light yellow flowers in her hair, making her instantly likable.

Lin Chunyan nodded, estimated the weight, and took out two copper coins.

Zhao Xinghua happily accepted them and pushed the sour plums forward. "I found these while picking mushrooms. These sour jujubes are ripe now, perfect for a snack."

Lin Chunyan didn't refuse much. The skin of these sour jujubes had softened, and the flesh inside was tender and sweet, a rare treat in the village at this time.