Chapter 106

Chapter 106

Now Mrs. Zhang was genuinely scared and hid behind Lady Liu. "It’s not just me going, so why are you singling me out?"

This put Lady Liu in the spotlight too. She gave Mrs. Zhang a somewhat embarrassed smile and said, "Sister Ruan is waiting for me, so I’ll go back first. I still need to feed the chickens."

With that, she practically ran off, as if her feet were smeared with oil.

Lin Chunyan ignored Lady Liu and planned to give each of them a bowl of boiled perilla red sugar water once it was ready.

Lin Taohong was eager to see Lin Chunyan take care of Mrs. Zhang and didn’t go to help in the kitchen. She squatted on the ground, waiting for the argument to start.

Lin Chunyan gave her a glance but didn’t say much, considering she had returned in the heavy rain. She simply guided Mrs. Zhang into the room.

Lin Taohong quickly followed, only to see the door slam shut, leaving her pouting as she leaned on the doorframe.

Once inside, Mrs. Zhang gave a forced smile and whispered to Lin Chunyan, "I won’t do this again next time, so don’t be so angry."

The last time Lin Chunyan was this angry was when she discovered Mrs. Zhang had secretly checked her hidden money. Upon finding out, she had thrown a fit, warning Mrs. Zhang not to inquire again.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lin Chunyan gave a cold laugh. "I’m not saying anything. You tell me, what would you have done if something really happened?"

Not to mention, those refugees wouldn’t dare to do anything, but if they were desperate, they could do anything.

Mrs. Zhang lowered her head, fiddling with the embroidery on her clothes. "We had our plans. We had machetes in our hands, and people come and go on that mountain daily. If they dared to do something, it would have been suicide."

Seeing that Lin Chunyan’s expression remained stern, she quickly added, "There won’t be a next time! After all, who is the mother here, you or me?"

Lin Chunyan ignored her and said she would deduct this month’s silver. "Not a penny."

This hit Mrs. Zhang hard. Her face twisted in pain, and she stopped fiddling with her clothes. She rushed over to pull Lin Chunyan. "Yan Niang, my good daughter, don’t take it all away. I’ve been working hard this month just to get by with that bit of money."

"Don’t act so pitiful. You eat and live at home. It’s just pocket money you’re losing, not your livelihood. You need a lesson! You’re not a three-year-old child anymore; you can’t keep acting like this."

Mrs. Zhang, usually very stingy, was especially protective of her own money. Her face turned a liver color, and she clutched her chest as if she might faint.

Lin Taohong had listened to the entire exchange and wore a smug look. She had intended to mock Mrs. Zhang but, seeing her displeased expression, wisely kept her mouth shut and quietly slipped into the kitchen to find Wang Yingniang.

"Yingniang, did you see the look on my mother’s face? She almost cried on the spot."

Leaning against the doorframe, she laughed loudly. "She scared us all by running off to the mountains."

Wang Yingniang looked at her helplessly and said, "Keep your voice down. You’re hitting someone’s sore spot. If our godmother hears you, she’ll scold you."

Lin Taohong wasn’t afraid and was about to complain about Mrs. Zhang when she turned around and saw Mrs. Zhang standing behind her, her face as dark as the bottom of a wok.

"My goodness gracious! Mother, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Mrs. Zhang was looking for someone to vent her frustration on and tried to hit Lin Taohong, but she nimbly dodged. Having been hit many times before, Lin Taohong had learned to read the situation. If things looked dicey, she dodged first and asked questions later.

She made a face at Mrs. Zhang and ran out of the kitchen. "Mother, don’t keep fussing, or Big Sister will hear and deduct another month’s allowance from you."

"Oh dear!" Mrs. Zhang slapped her thigh. "That little rascal is out of control. I’ll find a chance to deal with you later."

She then turned to Wang Yingniang to complain. "Yingniang, judge for yourself. I admitted my mistake and promised not to do it again, but Yan Niang still wants to deduct my money."

Wang Yingniang handed her a bowl of perilla water. "Godmother, you should understand. We were so worried that if we couldn’t find you, we would have had to call for help from the escort agency. You can’t imagine how anxious we were along the way."

Mrs. Zhang finished the bowl of Perilla water in one gulp, feeling her body warm up, and casually wiped her lips with her sleeve. "I'm just trying to save more money for your dowries. We have three girls in our family, after all. If any of you receive less, you'll suffer in your husband's home."

Wang Yingniang, her tone softening, replied, "No wonder you've been knitting woolen clothes lately, saying you'd sell them for money. But these are concerns completely unrelated to us right now. Look at us—none of us are concerned about that. You should stop worrying."

Mrs. Zhang shook her head. "As your mother, I can't help but worry. Alright, since I've already been punished by having my money deducted, I'll just wait until I get the wool and then knit more."

Liu Niangzi, who had been called over to drink the Perilla water, only then discreetly peeked outside the window before edging closer to Mrs. Zhang. "What did Yan Niang say to you? I saw her expression earlier and thought she was really scared."

Mrs. Zhang, slightly annoyed, pushed her away. "You should step aside. It was clearly you who suggested going up the mountain, but in the end, I was the one scolded."

"Nonsense! I was soundly scolded by Sister Wei Rou too, and almost got hit with a broom."

They both sighed, no longer discussing the matter, and instead looked up the mountain. "Why aren't they coming down yet?"

"Dr. Hou has been called; let's just hope Zhao Huaiszi makes it through."

At this point, everyone was anxious, wondering if Zhao Huaiszi would survive. A living person, striving for a better life, suddenly faced such misfortune—it was bound to weigh heavily on anyone's mind.

Lin Chunyan took out the bitter vegetables that Mrs. Zhang had brought back. In just a short time, the vegetables had wilted a bit. She blanched them, intending to mix them into a cold dish later.

She then went to the cellar and retrieved the dried beans. After being sun-dried, the beans had lost all their moisture and become quite dry.

But when stewed with meat, the dried beans absorbed the meat's fragrance, becoming even more delicious than fresh beans.

Feeling hungry and reminiscing about the flavorful braised dishes from the previous day, Mrs. Zhang and Liu Niangzi both looked toward the kitchen.

Mrs. Zhang swallowed. "Go ask my daughter. She surely won't say anything since you're an outsider."

Liu Niangzi shook her head vigorously. "No way! When I saw Yan Niang's expression on the mountain, I was too scared. Don't drag me into this."

Pushing Mrs. Zhang lightly, she added, "You're her mother after all, and she's already deducted your money. She won't scold you again."

Neither of them dared to go, and they sat there, enduring their hunger.

After a short while, the tempting aroma wafted from the kitchen again, and someone's stomach growled loudly.

"What are they cooking now?"

Liu Niangzi peeked toward the kitchen, feeling it was a mistake to come over for the Perilla water. She would rather have stayed home, nibbled on some steamed buns, and sweet-talked Sister Wei Rou, who might have boiled an egg for her.

The smell alone was torture without being able to eat anything—a punishment for sneaking up the mountain.

Unable to bear it any longer, Mrs. Zhang shuffled out of the room, wearing her shoes carelessly, a smile plastered on her face, and called out to her daughter more affectionately than usual, "What delicious dish are you making?"

Without looking up, Lin Chunyan replied, "Stir-fried pork belly with dried beans."

As she approached, the aroma was so enticing that Mrs. Zhang felt a bit dizzy. She remembered how, when the beans had just been dried, she had eaten this dish with tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat. It was especially satisfying over rice, and the beans had absorbed the savory flavors of the meat.

Seeing Mrs. Zhang's eager expression, Lin Chunyan snorted. "Want to eat?"

Mrs. Zhang nodded eagerly. "Yan Niang, quick, give me a bowl of rice. I'm starving—I've been picking bitter vegetables since early this morning."

Lin Chunyan, seeing this, smiled slightly and nodded toward a dish of vegetables. "Didn't you go up the mountain because you wanted to eat these? This will help clear your inner heat."

Mrs. Zhang bemoaned, asking Lin Chunyan, "Then who is this plate of dried bean dishes for?"

They had made quite a large quantity of braised dried beans with pork belly. Just the few of us young wives wouldn’t be able to finish it.

"Don’t worry about it, Mom. Later, when the men come down from the mountain, they’ll definitely gather together to eat."

Since she couldn’t assist with anything else, she could at least prepare a couple of dishes to bring over.

Mrs. Zhang sighed and stopped fussing, calling over Liu Niangzi.

Liu Niangzi thought she was in for a treat, whether it was the dish made that day or the braised dishes from the day before. She would have been happy to eat either.

To her surprise, Mrs. Zhang placed a bowl of greenish vegetables in front of them and sat down with a steamed bun without moving further.

Liu Niangzi urged her, "Why are you so glued to your seat? Why didn’t you bring everything over at once?"

Mrs. Zhang had already taken a bite of her bun and said, "Don’t even think about it. These bitter vegetables are what we’re having."

Liu Niangzi gaped at the plate of cold bitter vegetables, almost choking on her saliva.

Mrs. Zhang had already eaten a few bites. Actually, the cold bitter vegetables were quite good. After blanching the vegetables, Lin Chunyan had added wild onions, garlic, almonds, and sprinkled some sesame seeds after seasoning it well.

This cold bitter vegetable was perfect for cutting through the grease when eaten with meat.

"I have to admit, it tastes pretty good," Liu Niangzi said after a few bites, "if only I could stop thinking about the meat."

The two of them had just finished the plate of cold bitter vegetables when they heard some noise outside. They said that Zhao Huaizi had been carried down.

Despite his age, Dr. Hou had managed to climb the mountain. After bandaging Zhao Huaizi, he found it difficult to come back down and had to be carried by Li Tiedan.

Dr. Hou’s medical skills were only slightly better than the village doctors, but still just average. Whether Zhao Huaizi would survive was in the hands of fate.

After the other men went to Zhao Huaizi’s house for arrangements, Dr. Hou had Li Tiedan carry him to Lin Chunyan’s house.

"I’m really exhausted. At my age, I still had to go up the mountain with you all. No matter what, I need to eat something good."

Li Tiedan remained silent as he walked. If necessary, he would take out a few coins to buy some food for the doctor.

When they arrived, they saw that Lin Chunyan had already prepared the dishes and served Dr. Hou a bowl, while asking about the situation in detail.

"He’s developed a fever. I’ve written a prescription, and someone has gone to fetch the medicine. Whether he survives is up to fate," said Dr. Hou.

Lin Chunyan could only sigh.

"That’s why this isn’t a safe profession. When dealing with prey, one must always be cautious. Just one moment of carelessness, and you lose your life," Li Tiedan wiped his face, "All we can do is pray to the heavens."

One by one, the people who went up the mountain were called back. They each took a bowl but didn’t have the same eagerness to finish the food as before.

Uncle Lin mentioned that Zhao Muyang was crying like a broken-hearted person. The previous day, he had been eagerly waiting for Zhao Huaizi to return and hunt a wild boar, promising to share half with Wang Danie.

But life is unpredictable. No one could foresee what would happen.

Even though they were eating the pork belly and dried beans, which were so delicious they wished they could swallow their tongues, the atmosphere in the yard was somber. Some pitied Zhao Huaizi, some felt sorry for Zhao Muyang, and others were worried about Wang Danie.

If this marriage arrangement fell through again, there would likely be rumors spreading.

After eating, the men thanked Lin Chunyan and went back to their tasks.

Sun had been contemplating whether to pay a visit to Zhao Huaizi. Although it was not suitable for her status and might invite censure, she couldn’t afford to worry about that now.

Their family doesn't even have anyone to start a fire and cook.

Second Aunt Lin, however, quickly stopped her. "I know you mean well and have no ulterior motives, but given what happened before, others might not think the same."

The Wang family hasn't heard about this yet. When they find out, they will definitely come over. The two families have already made an agreement and were just waiting for the formal proposal on the wedding day. If Zhao Huai zi doesn’t make it, that’s one thing, but if he does and a rift forms because of this incident, it would be unfortunate.

Sun Niangzi asked anxiously, "What are we going to do? We need someone to handle the situation."

"I'll go," said Second Aunt Lin, wiping the water off her hands. "I’m not afraid of what others might say."

At that moment, there was a sound from outside the door. It was Old Woman Li and Niuniu coming over.

Given the commotion, the villagers had naturally already heard about it.

"You two need to continue working; you can’t afford to slack off. I’ll go instead."

She was old enough to be Zhao Huai zi's mother, so no one would gossip about her going.

Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong went with Old Woman Li to check on him. Villagers would come by occasionally, and with Dr. Hou staying by Zhao Huai zi's side, they finally felt at ease.

"Other than that, it's just the wound the wild boar inflicted on his arm. He lost too much blood. If we can bring down the fever, it shouldn’t be a major issue," Dr. Hou said.

Thankfully, Zhao Huai zi was an experienced hunter. He managed to twist sideways to avoid the boar. If the boar had hit him directly in the stomach, even the immortals couldn’t have saved him.

Zhao Muyang had ceased crying. His eyes were red as he sat beside Zhao Huai zi, watching over him. Lin Chunyan showed him how to use warm water to wipe his forehead. "I don't know if it'll help, but it's worth a try," she said.

Dr. Hou nodded. "It's worth trying."

Zhao Muyang ran towards the kitchen so quickly that he almost fell. Everyone understood why he was in such a rush. Zhao Huai zi was like a father to him, and previously, his own father had been carried down the mountain and died not long after. Zhao Muyang's heart ached with fear, dreading that the same thing was happening again.

Lin Chunyan followed him to the kitchen and saw his tears falling like beads, unable to stop wiping them away.

Lin Chunyan didn't know how to comfort him and could only say that everything would be alright.

"Actually, I'm the one with a hard fate," Zhao Muyang suddenly said. "Everyone abandoned me, and even my uncle doesn't want me anymore."

When Lin Chunyan came out of the kitchen, she still felt suffocated.

Outside, the refugees had also come down. They stood at Zhao Huai zi's door, seemingly wanting to say something.

But with all the people coming and going, no one paid attention to them, except for brief moments when someone noticed them.

When Lin Taohong went out earlier, she had started feeling emotional. "I feel like crying too."

Her heart felt heavy, seeing such a good person lying there; it was only natural for her to feel sad.

Lin Chunyan patted her on the back. "It’s normal to feel this way. We can only hope he gets better."

Seeing those refugees, Lin Taohong frowned. "What are they trying to do?"

Lin Chunyan glanced at them. These people looked like they hadn’t had a decent meal in a long time. They were all emaciated with sallow complexions. It had only been half a year since the disaster struck, and it had already brought them to this state.

When those people noticed Lin Chunyan looking at them, they gave her a beseeching smile.

The woman with the child walked over, gesturing as she asked, "Is he alright?"

All these displaced people were hoping that Zhao Huaizi would survive. If he did, they would be considered his saviors.

But if he died, the gratitude toward them would be greatly diminished.

If Zhao Huaizi was a grateful person, perhaps they might be allowed to stay in the village.

As they saw how peaceful and prosperous this place was, they had cursed the damned heavens in their hearts again and again.

Why did the disaster strike their area?

Lin Chunyan struggled a little to understand what they were saying. Every ten miles, the dialect changes; many of the words were unfamiliar to her.

"The doctor said he needs to be well taken care of to recover," Lin Chunyan gestured back.

The woman understood and let out a huge sigh of relief, waving to them as she made her way back up the mountain.

Later in the afternoon, Lin Chunyan went to the shop. Because of the recent heavy rain, the road was hard to navigate, so Lin Chunyan put on a pair of straw sandals over her shoes.

Lin Taohong accompanied her, and they trudged through the mud, sometimes lifting their skirts, but their shoes still ended up covered in dirt.

"I must be sure to thank Mrs. Song properly later. She helped me get my lunch today."

Lin Chunyan smiled, "If I had known you’d worry so much, I wouldn’t have asked you to come to the shop. It saves you the trouble of making the trip."

When Mrs. Song heard that Mrs. Zhang was fine, but Zhao Huaizi from their village had been injured, she murmured a few Buddhist prayers, saying, "It’s a real stroke of luck, and we have those displaced people to thank."

Talking about the displaced people, she added, "They are just ordinary folks like us. If they could make a living in their own homes, who would want to leave?"

Everyone let out a few sighs.

Master Duan mentioned the braised dishes, saying, "There were quite a few buyers. Most of them sent idle men to purchase, probably because the weather is bad today."

As long as they were able to sell, Lin Chunyan felt relieved. Master Duan added, "I'm not sure if I misheard, but they seemed to be saying that when they were taking shelter from the rain outside, they could earn a bit more money at another restaurant."

Zhao Liu responded from afar, "I heard that too. Those laborers were discussing it. It seems many of them are considering going elsewhere."

Although he was quite indignant about it, Lin Chunyan wasn't in a hurry. "Let them go. We can't prevent people from choosing where to eat."

In the end, it's all about the cooking skills.

Seeing her composed demeanor, everyone felt reassured and stopped worrying. They returned to their respective tasks.

At that moment, the manager who had come to eat yesterday arrived again. They were only docking here for a few days and planned to leave after selling some goods, so they wanted to eat while they were still around.

"Do you have those fried dough twists?"

As soon as the manager saw Lin Chunyan, he asked this.

He had been thinking about it since he went back and was eager to taste it again.

He had also realized that he might have said something unpleasant earlier, which might have offended the young woman.

Lin Chunyan, however, wasn't as angry as she was yesterday. She shook her head regretfully, "We really don't have any today. If you'd like, you can order noodles separately."

Upon hearing this, the manager nodded quickly, his chubby cheeks quivering slightly, "I've heard from my old friend that there's a young woman who sells noodles at the dock, and the food she makes is really delicious. He told me I must try it when I visit here."

When he came over, he asked people and learned that she no longer set up a stall but had opened a small eatery. He assumed she had stopped selling noodles.

Lin Chunyan smiled. "It seems we're old acquaintances."

The steward, anxious to build rapport, said, "I’m sure you know him—it’s Wang the Traveling Merchant."

Lin Chunyan nodded. "Ah, it’s him. It’s been quite a long time since I last saw him."

"He’s been running ships down south, where they say there’s plenty of fruit. He might be back in a few days."

Lin Chunyan listed the types of noodles she could make. The steward had heard of them and wanted to try, but his appetite wasn’t large enough, so he asked Lin Chunyan to make just the best one.

Lin Chunyan suggested, "Why don’t you try the braised intestine noodles?"

The steward had eaten braised intestines before and found them very delicious, so he immediately agreed. "Alright, let's have that."

Lin Chunyan went into the kitchen and took out the cooked intestines to cut them into pieces, while Lin Cuixiang cooked the noodles and vegetables in another pot.

Lin Cuixiang and Zhao Zilan were both worried about Zhao Huaizi and inquired about his situation before focusing on how the intestine noodles were prepared.

"It doesn’t seem difficult. The braised intestines can be used as the topping."

Lin Chunyan nodded. "Just like with rice toppings, it can also be used for noodle dishes."

When a steaming bowl of intestine noodles was served, the steward immediately picked up his chopsticks, blew on the steam, and took a bite.

The intestines were specially cleaned, with excess fat removed, and thoroughly washed, leaving no odor, only a rich aroma. The noodles were well-coated with the dark sauce, and with one bite, warmth spread from the heart to the stomach, filling one with comfort.

He nodded and mumbled with his mouth full, "These intestine noodles are truly exceptional. I haven’t tasted anything like this anywhere else. No wonder Wang the Traveling Merchant specifically recommended them."

Reputation spreads through word of mouth, and hearing the steward's praise made Lin Chunyan feel a little better.

The sky remained overcast and grew darker earlier than usual. Seeing that no more customers were coming, Lin Chunyan closed the shop early and went home with Erlang.

Sanlang no longer walked home with them. Sometimes he took alternative routes, opting for the nearest way back.

When she got home, she saw Mrs. Zhang sitting on the kang, talking excitedly, with Qian Niangzi and others sitting nearby, and plenty of sunflower seed shells on the floor.

Seeing Lin Chunyan, Mrs. Zhang hurriedly smiled, "Chunyan, are you feeling cold?"

These women had come to listen to Mrs. Zhang's gossip and hear about how they found those refugees.

With so many people around, Lin Chunyan didn’t say much, only asking if anyone felt unwell.

Mrs. Zhang, who had been upset about Lin Chunyan deducting some money, felt her discontent melt away at the concern.

"I'm perfectly fine, but your Aunt Liu has a runny nose and has been locked indoors by her daughter-in-law."

Just imagining Aunt Liu jumping up and down, unable to come over and talk, painted a clear picture.

Seeing that Mrs. Zhang was indeed fine, Lin Chunyan left her be and went to the riverbank with Wang Yingniang.

They needed to pick some reed leaves.

"This had been planned for some time, and even Lihua and Ju Miao had bought pig pancreas, with Lin Fengdie coming over to inquire about it."

Lin Chunyan nodded. "This time, let’s try adding some dried flowers inside."

They had several types of dried flowers at home, but they were usually used for tea.

Previously, they had specifically gone to other villages to buy rose flowers. These flowers were not popular as headwear at the time, as people found them too garish, and they were only used for making pastries.

Lin Taohong knew the flower vendor well, having bought from her several times before, and asked if she could offer a discount.

The old woman was worried about the roses not selling and taking up space without selling. She even mentioned uprooting them next year to plant more elegant flowers.

Seeing that there were buyers, she was overjoyed. Originally, she offered five flowers for one copper coin, but Lin Chunyan turned away as soon as she heard the price.

The old woman, fearing she would lose the sale, offered to sell by weight at a lower price.

They bought a small bag for five or six copper coins.

Once processed, the roses could be used to make fragrant essences or rose beverages. With honey added, the drink would be sweet and pleasant to drink.

Lin Chunyan dried all the flowers and hung them on the walls of the cellar.

This row also included sun-dried tangerine peel, apricot slices... Deeper inside were the dried vegetables from last year.

This year's dried vegetables hadn't been prepared much, and Wang Yingniang had wanted to dry the horse bean greens but hadn't had the time to pick them.

Soon, several young women arrived with a pig's pancreas in hand, and the chatter immediately spread across the yard.

Ju Miao looked around nervously, bringing her cousin, Xiu Jie.

Xiu Jie was also embarrassed and worried that Lin Chunyan would be displeased, saying, "If we can't learn, I won't stay."

Lin Chunyan told them they were welcome to watch and, after a moment's thought, went to call Sister Wei Rou.

"Actually, it's not difficult to make."

Lin Chunyan demonstrated it for them, pointing out the key steps to pay attention to. "Initially, don't add any other ingredients."

These young women were all excited, as if they were about to do something important. They didn't dare to blink while watching Lin Chunyan.

Lin Chunyan taught slowly, and after she finished, Wang Yingniang demonstrated the process of adding dried flowers.

It was clear that Lin Chunyan genuinely wanted to teach them.

Ju Miao's face turned rosy with excitement, holding hands with Xiu Jie, feeling their clammy palms. Neither wanted to let go, fearing it might turn out to be a dream.

They started to do it themselves, initially nervous. These pancreases had cost them dearly, and ruining them would break their hearts. But they also knew that to learn, wasting one pancreas was already considered little.

When Ju Miao's mother learned that she was coming to learn, she almost cried at home and even said she would make a new set of clothes for Lin Chunyan.

Ju Miao, who had been very anxious, couldn't help but laugh at her mother's words.

"Sister Lihua told me that Sister Chunyan already has plenty of shoes and socks and suggested we not make more for her."

"That's different!" Insisted Ju Miao's mother, rummaging through the cabinet and taking out her best piece of cloth, "What others make is theirs. This is our heart. Where can we find such a good person?"

This time, when Ju Miao came, she brought a pair of shoes made by her mother. Seeing that Lin Chunyan was guiding them, she hesitated before bringing them out.

She was afraid that Lin Chunyan would refuse. She had planned to give the shoes after everyone had left but was worried that Lin Chunyan would think she was trying to take advantage by not offering them earlier.

Among them, she and Xiu Jie were the least acquainted with Lin Chunyan.

Lin Chunyan saw her timid expression and smiled as she took the shoes from her.

Looking closely, she realized the shoes were made of satin.

The material had probably been saved by Jiumiao's mother for a long time, and if no mishaps occurred, it would only be used when Jiumiao got married.

She happily accepted the shoes, and only then did Jiumiao finally breathe a sigh of relief.

She thought about how her mother was right. After giving away the shoes, Jiumiao felt a little more relaxed than before.

Zhao Linglan took the shoes and examined the stitching carefully. For those who were used to making shoes, a quick glance was enough to tell how they were made, and she couldn’t help but marvel.

"In the past, I always thought my shoes were good, and you all praised me too, but compared to Jiumiao's mother, it’s like comparing a novice to an expert."

She wasn’t saying this out of politeness; she genuinely thought Jiumiao's mother’s work was exceptional, though she had never heard anyone talk about it before.

Jiumiao blushed. "My mother was praised in villages far and wide when she was a young lady for her skills, just like Sister Linglan."

She often heard Jiumiao's mother talk about the past, but after having children and needing to work in the fields, she had to put shoe-making on hold.

The first to finish was Pear Blossom. She held the square piece of pig pancreas in her hand, her mouth stretched into a big smile. "Did I really make this? From now on, I can use this for washing my hair and clothes?"

The other young women nearby looked at her enviously, as they hadn’t finished yet.

"No need to rush. Take your time," Lin Chunyan comforted them, noticing their impatience.

Lin Taohong, finding it too much trouble, stopped halfway and didn’t want to continue. She pulled Lin Fengdie aside to ask, "I heard that Third Aunt has dyed many colors. Do you have any nice materials?"

Lin Fengdie nodded. "My mother used bamboo leaves to dye a light blue and said she’d make an outer garment for Yan Niang with it."

Upon hearing this, Lin Taohong insisted on having one too. "I can’t pull off that light blue. Do you have anything prettier?"

Lin Fengdie, knowing she would ask, covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. "My mother predicted this. There’s a peach-pink that you would definitely like."

Lin Taohong’s eyes lit up. "I want that fabric. But it won’t be free. Just tell me how much, and include one for my older sister too."

Thinking for a moment, she then looked at Wang Yingniang. "And my god-sister’s. I’ve seen her look good in yellow. Do you have that color?"

Hearing that she still remembered her, Wang Yingniang couldn’t help but smile. She whispered to Lin Chunyan that Lin Taohong was being unusually generous today.

"The sun must be rising in the west," Lin Chunyan said with a smile.

Lin Chunyan clapped her hands. "Exactly. We should really fleece her this time."

Lin Taohong pouted. "That’s not fair. I spend money on you two and don’t even get a thank you."

Her little expression was so adorable that it caused several laughs in the yard.

After laughing enough, Lin Fengdie said they didn’t need to pay. "We’re all sisters here. Mentioning money makes it sound distant."

"If you don’t take their money, you should at least take ours. Get some fabric for us too," said Zhao Zilan, who now had money and was feeling quite generous. "My sister and I each want a set."

Lin Chunyan clapped her hands in approval. "Exactly. The money we earn should be spent on ourselves."

Pear Blossom looked at them enviously. "If I had your skills, I would have already gone to town to buy more things."

Then, curiously looking at Lin Chunyan, she asked, "I talked to my mother about raising some bunnies at home. Do you think it’s a good idea?"

She still remembered that when she first came back, Mrs. Zhang always wore a rabbit fur neck warmer, which looked very warm.

Later, she heard that Lin Chunyan wanted to make a mattress, but unfortunately, there weren’t enough rabbit skins.

The rabbit meat was also edible; if they were well taken care of, a single litter could yield many offspring.

When Lin Chunyan heard this, she looked at Lihua more closely and praised her, “That’s a good idea, but you need to be careful about how you raise them.”

Lihua nodded excitedly, “I’ve already planned to ask around.”

Lin Cuixiang said, “These rabbits are excellent. We can sell the meat directly at our restaurant, and the ducks raised by Lady Liu. When they stop laying eggs, we can make roast duck.”

“And the pigs raised by Lady Sun will be slaughtered during the wheat harvest.”

Everyone chimed in agreeingly, feeling that life was truly good now.

“In the past, we didn’t dare to think like this. My mother said there were times when we couldn’t make ends meet and couldn’t even afford cornbread.”

“The refugees were in the same situation; they were truly pitiful.”

The next day, when Lin Chunyan went to the shop, she noticed something was off. After asking Tutor Duan, she found out that indeed, many idle men had gone to other restaurants.

Hu Daqiang was so angry that his voice trembled, “Not only that, they even stole our dishes!”

Everyone knew their dishes were made from fresh ingredients, something rarely seen elsewhere. People came for the fresh experience.

Unlike shaqima and snow candy, unless someone told you or you were an insider, it was difficult to figure out how they were made.

But dishes like fish-flavored shredded pork and Peking sauce shredded pork, after trying them a few times, you could gradually learn the recipes.

Before Lin Chunyan could say anything, Lin Taohong and Mrs. Zhang were already jumping up in anger.

“Who dares to copy us! I’ll go smash their restaurant!”

“How disgraceful! They can’t come up with fresh dishes themselves and have to copy ours!”

Lin Chunyan was the calmest among them. She first calmed the two down, then asked Hu Daqiang, “Which restaurant copied us?”

“It’s Hehua Restaurant.”

Lin Chunyan thought for a moment about the owner and the chef, then said with a sudden realization, “So it’s Chef Qi.”

Lin Taohong quickly asked, “Big sister, do you know him?”

Lin Chunyan shook her head, “I met him by chance last time and had a brief conversation.”

He even wanted to apprentice under her, but in just two days, he had already copied her dishes.

Lin Chunyan didn’t know what to say.

These things were simply the nature of things; she was merely building on the work of those who came before her.

If she really had to call someone out for copying, she wouldn’t have the right stance.

Just like the most popular steamed lamb dish nowadays, no matter how closely the recipe was guarded, someone else could still replicate it; it just wouldn’t taste exactly the same.

Seeing that Lin Chunyan was still her usual self, the tense atmosphere in the room eased somewhat.

Mrs. Zhang was still indignant, “Are we just going to let them off? I noticed fewer customers today. Just think about how much silver we’ve lost.”

Wang Yingniang told everyone why Mrs. Zhang wanted to save money, and it turned out that she was trying to save for a dowry. Lin Chunyan hadn’t anticipated this but didn’t stop her.

It’s always better to save money than to spend it carelessly.

Lin Chunyan then said, "It’s the taste that matters, not how the dish is made."

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Today, I’ll prepare a bacon with reed leaves rice dish."

Seeing that she was about to showcase her skills, everyone got excited. Hu Daqiang even ran to the door, shouting.

There were far fewer idle men at their place that day. Ye Xianhan and Lin Xianhan had been hesitant earlier, but upon learning that the other tavern had also prepared fish-flavored shredded pork and Beijing-style sauce shredded pork, they felt relieved. The prices were lower, and the pay was higher.

"I’ll have a portion of century eggs first," said Ye Xianhan. He realized he was worrying too much. These century eggs are one-of-a-kind, and anyone wanting to buy them had to come here.

Chang Nüniang got the news early in the morning and decided to bring two meat buns and a bowl of tofu pudding.

While waiting, she had a bowl of century egg and lean pork porridge. The porridge was only three coins per bowl and was made with rice, century eggs, and lean pork.

Although the century egg and lean pork were scarce, the taste was noticeable.

And it was very affordable.