Chapter 167

Chapter 167

Several people had mentally prepared themselves, and no one wavered after hearing Lin Chunyan’s words. They all agreed to be extra cautious on the journey.

Lin Chunyan was still worried, and after Zhang Xiaojiu arrived, she spoke to him again, saying, "If the cargo is lost, it’s lost. Nothing is more important than our safety."

Zhang Xiaojiu, who had been handling the goods for more than half a year longer than the others, knew more about the situation and quickly informed the others of its severity.

"Since that's the case, all of you should go home and think it over carefully. If you're sure you're going, pack your things. We'll set off tomorrow."

For this last run before the New Year, Zhang Xiaojiu was going to join them. He didn’t plan to travel separately as usual, which somewhat reassured Lin Chunyan.

The two Wu brothers also headed home, thinking about what to bring on their trip. After this run, they would earn a large sum of money, enough to have a good New Year for their family.

Thinking about the upcoming trip, their hearts raced with excitement. They had already planned to buy new cloth for their wives and children to make new clothes, and also get a few woolen sweaters so they wouldn’t secretly envy others.

They also planned to buy roasted duck and pork, as the children at home loved eating those very much. After earning the money, they would make sure the children had their fill.

Although their wives were worried, they knew that both Zhang Xiaojiu and Li Youfu would be going, and with them looking out for each other, nothing should happen. So, they helped pack their things.

Unfortunately, old lady Wu, however, wasn’t convinced.

After causing a fuss earlier with no results and being threatened with a family division, she had stayed quiet for two days. But upon hearing this news, she reverted to her old ways, saying that her two daughters-in-law were heartless and only cared about money, wanting to send her sons to their deaths.

She believed she was in the right, but the moment she started speaking, the two Wu brothers glared at her.

"Mother, if you keep causing trouble, go ahead. Yan Niang said this is our last chance. If anything like that happens again, none of us will be able to keep our jobs."

"A lot of people in the village are keeping an eye on us. You know how coveted those jobs are. Our family occupies four of them, and many people are jealous."

Before old lady Wu could figure out what to say, her usually proud grandsons ran out and stood in front of her.

"Grandma, can you stop causing trouble! Many people in the village are watching us and laughing at us."

Old lady Wu was stunned. Her eldest grandson's words weren't baseless. Ever since the two Wu brothers started running errands, these children felt a bit superior to other villagers and had grown bolder.

They couldn’t understand why old lady Wu couldn’t just stay quiet at home and always had to cause trouble.

Old lady Wu valued these grandsons the most, and hearing them speak like that was like a knife to her heart, leaving her too sad to speak for a long time.

She wanted to explain, but her grandsons wouldn’t listen. Their expressions clearly told old lady Wu that if she continued, they would stop caring for her.

From then on, old lady Wu fell silent and didn’t dare to cause any more trouble or create issues for Lin Chunyan and the others on the mountain.

After finishing this, Lin Chunyan finally had time to stop and drink a cup of hot ginger and jujube tea. The tea had been boiled for a long time, bringing out the flavor of the jujube, making it sweet to drink.

Thinking about how she had spent a long time salting radishes yesterday and dealing with the matters involving Erlang and Peng Pingan, Lin Chunyan felt exhausted.

Once the autumn pear paste was done, she planned to take a good rest for a few days.

"Shopkeeper, is there no spicy hotpot today?"

People passing by the establishment would occasionally come in and ask. Upon hearing that it wasn’t available, they couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

"But we have other new dishes at our establishment. Would you like to try the braised pork with pickled mustard greens?"

Some had already asked the idlers to buy it and try it, knowing that the braised pork with pickled mustard greens was also very delicious. Since they were already there, they decided to buy the braised pork to go with their meals instead of going home and cooking again.

Some customers came specifically looking for the braised pork with pickled vegetables. "It’s so fragrant, and the meat is so tender that even grandma, who has no teeth, can enjoy it."

"But I like the pickled vegetables on top the most. They absorb all the aroma of the meat and go well with rice, allowing me to eat two more big bowls."

Those who loved the pickled vegetables always felt there wasn’t enough in the braised pork with pickled vegetables, and some even came to Lin Chunyan's establishment specifically looking for more.

Lin Chunyan thought about it. They had collected a lot of radish seedlings and various dried vegetables. Apart from those made into pickled vegetables, most of them were turned into more preserved vegetables.

She then had Tutor Duan sell them alongside the other pickled vegetables.

"Yan Niang, give me some more ham. We’re running low on what we had," came Madam Song's voice at the door. Since finding a good match for Meizi, Madam Song had been beaming every time she saw someone.

Lin Chunyan quickly welcomed her, sat her down, and poured her a pot of ginger and jujube tea.

"Used it all that fast?" Lin Chunyan calculated the days. It hadn't been that long since the last batch of ham.

Madam Song nodded. "My ancestor loves the ham so much that she insists on having a small plate of it every noon, in addition to using it in the fish and meat soup."

Lin Chunyan remembered that Madam Song had mentioned her ancestor had taught her how to make the fish and meat soup, against everyone else's opinion, so she was very filial to her.

"Then take more this time. The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and you'll probably need a lot for visiting relatives during the holiday."

Madam Song had come to say just that. The cold weather outside made the ginger and jujube tea especially warming, and its taste was quite good too. She wanted to ask how it was made.

There was no need to keep it a secret, so Lin Chunyan told her how to make it, adding that if they didn't have jujubes, they had plenty here.

The jujubes were harvested in autumn by Dog Dan's Father from nearby, and Lin Chunyan and the others also collected some from the western part of the village. However, those were all eaten before they could dry.

"We have some at home too. We’re planning to hold Meizi’s wedding as soon as spring arrives, so we’ve already started preparing the jujubes and peanuts early."

The hurry was because they wanted a man to help manage the household, so they wouldn’t have to rely on the brother and sister-in-law to come and take them back every day.

It was too much trouble, and Madam Song felt guilty about it.

"Once Meizi is married and starts looking more like an adult, I’ll begin teaching her how to make the fish and meat soup."

The method for the fish and meat soup had been changed several times, and this latest version, with added ham, was better than ever.

"Does your ancestor and your brother and sister-in-law have any objections?" Lin Chunyan couldn't help but ask.

While Meizi is Madam Song's goddaughter, her future husband isn’t part of the family yet. Living under the same roof, what if someone learns the recipe and starts making it themselves?

Madam Song had worried about this before but didn’t let Lin Chunyan worry, saying that her brother and sister-in-law were good people. "The young man is also very reliable."

After a short rest, Madam Song left, with Hu Daqiang helping to load the ham onto her cart.

Lin Taohong followed Madam Song to find Meizi. Meizi, full of joy, looked even more festive than usual.

Lin Taohong complained, "We were supposed to hang out, but every time I come over, you’re either working on your wedding dress or quilts. I barely get to see you!"

Meizi's face turned rosy. "I’ll have time to go out once the busy period is over. How about you come with me today and take a look at the wedding dress I’ve made?"

The offer was too tempting, and Lin Taohong was moved. She went back to ask Lin Chunyan.

"Big Sister, come with me. Madam Song said she’d love for you to come too."

Lin Chunyan thought about the snow pears at home. "I need to finish boiling them. Yingniang has been coughing and needs to drink some regularly."

"Before she could finish, Lin Taohong's face fell. 'How come you only remember Yingniang is your best friend? What about me?'

'You're always so impatient, I wasn't finished yet. And you and Mom always say your throats are dry in the morning; you should drink some autumn pear paste to reduce the dryness. We shouldn't wait until we're sick and have to drink that bitter medicine.'

Realizing she had misunderstood Lin Chunyan, Lin Taohong scratched her head sheepishly. 'But I'm still a bit scared to go by myself.'

Lin Chunyan pinched her cheek. 'Then just wait a bit longer. It's just Song Niang and Meizi at their house, and you're very familiar with them. What is there to be afraid of?'

Lin Taohong, thinking that waiting might take a while, made up her mind and said, 'Then I'll go stay for one night.'

Mrs. Zhang didn't stop her, only telling her to be observant when she got there. 'Know what you shouldn't say or see.'

Lin Taohong didn't really understand what Mrs. Zhang meant, but she just nodded and said she understood.

Of course, she couldn't show up empty-handed. Lin Chunyan remembered her own experiences sleeping over at her classmates' houses, which she had looked forward to so much, and helped pack many snacks for Lin Taohong.

There were yam jujube paste cakes, melon seeds, dried peaches, dried pumpkin, and more, but since Lin Taohong didn't like dried pumpkin, she secretly took it out.

'Big sister, don't we have some sweet cream left at our establishment?'

Lin Taohong looked longingly. 'I want to eat pastries made with sweet cream.'

Actually, what she wanted was the sweet cream ice bowl we had before, which had ice, dried hawthorn, raisins, and goat milk. It was fragrant, sweet, and very delicate.

Unfortunately, she had diarrhea after eating it that time, so Lin Chunyan didn't dare make it for her again, and Lin Taohong had been craving it ever since.

It was winter now, unlike summer when buying ice was expensive. At this time of year, they could freeze ice anytime.

Mrs. Zhang had keen hearing and overheard her. She turned her head and asked, 'What is it that I've never eaten?'

Lin Taohong, afraid that Mrs. Zhang would stop her from eating something cold, randomly said it was sweet cream pastries.

Mrs. Zhang suspected she was lying and wanted to ask Lin Chunyan, but Lin Chunyan had already slipped away to help in the kitchen.

Li Meiniang came over to work today and only found out after she arrived that Erlang had said he was going to marry her. She was completely taken aback.

Lin Cuixiang, who had brought the news, looked just as uncomfortable and refused to speak to Li Meiniang, no matter how much she tried to ask.

Pomegranate and Zhao Zilan tried to ease the atmosphere in the kitchen, but no matter who they spoke to, neither of them said a word.

They decided to leave it alone since there was nothing they could do.

Seeing Lin Chunyan come over, Pomegranate and the others quickly made room for her. Li Meiniang and Lin Cuixiang couldn't keep their faces straight forever.

Lin Chunyan also had a headache. How was she supposed to help in this situation? It seemed like helping either one would offend the other.

Forget it.

She decided to ignore their issue and helped make the dried pickled vegetable braised pork.

Lin Taohong didn't get her sweet cream and left for Meizi's house with a basket of snacks, looking rather pitiful as she glanced at Lin Chunyan several times.

Seeing how upset she was, Lin Chunyan felt a pang of sympathy.

But Mrs. Zhang didn’t seem bothered by it and stretched lazily. 'Tonight, I won’t have to worry about someone kicking me or hogging the bed.'

She looked quite content. 'How about having toon scallion oil noodles for dinner?'"

One meal of noodles isn’t enough; Mrs. Zhang didn’t even get her fill.

"That works too, I’ll go ask Yingniang if she’s interested in eating it."

Mashi had asked for half a day's leave and packed things for Dabao. She noticed that after handling the goods for a while, Dabao had matured and even felt a bit embarrassed when she helped him pack.

At first, Mashi was a bit worried about sending Dabao on the trip. She thought about leaving him behind but changed her mind when she saw how much more mature he had become after the trip.

"By the way, have you heard if the shop next door is available for rent?" Mashi brought up the topic with Mrs. Zhang after she returned. She had brought back a good amount of money from Zhang Xiaojiu, using the method Mrs. Zhang had suggested.

With the money, Mashi could afford to rent a larger place. Originally, the shop run by the couple next door wasn’t within her consideration, but now she had the confidence to consider it.

"I’m not sure, I haven’t heard anything since," Mrs. Zhang thought about how Lin Chunyan wanted to rent a shop to sell roast duck. If they rented it together with Mashi, they could save quite a bit of money.

With that thought in mind, Mrs. Zhang stood up, "Wait here, I’ll go ask for you right now."

She moved quickly, and before Mashi could react, Mrs. Zhang had already left the house without even putting on a hat.

Mashi then turned to Tutor Duan and said, "Tutor, do you remember how much they asked for when they wanted to sell the shop last time?"

Tutor Duan held up a number, "They asked for quite a bit. The shop costs seventy strings of cash."

This area used to be pretty remote, so it wasn’t a great location. Not many people were interested in buying it, and given that the shop wasn’t very large, the price was indeed on the high side.

Mashi hadn’t paid attention the last time, but now that she heard it, she felt it was far too expensive. Even with the money Zhang Xiaojiu had given her, she couldn’t afford to buy the shop.

Then she thought of Lan Jier. Now she knew how desirable it was to find a good match for a young lady who could work. Even the granddaughter of the old woman who made sesame cakes had people almost breaking down her door.

If Lan Jier weren’t so set on Li Youfu, she could easily find a good match in town.

Any shop in town could easily be worth several tens of strings of cash. Wouldn’t the family be better off compared to those in the village?

Unfortunately, Lan Jier didn’t get along with her, and she wouldn’t listen to anything Mashi said. It was as if Li Youfu had cast some spell on her, and she only had eyes for him.

Mrs. Zhang soon returned, and as Lin Chunyan packed things up, she came over to listen. Mrs. Zhang mentioned a number, "They’re asking for nine hundred coins a month! Are they trying to rob us?"

Lin Chunyan also gasped, "That’s a lot!"

"They probably saw that we were asking and thought we really needed it, so they’re asking for such a high price. I think we should just forget it."

Mashi also gave up on the idea, "I thought it would be more convenient to be close by, but money is the real priority."

After finishing the packing, Lin Chunyan and the others prepared to head back. Hu Daqiang and Tutor Duan were helping to keep an eye on the shop, and they would close before it got too dark.

Any leftover food was usually divided among the staff to take home. Generally, there wasn’t much left, and with Mashi and Mrs. Song also keeping an eye on things, they might have just enough for one meal.

After packing up, Tutor Duan also planned to head back. Huang Niangzi still had class, so he figured he could help out a bit once he got home.

Just as he was about to leave, the private school head arrived, looking dusty from his journey. It wasn’t clear if he had come at this time on purpose, but Tutor Duan smiled and bowed to greet him.

Although the private school head had done some questionable things, Tutor Duan’s family had relied on him for many things in the past.

Seeing the respectful treatment, the private school head felt a little better and pretended to be casual as he said, "I thought the shop would still be open at this time, and since I haven’t had a meal outside in a while, I came over. It seems I’ve chosen an inconvenient time."

Tutor Duan played along, "It gets dark early in winter, and our boss doesn’t like us staying open too late, so we’ve already closed."

He pointed to the food box in his hand, "If you don’t mind, how about coming over to our place for a meal?"

The private school head stroked his beard and smiled, "In that case, I’ll join you for a meal."

Going to eat at someone's home was just an excuse; the real purpose for the private school head was to see how Huang Niang taught her students.

He had asked Tutor Wen and Tutor Yu to come over as intermediaries, thinking that with Tutor Duan's temperament and the friendship they had built over the years, his request wouldn't be too difficult to fulfill.

However, he didn't expect that Tutor Duan would refuse.

Two days passed, and the private school head couldn't wait any longer, so he chose this opportune moment to visit.

On the way back, the two walked slowly. As they got closer, the private school head could smell the aroma coming from the food box. He couldn't help but mention the pastries that were said to bring good fortune for exams.

"Your shopkeeper is really ingenious. I see many scholars at the academy have switched their snacks to these auspicious pastries."

"They are delicious and have an auspicious meaning, so naturally, more people are willing to buy them."

Tutor Duan kept daily accounts and had a clear understanding of how much merchandise was sold in their establishment.

When they arrived home, the private school head didn't see Huang Niang or the students he had mentioned. He asked curiously, "Where have they gone?"

"We owe it to our village headman. He saw that it wasn't a solution for us to always stay indoors, and it's quite cold to have classes outdoors in winter, so he arranged for the students to have classes in the ancestral hall."

The expression on the private school head's face stiffened. "So you've moved the classes to the ancestral hall. It seems you are becoming more and more accomplished."

The fact that the new county magistrate was interested in their arithmetic class only made him feel more uneasy.

However, Tutor Duan didn't keep him uncomfortable for too long. After bringing the food box inside and setting things down, he turned around and went into the kitchen.

"I still have some sweet fermented rice wine. It's a pity there are no glutinous rice balls, but adding eggs will still make it tasty."

He skillfully lit the firewood, took out a jar of rice wine, and waited for the water to boil. He beat the eggs and added some wolfberries and jujubes.

He didn't rush to put in the rice wine, waiting for about five minutes before adding it.

Lin Chunyan had told him that when making sweet fermented rice wine, the rice wine shouldn't be added too early; otherwise, the taste would become sour when it met hot water.

The private school head watched in astonishment. In the past, Tutor Duan had kept himself aloof from worldly affairs, neither familiar with mundane matters big or small, let alone cooking in the kitchen.

But now, his skilled movements seemed to have been practiced for more than just a day or two.

Tutor Duan brought over the steaming hot rice wine with wolfberries. "This is very delicious. My wife and daughter both love drinking it. When they return, I'll make a few more bowls for them."

The private school head opened his mouth. "You really shouldn't judge a person by their past. I never thought you would change so much."

Tutor Duan didn't respond immediately. He took a sip of the rice wine first. The sweet and sour taste spread across his taste buds, and the warm rice wine soothed the fatigue of the day.

"I've come to understand this: what is the purpose of living a life? All the fame, fortune, and ambition are just fleeting clouds."

Tutor Duan didn't look at the private school head, as if he was just speaking from the heart. "Only the few acres of land in front of you are real. Nothing beats enjoying a good life with your family."

The private school head found the meal unappetizing, and he only had a few sips of the rice wine, finding it hard to get used to the taste, like a lump in his throat.

Tutor Duan didn't keep him any longer. Huang Niang and the others would be back soon, and even his elderly mother had gone to help with the work. Everyone was quite tired after a long day.

He went back into the kitchen and reheated a few dishes that he hadn't brought out earlier, not wanting to waste them.

When Lin Chunyan arrived home, she found that Wang Yingniang had already prepared a meal for her, and even the pears placed in the courtyard had been washed.

Worried that Lin Chunyan might think she overstepped, Wang Yingniang quickly explained, "I had nothing else to do at home, so I just made a bowl of noodles."

She had made pumpkin noodle soup, cutting the pumpkin into small pieces, frying some minced garlic until fragrant, then adding boiling water to cook the noodles. Once they were cooked, she added a handful of fresh greens for color and flavor.

Although it's simple to make, these pumpkin noodles are the most nourishing, with a taste that is savory and subtly sweet.

Lin Chunyan enjoys eating the pumpkin noodles with leek flowers on the side, which add extra flavor and make the texture richer.

Mrs. Zhang feels for Wang Yingniang and tells her not to prepare the noodles in advance next time. "You're busy enough during the day; don't take it lightly just because you're feeling a bit better."

Wang Yingniang knows the words are meant with concern, and a smile lingers on her lips. "I understand, Godmother. Let's eat while it's still hot."

She turns to look behind her and asks curiously, "How come Red hasn't come in yet? Where did she run off to play this time?"

"She's not coming back tonight; she's staying at Meizi's house."

Wang Yingniang didn't expect her to stay away and feels a touch of reluctance. "I hope she remembers to stay warm tonight."

"She's grown up now; we can’t always treat her like a little girl."

After finishing a bowl of pumpkin noodles, they felt relaxed and content. Besides the leek flowers, they also tasted the pickled radishes from yesterday.

The radishes were crispy and sweet, making them an excellent side dish. Lin Chunyan plans to bring them to the shop tomorrow.

"Did Second Aunt Lin's family cause a scene today?" After the meal, they weren't in a rush to get up, slowly sipping hot broth by the stove.

Wang Yingniang shakes her head. "No, I checked around noon, and Second Aunt Lin said Erlang had been sleeping and wouldn't eat when asked."

After so many arguments, the desire to quarrel had fizzled out. Second Aunt Lin also feared being laughed at by others, which was why it had been quiet during the day.

"But it’s really worrying Second Aunt Lin; it’s not something that can be fixed overnight."

"You can’t reason with kids," Mrs. Zhang agrees. "Especially Erlang with his stubborn temper."

Later, Mrs. Zhang brought up Li Meiniang and gauged her feelings.

"I didn't think she originally planned for things to go this way, but seeing how far Erlang is willing to go for her has warmed her heart."

After the meal, Mrs. Zhang went next door to talk with Second Aunt Lin, offering a chance for her to vent, whether through complaints or comfort.

Meanwhile, Lin Chunyan and Wang Yingniang stayed home to make pear syrup.

Wang Yingniang had already washed the pears with salt. Lin Chunyan cut them into small pieces, leaving the skin on and removing only the cores.

After cutting them up, they ground the pieces into juice using a small mill outside. This juice would be used to make the pear syrup.

As they worked, they talked, but with two people missing from the house, it felt quieter than usual, making everything seem a bit off.

"I didn’t realize how much I’d miss Red just from one night away."

"Who wouldn’t? Usually, she’s always chattering, and we just find her a bit annoying."

Without her, the house felt so quiet that they could hear a dog barking in the distance and birds flying by the mountain, which made their hearts feel even emptier.