Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Liu Niangzi's words had clearly left an impression on Mrs. Zhang. After finishing a persimmon bread, she looked outside and said, "The sky seems to have cleared up. Why don't we go set up our stall at the dock?"

Lin Chunyan was puzzled. "Why the sudden change? This morning, you were saying we should rest for a few more days. The snow here might be less, but who knows what the road to town looks like."

Mrs. Zhang sighed and climbed onto the roof to take a look. "We still need to get a stall going. If we can walk there, we won't have to push so many things in a cart. We can go whenever we want."

Lin Chunyan knew someone must have spoken to her, but she didn't dwell on it.

Wang Yingniang hesitated before speaking. "It's better to wait a bit longer. The last time we went to town, the road was terrible. I'm afraid the cart will get stuck."

Lin Chunyan couldn't help but laugh, giving Wang Yingniang a stern look. "You remember how bad the road was."

Seeing that she was willing to talk, Wang Yingniang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly made several promises. "I won't go again. From now on, I'll consult with you first."

She didn't know that Lin Chunyan could hold such a grudge, not speaking to anyone for days.

Lin Chunyan composed herself and carefully explained the dangers of going out in heavy snow, using past examples. Wang Yingniang listened and felt a chill of fear.

"Is it really that serious? Could it lead to losing limbs?"

Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong were also captivated by the story. Lin Chunyan decided to give them a lesson, recounting all the examples she had seen.

"One young man went out in a heavy snowstorm despite warnings. He got lost and froze to death by the roadside. They found him already stiff..."

Wang Yingniang's face turned pale, and she quickly swore an oath. "I won't go again. I was just inexperienced."

Mrs. Zhang, hearing this, muttered to herself, wondering where Lin Chunyan had learned all this.

Her father-in-law had indeed traveled far and wide, but he favored boys over girls. Even if he let Lin Chunyan help in the kitchen, he wouldn't have told her these stories.

Mrs. Zhang thought about it for a moment but soon dismissed it, preferring to focus on the aroma of chestnuts and persimmons.

Lin Chunyan and Wang Yingniang reconciled, and they went to the kitchen to chat intimately.

Lin Taohong, seeing this, pouted, thinking their cold war would last longer this time.

With no one else to talk to, Lin Chunyan had to turn to her. Even Wang Yingniang often asked her to sound out Lin Chunyan, which delighted her.

The next day was still bitterly cold. Lin Chunyan stayed in bed, warming herself and thinking about what to eat.

The big yellow dog in the front yard barked excitedly, and voices from outside belonged to Uncle Zhang and his group.

"Is that Uncle Zhang?"

A voice responded, and Lin Chunyan hurriedly opened the door to greet them. Mrs. Zhang also got up to see.

"What brings you here suddenly?"

They all carried axes, and it wasn't clear what they were planning to do.

Uncle Zhang laughed heartily, his face red from the cold. "We thought Yan Niang needed a shelter at the dock. So, we decided to build her a shed."

Looking behind them, she saw several curtains made of dry grass, all crafted during this period.

It was snowing, and fewer people were buying jelly tofu. With nothing else to do, they started working immediately. Despite Hu's usual sharp tongue, she was very skilled. After a few lessons from Ma, she became quick and efficient.

Lin Chunyan was surprised, having thought Ma did nothing at home except watch Dabao. But she realized she had been too narrow-minded. According to Mrs. Zhang, Ma's family had been poor, with five or six siblings. They had to sell mats to make ends meet.

Without further ado, the men took a breath and headed up the mountain to cut trees. They didn't dare venture deep into the mountains in the snow, only cutting the outer trees.

Cutting trees was hard work, and the men panted and rested frequently.

Fortunately, Erlang and his uncle arrived soon, and Lin Chunyan felt a warmth in her heart, unsure what to say.

Together, they managed to cut down two or three small trees. Uncle Lin brought out unused wood from home, enough for stakes.

"Uncles and uncles, have some food first. Don't rush to build the shed in town. We don't know if the road is passable yet."

Uncle Zhang didn't hesitate, sitting down on a stool. In just half a day, he was drenched. "I've sent Shi to check the road. If it's impassable, we'll clear it with shovels. It shouldn't take more than two or three days."

There happened to be some large bones at home, and Lin Chunyan used them to make noodles in a pork bone broth. The room filled with the sound of slurping noodles.

The pork bone broth contained kelp threads and tofu skin, and the broth was rich and white. A few bites of noodles and a sip of soup washed away much of the fatigue.

Everyone ate enthusiastically, ready to start working after the meal.

Uncle Lin reassured Lin Chunyan, "Don't worry, Yan Niang. We'll definitely clear the road for you. Once the shed is built, you won't have to suffer in the cold when you set up your stall."

Lin Chunyan was deeply grateful. As she ate the noodles, Dog Egg's father and Li Tiedan arrived, followed by a few excited children. They clearly saw this as a fun activity.

Zhao Muyang disapproved of Dog Egg's attitude, muttering, "You act like a landlord at home, doing nothing. Don't drag us down."

Dog Egg was upset. "Don't underestimate me. I was just ignorant before! Now, I help with the chores at home."

He nudged Heizi, who had helped Dog Egg wash dishes several times. Heizi nodded, "That's true. If he doesn't work, his sisters will beat him up."

Everyone laughed, and Lin Chunyan, worried they would catch a cold from sweating and being exposed to the wind, boiled two large pots of ginger and brown sugar water. She placed them on a cart and followed the group.

Whenever someone was thirsty or tired, they could drink a bowl of ginger and brown sugar water, which refreshed them.

Before long, the Village Headman arrived with a dozen other men from the village. He had initially planned to wait for the snow to melt, but this year's snowfall was unusually heavy. If it continued, his second son, Mu Xiu, wouldn't be able to return from town.

Living with his eldest brother's family, his daughter-in-law would likely give Zhang Tianhe a hard time. When he found out, his wife cried, feeling sorry for their second son.

Hearing that several families were clearing the snow, the Village Headman felt he should contribute. Otherwise, the villagers would remember the kindness of Lin Chunyan's family and forget about him.

Moreover, if the people from their own village didn’t contribute their share when outsiders were helping, they would be laughed at by people from other villages.

The men who came to help were all capable, and basically, every household had sent their able-bodied men. After all, there was nothing much to do in winter, and besides, they also wanted to get closer to Lin Chunyan.

Not long ago, something significant happened in the village; the two pigs raised by the Wu family died.

They lived next to Sun Niang, and it was said that she and Old Lady Li took out leftovers every day to feed the pigs, which made the old woman of the Wu family envious.

Thinking about how hard it was to pick acorns from the mountain, only to exchange for so little to feed the pigs, she found it very unprofitable.

She thought that if she could process the acorns herself, she could sell the acorn residue in the village later, and it would surely sell well.

This old woman of the Wu family was quite stubborn. She decided to act immediately, ignoring the half-day of persuasion from her two daughters-in-law. Her two sons listened to everything their mother said, and whenever the daughters-in-law raised objections, these two sons would glare at them, saying things like how hard it was for their mother to raise them and how much money they spent on marrying their wives, and they couldn't let their mother feel cold-hearted.

It seemed as if the money spent on marrying their wives was for them. The two daughters-in-law often grumbled privately because of their mother-in-law, but their relationship with each other was better than that of sisters-in-law in other families.

This old woman of the Wu family ground the acorns, which took her a lot of effort since she hadn't soaked them before and directly ground the hard acorns.

She fed the ground residue directly to the pigs, dreaming of making a fortune. However, after a few days, the pigs started vomiting and having diarrhea, and within a couple of days, one of the piglets died.

The old woman of the Wu family felt as if the sky had fallen. The two daughters-in-law were also heartbroken, as the piglets cost hundreds of coins, nearly a year's income for the family.

After complaining for a while, the men in the family began to defend the old woman again.

The old woman of the Wu family didn't think she was wrong but blamed the residue, suspecting that acorns couldn't be eaten and that they were deceived by Lin Chunyan.

She immediately wanted to go to Lin Chunyan's place to make a fuss, but her two sons feared that things would escalate and that they might be beaten by Erlang, whom they now feared.

Thus, she didn't go, but she couldn't help muttering behind their backs, saying that the residue was toxic and had killed her piglet.

Some people who didn't know the truth actually believed her and dared not exchange for the residue, only willing to exchange for copper coins.

Others didn't believe her and bluntly said, "If it were that simple to grind and feed to pigs or chickens, why would that old woman do it? She killed her own pigs and then said that Yan Niang's residue can't be eaten, clearly with ill intentions! My chickens have been eating it for some time now, and they seem more lively than ever."

The old woman of the Wu family looked embarrassed, being exposed in public. When she got home, she threw a tantrum, claiming she wasn't feeling well and made her two daughters-in-law attend to her, causing a lot of trouble.

Seeing her like this, no one in the village believed what she said, knowing that those who couldn't process the acorns themselves still exchanged for them to raise chickens and pigs.

Among those who came to shovel snow were the two sons of the Wu family. They wanted to mend their relationship with Lin Chunyan and worked hard.

Many villagers were waiting to see their embarrassment, but seeing that Lin Chunyan seemed unaware of the Wu family's situation, they had to give up.

With many hands, Uncle Zhang said it would take three or four days to clear the snow, ensuring no obstacles for vehicles or pedestrians.

It was late today, and it wasn't good to repair the shed, so Uncle Zhang went back to the village with them. It wasn't suitable to sleep in the kitchen for fear of catching a cold, so they stayed at Uncle Lin's house for the night.

The next day, they pushed a cart to town, loaded the wood and mats, and set up a shed right there.

When the workers at the dock saw them setting up the shed, Zhao Liu and Hu Daqiang came over to ask, "Is Yan Niang going to set up a stall?"

Uncle Lin nodded, and Hu Daqiang and Zhao Liu were delighted, thinking she wouldn't come out in winter.

Since there was no work today, they helped out. Used to hard labor, they were as strong as Uncle Zhang, quickly driving the wooden stakes into the ground.

Despite his thinness, Zhao Liu was very agile. He climbed to the top, covered it with mats, and found some dry grass to put on top.

With the shed built, Uncle Zhang and the others didn't stay longer and went home, taking some jelly tofu and braised bean curd with them. In the cold weather, the jelly tofu didn't sell as well as before, but the bean curd became popular again.

Having a shed indeed made a big difference. After sending Uncle Zhang away, Lin Chunyan hung extra mats around the shed to block the wind.

Seeing this, Mrs. Zhang said she would also get some mats.

However, her weaving skills weren't good, and the mats she made were loose and uneven, which Lin Chunyan didn't trust. She suggested that she spend money to have Zhao Zilan and her sister help weave some.

The first to eat at their shed were Qin Laozhang and his father-in-law Chen Laozhang. Originally, they came out to buy wine, thinking they had nothing tasty at home and decided to try their luck at the dock. To their surprise, Lin Chunyan was really there.

Both were overjoyed, seeing the shed set up and well-enclosed, they sat down to eat.

Chen Laozhang wanted to invite Lin Chunyan to cook a few dishes for his birthday banquet, but due to heavy snow, it didn't happen, which he regretted for a long time.

Qin Laozhang chatted with Lin Chunyan for a bit and mentioned the pot she cooked for the escort agency, "People said my wedding feast was enviable, but later they heard that the escort agency people ate pots, which was truly admirable."

Chen Laozhang sighed, "Forget it, at least you two could invite Yan Niang, I couldn't even get her to come home."

They joked for a while, ordered noodles, and asked Lin Taohong to wrap some fish balls and crab sticks in oil paper to take home for their children.

Some idlers, seeing Lin Chunyan, smiled and came over to greet her, and the few regulars who delivered food also spread the news.

Soon, several idlers brought food boxes, and the shed became bustling, the warm steam making people want to come in and sit.

Within two days, many people in town knew that Lin Chunyan's stall had reopened with a new shed, where it wasn't cold even inside.

Hearing this, the two sons of Mr. Zhao insisted on going out to eat, dressed warmly and unafraid of the cold.

However, their mother disagreed, telling them to stay at home, "If you want to eat, just have the idlers bring a couple of bowls here; it's just as good and much warmer."

The two boys drooped their heads, feeling that their mother didn't understand the difference between eating at home and outside.

Seeing this, their mother put her hands on her hips, "Then forget it, we'll eat what our kitchen makes."

The two children immediately changed their expressions and started flattering their mother. Mr. Zhao shook his head, thinking that these two kids really didn't know when to stop. His wife agreeing to have the idlers bring food from the stall was already a compromise after her change of attitude following the Qin Laozhang incident; otherwise, it would have been impossible.

He thought that with the cold weather, they should nourish themselves properly and ordered a bowl of mutton noodles.

The mutton noodles were made with broth from simmered lamb bones, the meat tender and without any gamey taste. Eating a hot bowl in the cold weather made him feel warm all over.

Young Master Wang had been confined at home for several days, as the academy had been closed due to heavy snow, with several teachers suffering from colds, and classes were expected to resume in the spring.

Moreover, with Young Master Hu not around, he found no interest in attending the academy and wanted his grandmother to hire a private tutor to teach him at home.

On this day, for some reason, Young Master Wang had an intense craving for pan-fried tofu. The pan-fried tofu was best enjoyed right at the stall, freshly cooked and hot, sprinkled with green onions, cilantro, and various seasonings, making it look incredibly appetizing.

When it first touched the tongue, it was slightly warm, with a crispy exterior, but the inside was incredibly tender and smooth, making it hard to resist.

There was also the pan-fried bean curd, which had a different texture from the tofu, being more chewy, yet equally delicious.

The more Young Master Wang thought about it, the more he felt his mouth watering. He couldn't wait any longer and decided to get up, put on a cloak, and head out.

His attendant couldn't stop him and could only inform Old Lady Wang.

Old Lady Wang pointed at Young Master Wang and scolded him with a smile, "You little monkey, you're becoming more and more like that boy from the Hu family. I wonder if someone has switched our children, taking away our fine young man and leaving us with this little glutton."

The women in the room giggled incessantly, but Zhou Wanniang's smile didn't reach her eyes, and the corners of her lips quickly faded.

She had been with the Wang family for two months now, and the news from the Imperial City was getting worse each time. She didn't know what to do, and the idea of marrying into another family as a concubine seemed increasingly likely.

As she pondered this, she heard Qingjie, who was by Old Lady Wang's side, pouting and insisting on going out as well.

"Grandmother, it's not fair that only the young masters and scholars can go out to eat whenever they want, while we young ladies have to ask for permission. Why shouldn't we be allowed to go?"

Her voice was clear and sweet, like pearls falling on a jade plate, very pleasant to hear.

Old Lady Wang doted on Qingjie the most and wasn't angry when she heard this. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Qingjie has a point. When I was in the Imperial City, I often went out. Since you all want to go, dress warmly, take out the fox fur cloaks, and bring a few small stoves. Just don't blame me if you catch a cold."

Hearing this, everyone in the room was overjoyed. Qingjie quickly took Old Lady Wang's hand and cooed, "How can you be old? I think Grandmother still looks very young. You could even go out with us to play."

Old Lady Wang was delighted by the flattery. Seeing that even Zhou Wanniang showed some interest, she waved them off, urging them to hurry and get ready.

After the young ladies left excitedly, Old Lady Wang shook her head lightly and spoke to the old woman beside her, as if recalling something. She then asked someone to buy some food as well.

"Let's change our menu today. Listening to Qingjie just reminded me of the times I went out before, seeing vendors selling wontons, tangyuan, and sweet drinks. I always made my attendants buy them for me."

These were stories from forty or fifty years ago. The old woman beside her had joined the household later and didn't know these old tales, but she knew Old Lady Wang came from a very noble family. Even if they sold the entire Wang family, they wouldn't match the value of Old Lady Wang's jewelry.

Yet, such a person ended up marrying Old Master Wang and spent half her life before being sent back to the Wang family's old residence. Anyone who heard this story would sigh.

One's fate in life, who could predict it until the end?

Seeing Zhou Wanniang about to leave, Jiming became anxious and said, "Young Lady, don't go. How can you eat outside? You might catch a cold."

"Catching a cold would be better."

Zhou Wanniang whispered this and fell silent, leaving Jiming stomping her feet in worry.

"Grandmother has already agreed. Do you think she hasn't considered it? Just open the trunk and bring me a cloak."

Jiming had no choice but to bring out several cloaks, finally choosing a white fox fur one.

Zhou Wanniang put it on and walked out, with Jiming hurriedly stuffing a small hand warmer into her pocket, thinking it was fortunate that it hadn't snowed recently, or they would have needed an umbrella.

On the other side, Young Master Wang and the two young ladies had also finished getting ready. They all decided to ride in one carriage, with the attendants following behind.

They had never gone out like this before, finding it novel and exciting. They laughed and chatted along the way, feeling closer than usual.

"I wonder what there is to eat? Someone mentioned a noodle stand, but I don't want to eat noodles," Rongjie said, having only heard Young Master Wang talk about it and never having eaten out herself, feeling a bit nervous.

Zhou Wanniang lifted the curtain and looked outside, seeing that the street was nearly empty, making her feel somewhat bored.

The sky was overcast, and after hearing Rongjie's words, they all started thinking about what to eat.

"If nothing else, we can walk around and find a restaurant," Qingjie suggested.

Young Master Wang just smiled without speaking, letting them speculate.

Getting off the carriage, they saw a tent set up with reed curtains, giving it a rustic charm. They all wanted to go in and sit down.

Seeing their noble appearance, Lin Chunyan recognized Young Master Wang and quickly invited them in.

A cold wind blew as they got off the carriage, making them shiver, but once inside the tent, they felt much warmer. Without removing their cloaks, they asked Lin Chunyan, "Young Lady, do you have anything to eat?"

"Just don't bring us noodles. We've had enough fried sauce noodles lately and don't want to eat them anymore."

Seeing that they didn't want noodles, Lin Chunyan offered to make them a spicy and numbing hot pot.

They had never heard of a spicy and numbing hot pot before, but it sounded interesting. Young Master Wang, putting on a serious and mature demeanor, asked casually, "What's it made of? Is it really spicy and numbing?"

Lin Chunyan, seeing through his act, smiled and explained what was in the hot pot.

They were all intrigued and nodded, and Lin Chunyan recommended chrysanthemum wine to help them warm up.

Young Master Wang also ordered the pan-fried tofu, finally getting to taste what he had been craving, and couldn't help but exclaim.

The young ladies were sipping the chrysanthemum wine, which was warmed by the stove, accompanied by persimmon cakes, chestnuts, peanuts, red dates, and sticky red sugar rice cakes.

"Who would have thought we'd be able to sit around a fire and drink wine here? It's quite fun."

The charcoal glowed a faint red, and the chrysanthemum wine was a light yellow. Taking a sip, the fragrance of chrysanthemums slid down their throats.

Young Master Wang finished the pan-fried tofu and pointed at the red sugar rice cakes, asking, "What is this dish? It doesn't seem familiar."

"Young Master has good eyesight. These red sugar rice cakes are made from glutinous rice and are very sticky."

The young ladies ordered a plate to enjoy with their wine. Lin Chunyan had planned to save these for lunch with Mrs. Zhang, but since there weren't many, she gave them to the guests first and promised to make more.

Qingjie loved sweets. Biting into the rice cake, she found it crispy on the outside and sticky on the inside, with the red sugar almost dripping onto her hands. She didn't mind, wiping her hands with a handkerchief and continuing to eat.

Lin Taohong, standing nearby, was envious. She had wanted to try the rice cakes when Lin Chunyan was making them, but they were quickly taken by the others. Who would have thought the food would slip away so easily?

The spicy and numbing hot pot was soon ready. The fish balls and crab sticks were already prepared, and she had made plenty of them at home over the past few days.

A few people had eaten red sugar glutinous rice cakes to tide them over, and they weren't very hungry to begin with. Seeing the green vegetable leaves and sesame seeds sprinkled on top of the spicy hot pot, and with the air filled with enticing aromas, their appetites were stirred, and they no longer held back, picking up their chopsticks to dig in.

Lin Chunyan knew that Zhou Wanniang loved bean curd and tofu skin the most, so she added quite a bit more.

Zhou Wanniang glanced several times, each time meeting Lin Chunyan's eyes, her gaze filled with gratitude for the message Lin Chunyan had sent through Jiming last time. She felt that Lin Chunyan was a person who knew how to repay kindness. Perhaps it was the chrysanthemum wine, but she felt a warm sensation in her heart, dispelling the anxiety and helplessness she had felt when she arrived.

Taking a bite of the spicy hot pot, the numbing and spicy flavors burst in the mouth, making one exclaim in satisfaction. Even the vegetables and lotus roots inside were full of flavor.

Qingjie and Rongjie were so overwhelmed by the spiciness that tears streamed down their faces, yet they continued to eat while hissing and sucking in air.

Wang Xiaolang was not faring much better, using a handkerchief to wipe away his tears as he asked Lin Chunyan, "I wonder if Miss will be coming out during the Winter Solstice, and if you could prepare some fresh dishes then?"

People at the time placed great importance on the Winter Solstice, even more so than the New Year. It was customary to eat dumplings on this day, and Wang Xiaolang wanted to know if Lin Chunyan would come up with any new fillings.

Lin Chunyan thought for a moment and replied, "I should be coming on the Winter Solstice, but I haven't decided yet what kind of filling to use."