Chapter 134

Chapter 134

"Auntie! I’ll call you Mom, and I’ll take care of your funeral rites!"

The sudden change caught everyone off guard—Uncle Zhang, Auntie Zhang, and even Dabao himself were stunned.

Lin Taohong was quick to react, planting herself in front of Auntie Zhang with her hands on her hips and snapping, "What are you thinking?! My sister and I will take care of our mother from now on. Don’t talk about these funeral rites—it’s bad luck."

Auntie Zhang was momentarily tempted after hearing Dabao’s words. She thought of Old Man Lin’s sarcastic remarks, the embarrassment behind her outward success, and the pain of her divorce.

Dabao was different—he was her younger brother’s son, and their blood ties were strong. Having him around would be helpful in the future.

Lin Taohong had already scolded Dabao, and Uncle Zhang pulled him back, allowing Auntie Zhang to snap out of it.

Her first move was to glance at Lin Chunyan, and when she saw no disapproval in her eyes, Auntie Zhang relaxed and masked her embarrassment. Following Lin Taohong’s lead, she said, "Yes, I have two daughters, so I don’t need you to be my son."

Dabao couldn’t believe it, twisting his body under Uncle Zhang’s restraint. "Why? I’m a boy!"

This wasn’t what Ma had told him.

Before he could finish his thoughts, he was lifted into the carriage.

The carriage was borrowed by Old Uncle Zhang, and as soon as he heard that Uncle Zhang had left with Dabao, he came out to chase after them, afraid it would be too late.

Fortunately, everything was still in time.

"Go back and think carefully, don’t act impulsively!" Auntie Zhang called out loudly.

Lin Chunyan led Auntie Zhang back, also signaling Lin Taohong to follow.

"You scared me. I thought for a moment that Mother was going to agree," Lin Taohong said, patting her chest.

Lin Chunyan was actually a little afraid too. She felt that being male was like some kind of virus. Once a good person came into contact with a boy, they would quickly become their vassal and puppet.

Auntie Zhang felt proud at this moment. "How could I be so foolish? Didn’t I see that Dabao is an ungrateful brat who can’t be raised properly? Why would I want him? We women are better off sticking together and living our lives on our own terms."

As she spoke, she took some white root from the table and started eating. With few customers around, she smiled at Lin Chunyan. "Yan Niang, I’m a bit tired from all the talking. I’m going to catch a show for a bit. I’ll be back before you leave."

Lin Chunyan, seeing her good performance earlier, nodded. "Just don’t come back too late."

Auntie Zhang was immediately happy and took her usual basket of knitting, planning to knit while watching the show.

She wasn’t in a hurry to leave. First, she went to call Jin Niangzi. "Let’s go relax. It’s cool inside, and they’ve put ice there."

Jin Niangzi didn’t want to go. "What about my stall? Not everyone is as lucky as you."

Auntie Zhang insisted. "No one will come to eat at this time. The crowd will only come out after the show is over."

Jin Niangzi thought for a moment and nodded. "Then bring out some sunflower seeds from the establishment. It’s no fun just watching."

Auntie Zhang was afraid she wouldn’t go, so she quickly agreed.

Besides the sunflower seeds, their establishment also had some pumpkin seeds, though not many. Most of them were given away as seeds.

To be able to eat them sooner, Lin Chunyan washed the pumpkin seeds, dried them for two days, and then roasted them in the bread kiln without any seasoning, just to enjoy the original flavor.

However, Auntie Zhang didn’t like eating them, finding it too much trouble to crack them open. She only grabbed two handfuls of sunflower seeds.

On second thought, she put some back, not wanting to take too much.

Lin Cuixiang and Zhao Zilan overheard the entire conversation in the kitchen. Since the other party was Lin Chunyan's uncle, they didn’t feel it was appropriate to go out, and only brought up Li Youfu after the person had left.

"Have you heard? Lihua's brother wants to marry Lan Jier and has been going there every day, which has really worried Lihua's mom."

In the village, there were no secrets. Many people didn’t even try to keep things quiet and would talk about anything that happened.

Lin Cuixiang wasn’t paying much attention. They were preparing dinner, and she was stirring the food in the wok with a spatula.

Zhao Zilan noticed Lin Cuixiang wasn’t responding and thought she might be tired, so she said, "Let me finish the rest. You go take a break. Mrs. Song left us some chilled rice pudding to eat."

As she spoke, Zhao Zilan reached out to take the spatula.

But Lin Cuixiang was holding it quite tightly, and Zhao Zilan couldn’t take it right away. When she looked up, she saw Lin Cuixiang’s tightly pressed lips.

Zhao Zilan let go and stepped back, no longer trying to take the spatula.

Perhaps because of the strange atmosphere between them, Pomegranate, who was washing the vegetables, sensed it too and didn’t dare to chat and laugh like before, making the kitchen even quieter.

Lin Taohong came in from the main hall, washed her hands, greeted them, and started eating the mint chilled rice pudding. Seeing that there were several bowls left, she asked curiously, "Why aren’t you eating? I think these rice puddings are delicious, with all the good ingredients inside. I can never get enough."

She scooped a large spoonful of apricot kernel and peanut crumbs into her mouth and kept an eye on the remaining bowls. "Are you sure you’re not eating? Then I’ll eat them."

Zhao Zilan smiled weakly and said, "Go ahead, but leave a bowl for Pomegranate."

She gave away Lin Cuixiang’s bowl as well, but Lin Cuixiang still didn’t respond.

Lin Taohong cheered and said, "Then I won’t be polite. If you want to eat later, just come and find me."

She happily grabbed the two bowls of rice pudding and headed out.

Zhao Zilan turned to Pomegranate and said, "You take a break too, go have a bowl of rice pudding outside."

Pomegranate noticed the hint in Zhao Zilan’s eyes and obediently nodded. "Yes, it’s cooler in the morning and evening, but it’s still very hot around noon. I need to take a break."

The kitchen was temporarily left with only Zhao Zilan and Lin Cuixiang, and neither of them spoke for a while, only the crackling sound of the firewood filling the silence.

"What’s going on? Did I do something to upset you?" Zhao Zilan broke the silence, her hands still moving as she spoke directly to Lin Cuixiang.

Lin Cuixiang didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t intend to argue with Zhao Zilan. When Zhao Zilan tried to take the spatula earlier, she had hesitated and didn’t give it to her, nor did she speak up.

That hesitation cost her the chance to speak up, and now she didn’t know how to bring it up.

Under Zhao Zilan’s repeated questioning, Lin Cuixiang finally said, "It has nothing to do with you. It’s just my own pettiness."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Zhao Zilan caught it.

Zhao Zilan couldn’t help but sigh. "Why the pettiness? Have I done something to offend you?"

Even though they were alone in the kitchen, Lin Cuixiang still couldn’t bring herself to speak.

She’d felt this jealousy before but had always tried to push it aside.

However, after accumulating for so long, it finally made her heart ache, not understanding why Zhao Zilan could learn skills so quickly.

She was afraid that Lin Chunyan would like Zhao Zilan more and be disappointed in her, and she was also afraid of being ridiculed by others.

Especially when Xiu’er got married and she helped with the wedding feast, everyone who came to help was from their village. Since everyone was from the village, they didn’t hold back in their conversations, and inevitably, they’d talk about the two of them.

Thinking of this, Lin Cuixiang’s eyes welled up with tears. She put the spatula into the wok and said what had been on her mind, "Everyone says your cooking is amazing, and when they invite you to cater, the price is higher. That’s why they can only afford me, even though I’m not as good."

Upon hearing her speak, Zhao Zilan felt a sense of relief, but then her brow furrowed again. "Where did you hear that? I’ve never heard such a thing! I don’t cater events so I can help out more at home; my mother can’t do everything by herself."

She then pointed to what Lin Cuixiang had just prepared. "When it comes to learning faster, I might learn quicker, but you are diligent and hardworking. You always go back and ponder things over, which is why the dishes you prepare often taste even better. Don’t underestimate yourself."

Zhao Zilan’s straightforward manner made Lin Cuixiang feel much better. She awkwardly said, "As long as you don’t blame me."

"What would I blame you for? Everyone has their emotions. Not long ago, our Bell Niang was upset with me for days and wouldn’t speak to me. Compared to her, you’re doing just fine."

She then took Lin Cuixiang’s hand. "We spend the most time together, and we both learned our skills from Yan Niang. We’re like sisters from the same master. If something’s bothering you again, remember to tell me. Don’t keep it inside and ruin our relationship."

Outside, Lin Taohong and Pomegranate, who had been eavesdropping, quietly moved further away upon seeing the reconciliation. Pomegranate couldn’t help but admire, "They’re so close."

She didn’t have any sisters, and there were things she couldn’t talk about with Malt.

Lin Taohong glanced at her and, thinking of her as a pitiable soul, awkwardly comforted her, "We’ve spent so much time together, we’re practically sisters. You can always talk to me if something’s bothering you."

When Lin Chunyan returned, Lin Taohong eagerly went to her, seeking praise. "Big Sister, what do you think of what I did?"

Seeing her anticipation, Lin Chunyan gave her a thumbs up. "I never thought our Red would grow up one day. I’ll make something delicious for you when we get back."

She had noticed some signs not long ago but decided it was better to let them handle it on their own. The outcome turned out to be better this way.

Lin Taohong immediately made a request, "I want spicy rabbit heads."

"Alright, I’ll make extra, and we can take some to the Village Headman."

"Do we need to go and talk to him today?" Lin Taohong was worried the Village Headman might not agree.

"We should go and check."

The previous night, Lin Chunyan had opened the door to the basement and counted the money inside. Even though she’d have to invest all the money she’d earned, it would be worth it to get that mountain.

"Madam Lin," someone called from the door. Lin Chunyan quickly gathered her thoughts and turned around.

Lin Taohong had already called out, "Brother Shuxiang! Why haven’t you visited in a couple of days?"

Shuxiang smiled and greeted them. "I’ve been busy with some matters the past few days and couldn’t make it."

Lin Chunyan noticed a young servant beside him, already holding a bundle, indicating that Shuxiang was likely about to return to Bian City.

Lin Taohong continued chattering, "You said you wanted some ham before. Big Sister saved some for you."

"That’s wonderful, but I can’t stay in town much longer. The young master needs me, so I have to go."

Lin Taohong was taken aback and felt a surge of reluctance. She knew it was impossible for him to stay longer. Shuxiang had to follow orders.

Her mood dropped, but she forced a smile and asked, "When are you leaving?"

"We’ve already arranged with the boatman. We’ll have a meal here before we go."

"Already?" Lin Taohong, despite her sadness, quickly asked what they would like to eat.

Shuxiang had often eaten at their establishment recently, but this time, instead of the Yu Xiang Shredded Pork displayed outside, he looked at Lin Chunyan. "Madam Lin, if it’s not too much trouble, could I have a bowl of noodles?"

The last time they left, Shuxiang and Young Master Hu had a bowl of noodles. Knowing it would be hard to taste such food from their establishment again, both found the noodles particularly delicious.

Lin Chunyan nodded, "No problem, just tell me what kind of noodles you're in the mood for."

Shuxiang grinned, "I'll take a bowl of braised noodles."

Lin Chunyan headed to the kitchen. For the braised noodles, she used the broth that had been simmering all day, added some sesame paste, stretched the noodles wide, and tossed them into the pot with some greens and chopped coriander. A few minutes later, the fragrant noodles were ready.

Lin Taohong had already helped prepare the ham and got a bowl of cold rice treats from Mrs. Song to hand to Shuxiang, "These rice cakes are very delicious. You won’t find the same taste elsewhere. Please have some more."

Shuxiang accepted it with a smile, "There might be a chance for me to return in the future. When I do, I’ll come to your establishment for a meal again."

Lin Taohong nodded gloomily. At that moment, Tutor Duan looked up from his book and, amused, said to her, "I’ve never seen you like this before. Usually, you’re quite loud and fiery."

If anyone else had said this, Lin Taohong would have jumped up in anger, but since it was Tutor Duan, she pretended not to hear.

Shuxiang, however, defended Lin Taohong, "She’s not naturally loud or fiery. She just puts up a strong front to avoid being bullied."

Shuxiang, being the kind-hearted person he was, instinctively defended Lin Taohong without thinking much about it.

Lin Taohong’s face turned red. This was the first time someone outside her family had spoken kindly about her.

Unlike her relationship with Zhang Tianhe, which started with conflict because she couldn’t stand him at first, she later began to pity him and developed different feelings.

When Lin Chunyan came out with the noodles, she noticed that Lin Taohong had gone to scoop rice and was no longer talking to Shuxiang. Her ears were still flushed from embarrassment.

Before leaving, Shuxiang specifically asked, "The young lady in our household really enjoys the food you make. If you have time, could you come over to cook a couple of meals?"

Lin Chunyan naturally agreed, understanding Shuxiang’s implication. She also wanted a legitimate reason to visit Zhou Wanniang.

Shuxiang, carrying the prepared fish sauce and ham, headed towards the dock. As they were about to reach the boat, the young servant beside him looked back and said, "That young miss is still watching us. She’s truly devoted."

Shuxiang turned back and waved at Lin Taohong, who was still looking over, feeling a bit wistful himself.

Seeing that Lin Taohong was in low spirits, Lin Chunyan pulled her aside for a chat and suggested going to the Village Headman’s house.

Lin Taohong cheered up, "I wonder when I’ll see him again. There aren’t many people as good as him."

"How can you say that?" Tutor Duan looked up and countered, "You’ve only met a few people. There are mostly good people in the world. You can’t judge everyone based on a few bad experiences."

Lin Chunyan curiously asked him, "Tutor, haven’t you finished that book yet?"

"No," Tutor Duan sipped his tea and continued reading, "This Mr. Zhao is actually quite skilled. These food and travel essays are really well-written."

Lin Chunyan had known about Mr. Zhao’s food essays but hadn’t had the time to read them. Now, with some free time, she couldn’t help but lean over.

"Is there anything about our establishment?"

"Of course," Zhao Liu eagerly answered, "A while ago, when we were reading it, the boss happened to be away. He wrote about a lot of our dishes!"

Zhao Liu beamed with pride at the mention of this.

"We must take a good look," Lin Chunyan also smiled, "If he really wrote about our dishes, it would be free publicity for our establishment."

"It’s too bad Mr. Zhao only printed a few copies," Tutor Duan said regretfully as he handed the book over, "Printing books is quite expensive."

Lin Chunyan flipped through it. It was filled with words, and she couldn’t read it carefully, not wanting anyone to know she could read. She briefly saw something about crab roe tofu and small crispy fish in a jar.

Her mind stirred, and she asked Tutor Duan to explain a bit, all the while considering whether she could use this opportunity to promote her establishment more.

Tutor Duan started by reading the poems he had written for the book. Although he had no hope of passing the imperial examinations, he had some talent in poetry. After declining a few times, he had eventually agreed.

The regulars at Lin’s establishment had already heard it several times, and when they heard him recite it again, they all laughed. "Just start with the part where he describes the food our boss makes."

"Exactly, I’m almost able to recite that food journal by heart, what was it again..." Hu Daqiang stumbled and couldn't remember the lines.

Tutor Duan was both curious and amused. "I thought you guys really could recite it."

Aunt Liu came with her father-in-law to eat something, and hearing them talk about food, she became curious and joined them. "Is this the food journal written by Mr. Zhao?"

Tutor Duan nodded. "Have you heard about it?"

"Who doesn't know? Anyone who comes to the establishment frequently knows about it. That old man Qin always talks too much, so everyone knows about it." The father-in-law said with a smile, "Do you have any extra copies of this journal? I'll get one for my son when I go back."

Tutor Duan shook his head regretfully. "Unfortunately, there are only a few copies. We'll have to ask Mr. Zhao again when he comes. Maybe he'll print more."

These journals weren't useful for those who couldn't read, but for people like Tutor Duan, just reading the words was enough to imagine how delicious the food must be.

When Mr. Shen was reading this food journal, he initially felt disdainful upon seeing what Mr. Zhao had written. But after flipping through it and seeing that he had even recorded the delicacies he had tasted during his travels years ago, Mr. Shen realized that Mr. Zhao was quite thoughtful, and his initial displeasure lessened a bit.

When he read about the crab roe tofu, Mr. Shen's mouth started watering involuntarily. After putting down the journal, he still couldn't stop thinking about it.

Other places were too far away, but Lin's establishment was relatively close to them.

Mr. Shen put down the journal, paced around in his study for a couple of circles, then picked it up again, and left the study.

"Tell the elder lady that I have a social engagement and won't be coming back tonight."

Mr. Shen left in a hurry, holding the book.

His son-in-law, who hadn’t accomplished much before, finally had a chance to show what he could do, and he wanted others to see it too.

※

The rabbits raised at Lihua's house were already big enough to eat, and apart from keeping the fur, the rest would be sent to the establishment.

Sister Wei Ruo thought this was a good idea and planned to raise another batch of male ducks specifically for meat.

Liu Niangzi didn't stop her, but first came to ask Lin Chunyan's opinion. "Will the establishment be able to use that many ducks?"

"Yes, we can use two or three ducks a day. The roast duck turns out really good."

Lin Chunyan didn't stop her work, and Liu Niangzi's eyes kept glancing at the rabbits by her side.

Mrs. Zhang saw this and said with a smile, "Your family has been making quite a bit of money just from selling watermelons. Why don’t you spend a few coins and let Yan Niang make you some more?"

Liu Niangzi nodded. "That's true. I'll go ask my daughter-in-law when I get back."

Second Aunt Lin laughed at her. "With all the money you’ve made, are you giving it all to your daughter-in-law?"

"Of course!" Liu Niangzi didn't think there was anything wrong with that. "I can't manage the money either. We all trust Sis Rou with the money because she's meticulous. We feel at ease when the money is with her."

There was just one problem: whenever Liu Niangzi wanted something to eat, she had to ask Wei Ruo for it.

Wei Ruo was always very strict with money and didn’t like to give it out easily. She always said that their family’s foundation was too weak, and they needed to save more for the future, whether they had boys or girls, they would need to learn things.

"Yan Niang made those rabbit heads today, saying she’s going to send some to the Village Headman's house. They looked so good that I think we should chip in and buy some for ourselves."

Wei Ruo put the duck eggs on the small table in the courtyard and asked curiously, "Why are we sending anything to the Village Headman? We don’t really have much contact with them."

"I'm not sure, maybe it’s because the Village Headman helped out a lot when he went to Hongjia Village."

"It's been so long, how could this still be an issue?"

Sister Wei Ruo stopped worrying about making preserved eggs and took a few coins to follow Liu Niangzi over.

As soon as she entered, she could smell a rich aroma. Lihua and Mrs. Zhao were there, and they were discussing the rabbit heads.

"We've cooked plenty of rabbits at home, but we can never get them to taste this good. No matter how we try, it just doesn't taste right. But the rabbit heads made by Yan Niang smell delicious."

Sister Wei Ruo envied, "Your rabbits can be made into rabbit heads. I wonder if my ducks, when raised, can be turned into so many dishes."

Lin Chunyan handed the rest to Wang Yingniang and came over to get them some stools. "Of course, you can make many dishes. The duck wings, duck heads, and duck legs can all be braised. The flavor will be excellent."

Hearing this, Sister Wei Ruo felt her last worry melt away. "That's wonderful! Now that I'm raising ducks, I'll definitely be able to raise them well."

Mrs. Zhao and the others came mainly because they had heard Lin Chunyan was interested in buying the mountain and wanted to learn more. "Is it true?"

"It's true! Once we buy the mountain, we'll raise the chickens and ducks on the mountain, letting them find the insects themselves. That's how you get good meat."

Sister Wei Ruo, listening beside her, eyes lit up. "So we could also raise the ducks there, right?"

Liu Niangzi, too busy enjoying the rabbit heads, chimed in without really paying attention.

Not only ducks, but Lin Chunyan also planned to raise some sheep on the mountain. These sheep could either be sold for meat or sheared for wool, and it would still be profitable.

They also needed to plant more fruit trees. It wasn't sustainable to keep searching outside like this.

After packing the food into the food box, Lin Chunyan said to them, "I'll go sound out the Village Headman first. If he agrees, we can start planning early."

"Go quickly, we're waiting for your good news."

Dog Dan's Father was already waiting for Lin Chunyan. Uncle Lin also went along. The Village Headman was tidying up his house, as they planned to marry Miss Li into the family soon.

Although the two of them wouldn't be living in the village, the Village Headman still needed to prepare. Seeing them come over, he had them sit down on stools. Noticing the food box in Lin Chunyan's hand, he swallowed and asked, "Is it about the mountain, isn't it?"

Lin Chunyan nodded. "It's about the mountain behind our house. Is it possible to buy it?"

The Village Headman wanted to play hard to get, but he knew Lin Chunyan probably already had information, otherwise she wouldn't have brought it up. Smoking his pipe, he said, "There's no precedent for this. We've only heard of buying and selling fields, not mountains. I think it's best if you continue as it is now, just take what you want from the mountain."

The Village Headman thought he was being kind, and Lin Chunyan appreciated it, but she honestly said, "For now, it's fine. But in the long run, if we keep using everything on the mountain, people might start to feel uncomfortable."

Seeing that Lin Chunyan was determined, the Village Headman didn't try to persuade her further. "The mountain is for public use in the village. If you want to buy it, we'll have to go to the county office and give the village some benefits. You'll need twenty strings of coins."

Uncle Lin jumped up. "How can it be so expensive! There's nothing valuable on that mountain. Besides, if we buy it, we won't stop others from going there."

The price was within Lin Chunyan's expectations, but she still bargained with Uncle Lin for a while, eventually settling on seventeen strings of coins.

"Hold on, I need to check with the villagers to see if they agree."

The Village Headman slowly got up. "We'll give fourteen strings to the town, and the remaining three strings will be divided among the villagers."

He grabbed his gong and went around the village, gathering quite a few people.

Even those working in the fields hurried over.

The Village Headman explained the situation to them. "As you all know, Yan Niang's family is doing very well now and has helped the village become wealthier. I originally said the mountain belongs to the village and shouldn't be sold to her, but since she can make money from it, I think we should sell it."

Many had already heard the news, and those close to Lin Chunyan's family agreed. "We still have two more mountains on the west side of the village. We won't lack places to dig for wild vegetables and bamboo shoots."

Old lady Wu, however, was not pleased. "Can we still go to the mountain on the east side of the village? There are plenty of chestnuts there!"

As soon as he finished speaking, many people turned to look at Lin Chunyan, all remembering the time they made money picking chestnuts.

"Sure, you can still pick chestnuts. We can't pick them all on our own, so we'll need everyone's help."

The villagers instantly felt relieved, since the mountain on the east side is pretty far out. Most folks usually head to the mountains on the west side, so whether this mountain gets sold or not doesn’t really affect them.

What really mattered was that the Village Headman said Lin Chunyan would put up more money, and every family would get a share of the money as compensation.

It wasn’t a huge amount, but a lot of folks grinned and chimed in, "Picking chestnuts and getting paid for it—where else are you gonna find a deal like that?"

A few folks were curious and asked, "Yan Niang, what do you plan to do with that mountain? Will you need help?"

"Hey, you sly old fox, you’re already thinking ahead. We’re still talking about selling the mountain, and you’re already thinking about working there. You’re something else!"