Chapter 164

Chapter 164

Unfortunately, the peaceful atmosphere was broken by a knock at the door. Mrs. Zhang shuffled out in her slippers, asking who it was.

Aunt Liu replied, explaining that it was too late for the Village Headman to come, so she had come to relay what Sun Anyuan and Sun the Constable had told them.

She wasn’t telling Mrs. Zhang this; she knew Lin Chunyan had followed and overheard. “That’s the situation. We’re not sure what to do, so we thought we’d come to you for advice.”

Aunt Liu spoke politely, and Lin Chunyan, knowing she meant well, thanked her sincerely, “Thank you for coming to inform me. I’ll go see the elder tomorrow.”

Aunt Liu thought Lin Chunyan was too polite, “We’re all from the same village. You call us elder and auntie, so of course we should help you out.”

As Aunt Liu turned to leave in the dark, Mrs. Zhang, worried she might trip or slip, kept telling her to be careful.

“I’ve walked this path for years; I could do it with my eyes closed and not make a mistake. So don’t worry,” Aunt Liu replied courteously to Lin Chunyan, treating her like a younger member of the family, but she was sarcastic towards Mrs. Zhang.

The only reason for her snarky tone was that she couldn’t help feeling envious—Mrs. Zhang was living better than her. If she were truly unaffected, she might as well have gone to Tongshan to become a nun.

Mrs. Zhang was a bit taken aback by the sharp words and closed the door with a bang, muttering, “How come she didn’t appreciate it when I told her nicely.”

Lin Chunyan didn’t have time to deal with it; she was already feeling uneasy. Lin Taohong and Wang Yingniang, who hadn’t gone out earlier, noticed her troubled expression and asked, “What happened?”

After Mrs. Zhang came in, took off her shoes, and climbed onto the kang, she harrumphed, “This Sun Anyuan is really bold. How could he proceed with something like this without consulting us first?”

When Lin Taohong and Wang Yingniang understood what had happened, they both got a little angry, “Exactly, moving over so abruptly, what does he take us for?”

To those unaware, it might seem as if something was already going on between Lin Chunyan and Sun Anyuan.

Lin Taohong was the most agitated, “I really wish he were here. I would give him a few good slaps like Aunt Liu did to Old Peng.”

Mrs. Zhang knew that many would secretly learn from Aunt Liu after this incident.

Their Lin Taohong was definitely the first to do so, and it wasn’t the first time she had said this. Mrs. Zhang gave her a sideways glance, “With someone as tall and strong as him, even if he were right in front of you, would you dare to hit him? He could knock you down with just one finger.”

Lin Taohong, though knowing Mrs. Zhang was telling the truth, still felt unhappy and retorted, “Who are you siding with? Are you standing with Sun Anyuan?”

“No way!” Mrs. Zhang snapped, as if someone had stepped on her tail, “I’d never take his side.”

While they were bickering, Wang Yingniang had already gone over to Lin Chunyan and started whispering. Lin Taohong, not wanting to be left out, tried to eavesdrop.

“What are you two whispering about? I’m an adult too, you know!” she said with a somewhat aggrieved look.

Seeing her like that, Lin Chunyan couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s really nothing. I just heard some news that Sun Anyuan didn’t tell us about, and it’s been bothering me. I’m discussing it with Yingniang.”

“It’s bothering us too. If we weren’t afraid we couldn’t win in a fight, we’d have Erlang give him a good scare.”

Lin Chunyan’s unease was different from theirs. That night, as she lay in bed listening to the snow fall on the trees and the occasional bark of the dog, she slowly fell asleep.

The next morning, before Lin Chunyan could go find the Village Headman, Sun Anyuan arrived first.

It wasn’t clear when he had left, but his head, shoulders, shoes, and pants were soaked from the snow, clearly indicating a long walk.

When Mrs. Zhang opened the door and saw him standing there, she was startled, “What are you doing here so early? I almost thought it was a debt collector.”

After returning home, Sun Anyuan had been thinking about what Sun the Constable said. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. He realized he had been too hasty, rushing to the Village Headman without first consulting Lin Chunyan and the others.

With this realization, he couldn’t sit still. He set out before dawn, hoping to explain everything to Lin Chunyan as early as possible.

He wasn’t sure if Aunt Liu had told her yet, and it was probably better if she hadn’t, so Sun Anyuan could clarify things himself.

However, as soon as Sun Anyuan saw Lin Chunyan's expression, he knew he had arrived too late. The Village Headman must have already told Lin Chunyan about his plan.

He hesitated for a moment, not daring to approach, wanting to explain but unsure how to start.

Lin Chunyan busied herself with her tasks, while on the other side, Lin Taohong wanted to speak up for her but was pulled back by Wang Yingniang.

"Why won't you let me go over?" Lin Taohong shook off Wang Yingniang's hand. "I want to tell Sun the Constable to stay away from Elder Sister and to stop thinking about making moves on her."

Wang Yingniang wasn't upset about being shaken off and quietly pointed at Lin Chunyan with her chin, saying, "Can't you see they have something to discuss? What are you barging in for?"

Lin Taohong was taken aback. She stood at a distance and watched for a while but couldn't see any sign that the two were having a conversation.

Curious, she leaned toward Wang Yingniang again and asked, "Yingniang, how did you know they had something to talk about? What could they possibly discuss?"

Wang Yingniang couldn't directly explain, so she vaguely said, "I was just guessing."

Sun Anyuan didn't hesitate for long. He stepped forward and helped Lin Chunyan carry the kudzu root powder to the millstone, then assisted her in pushing it.

In the mountain, the tofu mill had a unique device made by Uncle Lin in addition to using mules. A person just needed to stand in one spot and pull a lever that moved up and down to turn the millstone, eliminating the need to walk around in circles. It was convenient and saved a lot of effort.

Mrs. Zhang had mentioned wanting to install one like this at their house, but Uncle Lin was too busy with his business to make one for them.

As he pushed the millstone, Sun Anyuan explained his original plan. "I wasn't sure if things would work out, so I probed the Village Headman's thoughts first. I should have discussed it with you, and I apologize for not doing so."

He paused before continuing, "I realize now that I didn't think it through. My older brother gave me a lecture yesterday, and I understood that moving here directly would affect your reputation."

Seeing Sun Anyuan explain so honestly, Lin Chunyan wasn't as shocked. She put her hands in her sleeves and said, "I was caught off guard when I first heard about it. Your family doesn't live nearby, so why move here? I think it's best to drop the idea."

Although Sun Anyuan felt a bit bitter, he agreed. "You're right. I was too hasty. I'll go and explain to the Village Headman that there's no need to worry about it anymore."

The kudzu root had been ground into powder, and Sun Anyuan helped carry it to the stove area. Mrs. Zhang began to usher him out, saying, "We need to get ready to make breakfast. We need to keep things proper, so you should go."

Initially, Mrs. Zhang had been polite to both Sun the Constable and Sun Anyuan, grateful for their help. But now, she had become more vigilant and cautious.

Sun Anyuan wasn't in a hurry to leave. Seeing that Lin Chunyan would have to handle all the kudzu root powder by herself, he offered to help process it. "It won't take long."

Both Mrs. Zhang and Lin Chunyan were surprised. Lin Chunyan even turned her head to ask, "Do you know how to make kudzu root powder?"

Sun Anyuan felt a little embarrassed. He hadn't mentioned that he had specifically asked Li Dainiang how to do it and had practiced cooking for some time.

If he and Lin Chunyan were to get married, he didn't intend to make her cook every day. Even if she was good at it, that didn't mean she should bear more responsibilities than others.

Besides, when his father was alive, he had done most of the household chores. Otherwise, his mother's cooking wouldn't have been so terrible.

Li Dainiang wasn't skilled in cooking, but before she married, she had learned some skills in preparing medicinal herbs, which was why Sun Anyuan had asked her.

Lin Chunyan and the others stood by watching. Sun Anyuan, not very skilled, had blurted out his offer to help in an attempt to gain their favor. Now, with so many eyes on him, his back tensed up even more than when he had first held a knife to kill.

Fortunately, he managed to complete the task without any mishaps. As Mrs. Zhang saw Sun Anyuan off, she gave him an extra look.

Seeing that the three young ladies were busy in the kitchen and that there was no one on the street, Mrs. Zhang decided to stop Sun Anyuan and asked in a low voice, "If you plan to build a house here, has your mother agreed to it?"

Sun Anyuan was startled but answered truthfully, "My mother agreed and even told me to move out as soon as possible."

He felt a bit embarrassed saying this, but Li Dainiang had always taken a hands-off approach with him, believing that as long as he was alive, it didn't matter where he lived.

Mrs. Zhang's eyes lit up. She coughed lightly, looked around, and then asked, "And does your mother also agree if you were to move in and marry into her family?"

Sun Anyuan finally got what Mrs. Zhang was saying and nodded, "Sure, I’m in!"

When Mrs. Zhang returned, she still had a smile on her face. Lin Taohong peeked out from the kitchen and asked curiously, "Mother, where did you just go? Why are you in such a good mood?"

Mrs. Zhang didn’t answer, but instead asked, "How do you know I’m happy? Can you see the smile on my face?"

"You’re grinning from ear to ear," Lin Taohong replied.

Mrs. Zhang didn’t bother arguing with her. Seeing that the meal was almost ready, she went to wash her hands and waited for dinner.

"Mother, you’ll wash the dishes after you finish eating."

We took turns doing the dishes. Usually, the person who cooked was off the hook for dishes. Today, the three of us cooked together, so Mrs. Zhang didn’t lift a finger.

"I’ll wash them then, it’s just a few dishes. There’s hot water in the kitchen, no big deal."

Even so, the smile on Mrs. Zhang’s face wasn’t as big, and she wore a troubled expression as she waited for the meal.

Who wants to do dishes after a meal? Not me!

Especially when she used to run a stall by the docks, Mrs. Zhang had to wash dishes every day, which left her sore and tired. Just looking at dishes made her feel sick.

After the meal, Lin Chunyan didn’t rush to head to the shop. She let Lin Taohong and the others go ahead while she went to find Dog Dan's Father.

On days when Dog Dan's Father didn’t go to collect fruits, he was still busy learning how to cultivate seedlings from his father-in-law. By next spring, he’d need to start working on it himself, so this matter couldn’t be taken lightly.

Seeing Lin Chunyan arrive, Dog Dan's Father quickly stood up, "Yan Niang, are you here to find Bell Niang and Zi Jier?"

Lin Chunyan shook her head, "Uncle, I’m here to find you. I need to trouble you to make a trip and see if there are any autumn pears we can bring back."

Dog Dan's Father knew exactly where everything was planted nearby and which hills had wild fruits. He asked, "There are autumn pears, and there are also small wild pears on the mountain that are very sour and grow in remote places, making them hard to pick. Are you planning to make jams with these?"

It didn’t matter if the pears were sour or small for making jams, but after the snowfall, it wasn’t worth going to pick those wild pears.

Lin Chunyan shook her head, "I want to make autumn pear paste, so it’s better to find some properly cultivated pears."

Pears and peaches take more than a year to grow, so Dog Dan's Father understood from Lin Chunyan’s words that she wanted him to find good ones, and they would continue to acquire some over the next few years.

"No rush, we’ll wait for the snow to melt."

The mountain roads were already difficult to navigate, and with snow, it became even harder. Dog Dan's Father didn’t push himself, "Alright, I’ll go in a couple of days."

In addition to moisturizing the lungs, autumn pear paste could also reduce dryness. After lighting the brazier in the room, Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong, who were both hot-natured, found their throats dry in the morning.

The snow these past few days hadn’t been too bad, but the concern was that when the snow melted and the weather became dry again, these two would get inflamed and sick.

After returning, Lin Chunyan reminded Wang Yingniang to remember to boil the medicine, "And don’t touch cold water. If you’re tired, take a rest."

"I know, I’m not a three-year-old," Wang Yingniang said with a smile, "Go to the establishment, and don’t rush."

Lin Chunyan then went next door to call Sanlang, and the two of them headed to the town together.

"Big sister, when do you think is the best time to harvest my fish pond?"

Sanlang was really attached to his fish pond. When he dug it, he went through many difficulties. Between selling goods and making crispy fish, he spent a lot of time watching over the pond.

However, as it got colder, Sanlang was worried that the pond would freeze, so he wanted to fish out the fish inside early.

When they stocked the pond, they added a bunch of half-grown fish, which were just the right size by now. The lotus roots were also ready to eat.

Lin Chunyan said, "Since that's the case, let's harvest the fish as soon as possible. If we do it at the same time as the village pond, we won't be able to sell them for much."

Sanlang thought the same but wanted to confirm for peace of mind, "Alright, I'll talk to my father about it later."

Uncle Lin was the only one in the family who dedicated himself solely to farming. He was the second son, with Lin Laodie, who was skilled at talking and charming people, above him, and Lin Sanshan, the youngest son, below him. His presence in the family had never been very strong.

Even when it came to learning carpentry, it wasn't his turn. He did want to learn the cooking skills of Lin Laoye, but Lin Laoye's wife never agreed, intending to pass them down to Lin Laodie.

Even though they were her children, she had her own set of priorities. She was willing to ruthlessly drive out her own daughter who had secretly learned Lin Laoye's skills.

Unfortunately, Lin Laodie couldn't handle the hardship of learning cooking and left to work on ships early. It was only on her deathbed that Lin Laoye’s wife finally admitted her regret.

Uncle Lin had long come to terms with farming; it wasn’t a bad life. The grain produced by their family was enough for both branches of the family, and any surplus could be taken to the establishment without needing to buy extra.

At first, he opposed building the pond, but once it was finished, he became its most frequent visitor. Lin Chunyan even suspected that Uncle Lin knew exactly how many fish were in the pond.

When they arrived at the entrance of the establishment, Sanlang and Lin Chunyan parted ways. Seeing Shitou waiting at the door, Sanlang spoke to him for a while.

Shitou had been waiting at the establishment door early. This time, not only was he waiting, but Li Meiniang also wasn't helping in the kitchen. Both of them obviously had something on their minds and were distracted while talking to Sanlang.

After returning home last night, Shitou had shared his thoughts with Li Meiniang, "I know that if I say this, Sister Yan might not allow mother to work there anymore, but not saying it makes me feel uneasy."

He felt useless, having given up halfway through a plan that had taken a lot of effort. His head hung low in distress.

Li Meiniang had remained silent. She really didn’t want to give up such a good job. It wasn’t just about the money; she genuinely enjoyed working there.

But Shitou was right. They hadn’t considered how guilty they would feel toward Erlang when they made the plan.

It wasn’t obtained honorably after all. It wasn’t just Shitou, who was still young and had been forced to grow up, feeling troubled; she also found herself thinking about it often.

"We’re all human. I need to resolve things with Erlang." Li Meiniang stopped hesitating, "My son is right. Tomorrow, I'll go with you to talk to her. If it doesn't work out, I'll just go back to working on laundry."

Shitou nodded, still holding onto a sliver of hope, "Maybe Sister Yan will still let mother work there."

But Li Meiniang felt a bit bitter. She didn’t think it was likely. After all, Lin Chunyan and Erlang were cousins. Having deceived Erlang, why would Lin Chunyan keep them around?

Seeing the two waiting for her, Lin Chunyan was a bit puzzled, "Is something the matter?"

Inside the shop, Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong were already waiting anxiously to see what was happening. Even Jin Niangzi kept glancing over.

Noticing their gazes, Lin Chunyan led Li Meiniang and Shitou to the back courtyard, "It's quieter there."

Mashi was curious too, but she was wary of Lin Chunyan and thus wouldn’t dare to eavesdrop.

Lin Chunyan, worried that Mrs. Zhang might try to listen in, asked Mashi to keep an eye on things.

Li Meiniang was grateful for Lin Chunyan's consideration. As soon as they closed the door, both Li Meiniang and Shitou knelt down with a thud.

Lin Chunyan was startled and quickly helped them up, "What are you doing? Can't we talk things through properly? Please, get up."

Just as Lin Chunyan had expected, Mrs. Zhang tried to sneak over to eavesdrop but was intercepted by Mashi, "Elder Sister, since you have time, help me make a decision. Do you think when I rent a house, should I ask Lan Jier's father for money?"

Mrs. Zhang didn’t want to get involved in their personal matters and told Mashi to make her own decision.

But Mashi still wouldn’t let her go, "Elder Sister, I really have no idea, which is why I'm asking you. He earns so much money but doesn’t give me any. Where is all that money going?"

Aunt Zhang was caught off guard, "Ah? He didn't give you the money?"

Inside the room, Li Meiniang and Stone were helped to their feet, and Stone laid out everything they had done.

Lin Chunyan didn’t comment, but she remarked curiously, "You could have kept this a secret, and none of us would ever know."

Li Meiniang and Stone had originally planned to do just that, but Stone, being young, couldn't help but think of what they had done every time he saw Lin Chunyan. Hearing about the shop's affairs from Li Meiniang made him think of it even more, especially when he had to pretend nothing was wrong in front of Erlang, who was still so good to him. It made his heart ache.

By coming clean, they figured it wouldn’t feel like they owed anyone too much.

Li Meiniang remained silent, but Lin Chunyan could guess from Stone's expression. She thought the young man had a sincere heart and some strategy.

If he were a bit older, he could help run the goods.

As for Li Meiniang and Erlang's situation, Lin Chunyan didn’t know how to handle it and could only let them sort it out with Erlang themselves.

"You have a half-day off today, and we'll talk again when you come back."

She comforted Stone, "Don't be too upset. From your perspective, you were just trying to make a living for you and your mother. Using some strategies is understandable... I still remember how you helped me pick those little river snails and shrimps."

Stone's nose tingled, and he called out "Elder Sister Yan," feeling his anxieties settle.

From what Lin Chunyan said, it seemed that they could return to work after they had spoken to Erlang.

He bowed solemnly, suppressing his gratitude, and led Li Meiniang, whose eyes were also red, out of the door.

After they came out, Ma Shi stopped holding Aunt Zhang back, much to their relief.

"What did you say about Lin?" Aunt Zhang asked Lin Chunyan, pushing aside her conversation with Ma Shi, "Is it related to Erlang?"

Lin Chunyan neither shook her head nor nodded. When Aunt Zhang couldn't get any information, she turned to look at Li Meiniang.

At the establishment, Aunt Liu had been waiting for a while. Seeing Lin Chunyan come out, she smiled and said, "Last winter, I happened to eat some red sugar ziba when I took a boat here. It was so delicious that I've been thinking about it for a long time. Seeing the snow yesterday made me wonder if you're making it this year."

If it hadn't snowed continuously yesterday, Aunt Liu would have come over then.

The red sugar ziba wasn’t just for winter, but the snowy scene brought back memories, making her want to visit again.

Lin Chunyan smiled along with Aunt Liu, "It's no trouble. I'll make some ziba later."

Aunt Liu sat down happily, reminiscing about last year when Qing'er, her sisters, and Young Master Wang had come by carriage to enjoy a spicy hotpot. Although the shed was crude and drafty, Qing'er remembered the scene fondly.

This year, Rong'er wasn’t here. After returning to the mansion, Young Master Wang had arranged a marriage for her with a branch of the Rong Prince's family. He wasn’t the eldest son, just a senior by name, but he was said to be ambitious.

People say daughters should marry into higher families, but Rong'er’s match wasn’t nearly as prestigious as the position Zhou Wanniang had mentioned for a count’s eldest daughter.

But since she had grown up in the old mansion and hadn’t learned household affairs from the main wife, and wasn’t particularly outstanding in appearance, the main wife's feelings for her were lukewarm.

The main wife had chosen this eldest son by a secondary wife because of some indirect connection to the Ninth Prince.

In politics, you sometimes have to take risks. Those in power often feel they have no choice but to play the game. Most people wouldn’t get too involved, so even if things didn’t work out, they wouldn’t be implicated.

At most, they would lose a daughter. But if it succeeded, they would gain a new connection, even if it meant losing a daughter.

Since learning of Rong'er’s engagement, Qing'er had been feeling down, knowing her own future wouldn’t be much different.

Concerned after hearing from her maid about Qing'er’s recent outing, Old Lady Wang decided to let her go out with Young Master Wang to lift her spirits.

"Don't go too far, just go to the establishment for some food to clear your mind. If they had private rooms, you could stay longer. If you’re still in the mood for more, you could head to Clear Breeze Building for tea."

Qing'er was overjoyed just to be able to go out. She thanked Old Lady Wang, packed her belongings, and followed Young Master Wang out.

They rode in two separate carriages and met up once they arrived at the shop.

As soon as Zhao Liu saw the carriage approaching, he hurried out to greet the customers. Seeing Young Master Wang, whom he hadn’t seen in some time, he bowed respectfully.

It had been a while since Young Master Wang had visited the shop. These days, he only sent summons to the shop for deliveries. He barely acknowledged Zhao Liu and, even before entering the shop, caught a whiff of something fragrant and turned to see what it was.

"What’s that smell?" Young Master Wang asked.

"Young Master, those are freshly fried spring rolls with both sweet and savory fillings. They’re absolutely delicious," Zhao Liu replied.

Hearing that they were spring rolls, Young Master Wang decided not to eat them immediately. He hadn’t forgotten that today he was here to accompany Qing'er in eating spicy hotpot. Spring rolls might be too filling now, but they could take some home for tea later.

Upon entering the shop, he saw that a charcoal brazier had been placed in the hall, with many foods already on the grill above it. Looking closer, he saw Aunt Liu at the next table, delicately nibbling on red bean paste rice cakes.

Qing'er removed her hood, sniffed the air, and couldn’t help but recall the time she had enjoyed red bean paste rice cakes last year.

"Young Lady, do you still have those?" Qing'er asked.

Lin Chunyan recognized Qing'er as the young lady from the Wang household, who had visited once or twice last year on the days she made red bean paste rice cakes.

"We do, but you’ll have to wait a little longer," Lin Chunyan replied.

Qing'er nodded, found a secluded spot inside, and asked if they still had spicy hotpot.

Aunt Liu had been eating without looking up, but at the mention of spicy hotpot, she quickly swallowed what was in her mouth. "If you have spicy hotpot, make sure to get me a portion too," she said. It had been a year since she’d had it.

Lin Chunyan, knowing that the fish balls had already been made in large quantities, nodded and said, "In that case, we’ll make spicy hotpot today."

Hearing this, Hu Daqiang immediately rushed outside to announce, "Today, our shop is offering a special sale on spicy hotpot. Limited quantities, first come, first served!"