Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Mrs. Zhao looked at the shredded pork with sweet bean sauce in Mr. Zhao's hand, feeling an unbearable fullness in her stomach. The stack of small pancakes that were served were almost all eaten by her.

Mr. Zhao was completely unaware, sincerely offering with enthusiasm, "Dear, you've been working hard lately. I and our two sons are ignorant and always make you angry."

As he spoke, he rolled a small pancake for Mrs. Zhao, "I had this earlier today and thought it would suit your taste. Please try it."

Mrs. Zhao had many things she wanted to say. She naturally knew that these small pancakes were very much to her taste, or else she wouldn't have eaten so much. But the most crucial thing now was that no matter how delicious these pancakes were, she couldn't eat another bite.

Mr. Zhao was still looking at her with hope, offering the pancake closer, until it almost touched Mrs. Zhao's mouth.

Mrs. Zhao suddenly stood up and turned her body away, "I've already told you, I only like to eat light foods. These meat strips look greasy."

Without waiting for Mr. Zhao's reaction, she left, swinging her sleeves.

Mr. Zhao sighed, just about to put the pancake away to save for the evening, when two maids beside Mrs. Zhao came over, smiling warmly as they took the food, "Sir, let us handle this."

"Sir, since Madam doesn't like it and you're often at home, why not grant it to us old servants?"

Mr. Zhao watched helplessly as the two maids took the food away. He called out a few times, but for some reason, they just didn't seem to hear him.

Earlier, when Mrs. Zhao was eating, these two maids had been longing for it. Unlike last time when there was plenty left for them to enjoy, this time the shredded pork was almost gone.

As soon as Mr. Zhao brought it back, the two of them hid in the kitchen, taking turns to quickly finish everything.

They whispered to each other, "No wonder our Madam ate so much. This shredded pork with sweet bean sauce is really delicious."

The old woman looked through the window at Mr. Zhao, who was still apologizing to Mrs. Zhao, and shook her head, "How pitiful."

Zhao Dalang and Zhao Erlang took the shredded pork directly to the academy's dining hall.

The dining hall was run by a relative of the private school head, with mediocre cooking skills. However, since it was the only option, all the scholars studying at the academy had to eat there.

Even the head of the academy had noticed that the food in the dining hall was becoming more and more perfunctory, only slightly better than dishwater.

Not only were the students complaining, but even some of the teachers often went out for better meals.

The head of the academy had talked to this relative twice, but the relative believed that everyone's tastes had become more demanding, while the level of cooking in the dining hall had remained consistently stable.

That day after class, the scholars were queuing up waiting to get their meals. Someone's nose caught a whiff of an unusual fragrance, and they began looking around.

"Could it be that the chef in the dining hall has outdone themselves today and made something good?"

"You must be overthinking. It's not a chef! It's clearly an old lady. No matter how well she cooks, it's just adding salt to dishwater to make it salty."

The hall burst into laughter, which soon turned bitter.

Zhang Tianhe and Scholar Song exchanged a glance, both smelling something familiar, like the aroma from Lin Chunyan's stall they had visited the day before.

The fragrance was enticing and appetite-stimulating.

Unfortunately, they only had one stomach, and once full, they couldn't eat more, otherwise, they would have tried everything.

"Great! So it was you two who sneaked in food!" Scholar Qin shouted, exposing Zhao Dalang and Zhao Erlang's secret, drawing many people over.

"I said, how could the chef in our dining hall make something that smells so good?"

Many people gathered around Zhao Dalang and Zhao Erlang, curious about what they had brought that smelled so delightful.

Since the food in the dining hall was poor, the head of the academy was more lenient about food brought from home, and there was no strict prohibition.

In the past, some people had brought food from home, but not very often, for fear of being labeled as indulgent.

Zhao Dalang and Zhao Erlang kept their bowls tightly covered, not lifting their heads no matter who spoke, just eating quickly with their chopsticks, their cheeks bulging.

"What food is this, making them disregard decorum and dignity!" Scholar Qin's mouth kept chattering.

Zhao Dalang and Zhao Erlang seemed not to hear, somewhat annoyed that these people were around, preventing them from taking out the small pancakes to roll.

But just eating the meat strips was already incredibly fragrant.

The dish hadn't been available two days ago when they went, so it must be something new that Lin Chunyan had made.

The brothers exchanged a glance, both seeing anticipation.

They were thinking that on the next day off, they must go to Lin's food stall for a big feast.

Zhang Tianhe and Scholar Song watched for a while, their stomachs growling louder, so they had to go back to the line and get a tasteless portion of noodles.

Scholar Song scooped up a chopstick of noodles, and after eating a bite, his brows furrowed, wondering, "Why is it so hard to make something that tastes this bad? Even plain boiled noodles with this refined white flour should be delicious."

The yangchun noodles at Lin Chunyan's stall were three wen for a large bowl. Although there was no sauce, the noodles were still very fragrant.

Zhang Tianhe knew the reason, "It's not just a plain bowl of yangchun noodles. The soup is boiled with many ingredients, which makes the noodles taste good."

Some people shamelessly squeezed next to Zhao Dalang, just to get a taste.

Many didn't know about Lin Chunyan's stall, as she had only set up at the dock, which wasn't something that would catch the eye of these privileged young scholars.

But today, smelling such a fragrance, many couldn't help but ask Zhao Dalang where he bought it.

"You don't know?" Zhao Dalang and Zhao Erlang were surprised, having finished the meat and wiping their mouths before saying, "This stall has been around for a long time and is famous for being delicious."

Especially many people from other counties would come by boat just to eat there. It was surprising that their fellow students didn't know.

The tone of Zhao Dalang made the people asking feel a little embarrassed, as if they were uncultured.

He scratched his head uncomfortably and asked Scholar Qin, who was standing beside him, silently fuming at the sight of the empty food box, "Do you know?"

Scholar Qin nodded. "Of course. When they had a street stall in town, I went to buy fried small river fish from them."

Zhao Dalang added, "Not only that, but Young Master Hu used to eat at their stall too."

In fact, he started going even earlier than we did.

The faces of the people present turned a bit red. They all knew that Young Master Hu had returned to the Imperial City and was far beyond their reach now.

Even someone like him used to eat there, so they couldn't really say anything bad about the place.

"They opened a new shop these days, with even fresher food. The other day, I had fish-flavored shredded pork."

Zhang Tianhe couldn't help but chime in, "Yesterday, they had braised lion's head and marinated pig trotters..."

The group was already hungry, and Zhang Tianhe's words made them want to rush to the shop immediately for a hearty meal.

The lady serving food in the dining hall saw them standing there talking instead of coming to get their meals and couldn't help but say, "The food will get cold if you don't come over soon."

"That food isn't worth eating," someone muttered, which quickly drew a few agreements.

Seizing the opportunity, someone took the chance to complain, "There's not even a drop of oil in the food. How can we eat that?"

"Exactly. And not to mention the taste, the food is often cold in the winter."

If it weren't for the fact that the person running the dining hall was a relative of the academy head, they would have been kicked out long ago.

Eventually, the academy head was alerted by the commotion and came out to advise the students, which finally calmed things down.

However, some students asked their families to buy food from outside to improve their meals.

Within half a day, some idlers came to the academy gate, offering to run errands for them.

After eating the Beijing-style shredded pork, Zhao Dalang and his brother Zhao Erlang became even more picky. With their remaining monthly allowance, the two brothers pooled their money to buy half portions of each dish.

Some poorer students didn't want to spend extra money and made do with the dining hall food.

The academy head even spoke to the steward in the dining hall, hoping his relative would improve and find a better cook.

"It's just a matter of spending some money. If things don't improve, I'll really have to replace him."

It turned out that this relative had been trying to save money by having his wife prepare the food. His wife came from a humble background and was reluctant to use much oil.

She even felt a bit wronged. "This is much better than what I used to eat. There's some oil in it. These scholars are just too picky."

"Don't worry about it. If you make bad food again, I'll send you back to our hometown and won't keep you by my side."

This scared her, and the next day, she used a lot of oil in the food.

She thought, this way, no one would say it's bad.

But when the students saw the greasy dish, they lost their appetite completely.

Luckily, it wasn't that cold yet; otherwise, the food would have frozen into a lump.

When the cargo ship arrived, Ye Han and the others had some income and took the opportunity to buy more things from Lin Chunyan's food shop.

Ye Han, being a man with a plan, noticed that many people were buying things from the shop. He figured there would be even more demand in town, so he thought about becoming an idler.

He asked the idler in front of him, "Who usually orders these meals? How much do you get for a delivery?"

Lin the idler understood what Ye Han was thinking and didn't hide anything. "Nowadays, the people at the academy gate order a lot. If you're bold, you can take the food there first. They'll pay you right away, which is even faster."

Ye Han took note of this and went home to discuss it with his mother and wife. "We already have a carrying pole, but we need to buy a better warming tray."

Being an idler wasn't easy. You had to register at the official call office and pay a deposit.

Both his mother and wife disagreed. "Isn't it good enough to work at the dock?"

But Ye Han knew that working as a laborer at the dock didn't earn much money. Seeing more and more people making calls, he knew the opportunity was right in front of him.

"I've made up my mind. I have to try."

With that, he took out all the money at home and bought a warming tray.

Old Uncle Zhang and Zhang Xiaojiu came over and not only tidied up the field but also cleaned up the front yard and the surroundings.

"Now that there are more people living nearby, it's become much more convenient."

At least there were no safety concerns anymore.

Ma Shi and Hu Shi couldn't really talk much. Carrying Dabao, Ma Shi went out to find Mrs. Zhao.

Now that Li Youfu was running goods with Zhang Xiaojiu, Mrs. Zhao and Ma Shi had become closer.

After returning, Ma Shi asked Old Lady Zhang about Li Youfu. "Is he betrothed?"

Old Lady Zhang knew what Ma Shi was thinking and thought carefully. "Other than one thing, there's nothing much. In our village, Xinghua had a crush on him, and from what I saw, Li Youfu probably liked her too."

She was quite insightful about this, but Ma Shi wasn't ready to give up. After asking around, she said, "Since Xinghua has been sold, the two of them won't be possible anymore. I want to marry Lan Jier here. With you as her aunt, she won't be bullied in the future."

Seeing that Ma Shi was considering so much for Lan Jier, Old Lady Zhang agreed. "I'll find a chance to sound him out."

The young wives overheard through the door. Lan Jier's face turned red with shyness and she hid inside.

Zhang Xiaomei, being straightforward, said, "Lan Jier is younger than me by half a year, and now she's about to be betrothed. We sisters will probably have less time together in the future."

Lin Taohong asked her, "Xiaomei, do you want to get married too?"

Zhang Xiaomei quickly shook her head, "I don't want to! What's good about marrying? You have to serve your mother-in-law and bear children. If you can't have a son, they'll call you a hen that doesn't lay eggs. Even if you do have a son, don't think you'll be too proud of it. You'll still have to work in the fields."

She said this with a face full of anger.

Lin Taohong also looked troubled. "I think the same. I just hope we can all stay together and not be separated anymore."

Lin Chunyan teased her, "I didn't see you having such thoughts before. Why did you say something like that today, making people feel uneasy?"

Lin Taohong felt awkward, "It's nothing, I just suddenly thought about it when I heard that Lan Jier is going to get married."

It was spring, the time when fish and shrimp breed. After feeling uneasy for a while, Lin Taohong took a fish basket and went out, saying she would catch some small shrimp to fry and eat.

Although Lin Cuixiang went to help in the kitchen, she didn't neglect the shrimp business. She handed it over to Sanlang, asking him to deliver it to the steamed bun shop couple.

After Lin Taohong left, everyone started talking about Lin Cuixiang's marriage again, "Has there been any progress?"

Lin Cuixiang shook her head, "I still feel I'm too young and don't want to marry early, so I asked my mother to refuse."

At this point, Second Aunt Lin couldn't care less about Lin Cuixiang's marriage. Hearing that she didn't want to marry early, she followed her wishes and planned to keep her at home for a few more years.

Lin Chunyan had taught her skills, so no matter who Lin Cuixiang would marry in the future, as long as she wasn't as muddle-headed as Madam Hong, she would be able to get by.

What troubled her the most now was the matter between Erlang and Shuangjie.

She had asked around about Shuangjie and Madam Song's foster son and indeed heard some things.

She came back feeling both anxious and angry and fell ill with a fever that very night.

She couldn't have imagined that Shuangjie had actually gotten involved with that scoundrel.

Behind closed doors, Second Aunt Lin carefully asked Shuangjie. Unable to hide the truth any longer, Shuangjie burst into tears and, through sobs, explained what had happened.

"I was deceived. I thought he was a decent man from a good family, but who knew he was such a scoundrel."

The most critical issue was that the money in their hands was all obtained through Madam Song. Once Madam Song severed ties with them, the man couldn't get a single copper coin.

Shuangjie thought she was pretty and was with him only to live a good life.

When that hope was shattered, she decisively cut off ties with the scoundrel.

Lin Chunyan only found out later. By then, Old Uncle Zhang and Young Uncle Zhang had already left. They heard she was short of honey and said they would help her find some.

Lin Cuixiang also looked troubled, "What are we going to do?"

Lin Chunyan leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Did your cousin and that scoundrel exchange betrothal gifts?"

Lin Cuixiang shook her head, "No, but my mother said they had met privately and held hands."

Lin Chunyan fell silent. Here, even holding hands implied a woman's dishonor, making the marriage proposal difficult to proceed.

"So, Second Aunt Lin disagreed?"

Lin Cuixiang nodded, "How could she agree? It's just not something to be said out loud."

There was even a hint of disdain in her tone.

Lin Chunyan looked at her seriously, "I don't think it's that serious. It's just holding hands, not some big mistake, at most a case of misjudging someone."

Those men go to gambling houses every day, and even when they go to teahouses, they find singers. Any of that is worse than what Shuangjie did.

It was rare to see her like this, and Lin Cuixiang sat up straight, pondering carefully.

The next day, Sun Anyuan came to the shop and said he needed to pack some things. Da Zhuang and Hu Zi were following behind him, carrying several large food boxes.

"Are you going on an escort mission?" After finishing cooking, Lin Chunyan also came to help in the main hall. She was thinking of finding an older woman to help with the dishwashing and was in the process of scouting for someone.

Relying solely on the three of them was quite strenuous.

Sun Anyuan nodded. "We're heading to the prefecture city. Is there anything you'd like us to bring back for you?"

As escorts, they traveled far and wide and could bring back various items for people.

Lin Chunyan didn't stand on ceremony and thought for a moment before saying, "If you come across any suitable spices or seeds, please bring some back for me."

Sun Anyuan agreed. There were many things they couldn't take on the road, but items like dried tofu and pickles could be preserved for a long time.

After they had each made their selections, Hu Zi mentioned how, during the last escort mission, they hadn't brought anything along. "They ate all the supplies I brought. Since then, whenever we go on an escort mission, we have to come to Madam Lin first to buy some supplies."

This time, the items they were going to deliver were quite valuable, and more than half of the people from the escort agency were going out. Lin Taohong, seeing them carry so many things, became curious about what they were delivering.

However, she knew it was something she shouldn't ask about, so she quietly whispered her thoughts to Lin Chunyan.

"It must be something precious. When they leave for the escort mission, let's go and take a look together."

Sun Anyuan had just mentioned that before leaving on the mission, he wanted to come back for another bowl of noodles. He asked them to prepare more in advance.

Lin Chunyan hurriedly agreed, already planning what kind of sauce to make. She would also pack a plate of braised pig trotters and pig ears, ensuring they were well-fed before setting off.

Ever since Old Lady Wang received a letter from Eldest Madam Wang in the prefecture city, she had fallen ill. The old woman attending her had called for a doctor, who merely said it was a common cold.

However, the old woman knew that it wasn't that simple. Old Lady Wang's illness was one of the heart.

"Have the items been sent?"

Old Lady Wang leaned against the kang, a headband made by Rong Jie'er on her forehead, her face sallow and yellow.

The old woman quickly nodded. "I've already spoken to the people from the escort agency. They'll be setting off tomorrow."

Old Lady Wang nodded. "What sins have I committed?"

The old woman didn't dare respond to this and could only tuck the blanket more securely around her, hoping to offer some comfort.

Old Lady Wang silently turned away, tears falling silently.

She had married the wrong man, and her daughter had suffered the same fate. After giving birth to twins, she lost favor and had to endure the arrogance of the young wife.

If it weren't for Zhou Wanniang, she might not have been able to hold on.

Unfortunately, Zhou Wanniang's fate was also unfortunate. First, she was pursued by King Zhao and had to return to the town to escape. Just when she thought she had survived that ordeal, now the second son of the Earl's mansion wanted to marry her. This should have been a joyous occasion, but King Zhao sent a message, saying that the Countess had ulterior motives and planned to hand Zhou Wanniang over to him after she passed away.

Even though the Zhou family's status wasn't as high as the Earl's mansion, Zhou Wanniang had been formally married as the primary wife of the Earl's mansion. How could they be so shameless as to harbor such intentions?

When Eldest Madam Wang received this news, she fainted on the spot and, in a state of panic, wrote a letter back to Old Lady Wang.

"What a sin."

Old Lady Wang initially didn't believe the news was true. No matter how shameless King Zhao was, he already had Zhao Xinghua. Could it be that one wasn't enough, and now two more were to be involved?

However, this news came from King Zhao himself. Whether it was true or not, the intention was clear—he didn't want Zhou Wanniang to marry into the Earl's family peacefully.

Furthermore, Old Lady Wang was truly afraid that the Earl's mansion had exactly this kind of plan in mind.

Whether she believed it or not, it was a difficult situation to resolve.

Old Lady Wang could not reach far enough. She was just an elderly lady who couldn't even settle some matters at home. How could she help Wang Dalniang?

In the end, all they could do was send over the private savings they had accumulated over the years, whether to support Zhou Wanniang or to help smooth things over with social obligations, it was better than being completely in the dark.

"People say giving birth to a daughter is bitter," Old Lady Wang wiped her tears, "You have to worry about her all the time, and yet, at every turn, there's a crisis."

The old woman fetched some water and a damp cloth for her. After wiping her face, Old Lady Wang asked, "Has there been any news from the prefectural city?"

She was asking about Lord Wang. Even though they didn't share the same mother, Wang Dalniang was still his sister. He couldn't possibly do nothing.

The old woman hesitated, but Old Lady Wang told her to just hand over the letter, "What is there that I cannot know?"

Reluctantly, the old woman passed the letter over. Old Lady Wang skimmed through it quickly and felt her chest rise and fall in anger.

"This beast!"

He actually suggested that Old Lady Wang write to Wang Dalniang, asking her to offer Zhou Wanniang to King Zhao.

"What is going on with King Zhao!" Old Lady Wang coughed violently in her rage, "Isn't there already Zhao Xinghua?"

Is that poor child not suffering enough under King Zhao's hands?

Must both sisters be dragged into this?

Zhou Wanniang sat in the room without lighting any lamps. The heavy twilight cast a few more touches of sadness.

Jiming wanted to light a lamp, but Zhou Wanniang stopped her and asked her to leave, "I just want to sit for a while."

Jiming, concerned, glanced at Zhou Wanniang and brought out some lotus root powder, "You like drinking this, I'll make some for you in a bit."

This was from the day they left, when they were at the dock, and Lin Chunyan, who was running a stall, came over, gave them a small jar, and spoke with Zhou Wanniang for a bit.

Zhou Wanniang received the lotus root powder and exchanged a few words with Lin Chunyan. Though they didn't communicate much, they could sense the kindness in each other's eyes.

"I've spoken to my grandmother. She usually enjoys the food from your stall and will take care of you."

Lin Chunyan was grateful, "After this parting, we don't know if we'll ever meet again. I just hope you'll have a smooth and unhindered life. There's no obstacle that can't be overcome."

At that time, Zhou Wanniang didn't understand why Lin Chunyan would say such things, but now, in this foreign land, she felt something different.

Obstacles that couldn't be overcome, could it be that Lin Chunyan knew something?

Looking at the lotus root powder that Jiming had prepared, which became transparent and viscous after adding hot water, the fruits inside tasted very fragrant, and it did help to ease her troubled mood a little.

After finishing the bowl of lotus root powder, Zhou Wanniang instructed Jiming, "Go get a brush. This lotus root powder tastes much better than others. I'll write a letter to Madam Lin and ask her to send me some more."

Jiming chuckled, "My lady, that Lin Xiaoniang is just a stall owner. She probably doesn't even recognize words. If you want to eat it, we can just send someone to get a jar."

But Zhou Wanniang shook her head, "I know she doesn't recognize words, but in the past, when we went to eat at their place, there were always some scholars. We can always find someone to read it for us, to live up to my gratitude."

Jiming knew that Zhou Wanniang had been in a bad mood recently, often sitting for an entire afternoon, but she couldn't figure out the reason.

But since she was willing to do something else, Jiming didn't stop her and personally took a letter to find a servant to run the errand.

Unsurprisingly, the letter was first taken to Lord Zhou. Seeing that it only contained some words of comfort and nothing else, he allowed it to be passed on.

Half a year ago, the situation in the Imperial City was unclear, and Prince Jiu was clearly more favored by the Emperor than King Zhao. Additionally, since the Earl's mansion genuinely wanted to propose to Zhou Wanniang, he took the opportunity to send her to White Cloud Town to avoid the turmoil.

But now, the situation is different. Prince Jiu has made several mistakes, and King Zhao has risen again, deliberately suppressing the Zhou family and the Earl's mansion.

They all knew very well in their hearts what this was for.

Even though the second son of the Earl's mansion liked Zhou Wanniang very much, he couldn't possibly gamble the honor of his entire family on her.

Moreover, it was just about letting Zhou Wanniang enjoy herself in King Zhao's mansion; why were there so many issues?

A few days before the Qingming Festival, Lin Chunyan took out the prepared green rice dumplings and placed them in the hall for everyone to take.

On the day of the Qingming Festival, cold food is traditionally eaten, so there was no need to cook any stir-fry dishes. They only needed the green rice dumplings and wheat cakes, along with cold noodles.

Mrs. Zhang was going to pay respects to her ancestors that day, and early in the morning Zhang Niuli came to pick her up, saying that she would stay at Old Uncle Zhang's place for the night. They told Lin Chunyan and the others to make sure to lock the door properly.

Erlang was now living next door to them, just separated by a wall. A shout would be enough to get his attention, which made Mrs. Zhang feel more at ease.

With no adults at home, Lin Chunyan and the others moved a table into the courtyard, planning to make mulberry wine.

"This time, we need to make more. We can't finish it as early as we did with the chrysanthemum wine."

Lin Chunyan nodded with a smile, "I don't know why you're so fond of chrysanthemum wine."

"It's naturally delicious."

Previously, Lin Taohong had heard Lin Chunyan say that in the summer, if you put ice cubes in these wines, it would be incredibly refreshing to drink.

Once the mulberry wine was ready, she was determined to try it and make sure to drink it before the ice melted.

Wang Yingniang was checking the accounts. She had learned from Lin Chunyan and could calculate without an abacus, quickly and accurately.

"Yesterday, Shopkeeper Cao came again, asking if we had any more oranges."

Dog Dan's Father had previously gone to nearby villages to collect oranges and brought back quite a lot. They couldn't preserve too many orange preserves, so they sold them all to Shopkeeper Cao.

If it weren't for Lin Chunyan stopping him, Dog Dan's Father might have gone to even farther places to collect more oranges.

Nowadays, he seemed a bit obsessed. Wherever there were fruit trees, he would first ask if they had an owner. If they didn't, he would pick them himself. If they did, he would pay for them.

Now, everyone in the surrounding villages knew that Dog Dan's Father wanted any kind of fruit, and a basket could fetch as much as eight or nine big coins.

This was more profitable than farming.

Some people had the idea of planting a few fruit trees in their fields. If the harvest was good, they could live comfortably for a year.

Lin Chunyan went to check the cellar. The cellar had several shelves made of bamboo, and everything was neatly arranged, categorized, making things easy to find.

When she came up, she told Wang Yingniang, "We don't have many oranges left. I want to keep these for gradual consumption. If Shopkeeper Cao wants any, just sell the orange preserves to him."

Shopkeeper Cao knew how to make preserves, so buying oranges was very cost-effective for him. But since he hadn't stocked up in advance, he was now in a bind.

He had also become smarter. He thought that whatever fruit Lin Chunyan's people collected, he would follow suit, ensuring he could make preserves to sell.

When Lin Chunyan came up from the cellar, she took a few oranges, and the three of them shared them, eating while washing the mulberries.

It was said that the mulberry wine would take a long time before it could be drunk, and Lin Taohong sighed, taking down the dried tangerine peel from the beam, crushing the oranges into juice, adding some mint, and chipping out two blocks of ice.

Drinking it, it was sweet and sour, and ice-cold.

Lin Chunyan took a sip and also found it delicious, so she asked Lin Taohong to make two more cups.

While Lin Taohong was making the drinks, she thought, "When summer comes, we should sell these beverages at our food stall. I'm sure people will love them."

Lin Chunyan nodded, "And we can sell them at Mr. Song's booth when the time comes."

"It's a pity we planted so few watermelons this year."

Lin Chunyan loved watermelons the most, and every time she returned from setting up the stall, she would eat half of one.

Hearing this, Lin Chunyan sighed, "If we really can't manage, we'll just buy some from Liu Niangzi."

Liu Niangzi's land was sandy, not good for growing grain, so this year she planted many watermelons, planning to sell them in town when they matured.

In this village, only the Village Headman's eldest son had a general store in town, and the rest made a living from the land. There were very few who even carried goods to sell in town.

No one had ever thought that it was possible to survive without relying on farming.

They locked the door early and, while brewing mulberry wine, drank icy cold beverages. The spring breeze felt especially comfortable, and laughter could be heard from time to time.

Lin Taohong half leaned against Lin Chunyan and whispered, "Big sister, that Scholar Zhang is going to propose marriage."

It took a moment for Lin Chunyan to realize who she was talking about, and she slightly raised her eyebrows, "How do you know?"

"I saw him yesterday. They also get a day off during the Qingming festival. I went to catch fish by the river, and he was there too."

Lin Taohong was carefree, and her biggest worry was bickering with Mrs. Zhang.

But seeing Zhang Tianhe reading by the river alone made her lose her focus.

The two had previously had a disagreement over the spring victory hair ornament, and seeing each other again was a bit awkward.

It was different from meeting at the stall.

Zhang Tianhe was already troubled by the Village Headman's matchmaking, and while Lin Taohong placed the fish trap in the river, neither of them spoke.

When a small fish swam in, Lin Taohong hurried to lift the trap but almost fell on the muddy riverbank.

Seeing this, Zhang Tianhe quickly came over to help her bring the trap up.

Lin Taohong was very happy to see the fish still inside and smiled broadly.

Zhang Tianhe was flustered by Lin Taohong's smile and, as if possessed, blurted out the matter of the proposal.

Lin Taohong didn't understand at first, but after returning, she pondered it and began to understand.

Lin Chunyan and Wang Yingniang exchanged glances, both surprised that Lin Taohong's previous distraction was because of this.

Lin Chunyan softened her tone and asked slowly, "Who is he proposing to?"

"The young wife of Mr. Li."

Lin Taohong sounded somewhat indignant, "He clearly doesn't like her, but the Village Headman insists on making him do it, which is disturbing his studies."

Before, it was the young wife of Mr. Wang. After Zhang Tianhe rejected her once, Mr. Wang stopped seeing Zhang Tianhe, and the Village Headman then approached Mr. Li.

Lin Chunyan could only change the subject, "You used to dislike him, and you would argue whenever you met. Why bother with his affairs?"

She added, "This wine must be sealed properly, or it will become undrinkable."

Lin Taohong nodded, "Indeed."

After the mulberry wine was brewed, Lin Chunyan placed them all in the cellar. Then she boiled water, and the three of them helped each other wash their hair and scrub their backs before returning to the room.

The process of letting their hair dry slowly was a long one, so they played a game of arrow toss.

"The huai blossoms will be opening soon too; we can make huai flower steamed cakes next time."

"And jasmine flowers; when the time comes, we'll make jasmine tea and mix it with soy milk to drink."

Only after their hair had completely dried did they crawl into bed, watching the moonlight quietly rise.

"It's quite unsettling when mother isn't home."

"I wonder if she'll be back tomorrow."

"Probably not until after the Qingming Festival."

On the day of the Qingming Festival, fewer people came to eat, with only the occasional call for a takeaway order, bringing a few green dumplings back with them.

Everything had to be eaten cold that day, and even the tea could only be had cold. Those accustomed to hot food found it quite unsettling to eat this way.

Tutor Duan, however, drank the cold-steeped bamboo leaf tea with great relish. Hearing Lin Taohong mention that she had prepared the dried tangerine peel drink the previous day, which tasted different when iced, he felt a desire to try it.

"I wonder if we could put ice in this bamboo leaf tea."

Since becoming the bookkeeper here, the eldest madam's expression at home had softened somewhat, especially since he brought home some food every day, making the family's expressions more pleasant.

Tutor Duan had grown more accustomed to life here. Thinking back to the food he had eaten in the temple, he felt his head probably wasn't very bright.

Why go through that ordeal?

Outside, many people carried poles to sell green dumplings, and the prices were quite cheap, with one wen able to buy two.

At Lin Chunyan's shop, however, it was one wen for each dumpling.

But her dumplings were large, with plenty of filling, and tasted much better, so those who loved to eat would still come to her.

However, Lin Taohong was somewhat anxious, standing at the shop door and looking out from time to time, even taking out green dumplings for passersby to see.

A young servant she didn't recognize came over, and Lin Taohong quickly welcomed him in, asking if he wanted to eat green dumplings.

The servant, holding a letter, waved his hand and said he was looking for the young madam who set up a stall, Lin Xiaoniang.

Disappointed, Lin Taohong went to call Lin Chunyan.

Lin Chunyan washed her hands and came over. The servant explained his purpose, wanting to buy some lotus root starch, and handed over the letter.

After receiving it, Lin Chunyan took it to Tutor Duan, saying, "I don't know what's written on it."

The letter was spread out on the table, and Tutor Duan read it word by word, while Lin Chunyan skimmed through it quickly.

After reading, her brows furrowed slightly.

The servant added that it was sent by their young madam, the former Miss Wang, a cousin who had lived here.

Curious, Lin Taohong leaned over and asked, "What's written on it?"

Tutor Duan began to explain, "It's just an expression of parting thoughts, mentioning the first time you met."

Lin Taohong, confused, asked, "Our first meeting?"

Lin Chunyan understood the true meaning behind the letter; it was about knowing of Zhao Xinghua's existence and wanting to ask her about it.

Zhou Wanniang was indeed a meticulous person. Even the first time they met, she could recall the unusual behavior of Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong, piecing everything together in her mind, understanding most of it.

But she still didn't dare to believe it completely, so she wrote this veiled letter to ask an outsider.

It seemed she knew where Zhao Xinghua was now.

But Lin Chunyan didn't know how to respond; if Zhou Wanniang were free now, she wouldn't have written such a veiled letter.

"We've indeed run out of lotus root starch and will have to wait a few more days."

The servant wasn't in a hurry, "The main task is to get the lotus root starch and return, a few days delay is fine."

The journey had been hard, sitting in a carriage all the way with no fresh food, but coming here, there were so many fresh things; he felt like a mouse that had fallen into a rice jar, wishing he could stay a few more days.

"Come back tomorrow, and there'll be even more delicious food." The cold noodles had tofu and carrot shreds, with half an egg on top, cold but very tasty.

There was also cold food porridge, made with freshly picked peach blossoms added to cooked rice, giving it a light peach flavor.

The servant nodded, and Lin Chunyan asked him about Zhou Wanniang's current situation, "We left in a hurry that day; I wonder how she's doing now."

The servant was just an ordinary errand runner and didn't know the internal matters of the household, only vaguely saying, "She's doing very well since returning home. My young madam is about to marry the second young master of the Earl's mansion, and the whole family is busy with the preparations."

Lin Chunyan nodded. She had left with Zhou Wanniang looking delighted, but within a few months, she had sent such a letter, which must mean something had happened.

She was worried about Zhao Xinghua, wondering how she was doing now.

In the Zhao King's mansion, it was known that Chaoliang had lost favor, with the Zhao King not visiting her for several days.

But Zhao Xinghua found the days comfortable and wished that the Zhao King would never come again.

Although the Zhao King treated her well, it was more like how one would treat a pet, which always made her feel uncomfortable.

Especially when learning to read, she was slow to grasp it, and the Zhao King's disappointed gaze always felt as if he was looking through her at someone else.

She had also asked her maids, trying to find out if there was another young madam in the house who looked like her.

These maids were all newly replaced later on, and no one dared to look down on Zhao Xinghua. They only smiled and tried to comfort her, saying, "How could this be? We servants have never seen the Prince treat any young wife so well before."

Zhao Xinghua would never believe these words. What about the other women in the prince's mansion? After the novelty wore off, they were casually discarded, left waiting day after day for the Prince to come. Were they not the young wives who had been ruined by sweet words?

She absolutely did not want to become such a woman.

Back when her own mother had sold her off, Zhao Xinghua had already understood that she could never trust anyone in this world again.

If even her own mother could casually abandon her, how much more so could others?

The Prince sat in his study for a while but felt increasingly uncomfortable. He called the people around him over and asked what Zhao Xinghua was doing today.

"Zhao Niangzi is still farming today."

The Prince was extremely dissatisfied with this answer and snorted coldly, asking the young servant beside him, "How is it that she's not anxious at all? Can't she see that I'm neglecting her?"

If it had been any other young wife, they would have been trembling with fear and eagerly come over to offer soup or water.

The servant didn't dare to respond, not daring to say that Zhao Niangzi seemed more at ease than before, and had even been eating more.

The Prince paced around the room twice, unable to hold back any longer, and started walking toward Zhao Niangzi's courtyard.

But halfway there, he forcibly stopped himself.

"I'm not going to see her. Let her reflect on her own."

The Prince turned back, and upon returning to his study, asked the servant again, "Am I not good to her? When she said she wanted to eat that dried tofu, I had someone go a long distance to buy it, and even kept it on ice for them. I even had Li Daniang learn how to make it. How is it that she doesn't remember any of this?"

The servant kept his head down, not daring to look at the Prince in this state.

The Prince perhaps also felt he had said too much and waved the servant away. After pacing in circles twice by himself, he sat back down and took out the letter he had read several times.

The more he read the letter, the angrier he became, and finally tore it to shreds, throwing it aside.

Zhao Xinghua was heartless. No matter how well he treated her, her heart only belonged to that Li Youfu.

She said she liked to go up the mountain to forage for mushrooms, but now he knew it was all for Li Youfu.

As the Prince, he could have any woman he wanted, but he had never seen someone so ungrateful, so completely without him in her heart.

The servant waited outside for a while, hearing no sounds from inside, before cautiously coming over to knock on the door.

"Your Highness, someone from the Zhou family has arrived."

After Lin Chunyan returned home, she took out the remaining lotus roots and planned to make more lotus root powder.

She also mixed some fruit into the acorn powder. On days when she didn't feel like cooking, she would dilute the acorn powder, add sugar, and it would taste slightly better.

She packed several jars for Zhou Wanniang, intending to send them along with the servant.

Wang Yingniang had picked many locust flowers at home, which Lin Chunyan washed and planned to use to make locust flower rice.