Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Everyone took a deep breath, feeling the aroma from the pot was too inviting. Uncle Lin swallowed a few times before stepping into the house to carry Wulang out.

He said to Lin Chunyan, "Yan Niang, go and eat quickly. I'll take him home and have your Third Aunt take care of him."

Mrs. Zhang said while eating, "Third Brother, you must talk to your sister-in-law properly. Don't let her get angry and think we did it on purpose."

Uncle Lin hurriedly assured her, "That won't happen. I'll talk to her when I get back."

Li Shi had been distracted with her embroidery at home. When Lin Taohong came to call them earlier, she wasn't mentioned, and Silang and Wulang ran off like a flash. Uncle Lin, being heartless, didn't even ask if she wanted to go, which made her feel somewhat uneasy.

Earlier, after Uncle Lin earned money making wooden boxes, Li Shi discussed with him that she no longer wanted to teach the two young ladies from the Zhang family.

It was fine for other reasons, but those two young ladies from the Zhang family were too chatty, always whispering about trivial matters. Lin Fengdie, being young, didn't play with others much, so she inevitably got influenced.

Uncle Lin didn't object much; after all, they could still manage their life.

Lin Fengdie didn't know what was wrong with Li Shi, as she kept making mistakes in her embroidery. She asked curiously, "Mother, are you not feeling well? Why don't I finish the rest, and you can rest?"

Lin Fengdie had been handling needles and threads since she was old enough to understand, and now she could handle some simple tasks. The two of them could earn a few copper coins just from their daily embroidery.

But Li Shi didn't let her, glancing outside the window a few times. Seeing the snowflakes getting bigger and the ground quickly covered in white, she felt the room getting colder. She got up to add more firewood to the stove. Turning around, she was startled to see Uncle Lin carrying Wulang back.

As soon as Wulang was carried away, Mrs. Zhang began chatting with Second Aunt, "Do you believe it or not, the couple from the third house will come over again."

Second Aunt immediately understood Mrs. Zhang's meaning—that Li Shi would definitely come to make a fuss.

Second Aunt said, "When she comes, she'll probably cry and complain. Should we hide out?"

Mrs. Zhang remained unperturbed, "If we hide, it will only give people something to gossip about. Let her come and argue."

Seeing her calm demeanor, Second Aunt wasn't anxious anymore. She looked at the bubbling hotpot of pickled cabbage and cured meat, picked a piece of fatty cured meat, and the unique aroma spread through her mouth, making even the weather outside seem pleasant.

The others weren't far behind, all busy eating with chopsticks, the special fragrance of the cured meat permeating the broth, giving everything cooked in it a hint of its flavor.

"This pot is too delicious. Give me some of that pickled cabbage later, and I'll make it myself."

Lin Chunyan, who was eating fish balls, nodded. The fish balls cooked in the pickled cabbage and cured meat hotpot tasted different from those in ordinary hotpots. Once you got used to this flavor, it was incredibly fragrant.

Hearing Second Aunt's words, Lin Chunyan agreed, "If you want to eat more, take some back. I've pickled quite a bit. This pickled cabbage can be stewed with tofu and vermicelli, adding a few slices of meat, and it's very fragrant."

"You can also make pickled cabbage fish, pickled cabbage buns, pickled cabbage and shredded meat noodles... oh, there are so many dishes."

Just hearing her describe it, everyone imagined a plate of fragrant pickled cabbage and pork vermicelli or a steaming bowl of pickled cabbage fish, making them eager to taste those flavors right away.

Second Aunt then asked how to make pickled cabbage fish, the order of ingredients, and after understanding, she talked about the pickled cabbage, "Xiang Niang said this is made using a quick method. If you use the traditional method, it will be even more sour and authentic."

"But the traditional method makes the pickled cabbage more pure and genuine. I've pickled a whole jar, but it will take some time before it's ready. By then, it will be close to the New Year. If our village has a pig slaughter, I'll cook it for everyone, and we can have another feast."

Hearing this, everyone looked forward to it, wishing the New Year would come sooner so they could enjoy the pig feast.

As Mrs. Zhang predicted, Li Shi soon arrived with Uncle Lin. She was naturally petite and started crying as soon as she arrived, looking pitiful.

But no one here fell for it, especially Mrs. Zhang, who had been tricked by this act many times. She pulled a long face, "Is there something wrong with Wulang? If not, why are you crying here? If you fight with your husband, do it at home, not at our place."

Li Shi had never heard Mrs. Zhang speak in such a tone before. In the past, once she cried, Mrs. Zhang would lose her composure, jump up to argue with her, and end up at a disadvantage.

Seeing she couldn't gain any advantage and no one was helping her, Li Shi wiped her tears, "I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to know what happened. Why was Wulang the only one carried back unconscious while everyone else was fine?"

Inside, Lin Fengdie waited anxiously for someone to return, unsure of the situation. She regretted not going along earlier to see what was happening.

But she also felt that going would mean bowing to Lin Chunyan, which she was unwilling to do.

It wasn't until dusk that Li Shi and Uncle Lin returned, both without the anger they had when they left. Lin Fengdie hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Mother, what did they say? How did they get Wulang drunk?"

Li Shi was momentarily embarrassed, "It was Silang's mischief. He insisted on urging Wulang to drink, and after a few sips, he became like that."

Recalling Mrs. Zhang's awkward expression when she said this, Li Shi felt extremely embarrassed.

At that moment, the aroma of the pickled cabbage and cured meat hotpot was bubbling out, and Li Shi's stomach betrayed her by growling, which was heard by Second Aunt. She invited her to eat, "Children are mischievous. Don't scold Silang. He'll be fine after a good sleep. Have a bite to eat."

Li Shi, almost involuntarily, accepted the chopsticks. Seeing everyone watching her, she couldn't just throw them down. Since they were all eating here, having a few bites of the hotpot wouldn't be a loss.

After tasting a few pieces of the soft, tender tofu, enveloped in the rich broth, the full mouth of pickled cabbage and cured meat flavor made her unable to stop. She ate until her belly was round before stopping.

Lin Fengdie couldn't have guessed how things would develop. She thought they had bullied Li Shi and pulled her hand, but upon getting closer, she smelled the strong scent of food on Li Shi, feeling slightly dazed.

Did they go to Lin Chunyan's house to eat? How did things turn out like this?

Li Shi was also somewhat embarrassed, coughing lightly, "It's all Silang's fault. He didn't watch Wulang properly and even urged him to drink. I saw that the others who drank were fine. This little one must be like his father, one cup and he's out. We'll talk to him when he wakes up."

Uncle Lin was grateful for Mrs. Zhang's magnanimity. Even though Li Shi came to cause trouble, they didn't immediately jump up and argue. If they had, things would have been difficult to resolve.

It wasn't that the villagers mocked him; he really listened to Li Shi.

Seeing this, Lin Fengdie didn't say anything but felt a blockage in her chest.

Lin Chunyan went to the kitchen to prepare things for the next day, while Lin Taohong was still excitedly recounting the events, "Did you see Third Aunt's face? It was truly eye-opening."

Lin Chunyan, without looking up, asked, "I didn't notice. I was busy making fish balls in the kitchen, worried they wouldn't be enough. When I came out, Third Aunt was already eating happily."

Wang Yingniang hadn't gone out and didn't know what happened. Lin Taohong animatedly recounted what she saw, "Third Aunt came in crying, as if we had wronged her. Mother scolded her a few times, and Third Aunt didn't dare to speak anymore. Even Second Aunt was surprised; she probably never thought Mother would have such a day."

Mrs. Zhang chuckled coldly, "What do you mean 'such a day'? Even good words come out twisted from your mouth. I just learned from others how to handle people."

She sighed inwardly, thinking that in the past, she couldn't see through Li Shi's tricks and always lost to her, tarnishing her own reputation.

But who cares about reputation these days? With this money in hand, she could laugh herself awake in the middle of the night.

Lin Chunyan was very curious how Li Shi could sit down and start eating after what Mrs. Zhang said; it didn't seem like her usual style, so she urged Lin Taohong to speak quickly.

"What else? She just smelled the aroma of our cured meat hotpot, and her stomach started growling. Auntie Zhang pulled her down and handed her a pair of chopsticks, and Auntie Li didn't hesitate to take them. I think all the things we've sent to Uncle Li's family, Auntie Li must have eaten quite a bit."

Lin Chunyan had always thought Li Shi was very principled and wouldn't look at the food they made, but to find out she secretly ate it behind their backs, how could it not make Lin Taohong laugh out loud?

Lin Chunyan pinched Lin Taohong's nose with a smile, "This makes you so happy. Come on, tell me who brought out the chrysanthemum wine."

At the mention of this, Lin Taohong didn't dare to speak anymore, wishing to change the subject as quickly as possible.

The next day, when setting up the stall, Lin Chunyan had just put down the table and chairs when Zhao Liu, who had been waiting there early, came over and asked, "Lin Lady, why didn't you come out yesterday? I heard you burned paper and wanted to stop by your noodle stand for a bowl of hot noodles, but couldn't find anyone."

Lin Chunyan explained to them, "I thought fewer people would come out during this season, so I decided to rest at home for a day. What kind of noodles do you want today?"

Zhao Liu had been doing hard labor at the wharf, but his family conditions were poor, with an elderly mother who needed medicine year-round. He mentioned that he had burned paper for his mother and planned to bring her by the stall to taste the noodles.

Usually, Zhao Liu's mother rarely went out, preferring to stay at home, which is why Zhao Liu felt so sorry for her.

Someone nearby approached, and Hu Daqiang, seeing Zhao Liu willing to spend copper coins on noodles, figured out the reason, "There probably won't be many ships coming today, so it's good to bring some back."

That was Zhao Liu's plan. He glanced around the wharf, "It hasn't frozen yet, so why are there so few people?"

Hu Daqiang sighed, "Winter is the hardest time, indeed. And looking at Lin Chunyan, the reduced number of passing ships must affect your business too."

Lin Chunyan had anticipated this and wasn't particularly surprised. This year, winter came early, and a thin layer of white snow fell yesterday, though it melted today. Still, people felt the cold was approaching, and fewer ventured out.

Erlang and Lin Cuixiang weren't faring much better in town. At first glance, most were idle men running errands.

The old woman and man selling sugary drinks had long stopped selling cold drinks and switched to hot ones.

Hearing from Lin Cuixiang that there were hot drinks, Lin Taohong, seeing no one around, ran over to get a few bowls of agarwood water and brought them back.

The agarwood water was made by heating clean tiles until red-hot, then placing a piece of baked agarwood on top. Once the fragrance emerged, the boiling broth was poured into bowls.

Lin Taohong couldn't carry them all alone, so Fang Xiaotian helped her carry several more.

"Big Sister, Mother, drink while it's hot. I've been craving it since I caught the scent on the way here."

Lin Chunyan poured half a bowl for Fang Xiaotian and pulled her to sit down, "It feels like you've grown taller since I last saw you."

When Fang Xiaotian smiled, two small dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth, making her look very cheerful and adorable, "Sister Yan Niang, things have been better at home lately, and my father's illness has improved a lot, so we're willing to spend some copper coins on food."

She didn't hesitate to take a sip, "My mother talks about you every day at home and says she wants to invite you for a meal. But she thinks her cooking isn't good enough, so she's making you a set of cotton clothes, just the cuffs are left to finish."

Previously, Lin Chunyan had suggested to Fang's mother to buy autumn pears and boil them into a syrup to drink, which could help alleviate Fang's husband's cough.

Fang's mother, having some money, bought half a basket of pears, some of which were already not in good condition, with parts of the fruit rotten, but they were cheaper.

She removed the rotten parts of the fruit and, following Lin Chunyan's method, simmered it into autumn pear syrup.

Every day, I would mix pear syrup with water and drink it, and gradually, there was a noticeable improvement. It's unclear whether it was the pear syrup that took effect or the new prescription from the doctor, but indeed, my cough has improved significantly compared to before.

After recuperating through the last winter, by the time spring comes next year, Fang Xianggong will be able to find work, and naturally, life at home will become much easier.

As soon as Fang Xiaotian left, Mrs. Zhang spotted someone from a distance and turned to Lin Chunyan, saying, "This person looks just like your uncle, I never expected anyone could resemble him so closely."

Lin Chunyan followed her words and looked over, laughing out loud, "Mother, what do you mean 'someone else looks like that'? Isn't that Uncle Xiao?"

Mrs. Zhang glanced around a few more times before she confirmed with a nod, "It's true. I told him to rest at home for a while, so why did he come so early?"

Speaking of Zhang's uncle, he returned home with a body full of injuries, which caused great distress to Mrs. Ma. There, she alternated between scolding and shedding tears, and it took Zhang's uncle quite a while to comfort her.

Uncle Zhang took out the money that Daniu had compensated, "There's quite a bit left, apart from my medicine expenses, there's still several hundred coins left, which I'll save for you to buy hairpins."

Ma's tears turned into laughter, "Who would want this money to make hairpins? It's just that those people are too detestable, why didn't elder sister go up and slap them a few times?"

Zhang Xiaojiu felt quite dizzy upon seeing Da Niu at that moment. Seeing Da Niu speaking politely, bowing respectfully, and even taking out money, his resentment seemed to have dissipated significantly.

I also knew that if Mrs. Zhang really went ahead with the fight, it might become difficult to resolve the situation.

"I think we should avoid going to Qixia Town in the future and consider other places instead."

Zhang's uncle had already made up his mind on the way back; he had to go to Qixia Town. Firstly, not going would be a waste of his previous efforts, and secondly, he had figured out that this group of people were the local bullies of Qixia Town.

Since they have already stated that they won't cause any further trouble, it would certainly be safe for him to go there. In fact, it might be better than going to other towns.

Ma couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she carefully hid the money away and suggested he rest for a few more days, "It's essential to wait until the Cold Clothes Festival has passed, and we must burn paper offerings."

Uncle Zhang didn't decline, but seeing the snow drifting down from the sky, he couldn't help but worry. He was afraid that if the lake surface froze, he wouldn't be able to cross it.

Seeing that the snow had melted the next day, he hurried to the town's pier. Mrs. Zhang was also there, complaining, "Why couldn't you go at any other time? You came in such a rush. Didn't your wife say anything to you?"

Zhang's uncle scratched his head, "Once he got back, he cried and made a fuss there, but it was just because he's inexperienced and got scared."

Lin Chunyan first inquired about his injuries. Zhang, her uncle, was also mischievous and stood up to jump a few times for Lin Chunyan, "Niece, you can rest assured, my injury is long gone, it just looks serious."

After Lin Chunyan repeatedly confirmed that he was fine, she didn't stop him, "I was thinking of finding someone else to help you, so that you can discuss things together, but I'm not sure who else could be capable at such short notice."

For such matters, she could only turn to someone close and trustworthy; she wouldn't dare to involve anyone with ulterior motives.

Zhang's uncle was quite pleased with the idea of finding someone to help out, and first enjoyed a bowl of steaming hot noodles at the stall. Watching Lin Taohong there, holding a hot drink and sipping it, he called out to her directly, "Niece, save me a sip, let me taste what it's like. Look at you here, drinking away without even noticing I've arrived."

Lin Taohong pulled the bowl closer to herself, "Uncle, you're such a grown-up now, and yet you're still competing with me for a sip to drink. It's not like when we were kids; if you want to drink it, go buy your own."

Uncle Zhang's attempt failed, leaving him to awkwardly rub his nose as he listened to Lin Chunyan and Mrs. Zhang discuss the villagers. With some discomfort, Mrs. Zhang said, "What do you think about Li Youfu, who lives next to us?"

Lin Chunyan didn't immediately recognize who this person was, so Mrs. Zhang had to clarify, "It's Zhao's son, the one Xinghua originally wanted to marry."

Lin Chunyan thought carefully, "Isn't he about to get married? How can he still have time to go out?"

Although Zhao Niangzi often quarreled with Mrs. Zhang, she would help their family when needed. Uncle Li Tiedan was also a good person who had helped with building the pigsty and the kitchen.

"Let's wait and see. After all, we'll only make one more trip to Qixia Town before the New Year. We can't let Little Uncle run around in the cold winter. I'm afraid Little Aunt will come over and beat us up."

The nieces were so lively and talkative, even Wang Yingniang had changed a lot. But this time when he came home, he saw the two young women washing clothes outside, their hands frozen red, and they looked timid and dared not speak when they saw him.

His heart ached, and at night, he brought up the matter again with Ma Shi, urging her to treat the two young women better.

"You said this last time, and I don't understand. Today I must ask clearly, why do you make me sound like a stepmother? Which young lady doesn't help with household chores? Do you think we should just feed them without making them work?"

Little Uncle Zhang stayed at home for only a few days and didn't want to argue with Ma Shi. Knowing how hard she worked alone at home, he softened his tone, "I'm not saying you're their stepmother. They are your own flesh and blood, and you must be pained too. In such cold weather, why can't they wash clothes with hot water inside? Look at their hands, they're so red. Don't you feel sorry for them?"

He had also noticed that they were washing clothes for Ma Shi and Dabao.

Ma Shi retorted, "It's not that I don't let them use hot water; it's just that they are too lazy to heat it up."

Little Uncle Zhang frowned, "The firewood at home is also cut and gathered by the two girls. If they use too much for heating water, you'll complain again."

This made them hesitant to use it. Thinking that he wasn't at home, he suggested, "Now that we have more money, why don't we buy firewood from others?"

Ma Shi didn't object, but then she heard Little Uncle Zhang mention Dabao, "He's already grown up, we shouldn't spoil him anymore. Dog Egg from Green Hill Village is about the same age as Dabao. His family is busy helping Yan Niang, so he has started helping with household chores like washing dishes."

Ma Shi glared at Little Uncle Zhang, "What are you saying? Let our Dabao wash dishes? He's a young master, how can he do such things?"

Thinking of this, Little Uncle Zhang sighed but didn't want to bring it up. Seeing Lin Chunyan had already packed his things and was scooping some flour on the scale used for frying tofu.

Curious, he leaned over, "Big Niece, what are you doing?"

"I'm making a pancake for you to eat on the road if you get hungry."

Little Uncle Zhang was already seven-tenths full from eating noodles, but seeing the pancake being made, he couldn't resist watching closely.

The batter was poured onto the scale, an egg was cracked on top, and some scallions and sesame seeds were sprinkled over it. Sweet bean sauce was spread, and then it was flipped to the other side, with some sausage placed inside.

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to add crispy bits, so it wasn't quite the same as a real pancake.

Still, the aroma drew several people over.

"This is good, easy to carry on the road."

Lin Taohong wanted one too and asked Lin Chunyan, "Sister, what's this called?"

"A pancake." Lin Chunyan didn't mention the fruit, as her pancake didn't contain any.

She wrapped it in oiled paper, which she had bought at a high price. With the cold weather, there were no large tree leaves left to wrap things in, and without a food box for long trips, they could only use oiled paper.

Oiled paper cost one coin each, and frugal families were unwilling to waste money on it. Some people even carried bowls when they went out.