Chapter 63

Chapter 63

At night, Lin Taohong huddled close to Lin Chunyan, whispering many words, clinging tightly to her like a stray cat about to be abandoned.

Lin Chunyan, finding herself both amused and exasperated, patted her back, "Mother has already said it, what are you afraid of?"

Lin Taohong shook her head gently. The room was pitch black without the moonlight, and she lay with her eyes open for a long time before speaking, "I just feel uneasy, I'm afraid that Mother will agree again in the future. Sister, do you think we can keep living like this?"

Wang Yingniang, who had not fallen asleep either, listened intently to the sisters' conversation. Lin Chunyan, patting Lin Taohong's back, said, "Of course, if so, we will stay together forever."

Lin Taohong's lips curved upward slightly, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.

Wang Yingniang also smiled and, at some point, began to snore softly. Lin Chunyan, however, lay awake for a long time, eventually smiling faintly.

If it were when she first arrived in this world, she wouldn't have cared what Mrs. Zhang or Lin Taohong thought; she would have found a way to go out and make a living on her own, though it would have been difficult, but with some effort, it could be done.

But after spending more time with them, she found herself somewhat reluctant to leave.

In her previous life, there weren't many children in her family, but she was always the least noticeable. Her grandparents and great-grandparents all had their favorite grandchildren, and her parents favored her younger brother. She seemed to be always the last one considered.

Later, when she fell in love and got married, she focused all her attention on her small family, hoping that the love and care she didn't receive from others could be compensated elsewhere. But as time passed, she realized she had been wrong.

In this world, only one's own feelings towards oneself are truly sincere; everything else, such as family and romantic love, is deceptive.

But Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong gave her a different feeling. She had put in a lot of effort here, and she had gained much in return.

She drifted off to sleep in a daze, her dreams filled with bizarre scenes from her past, which seemed to trap her like nightmares.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free. Just then, a thunderclap echoed outside, and a torrential rain began to pour down, startling Lin Chunyan awake. Her heart raced wildly, and it took a while for her to calm down.

Hearing noises in the courtyard and seeing that Lin Taohong and Wang Yingniang were still sound asleep, she quietly put on her shoes, threw on a coat, and went out.

It turned out that Mrs. Zhang was in the courtyard, tossing and turning all night, sighing at her bad luck, thinking that if Lin Laodi were still alive, none of this would have happened.

But then she remembered that Lin Laodi had divorced her just to have a son, which made her feel sick. She tossed and turned for half the night, and upon hearing the rain, suddenly remembered the cart in the courtyard. She quickly put on a coat to push the cart into the shed in the backyard.

The cart had cost most of their savings, and she was very careful with it. If it got wet, the wood would swell, and she would be heartbroken.

Moreover, there was a new mule in the backyard. They had talked about it last night, but she wasn't sure if the animal had adapted to their home.

With these thoughts, she pushed the cart, and just then, she saw Lin Chunyan come out in a coat.

The rain was heavy, and it was pitch dark outside, with only occasional lightning illuminating the surroundings briefly.

Mrs. Zhang recognized Lin Chunyan and hurriedly pulled her inside, "Quick, get inside, don't get soaked and catch a cold."

Seeing that Mrs. Zhang was already half-soaked and hadn't even taken an umbrella, Lin Chunyan rushed to help, scolding her, "Leaving the cart out all night won't hurt it; the things on top won't be damaged by the rain."

Mrs. Zhang disagreed, "There are iron stoves on top, they'll rust if they get wet. Go back, I'll push it to the backyard and come right back."

After much effort, Lin Chunyan led Mrs. Zhang to the kitchen, where she heated water for her to wash. Mrs. Zhang was drenched, and her clothes could wring out a lot of water.

Mrs. Zhang felt uncomfortable, silently drinking the red sugar ginger water, urging Lin Chunyan to drink it too, "We have to set up the stall tomorrow, it's late, even iron people need rest."

Though her words were harsh, the concern in her eyes was genuine.

Lin Chunyan rolled her eyes, "Don't blame me, you didn't sleep either."

Mrs. Zhang fell silent, her eyes welling up, "It must have been Jin Niangzi who found the matchmaker. That woman is no good. When I see her, I'll tear her mouth apart."

Lin Chunyan hummed, "So the other day when she was whispering to you, it was about this? If you had told us earlier, we could have helped you decide. Why hide it? I thought someone was trying to scam you."

Mrs. Zhang felt uneasy, "How could I bring it up, asking her to find a matchmaker for me? I didn't know if I should refuse. I'd be laughed at."

After a few more words, Lin Chunyan urged Mrs. Zhang to wash her hair again and go back to bed.

She tidied up, and Wang Yingniang, hearing the commotion, opened one eye groggily. Seeing Lin Chunyan return, and knowing it had rained, she also wanted to go out and move the cart.

Lin Chunyan pushed her back into bed, "It's already moved, go back to sleep. You're all worried about nothing."

The next morning, the heavy rain continued. As the saying goes, every autumn rain brings a chill, and today was colder than the previous days. Lin Chunyan found a thick blanket and, noticing that Mrs. Zhang looked unwell, touched her forehead and found her feverish.

"I told you not to move the cart to the backyard. Now look! The cart getting wet is one thing, but you getting sick is another."

Lin Taohong, eating breakfast, glanced at Mrs. Zhang and, hearing Lin Chunyan's words, learned that Mrs. Zhang had gone out in the rain last night to move the cart. She felt a mix of emotions and went to the kitchen to help boil some perilla water.

Mrs. Zhang drank the perilla water, feeling a sweat break out all over her body, and said to the three sisters, "I think the rain will continue today. We shouldn't set up the stall, let's rest at home."

Lin Chunyan still wanted to go, knowing that missing a day meant losing a lot of coins. She waited by the door, hoping the rain would stop.

Lin Taohong sat beside her on a stool, reaching out to touch the raindrops, thinking that with the rain, they couldn't set up the stall, and with the cold winter coming, they might not be able to go out at all.

"It seems we need to rent a small shop, at least it will protect us from wind and rain."

Mrs. Zhang, hearing this, grunted, "We just bought the cart and the mule, where do we have the money? We need to save more. Don't take too big a step, or you'll tear your pants."

Rough words, but true. Lin Chunyan also wanted to save more money, just in case something happened.

Aunt Lin and Aunt Sun came early, as they had missed some work due to the matchmaker issue. Even Zhao Linglan and her sister arrived early.

Since it was raining, they couldn't work in the courtyard, but fortunately, there were two kitchens, which were spacious and warm enough to work in.

Aunt Sun, instructed by her mother-in-law, decided to say nothing. Aunt Lin looked pale, clearly having had a bad night.

Not only because of Mrs. Zhang's situation, but also because she had argued with Uncle Lin.

Uncle Lin regretted setting up a female household for Mrs. Zhang, fearing that if she remarried, she would have nothing to do with them anymore.

He sulked for a long time, blaming Aunt Lin for persuading him to agree so quickly.

Aunt Lin No. 2 threw a pillow directly, urging Uncle Lin No. 2 to go to his son's room, spitting on the ground, "The matter of setting up a household for a daughter is for their own good. Why should your elder brother’s wife have to live as a widow all her life just because he went out and had a son with a concubine? This makes no sense at all. It would have been better if your elder brother had drowned in the river. At least it would be over, rather than being dragged on by your family like this."

Uncle Lin No. 2 was so frightened by these words that his soul almost left his body. He spat on the ground a few times but didn't dare to argue with Aunt Lin No. 2. Instead, he slunk off with the pillow to his sons' room.

Today, Mrs. Zhang seemed less spirited, having caught a fever from the rain last night. Aunt Lin No. 2 went in to see her, sitting by her bed and offering many comforting words, "When I first heard about it yesterday, I thought our relationship might become distant after you got married. But then I thought, why should we have to stay widows? If I were in your shoes, I would immediately find someone else to marry."

Mrs. Zhang laughed heartily, feeling much better. She waved her hand and said, "To be honest, I didn’t even consider agreeing to marry that butcher yesterday. The matchmaker said he was old and his son was already married. What would I do there, wash clothes and cook for that old man, suffer and work hard? I spit on that. We don’t need men to survive. Look at me now; I’m much better off than before! It’s just that the sudden visit of the matchmaker embarrassed me, and I didn’t know what to say."

After talking for a while, the last bit of unease in Mrs. Zhang’s heart had dissipated. She even joked with Aunt Lin No. 2, "Who would have thought that at my age, a matchmaker would still come knocking on my door. It’s not that we’re frivolous, but someone still thinks of us."

Aunt Lin No. 2 laughed along, "Who says otherwise? Just look at how those men always find a new wife when their wives die. We women can hold on, but why should we have to?"

She then turned to talk about Lady Sun, "If you want to find someone, don’t be afraid of what your mother-in-law will say. Zhao Huaizi isn’t suitable, but there are plenty of other men. It’s better than suffering alone."

Lady Sun, who had been working without lifting her head, finally spoke, "I said at the last meal, I don’t want to get married. If I go there, I’ll have to serve the man, his children from previous marriages, and his mother. What’s the point? I’d rather enjoy life with my silver."

Mrs. Zhang immediately regarded Lady Sun as a kindred spirit, "I also realized yesterday that this is true. It’s not that we won’t look, but we’ll take our time."

Lin Taohong had been eavesdropping, blushing and turning red as she listened to the three women chat. When she returned, she repeated what she had heard to Lin Chunyan and the others.

Lin Chunyan was making braised chicken feet, which she had bought from the town’s butcher shop. The flavor was very savory, and she had sold out of the batch from the day before, giving her confidence to make more.

Everyone hadn’t had a good look at the mule yesterday, so they went to the back today to check on it. They saw the mule working hard, grinding soybeans in circles. All they had to do was add beans and occasionally sweep, and everyone commented on how easy it was.

Zhao Zilan clapped her hands and laughed, "With this mule, making jam will be even easier."

Lin Taohong spoke up, "We should prioritize using it for tofu. After we finish the tofu, you can use it for jam and acorns."

Zhao Zilan wasn’t upset, "We’ll wait until the end. You use it first, and we won’t compete with you."

She then mentioned that it was getting cold, and they would need to bring out their thick clothes and shoes. When the weather cleared, they would air them out in the yard, "I wonder if it will snow this year. In past years, when it snowed, we could only do needlework at home."

There wasn’t much work to do in the fields during winter. Besides staying indoors, they could only visit neighbors or play cards, looking forward to the New Year.

As winter approached, Lin Chunyan remembered the hot pot and Kanto-ni she used to eat. Since it was raining today, she decided to use the leftover crabs to make crab sticks.

Seeing her preparing another dish, Lin Taohong watched while making tofu.

Lin Chunyan washed the crabs, removed the shells, and took out the meat and roe, mixing them into a paste with eggs. "I’ve found that although crabs taste good, they are quite complicated to prepare. It’s not easy to enjoy this delicacy."

"Who says otherwise? But the effort pays off. The crab roe sells for a high price. We gave half to Hu Xiaolang, and we made nearly two strings of cash."

Hearing the price, everyone whistled in amazement, "It sold for so much. No wonder we put in so much effort."

Lin Taohong was a bit sad to hear that Hu Xiaolang was leaving, "He’s a good person, without the bad temper of those aristocratic young masters. He always comes back with a smile."

"He’s from the Imperial City, no wonder his mother has such a noble demeanor. Even when she’s just out for a stroll, you can tell she’s different from us."

After a few more words, they stopped talking. The crab stick mixture was steamed and then rolled into sticks.

Lin Chunyan also prepared some fish, slicing it thinly and pounding it into a paste, which she steamed and then cut into slices or shaped into balls.

Once everything was ready, she skewered them and cooked them briefly in bone broth, creating a simple version of Kanto-ni.

Lin Taohong tried a fish ball, finding it very fragrant and tender, slightly chewy. The crab stick was sweet and rich, with a firm texture.

Wang Yingniang pointed at the skewers, "This is like sugar-coated haws, convenient to eat."

"Exactly. It’s also easy to sell. Just count the skewers and charge accordingly."

"But it’s a bit complicated to make, so the price should be higher. If someone asks, we can make it specifically for them."

News of the Hu family’s departure for the Imperial City spread, and those in the town who knew them came to give gifts. Those closer to them even visited to bid farewell.

Old Lady Wang led Little Master Wang, followed by two of the Wang ladies and Zhou Wanniang.

Others might have been dismissed, but the beautiful lady refused to meet them, citing the need to pack. However, the Wangs were different. She and the eldest Wang lady had a good relationship, often exchanging invitations. The two young masters studied together at the academy, so she couldn’t let them down and hurriedly invited them to the main hall.

Old Lady Wang and the beautiful lady exchanged pleasantries, praising each other’s daughters and sons. The beautiful lady recognized the two younger Wang ladies and looked at Zhou Wanniang, "This young lady is truly beautiful. I haven’t seen anyone as charming as her, even in the Imperial City. Is she betrothed yet?"

Old Lady Wang smiled, "Don’t flatter her. She’s just a young lady, not worthy of such praise."

She didn’t mention whether Zhou Wanniang was betrothed, only holding her hand, "Though she’s my granddaughter, she’s very filial. When I was unwell recently, she insisted on coming to take care of me, despite everyone’s objections."

The beautiful lady knew this was an excuse. Old Lady Wang was very healthy and showed no signs of illness. Instead, Zhou Wanniang looked frail and weak, as if a breeze could knock her over.

After seeing them off at the door, the beautiful lady remarked to her maid, "I wonder what this family is thinking. The young lady is of marriageable age, yet they bring her to this town instead of keeping her in the capital. Isn’t this delaying her prospects?"

Her maid, Rui Liu, agreed casually, handing over a list of items to the beautiful lady, who glanced at it distractedly and asked, "Has Master Hu returned yet?"

Rui Liu quickly replied, "He should be here today. He’s probably already on his way."

The beautiful lady dismissed the matter, inwardly scoffing. How could he only return to town right before leaving? He had been so busy that he was practically living in the county.

She also wondered about the woman he had brought with him, a commoner. Fortunately, the mourning period had ended, or it would have been even more awkward.

Thinking about this, the beautiful lady felt a tightness in her chest.

In the afternoon, as expected, the maid reported that Master Hu had returned. The beautiful lady didn’t bother to get up to greet him, only sending Rui Liu to inform him. However, Master Hu strode in, followed by a veiled woman.

The beautiful lady felt another surge of anger, lying on the couch without moving, merely nodding in greeting and staring at the woman.

The woman was also slender, somewhat resembling Zhou Wanniang, both looking frail and weak, which was unpleasant to look at.

Master Hu, unaware of her thoughts, dismissed the maids, leaving only the three of them in the room.

The beautiful woman glanced sideways, "My husband truly has a grand display. With the new bride entering the door, even the maidservant by my side is not allowed to stay."

Mr. Hu, aware of his wrongdoing, sat beside the beautiful woman and made the virtuous girl kneel down, then had her remove the veil from her head.

The beautiful woman was initially indifferent, but when she saw the virtuous girl take off the veil, she was completely stunned.

Seeing her reaction, Mr. Hu had the virtuous girl put the veil back on and waved for her to stand in the corridor.

After closing the doors and windows, he lowered his voice and asked, "Did you see what she looks like?"

The beautiful woman felt her heart pounding wildly, "Where did you find this person? If I hadn't seen Zhou Wanniang just today, I would have thought you had kidnapped her."

Mr. Hu, instead of being angry, laughed, "Even my lady finds her similar; it's a matter of fate. The circumstances are quite complicated. Who would have thought that a maidservant could look exactly like Zhou Wanniang? And do you know why Zhou Wanniang came to this town to seek refuge with the Wang family?"

The beautiful woman, naturally unaware of the details, humbled herself and pulled at Mr. Hu's sleeve, urging him to reveal the inside story.

Feeling relieved, Mr. Hu lowered his voice and gave a brief account, "Zhou Wanniang has also fallen on hard times. She caught the eye of someone higher up, but Zhou Wanniang is a woman of principles. She was already betrothed and refused to submit to the higher-up, so she fled."

After some consideration, the beautiful woman asked, "So, husband, your intention is to send this virtuous girl to him?"

Mr. Hu only smiled without answering, "I've entrusted her to you. Take good care of her and don't let anything go wrong. Don't let her leave the house or meet any guests."

Zhao Xinghua stood in the corridor for a moment before hearing the beautiful woman call her inside. Her manners were rudimentary, learned hastily, and not particularly refined. She knelt on the ground, staring at the cracks in the tiles.

Thinking about the money she had been sold for, which wouldn't even buy a corner of this place, she felt an indescribable bitterness.

Her life in Green Mountain Village seemed like a distant dream, and she didn't know what her future held. She decided to live day by day, and if she couldn't, she would simply end her life.

With this resolve, she felt less fear and gained a newfound resilience.

When the rain finally stopped, Lin Chunyan and Erlang set off for the town. The road was muddy, making it difficult to push the cart, and they feared another downpour, so they didn't let Mrs. Zhang come out.

They held umbrellas and pushed the cart, stopping frequently. When they finally reached the town, they found few vendors at the dock.

Even in the rain, those working at the dock couldn't stop. Seeing Lin Chunyan and the others arrive, they were all delighted, "We thought we wouldn't get to eat pickled vegetables today, but you're here!"

"I was hoping to spend three coins on a bowl of clear soup noodles to warm myself up. It's been raining all day, and I feel so cold."

Lin Chunyan quickly set up the tables and chairs, and the workers who had just finished their tasks gathered around. Some wanted pickled vegetables, some wanted noodles, and others wanted bean curd. After a busy period, she saw Young Master Wang approaching.

Young Master Wang was accompanied by a servant. He looked around the stall somewhat shyly, feeling relieved when he saw no one he knew.

It turned out that while he was a guest at Young Master Hu's house, the beautiful woman had invited them to dinner. On the table was braised chicken feet, which she said were bought from Lin Chunyan's stall. They were a new creation, and there weren't many, but Young Master Hu liked them and brought some back for the beautiful woman.

The beautiful woman pointed at Young Master Hu and said, "We can only enjoy such leisure for a few years here. Back in the Imperial City, we won't have such freedom. Even if we want to indulge, there will be no place for it."

Old Lady Wang agreed, "Indeed, once we're in the Imperial City, we won't have the same freedom as here."

Young Master Wang, upon hearing the name, knew that this dish wasn't something suitable for formal occasions, so he didn't touch it.

However, Young Master Hu enjoyed it thoroughly. The beautiful woman, knowing that they wouldn't have such leisure once back in the Imperial City, didn't stop him and even encouraged Old Lady Wang to try the chicken feet, "They are very tender and are said to beautify and nourish the skin."

Old Lady Wang, who loved tender food, immediately tried the braised chicken feet and was captivated by their tenderness. She ate quite a bit until her maidservants stopped her, fearing she would overeat.

Young Master Wang watched enviously but, afraid of being laughed at by Young Master Hu, restrained himself and didn't eat.

Old Lady Wang, knowing her grandson's pride, couldn't help but laugh on the way back, thinking that the rain might keep the vendors away, so she let him endure a bit longer.

Young Master Wang was unhappy throughout the journey. When he returned home, he didn't want to eat, even taking only a couple of bites of the fried sauce noodles. Seeing the rain had stopped, he couldn't resist and went out with his servant.

To his delight, Lin Chunyan and the others were already setting up their stall. Young Master Wang was overjoyed but maintained a composed demeanor, asking Lin Chunyan what fresh food they had.

Lin Taohong listed everything on the stall. When she mentioned the braised chicken feet, Young Master Wang's eyes lit up, and he asked Lin Chunyan to bring two plates.

His servant, more experienced than Shuxiang, watched as Lin Chunyan picked the chicken feet from the plate, feeling reassured. He then pointed to something skewered nearby, "What is this? It looks like meatballs, but why are they on skewers?"

Lin Chunyan explained, "These are made today, only a few skewers. They are made from fish and crab meat, requiring a lot of effort, so they are a bit more expensive."

Young Master Wang, intrigued, asked his servant to bring them all, filling the table.

He first tried the braised chicken feet, which tasted as delicious as he had hoped. Considering they were outside, he ate slowly. Then he tried the fish and crab skewers, which were soft and chewy, even better than the chicken feet.

Young Master Wang, feeling mischievous, thought about how Young Master Hu often bought these delicacies. Now that he was leaving, he wouldn't be able to enjoy them anymore. Feeling a sense of satisfaction, he had his servant take half of the food to Young Master Hu's house.

The servant had barely taken a few steps when Young Master Wang called him back, telling him to bring more, "There isn't much in total. Besides what I'll eat, we need to share with the old lady and the sisters. If we give too much, we'll have less to eat ourselves."

Lin Taohong, overhearing this, couldn't help but laugh, "They said Young Master Hu had already left, but it seems he hasn't started yet?"

"They say he will leave the day after tomorrow. He's been at home packing and probably can't come out."

Lin Taohong, thinking of Shuxiang, wanted to meet him and pack some of the fresh food for him.

She shared this idea with Lin Chunyan.

Lin Chunyan, remembering how Shuxiang had spoken up for them several times and was honest and reliable, agreed to Lin Taohong's request and helped her pack a lot of food. Lin Taohong then followed Young Master Wang's servant to Hu's house.

They didn't enter but delivered the food to the gatehouse, stating who it was from, and left.

Lin Taohong had only seen the grand mansion from a distance before. Now, getting closer, she felt the immense scale of the gates, the deep red doors seeming endless.

Thinking about how Li Hua and Xinghua from their village were faring, she sighed inwardly, grateful that she hadn't impulsively followed to become a maidservant.

When they arrived, Mrs. Zhang reminded them that Uncle Zhang had been gone for two days and might return today. If they met him, they should tell him not to go back to the village but to visit their home first, rest, and catch his breath.

Lin Chunyan remembered Uncle Zhang's situation and, while busy selling, kept an eye on the dock. With fewer people around, she could clearly see the passing boats.

Several boats docked, but none carried Uncle Zhang.

She began to worry, thinking something might have happened to Uncle Zhang, which would be troublesome.

Thinking about things, Lin Chunyan saw Sun Anyuan and Officer Sun approaching, and she quickly greeted them with a smile, calling out to Big Brother Sun, "Would you like to have a bowl of noodles?"

Officer Sun waved his hand, "I’m not here for noodles today. First, I want to talk to you about those three thieves, and second, I want to try your braised chicken feet."

Previously, Sun Anyuan had eaten braised chicken feet here once and brought some home for Li Dainiang. Li Dainiang was delighted and didn’t leave any for Officer Sun. When he returned, all he saw were leftovers, and he scolded both Sun Anyuan and Li Dainiang.

Not having tasted them, it felt like something was gnawing at his heart. Just as the investigation into the three thieves had made some initial progress, he decided to come over.

On his way, he saw his colleague coming out of the security agency. They chatted for a bit and then came together.

Hearing this, Lin Chunyan perked up her ears and listened attentively. Until those three thieves were sentenced, she felt like something was stuck in her throat, neither up nor down.

Officer Sun didn’t beat around the bush and said directly, "The thief who entered your house has one leg that is practically useless. The prison conditions are poor, and it has become infected and rotted. He can’t escape punishment for entering your house, but after his leg was disabled, his brother stepped forward to take his place. The magistrate sentenced both of them to exile."

"What about the other one?"

This person, known as Brother Zhuzi, who was mentioned by the thief who entered their house, seemed either lucky or had a plan. He never even entered your house, saying he followed the two brothers out of confusion.

"Such a case has never happened before, so it’s hard to sentence him. He was just given a few lashes and released."

Hearing this news, Lin Chunyan knew that Officer Sun had put in a lot of effort. Otherwise, the two brothers might not have been exiled since they didn’t steal any money.

Beside her, Sun Anyuan added, "You don’t need to worry about Hong Zhuzi causing trouble. If there’s anything you can’t handle with the authorities, come to our security agency. You know everyone there, and Hong Zhuzi wouldn’t dare to oppose us."

Officer Sun nodded, paused for a moment, and then continued, "It was previously said that someone from your village was in league with them. We interrogated them for several days, and the two brothers admitted that they were incited by Hong Zhuzi. They wanted to take the money to buy a courtesan’s freedom, which led them to have these evil thoughts."

Hearing that he was surnamed Hong, Lin Chunyan guessed, "Is he related to Hong Niang from our village?"

"Indeed, Hong Niang’s family is right next to Hong Zhuzi’s. Once, when Hong Niang returned to her parents’ home to cry, she complained that you had squeezed her tofu business, making it hard for her to earn money while enduring daily beatings from her husband, feeling very wronged."

Lin Taohong spat on the side, "What do you mean we took her business? That Hong Niang raised the price of tofu, treating us like fools. How could we endure that?"

Officer Sun calmed her down, "The tofu business was brought to her husband’s family by Hong Niang. Her mother scolded her for being incompetent and said that your family, despite being only women, managed to run such a successful business. She told Hong Niang to learn from you and not be beaten by her husband every day. Unfortunately, the walls have ears, and Hong Zhuzi overheard this."

Lin Chunyan felt a mix of emotions. She didn’t think Hong Niang was doing it intentionally, but the information leaked from her side, leaving her unsure of what to do.

She thanked them and served them the braised chicken feet. The two brothers also asked if the chrysanthemum wine was ready.

"They said they would buy a few jars of your wine when it’s ready and invite the officers from the yamen to drink it together, but your wine hasn’t been ready, so I had to come and check myself."

Lin Chunyan smiled and said, "The wine isn’t ready yet; it will take another ten to fifteen days. When it’s opened, I’ll send the first jar to Big Brother Sun."

The two brothers joked a bit and started eating the braised chicken feet, asking Lin Chunyan to pack some to take back for Li Dainiang.

With the rain, the streets were wet, and the uneven blue bricks made walking a bit wobbly. Only Old Lady Tangshui and Old Man Tangshui came to town.

One was driven out by her son and daughter-in-law because it hadn’t rained, and the other came on his own, thinking that selling more in the afternoon would provide more spending money for his grandson.

When they arrived, business wasn’t particularly good, and they didn’t get along with each other, so they both looked at Erlang.

Erlang felt nervous under their gaze, swallowed hard, and the kind Old Lady Tangshui and the smiling Old Man Tangshui both looked at him expectantly, as if they had something to say.

Erlang wanted to go home and isolate himself, so he lowered his head and pretended to be organizing his things.

But after a short while, Old Lady Tangshui started talking, "Erlang, how old are you this year? Have you found a match yet?"

Feeling cornered, Erlang moved his lips but chose to pretend he didn’t hear.

Old Lady Tangshui didn’t feel offended and continued chatting, mentioning the ages of people in their village, who had already married and were about to have children, and which young lady was beautiful but proud and hadn’t found a suitable match.

Erlang listened while thinking, "Who are these people, and why am I listening to this?"

Old Man Tangshui, growing impatient, interrupted, "What’s the point of saying all this? Go tell your daughter-in-law instead of embarrassing this young man."

Old Lady Tangshui and Old Man Tangshui started arguing, exchanging words heatedly.

Erlang quietly breathed a sigh of relief, hoping they would argue more and forget about him.

But fate had other plans. After a few exchanges, they glared at each other and stopped talking.

Just as Erlang was about to inwardly lament, Old Man Tangshui looked over, and Erlang’s heart sank. Sure enough, Old Man Tangshui began, "Yan Niang is quite popular. Has anyone come to propose for her, or does she have someone in mind?"

Erlang fell silent, and Old Lady Tangshui rolled her eyes, huffing, "You say I’m embarrassing myself, but you’re asking the same thing."

Old Man Tangshui eagerly waited for Erlang’s response. Erlang moved his lips but ultimately shook his head.

Everyone knew his personality; he could chat a bit while selling goods, but otherwise, he was tight-lipped.

Old Man Tangshui asked this because he had thought of matching his grandson with Lin Chunyan. However, when he mentioned it to his son and daughter-in-law, they disagreed.

Even his grandson looked unhappy, as if he had said something unreasonable.

Old Man Tangshui felt he was doing his best for them, but they didn’t appreciate it. He explained, "Yan Niang is very skilled and earns a lot of copper coins every day. Marrying her would make our lives more comfortable and help support your studies."

His grandson replied, "We can afford it now. Our family’s poor condition already makes my classmates laugh. If I marry a girl who sells food, won’t I become a laughingstock?"