Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Seeing how delicious the cold dishes were, the man took out five copper coins. Uncle Xiao Zhang nimbly took the cold dishes from his basket and introduced each item to him.

"This is jelly tofu, this is bean skin, this is bean curd, and these are fried peanuts."

These were all things the customer had never seen before, but he did not feel that the few coins were wasted. He put a piece in his mouth and was immediately attracted by the taste of the cold dishes. He gave a thumbs up, "The taste is top-notch. I didn't expect such good food to be found in White Cloud Town."

At this moment, other guests came out of their rooms. Hearing the lively conversation, they stretched their necks to listen, and some even wanted to come over for a taste. Uncle Xiao Zhang asked a waiter to bring chopsticks.

The waiter reluctantly went to fetch them and tried a bite himself. He ate the jelly tofu, which was refreshing and smooth, making him feel very satisfied.

Seeing the waiter eating, Uncle Xiao Zhang couldn't help but smile. The waiter felt something was amiss and heard Uncle Xiao Zhang say, "Little brother, what do you think of this dish? If we sell it at your inn, it should do well, right?"

The waiter scratched his head, not quite understanding, so Uncle Xiao Zhang explained that he wanted the waiter to take the cold dishes to the innkeeper.

Some people recognized Uncle Xiao Zhang and pointed at him, "Aren't you the one who sells canned goods at the plain steamed bun stall? What are you doing here?"

Finding an acquaintance, Uncle Xiao Zhang was not embarrassed. He pointed to the items in his basket, "I'm staying here for the night and thought someone would come down for dinner, so I brought some things along."

Others began asking about the canned goods, and Uncle Xiao Zhang had to take out the hawthorn cans for them to see.

Someone suddenly understood, "I heard that the market in town was very lively at noon. It turns out it was you selling things."

After the waiter brought the cold dishes to the innkeeper, the innkeeper was initially angry, thinking the waiter was neglecting his duties. He scolded him a few times, telling him not to do such things again.

The waiter hung his head, looking unhappy. Seeing this, the innkeeper felt sorry for him and picked up the chopsticks to try a bite, intending to just say a few words to get by.

But after tasting it, he found it very flavorful, crisp, and refreshing. He quickly called back the waiter who was about to leave, "Where is the person selling these cold dishes now?"

The waiter pointed to a table outside. When the innkeeper went over, he saw that Uncle Xiao Zhang was already surrounded by many people, all looking at the novel and exotic foods.

"These dishes can be sold individually or mixed together with seasoning, like the cold dishes everyone just tasted."

He also mentioned that the jelly tofu could be made both savory and sweet, making many people drool as they listened. Some bought the spicy bean skin and five-spice bean curd, planning to eat them as midnight snacks.

Impressed by Uncle Xiao Zhang's talent, the innkeeper approached him with the cold dishes and started a conversation.

"The cold dishes the waiter brought me were very tasty. I wonder how much they cost."

Uncle Xiao Zhang had prepared his pitch and explained the costs and pricing to the innkeeper. "We know you have a kitchen here. We can provide the raw materials, such as bean skin, bean curd, and kelp threads. All you need to do is season them according to the recipe, and they will taste just as good."

Hearing that he would also receive the recipes for the cold dishes, the innkeeper was already convinced. After some negotiation, they agreed on a long-term supply deal.

Uncle Xiao Zhang was very pleased; this was the biggest order he had secured today. The innkeeper was generous and ordered half a year's worth of supplies, to be delivered monthly.

Excited, Uncle Xiao Zhang couldn't sleep all night. The next morning, he packed up early and headed back.

Feeling a bit nauseous, he went straight to Lin Chunyan's stall at the dock. Many people were gathered around her stall, dressed as maids and servants from the mansion.

They had come early to buy chrysanthemum pastries, and Mrs. Zhang arrived just in time to help. She was delighted just counting the copper coins.

Lin Chunyan was cooking noodles for the two Sun brothers. They often came to her noodle stall whenever they had free time. Seeing her business thriving, Sun the constable said, "I've heard in the government office that your chrysanthemum pastries are very popular. People take them when visiting relatives and friends, or they miss out."

Lin Chunyan smiled at his teasing and gave each of them two plates of chrysanthemum pastries to taste.

The two brothers didn't hesitate, each putting a pastry in their mouths.

Lin Chunyan then asked about the three thieves, "Any progress?"

Sun the constable shook his head, "The man was severely injured in the leg and couldn't tell us much. We'll have to interrogate his accomplices, which will take a few days."

Lin Chunyan felt a bit disappointed. Sun Anyuan added, "Big cases often take six months to a year to solve. Don't worry, Lin Lady. We need to interrogate all the accomplices thoroughly."

Lin Chunyan nodded, not feeling anxious. News spread slowly, and many places still didn't know about the theft at her home.

Once everyone knew, and learned the fate of the thief, it would serve as a deterrent.

She then checked the fillings in the chrysanthemum pastries. Sun the constable had the red bean paste filling, while Sun Anyuan had the mung bean filling, both freshly made yesterday.

There were also lotus seed and egg yolk fillings, but they were difficult to make, and there weren't many, so Lin Chunyan didn't plan to sell them, keeping them for her family.

Seeing them so busy, Uncle Xiao Zhang found a moment to join them. Mrs. Zhang, seeing him return, quickly pulled him to a seat and offered him a chrysanthemum pastry, "This is your niece's pastry. Try it."

Eating these pastries, Uncle Xiao Zhang wasn't just enjoying the food; he was thinking about whether they could be sold in Gourd Town, if anyone would buy them, and where to sell them.

However, after the first bite of the chrysanthemum pastry, all those thoughts vanished, leaving only the word "delicious" in his mind.

Mrs. Zhang then handed him a cup of chrysanthemum wine, "It tastes better with this wine. But we made very little, only two jars, and we haven't sold any."

Sun Anyuan, with his keen hearing, overheard this. Sun the constable couldn't drink as he had to go to the government office, but Sun Anyuan had no such restrictions and wasn't on duty today. He shamelessly asked Lin Chunyan for a cup.

Lin Chunyan poured him some, saying, "We didn't make much of this wine yesterday, and it's our first attempt. The flavor isn't quite right yet. I'll invite you to taste it once it's better."

Sun Anyuan took a sip and found it sweet and refreshing, almost like a fruit drink.

Seeing this, Sun the constable knew the wine must be very good and eagerly agreed to Lin Chunyan's offer, "When you make more, I'll buy some and treat the people at the government office. Please save some for me, Lin Lady."

Lin Chunyan nodded and looked at Sun Anyuan, asking about the taste of the wine and if there were any improvements needed.

Sun Anyuan, after finishing his cup, said, "Everything else is fine, but the alcohol content is a bit low. It doesn't have much kick."

Lin Chunyan smiled, "Don't underestimate this wine. It can still get you drunk."

Sun Anyuan then mentioned Little Hei, "He might need some training. Our security company has other dogs. Perhaps we can temporarily move them to your place to deter others."

Lin Chunyan thought about it and agreed, saying she would stop by the security company on her way back to town to pick up the dogs.

When the crowd thinned, she asked Uncle Xiao Zhang about his situation in Gourd Town, which she had been very concerned about.

This isn't like supplying goods to that merchant Liu; once the items are sold, it doesn’t matter how well they sell.

Running goods to town is like a maiden's first ride in a sedan chair.

Uncle Zhang Xiao set up a suspense, first asking Lin Chunyan to guess what sold best. Lin Chunyan guessed several times but didn’t get it right.

Finally, Uncle Zhang Xiao said, "It’s bean skin and canned hawthorns! At first, they weren’t so easy to sell; I was chased out of several taverns. Later, I realized I had to buy something there first before showing my goods, then they wouldn’t chase me away anymore."

Lin Chunyan felt reassured after hearing this. She thought that selling so much on his first trip was already quite an achievement for Uncle Zhang Xiao, so she recorded it in the accounts and let him rest for a few days before coming back in two or three days.

Uncle Zhang Xiao had been away for a few days and also missed his wife Ma and Dabao at home. Upon hearing he didn’t have to run around anymore, he was genuinely relieved.

After eating, he took all the things Lin Chunyan had given him and hurried home, where it was already late.

Ma didn’t expect him to return, feeling both happy and worried if he had messed up the job.

In front of her, Uncle Zhang Xiao couldn’t help but boast a bit, saying how he managed to sell those items and how satisfied Lin Chunyan was.

Ma was delighted when she heard this. In just two days, Lin Chunyan gave Uncle Zhang Xiao one hundred coins, which shocked her. She kept touching the silver coins, “There are actually so many.”

If it were in the past, Uncle Zhang Xiao would have thought this amount was considerable, but with just the hawthorn cans alone selling for five coins each, he had made quite a bit of money for Lin Chunyan over two days, making him feel justified in taking the one hundred coins.

Ma secretly rejoiced that she had let Uncle Zhang Xiao take on this task. Otherwise, without any income, it would be hard to arrange a marriage for Dabao in the future.

Uncle Zhang Xiao had only been out for two days but had seen how generous those young ladies were, not much different from young masters. Thinking about their own daughters who worked hard every day at home, yet Ma paid them no attention, focusing only on Dabao, he mentioned this to her.

"From now on, we should treat our daughters better, and we can’t indulge Dabao as much."

After saying this, he was so tired that he fell asleep immediately, leaving Ma puzzled about where his sudden talk came from.

Dabao was their only son, shouldn’t he be indulged more? Besides, whose daughters don’t work? It seemed as though she was being accused of mistreating their daughters.

While Lin Chunyan was selling chrysanthemum pastries outside, Wang Yingniang was also busy at home. Yesterday, the number of people wanting to buy chrysanthemum pastries suddenly increased, so Erlang invited Uncle Lin Er to build two more bread ovens.

This way, they could make pastries faster.

Wang Yingniang thought that if she made more pastries during the day, Lin Chunyan wouldn’t have to work so hard when she came home in the afternoon and could rest properly.

The two aunts outside saw that Wang Yingniang was the only one at home and insisted on not staying for lunch, saying, "We’ll go home and eat, come back early, you don’t need to prepare anything, just rest."

Wang Yingniang couldn’t persuade them to stay, so when Lin Chunyan returned in the evening, she told her about it.

Lin Chunyan thought that if Wang Yingniang had to cook for them during the day, she would be even more exhausted. She thought this arrangement was good.

She suggested giving the two aunts a few extra coins and preparing lunch in the morning, so Wang Yingniang could save some effort at home.

Thinking of her in such a considerate way, Wang Yingniang silently remembered it, unsure how to repay her.

Lin Taohong felt uncomfortable, pushing Wang Yingniang aside and chatting with Lin Chunyan.

She also went to see the big dog they had brought back. After setting up their stall, they went to the escort agency, which was their first time visiting. The storefront was magnificent, with many weapons displayed, and the sound of martial arts practice could be heard inside.

Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong didn’t dare enter rashly, shouting for Sun Anyuan at the gate, only entering with his guidance.

Seeing their nervousness, Sun Anyuan couldn’t help but laugh, "That big dog is tied up. It looks fierce but is very gentle."

Once inside the escort agency, Dazhu Huizi, who often ate at their stall, came over to greet them, "Are you here to see Little Hei?"

Lin Chunyan hadn’t seen Little Hei for a couple of days and missed him dearly. She picked him up and kissed him affectionately.

Little Hei wagged his tail pitifully, refusing to leave Lin Chunyan’s arms.

Sun Anyuan laughed, "This little dog seems to have suffered some injustice here, looking quite pitiful."

Lin Taohong nodded, as if finding a kindred spirit, "Exactly, just pretending to be pitiful to gain sympathy from my elder sister."

It wasn’t clear whether she was talking about the dog or a person.

After petting Little Hei for a while, Lin Chunyan put him down, promising to come back and take him home soon, then followed Sun Anyuan to see the big dog they were bringing home.

At first sight of such a large dog, both Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong were startled, "How can it be so big? How will we bring it home?"

"It looks fierce, but I’ll deliver it to your place and tie it up. Just remember to feed it."

On the way back, the village children, seeing Sun Anyuan leading such a large dog, followed them, as if watching a rare spectacle.

Lin Chunyan even heard Dog Egg and Blackie discussing whether this big dog could beat a wolf.

"I think this big dog would win, wolves are too skinny, but a pack of wolves might be too much for it."

When they reached home, the children still watched from a distance, wanting to come closer but afraid of being bitten.

Mrs. Zhang also thought the dog was too big, muttering, "It will eat so much."

But thinking that with this big dog, thieves wouldn’t dare to come, she no longer felt bad about it.

Wang Yingniang was a bit afraid of dogs. Seeing Lin Chunyan and the others checking, she only glanced from afar and asked if the rope was securely tied.

"Don’t let it run loose."

After getting familiar with the big dog on the way, Lin Chunyan wasn’t scared anymore. She reached out to pet it, and seeing it wasn’t resistant, stroked its fur a few times.

"Really nice," Lin Chunyan liked this big dog, "I’ll give you some meat bones later."

Their chrysanthemum pastries were selling well, and naturally, Mr. Cao, the manager of Shufangzhai, got the news. At first, he thought it was some trick by Wu’s Confectionery in town, trying to lure customers to their side.

Since Shufangzhai opened a confectionery shop in town, such incidents happened frequently, and Mr. Cao didn’t take it seriously.

However, as time passed, he realized something was off. The opposite Wu’s Confectionery was clearly anxious, frequently coming to their side to gather information.

At first glance, it seemed they were the ones responsible, which made things interesting.

The manager of Shufangzhai sent an apprentice to inquire and upon his return, he reported that a vendor at the dock had made many chrysanthemum pastries, from which Clear Breeze Building had sourced their supply.

Manager Cao couldn't understand, "Did you really confirm that the chrysanthemum pastries are being sold by a vendor at the dock?"

It wasn't that he didn't believe it; it was just that the Hu family and the Wang family also bought from her, which made him suspicious.

Leaving aside the Wang family, the Hu family was about to return to the Imperial City, so why would they buy something from the dock?

Coincidentally, when they went to inquire today, they saw Shuxiang beside Young Master Hu, who, despite his young age, was quite a gourmet and knew all the best places to eat.

He was accompanied by the two sons of Mr. Zhao, who were also quite amusing. In the past, whenever Shufangzhai came out with new pastries, these two would come every day to buy them, but later they got tired of it and stopped coming.

Mentioning these two made Manager Cao believe the story a bit more, but he still wondered what was so special about the chrysanthemum pastries sold at the dock. Could they be good enough for gifts?

The apprentice didn't fully understand the ways of the noble families. Even if they were in mourning, they still cared about maintaining their dignity and not letting others look down on them.

Using chrysanthemum pastries from a dock vendor as gifts would surely damage their reputation and make them a laughingstock.

However, since the Hu family and the Wang family led the way in buying them, other families like the Yuans could only follow suit. Seeing them buy, others also thought the chrysanthemum pastries must be good, and some even speculated whether Lin Chunyan had any connection with these two families.

Seeing that the apprentice had only gathered information but hadn't bought any chrysanthemum pastries to taste, Manager Cao waved him off to go again.

When the apprentice returned, he found that dozens of boxes of chrysanthemum pastries, which had been plentiful earlier, were now completely sold out. He was so surprised that his mouth dropped open, pointing at the empty boxes and asking Lin Taohong, "They're all gone? There were so many just a moment ago."

Lin Taohong's voice was hoarse from talking, and she cleared her throat slightly before saying, "Sold out. Some wealthy family bought them all at once. If you want to try them, please come early tomorrow."

She had made extra yesterday, otherwise, they might have sold out much earlier.

The apprentice returned and told Manager Cao this news. Manager Cao felt a bit regretful and decided to send the apprentice outside to attract customers, offering discounts on their chrysanthemum pastries and seasonal pastries.

With the discount, surely someone would buy. When the Wu family's pastry shop across the street saw them offer a discount, they also launched a promotion, offering a buy-one-get-one-free deal, which finally attracted people to buy.

Today, the two sons of Mr. Zhao, Zhao Dalang and Zhao Erlang, went to the dock not for the chrysanthemum pastries, but to buy hawthorn preserves and hawthorn slices. These two loved the sweet sauce in the jelly tofu and always ate a large bowl of it, sometimes even sneaking out to eat without their mother knowing.

During a previous trip to climb and admire chrysanthemums, they heard Young Master Hu say that the hawthorn slices and hawthorn preserves sold here were very tasty and good for digestion.

Their cousin had not been eating well recently, so they took money to buy the syrupy preserves.

Not many people were buying the preserves, and when Lin Chunyan saw them, she took a moment to scoop a bowl for them, putting in two or three hawthorns for them to taste.

As regular customers, she could afford to give them this small discount.

The two sat happily at a table, and seeing Qin Laoren nearby, they greeted him.

Being gourmets, Qin Laoren smiled warmly at these two young friends. Seeing them eat the hawthorn preserves, he stroked his beard and said, "These preserves are very tasty, but I'm too old. My teeth get sore after eating them, otherwise, I'd join you and have a bowl myself."

With no customers around, Jin Niangzi pulled Mrs. Zhang aside to chat. They hadn't seen each other for a few days, and Jin Niangzi had a lot to say.

Mrs. Zhang recounted everything that had happened over the past few days. Hearing about the thief who had broken into their home, Jin Niangzi was so shocked that her mouth dropped open.

"What will you do if another thief comes?"

Mrs. Zhang was unconcerned, "Our dog is being trained by Sun Biao, so he'll become very smart and will only eat food given by family members. We also have a big dog now, and our trap is dug deeper. If another thief comes, they won't be able to leave."

Jin Niangzi's eyes twinkled, and she lowered her voice, "I think your family needs a man."

Mrs. Zhang thought she meant keeping Erlang at their place, feeling uncomfortable with the idea and knowing that Lin Chunyan and the others wouldn't like it either. She shook her head, "We're used to just us women. Adding another person, especially a man, makes me feel uneasy."

Jin Niangzi, growing anxious, pushed Mrs. Zhang, "Why don't you understand? I mean you should find someone else."

This startled Mrs. Zhang. She looked around and then lowered her voice, pointing at herself, "You want me to find someone else? I'm so old, what am I supposed to find?"

Jin Niangzi held onto her, "Think about it. Now that we have money, we're not living in poverty anymore. Find someone who cares for you and treats you well. Having a man in the house can help with many things, unlike your nephew, who has his own family."

Jin Niangzi felt she was speaking from the heart. She truly believed that now that they had money, Mrs. Zhang, who wasn't that old, could find someone suitable and live a happy life behind closed doors.

Mrs. Zhang was deeply moved by this thought and kept zoning out while serving dishes and chopsticks.

Lin Chunyan didn't notice at first, but Lin Taohong nudged her and whispered, "Sister, look! Mother seems to have lost her soul. She even served the wrong noodles just now."

The one who received the wrong noodles was Scholar Song. He didn't know Lin Chunyan had started selling noodles at the dock and had gone to town to buy small river fish and crabs. However, he was face-blind and only noticed that Lin Cui's voice didn't sound like Lin Chunyan's.

After visiting twice, he finally asked and learned that Lin Chunyan and the others were selling noodles at the dock.

He found time to come and have a bowl of noodles there. With so many types of noodles and limited copper coins, he ordered a plain soup noodle.

But this bowl of noodles was so delicious that he promised to come back whenever he had money.

Mrs. Zhang served the wrong noodles to Scholar Song, who immediately noticed because he couldn't eat spicy food, and this bowl had plenty of Sichuan pepper and prickly ash, making it very flavorful.

Unfortunately, he couldn't eat it. He pushed the bowl forward and called out to Mrs. Zhang, who was lost in thought and didn't hear him even after several calls.

Lin Chunyan quickly stepped in, exchanged the bowls with the guests at the table, apologized, and offered them some pickles.

These pickles were also Scholar Song's favorite, especially the grandmother's pickles, which had a slight spiciness but weren't overly spicy, perfectly matching his taste. He could eat a large bowl of noodles with them.

Realizing her mistake, Mrs. Zhang gave an awkward smile. Lin Taohong asked her, "Mother, what's wrong? You didn't respond when I called you. What were you thinking about?"

Mrs. Zhang didn't mention what Jin Niangzi had said, only giving vague excuses that sounded ridiculous to Lin Taohong.

"If you don't want to say, fine. Don't come crying to me when Sister gets angry."

Mrs. Zhang glanced nervously at Lin Chunyan, who was busy talking to a customer, and breathed a sigh of relief.

On the way back, Lin Chunyan still brought up the matter with Mrs. Zhang, "Mother, is there something troubling you? Tell us, and we can help figure it out together."

Mrs. Zhang sniffed, originally wanting to tell Lin Chunyan what Jin Niangzi had said, but seeing Erlang and Lin Cuixiang nearby, she closed her mouth, afraid of being laughed at.

Lin Chunyan didn't bring it up again and instead looked at Lin Cuixiang and the others, asking how their sales were today.

Previously, they hadn't sold chrysanthemum pastries but only some miscellaneous items. The townspeople preferred to buy jelly tofu or meat buns and bean skin from them rather than go to the wharf. Business was indeed good, with daily earnings of about eighty to ninety coins.

Erlang sometimes carried a pole and wandered through the streets selling jelly tofu, which sold even better than what they had here.

However, seeing how well the chrysanthemum pastries sold, Lin Cuixiang also got the idea to sell them. She took a few boxes to try selling, but unexpectedly, as soon as she arrived, the surrounding vendors snatched them up.

"They said we should wait until more people came before selling, but as soon as I brought them out, Grandma Sugar Water and Grandpa Sugar Water grabbed them."

These two were usually very frugal, but because this festival was auspicious, they always bought pastries in previous years. However, they used to buy them from pastry shops, each time feeling a bit heartache over the cost.

When they heard that Lin Chunyan was selling chrysanthemum pastries, they said they would go to the wharf after closing their stall, but they didn't expect Lin Cuixiang to bring them, so they didn't need to go there anymore.

"Earlier, my grandson told me about these chrysanthemum pastries, asking if I knew about them, saying many people were eating them, and they tasted incredibly good."

Grandma Sugar Water sniffed a chrysanthemum pastry but didn't eat it, putting it back to take home for her grandchildren.

Grandpa Sugar Water wasn't far behind; his grandson was preparing for the imperial examinations and said he bought the chrysanthemum pastries for him. "But he's busy studying and doesn't have time to wander around town, so he gave me money to buy them myself."

No one exposed the fact that Grandpa Sugar Water's grandson wasn't actually busy. Many people had seen him wandering the streets a few days ago, fanning himself idly, looking anything but serious, unlike the honest and reliable Scholar Song.

Back home, Aunt Lin and Lady Sun were pounding jujube paste, and smoke was rising from the kitchen chimney. Lin Chunyan put down her things and peered into the kitchen, where she saw Wang Yingniang still making chrysanthemum pastries.

She called out to Aunt Lin, "Auntie, hasn't Yingniang been resting at all? Has she been working non-stop?"

Aunt Lin replied, "How could we make her stop? No matter how we tried to call her out, she wouldn't listen. We couldn't get her to leave."

Lin Chunyan was upset and poked Wang Yingniang's forehead with her finger, "I've told you so many times, just do less. Wait for me to come back, and we'll do it together. If you keep doing everything yourself, your arms will be too sore to lift later."

Seeing that she was really angry, Wang Yingniang quickly came over with a placating smile, shaking Lin Chunyan's arm, "I was just bored, I promise I won't do this next time."

Lin Taohong snorted from the side. She thought Wang Yingniang was being deliberate, trying to make Lin Chunyan feel sorry for her. It seemed her plan was working.

She huffed, "Whoever believes you, the sun will rise in the west. If someone didn't know better, they'd think we were mistreating you. Be careful, my sister might really get angry and ignore you."

Hearing this, Wang Yingniang became flustered. Seeing Lin Chunyan's face fall and lose its usual smile, she started swearing and promising not to work so hard next time. Only then did Lin Chunyan let it go.

After such hard work, Lin Chunyan planned to prepare a good meal to reward everyone.

She sent Erlang to see Zhao Huaizi, asking if he had any game to offer.

Zhao Huaizi and Zhao Muyang had long been eager to eat Lin Chunyan's cooking. They had several wild animals stored, but since Lin Chunyan had been busy lately, he didn't want to disturb her, thinking he would visit after the Double Ninth Festival.

Zhao Muyang even felt that the festival wasn't as good as it used to be, when they eagerly awaited every holiday.

Tomorrow was the Double Ninth Festival, and the chrysanthemum pastries would likely sell out by then. Over the past week, they had made nearly two strings of cash, which was quite a lot.

This time, Lin Chunyan was generous. Not only did she bring some game, but she also asked Mrs. Zhang to buy some meat.

"Mother, remember to check if the meat is fresh."

Their village had a butcher, but few could afford his meat, which was often not fresh. Even Zhao Huaizi didn't like sending his game there because the price was too low.

When they were building the kitchen, Lin Chunyan had bought meat once and found it acceptable. This time, she asked Mrs. Zhang to go again.

However, Mrs. Zhang took a long time to return, looking unhappy. Lin Chunyan knew something must have happened.

Sure enough, after putting down the meat, Mrs. Zhang began to complain, "That Hong Niangzi is too despicable. I went to buy meat, not tofu, so why did she look at me with such disdain and speak sarcastically?"

Lin Chunyan comforted her, "She can only speak sarcastically. Would she dare to do anything more?"

Mrs. Zhang thought about it and felt justified, spitting on the ground, "If I had known, I should have hit her with a hoe and taught her a lesson."

Lin Chunyan was curious, "Mother, why didn't you hit her? What were you afraid of? That's not like you."

Mrs. Zhang felt uncomfortable. After hearing Jin Niangzi's words about lacking a man's support, she felt constrained.

Thinking back, after Lin's father ran away, she had nothing to lose and dared to confront those who bullied Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong with a hoe.

The meal was very sumptuous, and Lin Chunyan invited Uncle Lin and the others. Surprisingly, Li Shi also came, though Lin Fengdie didn't show up because she was unwell, and Lin Chunyan didn't press the issue.

Mrs. Zhang was also surprised and asked sarcastically, "Oh, Sister-in-law, what wind blew you here? It's not easy to get you to come to our place."

Li Shi almost cried, but those who knew her understood that Mrs. Zhang was just being her usual self. They also knew that Li Shi wasn't the type to beg or cry, and the one who did that was Uncle Lin.

Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Uncle Lin felt embarrassed and quickly took a big bite of food.

He was also puzzled by Li Shi's sudden appearance, wondering what she was up to and hoping she wouldn't cause any trouble. He wanted to focus on his woodworking.

However, he soon lost interest in thinking about it, completely captivated by the food. The tofu skin wasn't the usual braised kind but fried, giving it a different texture.

Fried tofu skin was crispy and golden on the outside, tender and fragrant on the inside, and incredibly delicious.

None of the others had tried fried tofu skin before and praised it highly. Lin Taohong secretly pinched Lin Chunyan, not too hard, but enough to make her glare, "What are you up to now?"

Lin Taohong pouted, "Sister, why didn't you tell me about this fried tofu skin earlier? I could have really sold it."

"You're already selling scallion pancakes, stinky tofu, and jelly tofu. How could you manage another item?"

Lin Taohong protested, "Why not? Don't underestimate me. I'm very efficient now. Just tell me how to make it, and I'll bring you some copper coins tomorrow."

Lin Chunyan ignored her and poured everyone a cup of chrysanthemum wine. Now, she no longer needed to buy wine from outside.

This wine, made from grains, was expensive, and she used to be very frugal when buying it.

Chrysanthemum wine not only tasted good but was also beneficial for the liver and spleen. It was said that drinking it on this day could ward off evil and protect against the early cold.

Everyone tasted the wine and agreed it was delicious, "I don't think it's any worse than what they sell at the tavern."

Lin Chunyan also took a sip and immediately closed her eyes in comfort, thinking that if she could find more wild flowers and fruits, she would make more of this wine. If she ever opened a tavern, she wouldn't have to buy from others anymore.

"Let's treat today as a holiday. Everyone has worked hard these past few days. We'll give everyone a break after a while so you can all rest well." Lin Chunyan raised her glass and clinked it with everyone else's.

No one knew what a holiday was, but hearing the word "rest," no one showed a happy expression; instead, they all said they didn't need to rest.

Resting for a day means losing a lot of money. They still had work to do at home, so it was better to stay here where things were quieter.

Lin Chunyan: …

Then Old Lady Li said, "Not to mention resting, even if you let them live here and work for you every day, we wouldn't mind. Where else could we find such a good employer?"

Old Lady Li's hair was neatly combed, and though her eyesight was poor, they shone brightly, making her look like a capable old lady. She had long wanted to thank Lin Chunyan. Knowing that Zhao Linglan and her sister would make shoes for Lin Chunyan, she, who had no other skills, was very good at managing household affairs and often came to help.

She wasn't exaggerating; everyone present felt the same way. Lady Sun was especially grateful. Even when they ate, they always invited her mother-in-law and children over, saying it was for company, but it was really for their own benefit.

In the past, Lin Chunyan would bring food home for them. Now, walking down the street, many people in the village looked at her with envy, often pulling her hand to ask if her place was still hiring.

Lady Sun said this in a joking tone, "Finally, when I walk down the road, people aren't pulling my hand to talk about matchmaking. I don't understand why widows must remarry; can't they live alone just fine?"

At another table, Zhao Huaizi heard this and drank his chrysanthemum wine in one go. Since he last sent meat, Lady Sun had cut off contact with him. Zhao Huaizi tried two more times, but seeing how firm Lady Sun was, he had to give up.

But only the two of them knew what was truly on his mind. It was unclear whether Lady Sun was speaking under the influence of alcohol to Zhao Huaizi or for some other reason.

Old Lady Li quickly took away Lady Sun's cup, "She's not used to drinking; once she does, she gets drunk and starts talking nonsense. When the time is right, you should still find someone suitable. What will you do with the children after I'm gone?"

These words used to scare Lady Sun, but now she wasn't afraid at all. She grabbed Old Lady Li's hand and said, "Mother, I've saved some money. I can live without relying on a man."