Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Lin Chunyan, fearing the conversation might turn sour, interjected, "Speaking of hiring people, I do have such intentions."

The others were taken aback at first, but upon reflection, they realized their business was growing larger and indeed required more hands.

Mrs. Zhang, worried about Lin Chunyan's impulsiveness, said, "I think we should wait a bit longer. The chrysanthemum pastries can only be made for a few more days. After tomorrow, it won't be possible anymore. Why rush into hiring more people?"

Thinking of the copper coins she would have to pay out, she felt a pang of regret. The others knew her temperament and merely covered their mouths to laugh.

Mrs. Zhang didn't feel embarrassed; she just thought that since the money came from their family, she had to be more cautious. Lin Chunyan was young and didn't understand the complexities involved.

After the gathering dispersed, Lin Chunyan went to Mrs. Zhang's room. Lin Taohong assumed they were going to discuss hiring and decided to go straight to bed.

The weather was getting colder. In the past, they could wash with well water directly, but now they needed hot water.

She didn't want to go through the trouble and just wanted to be lazy.

Just as she lay down, Wang Yingniang pulled her up, "Go wash quickly. If Yan Niang comes back and finds out you haven't washed, she'll surely scold you."

Lin Taohong pulled the blanket back, "What's it got to do with you? I'm not going to wash."

With that, she turned over. Wang Yingniang pushed her, but seeing that she couldn't budge her, she gave up.

Lin Chunyan, however, wanted to ask Mrs. Zhang what she had heard while selling at the stall. Mrs. Zhang, surprised by her caution, hesitated to speak. When pressed, she frowned and said, "Why do you need to know so much, child? I'm an adult; I won't be fooled."

Lin Chunyan feared exactly this. Some people thought they were wise because of their age, but it often led them into traps.

Lin Chunyan was afraid Jin Niangzi might have said something flattering that swayed Mrs. Zhang.

She probed a bit, mentioning things like "high returns," but Mrs. Zhang only looked at her sideways, thinking, "What nonsense, high returns! Ha, if it were that easy, others would have done it long ago."

Seeing that Mrs. Zhang was still clear-headed, Lin Chunyan relaxed and then brought up the topic of hiring.

Mrs. Zhang fidgeted, "It's not that I don't want to hire, but we should discuss it first. You announced it so boldly; who knows what these people might be thinking? They're not one of us."

Lin Chunyan realized she had spoken without thinking and should have consulted Mrs. Zhang, Lin Taohong, and Wang Yingniang. She went to their room and woke them up.

Lin Taohong refused to get up, waving lazily, "I'll follow whatever Big Sister says. Whatever you decide is fine. If Mother opposes it, spit at her."

Lin Chunyan, seeing her state, knew she hadn't washed. She huffed, "Do you want another beating? I've told you countless times, don't get in bed without washing. There's hot water in the kitchen; it's no trouble at all."

Mrs. Zhang, having heard Lin Taohong's words, urged Lin Chunyan to act, "This child deserves a beating."

Lin Taohong quickly lay still, fearing a beating.

Mrs. Zhang hummed a few times, realizing the importance of the matter, and sat down in their room. Unlike her own empty room, this one was filled with various items. Wildflowers adorned the windowsill, making it look cheerful.

These flowers were picked by Wang Yingniang from the mountains, knowing Lin Chunyan liked them. She changed them daily. Mrs. Zhang, though complaining about the effort, secretly admired it.

Wang Yingniang noticed and offered, "Next time I pick flowers, I'll bring some for your room too. It's not much, but I thought you might not like them."

Mrs. Zhang grumbled a bit but didn't refuse.

Lin Chunyan then addressed the main issue, "What I said during dinner was serious. I just didn't consult everyone first. We've all been busy lately and have earned some silver. I thought we should hire someone to help us collect acorns."

She looked at the three of them, "What do you think? Let's discuss it together."

Lin Taohong, no longer fearing a beating, crawled out of bed, "I agree. We've been exhausted lately, and we still need to go up the mountain."

Mrs. Zhang, however, said, "There are many people in our village who would like to work for us. Who should we choose?"

She feared offending someone and causing trouble.

Lin Chunyan had also considered this. Collecting acorns was different from working in their workshop. The mountains were vast, and one person's efforts were limited. They couldn't possibly clear the entire mountain.

After some thought, she said, "How about this: instead of specifying who should collect the acorns, we can pay by weight, just like with hawthorns."

This way, anyone in the village who had free time could collect acorns and bring them to be weighed and paid.

Wang Yingniang worried that this might reveal how they made their jelly tofu, but Lin Chunyan wasn't concerned, "It's not that simple. As I said before, everyone knows tofu is made from soybeans, but few can make it. The same goes for acorn tofu. Even if they figure it out, they won't match our seasoning. We have nothing to fear."

The others exchanged glances, finding the idea reasonable, and didn't object. As Mrs. Zhang stood up, she gave Lin Taohong a tap and quickly returned to her room, feeling relieved.

Lin Taohong, holding the spot where she was hit, reluctantly got up to wash, fearing Lin Chunyan might also want to hit her.

The next day, Mrs. Zhang went to inform the Village Headman. Since the acorns belonged to everyone, they needed to inform the village if they planned to collect them.

A young lady from the Zhang family watched from behind the window, seeing Mrs. Zhang talking animatedly, and snorted, whispering to her cousin, "Did you see that crude behavior? No wonder her husband left her for a younger woman."

The words were harsh, especially coming from an unmarried girl. Her cousin frowned but didn't respond.

The young lady continued, "I wonder why she's here to see Grandfather. She must be trying to take advantage of something."

She was referring to the separate household registration, which she had overheard. She thought they were taking advantage of the Lin family.

Listening for a while, she didn't understand much but heard something about acorns, which she knew grew abundantly in the mountains but were mostly eaten by squirrels or discarded by children.

Unexpectedly, the Village Headman, upon hearing this, widened his eyes and stood up from his chair, trembling, "Is this true? Your family really wants the acorns?"

Mrs. Zhang nodded firmly, "Yes, we'll pay by weight."

The Village Headman opened his mouth to ask what they intended to do with so many acorns, but he knew he wouldn't get an answer.

If he were Mrs. Zhang, he wouldn't tell the truth either.

He then thought, why did he need to know so much? Even if he found out, what could he do? It was better to let people collect acorns and exchange them for copper coins.

If this worked, it wouldn't just benefit his family; the whole village would be grateful to Mrs. Zhang's family.

Before their family had a falling out with Hong Niangzi, she did come to complain about them and said plenty of bad things about Mrs. Zhang, but the Village Headman ignored it all.

He only let Hong Niangzi handle it herself, thinking that if it were any other family, he could mediate, but the Zhang family was different now. No one knew when they had become so closely tied with many families in the village.

Not to mention the two branches of her own family, who were naturally related by blood and would naturally be at the forefront. As for Zhao Huaizi and Dog Egg's family, no one knew why they always stood up for them. Even Zhao Niangzi’s family, who claimed to have conflicts with Mrs. Zhang, sent people to help build the kitchen last time.

Hong Niangzi didn't dare to cause trouble because offending the Zhang family meant offending multiple households.

Seeing the Village Headman agree, Mrs. Zhang didn’t stay long and headed home. On the way, she met many people who greeted her warmly.

Some asked tactfully if they were busy recently, while others directly asked Mrs. Zhang if she needed more hands and where they could work.

Mrs. Zhang had never been so popular before; behind her back, people used to say she was a braggart, lazy, and gluttonous, with such a bad reputation that some would turn around upon seeing her.

Now, there was no such scene. Everyone treated her as if she were their own kin.

Mrs. Zhang felt proud and told them about picking acorns to exchange for copper coins. Their reactions were similar to the Village Headman's: first, they doubted what they heard, then after confirming, they became excited.

No one had ever thought that acorns from the mountain could be exchanged for money. If it were true, wouldn’t they have an income every day!

These people started calculating in their heads. Some who got the news early had already gone up the mountain to pick acorns, while others were still hesitant, fearing it might be a waste of effort.

"Are you really buying acorns here?"

This was said by Liu Niangzi, who had known the news early and rushed up the mountain with a basket, worried it wasn’t true. After filling a basket, she hurried down the mountain in a panic.

Only when Lin Chunyan nodded did Liu Niangzi breathe a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness it wasn’t a waste."

Lin Ertun helped weigh the acorns, while Wang Yingniang recorded the weight. The basket weighed eleven pounds, and Wang Yingniang gave her a copper coin, noting the extra pound on the account to give her another coin next time.

Holding the copper coin, Liu Niangzi felt it was real, her face breaking into a wide smile. She put the coin in her chest, then took it out and put it in her sleeve, feeling unsafe, she put it back in her chest again. After several such actions, she finally calmed down and didn’t chat with Mrs. Zhang. She had a lot to talk about earlier, but now she just wanted to fly up the mountain and bring all the acorns over.

Mrs. Zhang found it strange, "Why is this woman so diligent today? She used to hate getting out of bed."

Some were rushing up the mountain, while others were coming down with baskets of acorns. Seeing Liu Niangzi run so hard, they were surprised. This woman used to be very lazy, spending her days chatting outside and unwilling to cook at home, to the point where the dirt in her yard was an inch thick.

Apart from Mrs. Zhang, no one liked to visit her house.

Seeing her so anxious, someone joked, "Are you going up the mountain to pick gold? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Liu Niangzi thought to herself, it was indeed like picking gold. Those acorns could be exchanged for so much money, shining like gold in her eyes.

Her son was about to get married, and the family had nothing, which made her diligent.

Someone stopped Liu Niangzi and asked, "Is it really true that you can exchange acorns for money? Since you’re close to Mrs. Zhang, do you know if this is true?"

Liu Niangzi thought, if it weren’t true, why would she come up the mountain? She nodded, "It’s true, ten pounds for a copper coin."

Her words were like a stone thrown into already turbulent water, causing a stir. More people started rushing up the mountain like Liu Niangzi.

Liu Niangzi couldn’t run as fast as them and regretted speaking up. Thinking there were still plenty of acorns on the mountain, she calmed down a bit.

In just the morning, Wang Yingniang had exchanged over twenty coins, and the acorns filled half the courtyard.

Those who were tired sat in their house to rest and drink well water. Their stove was always hot, making it more convenient than at home. Someone asked Wang Yingniang, "What are you going to do with so many acorns?"

As they asked, their eyes darted around, hoping to see everything clearly.

They had anticipated this situation and waited for someone to ask. Wang Yingniang said, "We picked these to see if we can feed them to chickens and pigs. If it works, we’ll raise some."

This was partly true and partly false, leaving no room for criticism.

Chen Pizi didn’t believe it, "Acorns are so hard, how can you feed them to chickens and pigs? Don’t fool us."

Others thought they were earning too much and had lost their minds. If acorns were edible, they would have been picked clean long ago.

But no one said it aloud; who would refuse more copper coins? In just the morning, those with good legs had earned three or four coins.

By the afternoon, even more people came with acorns. When Lin Chunyan returned and saw the pile, she was shocked.

"Money makes the ghost push the mill. We won’t worry about running out of acorns anymore."

After saying this, Lin Chunyan called in Lin Ertun to help make tofu jelly.

Lin Ertun felt dizzy and didn’t react when Lin Chunyan spoke, wondering why she was teaching her to make tofu jelly.

After refusing a few times and seeing Lin Chunyan’s determination, she became serious.

"Yan Niang, I won’t say anything else. You chose me to learn, and I will definitely work hard for you without letting anyone know."

Lin Chunyan smiled, "Auntie, don’t be so nervous, it’s not that serious."

With Lin Ertun’s help, Wang Yingniang could rest a bit during the day, and the supply of tofu jelly increased. They needed to keep up.

She gave the tofu residue to Sun Niangzi, asking her to start feeding it to the chickens the next day.

"There’s a lot of this stuff. If you don’t mind the trouble, you can also raise pigs or chickens and take this home to feed them."

Sun Niangzi had been envious of Lin Ertun but knew she was part of the Lin family and closer to them. Hearing Lin Chunyan’s words, her jealousy vanished, and she felt her heart was too narrow.

Lin Chunyan was so kind to them; what more could she want?

Lin Ertun, hearing this, stretched her neck to look at the tofu residue and asked Lin Chunyan, "Yan Niang, can these really be fed to pigs?"

Lin Chunyan nodded, "Yes, mix them with something, and the pigs will eat happily. Our chickens eat this every day, and I plan to raise a couple of pigs soon."

"In that case, I’ll take some home to feed the chickens."

Aunt Lin and Lady Sun both began to consider raising pigs. If the pigs didn’t need to eat grain or require special foraging, but could survive on just the residue from acorn tofu, it would certainly be a substantial income by the New Year.

Who doesn’t know that raising a pig can make life better? But the cost of buying a pig is not something an ordinary villager can afford, let alone the amount of grain the pig would consume.

If they got sick, all the money would be lost, and who would they cry to then?

Aunt Lin was hesitant and discussed it with Uncle Lin. The family now had quite a bit of copper coins, and when counted, it was just enough.

The three children at home also said they wanted to contribute, each bringing out some of their savings.

Holding those coins, Aunt Lin didn’t know what to say, feeling that this life was beyond her wildest dreams.

Not only did they have an income, but they could even raise a pig.

Lady Sun went back and discussed it with her mother-in-law. Their family had some savings, and after Matriarch Li repeatedly asked about the residue from acorn tofu, confirming that it could indeed be used to feed pigs, she immediately decided, “Let’s do it! I’m idle at home anyway, and our little tree has grown up, so we don’t need to worry as much as before. Raising a pig means we can slaughter it for the New Year.”

Lady Sun laughed, covering her mouth, “Mother, look at you talking. The three of us won’t be able to eat all that meat; we’ll have to sell some to the butcher.”

Matriarch Li laughed along, “Then we’ll keep some and sell the rest. That will still be an income, right?”

With that settled, the next morning they got up early and told Lin Chunyan about buying a pig, asking her to help pick one out.

Lin Chunyan agreed, and as she set up her stall, she wore a smile the whole time.

Some familiar faces came over to ask, “Little Miss Lin, what good news do you have? Share it with everyone.”

Lin Chunyan didn’t hold back, telling them about the plan to raise a pig, “When we have pork, we can make all sorts of delicious dishes.”

These food lovers started salivating at the thought, asking what dishes she could make.

Lin Chunyan mentioned some, like braised pork, steamed pork with preserved vegetables, and sweet and sour pork. Just hearing these dishes made the food lovers start drooling, wishing they could taste them right away.

Sitting there waiting for her meat bun, Lady He congratulated her earnestly, “Raising a pig is a big deal. Our family used to raise a few pigs. We always looked forward to the New Year, and without the pork, we wouldn’t know how we’d manage.”

Lady He was a delightful person. Her family was in the butchery business, and she was a bit plumper than others from a young age. But here, no one found her unattractive; instead, they thought she had a prosperous destiny. Many families wanted to arrange a marriage for her.

Lady He loved to eat and, during matchmaking, would only consider those who cooked well. In the end, she married a chef from a restaurant.

Both were robust and looked very festive, and their son was chubby, named Xizi.

She had heard that the food sold here was very tasty, and Lady He couldn’t resist coming over. However, her husband was proud and jealous. Every time Lady He said she wanted to go out to eat, he thought she didn’t like his cooking and would get jealous.

Lady He found it exhausting to pacify him, so she would sneak out every time, making sure to clean her mouth before going home and convincing her son not to reveal the truth, which was quite tiring.

This time was no different. When the stir-fried noodles were ready, Lady He sat there contentedly, holding a meat bun in one hand and stir-fried noodles in the other, while Lin Chunyan brought her a jar of hawthorn preserves.

“I don’t mind if you laugh, but I said I was coming to buy hawthorn preserves to get this chance. After eating, I have to go back quickly so my old Zheng doesn’t find out.”

Lin Chunyan laughed, placing the sugar syrup can next to her, teasing, “Should Lady He take another meat bun? Your son is quite clever.”

This referred to previous times when Lady He returned home empty-handed after eating here, and her son guessed and told Chef Zheng. Lady He had to spend a lot of time pacifying her husband to smooth things over.

Lady He immediately asked Lin Taohong to make another one, “That’s true, the kid is very clever now, unlike before when he could be easily fooled.”

Just as she said this, she saw Chef Zheng approaching. It turned out he was sent to buy bean sheets for a cold dish at their restaurant.

At first, Lin Chunyan delivered goods to them a couple of times, but the town’s restaurants were very arrogant and didn’t want them. However, when they heard that the stall’s goods sold very well and tasted great, the owner of Zhao’s Restaurant regretted it and personally came to talk to Lin Chunyan.

Lin Chunyan hesitated a few times but eventually agreed. The restaurant owner then sent Chef Zheng to buy the goods and learn how to prepare the cold dish.

Today was the day to pick up the goods, and Chef Zheng immediately saw Lady He. The two exchanged glances, and Chef Zheng’s face changed. He pointed at Lady He, clutching his chest, pretending to be heartbroken, which made everyone around them laugh.

Lady He stopped eating and chased after Chef Zheng, spending a long time pacifying him before they left.

Afterward, Lin Chunyan went to catch piglets in Sun the Constable’s village. The local butcher, Mr. Zhang, raised the best pigs in the area.

Mr. Zhang was a widower, and his pigs were raised by his son and daughter-in-law, while he handled the slaughtering. His family lived better than most.

Lin Chunyan picked the two most lively piglets, and Zhang’s eldest son helped deliver them home, as it would be difficult otherwise.

When the gossipy Matriarch Li saw Lin Chunyan, she immediately became excited, thinking Lin Chunyan was visiting Sun the Constable again.

Mrs. Zhang saw her coming and scolded her off. Matriarch Li was a bully who feared strong opponents, and seeing Lin Chunyan with Mrs. Zhang, she didn’t dare say anything.

Zhang’s eldest son said, “This old woman loves to gossip and has been beaten several times for it, but she never learns.”

When they heard about the pigs, the village buzzed with excitement. Those who had previously inquired about the acorns now believed they could be used to feed pigs.

Old Lady Liu thought about it at home. If the acorns could really feed pigs, why not bring some back? They couldn’t afford a pig, but they had a few chickens.

Many others thought the same, but some were more cautious, doubting whether pigs could eat acorns and preferring to wait and see what Lady Sun and Aunt Lin did.

Now, Lady Sun’s and Aunt Lin’s families had become the village’s barometers. By observing them, everyone knew what Lin Chunyan’s family was doing.

To everyone’s surprise, Lady Sun’s and Aunt Lin’s families actually bought piglets, causing another stir. People crowded around their doors, tiptoeing to peek inside, “Can the pigs really eat those acorns?”

If they could, people wouldn’t bother picking acorns to exchange for copper coins; keeping them to feed pigs would be more profitable.

Lady Sun’s mother-in-law said, “The acorns need processing; it’s not that simple. If it were, they wouldn’t be everywhere, already picked by people.”

She had asked Lin Chunyan and showed the processed acorn residue, “It takes a lot of effort to prepare it so that pigs and chickens can eat it.”

Some thought that if pigs could really eat it, even if the process was troublesome, it would be worth it.

Raising pigs was a top priority in the village. If a family raised a pig, they would be envied for a whole year.

Aunt Lin’s situation wasn’t much better. Lady Qian pushed her way to the front, pulling Aunt Lin aside, “Tell me the truth, how do you turn those acorns into this stuff? If I can do it too, I’ll raise a pig.”

Others listened intently, afraid to miss any details.

Aunt Lin grinned, "To be honest, we can't make this thing either. It takes quite a few steps to get it. If you want it, why don't you trade with Yan Niang and the others?"

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to trade or what the rules were.

"If you trust her, let her help you process it. Five pounds of acorn fruit can be exchanged for half a pound of this stuff."

Hearing that they could get so much in return, everyone was shocked. This was far more cost-effective than exchanging for copper coins. They then looked at the two little pigs in Aunt Lin's house again.

They had gone all out this time, catching two pigs. The two little pigs were happily munching on tofu scraps, which even made those who didn't believe it start to consider their options.

Of course, some still wanted to try it themselves, picking up acorns without exchanging them for tofu scraps.

Lin Chunyan's two pigs were also surrounded by onlookers. Mrs. Zhang treated these two pigs like treasures, saying she would keep them in the backyard.

When they were young, the pigs looked white and plump, very cute. One could imagine their fat heads and ears when they grew up, as well as the unpleasant smell, which made the sisters unwilling.

"It will stink up the whole house. Better to keep them far away."

Mrs. Zhang was reluctant, but Lin Chunyan played her trump card, "Mother, your window faces the backyard. When you open it in summer, you'll smell the odor. If you're okay with that, I have no objections."

Mrs. Zhang thought about it and realized she couldn't sleep with the windows open at night. She gave up the idea and built a pigsty next to their house, inviting people to help.

Once is a stranger, twice is familiar. Knowing they had pigs, Uncle Lin and Zhao Huaizi came over to help. Li Tiedan saw them and ran over too.

This time, only the three of them were there. Dog Egg's father was still out trading, and Uncle Lin was busy with carpentry at home.

Li Tiedan envied them, "You all have proper jobs, but I have nothing to do at home. When will Yan Niang find me something to do?"

Zhao Huaizi, who had been in a bad mood lately, retorted, "Aren't you waiting for your daughter to bring you comfort? You'll be related to a wealthy family soon. Why bother with such work?"

These words embarrassed Li Tiedan. Last time, when Zhao's wife went to see Li Lihua, she didn't even get to see her and came back crying bitterly, blaming him for selling his daughter.

Li Tiedan felt uneasy too. Although he valued his sons the most, he had raised his daughter for over ten years.

He thought it would be a good place, but it turned out to be a place that devoured people without spitting out bones.

The couple had argued a lot recently. Li Tiedan blamed Zhao's wife for not sending Zhao Xinghua over, thinking the sisters could support each other in the mansion.

But Zhao's wife thought Zhao Xinghua was too beautiful and feared she would steal her daughter's favor. Now, with their daughter's fate unknown, talking about favor seemed meaningless.

After Zhao Huaizi spoke, he saw Li Tiedan's expression and realized he had said the wrong thing.

Li Tiedan waved his hand, "That's exactly what you said. I've wronged Lihua. I thought sending my daughter to a noble household would broaden her horizons. I heard the maids there live almost as well as the young ladies, but once she entered, her life and death were no longer in our hands, and we can't even see her."

Sighing, he added, "If I had known there were other ways to live well, I wouldn't have let her go."

Uncle Lin said, "Indeed, even if we eat bran and swallow vegetables, being together as a family is better than being separated."

The three men fell silent. When Mrs. Zhang came over and saw they were listless, she was surprised and asked if they wanted soy milk.

Each of them took a large bowl and gulped it down, feeling refreshed. The thoughts from earlier dissipated, and they got back to work enthusiastically.

Uncle Lin was making wooden boxes in the yard. These weren't for the chrysanthemum pastries but for the hawthorn slices and cakes.

Everything needed proper packaging. Lin Chunyan found that even though the boxed items were more expensive, most people still bought them.

Li's wife watched Uncle Lin working on the carpentry for a long time, seeing no sign of him leaving. She put down her embroidery and came out to ask, "Didn't you say the main house was building a pigsty? Why aren't you going?"

Uncle Lin looked up, puzzled, "I'm making these things at home. Second Brother said I don't need to go, and Big Sister didn't call me over."

He looked at Li's wife strangely. She used to dislike him helping at the main house, so why was she asking now?

Afraid she was upset, he quickly promised to stay at home obediently.

Li's wife was so angry she nearly fainted, "How can you be so foolish, not as clever as your son?"

Silang had already run off, and Wulang, now a bit older, could follow Silang. She knew following Silang meant getting good food, especially when they visited Mrs. Zhang. As long as he was sweet, Mrs. Zhang would give him anything.

As soon as Mrs. Zhang saw Silang, she brought out hawthorn slices and gave a few to Wulang, telling him to play elsewhere. She then pulled Silang aside to ask about village news.

Silang talked freely, knowing a lot despite his small size.

Seeing this, Lin Chunyan could only shake her head helplessly. Lin Taohong said, "Mother, it's because Silang is young. When he grows up, he'll be embarrassed remembering this."

The sisters laughed, then pulled Wang Yingniang and Zhao Zilan, who were busy in the kitchen, out to rest.

Lin Taohong muttered, thinking she was just trying to please others, and then watched what Lin Chunyan was doing.

Lin Chunyan planned to make boiled sliced meat today. She added some blood clots, which Mrs. Zhang had brought back, saying the butcher had just slaughtered a pig, and many people wanted the blood.

The dish also included bean sprouts and other ingredients. When the steaming hot dish was served, everyone was immediately attracted. They tasted it, finding the meat slices and blood both spicy and numbing, making it very appetizing.

"If we ate this in winter, it would be truly delightful."

"Who says otherwise? I think we should have this every time we slaughter a pig."

As they sipped and finished their meal, the pigsty was completed.

Lin Chunyan put the little pigs inside. The two pink piglets grunted and wandered around, finding a spot to settle quietly.

"You must eat well and grow fat," Lin Chunyan imagined them becoming big pigs, their fatty meat turning into delicious dishes, and any leftovers being cured into bacon, which could be stored for a long time.

Her cellar could hold even more.

Speaking of Zhang Xiaojie, he rested at home for two days and visited Zhang Dajie. The brothers had been estranged due to various issues for a long time and hadn't been this close in a while.

Zhang Dajie told Zhang Xiaojie about the incidents while selling tofu and mentioned Zhang Niuli's suggestion, "Those people are too scary. They even said if it doesn't work, we should gather a few people and cause trouble in their village. Why can peddlers sell there, but we can't?"

Zhang Xiaojie became angry upon hearing this and glanced at Zhang Niuli, "You're too lenient, letting others bully you."

"This isn't the time to cause trouble. We're just here to sell jelly tofu. If we really anger them, they won't let us sell in any of the surrounding villages. What shall we do?"

Now that they were selling jelly tofu, they avoided Feng's village and only went to other villages. Of course, the tofu sellers in those other villages had their complaints, but they hadn't acted yet, still watching each other.

They didn't go to Feng's village to sell tofu, but the people there were getting anxious. Some even walked a long way to ask why they weren't selling jelly tofu anymore.

"It was agreed that you would come every few days. The children at home all love it and have been waiting."

Zhang Niuli and Zhang Manliang then told them about being beaten. "We dare not go to your village to sell anymore. We'll only go to the nearby villages where the people are more reasonable."

This man became anxious upon hearing this. "How could the Feng brothers act like this? They're ruining the whole village! Their tofu is both expensive and unpalatable; who would want to buy from them?"

He cursed the Feng brothers for a while, and Uncle Zhang saw his chance. "If your villagers really want to buy jelly tofu, you can come to us for supplies and then sell it in your village. I'll give you the difference in price. How does that sound?"

This man never imagined that buying jelly tofu could lead to such good fortune. He immediately agreed.

Seeing how pleased he was, Uncle Zhang poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "The Feng brothers in your village are truly despicable. Think carefully. If you take this job, you'll be crossing them."

This man spat on the ground. "No matter what the Feng brothers do, they won't dare touch us. We have several brothers in the village. If it comes to a fight, who knows who will suffer more?"

But Uncle Zhang's words made him think. He considered that if he really crossed the Fengs, his family wouldn't be afraid. Who would turn down money?

Thus, it was settled. This man took the jelly tofu back happily, kissed his little daughter affectionately, and said, "You're truly my lucky star. If it weren't for your craving for jelly tofu, I wouldn't have made this long trip."

His wife came out to ask what happened, scolding him as she took their daughter. "Don't spoil her too much. No other girl in the village is as pampered as she is."

Hu Dalang laughed. "It's their business if they don't dote on their daughters. I prefer to spoil ours. Do you know, because our daughter wanted jelly tofu, I traveled far to buy it, only to find out that the Zhang family, who sells it, had been beaten by the Feng brothers in our village."

He recounted the whole story, and his wife was stunned. "I wondered why you brought so much jelly tofu back. It turns out you were planning to sell it. But we..."

She didn't finish her sentence. Selling one tray of jelly tofu could earn a few copper coins. If they sold more in a day, they could earn over ten copper coins. Regardless of the Feng brothers, even if it came to a fight, he could call his brothers-in-law, and they wouldn't be afraid.

After discussing it, they set up a stall in front of their house. His wife went around the village calling close friends, and soon everyone knew she was selling jelly tofu.

Some came to watch, some to buy, and some who were friends with the Feng brothers went to inform them.

The Feng brothers were delighted, never expecting that the Zhang boys wouldn't come, but instead, they'd given the jelly tofu to Hu Dalang in their village.

Hu Dalang was different from others. He had many brothers, and his wife's family also had many brothers. He had always been very righteous and had many good friends.

They couldn't just beat him up like they did the Zhang boys.

The two brothers were in a dilemma. When they finally left home and approached the Hu family's gate, they found many people already gathered, many of whom had bought jelly tofu.

Hu Dalang was slicing tofu, thinking he should bring more seasoning next time since many children wanted the sweet broth, including his own daughter.

Seeing the Feng brothers from afar, Hu Dalang pretended not to notice and subtly signaled his wife, thinking if they caused trouble, she should alert others.

However, the Feng brothers didn't dare do anything and quickly retreated, only to return home and curse Hu Dalang fiercely, no one daring to suggest beating him up.

Uncle Zhang was delighted and told his younger brother, Zhang Xiaojie, who praised the plan. He thought having more brothers meant outsiders wouldn't dare bully them. After a few more words,

When Hu Shi saw her leave, she said sarcastically, "They used to ignore us, but now they're suddenly so friendly."

Uncle Zhang was naturally overjoyed. Nothing was better than close brothers. He then organized the crabs and prepared to deliver them to Lin Chunyan's place.

Now, the task of transporting goods fell to him, while Zhang Niuli and Zhang Manliang went to other villages, Zhang Xiaomei and Hu Shi stayed at home, each with clear responsibilities. When they settled accounts, they found they could earn dozens of copper coins a day, which excited the whole family, making them feel full of energy.

Zhang Xiaojie decided to join Uncle Zhang, unaware that Lin Chunyan and the others in Gourd Town were nearly frantic trying to find him.