Chapter 68

Chapter 68

In recent days, Liushan Village had been buzzing with rumors.

The reason was that someone had discovered Sun Yunniang selling incense products at a stall in Songyun County, and word had it that business was quite good—so good that Wang Ping'an and his husband had to help out just to keep up.

Some curious sorts dug deeper and found out that the stall had been operating for several months and had even gained a small reputation in the county town. It was only because few villagers frequented that market that no one had noticed before.

The villagers were first stunned, then quickly recalled how Zhong Laoer had made his fortune back in the day. As realization dawned, reactions varied.

Some thought that if Zhong Laoer could make it big and move his whole family to the prefectural seat, maybe Zhong Yizhu and his husband could too. They figured they should cozy up to them. Others scoffed, saying Zhong Yizhu was just a xiao ge'er, capable of running a small-time stall at most—nothing more.

In any case, Pei Mu's doorstep was practically beaten down by visitors. People came to fish for information, to learn the trade, and they pestered Wang Ping'an and his husband so much that they couldn't even finish their wooden boxes in peace—they had to keep the nosy ones from sneaking into the side yard.

There were even those shameless enough to pressure Sun Yunniang, insisting that they had to involve the whole village in their business. After all, hadn't the village taken in the Zhong family when they were refugees? They owed it to the village, they said.

Wave after wave of villagers arrived. When they saw the locked side yard, it was obvious: Pei Mu hadn't been raising chickens and ducks all along—he needed that space for his business.

Sun Yunniang wasn't good at arguing back, and Wang Ping'an and his husband were also tongue-tied. They were so fed up that even after shutting their doors, some still shouted from outside. Their faces were thicker than a city wall.

Just when things were getting out of hand, Village Head's wife Zhou Shaofen arrived at the mountain-foot cottage with Liu Mingtao in tow.

She sat down, and the village troublemakers had to behave. Liu Mingtao then called out each person by name.

Not only did he call out, but he also acted incredibly caring. First he asked, "Uncle A Shui, why aren't you out chopping firewood today?"

Then he turned and expressed concern: "Aunt Zhang, wasn't your little one sick? Why aren't you home looking after them?"

Old Mrs. Liu, who was warming herself by the stove and pretending to be hard of hearing, found herself being helped to her feet by Liu Mingtao, who said, "I just saw Uncle Liu looking for you—something must be up. The road outside is slippery, let me see you home."

The crowd inside the room scattered like startled fish after that stir. Sun Yunniang sighed in relief and turned to Zhou Shaofen: "Thank you, Zhou-niangzi."

Zhou Shaofen shook her head. "Zhu Ge'er gave the village ten acres of fertile land as soon as he returned. We remember that. There are always some troublemakers in the village. Sun-niangzi, don't bother with their nonsense."

Sun Yunniang nodded and sighed inwardly. She had inadvertently revealed the business that her son and son-in-law had kept secret for months, making it known to the whole village. Before they set off, she had promised the xiao ge'er she would keep it quiet. Alas...

At least the stall was doing well. The stock the xiao ge'er had prepared was selling out quickly. She just wondered if the xiao ge'er and his husband were doing well on their trip, safe, and if they could return on time.

With Zhou Shaofen and Liu Mingtao holding the line, the villagers couldn't pester Sun Yunniang and Wang Ping'an and his husband anymore. Instead, they started speculating about where the couple had gone—it had been a month and they still hadn't returned.

Wang Ping'an and his husband kept their mouths shut, so no one could learn the truth. They gossiped and guessed, and the chatter grew heated. So when Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu's oxcart appeared at the village entrance, the village exploded.

Several carts of incense materials were transported to the mountain-foot cottage. The villagers crowded around in layers. Zhong Yizhu had just seen his mother and hadn't even had time to greet her properly when Sun Yunniang nervously told him that the villagers already knew about their incense-making business.

Zhong Yizhu was taken aback. Seeing his mother's guilt, he quickly said, "This kind of spectacle was impossible to hide anyway—it was only a matter of time, sooner or later. And now is the slack season, plus New Year's and Lantern Festival, so don't blame yourself, Mother."

Hearing this, Sun Yunniang felt much better. She watched Pei Mu directing the unloading of several large carts of goods into the yard, and only then did the joy of their safe return well up in her.

She pulled Zhong Yizhu around in a circle, her eyes reddening. "You've lost weight."

Zhong Yizhu laughed and leaned in to act spoiled. "Mother, you're talking nonsense. How can you tell if someone's lost weight under such thick clothes?"

Sun Yunniang saw that although her xiao ge'er's chin was a bit sharper, he was glowing, with fair skin and soft hands—clear proof that Pei Mu had kept his word and taken excellent care of the xiao ge'er. She ignored the gawking crowd outside and focused entirely on what to cook for dinner, determined to give the xiao ge'er and his son-in-law a proper nourishing meal.

Over by the carts, Wang Ping'an was helping Pei Mu unload. Chen Xiaorong quietly filled Zhong Yizhu in on what had happened during his absence.

The villagers had spent their whole lives eking out a living from the soil. It was only natural that when they saw someone making money in business, their minds would start churning. And with Zhong Lao'er's success story from Liushan Village as precedent, some people were desperate to copy them and get rich themselves.

Those with decent hearts just asked a few questions. But those with bad intentions—the worst of them would make sour comments at best, and at worst, they might try to sabotage the business entirely.

Since Zhong Yizhu had come back with such a conspicuous cargo, he had already anticipated this day and thought of how to deal with it.

As soon as he stepped outside, someone couldn't help asking: "Zhu Ge'er, where have you been? Bought so many things back—made a lot of money, huh?"

"Zhu Ge'er, do you need extra hands for your stall? My Yu Ge'er is quick and capable—he'll handle everything perfectly!"

"Bah, everyone knows your boy is lazy and gluttonous. Stop lying. Listen to me, Zhu Ge'er, my eldest daughter is the absolutely most reliable worker. She won't make a single mistake as a helper."

"What about my Dacheng?"

"Zhu Ge'er, can we take up this trade of yours? We're fellow villagers after all. Just teach us the ropes. We'll sell somewhere else."

Zhong Yizhu looked at the auntie who had spoken. He recognized her and was about to respond when Liu Mingtao, who had just arrived on the news, came storming over like firecrackers.

"Auntie Huang, you keep your peanut growing technique a secret every year even though they grow better than anyone else's. But you expect someone else to teach you their moneymaking trade? How thick is your face, even thicker than ours?"

If anyone else had been so bluntly called out, they'd have been red-faced. But Auntie Huang acted innocent: "I told you, we grow peanuts just like anyone else. You just never believe me. And I'm not asking just for my family—there are so many families in the village. Wouldn't it be great if everyone could all get rich?"

At these words, not only Liu Mingtao but also Chen Xiaorong, who had just come out, was furious.

Zhong Yizhu stopped Liu Mingtao from continuing. Although as the village head's son, Liu wasn't afraid of being called out, Zhong didn't want him to go too far out of favoritism, which might make things difficult for the village head.

Zhong Yizhu looked at the smug woman nearby: "Auntie Huang, my business is just like anyone else's. You can go ask others just as well. You don't have to come to me."

Auntie Huang shot back: "How could that be the same?"

Zhong Yizhu replied unhurriedly: "What's so different? We're all unrelated, after all. Go look around—see if some other family has a trade you like, and go ask them to teach you, just like you're asking me today."

Auntie Huang looked around, but Zhong Yizhu cut her off: "Don't pull others into this. Every family has its own livelihood. If everyone taught everything openly, everyone would do the same thing and no one would make any money."

Seeing Auntie Huang at a loss for words, Zhong Yizhu turned to the other villagers and announced loudly: "Fellow villagers, our stall isn't hiring for now. You don't have to come looking for us every day."

With Zhong Yizhu being so firm, the gathered crowd fell silent. A few people's faces darkened immediately. Although most were just gawking, those who had genuinely been hoping for a job, out of real hardship, felt a pang of disappointment.

Some older folks were about to lecture Zhong Yizhu for forgetting his roots, but before they could speak, Zhong Yizhu changed his tone and added:

"However, there is one way to make some money right now. Any young women or young men in the village who are skilled in embroidery can come to the Zhong family old house to learn how to make perfume pouches and sachets from my mother. If your work passes her inspection and is deemed qualified, we'll take them. As for the pay—don't worry, it will be higher than what you'd get selling them at the town's fabric shop, not less."

Hearing this, many people's eyes lit up. Almost every woman and young man in the village knew how to embroider and sew, but taking their work to town meant facing picky buyers and lowball offers. Selling on their own was unreliable. Hardly any family could make a living from it alone.

But from what Zhong Yizhu said, as long as they made good perfume pouches and sachets under Sun Yunniang's guidance, he would take them all. And he promised to pay more than the town rate. This was a genuine opportunity.

The crowd buzzed with excitement: "Pick me, Zhu Ge'er! My embroidery is the best in the village!"

"Keep bragging! My Jade Girl's embroidery is way better than yours. Pick my Jade Girl, Zhu Ge'er!"

"Me too! Me too!"

"..."

Zhong Yizhu smiled at the few enthusiastic aunties and uncles: "Don't worry, everyone. Tomorrow at nine in the morning, bring some of your existing embroidery for my mother to see. She'll make the selection."

The crowd fell quiet for a moment. Zhong Yizhu turned around and sure enough, Pei Mu was coming out of the yard.

The sight of Pei Mu sobered many people. Although Zhong Yizhu seemed to be the one behind this business, he was a xiao ge'er; Pei Mu was the head of the household. The idea that they had just gotten excited over a young man's announcement made some of them a little uneasy. They stared at Pei Mu nervously, afraid he would say no.

But Pei Mu gave the crowd a cold sweep of his eyes and only said one thing: "Anyone who has gossiped about the Zhong family should not come. Use your head—don't wait for me to throw you out and then complain."

The crowd fell dead silent. Zhong Yizhu casually brushed some dust off Pei Mu's sleeve and smiled innocently at the villagers: "There might be other moneymaking opportunities later. When we need villagers for them, we'll let you all know, uncles and aunties. Don't worry—we're all from Liushan Village. It's only right for us to give each other a hand."

"Exactly!"

"We villagers are all united, so naturally we're better than those from other villages."

"Then we'll be waiting for you to hire us, Zhu Ge'er! Don't forget your Uncle Zhuzi when the time comes."

Zhong Yizhu's words, coming after Pei Mu's, immediately shut up those who were dissatisfied and trying to cause trouble.

As the crowd dispersed, the aunties and uncles were all excitedly discussing what kind of embroidery they should bring tomorrow to satisfy Sun Yunniang. It was very lively.

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Author's note: Oh, friends came over for dinner so I'm posting late~~ There are lucky red envelopes for you today!