Chapter 111

Chapter 111

"We've already won and shamed them enough; there’s no need to press our advantage further."

Lin Chunyan didn't understand this in the past and used to view the world in absolute terms, like Lin Taohong did, with only good and bad people.

But as she went through more experiences, she became more diplomatic.

Li Niangzi brought the calamus wine, which was perfect. Lin Chunyan poured a cup for everyone as a gesture of good fortune.

Li Niangzi stayed behind to discuss Zhou Wanniang’s situation.

The two spoke in private, and what Li Niangzi said left Lin Chunyan at a loss for words.

Two months before her wedding, after the formal and informal betrothal ceremonies had been completed, Zhou Wanniang fled under the pretense of going to pray, accompanied by her maid, Jiming.

The incident caused quite a stir at the time. Typically, families would cover up such incidents to protect the young lady’s reputation.

But it seemed that Zhou Xianggong, seeing his clear path to a bright future ruined, refused to spare Zhou Wanniang any dignity. He intended to drive her to ruin.

When Zhou Dalangzi heard the news, she fainted in shock. Worried that something might happen to Zhou Wanniang, she regained consciousness only to faint again upon hearing that Zhou Xianggong was searching for her with great fanfare.

In the household, where she already had little dignity and lived a life worse than those of the junior wives, even if she pleaded, Zhou Xianggong would have found her noisy.

Zhou Dalangzi sat there silently, tears streaming down her cheeks, wanting to write a letter to Old Lady Wang. But then she remembered that Old Lady Wang had instructed her not to write back.

Zhou Dalangzi was dazed for a while, thinking about what Zhou Wanniang had said before.

This was Zhou Wanniang’s last attempt, and she didn’t even need Zhou Dalangzi’s help, just wanting to go on a pilgrimage together.

"Since you have no place left in this mansion, why don’t I take you to relax for a few days on the mountain?"

Zhou Dalangzi was offended and said sharply, "What do you mean I have no place here? I am the main wife of this mansion, and no matter which junior wife is favored, they all have to respect me."

The mother and daughter had argued many times before, but this time Zhou Wanniang didn’t rush to retort. She just looked at Zhou Dalangzi quietly for a moment before saying, "Is that so? Being the main wife means having no real authority over the household, no dignity, but still relying on that respect to get by."

After saying that, she turned her back on Zhou Dalangzi, her final attempt.

She was determined to leave and would absolutely not marry into the Earl’s household to become a mere pawn.

She wanted to go to Bian City to find Zhao Xinghua.

A few days earlier, she had written a letter to the beautiful wife of Young Master Hu's mother, wanting to inquire about the situation.

Perhaps Zhou Xianggong knew her efforts were futile, as he didn’t try to stop her.

Zhou Wanniang also learned about Zhao Xinghua's recent situation and, after some hesitation, made up her mind.

The servants in Zhao Wang Estate knew that the once-favored junior wife had lost favor for a while and then, mysteriously, regained it.

Zhao Wang had never favored someone for so long, which made the servants more attentive.

But Zhao Xinghua still felt uncomfortable, gazing at the confined sky, feeling like a sparrow trapped in a cage.

Yes, just a dull sparrow, and for some reason, it caught Zhao Wang's eye.

Recently, she didn’t even like farming anymore. Even if something grew, who in the mansion would notice?

Prince Zhao could also see that Zhao Xinghua was in a melancholy mood, so he brought all kinds of treasures to her.

In the past, any of the other young ladies would have been wide-eyed with excitement at the sight of these things, but Zhao Xinghua didn’t even glance at them.

Failing to win the beauty’s favor, Prince Zhao was quite displeased and increasingly thought that Zhao Xinghua was only beautiful on the outside.

The pomegranate flowers at Lihua’s place had all bloomed, each one a bright red, like little trumpets. These flowers can last for a long time, so Lihua picked quite a few to give to them.

Lin Taohong was thrilled, immediately putting a few in her hair, and asked Lihua how the little rabbit at her place was being fed.

"It’s fairly easy to feed. I go up the mountain to cut some grass every day when I have nothing else to do, but I don’t know if it will stay healthy."

Rabbits, while highly reproductive, are very timid and prone to diarrhea. If not handled properly, it could spread from one to the entire litter.

After putting down the pomegranate flowers, Lihua didn’t rush to leave but brought up the matter of making pig pancreas soap. "I heard from Ju Miao that the soap they made was sold to Sanlang. I wonder if I could sell some too?"

Lin Chunyan let them discuss it themselves, saying, "Just don’t end up in a conflict."

Lihua breathed a sigh of relief, "I’ll tell Ju Miao about it later."

Many people wanted to make the soap. When Ju Miao’s mother learned that Lin Chunyan had agreed to let them make the soap, she was extremely excited. She bought a lot of pancreases from the butcher and didn’t let Ju Miao do other chores.

There were many tasks at home that were left to these unmarried young ladies. It was rare for Ju Miao to be treated so well, her little face flushed, and together with Xiu Jie, she made the soap in the courtyard.

"Sanlang said that one pig pancreas soap can sell for five coins." After buying the pancreases, they could make a dozen or so soaps. Sanlang would earn two coins, and the remaining three coppers would be theirs.

No matter how they looked at it, it was a profitable venture.

Upon hearing this, Ju Miao’s mother slapped her thigh in excitement, "Yan Niang is such a good person. She lets you earn money with this kind of opportunity. I’ll make her a new dress in return."

Xiu Jie laughed along, "I’m also making a pair of shoes for her. She’s truly a good person."

Even though Ju Miao’s mother no longer made them work in the fields and let them focus on making soap, they still couldn’t keep up with Sanlang’s sales pace.

Whenever Sanlang walked through the streets shouting about his pig pancreas soap, people would always come out with money to buy it.

At first, Sanlang wasn’t doing so well. Occasionally, people would buy salted fish or tofu skin sesame pancakes from him, but few bought the other items he carried, such as embroidered flowers.

The reason was straightforward. Sanlang mostly walked the town’s streets, where many people set up stalls, or it was convenient to buy things from shops.

Sanlang considered visiting other villages, but Second Aunt Lin disagreed. He was still young, and if something happened, Second Aunt Lin would regret it.

Sanlang wasn’t Second Aunt Lin’s first child. Sadly, the older brother passed away at the age of three due to a cold.

Second Aunt Lin didn’t want to experience such a loss again.

When he met young wives, he introduced the embroidered flowers made by Li Shi and Lin Fengdie.

He sold them at a very low price, and gradually, some people started waiting specifically for him to save a coin or two.

The load on his carrying pole became heavier. At first, his shoulders would swell. But now they had developed a thick layer of calluses, and he no longer felt pain.

Sometimes, at the end of the day, he earned thirty or forty coins, which wasn’t much different from Erlang selling food in town.

Since he started selling the pig pancreas soap, more people came to him. A piece of soap costing five coins could last a long time if used sparingly. It was excellent for washing hair and clothing.

"Young master, do you have any pig pancreas soap for sale today?"

This elderly woman has been waiting for two days. She's a washerwoman, and someone discovered that using pig pancreas soap made the clothes cleaner and brighter, allowing them to charge an extra coin.

It might seem like just one extra coin, but if they use the soap once a day, they can earn back the cost of the soap in five days.

Hearing this, Sanlang smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, old lady. The soap isn’t ready yet. It should be available by tomorrow."

The old lady looked disappointed. "Alright then, make sure to save a piece for me when it’s ready. Don’t let anyone else take it."

Sanlang hurriedly agreed and exchanged a few more words before heading to the next house.

The door creaked open, and a crisp voice called out, "Brother Sanlang!"

Sanlang’s eyes immediately lit up with a smile. "Stone, you've grown quite a bit."

Stone smiled shyly, and a neatly dressed woman stepped out from behind him. It was Li Niangzi, the washerwoman from the alley.

"Young master," Li Niangzi greeted him, and Sanlang took out a piece of pig pancreas soap from the bottom of his cargo.

"I kept this piece aside for you, knowing you might have run out. You can use it for now."

Li Niangzi bowed slightly in gratitude and took out five coins from her sleeve.

When Lin Chunyan sold them spicy periwinkles before, both mother and son showed great integrity. If Lin Chunyan didn’t accept the money, they would firmly refuse to take anything.

Sanlang accepted the money and rummaged through his cargo again, pulling out a piece of candy. "This is for you from sister Yan Niang."

Stone was about to refuse but glanced at his mother for confirmation before happily accepting the candy with a cheerful thanks.

Sanlang then headed to the next house, but Li Niangzi didn’t rush inside. She waited until Sanlang was out of sight before leading Stone back in.

"Sister Yan Niang is so kind, and Brother Sanlang is too."

Stone carefully licked the candy, and seeing how cautiously he ate it, Li Niangzi’s heart softened. She teasingly said, "Listen to you, as if your brother Erlang isn’t good. He always gives you something to eat whenever he sees you."

Stone laughed sheepishly. Seeing that Li Niangzi had started washing clothes again, he wrapped the candy in a handkerchief, bid her goodbye, and went out.

Though he was obedient and gentle in front of his mother, outside, he was a little tyrant.

He whistled at his usual spot, and the little boys who always played with him appeared. Most of them lived in the alley, and their family backgrounds were quite similar.

"Are you going?"

"Of course, why wouldn’t we?"

These kids looked up to Stone, and he led them when they threw rocks at Wang Chuizi.

This time, they were going to catch river shrimp.

Not far from the town, there was a small river. The water wasn’t very deep, and locals often washed clothes there.

Stone knew this place because when there were large items to wash, Li Niangzi would take her basin there.

There were also many snails and river shrimp, which kids often fished out.

Sanlang could no longer manage the shrimp business, but he still had to deliver shrimp shells to the couple at Hu's Steamed Bun Shop. This business had been going on for a long time, and even though the matchmaking didn’t work out, Sanlang didn’t plan to give up.

He had an idea to get these kids to help, asking them to fish for shrimp and fish whenever they had time.

Fearing they might not understand the dangers, he specifically instructed them to stay by the small riverbank. If they went to the pond or any deeper areas, he wouldn't take anything they caught, no matter how much.

The children took this to heart. Sanlang also gave Stone detailed instructions, emphasizing the need to watch over the others carefully.

Stone, having been entrusted with an important task, was already excited. Today was their first day to catch fish and shrimp.

He even brought leftover candy to share, so they could all enjoy a little sweetness.

The children dashed off like the wind, not watching where they were going, and bumped into several people. Those who recognized him murmured, "Why is Little Master Li in such a hurry?"

The people living nearby were aware of his family's situation. Li Niangzi was raising him single-handedly, earning her living by washing clothes for others daily, which was quite hard.

This made them more understanding and tolerant of him.

"Don't go near deep water, got it? If any of you see someone heading towards deep water, come tell me, and I won't allow that person to catch fish anymore."

Remembering Sanlang's instructions, Stone repeated them before they went into the river to catch fish and shrimp.

All these children knew how to swim. The adults couldn't watch them closely, and since it was so hot in the summer, they naturally wanted to splash around in the water.

However, no one talked back. They all nodded obediently.

Sanlang had told them that a basket of fish and shrimp could be exchanged for two or three coins.

Gradually saving up, whether to support their families or to buy some malt candy for themselves, it all made them incredibly excited.

Sanlang made a round through the town. Not just the old lady from earlier, but many other families in similar situations were also waiting for the pig pancreas soap.

They usually bought the soap with dried flowers or bamboo leaves, specifically used for washing their faces and hair.

"It will be available tomorrow," Sanlang greeted everyone with a smile.

"Young brother, remember to set aside two pieces for me. I want the jasmine ones."

Among the soaps with added dried flowers, the rose and jasmine scents were the most fragrant, while the bamboo leaf and pine needle varieties had a more delicate fragrance.

Sanlang agreed to everyone's requests. When someone came to buy crispy fish or tofu skin, he lifted the lid of another cargo basket and took out warm food.

Inside the basket was a warming tray filled with hot water. Every now and then, he would go to a shop to change the water.

The tofu skin and sesame seed cakes were not heavy, but the warming tray with hot water was quite heavy.

His crispy fish had also become somewhat famous. It was stewed to be soft, fragrant, and easy to eat, suitable for children as young as three or four and elders up to sixty, without worrying about fish bones getting stuck.

As Sanlang walked, he thought about how although his crispy fish sold well, the cost wasn't low. Every day, buying fish from other places cost a significant amount of money.

Lost in thought, he reached the shop. He didn’t hesitate, placing his things under Mr. Song's shed and asking him to watch over them. He then gulped down a bowl of pickled ginger plum juice.

Mrs. Zhang told him to drink slowly. "It’s been hot lately, and it's even harder for you to carry so many things while going door to door. I think you should carry fewer items."

In a short time, Sanlang had become tanned and thin, like a refugee from the mountains.

Sanlang chuckled softly. "It’s fine. I can manage."

Understanding his determination, Mrs. Zhang didn’t push further, only asking him to take the jug of plum ginger juice with him when he left. "And bring some for your brother as well."

Mrs. Zhang suggested that since being a peddler could earn a decent income, Erlang should do it. He had the strength and wouldn’t fear any mishaps.

Sanlang disagreed, saying Erlang lacked the eloquence needed for this kind of business.

Indeed, he now caters to regulars who know the taste well enough, so he doesn't need to bother explaining.

After finishing his drink, Sanlang looked toward the backyard and asked Mrs. Zhang, "Is Sister busy?"

Mrs. Zhang knew he had something on his mind and told him to go straight there, "She's cooking the perilla ginger rice tea."

The perilla grew abundantly, and both Lin Taohong and Mrs. Zhang had picked a lot. The weather had been sunny for days, and they had dried and stored much of it in the cellar, though there was still plenty near the entrance.

Lin Chunyan intended to make the perilla ginger rice tea and sell it at the establishment.

The rice needed to be cleaned and then drained before being stir-fried in a wok until it turned a light yellow, at which point ginger strips were added.

The perilla leaves also needed to be fried until the leaves curled like tea leaves. Once the rice became translucent and glossy, it could be removed and cooled.

This perilla ginger rice tea can be brewed or used as a decoction.

It was best consumed during the dog days of summer and was effective for loss of appetite or catching a cold, with immediate results.

As Sanlang entered the backyard, he caught the fragrant scent in the air and inhaled deeply, "It smells amazing!"

His eyes quickly darted, and he already planned to sell this tea once it was ready.

The tea had a delightful flavor, with the aroma of perilla leaves and fried rice, suitable for all ages.

Lin Chunyan, having washed her hands, came out and, seeing his expression, knew what he was thinking. Lin Cuixiang teased him from the side, "You're like you've fallen into a money pit, seeing everything as a potential sale."

Among their family, Sanlang had a real talent for business. He was not only eloquent and hardworking but also saw every item as a potential sale.

Lin Chunyan gave him two zongzi from the kitchen, saying, "I know you don't like coming over for meals at noon, but take care of yourself."

Sanlang gestured to his stomach, "Auntie already fed me outside just now. I'm too full to eat more, but I'll take these away for noon."

Lin Chunyan nodded and listened as Sanlang mentioned the pig pancreas soap, "It's selling well now. People stop me daily, urging me about the soap. But with only Ju Miao and Lihua making it, we can't produce enough."

Seeing that it was selling so well but unable to meet the demand, Sanlang felt quite frustrated.

Lin Chunyan was also thinking about this, "Why don't you ask Liu Niangzi and see if they have time to help?"

"They can only do a little here and there. They have a lot of chores at home, and with the wheat harvest coming up soon, they can't make much."

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhang chimed in, "I thought it was something big. Many people want to learn how to make the soap. Qian Niangzi even asked me about it, saying she wanted to learn how to make it too."

Lin Chunyan then remembered that Qian Niangzi was chatting with Mrs. Zhang at their house the day they made the soap.

"If they want to learn, teach them."

Sanlang was a bit worried, "If more people know how to make it, the recipe might get leaked. What if everyone starts making it?"

This was a valid concern, but Lin Chunyan had already considered this when they taught others how to make the soap.

"People who know how to make it won't easily tell others. They'll want to keep it a secret. And even if people know it's made from a pancreas, like those palace flowers, everyone knows they're made from cloth, but not everyone knows how to make them or make them beautifully."

Sanlang thought about it and found Lin Chunyan's reasoning sound. He also felt that if people in their village learned the craft, they wouldn't want to share it outside either.

In these times, having a skill was not easy. Who would want to share their livelihood?

Relieved, Sanlang left with light steps, off to sell his goods again.

Lin Cuixiang was still talking to Zhao Zilan, "He really has fallen into a money pit, hasn't he? He hasn't even properly looked at me since he came here."

"Lin Chunyan chuckled, 'The two of you start picking on each other as soon as you meet. He just heard you talking about him.'

As soon as the **Perilla Ginger Rice Tea** was prepared, **Tutor Duan** hurried over—he had been waiting to drink it.

'This tea is very fragrant.'

He took a sip, and indeed, it was refreshing and left a lingering sweetness, quite different from ordinary tea.

He truly liked it, 'Shopkeeper, can you pack me a portion first? I’ll deliver it to the abbot of the temple later.'

Apart from that, having lived in the temple for so long, he had received much care from the abbot and the others. Now that his days were better, it was only right to repay the kindness.

**Lin Taohong** curiously asked, 'Does the abbot drink tea too?'

'Of course, they just don’t eat meat.'

The **Dragon Boat Festival** was a major occasion, and the temple was more lively than usual, with many people coming to offer incense and pray for blessings. Some specifically visited the **Lady Temple**.

**Lin Taohong** felt like going to **Copper Mountain** for fun again.

**Lin Chunyan** went to check on the noon water that had been left out to dry under **Mrs. Song’s** instruction. Each of them had a bowl, placed on the backyard windowsill.

It might have been an illusion, but **Lin Chunyan** truly felt that the sun was scorching hot that day, like fire baking the earth.

After the **Dragon Boat Festival**, each day would get hotter.

As soon as noon passed, **Mrs. Song** urged them to drink the water quickly, 'It wards off all illnesses and promotes longevity...'

**Lin Chunyan** gulped it down, and exchanged glances with **Lin Cuixiang** and the others, all of them laughing.

The meat zongzi and salted egg yolk zongzi they wrapped the day before were not many. **Lin Chunyan** had been worried that people at that time wouldn’t accept them, but clearly, she had overthought it. The meat zongzi and salted egg yolk zongzi were sold out early, with people constantly asking for them even before the shop closed.

So today, they wrapped more meat zongzi. Each contained a piece of pork belly, and even at six wen a piece, many thought it was worth it.

Of course, some found it too expensive and hesitated for a long time before buying the sweet zongzi, sighing as they took a bite.

The filling of these sweet zongzi was quite generous. For example, the red bean paste had colored the surrounding rice a deep red, and with one bite, you could taste the sweetness weaving through.

'Delicious! No need to add sugar.'

**Li Niangzi** took several boxes of zongzi back and first delivered two boxes to the elderly lady’s room, then sent some to the rooms of the **young mistress** and **young master**.

Although **Zhao Pozi** was in charge of purchasing, she didn’t know what to say about **Li Niangzi**, who always brought things back when she went out. However, **Li Niangzi** always bought delicious food that matched the elderly lady’s taste, so no one in the household had any complaints.

**Zhao Pozi’s** opinion naturally didn’t matter much.

**Zhao Pozi** received a box, exchanged pleasantries with a polite smile, and returned to her room.

She loved drinking alcohol and thought these zongzi would pair well with her drink today, saving her the trouble of finding something else in the kitchen.

The zongzi weren’t particularly large, and casually opening one, she saw the dark sugar syrup oozing down the glutinous rice.

**Zhao Pozi** quickly bit into it, her mouth filled with sweetness.

'Oh my, **Miss Lin** is really generous.'

In their household, when making zongzi, they reduced the filling bit by bit, and the final zongzi had very little filling.

Of course, this couldn’t be shown to the masters, who ate specially prepared food. The servants, even if unhappy, didn’t dare to complain. Who would dare to upset the kitchen staff? They had ways to handle people."

Lady Zhao came to the shop herself to buy several boxes of zongzi, as she needed to send gifts to her parents' home today.

In addition to the zongzi, she also asked for some salted duck eggs.

This was the custom in their area, and she took the items and returned home in the carriage.

Young Master Shen had been eagerly waiting, as today he didn’t have to go to the study. He kept looking towards the main gate.

Mr. Shen noticed what he was thinking immediately and sneered, “We are not a petty household. Why are you so greedy?”

Young Master Shen groaned inwardly but didn’t dare show any sign of it on his face, still listening respectfully. If he showed any sign of it, Mr. Shen would only lecture him more.

Ever since he had eaten venison last time and Mr. Shen realized he was a lover of food, not like him at all but rather like Mr. Zhao, he had been reminded lately.

Sometimes, the things sent by Lady Zhao were directly confiscated by Mr. Shen, which made him quite uncomfortable.

Finally, when Lady Zhao arrived, Young Master Shen breathed a sigh of relief, his steps becoming light again as he greeted Lady Zhao and Mr. Zhao.

Lady Zhao and Mr. Zhao also paid their respects to Mr. Shen and Lady Shen, exchanging a few polite words before noticing that Young Master Shen was staring at the zongzi brought over.

Lady Zhao chuckled, “Is your nose so keen? Are you hungry?”

Young Master Shen first glanced at Mr. Shen, seeing his expressionless face, dared not nod and instead asked, “Is it made by Lin Xiaoniang?”

Lady Zhao nodded, “Nowadays, in our town, all gift zongzi are bought from her. They have various types of sweet zongzi, along with meat zongzi and salted egg yolk zongzi.”

Lady Zhao’s favorite was the salted egg yolk filling, which reminded her of the salted egg yolk tofu she had at her father-in-law's banquet.

The flavor was so delicious that even someone like her, who rarely ate much outside, couldn’t help but find it delicious.

Young Master Shen’s eyes lit up immediately, and without caring if Mr. Shen would be angry, he stood up abruptly, “There’s meat zongzi too? I’ve never heard of it.”

Mr. Zhao chuckled, “The taste is truly outstanding; the meat is fatty but not greasy…”

As he began, Mr. Shen coughed above, and Mr. Zhao, like a quail, didn’t dare continue.

Lady Shen gave him a look, “Don’t you have official duties? Go and attend to them, let us have a moment of peace.”

Mr. Shen didn’t move, but seeing the hopeful expressions of Young Master Shen and Mr. Zhao, he could only snort and leave.

On the way to the study, Mr. Shen’s mind was on the meat zongzi, feeling quite curious all of a sudden.

These people really didn’t know how to read the room; they didn’t realize he wanted to stay and eat too.

He wondered if they would save some for him. If he sent someone to buy the meat zongzi from the shop separately, Lady Shen would definitely find out, and it might become a handle for future arguments.

As soon as Mr. Shen left, Young Master Shen became lively, rushing to Lady Zhao to try the meat zongzi.

“Is it delicious?”

He asked Mr. Zhao, not thinking Lady Zhao would be willing to eat such things.

Lady Zhao turned her head and coughed, pretending not to understand what Young Master Shen meant, and asked Lady Shen, “Mother, why don’t you try one too?”

Lady Shen nodded, “I’ll have a sweet zongzi. I can’t imagine eating the meat one.”

Young Master Shen was already eating with grease around his mouth, nodding continuously, “This is too delicious.”

“Wipe your mouth quickly, or father might see and scold you later.”

Young Master Shen obediently wiped his mouth and approached Lady Shen, "Mother, is this sweet zongzi tasty?"

Lady Shen nodded, "It's very delicious, no wonder you're always thinking about it."

"There's more! There's also a curious incident," Young Master Shen added.

Lady Zhao, as if telling a story, recounted the previous event, "Can you guess what happened?"

Young Master Shen and Lady Shen were completely captivated, eager to know who had won.

However, Lady Zhao, at this moment, teased them and deliberately took her time, sipping her tea leisurely, making the two urge her to continue, "Go on, or should son-in-law tell the story?"

"Naturally, it was Miss Lin who won. Just imagine how skilled she must be," Lady Zhao said.

"Amitabha! She is truly remarkable. Fortunately, she won; if she had lost, she might not have had a place in our town anymore."

When Lord Shen arrived at the table for lunch, he saw the small and delicate zongzi and asked with feigned ignorance, "Have you tried the meat zongzi? I say, zongzi filled with meat, can it still be called zongzi?"

Hearing this, Young Master Shen let out a low cheer, "I knew Father wouldn't eat it. That leaves more for me."

Lord Shen glared, "You've already eaten before the meal; how can you eat more? Is there still room in your stomach?"

Was that his intention?

The zongzi wasn't very big, and while Lord Shen was talking, Young Master Shen had already finished the meat zongzi and chuckled for a few moments.

This time, no one could accuse him of being inconsiderate, especially since both Lady Shen and Lord Shen had clearly stated they wouldn't eat it.

After finishing her meal, Lady Zhao left, and Young Master Shen continued to chatter, "The tofu skin we ate last time was very delicious. I never imagined there would be tofu skin sesame pancakes. Brother-in-law told me about so many delicious things that I was really tempted."

Even as they boarded the carriage, Mr. Zhao kept laughing, "They're really like the two children in our family, unlike their father-in-law."

"What nonsense are you talking?" Lady Zhao glared at him.

Still hungry and thinking about the meat zongzi, Lord Shen went to the kitchen after Lady Shen had rested. He rummaged through the kitchen himself.

The old woman in the kitchen was shocked to see him and, upon learning he had come to take a few boxes of zongzi, quickly fetched them for him.

"Young Master said he would eat another one when he wakes up."

"Tell him to come find me when he wakes up."

Lord Shen remembered that the meat zongzi was tied with a red string, but after searching through the boxes in his study, he couldn't find any with a red thread.

He randomly picked one and ate it, feeling a bit regretful for having left earlier. His daughter's filial gesture, even if he had eaten it, wouldn't have been a big deal.

How could zongzi be made with meat filling? What would a meat-filled zongzi taste like?

Lost in thought, Lord Shen took another bite of the zongzi.

This time, he tasted something different and, looking down at the zongzi in his hands, realized it was yellow inside—clearly the salted egg yolk filling.

The taste was... surprisingly delightful.

After finishing, Lord Shen packed away the remaining zongzi and summoned a servant, "Go to Lin's food shop in White Cloud Town and buy some meat zongzi and salted egg yolk zongzi. Do it quietly without letting anyone know."

The servant hurried off but was called back, "If Lady Shen or Young Master Shen sees you, just say it's for gifting."

Money Lady, having learned that they could also make pig pancreas soap, was still in disbelief and asked Lin Taohong, who had brought the news, "Red Lady, tell Auntie, is this really true?"

Lin Taohong nodded meekly. Even if she hadn’t wanted to, she couldn’t have escaped. Qian Niangzi held tightly onto her clothes. Behind them stood three adolescent boys, making it impossible for her to break free.

Qian Niangzi called out "Ma," but still didn’t let Lin Taohong leave. Instead, she brought out a lot of food from the kitchen. "I know you have everything at home, but these are from Auntie for you. Take the melon back for your elder sister."

She continued to chatter on for a while until her eldest son shouted, bringing her back to her senses. By the time Lin Taohong left with the watermelon in her arms, Qian Niangzi was still excited.

"Luckily, I’ve been chatting with Mrs. Zhang. Their family is truly..." Qian Niangzi didn’t know how to describe them. If it were a situation to curse someone or scold her own sons, she could go on for half an hour without repeating herself.

"I need to go burn some incense."

Qian Niangzi trusted Granny Dong the most, but halfway there, she came to her senses. "Your elder sister Yan Niang doesn’t believe in this and wouldn’t let her go burn incense. If I burn incense for Granny Dong, she might not be pleased."

Her eldest son grinned. "Ma, it’s simple. Just burn incense for Yan Niang."

Her second son gave him a look. "That would be like burning incense for the dead. Why would you curse the young lady?"

Unable to figure it out after some thought, Qian Niangzi decided to forget it and hurried to the butcher.

She needed to buy a pancreas.

"Let Mother learn this well, and we’ll finish the field work."

"Yes, it’s a rare chance."

The three boys took their sickles and headed out. Some families had already begun harvesting the wheat.

Young wheat isn’t afraid of a little water, but mature wheat fears even an inch of rain. This time of harvesting wheat, the worst thing was poor weather.

On her way back, Lin Chunyan could smell the wheat fragrance in the air.

Harvesting wheat was truly a painful task. The sun scorched the earth, and people working in the fields were drenched in sweat. The irritation from the wheat awns pricking the skin while cutting the wheat was particularly uncomfortable.

There were also all sorts of insects. When harvesting wheat, they would inevitably stir them up. Most would fly away, but a few would bite.

Cutting wheat also had its techniques. You couldn’t just cut randomly. Generally, family members would form a line and cut together.

After cutting, they would bundle it up and stand it straight in the fields.

Despite this, every villager was happy, greeting each other with smiles. Even the children were enlisted to help, picking up the missed wheat. They were happy too, as the adults had promised them a feast after the wheat harvest.

Greeting people as she walked, Lin Chunyan inhaled the increasingly rich scent of wheat and earth. Occasionally, she could hear the cuckoo’s call.

They were going to pick some lotus leaves.

A pond where they had dug up many lotus roots last year was now covered with large lotus leaves. Some people had picked them before, but no matter how they cooked them, they weren’t tasty. It was better to dig chickweed on the mountain, so gradually, no one visited anymore.

Lin Chunyan and Wang Yingniang picked a lot. They planned to make sticky rice chicken.

The remaining lotus leaves would be dried to make lotus leaf tea.

"It feels like we have more and more tea at home."

But none of it was real tea. It was all made from various things.

"It won’t go bad anyway, and since we run a business, the more prepared, the better."

In a while, they would be able to pick the tender lotus shoots and harvest plenty of lotus seeds.

However, they were not allowed to pick the lotus seeds privately. The Village Headman would organize the collection and distribution to each household.

The chickens they slaughtered were from their own farm. Those that laid infrequently or were clearly too old would be slaughtered for meat.

When they returned, several people had already gathered in the yard, chatting animatedly. They greeted her as soon as they saw her.

This gathering was to teach everyone how to make pig pancreas soap. Originally, the village’s threshing ground would have been a suitable place for this, but since the wheat harvest had started, using that space was no longer feasible.

Lin Chunyan glanced around and saw many familiar faces: Qian Niangzi, Liu Niangzi, Ding Huiniang, and Shiliu...

Most of them had a good relationship with the Lin family. Seeing that Lin Chunyan was willing to teach them, they came without hesitation.

Only Shiliu had a lukewarm relationship with them. She had the audacity to come, thinking that if Lin Chunyan asked her to leave, she would have to beg to stay.

When Lin Chunyan remained silent, Shiliu breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Qian Niangzi whispered to Liu Niangzi and Goudan’s Mother, “Shiliu isn’t married yet, right? I heard the wedding is scheduled for the second half of the year.”

Goudan’s Mother immediately understood her implication, “Yes, I saw her mother preparing her dowry.”

Their gazes all fell on Shiliu, making her extremely uncomfortable.

She knew why they were looking at her like that. As an unmarried woman, if she learned this skill, she might bring it to her husband’s family.

Her lower lip slowly bit down, and Madam Hong had been hinting lately that once Shiliu got married, she should have less contact with her birth family.

Their family lacked strong labor, which others saw as a burden. Madam Hong feared that Shiliu’s in-laws would dislike her for this reason.

Liu Niangzi was compelled to come by Sister Wei Ruo. Originally, after feeding the chickens, she planned to lie down and rest for a while since going to the fields to harvest wheat tomorrow was exhausting work, and she needed to conserve her energy.

But Sister Wei Ruo wouldn’t let her rest and insisted she come to learn how to make pig pancreas soap. If Sister Wei Ruo hadn’t been swamped with work, she would have come to learn it herself.

Liu Niangzi, upset, spoke bluntly, “Shiliu, you should go home.”

Hearing this, Shiliu’s tears started falling, and she bit her lower lip tightly, not daring to say anything more.

A while ago, Maoya had been dressing up as a ghost to scare Old Man Peng. But even the best tricks can fail, and one time Maoya accidentally fell and was caught by Old Man Peng.

Old Man Peng had been frightened into illness before, spending a lot of money, and even Peng Pingan had grown cold towards him because of it. He took his anger out on Maoya.

It wasn’t until Madam Hong asked Liu Niangzi for help that Old Man Peng let Maoya go.

Shiliu was afraid of Liu Niangzi and didn’t even dare to boast.

Lin Chunyan entered the kitchen to wash the lotus leaves. She hung up all the leaves that weren’t needed for the sticky rice chicken on the drying line.

Seeing Shiliu’s state, Lin Chunyan stopped in her tracks and immediately understood the situation.

“It’s fine. Let Sister Shiliu learn.”

Hearing this, Shiliu quickly raised her head, wanting to confirm that she hadn’t misheard.

Liu Niangzi looked at Lin Chunyan and said, “You’re still young and don’t understand. She’s getting married in the second half of the year. If she learns this skill, she’ll bring it to another village.”

At this time, the boundaries between clans and villages were very distinct. Another village was just that—another village.

Shiliu didn't know how to refute. She wanted to learn how to make soap from pig pancreas to earn money, and even after she married into her husband's family, she could still do it.

Lin Chunyan understood Liu Niangzi's worries, but she was also thinking, "Why, when a woman marries, does she become part of someone else's family? No matter where Shiliu marries, isn't she still from our Qingshan Village?"

Lin Chunyan had already cut the chicken thigh meat into small pieces and was now marinating it with seasoning. The dried scallops she had bought were also soaking.

The last time she bought them, it cost several hundred coins, which made Mrs. Zhang very upset. This time, when she saw Lin Chunyan using them, she reminded her to use them sparingly.

Lin Chunyan’s question made the courtyard fall silent for a moment, and Qian Niangzi was the first to speak, "Marrying is like being reborn; no one wants to stay too close to their birth family after marriage."

Before Lin Chunyan could say anything, Goudan's Mother disagreed, "What kind of nonsense is that? I married into this village, but my parents still think of me often and call me back every now and then."

"But when people mention you, they only say you're from Qingshan Village, and your children are all from Qingshan Village too..."

The women chattered about this. "I also think Yan Niang is right. Why shouldn’t we keep in touch with our birth family? No matter where I marry, I'm still a person from Qingshan Village."

"Exactly, if we're not allowed to visit our birth family, I might as well marry within our village. That would make things simpler."

Lin Taohong spoke indignantly, "And they say a married daughter is like water that has been thrown out (a metaphor for a daughter who has married), pfft!"

Mrs. Zhang was knitting woolen pants. Zhang Xiaojiu had brought these back for her from out of town, and Li Shi had helped spin the wool into yarn.

Her woolen pants were almost finished, and she was knitting quickly under the tree while listening to their conversation.

Hearing Lin Taohong's words, she quickly nodded, "Exactly! Who says such degrading words."

After some thought, she still believed it would be best to have a son-in-law live with them; she couldn't let her three young daughters suffer.

In the end, everyone had their reasons, and Shiliu stayed to continue learning. This time, the ones teaching them were Ju Miao and Lihua, both of whom were a bit eager.

Ju Miao also sighed with relief quietly. Sanlang had been pushing too hard, and she and Xiu Jie had been rushing but couldn’t produce that much.

Fortunately, they wouldn’t have to be that busy in the future.

After the chicken was marinated, it was poured into a pot with sautéed scallions, ginger, and garlic and simmered for a while. It was then removed and placed on the lotus leaves.

The glutinous rice had already been steamed, leftover from making rice dumplings. After the Dragon Boat Festival, Lin Chunyan didn't plan to make any more rice dumplings.

A layer of glutinous rice was spread onto the lotus leaves, topped with soaked mushrooms, dried scallops, salted egg yolks, and chicken thigh meat, and then covered with another layer of glutinous rice.

The four corners of the lotus leaves were folded inward to form a small square package, and three such packages were made.

Lin Chunyan planned to wait until they were steamed and then give one to Zhao Huaizi as a thank you for helping us multiple times.