Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Lin Chunyan huffed, "Exactly, she always blames everything on her daughter-in-law. Are her son and husband dead? Knowing how hard it is to collect acorns in the snow, couldn't they help Liu Niangzi?"

Mrs. Zhang was speechless, never having thought about it this way. After hearing Lin Chunyan, she suddenly realized, "That's right, why don't they go to help?"

But she soon lost interest in the matter, focusing instead on the spicy hotpot before her. She picked up some lotus root and fish balls with her chopsticks, finding the hotpot incredibly delicious, both numbing and spicy, leaving her feeling thoroughly comfortable after finishing.

"This lotus root is just too good. I wonder if we have enough in our pond this year."

These lotus roots were all bought from an old lady in town. Talking about their own pond, the lotus roots grown there were soft and glutinous, with a fragrant aroma.

Lin Chunyan envied those who had ponds, not so much for the fish but because their lotus roots were truly delightful. There was a dock nearby where people often caught and sold fish at very reasonable prices, but the lotus roots were what she really loved.

Liu Niangzi returned home with the items. Her daughter-in-law, Wei Rou, looked at the acorn scraps Liu Niangzi brought back and exclaimed, "Mother, how could you bring back so little? It's not enough for the chickens. Tomorrow, you must go up the mountain again to find more acorns! You know, other families have stored plenty of acorns. If we went to them now, we could trade for enough to feed the chickens and pigs through the winter. You two are really short-sighted!"

Holding the acorn scraps, she continued to grumble as she walked outside, "Well, next year when the acorns fall, we'll go pick them early and store more in the cellar."

Liu Niangzi felt deeply wronged. In such cold weather, she had gone up the mountain to collect acorns, only to receive no praise upon returning.

She put the items down and was about to sit on the ground and wail, but just as she wiped away her tears, her daughter-in-law immediately cried out, "Mother, these pants are freshly washed, costing a lot of water and soap. You can't sit on the ground and cry, or you'll have to wash them again."

Liu Niangzi looked at her pants and remembered the trouble of washing them in the cold. She didn't dare sit on the ground anymore and instead found a stool to sit on, continuing to wipe her eyes.

But crying on a stool was different from crying on the ground; the effect was not the same.

Liu Niangzi herself felt something was off and could only call out to her son and husband with tears in her eyes,

"Life is unbearable. Every day, I'm ordered around. I'm so old, yet I still have to work every day."

Wei Rou was puzzled by Liu Niangzi's behavior and stood there dumbfounded after listening to her long complaint.

At that moment, Liu Niangzi's son and husband came out of the house and tried to console her. Peng Pingan said to Wei Rou, "Wife, my mother is like this. She's so old, maybe we shouldn't let her work anymore."

Wei Rou was stunned. Hearing Peng Pingan's words, her eyes widened in disbelief, "Can someone her age stop working? What will we eat then? What will the chickens eat? Look at other families raising pigs. If we raise pigs in the future, what will they eat? Or do you think Mother will lie around and drink the north wind to stay full?"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, feeling regret for marrying into this family.

Peng Pingan quickly tried to soothe her, but Wei Rou pushed his hand away, "You're really short-sighted. You're like a reed in the wind. Instead of making sure Mother works well, you blame me for making her work. I really don't want to live with you anymore."

Everyone in the room was taken aback by her words. Did Wei Rou mean to divorce?

Oh dear, Peng Pingan had worked hard to marry her. What would happen if she divorced?

Liu Niangzi also felt guilty and stopped wailing, opening her mouth to say something but not knowing what to say.

She had already imagined Wei Rou being fed up with them and either divorcing or running away. In that case, their family would be left with three lazy men, and no one would be willing to cook for them.

If they became destitute, Peng Pingan might not even have someone to bury him.

Their family's reputation in the village was poor, and no young woman was willing to marry into their family. Liu Niangzi knew it was her fault.

Having this daughter-in-law made her extremely happy. Just as she was about to say something gentle, she heard Wei Rou exclaim and look towards the kitchen, "I still have rice cooking. I won't chat with you anymore. Mother, quickly mix the acorn scraps and feed the chickens, then sweep the yard again."

Liu Niangzi, hearing her start to give orders again, dared not say anything more and could only mutter, "We just swept the yard this morning, why again?"

Wei Rou replied, "It got dirty again after the morning sweep. We need to sweep it again in the evening. Also, clean up the chicken droppings and dry them in the sun when it's clear. We'll have fertilizer for spring planting next year."

Liu Niangzi definitely couldn't handle the chicken droppings, as she might get covered in them. She looked at Peng Pingan, "You clean the chicken droppings, and Father split the firewood. We need to gather more wood tomorrow. This winter is so cold, and we don't have enough."

Saying this, she hurried to the kitchen, leaving Liu Niangzi and the others staring at each other.

Peng Pingan moved first, "I'll go clean the chicken droppings."

He quickly left, and Peng's father looked at Liu Niangzi, "I'll go work too."

Finally, Liu Niangzi was left alone. She had no choice but to get up, mix the acorn scraps, and feed the chickens. When she saw two eggs in the coop, she was pleasantly surprised and carefully picked them up, still warm.

Their family hadn't raised chickens for a long time. They had only recently followed the trend and caught some, thinking they would kill them for food since they had nothing to feed them. Who would have thought the chickens would actually be raised and lay one or two eggs daily.

This was due to the cold winter, which made it harder for chickens to lay eggs. When it warmed up, they might lay three or four eggs a day.

Thinking of so many eggs, whether to sell them or keep them for themselves, Liu Niangzi felt a sudden surge of energy.

Peng Pingan cleaned the chicken droppings, still thinking about Wei Rou's words and feeling a bit scared. He told Liu Niangzi, "Mother, let's work diligently from now on. Wei Rou called me a reed in the wind."

Next time, she might call him a lazy man.

Liu Niangzi looked embarrassed, patted her head, and said, "You clean the chicken droppings here. I still need to sweep the yard."

Liu Niangzi hurried away, seeing that Wei Rou had already finished cooking. She awkwardly handed over the eggs.

Wei Rou was delighted and put them in a basket, "Tomorrow, we'll make egg tea. With the ones we picked yesterday, we'll have four, enough for each of us to have a bowl."

Liu Niangzi was also pleased and took the broom to the yard, sighing as she worked.

After finishing the spicy hotpot, Lin Chunyan asked Mrs. Zhang to bring over the sunflower seeds. The few of them sat around the stove and shelled the seeds.

Mrs. Zhang ate while working. The sunflower seeds were small, and she spat out the shells along with the seeds, quickly covering the floor.

Lin Chunyan glared at her, "Mother, you'll have to sweep the floor later."

Mrs. Zhang reluctantly nodded and started spitting the shells into the fire, causing the flames to shoot up high, almost burning Lin Taohong's embroidered shoes.

Lin Taohong immediately flew into a rage, looking around to throw Mrs. Zhang's shoes into the fire.

"Oh dear, it didn't really burn you. Why are you so vengeful?"

Afraid that Lin Taohong would really burn her things, she only held her hand tightly, "Let's get to work. If we start quarreling later, your elder sister will scold us again."

Wang Yingniang shook her head helplessly on the side. Lin Chunyan had already learned to tune out the two troublemakers, treating the boring evening as a time to watch TV.

She took out the remaining chestnuts and walnuts from the cellar. Once the chestnuts were fully ripe, their outer shells would naturally fall off, so there was no need to wear gloves to peel them like before.

After opening the wild walnuts they had picked from the forest, it turned out there was very little nut meat inside. Some even required using thin bamboo skewers to pick out the meat, which was quite troublesome.

Lin Taohong’s hands ached from picking, not understanding why they were bothering with the walnuts, "This stuff doesn’t taste good anyway."

"I’ll make you some candied walnuts when I roast the sunflower seeds later."

Lin Taohong’s eyes lit up, "Candied walnuts? That must be delicious."

With that, she stopped complaining about her sore hands and diligently picked out all the walnut meats.

"Adding some walnuts and raisins to bread also makes it very tasty."

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of these ingredients, so Lin Chunyan used them sparingly each time.

After peeling the sunflower seeds, she washed them in a basin and said to Mrs. Zhang, "The raw ones we ate earlier might have been covered in dust."

Seeing the dirty water from washing the sunflower seeds, Mrs. Zhang spat a few times and grumbled, "Why didn’t you tell me earlier?"

Lin Chunyan laughed, "If I had told you, would you have stopped eating them?"

Mrs. Zhang thought about it and realized she wouldn’t have; she had been craving sunflower seeds for a long time. In the past, whenever she went to someone’s house to chat, if she brought a handful of sunflower seeds, the conversation would be much more enjoyable.

After washing the sunflower seeds, they put them in a pot to boil, adding spices like Sichuan pepper and star anise. After boiling for about half an hour, they could take out the firewood and let it simmer.

Lin Chunyan hung the red dates on the roof beam, a habit from before the snowballs, to prevent rats from stealing them if they were hung too low.

"Next time, I’ll make you sunflower seeds with a red date flavor, which is also very delicious."

Today, she would first make five-spice sunflower seeds. While doing this, she washed the walnut kernels, coated them with maltose and sesame seeds, and placed them in the bread oven.

"I thought you’d use an iron pan."

Wang Yingniang watched quietly, learning the whole process. Lin Chunyan smiled, "We can certainly use an iron pan, which would be faster, but since the walnut kernels are already washed, putting them in an iron pan would cause the oil to splatter."

The smell of caramel soon wafted from the bread oven. Lin Taohong sat by the stove, eagerly watching the walnuts being taken out.

The walnuts had changed color and stuck together. Lin Taohong broke off a piece of the sugar crust and put it in her mouth, exclaiming in surprise, "It’s just like the sugar crust on tanghulu, crispy and sweet."

"Pretty much the same thing."

Lin Chunyan tasted the walnut, which had cooled slightly by then, giving it a slightly crispy and sweet texture, but it still needed more time.

"Wait a bit longer; it will become even crispier once it cools completely."

Lin Chunyan found a small jar to store the walnuts, making sure everyone brushed their teeth before going to bed.

The next morning, the first thing Lin Taohong did was eat the candied walnuts. As Lin Chunyan had said, the walnuts had become very crispy and sweet, making a satisfying crunch when bitten into.

Lin Taohong was excited, "These walnuts are so delicious, but there aren’t many. Let’s save them for the New Year."

"It’s still early for the New Year; I’m afraid they won’t last until then."

"But it’s not early at all," Mrs. Zhang chimed in, eating a few herself. "It’s already mid-October, and winter will soon be here."

Lin Chunyan calculated the days and realized it had been nearly half a year since she arrived here.

But how had her memories from before faded so much, almost to the point of forgetting everything?

When Lin Chunyan set up her stall, she was still thinking about her past life, wanting to remember those people and events.

She thought she would remember the pain for a long time and never forgive, but now that she was close to forgetting, she felt a sense of melancholy.

Lin Taohong noticed something was wrong with her and, thinking she was tired, said sympathetically, "Elder Sister, don’t rush around when you get home; rest more."

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhang stopped washing dishes and hurried over, asking, "Are you feeling unwell? We should go back directly. Do you want to see a doctor?"

Lin Chunyan shook her head, "I’m fine, probably just tired. I’ll sleep when we get back."

"But have Red Girl bring you some hot water to wash your feet and warm them before sleeping. Put a hot water bottle in your bed at night."

They slept close together, and Lin Taohong was like a little furnace, always warm. Sometimes when Lin Chunyan felt cold at night, she would crawl into Lin Taohong’s bed, so she didn’t need a hot water bottle.

Now, she couldn’t move around much, as there wasn’t much space, and her sleeping posture had improved.

Lin Taohong didn’t argue with Mrs. Zhang, still worried about Lin Chunyan, and took over the work.

Lin Chunyan sat in the shed for a while, watching Mrs. Zhang’s hands turn red from the cold, and hurriedly asked her to get some hot water.

"The water we brought from home isn’t much, so we should conserve it. It’s not that cold."

Lin Chunyan pointed to the snow nearby that hadn’t melted, "There’s plenty of it; use it freely."

Perhaps because of the lack of pollution, the melted snow here was excellent for brewing tea and making wine, free from any impurities.

Mrs. Zhang thought about it and went to scoop some snow.

Two young ladies got off a carriage, saw Mrs. Zhang scooping snow, and laughed to each other, "Third Sister, look, though their stall is shabby, it has a certain elegance. No wonder the Wang family braves the snow to come here for food."

Lin Taohong wanted to roll her eyes; how was their stall shabby? The items on the cart were all their treasures.

As she thought this, the two young ladies had already entered, choosing a seat by the stove and asking Lin Chunyan, "Do you have any elegant dishes?"

Clearly looking down on the noodles, Lin Chunyan wasn’t upset. She had seen many such people before, who thought ordinary home-cooked meals couldn’t be considered refined, yet such simple grains were the most nourishing.

Before Lin Chunyan could speak, the two young ladies had already said, "Auntie, the snow water on the ground isn’t very good. Why don’t we collect the snow from the branches to make tea?"

Mrs. Zhang had just placed the snow water in the pot. Hearing this, she looked up at the distant branches, where much of the lower parts had already melted. It would take quite some time to gather enough snow for the tea.

Lin Chunyan didn’t want Mrs. Zhang to go out in the cold, so she said, "Young ladies, we don’t have any good tea here. If you want to drink tea, you might need to find another place."

The two young ladies exchanged glances, their faces showing a hint of displeasure. "Do you think we are the kind who seek favor with the powerful? When the Wang family comes, you treat them well, but when we come, there’s no tea."

The woman who had come to eat was He Niangzi. Since Song the chef wasn’t at home, she had brought her five-year-old son. She laughed, "Oh, young ladies, it seems you’re first-timers here. There really isn’t any tea here. We don’t come for the tea; what good tea can you get in this cold weather!"

She continued, "As for saying that Lin Xiaoniang is someone who seeks favor with the powerful, that’s a huge joke. I don’t know how many innkeepers want to hire her to cook. She could easily earn one or two strings of cash a month, or even more if she went to the Wang or Hu families. Isn’t that better than running a stall and cooking for people like us?"

The two young ladies, having been rebuked, looked even more displeased. They were about to stand up and leave when they heard someone call out to Lin Chunyan, "Lin Xiaoniang, what new dishes do you have today? I heard you made a spicy and numbing hotpot for an elderly couple from out of town?"

The person who spoke was a familiar face, Zhu Niangzi, a tea server from Clear Breeze Building. She was highly skilled and earned a lot, at least one string of cash a month, not counting tips from customers.

Zhu Niangzi had heard about Lin Chunyan’s skills from Mr. Huang and had come to see for herself. She was thoroughly impressed by Lin Chunyan’s cooking.

Lin Chunyan smiled and greeted her, "Why didn’t you bring your husband today?"

"I thought there was nothing to do, so I came out for a stroll," Zhu Niangzi replied. She was a straightforward person and didn’t mince words. "Do you still have that spicy and numbing hotpot?"

Zhu Niangzi wasn’t from the area and loved spicy and numbing food. The name of the dish alone appealed to her.

"Only yesterday and today did I make it once. You’re quite well-informed, Zhu Niangzi."

"The old couple came to our teahouse and couldn’t stop raving about how delicious it was. I naturally knew about it."

Speaking of which, Aunt Liu and her husband had come early in the morning, fearing that the spicy and numbing hotpot would be gone if they arrived late.

Lin Chunyan made it for them. After finishing their meal and seeing that it was still early, they went to Clear Breeze Building for tea, which is how Zhu Niangzi found out.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, the two young ladies didn’t leave. Instead, they sat down with stern faces, waiting for Lin Chunyan and Zhu Niangzi to finish talking.

Zhu Niangzi whispered to Lin Chunyan, "They are the two young ladies from the Wang family, very proud. They might be difficult to deal with."

Lin Chunyan wasn’t afraid. She cooked another bowl of noodles for Zhu Niangzi and then turned to look at the two young ladies from the Wang family.

When the two young ladies saw Lin Chunyan approach, they sat down and also wanted the spicy and numbing hotpot, having heard about it earlier.

"It’s not that we’re being picky, but we really don’t have any left. Zhu Niangzi is a regular customer here, and even she didn’t get any."

"How come the people from the Wang family got to eat it, then? Isn’t that favoritism?"

"Young lady, you’re quite mistaken. We don’t have that dish anymore, and it’s not about favoritism. The people from the Wang family just happened to come at the right time. Not everyone can get it."

Lin Taohong finished speaking, and Lin Chunyan nodded. "That’s true. But since the two young ladies came all the way here on such a cold day, it wouldn’t be right to send you away disappointed. How about I make you some red date and ginger tea to warm you up?"

It’s hard to refuse a smiling face, and Lin Chunyan remained composed and respectful. The two young ladies reluctantly nodded.

Lin Taohong was unhappy. "Sister, these two are being unreasonable. Why should we make them red date and ginger tea?"

"Harmony brings prosperity. We’re here to do business, not to argue with people."

Lin Chunyan didn’t have strong feelings against the two young ladies. They were just two competitive girls, not inherently bad people.

She put the red dates and ginger into the teapot and, while waiting for it to boil, served the two young ladies from the Wang family a plate of candied chestnuts.

The two young ladies felt somewhat embarrassed. The more talkative one spoke first, "Waiter, we didn’t mean to say those things earlier. Please don’t take it to heart."

As she spoke, she placed a piece of silver on the table as a tip for Lin Chunyan.

Lin Chunyan smiled and accepted it. Money was always welcome, and she wasn’t offended by being called a waiter. She then served them some hot, fragrant pan-fried tofu.

The two young ladies had already eaten a few chestnuts, which were sweet and tender, making them feel warm from head to toe when paired with the red date and ginger tea.

The pan-fried tofu was incredibly delicious. Each of the young ladies took a bite, and one of them particularly enjoyed it, asking Lin Taohong to serve another bowl.

Lin Taohong, thinking of the piece of silver, which could be worth five or six hundred coins, more than they could earn in several days, forced a smile. "If you want more, I’ll make it later."

The two young ladies nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and no one mentioned the people from the Wang family again.

After they finished eating and left, Zhu Niangzi said, "You probably don’t know why they caused a scene today. The Wang family and the Wang matriarch’s husband’s family are actually related."

Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong came over to listen attentively. Mrs. Zhang even brought a stool and sat down, taking out some sunflower seeds. "I thought these two young ladies seemed off."

Zhu Niangzi, noticing the fragrant sunflower seeds in Mrs. Zhang’s hand, took a few and started cracking them. She had subconsciously assumed that anything sold at Lin Chunyan’s stall would be delicious.

Sure enough, when Zhu Niangzi tasted the sunflower seeds, they were different from those bought elsewhere, more flavorful and increasingly aromatic the more she chewed, with a crisp texture.

He Niangzi, thinking that Song the chef wasn’t around and her son was with her, had no reason to rush home. She eagerly joined in and took some sunflower seeds.

With more people around, Zhu Niangzi became even more animated. "The Wang family passed the imperial exams and became officials, and they were favored by the current Wang matriarch, who arranged for her to marry into the family. From then on, the Wang family rose to prominence through their in-laws."

The Wang family, however, didn’t have such good fortune. They were just ordinary gentry with some wealth. Their relatives tried to establish connections, and the mother of the Wang family patriarch went to seek relations.

"At that time, the Wang matriarch had just returned from the Imperial City, claiming she was mourning. But the previous generation of the Wang family had long since passed away. What was she mourning? It was likely an excuse, perhaps to avoid conflict with the Wang patriarch, though no one said it outright."

The Wang family patriarch’s family had run afoul of the matriarch. She refused to meet them, saying she didn’t recognize them, and dismissed them casually.

Mrs. Zhang shook her head. "That’s how enmity is formed."

"But the matriarch of the Wang family was a strong-willed woman. From then on, she and the main branch of the Wang family were at odds. Though she couldn’t shake their position, she could still cause them trouble."

More customers came to order noodles, and Lin Chunyan got up to cook. She sighed inwardly, thinking that the Wang family patriarch’s family would likely continue to feud with the main branch.

But feuding shouldn’t be done this way. She observed that the two young ladies were pampered and had come without any attendants, probably sneaking out. They looked pale and weak, likely maintaining their delicate appearance by going hungry.

The wind from somewhere unknown blew, and the young ladies' waists had to be tightly bound, ideally so that they could fit into a man's palm, making them good marriage material.

Lin Chunyan did not let Lin Taohong and Wang Yingniang bind her waist; she continued to dress in comfort and ease.

Lady Zhu spoke until her mouth was dry and asked Lin Chunyan to make some red date ginger tea for her. Lin Chunyan teased her a few times, "Madam, you steep tea every day, can you still get used to this ordinary water?"

"Don't embarrass me. It's just a skill I learned to make a living; that tea isn't for me to drink." Lady Zhu laughed and ate more melon seeds. "Pack me some more, I'll share them with the other young ladies in our building."

Over there, Aunt He also wanted some melon seeds, "These are better than snails and dried tofu. I'm afraid that whenever there's a play or a performance in the future, people will come to buy Lin Xiaoniang's melon seeds."

In winter, there wasn't much else to do, and many people found entertainment at home. Some went to teahouses to listen to performances, while others invited storytellers to their homes, just like in previous years.

What was different was that no matter whether they were watching plays or listening to performances, everyone would bring out melon seeds.

And they only wanted the melon seeds from Clear Breeze Building, not from anywhere else.

Manager Huang felt particularly fortunate this year. When he saw that the bean skin was selling well, he sent an errand boy to find Lin Chunyan, and thus established a relationship with her. From then on, his business soared, and his daily earnings increased significantly.

The melon seeds were provided by them, and Lin Chunyan took them back. Whether it was five-spice, red date, green tea... she could roast them all.

Fortunately, the acorn business wasn't as popular, so with the spare hands, Lady Sun and Zhao Zilan helped roast melon seeds at home, and they even planned to try other flavors.

Lin Chunyan regretted not having a milk flavor. Nowadays, it was quite difficult to get a glass of milk.

If she found the right opportunity, buying a milking ewe would work.

As winter approached and the Winter Solstice drew near, Lin Chunyan began to worry about what kind of filling to use for the buns.

Mrs. Zhang suggested first, "Why don't we have mutton?"

In the past, she wouldn't have dared to think about mutton-filled dumplings; those were only for wealthy families.

"I can eat any filling, whatever Sister Lin makes will definitely be delicious."

Lin Taohong was shelling walnuts nearby. She loved amber walnuts and had bought some more from the villagers, planning to make more to eat.

On the other side, Wang Yingniang also said it was fine, "In the past, we always made two kinds of fillings. Why don't we make more varieties this time?"

Her three sons ate mutton filling, while she and Aunt He ate vegetable filling. Occasionally, when Aunt He cooked, she could taste a few mutton-filled ones, but Wang Yingniang had never eaten one herself.

She didn't even know what was so good about mutton filling; to her, it always smelled of a pungent odor that made her feel suffocated.

Seeing that Wang Yingniang didn't continue, Lin Chunyan knew there might be some hidden reason. She patted her back and didn't press further, "I think it's a good idea. I'll prepare several types of fillings. On the Winter Solstice, we won't sell noodles, only these dumplings. What do you think?"

Everyone naturally agreed and started discussing what they needed to prepare.

On the day of the Winter Solstice, Lin Chunyan brought several bowls of fillings to the wharf. This was a very important festival, almost as significant as the New Year, and many households would distribute dumplings.

Mrs. Zhang stood on tiptoe, looking towards town, worriedly saying, "Should we not sell these dumplings today? Those households are giving out dumplings, and they only need to say auspicious words. Who would come to eat our dumplings?"

Lin Chunyan reassured her, "We didn't make many anyway. If no one buys them, we'll take them back and eat them ourselves."

Mrs. Zhang thought about it and realized that in winter, these things wouldn't spoil easily.

She relaxed and started chatting with Jin Niangzi, who held a handful of melon seeds in her hand.

Jin Niangzi had asked Lin Chunyan how to make delicious wontons last time. Although it cost her some money, the taste improved significantly, and her business became better.

In the past, she wouldn't have set up a stall in winter because few people came to eat her wontons.

But now, more people came to eat her wontons. Even during the heavy snowfall, someone came looking for her.

After chatting for a while, Jin Niangzi looked at the various meat and vegetable fillings and felt quite hungry. She asked Lin Chunyan to give her a serving.

"Yan Niang, tell me which filling is the best, and I'll buy that one."

Lin Chunyan thought about Jin Niangzi's taste and gave her a serving of pickled mustard greens and pork filling. Jin Niangzi had never tried this filling before and swallowed her saliva while waiting, "Heat up a pot of your chrysanthemum wine for me later. It wouldn't be a waste for me to set up a stall today."

Jin Niangzi loved drinking. Since Lin Chunyan started brewing wine, she often came to drink. At first, she asked for one cup at a time, but Mrs. Zhang, seeing this, was unhappy and insisted that Jin Niangzi pay for it. Afraid that Mrs. Zhang would really get angry, Jin Niangzi spent a dozen coins to buy a jar of wine.

Her husband complained about her spending money, but Jin Niangzi, feeling confident, told him to shut up and enjoyed the wine for a long time.

Lin Chunyan put the pickled mustard greens and pork-filled dumplings into boiling water, boiled them three times, and then fished them out. The dumplings were plump and white, and when bitten, the filling oozed out with juice, incredibly fragrant.

Jin Niangzi was very satisfied, "This pickled mustard greens and pork filling is really delicious. I think it could also be used to make wontons."

Mrs. Zhang said, "Now you're obsessed with money, thinking everything can be turned into a wonton filling."

Jin Niangzi laughed proudly, "Who doesn't want more money? Now that I earn money, they all have to follow my lead. My husband tried to stop me from drinking last time, and I spat at him and told him to go away. He didn't dare say a word, and even my father-in-law sided with me."

Jin Niangzi ate and drank happily, telling Lin Chunyan that she would take a few raw dumplings home for her children.

Some idlers came early, including the old acquaintance Wang Xianhan, who carried a food box and asked Lin Chunyan to cook all kinds of dumplings.

Lin Taohong asked him, "Which wealthy family asked you to buy these?"

Such a generous gesture, wanting to try all the fillings.

Wang Xianhan smiled proudly, "Naturally, it's the Wang family! They heard that you have fresh food here, so they sent me. If they like it, they might ask me to run another errand."

Wang Xianhan was happy that these people would come to Lin Chunyan's stall to buy food, as he could earn more running fees.

Since Lin Chunyan set up her stall, he earned more money running errands than before.

Wang Xianhan was a smooth talker, always following behind Young Master Hu in the past, and now he found the big patron in the Wang family.

The purchasing maids and old women didn't want to move, so they all sent him to run errands. His ability to chat and flatter people helped him maintain this business for a long time.

Just as he was being served, another idler came over and asked for a few bowls of dumplings. This idler was a young lady, usually very generous, who had just moved to their town. With nothing to do at home, she started doing odd jobs.

Some households prefer not to hire those men as idle hands, finding them unclean; instead, they favor these young ladies, who can earn anywhere from ten to twenty coins a day when business is good.

"Miss, give me three servings of your mutton-filled dumplings. I'll deliver them in about fifteen minutes, and then please cook another serving for me to take home for myself."

However, she couldn't afford the expensive mutton filling and asked Lin Chunyan if there was a cheaper meat option, "It's a holiday, after all, and it wouldn't be right to serve my family only vegetable-filled dumplings. Adding some meat makes it more flavorful."

The Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year; celebrate it well, and you won't have cold ears all year.

Lin Chunyan recommended the wild vegetable and meat filling, "Although it's made with wild vegetables, the addition of meat gives it a completely different flavor. I've just cooked a few extra servings; why don't you try one?"

This young lady had run several errands and was already very hungry. Without being shy, she took a clean pair of chopsticks and tried a bite of the wild vegetable-filled dumpling. It was vastly different from their usual wild vegetable filling, the meat adding a unique and delicious aroma.

The young lady immediately gave a thumbs up, "No wonder your stall is so popular. Even with the same ingredients, we can't make it taste this good."

Lin Chunyan said, "If you eat these wild vegetable-filled dumplings in spring, the flavor will be even fresher and more tender."

Those around her listened with great interest, wishing they could taste them right away.

The young lady delivered the mutton-filled dumplings to her employer but didn't leave in a hurry. She shared what she had heard from Lin Chunyan, "I never knew wild vegetable filling could taste so good. Miss Lin is truly skilled and knowledgeable about food."

This family, known for their love of food, drooled at the description and asked curiously, "Now that it's winter, where can you find wild vegetables?"

The young lady shook her head, "I'm not sure, but the wild vegetables are genuine. I've eaten them for years and would never mistake them."

Hearing this, the family sent the young lady on another errand, "Buy two servings of the wild vegetable dumplings and see if there are any other fresh fillings. If possible, bring back a mixed plate for us to try."

The young lady hadn't expected that a few extra words would bring her another order and quickly agreed.

Lin Chunyan thought she had returned for the dumplings she had ordered earlier and pointed to the pot, "Just wait a moment; the dumplings will be ready soon."

"I'm not in a rush. My employer has asked me to buy two servings of the wild vegetable dumplings and check if there are any other fresh fillings to make a mixed plate."

Lin Chunyan nodded, "I'll send this serving to your employer first. I have a variety of dumplings, including a mixed plate that the Wang family ordered earlier. I can cook it for you right away. Is that okay?"

The young lady nodded eagerly, "That's fine. I'm not in a hurry. I'll come back later for another serving."

Seeing how a few extra words brought the young lady another order, the other idlers followed suit, praising Lin Chunyan's fresh dishes while delivering the dumplings. Those who had tasted them described them in glowing terms, almost comparing them to dragon liver and snake gall.

After getting their employers to buy, these idlers came back to Lin Chunyan to claim credit, "Miss Lin, you did well today, and we deserve some of the credit."

Lin Chunyan smiled and fried a piece of tofu for each of them. They happily accepted it, feeling warm and comfortable after eating it.

They naturally didn't eat for free. While delivering the goods, they also advertised, "Miss Lin's stall has fresh dumplings with various fillings: pickled mustard greens and pork, wild vegetables, sauerkraut, and three delicacies..."

This call attracted many people who had originally planned to go directly to the wealthy households' doors for a couple of dumplings.

Hearing about the various fillings, their appetites were whetted. Some families, slightly better off, came straight to the stall to enjoy a bowl.

The food connoisseurs didn't need to be urged; they arrived early and sat in the tent, ordering their favorite dishes. They enjoyed listening to the chatter around them, finding life incredibly pleasant.

Today, arguments almost broke out over which filling was the best. Some preferred the wild vegetable filling, finding it incredibly fresh. Others favored the sauerkraut filling, which was new to the area and left them amazed.

Still, others liked the scallion and tofu filling, never imagining it could be used in dumplings.

Everyone had their preferences, and no one would yield. Some even bought their favorite fillings to share with passersby, hoping to gain recognition.

Lin Chunyan was taken aback by this, her jaw nearly dropping in surprise.