Original subtitles

Lin Yue, you don't need to call.

You embezzled 50 million yuan from the group without permission.

I'll give you three days to make up for it, haha.

Lin Yuhe, you're about to die,

and you still

want to give me time?

After you die,

I'll take over your company

and your man.

Without me, you'll have nothing.

Yuhe

, don't scare your mother. Your

mother can't live without you

. Where am I?

How can I live like this ?

Let me tell you, Lin Haibaitang,

your Lin Yu

should stop dreaming of eating swan meat.

Yuhe, are you hungry?

Get up and eat.

Sister, eat quickly.

Tomorrow, Chang'an and I will sell the firewood

and buy you meat buns in town.

Yes, sister,

the meat buns in town are especially delicious

and sweet.

Yuhe, what's wrong? Why are you

crying?

Uncle will give you some

candy . Once you eat the candy, you can't cry anymore.

Why are you acting like you're going to die?

Find a better young man than the Zhang family

and make them regret it.

Eldest brother

, tomorrow you take your second brother to the Zhang family to formally break off

the engagement and get the betrothal letter back.

Five taels of silver? No way!

Why should they give five taels?

The two taels the Zhang family paid back then

were for the village girl's engagement. The closest relatives

are Zhang's son, and every year when he goes to school,

our family has to spend a fortune. We've

used all our money for the second son's marriage proposal.

I'm not in a hurry. I'll spend five taels to get Yuhe's birth certificate back.

I agree;

I'll definitely get the girl's birth certificate back tomorrow.

Old man, son, you

still have to go to Zhangjiazhuang today.

Don't work too late;

come back early. Get up

early in Chang'an and go to the mountains to dig some wild vegetables,

otherwise there won't be anything to eat tonight.

Okay, Grandma,

I'm going to the river to wash clothes.

Wait for Dad

and the others to come back.

You eat first.

Let Yuxia sleep a little longer today.

Okay, go ahead.

Yuhe, wake up! Come on , get dressed.

It's time for breakfast.

Yuhe, Mom's

Yuhe, don't scare your mother.

Tell her what's bothering

you. Don't keep it bottled up inside;

it'll make you sick.

Hurry up and wash.

Come closer and eat,

are you hungry? Eat quickly

, don't just stand

there, the food is getting cold. Where does it hurt?

Tell Grandma.

Chang'an,

go to the village and find Doctor Qian to take a look at your sister.

Okay ? Come on

, open your mouth, let me see.

Hmm, her throat is swollen.

She must have choked yesterday.

Lin Boma told Chang'an to go to my house to get two doses of medicine.

It's nothing serious,

she'll be fine in two days.

Okay, thank you, Doctor Qian.

How much is the medicine?

Lin Boma, 30 copper coins

, you give me 20.

How about it? Yuhe, is the engagement

officially called off?

Yes, the Zhang family clan chief is the witness.

Why did you still go to the Zhang family clan chief?

You little brat!

Back then, we gave 2 taels of silver for

the engagement, but we didn't expect the Zhang family

to be so greedy, demanding 10 taels

, or else they wouldn't give

us any more money. What

about the marriage certificate? That Zhang family is a thousand-year-old bastard

, 10 taels! You agree to give it, but

I don't. What do I do? The marriage

certificate is in their hands!

You little brat! It was my second brother who went to the Zhang family clan chief

. He said if the Zhang family went too far,

he would go to the school and the county government to sue the Zhang family.

The county magistrate took back Ran Yuqing's academic degree.

They finally got it back after negotiating five taels.

Let's not mention this matter again.

If she comes back, our Yuhe girl will still be ours.

We don't have any leverage against her

anymore. Haitang, our chickens didn't lay any eggs today

. Go to your third uncle's house later and borrow a few eggs to cook for Yuhe girl. Haitang, third aunt, third uncle, what brings you here? Haitang, I came to see Yuhe girl. Third uncle, listen to me, he insisted on coming too. Here,

take

this

.

We

do

n't

have

anything

good

at

home

for

her. Hey, take a few eggs

and steam them for him.

Haitang, what are you doing?

Don't let your third aunt laugh at you. Your third aunt gave you eggs,

thank you so much.

Next time we have

something good, we'll share some with your third aunt. Third

brother , third sister-

in-law, come sit in the yard.

I was just saying I wanted Haitang to borrow some eggs from your house,

and you brought them over.

As the eldest sister-in-law, I thank you both.

Yuhe,

how are

you? Be good, don't be sad.

How's the food at home?

Is it enough? If not,

we'll give you some to

tide you over.

It should be enough for the autumn harvest.

Brother, no need.

Your son is even bigger than mine.

They say half-grown boys ,

and that's absolutely true.

Brother, what are you doing? Girl,

now that the engagement is broken off,

is Gengtian back?

This is an important matter

, we can't be

careless. We'll get it back. Don't worry,

we spent a whole two

taels of silver

going together. That Zhang Tie only wants two taels of silver

. Now our family wants our things back, we need five taels.

You two brothers, why are you getting so worked up?

Can't you talk things out

properly?

Sister-in-law, my brother is a good-natured man.

Are you really willing to spend five taels of silver to buy Gengtian back?

Second brother isn't even married yet, just

give them two

taels. We can always earn more

money back. Getting the jade token back is more valuable than anything else.

Yuhe, your

third uncle didn't say you

weren't important. We're willing to spend whatever it takes.

Your third uncle just thinks Zhang... " You're too greedy

,

sister-in-law. What's wrong with the child?

Isn't this all over?

The child's throat is still

sore and she's taking medicine. Sister-in

-law , let's go back.

There's still a lot to do at home.

If you need anything, come find me at home.

I'll save up some more eggs for the girl.

After she finishes eating, go to Haitang and get them from home.

Yuhe, don't be sad.

The Zhang

family isn't a good family

. No matter what you become in the future,

you'll always be the Lin family's precious child.

Yuhe, you've finally spoken!

My granddaughter is back!

You're my granddaughter from now on.

What did you put in the cupboard?

Changping, go to the village entrance to greet your

uncle. Why hasn't he come back yet?

Grandma, let's go back."

Why are you back so late today?

I was worried you might have run into some bad people.

Here

, besides buying some things today,

I also made some money.

Here's 10 copper coins for you.

I'll keep some as capital.

Okay, Mom will save it up for you.

When we've saved enough, we'll find a matchmaker to help you find a

wife. My child

, you blush just thinking about finding a wife for you.

Let's all

eat steamed buns together. My younger brother bought them.

You're all very good.

Each of you has a piece of candy.

This candy is new to me today;

it's much more expensive than the others.

You'll have a copper coin. Try it after dinner.

Uncle, I know how to make this candy. Did

you buy it expensively?

Yuhe, what are you saying?

Did I hear that right?

You said you can make this

? Really?

This candy is ridiculously expensive.

If I really can make

it, I buy it for one penny for two pieces,

and I sell it for one penny a piece outside.

Uncle , we don't like candy,

so you can take it and sell it.

No matter how expensive it is, as long as Uncle has

it , you can have it

if you want.

Uncle will make some for you tomorrow.

It will be much cheaper than what you buy from the shops in town,

and I can earn more.

But you need to invest first

. Yuhe, what is an investment?

Good niece, I'll invest.

Let's work together.

You make it, and I'll sell it.

Okay? We'll split it 50/50.

Uncle, no need for 50/50.

It's all yours. Once

we've made some money, we'll find a pretty aunt for

you . Okay, we'll talk about it

during the day tomorrow. Let

's eat first, or it'll be too dark to see anything.

Let's eat. Eat breakfast

and go to sleep. If you fall asleep, you won't be hungry

and you can eat breakfast tomorrow.

Begonia, when you cook rice tomorrow morning ,

put a handful more rice in the pot. Wash

the pots and pans tomorrow after you finish eating,

don't waste lamp oil.

Everyone go to sleep early

and get up early tomorrow to do chores.

Get up! Second brother

, why aren't you up yet today? If

you stay up any longer, you won't be able to visit many villages.

Mom, I'm getting up now

. I'm not going to visit any villages today.

Keep your voice down

, or you'll wake Yuhe up again.

Ah,

Uncle, how much are you selling this pattern for?

One

small one

costs one coin and I'll sell it for three coins.

Two large ones cost two coins and I'll sell them for four coins.

It's new stock from yesterday.

If you want to embroider,

pick one you like

. Once you've embroidered it, I'll sell it to you

as your private embroidery.

I can't draw, it's

a piece of cake for me,

Uncle. Do you have any sugar,

flour, peanuts, melon seeds, or anything like that?

Yuhe, come eat and drink your medicine.

The doctor said your throat will be completely better after another day of drinking it.

Mother, don't boil eggs for me anymore.

Save them to sell for money.

The ones Auntie gave me can still last one day,

so I'll boil them all for you.

We don't have any money at home, so I'll buy you some meat.

Mother, I'll earn lots of money in the future

, and we'll have delicious

food every day. Yuhe, let's see what else is available at the clinic.

I'll go to town now and buy everything together.

Second brother, give me an extra 50 coins.

Do n't run out.

Don't buy too much for the first time.

Mother, 50 coins is too much.

Give me 20 coins.

I still have a little bit.

Hey,

Grandma, how far is our house from town?

It takes an hour to walk there.

We can take an oxcart, and each person gets a copper coin.

Old Li from the west of the village...

Grandma, once I've earned some money from this

, I'll buy an oxcart

and take you and your mother to town for a stroll.

Grandma, I'm just

waiting to enjoy the blessings of my little girl!

Grandma, do we have peanuts, sesame seeds, or melon seeds?

The sesame seeds are hanging in the kitchen

, just a little bit

, I don't know how to eat

them. We had some peanuts

last year,

which we wanted to sell to buy grain,

but this year the price didn't go up,

it's actually cheaper.

It's a tough year for everyone in the village.

Let's help each other out

in the crabapple orchard.

Let Lin Hai go out and find some

work. Godmother, I'll talk to the child's father later

. Mother, I think I heard someone calling you outside.

Is that you? Scoop out the sesame seeds,

I'll go see.

Father, Mother, Brother,

what brings you here?

Tell me why I'm here

. If we don't... So,

how long are you planning to keep

this from us? You and the bookstore...

Oh

dear, Yuhe,

are

you alright ? You

scared your grandmother to death!

Grandfather, I'm fine . It's our in-laws who

've arrived. Haitang, why don't you go get a stool and sit down?

It's Changping and Chang'an

who told Uncle's two children in town.

They couldn't explain what

happened. They spent 5 taels of silver.

The Zhang family is truly inhuman

and a bad bunch.

I'll go kill that family

and bring them back. Don't

cause trouble for your brother-in-law's family

. It'll take a long time.

Here's 5 jin of flour,

a piece of meat, and a piece of lard

for Yuhe . We'll stew it today.

What's the big deal? You're

so greedy. You don't learn anything good, you just learn from your father.

You're such a troublesome in -law, and you've spent so much money on us again.

Thank you so much.

In-laws , have some food. After dinner,

I'm going to the vegetable garden to pick some vegetables.

Grandma, let's pick

up Grandma again for dinner

sometime when we have time

. Take this and buy some treats for Yuhe.

Don't let your mother-in-law know.

Yuhe candy is 35 yuan a pound.

I bought one pound

and two pounds of flour

. I'll buy more when

I make a profit. Uncle, you 're so good

at bragging !

How old are you?

Still bullying your niece?

You're really something!

Uncle bought one pound of candy today.

I'll make two

kinds, one for you to sell

. I'll refine it again.

Yuhe, you're in charge of this.

Whatever kind you make, I'll sell.

Mom, help me heat the pot.

Mom, the fire's a bit too high, adjust the heat.

Yuhe, watch your step, be careful.

I know. Grandma,

Grandma, try our candy, is it good?

Mom, try it too, is it sweet

? No need to... You're feeding

me! It's

so delicious and sweet,

much better than store-bought!

Little Yuhe,

what are you planning to make with the leftover sugar powder

? Sister, this candy is so delicious

, not only sweet but also fragrant.

Don't eat any more after this;

keep it to sell for money!

Uncle, what price should

we sell it at so we don't lose money?

Yuhe, for this ordinary kind, we'll sell it for one coin a piece;

we won't lose money

. Uncle, look, my hands are red from using the sugar-boiling machine.

Next time Yuhe asks

, Uncle will make it.

Uncle, I was thinking that making candy requires adding labor costs,

and the pots and firewood at home, right?

Grandma and Grandpa, making candy interferes with other work, right?

I think the most ordinary candy should be sold by weight,

separately, for three coins a piece.

Honey,

what happened? You

fell! "

Daughter, Dad's alright, he

's not hurt. You don't need to help him up,

haha. Look at you,

so pathetic! Get up already!

Uncle, have you thought about how to sell them?

And

you need to figure out how to handle the haggling.

Actually, you could find some new shops to sell

first, let your uncle practice.

Don't worry, I'll weigh them properly. I'll sell them

by the pound, cheaper

if it's one pound, two for five coins each.

Uncle, I think Changping and Chang'an should also sell candy.

You three discuss it.

Okay, all of you stop eating them.

These all cost copper coins .

Mom, I'll just try one more piece. I'll

try the peanut-coated candy.

Sweet candy!

Oh, candy!

Come, come, look at it!

Sweet candy!

Delicious candy!

Kid, how much for your candy

?

Three coins each!"

"What? Three coins each?

You're just robbing

us! Can

we try some? Wait a minute!

Hey

, not bad,

this candy is really sweet!

Kid! I want two pieces!

Okay,

sure!

Auntie, here

you go! We don't have a stall fee here,

we can just stroll around and call out

to you! Hey,

it's been a long time!

This young man

looks familiar. He's here

today because I need something

. I used to buy candy from you.

Today I'd like you to try some of the candies I have.

Hmm, they taste good.

Who made these?

My surname is Lin. I'd like to do candy business with you,

long-term supply,

price negotiable.

Young man Lin, we at Cao's candy shop can make all three kinds.

We don't get our supplies from outside."

This third shopkeeper isn't... He's a good guy.

He wants to learn from

Yuhe. Come and eat the noodles

while they're hot, or your stomach will hurt.

Mother, I don't want to eat the noodles Grandmother sent.

Let's steam some buns

so everyone can eat. Sister

, it seems you sold out of the candy you brought today.

Sister , you're amazing

! How did you know we sold out?

Come in and see! Come in and see

! Sister, do you know how many copper coins we sold? We

made a fortune! Hmm,

54 copper coins

, right? Lin Yuchang arranged it

.

Hehe, Fan'er, how was the candy sales today? How

many copper coins did you earn? Tell me!

What can I do?

Because you're stupid

! You're so stupid!

Uncle, drink up!

From now on, we can't drink tap water. All the water we

drink must be

boiled .

Uncle, today... I didn't sell many candies.

I was rejected by the third manager of Cao's shop.

Later, I sold most of them by hawking them myself.

The third manager even put away a few.

He might try to steal

my uncle's recipe. Isn't that good?

All the candies I took out were sold.

As for the third manager trying to steal my recipe

, don't worry, I know how. I have

plenty more. I have secret recipes

. Chang'an, go open the gate to this courtyard.

Changping, stand in the courtyard

and call out when someone approaches.

Yes, I know. Auntie,

it's hot and the candy will melt easily.

I need to think of a way to cool it down.

Chang'an, Chang'an,

hurry up and follow your sister.

Don't let your sister go to the river.

I know, Grandma.

I will watch over my sister.

The original owner of this body ended here.

I start here.

Sister, the river is shallow

. Don't worry,

we're going home.

My sister died once,

she won't do anything rash again.

Hey,

what are you three doing standing by the river?

Father, what are you carrying?

Let me help you.

Daughter, this is too heavy.

These are snails I picked from the ditch

to feed the ducks.

Father, the snail meat is edible

and very delicious.

Let's go pick some more.

Ouch, ouch,

that hurts! Father,

why did you kick me?

Changping, hurry up and take the bucket home,

and bring two more buckets.

This thing seems to be in every ditch.

Father, please say less, or you

'll get kicked by

Grandpa again. Daughter, it's all mud and water down there ,

you're on top, it's okay

if you stand on it.

Daughter

, don't get your clothes dirty

. Oh

, little girl, what are you looking at?

That's inedible

. Hmm, not bad

, the bigger the better.

You're a girl,

you can't get tanned.

Grandpa, give me the hoe

, I want to dig up this stuff underneath.

My goodness

, your shoes and pants are all covered in mud!

Auntie, this stuff underneath is edible

and can be sold for a lot of money!

Oh, sister,

I understand,

this is the root of a lotus flower

. This is called lotus root.

Be careful

not to get mud inside the lotus root.

Auntie, stop digging!

Quickly wash the lotus root clean.

The bucket is almost full. Boss, stop

digging!

Tomorrow we'll take the kids to a farther place to dig and

dump all the snails out of the bucket. After harvesting

the lotus root, I broke it off at the node and put it at the bottom of the bucket.

The remaining lotus root was hidden in our field.

On the way, I said the snails I found were for feeding the ducks

. Grandpa, why don't you come back later and carry

them home with a shoulder pole?

What's the rush? Come back later when no one's around. Grandpa

, put your shoes on first.

Uncle Lin, what are you doing?

What good stuff

is in the bucket? Just some snails to feed the ducks.

There are plenty more in the ditch over there.

Really, these are just unwanted snails.

I thought they were something special.

Pah! Look at you, a grown woman

, covered in mud!

Look at the mud on your face!

Here's a basin of water.

First , wash your face.

Look at all this mud on your face!

Yulan

,

you stinky woman

,

you splashed water all over me!

Chen Cuihua, you're the stinky woman!

Climbing

into

people

's

yards

, sneaking through

door

cracks

,

what

nonsense

are

you

spouting

?!

Why

are

n't

you

pulling

your

mother

away

?!

Aaaaaaahh

...

"

Didn't you get possessed by something unclean,

Chen Da? Why

don't you take your mother back and tell your father to keep a closer eye on

He Ya'er ? Are you alright now?

From now on, no matter how big the problem, you can't try to kill yourself again.

Uncle Village Chief, I know I was wrong.

It's hot outside,

come inside and have a bowl of cool tea.

Oh, your yard really needs some repairs.

Auntie, Dad and I have collected a lot of snails, we'll pack

some for you to take home and feed the ducks.

You guys are busy

, we're done here, we need

to pack up and go to the fields.

Hmph, what good stuff did you two dig up that

even Chen Pozi followed us home?

What is this thing?

Why does this mud look so familiar ?

My sister said it's called a vegetable,

and that it's edible

. Mom , let me comb your hair,

Chen Pozi messed it up.

Grandma, that Chen Pozi is really bad,

she pulled out so much of your hair.

You shouldn't go to the village to make candy for a while,

just say your uncle learned it.

If all else fails,

tell the villagers that what you dug up is edible.

I understand, Auntie

, tell me how to eat this." It's delicious whether

you wash it clean, steam it,

boil it,

or make lotus root starch.

Sister , how do you eat this? It's hard

on your teeth and mouth.

First, wash it clean

and put it in a basin

to let it purge the

dirt.

It'll be ready to eat in a day or two. Grandma, do we have any chili peppers

, ginger,

star anise, or other seasonings

? We have ginger at home.

We didn't go into the mountains to take pictures.

Sister, my third aunt's house has chili peppers,

I'll go get them.

Do you know which house the doctor who prescribed medicine for me last time lives in the west of the village?

Sister, what do you need Dr. Qian for

? Are you feeling unwell?

I'm fine. I

want to see

Dr. Qian to buy some things

. He girl, you can't go,

let Changping go .

Grandma, let's clean the snails

and put them in the pot

quickly. We 'll be making sugar later.

Grandma, is our second batch of vegetables enough

for our winter? Instead of picking

wild vegetables

, we'll go pickle some with Grandma in the woods to gather mushrooms,

which are worth a lot of money

when we dry them. Uncle, why are you back so late today?

Where did you buy the sugar powder?

Cao's shop sold the same sugar as ours today, so

I secretly bought some.

Uncle, can you tell

the difference between their sugar and ours?

The color isn't nice

, it's not translucent, the sugar is overcooked, it's bitter

, and there's residue. It's not overcooked

; I refined the sugar first before making the sugar.

Hey girl, are you saying that because you made the sugar whiter

, our sugar is different from others

? That's right, Uncle

, we're not making sugar today.

I'll make some different sugar tomorrow. Oh,

there's something delicious today, wait and eat!

Sister, you're amazing!

We've been picking out half... From now

on, follow your sister and you'll have a full meal every day.

It's just a little troublesome to eat this;

picking this takes too long.

You two little rascals have meat to eat and you still complain about the trouble,

Mom. What are you washing? This is

called lotus root

, the root of the thing we pick and sell.

Don't go out and make a

fuss. Changping, go wash the pot.

Chang'an, go get the lotus root Grandma washed.

Yuhe, you rest for a while and

bring it to roll out the pancakes.

Changping, don't turn the fire up too high,

Grandma. Roll the pancakes a little thinner.

Linlang,

why do I smell the aroma of food?

Who's cooking this? What's so delicious?

Only the village chief's family in the village is a little better off

. You must be mistaken.

Eat your pancakes,

Auntie

, try my cooking. It's so good!

Heya, you eat it yourself.

They all have hands.

Sister, this snail meat is so fragrant

and spicy,

even better than pork ! Yes,

sister, and this lotus root

has a crunchy texture, I wouldn't trade it for meat.

Eldest, you guys go collect snails

and lotus roots tomorrow. Dig for a few more days

and find a chance to tell the village chief that this is edible

. Okay, Dad

, I'll take the second brother later to bring back the lotus roots we hid. We'll

go after everyone in the village has gone to sleep.

Be careful on the road, avoid people.

The Lin family is haunted.

Collecting snails and the whole family dies.

The mosquitoes are biting me to

death. I'll come back tomorrow.

Mother, I want to go to the back mountain to dig some wild vegetables.

Changping, An

, you two go with your sister.

Don't go too far.

Okay, Mother

, you guys collect some snails when you have time

. Don't collect too many, don't

attract attention.

After you finish picking them today, have Yuhe stir-fry them.

Send a bowl to your third grandfather.

Sister, what's wrong? "Hey, you 're here to pick wild vegetables too!

Grandma usually doesn't let you go out. Sister,

there are too many people here

, you can't compete. Go

home first,

I'll bring you some after I'm done

, hahaha. Sister

, come with us,

brother has a secret place, hehe.

Sister, we're here! This place is

enough for us to pick two baskets.

Sister, that's grass,

you can't eat it, it smells really bad.

Over there is a patch

of this called mint

, also known as sedge.

This is a good thing,

you can make mint candy

, I'm sure a lot of people will like it.

Oh, sister,

is this valuable?

This isn't valuable

, but it's delicious

in a cold salad.

Grandpa and his family are coming to our house for dinner tonight,

I'll cook something delicious for you.

Sister, you can't eat this either,

it's wild grass we picked while sweeping the floor

, hehehe. Sister,

I've brought you some water."

Grandma, I told Lin Tong

I'd invite Auntie's family over for dinner tonight.

Please come

! I was thinking of making some stir-fried snails and bringing them a bowl.

Auntie is so easy to get along with;

she even brought you eggs when you were sick

! Yeah

,

sister, what did you make?

The smell is so invigorating!

I made some peppermint candy;

it's good for getting you up and running.

What did we make?

This

smells so good!

Shut your mouth, don't say anything, nobody

's going to think you're mute!

Dad, are you alright?

Grandpa, Dad,

was the spicy stir-fried snails I made yesterday delicious?

So delicious! So

delicious I wanted to swallow my tongue

! Hey girl, did you hear what your dad said?

What do you want to do?

Grandpa, I think since the snails are so delicious...

Can we go to town to sell snail meat

? Yes, we can.

You can cook it at home

and we'll sell it in town.

You two, don't say anything yet

, listen to what the child has to say.

Actually, these snails can not only be picked

clean, but also stir-fried

with the shell on. We also have chili and star

anise for stir-frying snails. We don't have much,

so we can't buy them often.

That's easy.

I'll go to another town tomorrow and buy

some. Other pharmacies also sell them.

Grandma, you see, you

have to clean them one by one

and then crush the hindquarters to let them absorb the flavor.

Oh dear, this is just like picking snail meat,

it's quite a lot of work.

You're making it a hassle to eat?

Tie your mouth shut

, don't eat them.

Dad, don't clean the snails anymore,

go to Grandma's house and invite them over for dinner.

Okay, little girl,

you're always worrying about adult things.

Sister-in-law, look at the pancakes I made today. Is it delicious? Doesn't it

smell good,

sister-in-law? This is some wild vegetable stir-fried eggs I made at home,

it's still warm!

Haha, you brought food when you came over to eat,

you guys are really something!

Hey girl, your cooking skills have improved!

What did you make? It smells so good!

Hey, let me help you start the fire,

you just focus on cooking.

How's Lin Hua

's blacksmithing skill going?

I don't know,

and I don't want to ask him.

He's grown up,

he won't say anything.

High heat and quick stir-frying are key to flavor.

Steamed vegetables need to be mixed with seasonings while they're hot to taste good.

Finally, make some dumpling soup, and you'll be all set.

Don't bother

, hurry up and wash your hands and eat!

The food my sister made must be especially delicious.

My goodness,

so much delicious food

, how much did this cost

? Isn't this snail for feeding ducks?

Why is it on the table?

How do you eat these shelled ones?

I 've never seen

them before. Let me teach you how.

Just suck it out ,

it's so easy! Hey,

it really is just the shell left!

How did this girl manage

to suck it out so easily?

What's going on

? Why can't I suck it out

? Hey, why isn't it coming out

? Why is it so hard to suck it out? Hmm,

this is actually very simple.

Honey, you're amazing,

just like our daughter!

Teach me! It's embarrassing with

so many people

watching.

You eat this first. Everyone

, use a needle to pick them out,

it's less effort that way.

It seems everyone is very competitive,

no one wants to use a needle

. Auntie, Uncle,

do you think these snails are delicious?

Can we sell them?

Hey girl, these steamed wild vegetables are delicious

and can be sold for money

. They 're so delicious!

Go sell them, they'll definitely sell well.

Tomorrow we'll all help you pick snails.

Use this bowl to hold them.

One bowl

costs 6 coins, buy two bowls, we'll only charge the lowest price. For your convenience,

He Yatou, I'll need at least two or three bowls of these.

At your price, I'd have to eat

20 coins!

Before I knew it, I'd eaten so much! It's

so delicious!

Lin Shao, eat up!

After you finish, we'll go pick

more from the ditch; there

's plenty more. It won't cost a single copper coin!

He Yatou, isn't six coins too much?

One bowl of snails is equivalent to half a pound of pork!

If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be willing to

buy them. How can we sell them?

Third Aunt, we didn't spend any money on the

snails , but we put in the effort!

The ingredients for stir-frying the snails also cost money,

plus the transportation and stall fees.

To be honest, I even considered selling them for 8 coins a bowl.

Tomorrow, someone will definitely imitate us

; we need to find a way to retain customers.

He Yatou, we'll be cleaning snails here

. You go to sleep

first; you have to get up early tomorrow to stir-fry snails.

Okay, you guys should rest early too.

Today was indeed tiring

; you must be energetic tomorrow.

Yuhe, wake up!

It gets light early in summer. It's getting late

, we'll miss the deadline.

I hope we can get a good price today

and make the girl happy.

Grandma, have you finished all the preparations?

Yes

, we're just waiting for you to cook them.

Grandma, add some

firewood and turn up the fire!

Chang'an, Changping, today you and your sister are going to sell snails. You

have to listen to your sister in everything, and

you have to listen to Yuhe too.

Don't talk too much.

Yuhe, here are 20 copper coins.

Pack them up. If you

can sell them, sell them. If you can't

, bring them back and we'll eat them ourselves.

Okay , Grandma,

don't worry. Our snails are so delicious

, how could we not sell them?

Don't worry, Grandma,

we'll definitely sell them all today

and earn lots of copper coins!

Dad,

are you tired?

How about we take an oxcart? I

'm so tired, my legs can't even lift them.

Honey, Dad

isn't tired, are you?

There'll be an oxcart later, you can take it to the town gate and

wait for us. Dad isn't tired, I'll come with you

.

My brothers didn't say they were tired,

I can't hold them back.

Sister, look,

we're here! We're

finally here!

If we hadn't come any closer, my legs would have given out!

Qing Shi Town, yes

, sister. People from several nearby villages come to this town for the market.

Sister has never been to town before,

I need to tell her all about it.

Oh,

our Chang'an is such a kind and understanding little man,

one steady

and the

other lively . Sister,

this is fine, this is a good spot.

Luckily we arrived early

and got a good spot.

Dad, wipe your sweat first.

Mom made this for you,

pack it up. You're

too skinny

to carry this

, this is our family's signboard.

Last night, Mom and I stayed up all night... "The embroidery

will be a golden signboard for my daughter in

the future . Dad, hold it tight

and stand behind us.

You mustn't let it fall over

. Don't worry, daughter

. Dad is holding it steady.

Let's take out a little so everyone can see what it looks like.

Why isn't anyone coming over to ask?

We need to think of a way to attract customers.

This child, why are you selling things meant for feeding ducks?

You little girl, really!

Selling things meant for feeding ducks at home to people to eat.

You're so young and you're already learning

bad habits. Using these junk to cheat people out of money.

How dare you talk

to my daughter

like that? I'll beat you up,

Dad. Just watch the signboard.

My sister can handle it. Do

n't worry, let me handle

it." Finally, someone spoke up.

This was a good opportunity.

"Sister ,

this is delicious

. We brought it to sell because we've tried it ourselves.

We even added our Lin family's secret recipe."

I'll have one, and you can see

if it's really edible

and tasty.

And you,

my daughter is older than you,

yet you call me

"sister" and "auntie." This girl has a sweet tongue

and doesn't seem like a bad person.

Really? Auntie, you look so young,

with fair and smooth skin.

Auntie, women love

that! It's really delicious.

Come on, she'll definitely try it now.

Auntie, there are two ways to eat it

: you can suck it out

or pick it out.

Yes, that's how you pick it out!

You're amazing!

My goodness, it's so delicious! It's spicy

, numbing,

and incredibly fragrant.

How about it, master

? Is it delicious? It's a sure thing;

if she thinks it's delicious, she'll definitely buy it.

Hey, ma'am,

how about it? Is it delicious?

Little girl, how much are these snails

? Can we try some?

Yes, we can all try them!

Our snails are fresh, fragrant, spicy, and

numbing. 6 coins a bowl

, 10 coins for two bowls.

Small business.

The secret recipe is hard to make, so

each person can only try one,

please forgive me.

What kind of duck feed costs 6 coins?

Isn't that ripping people off?

You say it's expensive

, but you're quick to grab it!

Young lady, your snails are indeed delicious.

I want four bowls .

They're so good, I

'll buy them for my family to try.

Okay, auntie,

four bowls! Oh no,

I only brought two bowls!

What am I going to do?

Chang'an, quickly go to the noodle shop across the street and buy some bowls. Come back

quickly! Okay, sister

, I'll be right back !

Finally, we've opened for

business , and it's a big order!

Sister, I 've bought the bowls!

Great! Chang'an

, give me these! Auntie,

four bowls of snails. Here you go,

20 in total.

Hmm, not bad,

young lady, you're not greedy.

There's also 4 coins for the bowls, you didn't include that.

It's 24 coins in total.

This young lady is really kind

. I'll come back to buy from her again.

Auntie, 24 coins is just right.

Here you go, your 10 boxes. Come

back when you're done eating!

Give me one bowl,

I want two bowls.

Pack them up for me.

Okay! One bowl is 6 coins

, two bowls are 10 coins.

Reality is better than I imagined. I should

have brought more.

Sold out, sold out!

One coin each.

Unintentionally, I'm involved in the noodle shop business.

Are coins really that easy to earn?

It feels a bit unreal.

We really made money!

20 coins!

Chang'an, take the money!

10 coins! Chang'an, oh,

okay, sister. I only realized it was real when I heard the sound of coins.

We've struck it rich!

Fellow villagers,

today's snails are all sold out.

No more! Little girl, you're talking nonsense.

Don't you still have two bowls in your bucket?

We're not refusing to give you coins.

Uncle, please forgive me.

The remaining two bowls are for my family.

One bowl is for the waiter, and

one bowl is for my uncle

. We've waited so long and it's still not here.

Isn't that a waste of time?

We've waited all this time for nothing.

Fellow villagers

, let's come back tomorrow

. Look for our old Linmaluo

shop. We really couldn't make it up to you today, alright?

Come early

tomorrow. Be sure to bring plenty tomorrow.

Changping, An'an

, pack your things .

Father, you stay here and watch the bucket.

We're going to buy some things.

The flour at home is almost

gone . We need to replenish our grain first

. Little girl, this isn't a place to play. You're

dressed so poorly, you

definitely can't afford anything.

Shopkeeper, this isn't a place to sell rice, flour, or grain.

I can't ask questions.

In any era

, we always respect the clothes first, then the person.

There's nothing to be angry about.

Little girl, white flour is 12 coins, the best

polished rice is 15 coins,

old rice is 10 coins,

broken rice is 8 coins. I have

5 jin of wheat flour,

5 jin of aged rice, and 2 jin of refined

rice. The aged rice is edible, so

I'll buy this

much to last for a while.

I'm really sorry for

turning people away earlier.

The shopkeeper gave them a cloth bag to put the grain in

, consider it

a gift. The shopkeeper is alright, I'll

come again next time.

Thank you, shopkeeper. Shopkeeper,

young man, can you help us deliver this to the market?

My family

is waiting for us over there. Changping, please show us the way.

I want to buy this, I want to buy that,

so many things,

but we're

all short of things at home.

Sister, don't buy anymore,

let's go. Why are you still buying?

Never mind, let's come another day.

I have something to do

. I only have less than 100 copper coins left in my pocket,

I can't buy anymore.

My goodness, how many copper coins will this cost?

Sister bought so much stuff,

that 's amazing!

Who can afford to support someone spending money like this

? This girl spends money too much,

she doesn't know how to save at all

. Father, what did you just say to me?

I didn't hear

you clearly, say it again

. I didn't say anything.

Okay, Changping , go and

deliver the snails to your uncle. If you

don't go to town soon, the market will close,

and your uncle will have to leave.

Leave your purse here.

Going to his butcher shop, I'll definitely buy meat.

But meat is so expensive!

The vegetable and meat vendors aren't in the same area,

they're

quite far apart

. Hey, look,

here you go!

Hey, take this! If you

want meat, come to the back!

Little Uncle, oh,

Xiao Yuhe's here! Daughter Yuhe's here

! Oh, little girl,

I've missed you so much!

Auntie's so enthusiastic!

Auntie's too kind! Little

Uncle, Auntie, Little Uncle, your

second daughter is just as enthusiastic towards me as she is towards her older sister, isn't she? Hey,

Little Uncle, this is some snails for you.

Hmm, I know.

Why are you so cold? I'm

a little disappointed .

Little Uncle, these are the snails I stir-fried.

Try them! They're delicious!

We're here to sell snails too, we've

sold them all.

This was specially reserved for you,

haha! Little Uncle

, let me teach you how to eat snails

. Look... With a gentle suck,

the snail meat comes out!

Mmm, spicy, fresh,

and delicious! My Yuhe is amazing

! Yes, Yuhe, your skills are incredible!

I heard from several customers today that

someone over there sells a really delicious snail.

I never imagined it was my own sister's business.

Little Yuhe, your place is a bit far from here.

Why don't you set up your stall next time you come here?

Right next to my meatball stall.

Let's

see who dares to bully my niece!

Uncle, no need,

sister,

let's go . We still need to deliver clothes to my brother

later. Today's customers said they'll come back to buy gongs tomorrow

, so we need to go back early to prepare

. Okay, if you come to sell gongs again tomorrow,

I'll have your cousin help you out

. Take this

back and let your mother cook it for you.

How much would

such a big piece of meat

cost ? Uncle, can't take it!

Do you think these offal pig heads sell well?

No, rich people don't eat this stuff;

only poor people buy it.

But this stuff needs to be prepared properly; it'll rot.

Although it's cheap

, it doesn't sell much.

Fatty pork is 18 coins a pound,

lean pork is 15 coins,

and this offal is 5 coins , but

it's still hard to sell.

Uncle, I don't want this meat.

Give today's offal to

Yuhe. Although it can be sold as meat,

it's not easy to cook;

it really doesn't taste good

. This meat is much better.

Do you have it? Aunt,

do you think my snails are delicious?

But it's not free.

You said this meat isn't as good as offal,

fine, then your uncle won't be polite

anymore, haha, this girl has a silver tongue, she

can even make the dead come back to life.

This

is enough for you to eat for several days.

Changping, this isn't cleaned properly,

it smells bad. Carry it away from your sister,

don't let the smell bother her. Your

uncle's favoritism is too obvious,

but this is free meat,

I'll bear with it.

Father, what's wrong with you

? Aren't you tired carrying that carrying pole?

Sister, why did you only come now?

Father said he carried a lot of copper coins,

we have to be careful,

we can't let thieves target us

. Yuhe, why did it take you so long to come back?

We have to hurry home.

Last night I told you not to

collect snails at home,

I'm worried there won't be any snails to sell tomorrow.

It's too unsafe to carry so many copper coins .

Song Chang'an and Changping,

you two go together to deliver snail meat and clothes to Brother Bei

. Changping, you and your father go back to the village.

No, if I go back to the village alone

and leave you in town,

your grandmother will beat

me to death. It's too unsafe for a young girl to walk at night.

Father, I'm fine,

you go back.

No,

I can't leave you here all alone no matter what.

Okay, let the two younger brothers go first.

I wonder how your eldest brother is doing at the restaurant?

I haven't seen him in a long time. I

see you, eldest brother

, wiping the table.

Eldest brother, what's wrong? I think I heard my sister's voice.

Are you hallucinating from hunger?

Yuhe, why are you here?

Father, eldest brother

, what kind of face did you slap?

Who dares to hit my eldest brother?

I'm not finished with him.

You're the one who hit my brother.

That's the silver that Lin Changfu stole.

He deserved it.

I didn't get to the yamen before it was open, so they've already shown mercy.

If you can do it

, do it; if you can't, get out.

I know my eldest brother best.

"Absolutely impossible!

I can't believe this seemingly honest young man

stole money!

Don't cry, I need to get justice for my brother!

Brother, did you steal money from the counter?

I want to hear the truth.

A child of the Lin family

would never do anything like stealing.

Changfu, tell the

truth! What really happened?

Sister, believe me,

I didn't take a bronze plaque from the counter.

I don't know who put five coins under my pillow.

The shopkeeper said I took it

and punished me by not letting me eat for two days!

My brother said

the shopkeeper's nephew lives in the same room as him;

that man often goes out gambling.

Shopkeeper, how much silver did you lose, waiter

? " There were two people involved.

Why didn't you say it was your nephew who stole

it? How did he know it was me?

I

didn't take the two taels of silver from the counter

. The shopkeeper didn't say how much money was missing.

How do you know it was two

taels? It was clearly you who stole it and stuffed

it under my brother's pillow. You

're framing him!

Wait, wait, wait!

What's all this commotion?

Zhang Gouzi, you owe Fugui the gambling den five taels of silver. You've

only paid back two taels, still

three taels to go.

When will you finish paying it off?

You just said my nephew doesn't gamble,

now you've proven yourself

wrong, shopkeeper. It seems you've framed the wrong person.

It's your nephew who stole the money from the counter to gamble.

Shopkeeper, I think you... I'm too old

to say anything about slapping my brother back,

but you need to apologize to him.

My brother quits today, so

you need to pay him his wages.

You little brat , you dare

slap me again?

Let's see if you dare

refuse to work here.

There are plenty of people who want this job.

If you don't like it,

then don't blame me for being ruthless.

Everyone come and see!

The restaurant owner

stole money from the counter to gamble

, hit my brother

, and hasn't given him food for two days.

What happened? What's

going on?

Hey, isn't that the little girl selling snails at the market?

This little girl is really nice.

The snails they sell are especially delicious,

I've bought from them before,

they are indeed delicious

. Shopkeeper

, you've wrongly accused someone

of stealing money and even hit someone,

that's too much!

You need to apologize to them right now

, otherwise we won't come to your house to eat anymore.

I'm sorry, brother

, go pack your things,

we're not working today, let's

go home

. It's hard for me to find work now

, this wage is low

but it's stable.

Why has my sister become so fierce?

Poor

child,

he's suffered so much injustice.

Changfu, listen to your sister

, we can't take this insult, we

can only listen to your sister.

I hope he can find work

in the future. My brother has suffered so much here

, I will definitely make sure he has a good life in the future.

Shopkeeper, my brother is quitting today

, yesterday was exactly half a month ago,

my brother... My monthly wage was 100 coins

, and yesterday it was exactly 50 coins.

What

bad luck! I've lost a lot today.

Here, here,

take the money,

brother.

This is your wage,

you deserve

it. Thanks to everyone's help

, otherwise we wouldn't have gotten justice today.

Thank you all, uncles, aunts,

and grandmas, for speaking up for us siblings.

Little girl, don't be so polite.

Tomorrow we'll bring our bowls and go back to that place to find you.

Bring some more snails!

I'm still unhappy that

we couldn't buy any today. Brother,

you've suffered such a great injustice.

You haven't eaten since last night ,

you must be starving. Eat something

to tide you over

, then eat when you get home.

Sister, here's one for you

. I'm not hungry, one is enough.

Dad, one is enough too.

You're both so hungry, and

you still won't eat!

Take it home for your brothers to try. I'm

still a little angry.

My brother suffered such a great injustice

and offended the shopkeeper in town.

Will he cause us trouble in the future?

Daughter, you offended that shopkeeper today.

Will we still be able to sell snails tomorrow?

Will they cause us trouble

? Dad, it's okay.

That person is just a shopkeeper.

He works for someone else.

After today's commotion,

that restaurant's business will definitely not be good.

It's all because of me that I offended the shopkeeper

. I've been working at the restaurant for two years

and I've never met the owner. The shopkeeper

is the one who calls

the shots. It's not

worth it

for you to offend the shopkeeper for me.

Brother, you're wrong. From now on , everyone in our family will be criticized.

We're all in this

together. If one suffers, all suffer.

There can't be any cases in the family.

I'm so tired. My legs can barely lift. "I've been walking

since before dawn

without a drop of water,

Tang Fu, you must be tired.

Come on, lean over and rest.

Don't stand in the middle of the road blocking the way.

This girl is throwing a tantrum again.

Father

, if I go home and tell Grandma that you're stingy with money,

trying to save a single copper coin,

you won't even let me ride with you even though I'm tired,

what do you think Grandma will think?

Great! An oxcart is here!

Grandpa Li, Grandpa Li,

isn't this Lin's eldest nephew?

He's going back to the village from town.

Come on, get on.

It's a coincidence that

I didn't pick up anyone today,

so I'll give you a ride back to the village.

Li Bo, it's me.

I don't need a ride,

you can give my Yuhe a ride.

Here's the fare,

I can't ride for free.

Hey, hey, no need

. It's not far from the village

anyway, I'm going back to the village too.

All three of you, get on, this

old man won't charge you. Finally,

I can rest.

I'm exhausted

, thank you, Aunt Li

. Then thank you, Li Bo.

Now my daughter doesn't have to work so hard.

The atmosphere is a bit awkward

, let's try to make conversation.

Aunt Li, why didn't you pick up anyone from town today?

Why did you come back empty-handed

?" Hey girl,

you don't know yet, do you?

A new official road has opened on the east side of our village.

People are using that road

. Besides, there are several more oxcarts in town lately.

What will we do if business isn't good?

Aunt Li,

how many

copper coins do you usually earn on your best days? Not many.

On market days,

you can only earn fourteen or fifteen copper coins at best.

My wife stays home and cuts some grass to feed the cattle.

It's a pity we don't have an oxcart

, otherwise I could work as a porter and earn

15 copper coins a day.

That's just enough to hire his cart.

We need to haul goods to town every day.

Carrying them is too tiring. Hiring

a cart is perfect

. Aunt Li, I'll help you with the oxcart

tomorrow. You can haul things to town for me tomorrow,

and I'll give you 15 copper coins.

Then you can bring us back.

15 copper coins is too much money.

Yuhe, Yuhe,

there's no market in town tomorrow.

Let's carry two buckets there. " It's fine,

your brother and I can take turns carrying them,

it's not tiring.

Look how tired you are today,

girl.

Thank you for patronizing our business,

no need, you've gone to so much trouble.

No, speak up quickly,

or I'll tell Grandma tomorrow

that you won't let me ride.

This girl is really impossible to deal with

. Uncle Li, come tomorrow,

my girl can decide.

I'll go to your house to call you

Uncle Li when I leave tomorrow

. It's settled,

I have to leave before dawn, so

you need to come early. Waiting at my house

might be a bit tiring.

" He didn't say anything

, did he not agree?

If he doesn't come,

I'll have to walk again tomorrow.

This can't be blamed on me, it

's just that Old Li doesn't agree

. Girl, tell me how many we've picked up at home.

If your Grandma knew how capable you are,

she would be so happy.

Dad said that when the two younger brothers come home,

they won't tell Grandma about what we did at the market.

" What's wrong?

Where is everyone

? Father, it seems no one's

home . The doors are all locked.

Why are you all standing at the door instead of going in?

Village Chief, do you know where my family went?

This girl has changed so much. She

used to always keep her head down when she saw people.

She should be in the ditch to the east.

The villagers said they saw you selling fried snails in town.

It seems it's true.

Daughter, I know where you are

. I'll come find you.

Aren't you tired?

Find a place to sit down and rest.

Father

understands. We need to get them back quickly to clean the snails

, otherwise we won't have enough for tomorrow

." This girl used to never leave the house, but

now she dares to go to the market to do business.

Could it really be as Granny Chen said, that

something unclean has possessed her?

Xiaoyuhe, your family made money selling snails today.

Tomorrow, other people in town might also be selling snails.

You need to keep that in mind

. I know..." "I'm sure someone will follow suit,

Uncle Xu.

You said the snails in the ditch didn't just appear today, did they?

Just because I can cook snails well

doesn't mean others can.

The snails in the ditch aren't mine;

anyone who wants to touch them can touch them."

This girl has become so sharp-tongued! "

Uncle Xu, tell the village children that

we buy snails

for one cent per pound,

all cash only.

Xiaoyu is telling you,

of course I mean it.

So what are your requirements?

And you're keeping your word.

My requirements are that the gong must be clean, free

of mud, sand, and weeds.

Also, you must tell the children

not to go into deep water

and to be careful.

Okay, okay, I'll go tell the village children now.

We've collected so many today,

enough to sell tomorrow.

Changfu, why are you back

? Isn't it your day to rest?

Grandma, don't talk outside

, come inside quickly.

I'm hungry; it seems I've been given a meal."

The restaurant fired

the poor child.

That damned fat manager

dared to frame my grandson

Changfu! Child

, you've been wronged.

Cook him a bowl of noodles

with a poached egg to help him recover.

It's alright, son. Home is the best

place. I don't have to suffer that anymore.

Brother, try my stir-fried snails!

Today, my father and I went to the market in town to sell snails.

They're so delicious!

I never thought snails could be cooked this well.

Do you know how popular our snail business is

? We've already received many orders.

We're going again tomorrow!

Grandma, I just met the village chief.

I asked him to tell the children in the village

that we're starting to collect snails

today! "One pound of copperware,

cash payment.

Grandma, sit down

and listen to me.

Today, some villagers saw me selling snails at the market.

Do you think others will also sell snails?

Let's get the snails

before too many people come.

This offal isn't clean enough; it needs to be scrubbed

again with wood ash.

Brother, don't scrub the gong.

Take the bucket and come with me to the river to wash it. The offal

must be scrubbed with this wood ash

until there's no smell. Otherwise

, cooking a pot

of smelly stuff will be a waste, and nobody will eat it.

Sister, go home.

I'll wash this.

You've been busy all day; you

must be exhausted.

So tired." I'm sleepy.

The firewood's gone by so fast,

looks like we need to prepare more.

Yuhe, you've been busy all day,

go get some sleep.

I'll call you when dinner's ready.

Okay, Grandma Lin

, I'm going to take a nap.

Wake me up later

, I still need to

knead dough . Haitang, looks like we need to hurry. We

didn't get any rice this morning,

otherwise we won't have enough for tomorrow.

Grandma Lin, we've come to deliver snails!

Oh dear, how come you're here so suddenly

? Yes, one coin per pound. I've

slept so long

, it's almost dark.

Why is it so noisy outside?

Grandma Lin, weigh them for me first .

So many people are coming to sell snails,

two women at home definitely

can't finish. Grandma, we're back

! Lin... Grandma, weigh these snails for me.

I've washed them all clean,

no mud or weeds

. Monkey, these snails are quite clean.

Why did you take your sister with you to collect snails?

You have to keep an eye on her and make sure she

doesn't go into the deep parts of the river.

I know,

Grandma Lin. Monkey

, these are 1.8 jin short.

I'll calculate it as

8 jin for you, that's 8 copper coins.

Thank you,

Grandma Lin. Go to your Uncle Lin's place to get the copper coins.

You 've earned money,

Grandma will be very happy.

Monkey, it's getting dark.

You two little ones, go collect snails tomorrow.

Uncle Lin,

can I leave my sister and the bucket with you for a while?

My grandma is still collecting snails by the river.

I'll go

help Grandma. Okay?

I'll watch over you

, little girl. Be good and wait

here for your brother.

Don't run around.

It's so

embarrassing that you actually came to his house to sell snails.

Yulan,

look, I've already cleaned these snails.

Do you think I'll take them?

Yes, one coin a pound. If

you want

to sell, pour them into the basket.

I'll weigh them.

Oh, quite a lot! 20 pounds. That's 20 copper coins in total.

Second brother

, give me the money. Look how high the scale is.

Count them.

If it 's less

than this , I won't accept it.

I have to count three times.

Don't shortchange me. Give me one. Second

brother,

exactly 20 coins. Mother

, why is Granny Chen selling snails at our house

? It's not like her.

Shouldn't she cook them herself?

Humph, do you think anyone can compare to Yuhe's skills?

Granny Chen must not have cooked them well at home

before bringing them here.

My goodness, how come there are so many snails?

Even the water vat is full.

This is too exaggerated.

Could it be that the whole village went to collect snails?

Why is this little girl standing here all by herself

? Sister He, hello.

Little girl

, why are you all alone? Where are your

family ? Your

brother and grandma went to collect snails.

I remember Little girl's parents are gone.

She lives with grandma.

Come in and wait.

Really? Thank you, Sister He.

You collected so many today.

Yuhe must be very happy.

Yuhe, these are

the snails we collected today when we had some free time. I

wanted to pour them into a basin for you.

My goodness, there are so many snails, we don't know where to put them

! Uncle, have Anai weigh them for you.

Later, let Xiao He weigh them. The girl is right,

let your aunt weigh them. We

've all worked hard to collect them,

we can't just take them for free

. Aunt, we collected about 200 jin today.

It's getting dark, let's tell the villagers we'll collect more tomorrow afternoon,

we won't collect today,

don't worry about it, we

've already said that.

Why is this girl at our house?

She's waiting for her.

Grandma,

Changfu, go to the east and see

why Xiaoya's brother hasn't come back yet.

It's already dark,

there are ditches and bumps all around ,

the old woman and the little girl, I hope nothing happens to them. Luckily

we made it in time

, otherwise it would be too dangerous for the old woman and the little girl.

Grandma, I'm sorry,

Grandma, I twisted my ankle and

walked slowly.

Come in and rest, you

must be exhausted.

Xiaoya, Grandma,

if you're not feeling well,

let the monkey go collect the gong himself,

you don't need to go.

I'll be slow,

it's okay. I'll help as much as I can.

The gongs are from monkeys.

Monkeys and little girls have picked up

so many gongs. When will we finish cleaning them all?

Third Aunt, you two stay up all night to clean

them all.

I'll pay you

10 coins per gong.

Grandma Xu,

do you think you can do it?

But you'll have to sell them all tomorrow. I'll give you copper coins.

You can do it?

It's the Lin family who are pitying us, grandpa and grandson.

Grandpa, can you set up a pot in the yard? There

's only one pot in the kitchen

. It's too late

today.

Let's use some big stones to set it up first.

I'll build a stove tomorrow.

It smells so good! I haven't eaten meat in a long time.

I'm so hungry!

Little Yuhe, it looks like you're cooking offal.

How can it smell so good?

Uncle, I'm cooking pig's head offal.

I put a secret recipe in it.

Of course, it smells good

. It's not only smelly but also delicious.

But the pig's head has to be cooked overnight.

I'll serve you some to try tomorrow morning.

There are so many snails.

There will definitely be enough to fill another town tomorrow.

Our snails are not all sold. There's too much.

I want

to cook more tomorrow

. Could we set up a stall in another town?

I think it's feasible. Yuhe,

you cook it.

Oh, by the way , I booked

a round trip by train from Aunt Li, who drives a cart in the west of the village, for 15 coins including the people and

the cart. The village chief also has an oxcart.

I'll go borrow it.

The village chief readily agreed. It's arranged.

Yuhe,

take Changping, Lintong, and your father to Qingshi Town.

The other team will be your uncle, take Chang'an

, and Changfu to the next town.

My arms are sore.

Auntie, when you woke me

up, I'm going to sleep first.

Okay, you go to sleep too,

don't tire yourself out.

Why did the village chief come?

There are only a few children,

no adults. I'm worried

about you, so I'll go with you.

Grandpa, it's still too early .

The village chief and Uncle Li must not have eaten yet.

And Uncle San

's family has been busy all night

. Grandma Xu, a pair of chopsticks.

This is so delicious!

I've never eaten anything so delicious, even when I go out to eat at a banquet.

Yuhe, you must pass on your secret recipe for cooking offal.

It's really great

! Auntie, you're

a little nervous setting up a

stall. You didn't sleep all night,

so don't go picking snails

today. Okay, don't worry.

I already expected someone would follow suit and sell snails.

First, put up the sign.

Dad, take down the snail buckets and

line them up.

Let's give some braised offal to Uncle to try

and talk about cooperation.

Oh, slow down!

What's

that over there? It smells so good! Yesterday's spicy snails were delicious,

this must be good too.

Uncle, come and try my braised offal.

How does it compare to yours?

Hmm, delicious and fragrant

, not a bit smelly

. Xiao Yuhe

, you've made the offal look like something I can't afford.

Uncle, you also think this is delicious?

How about I make it and sell

it ? Yuhe, let's cooperate.

You can sell offal next to my meatballs, and

I'll sell you all my pig head offal.

How about that? Uncle,

we're on the same

page. We'll talk about it later

. Xiao

Wu, hurry up and go help out at your sister Yuhe's snail stall.

It's really something else.

The man selling snails

is here, just as I expected.

He was

so sympathetic to us yesterday.

Humph, he just knows how to stir-fry snails,

what's so great about that?

Sister, there are three snail vendors at the market today,

plus ours, that makes four.

Can we sell all these snails?

What if we can't?

We need the money at home.

Changping, you need to understand that

this market doesn't belong to our family

, and snails aren't only from our village.

Besides, as long as our Lin family's spicy snails are delicious,

do you think anyone else can out-earn us?

Isn't this just a way for them to give our Lin family a share

? Are our spicy snails delicious?

Sister, I was wrong.

Yes, it's good that you admit your mistakes and correct them. Little brother

, go to those stalls and buy some snails. I want to try them

. I know

, I'll buy a little from each stall

so I can taste them.

I want to see what their stir-fried snails taste like.

Can you compete with me?

We're sure to sell a lot today!

What does this taste like?

It's awful!

Our snails are so much better

! Changping, you've tried other people's snails

, do you still think ours won't sell?

You need to be confident!

Business is for everyone,

not for monopolizing the market!

I know,

Sister Yuhe is right,

our snails are the best!

Found them! This is the sign!

Here they come!

Everyone come quick!

This is the girl who sold snails yesterday!

I recognize their sign,

it really is her!

I couldn't buy any yesterday.

Don't push! Do n't push!

We have them

all today !

There are several more snail vendors at the market today.

Although they're cheap

, the taste...

I can't even describe it! Just thinking about it makes me gag!

Hey, don't talk about that!

Girl, are your snails cheap?

Other people's snails are only 4 coins a bowl.

Look, we didn't buy any.

Other people can't! Hey

, I paid someone to catch these snails in the river

and then paid someone to clean them one by one.

Besides, my snails use my family's secret recipe,

so... "The price really can't be lowered.

Okay, then give me two bowls.

No, four bowls?

Here, here.

Little girl, oh,

I've finally found you!

Auntie, it's you!

The snails I bought yesterday were all snatched up.

I didn't get a single bite.

Little girl, give me a bucket of spicy snails

, but you have to arrange for someone to deliver it to my residence.

Big business, big customer.

How many people will eat this ? Little

girl, the cost of the snails and the money for the bucket.

Auntie, that's not that much .

But could you wait a bit?

I'll give you the change

when I sell them. Little girl, keep

the change . Your food is delicious

. We'll do business together again

. This girl is really not greedy.

I like her. Hey,

stop talking. Are we still

doing business?

We've been waiting for ages.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Changping, you should prepare the gong for the customers first.

Who will deliver the gong?

Fat Auntie is a woman.

It's not good to let Father go

. Miss, I'll deliver the basket to Madam.

I used to help with deliveries at home.

Fifth Brother, can you lift this?

It's a full bucket.

Miss, no problem.

This child is really strong." "The

whole bucket's sold out!

If you don't buy now, it'll be gone!

I want four bowls!

I want four

bowls too! Four bowls are four coins cheaper

, practically a free bowl!

No wonder everyone's buying

them . That girl from the Lin family has really changed.

But it's a good thing, though.

The Lin family's making money means

they can eat meat, and the villagers can at least have some soup.

Why is nobody here?

Everyone's gone to

that other place

! What kind of

rubbish is this? It's

inedible! What

's so delicious? Little girl, give this old man two bowls of spicy snails

! Sir

, do you have anything to

hold the snails? That will do.

Luckily, I brought a few spare bowls.

They'll come in handy now.

Little girl, go ahead and do your work

. I'll give the bowls back to you when you're done eating.

This is the comfort of life!

" Grandpa,

are you all alone?

Perfect timing, I'm free

to chat with you.

Hmm, you're comfortable all alone.

You and that girl are from the same

village, yes

, I'm the village head.

That girl is quite the talent in our village.

Not only is her stir-fried snails delicious,

but she can cook other things too.

Anyway, I was just chatting away,

and I didn't expect to end up advertising for her.

Tell me, what other delicious things has she made?

I have

one weakness

: I love eating

pig's head and offal for breakfast. It smells so good!

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Have you ever had delicious pig's head and offal?

So fragrant!

No, that's not for poor people

these days. They rarely

sell them; most are boiled.

I've even seen an old woman stir-frying them and adding a ladle of water!

Brothers ,

this is the family that sells food meant for animals! They

're so greedy they're selling it to humans!

Brothers

, this is the family that sells food meant for animals!

They're so greedy they're selling it to humans!

Isn't that outrageous? Oh, have

any of you bought snails from my stall before?

Or is there some kind of crime in the county government that forbids selling stir-fried snails?

This family is so united; they're not to be

trifled with. You want to fight?

Let me tell you,

this street is under our protection.

Believe me or not, we'll make sure you can't survive here.

You guys get out of our way and

stop blocking us! I ate the snails

yesterday

and I'm fine now.

There are too many

snail-loving people!

Let's get out of here! Brother,

what should we do?

The fat shopkeeper paid us to do something, but we didn't get it done.

How are we supposed to survive on the streets now?

Don't worry, as long as they're still making a living in the market,

they can't escape our grasp.

Brother, a promise is a promise!

Little girl, here's your bowl back!

This old man ate it all up

, even drank the soup!

Great! Sold out before noon

! Oh dear, I'm late,

I only got one bowl of snails.

Girls, will you come again tomorrow?

Tomorrow is a big market day, so

there will be more people.

You can bring more snails.

Yes, we'll be back to sell snails tomorrow. We

hope all our customers...

"Young lady , please come back to our snail stall! Your spicy snails are delicious!

I'll come again tomorrow!

" This old man's clothes are embroidered with a subtle Suzhou pattern, and he even has a jade pendant on his wine pouch. Hey, why haven't you left yet

? If you like my stir-fried snails, come again tomorrow!

Young

lady, did you offend someone at the market? Those people were clearly paid to do things.

Be

careful

lately.

Your

name is Yuhe,

not Tianluo (Snail), right?

Grandpa

, I don't think there are many young ladies named Tianluo.

I'm just a

snail seller.

I heard from your village chief that you're a great cook

... "Your cooking is quite good,

old man. I'll give you 30 taels for

helping with the banquet.

There's a birthday feast

, but I want to taste your cooking first before making a decision.

The village chief said the pig's head and offal are delicious.

Okay, old man

, I'll take this order.

I'll bring you the cooked pig's head and offal tomorrow.

Alright , I'll wait for you tomorrow.

30 taels is equivalent to several years' income for an ordinary family!

My goodness, young lady, you're too bold!

How could she possibly cook a banquet?

Before, we couldn't even afford meat at home.

She's never learned to cook.

My goodness

, 30 taels! Isn't that like striking it rich?

30 taels! Coming today was really the right decision!"

Daughter, you've never cooked a banquet before

, do you know how to cook?

If you try to fool people, you'll get a beating.

I know, Dad, I understand.

Come with me to Uncle's pork stall. The

offal at home has been sitting overnight,

we can't

feed it to the old man. We need to buy fresh pork from Uncle

. This girl is determined, I can't persuade her. Let's

go home and let Haitang talk to her. I was surprised

that the three buckets of snails sold out so quickly

and we made so much money.

Making money is so easy, much better

than being mistreated in restaurants.

Hurry up, hurry up!

With so much money, we don't want anyone to covet it.

I usually wouldn't dare to beat my ox

. What's wrong with Uncle Li today?

He's usually so slow at driving.

But it's better to be faster.

Uncle, do you think my sister and the others

have sold all the gongs

by now? Don't worry, your sister is very capable.

She brought five buckets of gongs. It must be sold out

by now, and I won't have to put up with other people's

bad temper anymore. Work hard with my sister,

and we'll definitely be able to give our family a better life.

I hope everything goes well

with Yuhe. When I get home, I'll tell Grandma we made a lot of money.

I wonder how Uncle and the others are doing? Are

three buckets of gong enough?

Keep an eye on the Changping money box.

Be careful

and don't let strangers near it

. Okay , sister

, don't worry,

I'll definitely keep an eye on the money box

and won't let you down.

Hurry up and go to Uncle's to buy some fresh offal

so I can deliver it to the old man tomorrow.

This girl is walking so fast

, isn't she afraid of falling

? Yuhe, what brings you here?

Uncle, weigh all these pig heads and offal for me and

put them in this basket.

Okay, I'll weigh them for you right away.

This girl's business is so good,

she doesn't even have offal... "That's enough

for you, Uncle.

We have to go now,

we have things to do at home.

Take your time, come back when you have time.

One penny per pound

, that's an astronomical price!

Not touching it is the act of a fool!

One penny per pound

, that's an astronomical price!

Not touching it is the act of a fool!

Brother Lin, I'm here!

I introduced you to Old Wang from the next village.

He also does pedicab services,

the fare is the same as mine,

he settles every few days.

That's great, thank you! Old Li,

it's perfect timing, we need to travel to two towns every day,

one car isn't enough,

now we don't have to bother the village chief every day.

Uncle Xu, this is today's fare,

we can't use your car for free

, no need, no need,

we're from the same village,

no need for formalities. What, if I take the money, there's no friendship left?

I can't accept it, are you stupid?

The Lin family is offering you money and we won't accept it.

The Lin family always pays when they rent Old Li's car,

your Lin family..." If we 're going

to do business for money,

our family will be just like everyone else in the village,

with no connection to the Lin family whatsoever

. The Lin family only made a few copper coins selling snails.

Once the snail season

is over, won't they be poor again, barely having enough to eat?

This can't be told to anyone else.

I'm telling you,

don't go around telling everyone

. A wealthy man in town is having a birthday

celebration and asked the neighbor's maid to cook a feast.

She offered 30 taels of silver

! 30 taels?

30 taels! That

maid's pig's head and offal are absolutely amazing. She wants the neighbor's secret

recipe. If I want to do this business,

I'll have to get my hands on the recipe, no matter how much.

You think that maid has become so skilled now? Could it be that she's really

been possessed by something evil,

as Granny Chen said?

Don't listen to Granny Chen's nonsense .

If she really has been possessed by something else,

Granny Chen... Going to the neighbor's house to sell snails every day,

don't you think everyone in our village is benefiting now?

It seems so . Well

, we'll have to maintain a good relationship with the Lin family from now on.

This woman has finally figured it out

. So tiring! Getting up in the middle of the night every day to stir-fry snails,

I'm so sleepy. This child is so thin, she's almost

unrecognizable . Yuhe, don't go to town tomorrow,

let your brothers go instead

. Look at you, you're so thin,

a gust of wind could blow you away.

Grandma, you're exaggerating! Oh,

I'm not a paper doll,

how could I be blown away by the wind?

That would have to be a really strong wind.

Nonsense, I can't say I'm made of paper

, I'm real.

Okay, okay, I am Lin Yuhe,

the real

Lin Yuhe. I don't mean me.

I'll be resting at home tomorrow

. It's almost Old Man Ye's birthday banquet,

I have to stay home and prepare.

My third uncle's family all helped us cut and polish the gongs,

and my cousin also went to sell gongs here.

How much should we pay them?

Yes, close brothers should keep clear accounts

to ensure long-term success.

We can't let relatives help us for

free

. 15 coins. My cousin only gets

15 coins for hard labor outside, but

Lintong gives him 10. My third aunt gets 10 coins for polishing the gongs.

That's a good price . I

earn about the same

as others working outside.

It's not easy for kids to find work

. In restaurants, they only earn 100 coins a month

, just over 3 coins a day.

That fat shopkeeper is a real swindler,

so heartless!

I'll never let my eldest brother go to such places to suffer again. Leave

the outside affairs to the family.

I need to focus on preparing for the birthday banquet.

From now on, you'll be in charge of selling snails outside.

I'll direct things from home.

First, let's make a menu. We'll

discuss it with Old Man Ye later.

Old Man Ye's surname is Ye; his

sons all live in other places.

Only he and his grandson live

in town. I wonder how many of his specialties he'll need to cook. Oh,

and there's the candy business .

The candy needs to target the high-end market.

We can't let wealthy families

be proud of selling candy from their neighbors.

I eat hard biscuits every day,

and my cheeks hurt from chewing them.

Let's make some steamed buns.

Oh dear,

even milk can be chewed

! Yuhe, what have you made this time? It

must

be spoiled;

it has a sour taste

. If it were good stuff

, you'd love it more than anyone else.

Little girl, what are you cooking? You're getting

more and more capable. You

'll definitely be successful in the future.

Uncle, I was just about to ask you...

How many candy shops currently sell the same kind as ours

? There's a shop in our town,

and two more in the town where we sell radishes.

Every time I go to sell radishes, I keep an eye out for

them; I learned it from them.

Uncle, let's put the candy aside for now.

I'm thinking of saving up for our family first.

We should have a wife

now that we're rich

, so we need to find Uncle a good wife quickly

. You're such a girl, always

talking about marriage,

it's embarrassing!

Grandma, Uncle

says he has a girl he likes

and wants you to be his matchmaker

. Which family's daughter's mother

is going to find a matchmaker for you?

Grandma, don't listen to his nonsense.

I don't have a girl I like;

he's just teasing you.

Ever since Grandma said that,

I've been staying home for days,

getting up in the middle of the night every night to stir-fry snails.

I sleep so much during the day that my sleep schedule is completely reversed.

Basically, after I wake up,

I'm in the kitchen trying out dishes that my family hasn't eaten before.

Every time I make something, I get a lot of praise from everyone,

which gives me a great sense of accomplishment

and makes me more willing to do

the cooking. I've basically taken on all

the cooking chores. Mom just helps with the cooking and preparing the vegetables. The stir-

fried lotus root smells so good!

Grandma, I'm going for a walk.

Wait, I'll come with you .

No need, Grandma,

I'm just going for a walk and

will be back soon

. I'll stay near our house

and not go far.

It's too sunny outside.

I'll just be walking around and come back early.

I'm just relaxing.

I'm standing by the river again.

This time, I'm not going to jump in.

Looking at the lotus leaves, some

are turning yellow.

It seems the lotus roots are ready for harvest. I need to find a chance to tell everyone about the lotus roots

. Also, I see this river is oval-shaped.

The two ends look like lotus roots.

If I fill in the two ends with soil,

it would be a sizable fishpond.

I could

raise fish and lotus roots

—a win-

win situation!

I wonder if I could buy this river...

How does the village charge fees? Yuhe, Yuhe, it's me, Zhang Yuqing.

Don't you recognize me?

Zhang Yuqing, the child betrothed to you since childhood.

This ex who climbed the social ladder—of course I know you!

I'd recognize you even if you were ashes

! Isn't that the little scumbag?

We've already broken off the engagement.

Don't come looking for me anymore.

Just leave.

Let's pretend we never met. If

the villagers see us, they'll gossip.

Yuhe , breaking off the engagement wasn't my wish.

It's all because I'm too outstanding.

The young lady of the wealthy family took a liking

to me. You're not good enough for me. Don't

worry, after I get married,

I'll take you

as my concubine

. That way, you'll still be with me.

Because of the original owner's thoughts, I feel like crying.

After hearing this person's shameless words,

I want to tear

this person apart. According to my age in both my lifetimes,

I could be this person's older sister.

This big-mouthed,

upturned-nosed guy

is incredibly ugly in my eyes.

Zhang Yuqing, right?

You're very ugly, do you know

that? Take a piss and look at your ugly face!

You think I'd be your concubine

? Dream on!

I'll make you

my concubine! You stink so bad even your own mother wouldn't recognize you!

I'll beat you to death

, you ignorant woman ! You

've disgraced yourselves !

In my past life, I was an older single woman.

Now I'm only 16,

the prime of my life!

Dare to call me a woman?

Go ahead, I'll hit you!

Oh my god, oh my god,

I'm exhausted!

This girl from the Lin family is really something else!

That kid from Zhangjia Village

was beaten like he was being chased by a dog!

Today I finally got my revenge

! This branch looks pretty good,

I'll keep it for firewood! Oh my

god, you scared the old woman to death!

This girl from the Lin family is really something else!

That kid from Zhangjia Village

was beaten like he was being chased by a dog! Hey, look

at the mud on your shoes

and the dirt on your clothes!

Haitang, Haitang,

wring out a wet towel and

wipe your daughter's face!

Here she comes!

Look outside, her face is all red from the sun!

"Your Majesty, I'll do it myself!

Oh dear, my hands are so strong

from years of hard work,

my face must be all red now.

Hey, Haitang,

you've hurt Yuhe's face!

She's a grown woman now

, let her wipe it herself,

it'll be fine in a bit,

haha.

My daughter is still a pretty little girl.

I've decided,

I just chased Zhang Yuqing two miles

away . Who knows if some gossipy woman saw me

? If they spread

rumors about

me and my former uncle having an affair,

I could jump into the river again and still not clear

my name! Mother,

I just saw Zhang Yuqing from Zhangjia Village by the river...

that Wang from the Zhang family..."

" He doesn't want to live anymore, yet he dares to come looking for you.

Tell Grandma,

did that prince bully you?

I'll go get your grandpa right now and

gather a few more people

to attack Zhangjia

Village . Hehehe, don't worry

, Grandma, I chased him away with that tree branch. Yeah

, as long as my daughter is alright,

that's all that matters. I don't think so."

These

simple words

warmed my heart.

She

couldn't bear to

lose her daughter again. " You know,

didn't that girl from the Lin family say

she

broke off her engagement with that boy

from Zhangjia Village

? I saw them talking and

laughing by the river

. Hehehe, my daughter

has already died once.

How can

these people

be so heartless?

Haha

...

That's right,

Village Chief,

what my daughter-in-law said is exactly what the Lin family decided.

Village Chief, the Lin family only gives us one copper coin for our gongs,

while they sell them for six copper coins at the market.

The Lin family is too greedy!

You only know that the Lin family sells their gongs for six coins,

but do you know that

the Lin family spends copper coins to collect them,

hires people to sell them,

and even has several people from each family selling them?

A bunch of brainless bastards ! If

it weren't for the Lin family collecting them,

you wouldn't earn a single copper coin.

Since these people have said so,

my granddaughter was just trying

to let the village children earn some pocket money,

so my family won't collect their gongs.

No, it's just that the Lin family's daughter

was talking to the Zhang family's son by the river.

Why can't people talk about it?

Village Chief, I didn't see the Lin family's girl talking by the river.

I saw... The Lin family girl

chased away the Zhang family boy with a tree branch

. Did you all hear that?

All you do is gossip. Alright

, how many snails did you

collect today?

Take them home to feed the ducks.

Village Chief, let's go home and find out

what happened. We need to go to the village chief of Zhang Family Village

and

clear things up. I

'm so sorry, my son was ignorant.

I won't say anything else.

Tell your son not to bother my

granddaughter again. If he doesn't repent,

I'll go to the town school to find his teacher.

Why isn't he back yet?

I'm so worried!

He's back !

Mother, they're back!

Old man, how did it go? What did you

say to the village chief of Zhang Family Village?

You explained it to him. That boy said

he won't bother

you again.

Yuhe , you're so carefree,

you even have time to eat!

Why not eat?

Of course you have to eat

when you're hungry. He'er, you can't go out alone anymore

, and the boys in the family can't all go out.

There have to be some left at home to be at your

beck and call. When you left home, your hair was neatly

combed, but when

you came back, it was all disheveled.

You must have been in a fight. Mom, did you fight because of me?

Someone ate their food

and didn't even wipe their mouth clean

before smashing their pot.

I have to stand up for you.

Auntie isn't collecting many snails anymore,

so we should save some for next year.

I'll tell the village chief later that

we're not collecting snails anymore.

Okay, eldest

, go to the village chief's house and tell him.

Don't say anything else.

Auntie, we've been very tired lately,

and we don't have much firewood left.

Look at

these things... Have you seen this in the mountains?

Hmm,

what is this?

It looks red.

Sister, I've seen this

before, in the mountains.

It's a tree covered in sharp thorns.

If we weren't selling radishes,

Chang'an and I would pick this.

Seriously,

have you really seen

this before? You two should go chop firewood

and let your uncle and father go. Grandpa,

Grandpa doesn't know the exact location in the mountains.

I'll lead the way. I want to go too.

He girl, why don't you go?

Listen to me.

There are many places in the mountains without roads

; you have to climb.

If I don't go,

the things Dad picks might be unusable.

Grandpa can't take them home. This girl can't do anything about it.

Grandpa, Old Master Ye's birthday is coming soon;

these things are indispensable.

So go

then. You should leave early tomorrow

and bring food.

Lunch is at... We'll just have something to eat in the mountains

and go to sleep.

The next day, before dawn,

Dad took Changping and me into the mountains.

Daughter,

watch your step

. Changping, take good care of your sister, I know.

Dad, don't worry.

I always feel like my brother treats me like

a younger sister. You little brat

, don't you know I'm the older sister?

I was just worried about you.

The mountain climate is much cooler than outside.

My little basket

is already full of wild fruits and vegetables.

Sister, these vegetables are edible too,

let me pick some for you.

Thank you. Changping, we've been in the mountains for almost an hour,

and we've only crossed one hill.

My legs are already numb.

Daughter, are you tired?

Let's find a place to rest.

Dad, rest. I'm tired, I can't

walk anymore.

The trees are so thick and

there's so much... The ground was sheltered from the sun, and

some things

clung to it, making it slippery underfoot.

Sister, maybe you shouldn't come with us.

I think you see me as a burden.

I've come this far;

I'm not going back.

Sister, we have

to climb over this mountain and walk two more!

My little brothers

, you're going to kill me!

I'm so confused;

this place is so far from home.

How did my two little brothers get to this far place?

Finally, the three of us arrived at this hillside.

I felt all the fatigue was worth it.

Sister, what happened? How did

you two little ones

find this place? Oh,

I came here with a hunter before.

Sister, tell me

how to cut it down.

Honey, how do we pick this?

This tree is full of... There's no way around the thorns,

you can only pick them slowly.

Be careful not to prick your hands,

especially these red ones in clusters.

A few leaves are fine.

It's your Lin family that's collecting them,

so why are you saying you won't collect them?

Where are we supposed to

get so many snails ?

The Lin family has already spoken to the village chief.

Didn't we say we'd only

pay one coin for your snails

? You said you'd sell them cheaply,

meaning you could sell them for a higher price.

The Lin family isn't going to block the villagers' path to wealth.

Lin Lao Er, even if you're not collecting snails , you

still have to collect the ones you've already found.

What are you going to do with the snails if you don't collect them ?

Before, when the Lin family didn't collect them,

the villagers still lived well, didn't they?

Lin Lao Er, you make it sound so easy.

Before, we went hungry three times a day,

and that was considered good. Yes, yes, that's right.

Regardless

of collecting them... "Is it because your family

isn't collecting snails that you're doing this

? Is everything you do just to cause trouble?

The Lin family wants to collect them,

so why

are you unhappy now that they don't want to?

Didn't you say the Lin family pays less

and you make more?

Then you can go and sell snails yourselves!

I'm saying it again today,

the Lin family isn't collecting anymore,

so don't delay your snails and sell them at a high price

. Hurry up and find a place to sell them!

Yes, everyone, hurry up and find a place to sell!

Today I finally felt relieved!

" Yuhe

, thinking that there were people in the village making

money off the Lin family and ruining her reputation

, said bluntly, "It's all those old women's fault yesterday!

Snails are only one cent a pound!

Where can you sell them for that price

? I suggest you go find those old women from yesterday! They

're just spouting nonsense

!" They were so foul-mouthed that

the Lin family wouldn't buy snails,

so they had no money to earn.

Go find them!

If Lin Yuhe were home,

he definitely wouldn't let these villagers cause trouble.

They're all angry

; what if something happens?

But today, Lin Xiaoshu is home.

He originally wanted to teach those people yesterday a lesson,

and now the time is perfect.

The three who went into the mountain had been busy for half a day,

and their baskets were only

half full.

All three had scratches on their hands.

Lin Changping's handsome face

was even more bloodied

from the thorns on the pepper tree.

In this dynasty, there was a clear rule that

those with facial disfigurements could not become officials.

Changping, be careful

not to get dirt on your wounds,

or you'll get scars.

I still need to earn money

to support the men in my family. "Kid, study hard and become an official,

sister. A real man

has scars, so be it.

Humph, so young and already so chauvinistic.

I don't know where he learned that from.

That's called 'manly tofu.'

Come on, learn from me:

'Manly tofu.'

I clearly saw the men in the village hitting people,

and they all said 'a real man,

' not 'tofu

. ' *

smacks lips* Why do

I feel a little craving tofu? Sister, what does being a man have to do with tofu? Are you lying to me?

Hehehe, you brat , if

your sister says you're tofu, then you're tofu.

Listen to your sister, she's right!

Hahaha!

Sister, my daughter!

I was spinning so fast I was dizzy. I

only managed to stop rolling by grabbing onto some grass

on the slope.

How are you? Where did you fall?

Daughter, are you alright?

Don't scare your dad!"

Dad, I'm fine,

just my clothes are dirty.

I didn't fall and

hurt myself,

but I'm a little dizzy from rolling all the way down.

Let's not pick any more. The three of us haven't had lunch yet,

let's finish eating and go home.

Your uncle and I will come back tomorrow.

We've been picking for so long and only managed to pick from four or five trees. We didn't even pick the parts

we couldn't reach

. Oh well, even though they're good stuff

, we can't just leave

. Let's come

back tomorrow.

Daughter, give the peppercorns to Dad.

We need to hurry,

or we won't be able to get out of the mountains before dark, and that would be troublesome.

The temperature in the mountains is very low at night.

Besides, even though this is the outer area

, I'm worried about wild animals. Why haven't they come out yet

? It's so late, I hope

nothing bad has happened.

Changping, Yuhe,

Brother, why are you only coming out now?

Uncle, stop talking , let's

go home.

This eldest brother is really unreliable.

He's carrying a child and didn't even tell me to come back earlier.

You old woman

, stop

wandering

around the yard, it 's making me dizzy. Mom and Dad, stop arguing.

The head of the household will definitely bring Yuhe out.

You old fool

, who aren't you dizzy looking

at that hook? Chen Xiuxiu, you're not dizzy? How

can you say you've done right by me?

Who is Chen Xiuxiu?

Oh my, tell me what's going on with you all? You

're only coming back now.

Don't you know your family was worried?

Haitang, fetch some water for Yuhe to wash her face.

I know, Mom. There's water boiling in the pot.

Lin's mother noticed that since Lin Yuhe came back to life , she

's taken a bath every day before going to sleep.

It 's become a habit.

Yuhe, sit over there and rest for a bit.

Tell me, how do you make this?

Grandma, make that. Use a mat.

It 'll be dried

in the sun tomorrow.

You can

use it as a powder or just use it directly

. Okay, don't worry about it. Are you

hungry? Hurry up and eat. Speaking of being hungry, I really feel like my stomach hurts.

Never mind, eating is the most important thing.

Sister,

you know what?

This morning, the villagers surrounded our yard

and insisted on selling us the snails they caught.

I just wanted to leave some snail seedlings for next year.

Otherwise, the villagers might really wipe out all the snails.

Besides, I can

buy things with my own money and it depends on my mood.

How is this forced buying and selling? Sister

, I'm going to chop firewood.

Grandma, I'm going to dig some wild vegetables.

He Ya "Hey, wait a minute,

Grandma's going with you.

Lin Hua, when did you come back?

Lin Hua is the eldest grandson of my third aunt's family,

a month older than Lin Changfu.

He's learning blacksmithing from his maternal grandmother's cousin.

Maybe it's because blacksmithing uses a lot of strength,

but even though he's

thin, he has muscles in his arms.

Grandma, I came back last night. I

came back a bit late yesterday,

so I didn't come over

. What's the rush?

Oh dear, I was just talking to you.

Your sister went out by herself

to dig for wild vegetables.

Grandma, I'm quick on my feet,

don't go,

I'll go find her. I know that the foot of the back mountain

is where their village gathers to dig for wild vegetables.

After I looked around, I didn't see Yuhe.

At this point, I got a little anxious

, thinking maybe she went to

the back mountain

through a side path . I didn't walk far

before I saw a little girl digging for vegetables.

Hua-ge, when did you come back?

I came last night.

I just saw Grandma and she was anxious, so

I came over for her

. Yuhe, what you're digging isn't wild vegetables.

These can't be eaten

, they can only be used to feed the chickens.

Hmm, this is cattail." The roots of dandelion

can be boiled into a decoction

for medicinal purposes.

This is wild shepherd's purse

, which is edible

and delicious.

Come to my house for dinner tonight,

I'll make you some steamed buns.

Is this still the same sister who used to bow her head when she saw me?

Brother, I heard from Aunt that you're learning blacksmithing

. How's it going ?

When I asked him if his master treated him well,

Lin Hua was clearly taken aback,

and his expression turned a little sour. "

Is your master good to you?

What's wrong, Hua-ge?

Tell me, some things can't be kept to yourself

, and you can't only tell the

good news and not the bad . Tell me, maybe I can help you make a decision.

Brother, you're too tall,

your neck hurts." He sat down and said, "

I'm an apprentice with my master's son.

I do all the errands and odd jobs.

Even so

, my master secretly teaches his son when I'm not around.

I can tolerate all of this

. I'm usually diligent

and have learned quite a bit

, but if I'm slightly unhappy,

my master will beat and scold me.

Brother

, why don't you leave your master's place

? Doesn't your family know about your situation,

Yuhe?

Do you know that

back then, my mother wanted my master to take me in,

and I saw it with my own eyes..."

Seeing my mother kneel down and kowtow to my master,

I couldn't let her down.

Brother, you're confused.

Auntie begged you to learn a trade

, not to beg for a beating.

If Auntie knew,

she wouldn't even be able to hit you.

She would be so heartbroken

to see you beaten like this.

Brother, how's your trade going?

Although my master didn't teach me any trades

, you're so smart. I

've learned all the jobs you take on by watching.

But he still thinks I don't know anything.

I've already mastered the trades.

This silly boy is still standing there getting beaten.

Brother, if I were to invest in you, you could

open a blacksmith shop.

What kind of investment is that?

I'm giving you money

to open a shop. Where did you

get the money

? I don't know

how much silver it takes to open a shop. How

much silver would it take to open a blacksmith shop, brother?

Yuhe,

I have blacksmithing skills.

Even if I leave my current blacksmith shop

, I can find another shop to help out.

Brother, that's not what I meant. I

definitely have to leave that blacksmith shop.

What I meant was how much silver it would cost to rent a shop.

It would cost at least 40 taels a year.

Brother, I keep my word.

I'll invest in you

, but you might have to be idle for a few days.

I'm going to town in a few days to host a birthday banquet for someone.

The master there promised me 30 taels,

and I've already given him 5 taels

as a deposit. No , Yuhe

, that's what you earned through hard work.

How can I take your silver?

Haha,

we'll talk about it when I get the silver.

Even if I don't have any silver,

I have other ways to make money.

No matter what,

I have to get rid of that skinny Zhou master of yours.

Yuhe, how do you know my master's nickname?

My master's surname is Zhou.

I heard people in the village talking about him,

calling him

Skinflint . Lin Hua's words made me both laugh and cry.

How was I supposed to know that master

was a real skinflint?

Brother Hua, my investment in the blacksmith shop isn't about giving you the silver

. It's about us working together.

I'll pay for the initial amount of silver needed.

"We'll split the money once

we earn it. Hmm,

good brother, I believe you.

It's too early to say all this now.

I haven't even earned the money yet!

Haha, one more

brother, hurry up! You

're so slow.

You've only dug up a few after all this time.

Haha,

okay, that's about enough to

eat. If you want more, come dig some

more. Grandma, I've safely brought Yuhe back to you.

I'm going home now."

Before Grandma Lin even came out of the house,

Lin Hua was already anxious to go home.

He wanted to go home

and tell Grandpa what I told him. "

Come on, let's eat.

I've made something delicious. Okay."

Back in the yard

, while washing vegetables

, I started humming a nonsensical song.

"Oh my, my granddaughter, where did you learn this song?

You sing so well!

" "Hmm, my daughter sings well.

Don't sing it again!"

I didn't understand a word,

just mumbled something in my mouth. "Grandma

, you're making fun of me

, hahaha!

Ever since I was taught to be cute after jumping into the river, I haven't been able to act spoiled

at all. One sentence from me and my mother-in-law

bursts into laughter! Hey

Yuhe,

you

can just chop up the shepherd's purse you dug up and throw it in the chicken coop.

No need to waste water washing it.

Grandma, this

isn't called shepherd's purse

, it's a medicinal herb. This is dandelion

, also known as dandelion

. You can boil it in water

and drink it to treat illnesses, but I don't know exactly what it

treats. I'll ask Doctor Qian in the west of the village after it dries.

What kind of

medicinal herb is this?

How do you know it's a medicinal herb?

I saw a herb gatherer digging it up in the back mountain.

That person said it was a medicinal herb. Herb

gatherers are all..." Those who can read and write

can't be wrong.

Come on, put it here to air out.

This is good stuff .

Is this worth money?

Grandma, this is definitely not worth much.

I dug it up by the path behind.

If it were valuable, I wouldn't have had the chance to dig it up, right?

Grandma, don't worry.

As long as you're healthy,

I guarantee you'll

have more money than you can spend.

Let our little old lady

sit in the house all day and fiddle with the money.

Oh dear, so much money,

when will we ever spend it all?

This money is really worrying.

Hahaha. Oh dear

, this girl is still just a child. How can she have

more money than she can spend

? Whether she has it or not...

Silver is more important than any amount of silver.

I never expected that Grandma Lin,

a little old lady from the countryside,

would say such touching things.

Grandma, I'll cook something delicious for you today that you've never had before. Mother,

that's wild vegetables, no need to dry them. Grandma,

I've invited Brother Lin Hua to our house for dinner tonight. Alright,

come on,

that child is pitiful too.

Look how thin he is.

Blacksmithing isn't a good job. He doesn't

get enough to eat, and he works so hard.

It's all because of poverty.

Although he's not their own grandson,

he grew up in their care.

Everyone in the Lin family has their own things to do.

After I finished, I went to Lin Xiaoshu's room

and started my drawing and painting.

Only Lin Xiaoshu's room had writing brush and ink. If

you have the desire to make money,

you must have the ability to do so.

Hurry

up and finish picking all the seeds here.

We have to leave in half an hour.

Father, this whole area is full of these seeds.

Who planted them,

you silly boy?

Your sister said

that animals

or the wind must have blown the seeds here, and

they grew one after another.

Your sister also said there should be

more in the mountains. That's about it.

Let's go home.

My child, you... you

... oh son, my child!

Hahaha, big boy,

tell your grandfather, who beat this

child? Does it hurt?

Mother, it doesn't hurt anymore

. Don't cry.

Grandfather, these were all beaten by my master's family.

I not only clean the blacksmith shop,

but I also work for my master's family.

If I'm slow or my master is unhappy, they won't give me food

and they'll beat

Lin Shang. Seeing the injuries on his eldest son

, his father

had never laid a finger

on him. "Come back

! Showing off won't solve anything!

Father

, come back first

, I still have something to say!

" "Father, come in first

and listen to what your son has to say.

Today I went to Grandma's house and saw Yuhe.

She was a little different than before.

I didn't really intend to say anything

, but that girl made me say it.

She told me to leave my

master. What else did that girl say to you? She

didn't say anything else,

just joked about investing in me to open a blacksmith shop.

Oh, and she also told me to come over for dinner tonight.

'Investing in the shop !' '

Wife and daughter-in-law, hurry up and cook!

Second son, go get some wine!

' He girl told us to come over for dinner

, but we're not allowed to mention the shop.

You know, you little girl, you're really skillful.

Look, look at

this bun you made..." "They're all shaped like flowers,

daughter.

Why does today's dough look a little different?

Usually, the dough is quite firm.

How come yours is so good?

Mother made leavened

dough. I'll save a piece later as

a starter

; our family business is related to this."

The people who went into the mountains today returned earlier than yesterday.

Uncle's family and they entered the courtyard around the same time.

Aunt's things today

are even better than last time;

there's even a piece of meat

! Oh, you two, really! If you

have food

at home, you can keep this for the children.

Uncle didn't say anything,

just sat down with Aunt Lin.

The two old brothers, I don't know what they're conspiring for,

lowered their voices considerably.

"You all, hurry up and wash your hands

and eat the buns!"

The buns were steaming hot

as soon as they came out of the steamer. The yard

smelled wonderful with the aroma of steamed buns

. Sister, your buns

look delicious

even before I've tasted them, better than the ones sold in town!

Thank you for the compliment, sister.

I'll give Xiaotong an extra bun later.

Okay, okay!

He Yaya,

your buns are so pretty and delicious,

they're almost too beautiful to eat!

They could be sold!

Everyone else is

eating a bun,

no one's saying a word

. I made quite a few, one

for each person. The

first batch was gone before we even had a proper meal!

Oh

dear, look, our whole family came, we got a good deal again!

Sister-in-law, what are you saying?

We're family

. Besides, I think you cooked all the rice at home,

didn't you?

You brought such a big piece of meat

! I already prepared

buns for them, so

I packed some for them to take back with them

. Now that they're here, I don't have to pack any more. After the meal, it was discovered

that no one had touched the food prepared at home.

Hey girl, what kind of filling did you put in those buns? They're

so delicious! Hahaha!

Uncle Tang, don't you recognize the vegetables

, or did you just eat them and forget?

Hahaha! You're just making fun of me!

Of course I recognize

the vegetables, I've just never eaten anything this delicious

before ! Don't embarrass me!

Hahaha! Uncle Tang,

this is shepherd's purse oil. Sister Bao

, why are you picking so many seeds of that prickly tree?

Hehe,

have you seen this before? Hmm, I've seen it

while chopping firewood in the forest.

Sister, if you need this,

come pick some next time you see it and exchange it for copper coins.

Sister, are you serious?

I can get all the kids in the village to pick them.

One copper coin per pound

. If you don't believe me,

I can pay you five copper coins first. Lin

Tong smiled, her eyes crinkling.

It seems his little secret stash is going to come in again.

Auntie,

did you know that a main road has been built

to the east of the fertile fields

? This morning, Yuhe and I went to dig for wild vegetables

and turned a corner.

There's a piece of wasteland over there;

I don't know if it belongs to our village.

Yuhe, are you referring to the direction directly east?

That's wasteland . It

used to be low-grade land,

yielding very little each year, and it

gradually became barren .

Wasteland belongs to the village

and can be cultivated or

bought with money.

As expected, Grandpa, you should ask the village chief tomorrow

if that land is for sale and

what the price is. If it's suitable, I want to buy it.

I want to sell

these steamed buns and vegetables there.

A higher price is fine;

the main purpose is to sell to passing merchants.

Generally, the main road is quite far from the village.

I understand. Aunt Lin, I ate a bit too much tonight. It's all because

my granddaughter's steamed buns were too delicious.

I

ostensibly learned the craft, but my master treated me like a farmhand

and often beat me.

I'm not learning anymore.

As long as Grandpa has food, you'll have food too. Big

brother, I'm worried that the other party might turn the tables

on me. Tomorrow, I want to borrow some from the family. "

Can I borrow that girl for the child

? Auntie, I'm willing to go,

but my cousin will

go to town first. Once we get to town, let Lin Hua go back to the shop first.

Cousin, you go back first.

We'll pretend to look for you in a quarter of an hour.

Okay, I understand.

To put it bluntly, we just want to catch you red-handed.

You know how to come back?

I'll teach you to be

late! I'll

teach you to be a homebody! Is my brother home?

Go away, you little brat! You're not learning anything good,

coming to the blacksmith's shop to find your brother, Lin Hua!"

Lin Hua 's master, Zhou Bapi,

didn't know anyone was waiting outside to catch him,

so he followed her out with a wooden stick.

"A bad guy!

You hit my brother!

Help! Help!" "Oh

no! Someone's been beaten to death!

Zhou Bapi, caught red-handed, was still holding a wooden stick.

He only dropped it after

being pointed at and gossiped about by the onlookers.

Don't listen to this little brat's nonsense!

That's a bad apprentice. The apprentice

came home late;

you can't learn a trade without being beaten.

Yes, he's

an apprentice, how can he not get beaten?

Brother, does it hurt?

Let me blow on it for you.

How

did you get beaten like this? This wasn't just one day!

I know this young man; he's a good person.

He even helped my old man carry things.

You're all so heartless!

Whose child is this? You can't let him be beaten like this! Go

away, go away! Don't stand in front of my shop! My apprentice, I

can beat him

however I want!

Hey, stop hitting him! I

've killed someone!

Brother, let

's go to the county government.

We really can't accept

him as an apprentice. You're leaving. Don't ever mention

him as my apprentice again. Here

, take your things.

The neighbors here will testify for us:

this kid has nothing to do with my family.

How can you act like this? Master,

the neighbors here will also testify for us siblings:

today he beat my brother to a pulp!

He said the two have nothing to do with

each other . I hope you remember what you said!

You beat my brother like this and

still say it has nothing to do with you?

You need to write a letter!" " Either

I go to the county government and sue you.

Yes, you have to write it down

. Otherwise, this person will claim to be your master

and falsely accuse you of disrespecting your elders. To be honest,

Zhou Bapi is really capable of doing this.

If it's not related, Zhou Bapi said it himself, so

he can't deny it. Just write it down.

You can put your fingerprint on it.

Okay, I got what I wanted.

I thank you on behalf of my brother. Thank you, neighbors.

Hahaha, little girl, you're too kind.

Brother, let's go

. Sister, you had that person sign a letter of severance.

That's all .

It's that simple

. Didn't Zhou Bapi ask you for the money to learn the craft?

He didn't ask for any money.

Zhou Bapi..." The guy is quite easy to talk to.

Let's go to the market.

How much is this fish, boss

? Young lady, want to buy fish

? This fish

is fresh. My son caught it himself in the river.

Look, it's still alive!

Young lady, do you want it?

I'll give you a

discount. I'll give you

five coins a pound.

Look how big this fish is, not often seen.

And so much meat!

Uncle, I'll take this big fish.

And these small fish,

give them all to me too.

Okay, these small ones, three coins each.

See the big fish hanging on the oxcart handle

and the small fish on the cart

? More good food!

This fish is really cheap.

This hairpin is so pretty,

brother, can you hold it for me

as we pass by? Before

we even reached the market,

the oxcart was already loaded with a lot of things.

I know, even though I know,

I can't control that headstrong

girl! My hands are almost full!

Look at all this stuff you bought, what's the use?

Wasting money! Back in the village

, Lin Shang kept nagging,

making Lin Yuhe sleepy the whole way

. "Dad, slow down the cart!

And say less!

Yuhe's asleep!

Yuhe, wake up!

We're home

! Sleepy? Go back to your room and sleep!" "

Xu Wang, I want to ask if

that piece of yellow land east of our village, near the main road,

is for sale. Uncle,

that land is wasteland,

and besides, it's far from our village..." It 's still far away. Even

if we clear the land, it's not good for growing crops.

My child wants to buy it,

but I don't know exactly what they want to do with it.

The village chief can't get any information from me, so he can't press me further.

Uncle, you know the price of land in our village very well.

The best land is 12

taels per mu , and even the less desirable land is 10 taels

. Besides, the land you mentioned isn't wasteland.

It used to be village land,

but the harvest was bad, so it became wasteland.

Back then, the village's attitude was that

it couldn't be sold cheaply to the village

chief. As soon as Aunt Lin

said that, she got angry.

The village's wasteland used to be free

, but after two years, we had to pay taxes.

Now they're asking for 5 taels.

"Can we measure the land and process the land deed today?

I was busy today, but seeing you

're in such a hurry, okay,

I'll find someone to measure the land

and then go to the county to exchange for the land deed.

You

'll need to grease some palms in the county

with this . It's just that the name on the land deed is Lin Yuhe.

When the village chief saw it, he was a little confused.

Uncle Village Chief, hello! You

and your girl are back.

Did you have fun in town today?

Uncle Village Chief, please stay at our house for dinner today.

I'll cook, I promise it'll be

delicious . Okay, then I won't be polite.

Xu Wang and Lin Fu grew up together. He

often came to the Lin family's house before the village chief,

and his family knew him well. He

just charged high land fees,

and the Lin family never said anything.

I think Xu Wang has changed a bit.

He even has the nerve to eat at the Lin family's house,

always saying that he and the eldest brother grew up on

that piece of wasteland." "We got over ten taels of silver from the land.

That's all earned by our children working day and night frying and

selling snails.

His granddaughter gets up in the middle of the night every day

and has lost weight.

Grandma, it's alright.

We got a large piece of land

; I'll earn it back soon."

Hearing Lin Yuhe's words,

she felt much better.

"Auntie, don't be angry.

We'll do business there.

If business is good,

the villagers won't gossip."

Lin Yuhe just wanted to say that spending a little more money would

save them trouble later.

Lin's father sat beside her, cleaning the big fish they bought that day.

He didn't dare say anything;

if he spoke up for the village chief,

he'd be the one punished. "

Grandpa, tomorrow I'll go to Old Master Ye's house in town

to see what dishes they've prepared

." "Let Mom come with me tomorrow,

she can help me out.

Okay, Mom will go with you tomorrow.

I want to go too, with the girl.

Let your dad come with you.

We're worried about just the two of you.

Let your dad wait outside until

he's done and then we'll come back together.

Dad, hurry up and help me clean the fish.

I want to make something delicious with the fish meat

so Grandpa Ye can try it tomorrow

." An hour later,

the family's eyes widened.

The small basin was filled with round, white fish balls

, making the Lin family's stomachs rumble again,

even though they had already eaten lunch.

Looking at the cleaned fish head, bones, and skin,

it wasn't what they expected.

Wasn't fish just boiled with water and salt?

Sister, is

this tasty? If it's not tasty

, what's tasty?

You... "You silly

Chang'an, if you want to know if this is good or not

, go to the vegetable garden and pick a couple of radishes

. Hehe, I'll make it for you to try tonight.

Okay,

I'm going now.

Hehehe, I'm going too. Hehehe,

Uncle,

these candies are all ones I made recently.

Take them to the county and see

if you can find a shop to sell them

. Yuhe, this is one you drew.

Uncle, no matter what you don't know,

I'm still your beloved niece.

I was going to find an opportunity to do these things myself, but I'm

handing them over to you now.

Yuhe, I feel like this Master Ye is not simple.

He can't let his daughter risk her life for 30 taels.

Father, it's alright

, don't worry.

We're here to prepare for the birthday banquet

, not to pry into other people's private affairs.

Brother

, I'm the chef invited to prepare for Master Ye's birthday banquet." Why

are there

so many people

? Butler Liu, is this the Miss Lin the master mentioned?

Miss Lin, come with me,

Miss Lin. This is our manor's main kitchen.

Miss, the master instructed me

to show you these things

. Do you know how to cook them?

The crabs are still alive,

Miss,

Miss,

do you know how to cook them? They've already asked several cooks,

but none of them know how to prepare them

. The problem is, it's the master's birthday, and the people coming are all wealthy and noble.

They want to make some things that

no one else has seen

before. In my previous life, what delicious food haven't I eaten?

Butler,

does anyone in your family make a living at sea?

How come there are so many seafood products

? How do you know these are from the sea?

I first saw them when a traveling doctor told me about them

. Coincidentally, that person also mentioned how to cook them

. That's right... "I have a relative, the one you mentioned,

who lives by the sea

and makes a living at sea."

The butler replied, "No, to be honest,

he's not a relative.

He's the young master of the Ye family, stationed

with troops

by the sea." The butler

continued, " Uncle

, I want to ask

how many tables I need for the

birthday

banquet.

And if there are too many tables,

how many people will

you arrange to help me?"

The butler

remained silent

, leaving several chefs in the kitchen.

He couldn't say anything,

after all, the chefs were powerful and influential

; you could n't

fight city hall. "Hahaha,

little girl, don't worry,

I'll only arrange a few maids to help with picking vegetables

, washing pots and pans,

I won't have the chefs come over

. Thank you, butler." Uncle and

Steward promised

to cook something special for Master Ye last time

, so I brought it over this time.

Master Ye heard from the servants that

the young maid who prepared his birthday banquet had arrived,

so

he came to see

what good things Yuhe had brought for this old man.

Yuhe greets Master Ye.

Alright, everyone , get up.

Let me see what you brought.

This bowl contains fish balls I made myself,

filled with pork and fish.

This bowl contains fried small fish I made,

cooked in a radish soup. It's

especially delicious.

Quick, quick, I'm a little hungry.

Little Yuhe, make it for me to try. Isn't it delicious?

Mother, can you wash two

radishes and shred them? Madam

, I'll do it, I'll

do it. You can rest.

There are enough people in the kitchen: someone

to tend the fire,

someone to chop the vegetables.

The fish balls and small fish are all cooked.

The meal was finished quickly.

Mr. Ye, please eat slowly,

the broth inside the fish balls is hot! They're

so delicious, chewy,

fresh, and incredibly delicate.

They look

very appetizing. Good! Another bowl of shredded radish and mixed fish soup,

I'll have one too

! So delicious! Mr. Ye

, after you finish eating, rest for a while, then get up and walk around.

Otherwise , you'll feel uncomfortable

and it won't be good for your health.

From now on, just call me Grandpa Ye

, no need to call me Master Ye, don't

be so formal

. Remember to send me more good

food in the future . Little girl, I didn't expect your cooking skills to be so good.

The birthday banquet the day after tomorrow is in your hands .

You only need to cook for the main table

and two tables.

Besides these seafood dishes, what else do you need?

Make a list.

Okay, I understand.

Little girl, your handwriting is really good

, you've clearly practiced.

My mother and I will come again tomorrow afternoon.

Some dishes need to be prepared in advance,

butler. If there's nothing else,

my family and I will leave first.

Little girl, we meet again

. Auntie, it's you!

You're from the Ye family!

Did you bully this little girl?

The spicy snails you made me buy every day

were cooked by this little girl.

Xiao Yuhe, this is my husband.

He's just like that deadpan

look . Don't be afraid, he's a toothless tiger,

just scary-looking

. Yuhe, this is a reward for the master and young master. Thank

you, master and young master, for the

reward. Oh,

get up!

Where did you learn such messy etiquette?

If there's nothing else,

you can go back.

Don't tell outsiders about what happened here.

Aunt, cousin, the Bai family members are all tall .

Even younger than Lin Yuhe,

Bai Laowu is taller than Lin's mother.

Laowu, why are you here so early?

Didn't I tell you to wait at the entrance to town?

Aunt Auntie, it's closer here

, so I can help you carry your things.

Auntie, come with me

, I'll take you through

a shortcut, winding and turning all the way to the back gate of the Ye residence.

Let them come in through the back gate.

Oh,

we're the head chef here to prepare the master's birthday banquet

! Please come in, please come in!

Oh, you've finally arrived! Have you

had lunch yet?

Someone, go to the main kitchen and bring three bowls of rice and dishes.

Oh, Fifth Brother probably hasn't eaten

yet. Oh, good lad,

no wonder he's grown so tall!

It's alright, Auntie is just praising you, don't worry about

it. He'er

has arranged guest rooms for you in the side courtyard tonight.

There have been a lot of guests coming to the mansion these past few days,

so there aren't enough rooms.

I'll have to make do with you and your mother in

one room. Bai boy will have to share a room with the servant.

Thank you for the arrangement, Auntie.

Let my mother sleep here tonight;

I have to stay in the kitchen to watch over this jar of vegetables.

My cousin is fine too.

Yuhe, your mother isn't going anywhere.

I stayed here with you

and your daughter

in the kitchen all night and didn't feel

cold

. It's already dawn , and the rain-soaked lotus leaves, which take longer to cook, are already on the stove.

Auntie Pang, it's Grandpa's

birthday today, so

I made him a bowl of longevity noodles.

Could you please take it to him?

Wishing Grandpa many happy years to come ! Oh, you're so thoughtful, girl!

The color is beautiful, it

looks delicious!

Hey girl, look what this is!

Grandpa really likes your longevity noodles.

He praised your thoughtfulness,

and the noodles are so well made.

This is two taels of silver Grandpa is giving you.

Hmm, it's really delicious.

How did you make these

noodles? They're chewy and not mushy. Grandpa,

you're so kind of me! Please

say a good word for me, Auntie Pang. If

you like my noodles,

I'll teach you how to make them myself later.

These noodles can also be used as toppings;

there are quite a few ways to make them.

Cousin, I saw a guest come in,

and I even heard the servant say that

Master Ye is the old prime minister

who applied for the position himself.

If you know this, just keep it to yourself;

don't talk about it outside. I understand,

cousin.

You know so much!

Can I live with you from now on?

I won't cause trouble

and I'll be obedient. I can do any chores.

Bai Laowu's few words made Lin Yuhe laugh. You

can tell he's a child just by his voice.

"Okay, you can come with me from now on."

Lin Yuhe was busy

chopping and slicing

all morning , spinning like a top.

Luckily, Lin's mother was there to help her.

Today, any bones that need chopping

will be left to Bai Laowu.

Miss He, the birthday celebration has already been completed.

Are you ready?

The master's guests are all seated.

Butler, don't worry.

Yuhe has prepared all the dishes for the master's birthday banquet.

I guarantee they will suit the master's taste.

Butler,

if there are any leftover dishes today,

please pack them up and take them with you, little girl. You've

worked hard today, little girl.

Yuhe, it's not hard.

Yuhe thanks Master Ye for helping me with the work.

Don't kneel anymore. Pack up and go home.

Send some good food to my

father in the future.

Earning 60 taels of silver just by cooking a meal is

a far cry from the hard work of the old farmers in the countryside. Looking

back, Lin Yuhe was overjoyed

to see that her father had already closed the back door. "

We're rich!" she exclaimed, her mouth practically agape.

" Why are you three taking so long to come out?

We brothers have been waiting for ages!

" "Yuhe, let's hurry up!

Your maternal grandfather told us to take you home. We'll

talk about it tomorrow.

Thank you, uncles.

We have bodyguards today!

Come on, look! Which girl is that

? And who are the other two?

They look familiar

. We can't wait today;

we'll have to wait until that little girl

is alone next time.

Don't follow her anymore.

Others may not know about the Ye family

, but we know the Ye family isn't just any ordinary

family. Uncle, I'm a little tired.

Let's walk slowly. Fifth brother, carry

your cousin's basket on your back.

Yuhe, your eldest uncle is carrying you.

It 's hard work, uncle.

You know, it's just not right without an adult.

Our girl is quite opinionated.

Brother, you..." Look over there, it seems like someone

's there

. Grandfather

, we're back!

Yuhe,

are you hungry?

What do you want to eat tonight?

Whatever you want, I'll make it for you.

Grandfather

, I caught a lot of crabs today.

Let's steam crabs for dinner!

Chang'an, go cook!

The whole family is waiting.

They haven't eaten yet.

Third Uncle, my cousin, and my uncle have already returned

home. Most of the family members

are helping with washing and chopping vegetables.

Hmm,

both

families are full.

Changping, take this crab to Third Uncle.

We ate one for dinner, and

you've left the rest for Grandfather.

Grandfather, it's getting dark now.

You're old and

it's inconvenient for you. Why don't you stay at our house today

and let Uncle go back by himself?

Little girl, don't underestimate your grandfather.

If I really can't walk anymore,

let your uncle carry me.

Don't worry,

Uncle. Walk slowly and

hold on tight.

From now on, Fifth Brother will stay at our house to help me with chores.

They're all relatives.

Now the family is...

All that's done is adding a pair of chopsticks.

I'll squeeze in with Chang'an and the others today,

and we'll pick up Fu in the courtyard another

day. Hey, why aren't you asleep

so late

? What's wrong?

Grandma, Grandpa, look at

Mom! Oh, how come there's so much silver? I

've never seen so much silver

in my life !

This is my wages for preparing the birthday banquet for the Ye family during the day,

plus my bonus—a total of 60 taels.

Grandma, I have 60 taels here

, but I said I could only give you 10.

Would you be unhappy?

Hey, do you need it urgently?

This is the money you earned from your hard work.

Even without your silver,

we still have about ten taels,

which is more than before.

Children, our family is better off now.

Your grandfather is right.

Even without your silver,

we still have money.

Look, we still have over ten taels.

Grandma, don't worry

, I'll fill this up for you.

Not with silver ingots, but

with silver notes.

Didn't I tell you to count money and play around at home?

Grandma, don't count money.

Grandma just wants our children to be safe and sound,

without any disasters or hardships.

Oh dear, my precious girl, why are your eyes red?

You old woman,

why did you make the child cry?

Yuhe, you... "Auntie, what are you going to do with so much silver?

I want to invest in a blacksmith shop

and have Brother Lin Hua be the manager.

He said he'll share the profits with me.

I understand.

Take the silver back first.

I'll talk to your third uncle tomorrow, and

then you can hand it over.

Auntie, how many lotus roots did we dig today?

Two coins a pound.

Is no one selling them?

We cleared the wasteland this morning

and only started digging this afternoon.

We only harvested lotus roots from your maternal grandmother's family, your third uncle's family

, and the neighbor Sanjin's family . There are only two

or three hundred pounds

in our yard

, not too much.

But some people in the village saw us digging lotus roots

and others followed suit.

It should be..." Waiting for our family

, that old woman Chen from the Chen family keeps an eye on

us every day. She digs up things we take into our house too

.

Oh,

she's quite clever.

It's alright, don't be angry anymore,

Grandma. Tomorrow everyone in the village will know anyway.

Grandma, if I know where you hide your silver,

I won't be afraid I'll take it.

You little brat,

once you see it, I'm not afraid you'll take it.

Besides, all this money in the house is earned by you

. Yuhe earned some money in town yesterday

and told me she wanted to rent a blacksmith shop for your Linghua.

Brother, I heard it from the child,

and I always thought it was a joke.

Grandpa, don't worry,

this shop is a partnership between Yuhe and me.

He provides the silver,

I provide the labor, and I'll split the profits

40% to Yuhe and 60%.

Have Lin Shaoshu bring over the things he prepared

. Linghua, this is the contract.

You and Yuhe split it equally.

But since you're doing the work

, your family still needs to sign and put their fingerprints on it.

We didn't talk about family ties today;

we're willing to sign .

Dozens of taels of silver isn't a small amount.

None of them have ever seen it before

, and we're just giving it to them

to split the profits.

Where can you find such a good deal

?

Lamei, what are you doing?

You're shortening the child's life!

Get up

! Yuhe,

if you have time, draw more pictures of yourself.

Many customers like your flower patterns because they're so good.

And ever since I suffered a loss selling candy last time,

Xiufang and I agreed

to deliver some every few days.

Lin Shaoshu only mentioned that many people want to buy

his flower patterns

, without mentioning the price . He

happened to have some free time today, so

he planned to draw a few more,

something different

. As expected,

the lotus roots in Lianhua Gully were harvested in just two days.

Wherever there were lotus leaves,

the villagers practically turned over the mud in the ditches,

except for the areas with water.

A mountain of lotus roots appeared in the neighbor's yard.

I never imagined

we'd receive so many in just two days.

I have to admire the villagers' desire to make money.

Grandma, look how good these lotus roots are!

Oh dear, be careful not to hurt

your hands.

It's alright, Grandma

, I'm being careful.

Brother, could you help me put these in my house?

If you want lotus roots, take the ones outside.

Don't touch

the ones inside my house

. The old lady at home is watching your things. More precious than silver,

no one dares to enter your house casually,

Auntie. I want to try

doing some

small business in the wasteland west of the village. Auntie, what price do you think is appropriate?

I think it can't be

too expensive or too cheap.

You decide, girl.

Auntie trusts you.

The next day, before dawn,

Lin Yuhe had already kneaded two basins of dough

and braised a pot of pig's head offal

. Yuhe, can you sell these two big basins of dough?

It's okay, Grandma.

Didn't you always say that if you can't sell them,

you can take them back and eat them yourself?

Except for Grandma Lin, who stayed at home to look after the house,

everyone else in the family was helping to carry tables and chairs to the wasteland.

Lin Yuhe and her mother,

Lin Changfu, who used to work as a waiter, stayed in the wasteland.

Mother, don't go out.

Just steam the buns under the shed

. My brother and I will take care of things outside.

One bite and it's so delicious it'll make your tongue fall off.

Yuhe, Yuhe, people are coming!

Brother, look how many people there are. They

're too far away to see clearly.

It looks like there are some on horseback.

Brother, hurry up and bring the small... Piro gave it to

Lin Changfu. He never considered that

ordinary people

couldn't even afford enough to eat, let alone have extra money to buy food.

Besides, his food stalls weren't cheaper than those in town.

Steaming hot white steamed buns,

meat-filled pocket bread,

and free rice soup. "

When did we get food stalls here?

Little girl, you really can drink all the soup you want,

and there's meat too!

Big brother, you're right,

the rice soup is free.

I have freshly braised meat here.

You can eat it with the freshly baked bread,

or you can eat the meat alone.

Today is the first day we're selling food.

" He grabbed the horse guard. "

Your horses are going into the wasteland.

These horses are obviously trained. They're just

wandering around in the open space without running away.

Brothers,

this wasteland was bought by my family.

My family lives in that village. The first house in the east of

the village is mine

. Little girl, please give each of us a bowl of soup first

. Oh, your steamed buns are quite big. How much are they?"

And this one

with meat, one for each person.

No one asked the price this time

, so these people seem to have plenty of money.

Alright, gentlemen,

please wait a moment, it'll be ready soon.

Brother, could you please serve everyone some soup?

I'll go get some steamed buns and pita bread. Mmm

,

oh my, delicious!

This meat is so fragrant!

So delicious! So fragrant!

So fragrant!

So many customers on our first day of business

, and they're all wealthy!

This business is sure to be a success!

Young lady, please give me the change

. This is too much ,

but not too much. This is worth the price.

We'll come back to eat here again if we happen to be

passing by. Just stay here every

day! So many sold in one day,

and so many left !

We'll definitely sell out today

! A great start

! Hahaha!

Brother, please serve each customer a bowl of soup.

Looks like you're really hungry.

Young lady, how much are these pita breads?

One coin each. A

pita bread with pig's head meat and offal is five coins. A

pita bread without meat is two coins.

Look, there are sesame seeds on the pancake.

Remembering this person has already said

one pancake per person with meat filling,

I quickly made one for him to try.

This guest

, try it first, see

if it's good. If it's good, I'll make one for each of you. Okay, let

me try it. Is it good?

Hmm, Liu Zi,

how is it? Is it good?

Hmm, it's good.

The young lady's skills are excellent.

What kind of meat did you add? It's delicious!

Pig's head meat and pig offal.

I used my family's secret recipe.

My steamed buns are also delicious.

Try one more

, young lady. You're letting me try it

, don't worry, I won't give you money after I try it.

It's okay, it's only one coin per pancake. If

you don't want to give it, then don't.

Hey, young lady, don't stop talking!

There were 15 people in total. Only

after each person ate

two did they find a place to sit down.

Fortunately,

Lin Yuhe had asked Aunt Lin to

put some stools

and two simple tables

on this wasteland . "Young lady, give us two more steamed buns each.

Cut five plates of braised meat first.

Come quickly and serve the rice soup

. Changfu, hurry up and serve the guests!

I know, Mother.

Dear guests

, today is the first day my family and I set up a food stall.

If there's anything you don't like, please let

me know so I can improve.

The young lady's cooking skills are excellent.

It would take two hours by fast horse

to get to the next place to eat.

You have..." This is a nice place to rest and eat.

These people are straightforward and decisive, saying

whatever

comes to mind.

Young lady, your steamed buns

are really good, soft and fluffy. The pocket

bread is delicious even without meat.

How many pocket breads do you have left?

I'll take them all, no need for meat.

Give us one steamed bun each,

and fill my water pouch.

Let's calculate how much silver it is in total.

This gentleman

has 30 pocket breads left,

plus the meat you ordered separately

, that's 450 copper coins.

Young lady, you're quick with the calculations

, hahaha. Here, take

this, keep

the change. Give me all the meat.

Li Yuhe was almost blinded by this man's generosity.

A tael of silver gleamed brightly. Bian Zi

had really struck it rich this time!

This guest

, this is meat,

eat it quickly

, don't let it spoil your stomach,

hahaha. Look at these starving ghosts, do you think

they can let this meat sit for long?

Young lady, I have a suggestion for you.

You could find someone to help feed the horses and livestock,

that way more people will stay here.

Thank you for your suggestion

. Today is the first day selling food,

slowly, there will be more of these,

hahaha. Truly dashing!

Lin Yuhe greatly admires you.

Young lady, we're leaving

now. Goodbye, Jing. Goodbye.

Making money! Making money!

Hahaha. Haha,

Yuhe, there are still 20 steamed buns left to sell.

It seems they won't sell out.

There's no meat or vegetables left, and

even fewer people will buy steamed buns separately.

Mother, it's okay

. It doesn't matter if they don't sell.

There are so many people in our family

; we can finish them in one meal.

Thinking about how her two sons have been eating well lately,

and how much they've grown,

she's happy.

Now, Lin Yuhe is the shortest in the family.

She 's a

little worried . Hahaha,

you old hag !

The two little ones went to chop firewood.

The eldest and second eldest are busy.

Only you are sitting here doing nothing

. Go check on the wasteland to the east.

I wonder how many they

've sold.

I'm so worried.

Shut up, I'll go check.

Okay? Changfu, why did you wash the pot?

We've sold everything!

Grandpa, why are you here too

? We haven't sold out

yet! Hey, Yuhe, if they don't sell well,

let's go back.

Don't wait here.

Hey, where's the noodle?

Grandpa, can you find it? What? All

the dough I made this morning is gone!

Auntie only has these two left.

Everything else is sold out

. Sold out!

You mean two bowls of noodles

and a pot of braised meat

, and only these two steamed buns are left?

You naughty girl,

you even beat your grandpa!

Dad, two bowls of noodles and these two steamed buns are gone!

A pot of pig's head and water are all sold out too!

Good, good, great!

Hahaha! Grandpa

is finding someone to build a house on the wasteland.

I want to expand the business

and make the wasteland a large-scale operation. Building a house on

the wasteland needs to be planned carefully.

I plan to go to the wasteland tomorrow to measure the distance

and see how big it can be.

Old Li from the west of the village, he

'll pay me eight copper coins to work on the wasteland, providing meals

and using his oxcart to haul things morning and night.

Once the house on the wasteland is built

, he can live there

and watch the shop.

Auntie,

I want my older brother and two younger brothers to go to school

... I'll pay for their schooling. My

two younger brothers are still young

; they can't just chop wood to fill their stomachs.

Although they started school a bit late

, they know quite a few characters.

The Lin family can't

be illiterate. Yuhe

, are you really

willing to support your older and younger brothers' education?

If all three children are supported by

their daughter, wouldn't she be exhausted?

Yuhe, my older brother is too old to study

anymore. If my two younger brothers learn, they can teach me.

It's the same for

them. Although it's a waste of money

, education is a good thing .

I have no objection to using

whatever money the family

has for the children's education.

Cousin,

didn't you go to the wasteland to sell food today? You

're back so soon.

Cousin, this is today's pig's head and offal.

We have two sets of offal

and one pig's head.

One of the pig's heads was sold to someone as an offering.

It turns out the Ye family is having a birthday banquet.

Cousin said... Lin Yuhe's uncle bought

meat from the butcher shop in town,

and the butler arranged for the pork buyers

to receive 30 jin of meat daily from the Bai family

instead of going elsewhere.

Lin Yuhe never expected

to indirectly bring her uncle such a big business.

Also, her cousin

, her father asked her to ask when the stall in town would be available.

She said she had already reserved a spot for her

next to her family's stall.

"Fifth brother, take a break,

don't rush. I'll go wash up with you later.

This child has come so far

carrying so much stuff,

you must be tired.

Haven't you eaten yet?

Haitang is

kneading dough to make noodles for the child.

Grandma Lin, it's okay,

I'm not tired, I don't need to make noodles,

just eat something.

Fifth brother, tell me,

did the stall use the things I ordered?

" Her cousin, "You're really amazing!

That push-along stall is so nice!

" As soon as her father pushed the stall out,

a crowd gathered around,

all asking where it was made.

Many people asked where Dad made it,

but Dad didn't say.

Fifth brother, come eat noodles

! Eat quickly, they'll get soggy soon.

If you're not full,

here are two steamed buns

. Eat them quickly, we'll talk after you finish,

hahaha. Fifth brother

, have another steamed bun,

don't be shy.

Thank you, Lin Anai.

Thank you, cousin.

Don't be so polite

. Come often, feel at home, hahaha.

Things

will definitely get better and better , hahahahahahahaha. This is probably

the first reason

he invested in Lin Hua's blacksmith shop.

The iron used here is all Lin Hua's product.

From the outside of the food cart, it looks like wood.

Grandma

, tomorrow I'll have Auntie from Third Uncle's family come to town with me.

I want to hand over the stall to him later.

Don't say I'll hand over the stall to him yet

, let your mother go with you

first. Anyway, we need to build the house on the wasteland during this time.

Grandpa, take him with you first.

Mom still needs to boil water and cook at home. We'll

leave the house to

him later.

Grandpa thinks it's okay to pay wages normally.

There are still too few people in the family

. Okay, then take him with you first.

Pay Auntie Li the wages normally.

Later you... You don't need to come so early every day.

I'll have someone call you when you need the cart.

You can sleep a little longer. It's okay, girl. I'm old and

don't

need much

sleep . Coming early

won't delay your business.

He girl, don't you know?

Everyone in the village is praising you.

Is this praise?

The way the villagers of Lianhuagou praise people is so unique! Oh,

I'm planning to open a food and lodging place

and we need someone to feed the livestock and horses for the guests.

I wonder if Aunt Li would be willing to do it?

The pay is eight coins a day,

paid monthly.

It's just that your oxcart

has to haul some cooking supplies to my family and the food and lodging place every day.

He girl, are you serious?

I'm willing to feed the livestock.

Don't worry, don't worry,

I'll feed the horses well.

Of course, it's true! We're

planning to build a stone fortress.

Once the house is built,

you can bring Aunt Li to help my family look after the shop. Food

and lodging are provided.

I'll give you ten coins a day

. Auntie, my family is planning to send Chang'an and Changping to school.

Do you want my cousin Lintong to go?

The three brothers can go together

, so others won't bully them.

I also want my Lintong to go to school,

but school is too expensive.

Could you talk to your third uncle about

this? Only the current...

"Little girl, you're good. My

uncle and I will open two more acres of land.

After picking snails and digging lotus roots

, my father-in-law trusts me more than anyone else. Lin Yuhe,

Yuhe, come here quickly . Fifth brother

, go and deliver the meat to the Ye residence. Alright!

Cousin Linghua's skills are indeed exquisite.

This food cart is just what I want

. Yuhe, you have such

a clever little head. You

can just push it home after closing.

It's so convenient.

Uncle,

do you also want a stall like this?

Haha, I was just looking around.

This kind of food cart is not suitable for your butcher shop.

It's perfect for making cooked food.

I'll teach you how to make cooked food

and give you an identical food cart.

Uncle, Uncle, Aunt

Tang, you two try it .

Aunt Tang, you watch the stall and collect the money today.

I'll make the pancakes. They

're so fragrant. They have the aroma of wheat

and the aroma of braised meat.

How much are these

? Five copper plates

for meat.

They only sell pancakes.

They're two coins each.

I'm at the official road..." I've been selling this for a while now,

and business is pretty good.

I just don't know if the people in town like

it. My food

tastes good ,

so I'm sure some people will come

. Uncle , you're here

! Little girl, what's this novelty you're selling?

Uncle, this is called a roujiamo (

Chinese hamburger)

. It smells amazing! You should try it !

Oh, Uncle, freshly baked roujiamo, three coins!

Little girl, your pancake is good ,

but it's a bit more expensive than others.

Go away!

You little brat, how can your pancake be good?

Uncle, you'll know

if it's not good or not, it's free!

Okay, give me one,

with extra meat!

Auntie,

be careful, it's hot!

Little girl, another one

! Oh, girl,

this is clearly a pancake with meat in it,

why is it called a roujiamo?

Uncle, this is called a roujiamo!

Look, the meat in this pancake is almost overflowing!

Oh, that

explains why it smells

so good! Hey, are you done

yet? Hurry up and make way! I can't wait!

Hahaha, little girl,

save a few for us guys,

everyone, don't rush

! "Sister

Lamei,

could you please help organize the queue?

Everyone, could you please line up? Please don't

rush, everyone gets a share.

Those who are willing to spend five coins are mostly from the town,

probably going home to feed their children.

They're thinking that maybe they can cook some vegetables tomorrow

, that would be fine too.

One of each,

please. Thank you, Grandpa! You little girl,

you didn't even tell me you had a new treat!

Grandpa, please sit down and rest.

Brother, have some to take home for your wife and mother

. Look at how much

you love your wife, hahaha!

The first day's sales are already sold out.

It turns out the people in town don't dislike meat

, they just buy pancakes.

Oh dear, how come they're all gone?

I've been queuing for so long!

Miss, could you give me a few more pancakes?

Grandpa, we're sold out today . Please

come back tomorrow

, hahaha.

I originally wanted to save a few for the rich foreigners.

I've been busy all morning,

so I had the noodle shop give each of them a bowl

of noodles." There

's no problem with filling my stomach, but

the taste is just so-so.

Cousin, this noodle isn't as good as yours.

You've only

been with your sister for a few days, and you can say it's not good?

I think

you're still hungry. Cousin, why

aren't you eating?

Do you also

think it's not good?

It's really not as good as mine. I'm full, I'm not eating anymore.

It's really not as good as mine.

I'm full, I'm not eating anymore. Wasting food is wrong.

Uncle

, I'm planning to send my two younger brothers to school in town.

I don't know which teacher in town is good.

There isn't a good teacher in our town.

There's only one teacher.

What do you mean

? Only one teacher? How can they manage?

There are several villages near this town

with a large population.

There should be many people going to school.

How can one teacher teach

? I don't know either . How

about I take you to see

him? Fifth brother, be good at your aunt's house. If

you're not good, then don't go.

I understand, Dad.

He girl, it seems your business is very good today.

You've sold so much stuff

just before lunch .

You're really something!

No wonder everyone says you're a money-making machine.

Uncle, is that alright?

I really want to go and take a look.

Actually, I wanted to inquire about

which

schools children need to attend. It's located a bit out of town

. Let's hurry and pack our things and head over

.

Although this place is remote

, the air is still quite nice.

It's much quieter nearby than the market. Yuhe,

this is the school in our town.

This building looks quite large.

I just remembered something about a teacher.

Uncle, I'll go in and take a look.

You wait outside for me.

No, you're not familiar with this place. Hmm , who is it

? It's so noisy at midday.

Who are you looking for?

Don't you know this is the children's nap time

and they shouldn't be disturbed?

Madam

, I'd like to find a teacher here.

I want to send my younger brother here to study.

Please keep your voice down

. Come in,

keep your voice down.

I won't raise my voice even

without this woman's reminder.

Where is this place?

This is a school,

full of scholars.

Scholars are to be respected.

Auntie

, this school looks quite large

. Is there only one teacher?

This is a proper school,

how can there only be one teacher?

There are eight teachers here,

each teaching different children.

There were originally eight teachers

, not one

! That's great! The teaching here is different from other places. The teaching is divided

according to the students who begin their studies.

I heard the teachers here are plotting something

. They want my younger brother to study here.

My husband is the head teacher here.

This used to be a small school.

Later, a high-ranking official came to the town.

He spent money to expand this place

and hired many more teachers.

Head teacher, auntie,

your husband is so capable! Your

husband is a great scholar,

he must be very learned.

Please say

a few good words for him later, Auntie . You are so lucky

to have married such a learned scholar, it

's truly enviable. You

're a clever girl, you've

come at the right time

. The great scholar isn't teaching right now.

I'll go in and call him.

You, girl, are you sending your younger brother to

study? Why didn't you bring

him? How old is he

? Has he started his studies? If he

hasn't started, we won't accept him.

As far as I know, in this era

, families

with money and status

hire people to tutor their children,

some as

young as 3, some as old as 5.

But my younger brother is already quite old

and doesn't know many words.

Both children are 10 years old

and haven't started their studies, so

they don't meet the admission requirements of our town's school.

Go check other schools.

Sir, sir,

people say one is never too old to learn.

Can't a 10-year-old read?

As long as one is willing to learn,

it's not too late even at 80.

Besides, although my younger brother hasn't started

formal education

, he can read.

Sir, you are a learned man, with students

all over the world. My brother has a desire to learn and improve.

I hope you will give him a chance.

A 10-year-old is indeed a bit too old.

Why don't you bring him here so

you can test him and then decide whether to accept him?

I like your phrase "

students all over the world." With a family of scholars,

you

should also be literate, right? You

've only learned a few characters from your family.

Now is not the time to show off;

it would be better to avoid trouble.

Tomorrow is a school day off;

the day after tomorrow, bring your brother.

But I must say this beforehand:

if he doesn't pass the test...

I still can't accept him.

This is already very good.

Thank you, sir, for giving my younger brother this opportunity.

Thank you

. Hmm,

people are inherently good.

I'm fantasizing that in a few days my brother will also be a member here

and can study here.

When did this girl become like this?

Uncle, what's

wrong? It's nothing, Yuhe. Uncle

is fine. I just really admire you.

Tomorrow, Xiuyou's son will come back.

I'll ask him for you. Uncle

, I'll take you back.

I don't need you to take me. You

can get home quickly by taking this small path.

Hurry back to the village.

Don't worry your family

. Yuhe, tell me quickly,

Tang Seng. Don't rush,

listen to me. Originally, sir thought my brother was too old. They wouldn't accept her back

since she hadn't

started learning

, but then they gave her a chance to take a teaching exam.

I want my cousin's daughter, Lin Tong, to study with them too.

This is the last chance.

Aunt Yuhe,

please, could you talk to your third uncle and ask him

to let Lin Tong go to school as well?

Aunt, don't get agitated.

I'll go home and talk to him.

Why isn't this girl back yet?

It's already this late.

Yuhe is back!

Oh dear, why are you only coming back now ? Have you

eaten yet?

Grandma, don't run, slow down.

I've finished eating.

All the pancakes are sold out.

Grandma, here you go.

What's this?

It's all copper coins.

There are too many people outside

, we can't let anyone see us. We're incubating

eggs inside.

Hurry up and come out and take the things inside!

Oh,

Grandma's here!

The sea view is here!

Mom, you're so mean!

What do you mean by "burden"? What

did you say?

You're so mean! You dare say that to your mother?

I'm your mother! Let go!

Let go! You still dare to say that?

Hurry up and move the things inside

! This girl's palms are calloused.

She didn't have these before.

She's exhausted these past few days.

Tired, aren't she ? No,

you'll teach your mother later.

Tomorrow, your mother will go sell pancakes.

You can rest at home.

Grandma, I'm not tired.

I'm still young.

You're such a strong girl

! Yuhe sold so much today. You

came back so late.

Did it not sell well

? Oh, my grandma,

this is from the Lin family! It's sure to sell well

, we don't even have enough!

Lots of customers are asking us to bring extra flour tomorrow.

We live in the village

, but if we lived in town

and had a shop, we

could do all sorts of different things and

make a fortune!

When I make money,

I'll buy a shop with a courtyard in town.

Otherwise, one person has to support two.

Lao Wu has been busy at the market all day,

take a break. Let your uncle handle the rest. Okay, Aunt

Lin,

Aunt Yuhe,

I'm here.

Aunt, did you need

something? Has your brother been asked about his school?

What did the teacher say? Yes,

he said yes, he said yes.

The teacher thinks they're too old

and haven't started school yet.

I had to plead with him to give them a chance.

Tell me specifically about

the opportunity .

The teacher wants to test the two

younger brothers; that should be fine.

Also, there's Lin Tong from Uncle's family.

I want Lin Tong to go to school too.

Yuhe, your Uncle found me and

said Lin Tong should go to school with you.

We have one more day tomorrow.

I'm going to ask Lin Shaoshu

what children learn for their first lessons

, thinking he should memorize the Three Character Classic first

. Grandpa wants Lin Tong to go to school with me the day after tomorrow

, but he'll come to our house these two days so

I can ask him what he

knows. Okay, I'll go tell your Uncle. Judging

from the voice, it's coming towards our house.

Grandma, what's going on outside? Is

anyone home?

Yuhe, are you

home? Is your grandpa home

? Ah, we're here to build a house.

Uncle,

my grandpa isn't home.

What's up?

Qian Louzi is home.

Yuhe, can we use your wasteland to build a house? Don't

worry, I have plenty of strength. I've done house building work

outside before.

Erhu, I'm not called Qian Louzi

Lin. Grandma, I just said it offhand,

no offense intended

. Hey kid, what nonsense are you spouting? You deserve a beating!

Why are so many people in the Lin family's yard? Something's happened!

I have to hurry and inform Grandpa Lin

! Uncle

, Aunt , Auntie,

Village Chief,

you brought so many people! Yes, Uncle.

I heard you were looking for someone to build a house on the wasteland.

Luckily, we found these people,

so I brought them to your house. I

often pass by the

Lin family's house and can often smell the aroma of their food.

I know the Lin family is really rich now.

I was just spreading the word,

but I didn't expect so many people

to come.

Uncle

, do you think I can build the house on your wasteland?

I have a group of people under me, and

I can lower the price a bit.

Grandma,

who is this person

? Does he know how to build houses?

This is Wu Youcai from our village.

He's not

often home, but after the busy season, he builds houses.

I never thought he'd build a house

for our family. The person who named him must have a grudge against him. His surname

is Wu, and the last character is Youcai. Wu Youcai.

Wu Youcai said,

"I want to know what kind of house you want to build.

If it's just an ordinary one,

our own people in the village can take it."

It's a fancy house.

Only my brothers have experience building houses.

We can only hire villagers as helpers.

Can you believe that the poorest family in the village

is going to build the first red brick house in the village on wasteland?

The Lin family, who couldn't even afford food before,

is actually going to build a red brick house.

I heard that Lin Yuhe, who survived jumping into the river, is in charge. It's

very strange . We're going to build

something special.

Hey girl, did you draw this?

Hmm,

I can build this house,

but I need to use my people.

The villagers can only be helpers.

Building this house still requires certain skills.

Wu Youcai is right.

The villagers can only be helpers.

Uncle Youcai, I'm in a hurry.

If I contract the house to you,

how long can you deliver it?

I have 10 skilled workers. I

'll find the helpers from the village.

If the workers are not lazy,

I guarantee I can deliver the house in 10 days.

Grandpa, find 20 helpers .

My requirement is to deliver the house within 10 days.

Hey girl, if there are 20 helpers,

I'm sure I can deliver it within 10 days.

I'll go order bricks and tiles tomorrow

for the house handover.

Auntie and cousin,

I'll make some tea for the people working on the wasteland and bring it over. For

breakfast and lunch,

just make it as we agreed.

Yuhe, it's just you and Lao Wu coming back today,

be careful.

Don't worry, Auntie

, I'll protect you.

Yuhe, Uncle is coming back to the village with you today.

Uncle doesn't need

us, we can manage.

Hey, you little rascal,

I was wondering why there was one missing,

turns out you took it

. Auntie Li, we're going back to the village via the main road today.

I want to go check out the wasteland.

Hahaha,

okay, you guys sit tight.

Okay, thank you, Auntie Li.

Napkins, Erhu and I did the hard work.

If we don't have enough to eat, we'll go to my mom's to get some cakes.

Uncle, I was just looking for you. What

have you been busy with lately? You

're rarely home.

Keep an eye on Yuhe

, don't let her bump into anything. The people building the house

have eaten their fill,

I'll go help clean the dishes.

No problem, sister-in-law,

leave it to me, go ahead and clean.

You little rascal!

"You 're busier than me,

yet you have the nerve to say

you can't see me, Uncle? What's up

? Have you figured out how to sell candy? Okay,

okay , I'll start.

Don't interrupt,

Money Basket. Have you been drawing any patterns lately,

Uncle? Should I tell Grandma to

find you a wife as soon as possible

? Also, do you think the name 'Basket' sounds nice?

I didn't say 'Money Basket,'

I just heard the villagers call you that behind your back. They

even say you're a money-grubbing rake!

And

you are indeed good-looking,

just like the Lin family.

But isn't it a bit much to call yourself a 'beautiful girl'?

Uncle, do you think I'm ugly?

Uncle, what exactly do you want from me

? Didn't I

ask you to draw any patterns?

If not,

squeeze out some time to draw a few. The

shopkeeper is urging me!

I did draw some

, but I've been so busy lately that I just collapse and sleep.

I only drew two

, but I added text.

Selling the pictures and text together

should sell well.

Uncle , I've given you quite a few pictures,

and you sell them for a few coins each.

" Although drawing isn't difficult

, paper is expensive!

You're selling it for one coin, which isn't even enough to cover my efforts.

Lin Yuhe,

do you have some misunderstanding about the patterns you've drawn

? Don't you know your drawings are worth a lot of money?

Is this one coin?

Do you think this could be a

tael or two? Uncle

, let's go home, I'll draw you a few more pictures.

Hey, Grandma

, slow down, slow

down!

What's the rush?

Oh, why are you all back?

Where's Lao Wu? Mom

, Lao Wu is helping out in the wasteland.

Uncle, I'll give you the money and the goods.

Here you go , are you short of silver? A

pile of absurd words

and bitter tears.

This stack of papers was quickly read.

Two pictures of beauties,

Dream of the Red Chamber and The Story of the Stone.

The great scholar should be able to understand them.

Why aren't you helping out in the wasteland?

What are you doing standing there?

Don't you know that the laborers we hire

get paid 15 coins a day

? One, two, three, a full 20 one-tael silver ingots!

Uncle, why are you giving them all to me?

Didn't we agree to split the profits?

Are you out of silver at home?

These are just what

we need to make ends meet.

What is this?

It's so heavy!

Where did you get so much silver?

You two are really bold!

With so much silver in the house, aren't you afraid someone will steal it?

Bah! Bah! Bah ! Bad things don't work, good things do!

Hahaha! Uncle

, didn't you say a flower painting only sells for a few coins?

How come it sold for so much

? Yuhe, have you seen the painting you made?

What's the difference between it and the goods I bought?

Rich people

spend a tael of silver to buy something that no one else has.

That's incredibly valuable. Besides

, I sold it to an embroidery shop. The fact that

the embroidery shop gave me a tael

means they made at least ten taels in the middle.

When you gave me the painting,

I felt it was different from mine. I

thought the embroidery shops in town didn't know its value,

so I went to the shop in the county with a try-it-out mentality.

I remembered being ripped off when I sold candy, so

I learned my lesson.

Although I carried all the flower patterns with

me , I only took the smallest one and stored it separately.

Who knew that

the shopkeeper would offer a high price of a tael of silver for just

that one painting , saying he would take as many paintings like that

as he could get, and if the paper used for the painting was better...

Those ladies and young women aren't short of money, you know that, Yuhe

? I send one of your drawings

to the shopkeeper every few days, and

he complains that it's too slow . He

even says that if the drawings are still produced at this slow pace,

he won't give me a tael.

That shopkeeper sees me as a country bumpkin

and thinks I'm a poor scholar

with no money

to pay for my studies and drawing. So

I'm taking this opportunity to raise the price,

or we can go to another shop.

Some of your drawings sell for one tael,

some for one tael and five taels.

Uncle, tomorrow I'm taking the twins and Lintong to the town school.

The teacher there

said he'll be testing them.

In a few days, I'm going to the county magistrate's house for a wedding banquet

. I'll go to the embroidery shop with you.

Sister, I'm back!

Sister, I'm back

! Sister, I'm back!

You three naughty devils

want a beating, don't you?

Hehe.

Human nature is inherently good.

"At the beginning of life,

people

are inherently good.

How are you three doing with

your recitation of the Three Character Classic? Can you recite it now? If you don't work hard, the teacher won't accept you tomorrow. Don't worry, Grandma, we three brothers will definitely make you proud tomorrow. I'll check your recitation of the Three Character Classic

and

your character recognition. As long as the teacher doesn't ask any questions beyond the syllabus tomorrow, you'll be fine

. I 'm

taking

my

younger

brothers

to the town school today.

I'll leave Dingtan to you for now.

I practiced kneading dough and cutting meat all night. I

'm sure I can keep an eye on the stall

. I finally made it to the town school.

I just hope the teacher's teaching test goes well today.

It's you, Miss.

Why are you here so early today?

The teacher is teaching the children.

You'll have to wait a while.

Wait, didn't you say two?

Why did you bring three boys ?

Auntie, can we go in and wait for the teacher?

It's a bit awkward standing outside

. Please come in.

Auntie, this is a meat sandwich I made myself.

It's still warm.

I brought it especially for you to try.

I can't accept this.

If the teacher knew,

he would definitely say I'm looking for... " "I 've thought it over,

so I'll accept it.

Come in with me and sit down to wait.

Come, young lady,

come in and have some tea to rest your feet.

I heard there's a girl at the market selling meat and chili peppers that

are very popular.

Auntie, you guessed right,

the person selling roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) at the market is me.

If you and the master like it,

just have someone tell me ,

and I can send it over anytime.

Oh, that's wonderful!

You'll be in for a treat from now on,

haha.

Why is there a sudden commotion in the schoolyard? Could

it be that the teacher has finished teaching

and is about to test the students?

I wonder

if the children can handle the upcoming test smoothly.

Young lady, it's break time.

You sit here,

and I'll go call the master for you.

That would be a lot of trouble for you, Auntie.

The young lady has brought three younger brothers.

They all look quite good.

The young lady is very polite

and even brought you some roujiamo to try,

which is so popular that you can't even get one even if you queue up.

Master, hello.

Hmm, you didn't eat breakfast this morning before going to teach the students.

You must be hungry. Eat first, and then we'll

talk . You can take it out and eat it yourself.

"

You three want to come to the school to study.

Your sister said that

none of you have started formal education

, but you can read and

write. What books have you read

? Please

state your names and tell

the teacher. I am the eldest

of the three,

my name is Lin Changping.

The three of us can recite the Three Character Classic

and have read the Hundred Family Surnames.

I am the eldest brother, Lin Changping

. I am the second brother, Lin Chang'an

. I am the youngest brother, Lin Tong.

Hmm, you recite the first few lines of the Three Character Classic.

I will stop

you, then stop you again, and you continue reciting.

Finally, you finish

. Hmm, not bad. Come over

and recognize a few characters.

This is heaven and earth.

You three are good at everything else,

but you are far behind in writing. Fortunately,

you can practice writing more.

As long as you are not lazy,

you will naturally be able to write

well if you write more .

You three are about the same.

You will listen to the lessons in Class C

for now . If you do well, we will transfer you to

another class. When the teacher of Class C comes,

you can get to know him.

As for the food and lodging,

we will arrange it later. I

just saw you writing.

Can you write? You

can write a little bit.

Oh, you can indeed

read and write. Let me see.

It seems that the elders in your family

do not believe that women are virtuous because they are not talented

. "Your idea is good.

It seems you are highly valued at home.

No wonder you sent the three children to school.

Teacher, you flatter me.

I am the only girl in the family, so

my family favors me more.

Yuhe,

is that right?

Have you prepared your brother's writing materials?

And his books?

Auntie hasn't prepared them yet. Do

you have any good

recommendations?

That's great!

The whole family is tightening our belts to support several children.

We're really short of money.

We'll just buy them from the school.

Sister, isn't the tuition too high?

Or should we let Chang'an study alone?

He can teach me at home. It's the same for

him. It wasn't easy for the teacher to accept you.

You just need to study

hard. You don't need to worry about the money.

Have you forgotten that everyone in the village calls me the money-grubber?

Yuhe, you also need to study hard.

Everything will be

alright . I'm

coming with you to the market to earn money.

Young man, hurry up!

My legs are getting tired from waiting.

Where is the little girl who makes pancakes?

You're too slow,

everyone.

I'm so sorry."

My nephew is making pancakes for the first time today.

Everyone, don't rush.

Everyone has some.

Big brother, I'm here.

You can rest for a bit.

Big brother, the more

you make pancakes,

the better

you'll become. Yuhe, do you think your big brother is useless? He can't

even do something as small as making pancakes well.

Big brother, you are the best brother in the world.

Have you forgotten?

When the family

was struggling to make ends meet,

it was you who saved us with your 100 coins a month.

You three, don't you

agree? Yes, big brother, you are the best brother. You

and your daughter are back from the market.

Today you brought the boys with you too.

Grandma

, are you playing here?

We're going home now.

Sister, do you know that

as soon as we leave,

those old women will definitely... If

you don't believe

me, let's make a bet.

Lin Tong's gambling is wrong,

so we won't gamble.

You guys can't gamble either

. Hey

, look at that girl from the Lin family, she's really something!

She spends money renting oxcarts every day.

How much money do you think she earns

? Oh, that's right,

what's so good about being out in the public eye all day? No matter how much

money she earns, she won't have a good reputation.

My family doesn't want that.

Humph, see? I

told you, all the villagers are gossiping behind her back.

Brother and sister, do you think this is okay?

Hahahaha,

you three, what mischief have you been up to

? Tell me the truth!

You three, stop playing around

and hurry up and pack your things.

You're going to school tomorrow

. Hey, you two, where have

you been? Look at all that straw on your heads

, come here and try on your new clothes. "Mother

,

look, the size is just right

, it's a little long

. It's okay, I deliberately cut it a little longer

and sewed the longer part inside.

Next year when she grows taller, I'll let the rolled-up part out.

This spendthrift girl, why did she buy so much extra fabric?

Look, Mother,

look, isn't this enough to make another piece?

That girl must have bought the fabric for that child in Lintong.

Grandma, today I'm having Fifth Brother and Eldest Brother go to town to help out.

I'll find someone else to help at home.

Uncle and Mother are going to the county town with me today

and won't be back until tomorrow.

We already have enough mouths to feed at home.

I'll help your Auntie cook.

You go about your

business. Besides, finding another person won't cost any more money. Oh,

I've already found someone.

The meal will cost 15 coins.

They'll be here in a

bit." You little brat

, who did you find?

If I didn't keep an eye on them,

I'd have to kick them out too.

It's Sister-in-law Cuiyu,

the wife of Brother Sanjin next door.

Don't worry, I've kept everything that can't be seen in the house

in my room.

Sister Yuhe

, am I late?

Sister-in-law Cuiyu

, you're early.

The food is all in the kitchen.

Thank you for your

hard work today .

Grandma, we're leaving

now , you can go inside quickly. Hahahaha, I

'm not just here for the wedding banquet today,

I'm also going to introduce my own candy.

Butler,

I have something I'd like to see the magistrate or his wife.

I have something that can add a highlight to Miss's wedding banquet.

I wonder if you could introduce me?

It's just a

small token

of my appreciation, please

accept it. Go back,

Magistrate.

You won't be able to see him

these past few days; I've been very busy

. But I can introduce you

to Madam. Come with me,

Steward.

Please wait a moment, I'll go get something and be right back.

Why are you such a young lady

? Madam, Miss's marriage is a joyous occasion.

My family made quite a few wedding candies

. Yuhe wishes Miss a sweet and happy married life.

Here, let me see. Your

name is Yuhe, right?

How many of these candies do you have?

I'll buy them all

and put a plate on the table.

Madam, these are homemade.

I wrapped them one by one,

and they only weigh less than 3 jin in total.

I can only say that I'll try my best to make sure every table has wedding

candies. Go find a piece of every color of candy.

Each piece of candy is peeled open.

Young Master, these candies even have names

! There were wedding candies

on every table,

but they were all taken.

I managed to get these from someone with great difficulty.

People who have tried them say that each color and taste is different.

Auntie and Uncle ,

let's go out to eat.

It's my treat. Yuhe,

do you still want more? Or should we go home early

? Your grandma will worry

if we go home too late. Well, let's wander around the county town first.

There should be markets and shops in the county.

Yuhe, let's take care of business first.

I'll take you to the county market another day. Weaver

Girl , what?

She asked the steward for a large cabbage that you can find in the countryside and

put it in her basket.

Flower Pavilion

, what a terrible name!

This is an embroidery shop.

Are you sure it's not a flower shop

or some kind of business?

Oh, little brother

, you've finally arrived

. Are you going to... If you don't come,

I'll send someone to find you in the Immortal Realm!

Sister, let go of my arm

! Ouch, let go of

my mother! When did I get an aunt

? Stop talking

, let's rescue your uncle first.

This lady

, let go of my uncle! Let's

talk

this out. Come on, let's talk inside.

Brother, you brought a few pictures this time

. Hurry up and show them to me.

You only bring two at a time

, and there's been such a long interval between them.

Couldn't you have drawn more?

You

didn't bring any at all!

I've already given away

the pictures. And now you've only

brought two?

This is my niece,

Yuhe. This is the shopkeeper, Manager

Su. All the pictures are sold to his brother.

You only brought two pictures after all this time? How old

is the little girl? Have

some snacks, they're freshly made,

thank you. This picture is mine

, not my uncle's.

How is

it? Are

you alright? I'm so sorry, I was too loud

and scared

you . Are you alright?

Let me calm down

. Manager Su, don't blame yourself,

I'm fine now

, hahaha. I'm really sorry,

I'm too fat

and my voice is too loud,

I scared you.

My dear niece, is this really your drawing?

Manager Su, I don't know what kind of pictures

the ladies and young ladies in the county

usually like . My dear niece, look,

usually it's like this. The

eldest lady likes this kind of orchid

, she thinks it's noble and elegant.

The little girl would choose to use AI to draw this. Okay,

this fresh and elegant style.

1,000 taels, of course, it has to be something Leilei can appreciate.

If it wasn't something you liked, it wouldn't be worth so much silver.

Manager Su, are you giving 1,000 taels for the pattern of the screen

, or 1,000 taels for the finished product?

Of course, it's for

a well-embroidered, high-quality screen that's

worth that much! Goodness, really?

Don't even think about it.

Do you know how rare a good embroiderer is?

Many are born into the family, their

indentures held by their master's family.

Unless the master's family is confiscated and goes bankrupt,

they generally won't be released.

Aren't you just making me envious?

When will I be able to find such talent?

Ah, regardless of past or present life, if

someone is like this,

then I'll definitely be a qualified talent scout.

My niece, today's pattern is too small,

here's 2 taels of silver

. When will you be able to send

the pattern next time? You see, each time... "I can't draw more,

okay, okay,

I'll go home and bring the drawings over as soon as possible.

Manager Su, my family and I are leaving now. If we get

back late,

our elders will worry. Girl, you're too kind

. Your uncle calls me sister,

so according to your uncle's side,

you should call me aunt.

Don't call me manager

, it's too formal

. Since you're in a hurry

, I won't keep you

any longer

. Leave your home address.

If there's anything urgent,

I'll go find your

aunt. Now, could you give me some good drawing paper?

Good paper is essential for good drawings

. Staying here isn't cheap.

Think about how much money you

've wasted. Xiaoyue

, pack some snacks for my niece to take on the road.

I understand, Manager

Su. Yuhe, we can just hire an oxcart.

Hiring a horse-drawn carriage would be such a waste of money,

Mother." Although we haven't sold all the cabbages we brought,

it's getting dark,

we

should hurry home to cut more and

sell them in town tomorrow.

Yes, sister-in-law, if we go home, we can catch

a fat sheep and get some extra.

I didn't expect it to be a bunch of idiots

. Oh well, young man,

I want to ask

if you saw three people pass by

? Young master, those three have already left

, I don't know which direction they went.

Hmm, those three are cooks hired by the magistrate's office.

Go and find out where they are from

. Fifth brother

, go and get the basket from the yard for your sister.

Cousin, if you want to eat cabbage,

I'll have my mother cut two for you tomorrow. We

have a large patch of cabbage at home.

Grandma, here's a 40-tael silver note for you. You

can only look at it, not

touch it. If you touch it, it will rot and become unusable.

That 1,000 taels... The words were flashing before my eyes.

I need to think carefully about how

to earn that 1,000 taels.

Yuhe, the house on the wasteland can have its main beam installed the day after tomorrow.

Your grandfather said that

even though the house is built on wasteland,

it's still property.

Grandma, you've collected the magic pipes.

The main beam will be installed

the day after tomorrow.

I can't prepare tomorrow either. Alright, you 've all been tired all day.

Wash up and go to sleep.

Father,

here's some pocket money for you.

You work with those uncles every day, you

can't be without a single copper coin.

Hmm,

Yuhe, come and soak your feet.

Mother, I'll do it myself.

You've been busy all day,

get some rest.

Haitang, why don't you go to sleep first?

Yuhe's foot bath water, I'll pour it

for you later. Mother

, this is for you. Yuhe, Mother doesn't

want it. I haven't spent the money you gave me last time.

Mother, this is for you.

I'll give you pocket money gradually after

you spend it . Buy whatever you want.

Don't cry, hurry up and accept it.

From now on, we'll treat our daughter better.

Mom will save it for you.

Remember to ask Mom for money when you need

it. Yuhe, the water isn't hot anymore. Hurry back to your room and go to bed early. Go and pour out our daughter's foot bath water. Yuhe, go to sleep early. Lin Hai, how could you do this to me? I'm so busy every day, my feet barely touch the ground. Who am I working for? And you still secretly hide money from me!

I

'm

so

busy

every

day

,

my feet barely touch the ground.

Who am I working for?

And you still secretly hide money from me!

That stupid Afu,

it must be the pocket money I gave him last night

that Mom found out!

Ouch

, ouch, ouch! Mom, pinch me gently,

my ear is about to fall off!

Yuhe, please save Dad!

Grandma is hitting me so hard!

Grandma, pinch me gently!

Dad... The copper coins were given to me, not you.

What are you going to do with

all those copper coins you gave your dad? If

you give him

too many , he'll just buy

things recklessly. Yesterday, Yuhe

gave me the two taels of silver she earned from selling flower patterns

, saying it was pocket money for me

and for his dad.

These copper coins

suddenly made me realize I haven't spoiled this niece for nothing.

Grandma and Dad are now spending their days in the wasteland,

bragging to those uncles and elders,

their bodies parched and cold.

They 'd be laughed at if they

didn't have a single copper coin

. Dad, you're so stupid! You

can't even hide a few copper coins!

I was pretending perfectly well,

but who knew your mother took my clothes to wash?

I'm innocent!

What were you two whispering about?

Mom and Dad were praising you for being so diligent,

washing all his clothes!

Hahaha,

even that big, silly son has them!

The old woman didn't even mention giving me any pocket money

. Why are you looking at me like that?

I don't

have any embroidered face or copper coins

, hahaha. Yuhe, why are you up so early?

Mother, I'm not sleeping anymore. I

still have errands to run after dinner.

Oh, the three boys at home aren't home.

They're not eating, are they even getting enough to eat?

Oh, look at the three adults

, hahaha. Seeing their names makes them reflect on themselves. They

're just a bunch of black lumps.

My hands are itching.

I want to punch that shorty.

You two, tone it down.

Our sister finally got accepted into the school.

Let's listen to the teacher's lectures and

practice our calligraphy after class.

Don't cause trouble.

Fifth brother, come chop the dumpling filling.

Mother, help me cook.

Yuhe

, you're the one who's going to be quick today.

Mother, I know you're in charge of the cooking.

I'll make the dumplings smaller. "

Building a house is a joyous occasion,

why are you steaming so many buns?

Although I think you're a spendthrift girl,

Fifth Brother Lin, Grandma Lin, and Aunt Huangdi,

hurry up!

And you haven't finished wrapping these yet, the

roof beams are about to be raised over there!

Your grandfather told me to come back and get the washing utensils.

Okay, okay,

Yuhe, you've prepared too much!

Most families only have a few cornbreads at most,

break them in half. Grandma, let's go together.

We only have a few dilapidated rooms,

what's there to watch over?

Grandma,

are all these people from our village here

? It's

that village chief, Xu Wang, who was at the threshing ground yesterday saying, 'Hey,

they're here, they're here!

I've never seen such good things before

, we have to save some for my wife and children.

I didn't expect so many people to come.

If I had known, I would have steamed some more buns.'"

When did you learn to frown at

such a young age?

Uncle, don't frown anymore,

okay? Uncle

, you've messed up my hairstyle!

Uncle, there are too many people today

, we don't think we have enough buns.

Village Chief, these are from my sister, she asked me to give them to you.

Here, here, today the Lin family is having a new house...

Fang Daxi: All the children are standing here,

the older ones are standing on the other side.

Stand in line!

Anyone who doesn't behave won't get anything.

You're talking to you, you

lazybones! How old are you?

Still pushing your way into the children's group!

Have you no shame?

Village Chief, have some

shame! If you can fill your stomach,

then I have some shame too!

Two for each person

, no fighting! Hahaha

! Hehe, niece

, thank you so much! Meizi, thank you!

And Yaya, if you need

any help at home, just say so.

Uncle Laizi is strong and can work.

No money needed, just food.

Brother Laizi, don't come to me if

you need anything. Come to me, niece.

I can help you if I can.

Hey, Uncle

Laizi,

who are you going to give the buns to?

Even though he's unreliable, he

's a very filial son.

He gives half a bun to his parents, half

to himself.

It seems I should hire some help for my family.

Uncle, when you have time

, tell me about the situation in the village.

Everyone, go home!

We've given out all the stuff,

there's nothing left.

Yuhe, Yaya,

the roof will be ready tomorrow.

Look, these brothers have put in a lot of effort.

We have a rule here... "The rule

is that after the work is done, you have to treat these people to a meal.

Look, I know about this.

Grandpa told me that

if we can finish tomorrow, we'll treat them the day after tomorrow at noon.

Okay, okay

, I'll go and talk to them right away,

so they can be happy too.

Yuhe, no one else hires us to do work

like we do, we get meat every day.

Now we have to eat after the work is done.

Do you think we're easy to bully

? It's alright, Uncle,

didn't you say it's the rule?

Treat them then, it's

just a meal.

The main thing is that the Lin family is a small family in the village. When

my business is established,

the villagers will depend on me for their livelihood

, and that's when I'll be in

charge . Yuhe, I told you that Grandma and Grandma have gone home,

and the house can't be left unattended.

Did Wu Youcai come to talk to you about the meal?

Child, my thought is still to treat them.

It's not time to offend the villagers yet.

Yuhe, are you tired

? No,

I've found out.

These houses belong to those three cooks

, or rather, to the young girl among the three cooks.

Just now, there was blood on the main beam of the house.

Uncle, what do you think the carriage on the official road

is up to? I feel like it's coming for us.

Yuhe, these past few days..." You stay home

and don't go out.

If you need anything, just say so, and

I'll do it. When Grandpa comes back tonight

, be sure to remind the whole family to keep an eye on the wasteland.

Young master,

weren't we here to talk to that girl about the wedding candy?

Why did we leave ?

There are too many people around today, so

let's go to town and stay for a couple of days before coming back.

We need to prepare at least three tables of food for the guests

, something affordable and filling.

We need to go to the town market tomorrow to buy

supplies. Grandma Li, how could you do this? What's wrong?

Yeah,

Uncle, Grandma, who did you argue with?

You're so angry.

I didn't know.

I was thinking about something in the house

when I heard you arguing outside.

Let's go see who you're arguing with.

What happened to this maid?

I saw Granny Chen with her grandson

queuing up for buns this morning

. How come she's causing trouble at home now?

You stay in the yard and

don't come out .

This Granny Chen is a leopard that can't change its spots.

She's peeking into the yard from outside the fence. I said,

Chen Xiuxiu, have some shame! You

have men in your own family, yet

you're rummaging through my yard looking for you.

You might have something to say when you scold her.

Yulan,

you've scolded the wrong person.

I'm not looking for Brother Lin.

I

wanted to see if you were home because I need to talk to you.

That's a strange way of addressing

me, Auntie. Do you have some past troubles?

Yulan,

I wanted to arrange a marriage

for your second son

. Seriously?

Chen Xiuxiu, you're not kidding me? Come in and

tell me. Haitang,

pour me a bowl of water

, I'm dying of thirst.

And another bowl for your Aunt Chen.

Uncle, come here quickly! I'm going

to find you a wife!

Hehe, Uncle,

what kind of wife do you want

? Beautiful or virtuous?

Let's pick a day

so the two children can meet from afar.

I'm really worried this marriage won't go smoothly

, and I'm afraid the girl's character isn't good.

Grandma,

did Granny Chen have a grudge against our family when you were young?

Your grandfather was a handsome young man in the surrounding villages.

Back then, the family was poor,

and Granny Chen sent a matchmaker to propose marriage.

There must be another story behind it.

They wanted a dowry of one or two taels,

which your great-grandmother couldn't afford,

and they wouldn't budge.

Later, I married into the Lin family,

and she later married into Lianhuagou.

Now, seeing your grandfather,

he still behaves inappropriately.

Grandma, you must have been a great beauty when you were young,

captivating your grandfather,

right? Haha Grandpa

always listens to Grandma.

Grandma is a skilled embroiderer.

The two of them have never argued in their lives.

Whoever comes to the house

is Granny Chen. She came looking for someone

but couldn't find them, so she chatted with Grandma for a bit

. Yuhe, what are you planning to cook for the house-building completion thank-you feast?

If you're short on

ingredients, have your uncle go to the market to buy them.

Auntie doesn't need many ingredients,

just some cabbage, radishes, and meat.

Big brother will bring them back

. Hahaha, Yuhe, what delicious food did you make?

I could smell the aroma from far away!

Haha

, don't be shy

, everyone worked hard.

Eat as much as you want today

! Erhu, eat slowly,

there's still a lot of food left!

Hmm,

thanks to you for this meal!

They volunteered to help us build the stove

and pave the path

this morning. They added more firewood to the new house to dry it out.

I can come over and help when

I have time. I'm an old man at home,

I can manage on my own.

Okay,

everyone come and get some steamed buns,

two for each person, they're still warm, hahaha

.

Dad, when you return the table, bring two steamed buns.

We need to have good relationships with our neighbors.

Grandpa, I'm going with Lao Wu to check out the new house in the wasteland

and also to inspect the parts that need modification.

Li Grandpa, give me this, I'll carry it. Auntie

, when you have time, go to the village chief's house and ask if

this section of the river can be bought

, or if it can be rented.

What do you plan to do with all those lotus roots

in the storeroom ?

Sell ​​the glutinous rice lotus root like this for now.

I'll have other plans when I'm free.

The house at home also needs to be renovated.

Auntie, how many more days until the house is habitable and

the stove is usable?

Your third uncle and I will come tonight to light the fire and dry it.

The stove will be usable the day after tomorrow.

If you're in a hurry, use the old stove first.

Grandpa, you and your third uncle shouldn't come over tonight.

Let your father and your third uncle come instead. Okay, we 'll start making steamed buns

, kneading dough, pocket bread

, and meat-filled buns the day after tomorrow. These are things we're used to making at home.

Business will definitely be good.

After we open, let Old Li from the west of the village watch the shop

and hire a few people to help with washing dishes and pots.

I've already talked to your grandma about Old Li. She

agreed to hire people. Let 's wait and see

how business goes.

Auntie, let's choose a date for our shop to open.

Okay, you guys hurry back.

It'll get dark soon, and

the roads will be difficult to walk on.

Hmm, Yuhe, get up and eat.

Did you stay up late again last night?

Mom, who told you that staying up late won't make you grow taller?

Humph, Mom, don't listen to anyone.

Haven't you noticed that you're the shortest in our family now?

It's because you stayed up late.

Mom, okay, okay

, I won't talk about you anymore.

My daughter is the prettiest in the family.

She was over 11 years old before. I can't

remember. Never mind,

I'm hungry.

My aunt went to the market with me almost a month ago.

I need to calculate her wages later

. Is anyone home

?

Can't you see anyone?

Who are you? I'm not from our village.

I'm not asking for directions.

I'm looking for a young girl

. Go, go, go! Don't stay in front of my house. Go

as far as you can.

I don't have a young girl at home.

Madam, I really am looking for a young girl. I

have something urgent to discuss.

If I say no, then no. If you don't

leave, I'll call for help.

A grown man looking for a young girl

—what kind of talk is that?

We can't let outsiders see

this. Yuhe, who is this person

? What do you want

? Is he a business partner from town

? Yuhe, don't come out.

There's some shady guy outside looking for a young girl.

I've already chased him away.

Grandma, who's outside?

Who are you talking to

? Hey, hey, I'm looking for... "Is that him

? Are you looking for me?

No, I'm looking for you.

It's my young master who's looking for you.

I've seen this carriage

before; it's

the one that was parked on the official road

on the day

the Emperor held his wedding. Come in,

Yuhe. This man's background

is unknown; let him go. I

'm here to discuss business. My

surname is Li. Excuse me

for disturbing you all; please come in.

I've attended the wedding banquet at the Qingshui County Magistrate's house

. Young Master Li, I'm here today

because I'm a businessman.

I've taken a liking to your wedding candy's potential. I wonder if you

can sell the candy recipe?

The price is yours;

I won't haggle.

" Young Master Li, "I'm not selling the candy recipe.

Besides, this isn't my wedding candy;

it's wedding candy for various families' weddings.

100 taels, no,

500 taels. One shouldn't be ungrateful.

Why am I being so ridiculous?

I'm not ungrateful.

This candy can be made in different colors, shapes, and

varieties." I'm not satisfied with

your quotes.

I only accept cooperation.

You can consider a

partnership. Tell me specifically how you want to cooperate.

Perhaps we can reach an agreement.

You own many pastry shops

and purchase sugar in bulk, so

the price will definitely be lower.

That's the basis for cooperation.

I'll give you exclusive regional sales rights.

You just need to give me a portion of the sugar at the purchase price.

Mother, you put too much sugar in it.

It's too sweet.

You can't drink any more.

I'll think about it and

get back to you in three days. I apologize

for the intrusion.

Please

accept this small gift.

Look at that pretty boy,

his skin is even whiter than our lady's!

Hahaha! Hey,

did you hear?

What did my senior brother say?

It's that Lin Yuhe! What

did he say ?

Crying! All you do is cry.

Others are ruining

Yuhe's reputation. Where did your usual fiery temper go,

Mother? The rumors are getting out of hand.

What will happen to Yuhe's marriage prospects?

Yuhe is capable

and good families will naturally take a liking to her.

Even if she doesn't marry

, her brothers will support her.

If anyone dares to say a word against her,

I'll kick her out of the house.

Is Yulan at home?

Is there any news about your second son's marriage?

Haitang, pour Aunt Chen a bowl of tea

and add extra sugar.

Yulan, that girl has agreed to meet,

but she has one condition:

she doesn't want a dowry

, but she wants to bring her young brother with her when she marries.

Her parents have long since passed away,

leaving only the siblings to rely on each other.

They are often made difficult by others in the clan.

This girl is capable in both domestic and external

affairs , raising her brother alone.

She is a reliable and capable child.

The family is busy with work right now

and needs capable hands.

As long as she has good character, there won't be any problem.

I'll talk to

the second son when he comes back.

Tomorrow , let the two children meet. Uncle, if you don't like

her, you can take your time to choose.

Now that our family is better off,

we can find a better girl.

I want to find someone like Auntie

and Grandma , someone

who will bicker but never quarrel.

Second son , quickly change out of your old work clothes and put

on your new clothes before going out.

This girl is pretty and

looks quite nice.

Grandma, I don't think she's good enough for you, Uncle

. You're pretty

and literate

; you should find someone better.

Uncle, what's

wrong with you? Is that girl pretty?

The vegetables are so clean;

she's clearly a hardworking and reliable girl.

Uncle, how

much is the rent for a shop in town?

I want to rent a shop to do business

. You can manage

the shop and sell braised meat. I'll be responsible for the braising and supply.

You can sell fresh meat

and braised meat at the same time

, adding an extra source of income.

This is Yuhe's business;

if I take over the shop, wouldn't I be taking advantage of her?

Yuhe

, your maternal grandfather certainly won't agree to me taking over your stall.

If you can manage both businesses, your

income will definitely increase significantly.

I'm just worried that the elders won't agree.

Uncle, could you help me find a shop first?

I'll go talk to my maternal grandparents.

The journey to and from town is long, so

having a place to stay will be more convenient, and

you can sell more different kinds of goods to make money.

Okay,

I'll go find a shop for you

as soon as the butcher's stall closes. Yuhe , we've had enough shopping.

Let's go to the oxcart area.

Granny Chen is probably getting impatient.

It's rare for me to accompany Grandma and Grandma shopping,

so we can take our time.

Oh, you've finally arrived! We've been

shopping for so long,

hurry up and get on the cart to go home.

"Eh,

you two have been staring at me.

Do you have flowers on your face?

You don't have flowers on your face

, so you're just naturally fair-

skinned ? Don't you ever go out in the sun?

Your skin is indeed quite fair.

Young master, you apply expensive powder every day,

so naturally your skin is fair.

I can only dream about it.

I'll go wait in the carriage for

the dark-skinned boy. When will that girl be back?

Soon, she'll be back soon.

I've heard you say that three times already.

You asked three times,

but I answered three times.

Little Peach said

she's willing to marry into the family

and agrees to bring her younger brother with her.

Then let's choose a date for the betrothal and settle

the marriage

so that the siblings won't suffer any more trouble from the clan.

Grandma and Uncle,

this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so

let's not think about it any further." "Have you considered it,

Ah Nai? My mind is made up.

There's no point in trying to persuade you anymore. I

can only let nature take its course.

Yu He, that Young Master Li is here again.

Could it be that he has agreed to our previous cooperation terms?

Cousin, you're finally back!

I kept an eye on that particularly pale guest.

He didn't run away

. Young Master, are you alright?

Miss Lin is back.

Miss Lin was supposed to attend the appointment in three days,

but she was delayed by some trivial matters.

Please

forgive her.

Young Master Li, there's no need for formalities.

Please come into the courtyard for a chat.

I'm sure you've agreed to the cooperation terms I proposed earlier.

Indeed, Miss Lin

, your tea is surprisingly sweet with a pleasant aftertaste.

Hmm, what's wrong?

Of course it's sweet because you put sugar in the water.

The brown sugar and refined white sugar

are the unique selling points of our candies.

This set..." The technique is in my hands;

I have the final say in this collaboration.

He maintained a condescending,

condescending attitude

. For now, I can only patiently deal with him. The market is full of brown sugar powder;

I want your brown sugar and the method to refine it into white sugar.

Just name your price.

Hmph, I won't sell

you that. If you're here to discuss candy business

, we'll continue.

If you're here for the technique,

the Lin family will have to see you out.

Fine, then let's talk about candy business.

I want to hear

what you mean by "distribution rights.

" Distribution rights mean you can only sell my goods

in a designated area

and can't sell to more than one distributor

? No way! I have shops in every county;

I can sell wherever I want without restriction

. If you want to cooperate... You must abide by my rules.

The duration of your sales area cooperation is entirely determined by me.

You must understand that

no other distributors will be available in your sales area;

you are the exclusive distributor.

Do you mean what you say

? Only I can sell your candy; I

will never supply it to anyone else.

I only guarantee that you are the exclusive distributor within the area you have purchased.

Each area has its own responsibilities

and will not interfere with each other.

So how can I gain more sales areas?

That depends on your order volume.

I want 2,000 catties

of Yuhe. Oh dear,

you're such a big girl, you can even choke on a sip of water.

Are you feeling better?

Grandma, it's alright

. Mr. Li,

why don't you order 500 catties first

and see how well it sells?

It's

really strange

that this little girl is pushing business outwards instead.

It's funny,

little girl. You can't possibly produce that much by yourself.

2,000 jin a month is an understatement. I can't

actually produce 2,000 jin offline, but

that doesn't mean it won't be possible in the future.

Besides, the sugar powder you promised hasn't arrived yet

, so there's no raw material to prepare.

Okay, I'll have someone deliver the sugar powder tomorrow. I'll

order 500 jin first

, as you said.

Please pay the deposit

first. Oh no, I spoke too quickly. I shouldn't have

been in such a hurry for a deposit. It makes me seem impatient.

Hey, don't push your luck.

I've already delivered the sugar powder to you

and haven't even asked you for the raw material payment. Now

you want me to pay a deposit

? Haha, I didn't think it through.

Let's sign a contract right now. It'll be

in black and white,

a written agreement.

It'll really be

our candy business. We've really received a big order!

"A full 500

jin! Eldest

brother, come here! Mom, what's wrong

? Ouch

! Mom, why are you pinching me? It's

nothing. I just wanted to confirm

if the 500 jin candy order was real.

So his full name is Li

Luohua, the fat shopkeeper Su from the county.

Could there be some connection between them?

Miss Lin, Miss Lin,

I've been waiting for you for over two hours.

I haven't eaten since morning and I'm starving.

Miss Lin, I'm hungry too.

Mom, could you help me

knead some dough? I'll roll out some noodles for them to fill

their stomachs

. The business deal is

finally done, and I'm happy

, so I won't hold his arrogant attitude against him.

My stomach is growling.

I can't eat hand-pulled noodles for a while

, so I'll have some lotus root starch

to tide me over

. Fifth brother, boil some water for me.

Okay, I'll boil it

right away. Be careful, it'll be hot."

The hand-pulled noodles will take a while,

have some of this to tide you over.

This is something I just made,

try it and see how it tastes.

What is this? It smells quite fragrant.

Mmm, delicious

, so delicious!

It's so fragrant!

Young master, if you don't want to eat it , why

don't you give it to me?

Hmph, get out of here!

Another bowl,

please.

We've worked hard all day to make this little bit of lotus root starch.

Old Wu's hands are shaking as he holds the bowl.

His family is reluctant to eat

it, but he ate two bowls in one go.

I see you still have quite a bit

left. How much is it per bowl

? I'll buy it for 10 taels. Buy

one, get one

free. I messed up and

quoted an exorbitant price.

It's only two bowls of lotus root starch,

10 taels is too much!

He's still my business partner.

This is awkward .

Ah Jin, take

the silver. Young master, today... The silver beads he brought were all in large denominations,

the smallest being 100

taels.

I don't have change,

so I won't sell them.

Keep the change

. I'll buy all of these lotus root starches!

100 taels—such a huge sum of money !

For just a little lotus root starch,

this young master is too generous!

Make two more bowls, and

teach Ah Jin how to prepare

it. By the way, what's this called?

It's called lotus root starch.

It can fill your stomach

and is also a good thing for beauty and health.

Since he's willing to pay

, I'll accept it.

In the future, when I make more novel foods, I'll give him more.

That's a whole 100 taels

! What a fortune

! I'm so happy!

You must dissolve the lotus root starch first

before pouring in boiling water

, stirring constantly.

Okay, I understand,

Miss Lin, I've learned it.

It's so simple!

This food is quite good.

I'll have the candy vendor bring

some more next time. We'll charge

you the normal price,

however much you have . This young master is truly generous.

Even if you said your family was rolling in gold and jade

, we'd believe

you now. What other novelties do you have?

Bring them out;

I'm not short of money

. It's not hot anymore.

Don't stand by the kitchen door ; it's

cooler in the yard

. Go sit in the yard.

I'm not hot to begin with

, and being dragged into the yard and stared at by everyone

is really uncomfortable.

I have other matters

to attend to, so I'll take my leave

now. I'll send someone to bring some sugar powder tomorrow

so I can come back and taste Miss Lin's cooking.

Don't be in such a hurry to leave;

the noodles will be ready soon.

Let's eat before we leave,

everyone

. Goodbye, goodbye ! 100 taels is quite a lot.

Make more lotus root starch,

and the business will be booming again.

500 catties of candy,

so many

stalls in town,

so many shops on the wasteland—

we simply don't have enough manpower!

If only we had machines !

Grandma, here's the silver note.

Grandpa is sitting alone in the courtyard,

looking gloomy. He must be worried

about something. Auntie, are you worried about me?

Yuhe, can we all be so

poor that we can't even afford to eat?

Only our family has enough to eat every day.

Auntie's concerns are absolutely correct.

The Lin family's foundation is not yet stable,

so we really can't be too ostentatious. We must

proceed gradually and

steadily to win over people. Aunt

Xin, don't worry,

I'll make proper arrangements.

Our family needs a lot of firewood for cooking and making soup every day.

From now on , we can have villagers come to our house to sell firewood

to supplement our income.

That's fine,

I'll go talk to the village chief first thing tomorrow morning.

Aunt, I have another idea. I

want to ask some of my maternal uncles to come and help us with the work. We

're really short-handed.

Although my cousin's family has been helping,

they still can't handle the large-scale sugar

production and order taking.

We need to supplement our manpower.

Your maternal grandchildren are reliable and hardworking, it would be great if

they could come and help.

Fifth brother, you should go back to your maternal grandparents' house tomorrow

and ask all the uncles to come

. There's work for them to do.

I originally planned to visit my maternal grandfather at the Bai family's house when

I had some free time, but now I'm tied up with household chores

and can't leave at all

. I can only trouble my uncles to come and make the trip.

Yuhe, there were some distinguished guests at the house

just now. It wouldn't be appropriate to visit them abruptly

. Fortunately, the guests have already left,

so I brought Lin Hua to deliver the wages.

Lin Hua has really changed.

He used to be lifeless,

self-conscious, and timid.

Now he can earn money with his own skills.

He finally earned a total of 2

taels.

Let's start anew.

We agreed to split it 50/50. Here, keep these 2 taels.

Brother, you're too amazing.

It seems I can sit back and collect the interest from now on.

Haha. What's the matter? Why are you so happy?

There's so much silver on the table.

"Where did the money come from

, Grandma? This is the silver I earned from my blacksmithing business.

It's so good! Our children are so promising

! Grandma, this is the dividend Lin Hua gave me.

I'm entrusting it to you for safekeeping.

When I first gave the silver to Lin Hua to rent the shop,

Grandma must have been very reluctant.

Now that I've earned money, I'm giving it to you

so you can

rest easy. Oh, it's all for me

! That's wonderful! I'll keep it

safe for you.

I don't even need to look to know

that Grandma is probably counting copper coins

and hiding silver in the house right now, overjoyed.

Lin Hua, look at this item.

I need it urgently. Can you make it?

This thing is called 'sugar.'

I've seen it before . Look at the blueprint

. It can be adjusted according to the pressure to change the spacing in the middle

, then bent into

a ring, and then the wire is tightened and shaped into

a spring. It is installed in the middle of the machine.

The small container stores the material.

When the material falls,

the force drives the part to cut the material

. It saves time and effort, and the cutting

speed is fast. It cuts large items." Smaller and more uniform sizes

can save a lot of manpower. Once

you've memorized the structural principles

and the object is finished,

be sure to destroy the blueprints

and never divulge them.

This is our exclusive business.

I'll take the blueprints with me first to study them. Once I've made

a sample, I'll send

it to you immediately. Don't worry,

I understand everything

and will absolutely not leak it. All the money

I've earned in my business today

is thanks to the opportunities provided by Yuhe.

The blueprints are the core business opportunity;

once leaked,

it will cut off our source of income.

Today, the order for 500 jin of powdered sugar needs to be delivered.

We must prepare an empty room in advance

specifically for storing the powdered sugar

to prevent it from getting damp and messy.

Young master, why don't we

enter the village from the east official road? Taking the official road avoids detours

and keeps the villagers from knowing much about

it, making it more discreet.

That girl wants to keep a low profile,

but now it's impossible.

The villagers won't let her live in peace.

It's been a long time since such a grand convoy has visited

the village.

Don't overthink it.

It must be heading to the Lin family in the village.

The Lin family is getting more and more prosperous these days.

Uncle, they're here

! The convoy has entered the village

and is coming this way.

Look, the convoy is in the west direction of the village, they

'll be here soon.

Why are they entering the village from the west?

Such a big commotion,

the whole village will know about our delivery.

They deliberately avoided entering from the west,

clearly they're making a big show of it

, not wanting me to do things quietly and peacefully.

It 's really unnecessary.

Grandpa,

we'll talk about this later, don't worry about the reasons.

Once all the goods are delivered

, let's put the sugar powder in the warehouse and settle it.

I've been moving goods in the town for many years,

I'm used to chaos,

I know best how people take advantage of the chaos to grab goods and make a profit.

With so many villagers watching,

it's easy for trouble

to break out . Yuhe, don't worry,

I'll bring the family and keep a close eye on things,

we won't let anyone take the opportunity to cause trouble.

Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb the villagers. Miss

Lin, you can start checking and unloading the goods. No problem,

Uncle, come with me to inspect the goods. It

's actually refined sugar powder,

a full five large carts,

a huge quantity

. Yuhe, this business is really getting bigger and bigger. With

so many goods like Yuhe,

how should we inspect them?

Uncle, please start unloading and weighing.

Uncle, could you please record the weight of each bag

and make a detailed list?

Village Chief, there are many people and horses here ,

could you please help keep an eye on things

and tell the adults in the village to keep an eye on their children

so as not to startle the horses

and injure anyone.

The important responsibility of maintaining order in the village

still rests on your shoulders, Village Chief. We

have distinguished guests visiting today,

and we would like to invite you to come and keep us company at noon. Thank

you for your hard work.

Sanjin and Erhu,

could you lend a hand in unloading the goods?

Sanjin, remember

to just work hard,

talk less, and don't ask questions.

"Don't ask any more questions, just do your job properly.

First, unload all the goods into the courtyard.

We'll weigh and count them after they're inside. Young Master

Li, the goods you delivered will only

be officially handed over and belong to me

once they enter my courtyard

. Look!

The carriage is full of sugar powder!

The Lin family is going to make a fortune!

These people are greedy and

greedy, taking advantage of

others without any manners.

The Lin family

will never

hire them in the future. These people are of bad character and

unusable.

Fortunately, I called my two uncles in advance to help look after things. Otherwise

, if someone had taken advantage of

the chaos and stolen a bag of sugar powder,

there would have been no way to trace

it. The loss would have been huge

—1,000 catties! What is Mr. Li trying to do?

Young Master Li, our order is only 500 catties.

What is your intention

in delivering 1,000 catties of sugar powder

? Miss Lin, the extra 500 catties is my additional order.

The sample candies I picked up yesterday

have all been sold out after I brought them back.

1,000 catties of sugar powder..." The goods are quite valuable, but

the fence and walls in the yard don't block the wind or keep out people.

It's too dangerous

to leave them unattended at night. We

can only feel at ease if we guard them here.

My two uncles are so dedicated .

They could sleep in clean beds,

but they insist on sleeping on the floor to guard the goods.

It's truly touching and heartbreaking.

Uncles

, tomorrow you will go to the backyard to use a stone mortar to crush lotus roots.

This work is quite strenuous.

You will find a way

to make this work easier

later . I tried crushing lotus roots with a stone mortar myself

. By evening,

my arms were sore and weak,

and even lifting my arms was a struggle.

Don't

worry, we will follow your instructions.

We will do whatever you say.

We didn't come here to work. We will

guard the goods closely

to prevent any potential dangers.

Grandpa, I plan to have Sanjin and Li Erhu

from the village cultivate the

remaining acre of land.

Let's observe their attitude and efficiency first.

If they are reliable and dependable

, we will arrange other work for them later.

The stall in town will still be managed by my eldest brother,

and my aunt will be in charge of the kitchen at home.

My uncle went to town to help out.

My wife and I

were in charge of odd jobs on the wasteland.

You're so thoughtful,

girl. Do you have anything else to arrange?

Just say so. I'd like to find a few village girls

to help wrap candy.

It's not tiring,

just very time-consuming.

What I need most right now is

... But that won't do!

Our candy-making secret recipe

must never be seen or leaked by outsiders.

Besides, if we ask other girls to help,

they might steal and eat it all!

Grandma, you're really lovely.

Family members are all treasures;

other girls are just inconsiderate.

Grandma, candy is good,

but you can't eat too much; it'll

damage your teeth.

I know that.

I think the people who work in the house must be carefully selected

. Those who aren't of good character or have clean hands won't be used.

I don't approve of feeding anyone.

So let's put that aside for now

and make the candy first.

We can discuss hiring later.

It's getting late,

everyone should rest. Be

alert at night and

don't be careless.

Grandma, where are my two uncles? Why

haven't they seen anyone?

Seeing you sleeping so soundly,

they went to the wasteland to tidy up and prepare.

After all, the wasteland shop is going to open for business in the next couple of days.

Your uncle is at home keeping watch,

afraid

of making a sound and disturbing your

wife. You're awake.

Do you need any ingredients

for making soup? I'll go to town to buy them right away.

Is anyone home?

Is Yulan here?

Come on,

who is it outside?

It's me.

I heard that you collect peanuts and sesame seeds,

so I brought some goods over. Do

you want them? Yes,

Grandma,

we'll take them all

. You child,

you ran out with your bowl.

Hurry back and finish your meal before

you come out again. Sister, come in.

We'll take everything,

but we won't take anything that's moldy, rotten, or unclean.

The price is the same as the grain shops in town. Second

brother , go get a winnowing basket

to check the goods. Here comes

sister-in-law, pour the goods into the winnowing basket.

I need to check

them carefully. We can't be careless when we're buying things with money. Don't mind.

Hey, the Lin family

is willing to sell at a high price in the village.

It's only right to check the goods

.

Sister-in-law, your peanuts and sesame seeds are of excellent quality

,

cleaned thoroughly

without any rotten or impurities.

We thank you so much! The bad ones

were picked out long ago

, so you can rest assured

they're all top-quality goods . We had already spoken with Old Ding about sourcing the goods,

saying we'd help out as much as possible

from Xiangshan in the village.

Some people have made money off our family,

but then they turn around and gossip, which

is really unethical. Don't

worry, I'll go back and pass on the word that

all the good goods in the village will be sent to your house.

Thank you, Grandma Lin!

Thank you, Grandma Lin!

Everyone, listen up!

From now on, whatever good things you have, send them to the Lin family.

The price Lin An'an offered

is fair. Mother, you're amazing!

You handled everything perfectly with just a few words

and even helped stabilize the villagers' hearts.

Hmph, you still have a long way to go in

dealing with these neighbors.

Learn slowly!

At noon, the double-pot operation

was indeed twice as efficient.

Although it's just powdered sugar now

, the quality is pure,

and with a little further processing, it can be shaped and sold

without delaying the opening

. Off we

go! " Look over there

, the wasteland will open tomorrow, business

is sure to be good.

Even today, passersby were asking

why the door was locked in broad daylight.

Your Highness, open the door!

What

are you shouting for?

Yuhe is busy in the kitchen.

You all went out,

so I locked the door

to keep watch and prevent any mishaps.

Uncles, try the

water I poured,

is it sweet? Everyone in the family has drunk water with added sugar before

, except for the two uncles from the Bai family.

It'll be a good opportunity for them to experience

the wonder of this new kind of sugar.

It's clearly just a bowl of plain water,

how can it be sweet?

You must be joking with us.

My niece poured the water,

how could it be bitter?

Of course it's sweet!

Something's not right, the plain water actually has a sweet

taste, a smooth

texture, completely different from ordinary plain water.

It's so strange!

Hey, it really is sweet!

There's sugar in it,

why isn't there any color?

Uncle, this sugar is pure white,

it dissolves in water, naturally there's no color

. Come with me and you'll see."

It's sugar!

It's white sugar!

So all the sugar raw materials we brought over before

were used to refine this rare white sugar

. Yuhe, that girl is really capable!

Her vision and methods far surpass ordinary people

. Yuhe, I see your family only has one stone

mortar for mixing and making sugar, which is not enough.

I'll go to the food market

and buy two more.

My uncle's reminder

is just right. Ordinary stone mortars are too inefficient.

I can take this opportunity to modify a large stove for sterilization.

Our family must buy an oxcart . It's

too strenuous for Huangdi to carry things by hand every day.

Old Li's oxcart

has to go to town with my older brother tomorrow,

so we can't make ends meet.

The two taels of silver we just received haven't even warmed our hands yet,

how can we spend them so quickly?

Huangdi's needs

can be carried over by your father and your uncle with a carrying pole.

A little hardship is nothing;

saving

over 30 taels of silver is a lot.

Although I don't know the exact amount of silver I have at home

and my

expenses are very low

, I'm willing to take risks. A little extra work is fine;

saving money is what matters.

I'll go to town to buy

it later. Uncle Lin, you need to hurry.

The livestock market is only open in the morning;

if you miss it, it's gone. It

opens tomorrow, and we can't afford to delay.

Old woman, hurry and get me the silver.

Uncle, let's

go to the market now and eat later.

You've brought a lot of silver today

; the market is crowded and noisy

, so be careful.

Aunt, don't worry,

my brother and I will be safe with you.

I can also go home to pick up some things on the way

;

that would be great!

You must set off quickly

and not miss the market. "

Don't take out this large sum of money unless you're buying cattle.

Keep these few dozen copper coins

for your meals at the market

. I'm always willing to spend money on

proper household matters and family affairs;

I'm never stingy.

Stay home and take good care

of the women and children.

There are also plenty of Tang medicine supplies

; don't go out.

" Lin Bo, "We're late.

The good quality livestock have already been bought.

Since we're here, take

your time to look around;

there's no need to rush.

" ​​Bai brothers,

what are you doing here? "

I didn't go to carry haulers today.

My child is seriously ill

, and we don't have money for medicine.

I had to sell our cattle to raise the medical expenses

. A cow that could have sold for 40 taels

wouldn't even sell for 35 taels.

Your cow is very well-bred

and plump." Zhuang was

desperate

and couldn't bear to get on the cart no matter what

. "Brother Lin, you bought an oxcart,

didn't you? It must

have cost a fortune!" "Yes, it's a new oxcart!

Look at this ox, it's in excellent

condition, strong and capable!" "

We finally have an oxcart!

It will be so much more convenient to transport goods and go out now.

Just thinking about it makes me happy.

This money was well spent!"

"Here it comes! The oxcart is back!

Dad, this is our oxcart!

This ox is so strong!

Dad, let me try driving it

!" "Oxcart! Ah

, whether in ancient or modern times

, men really do have an innate preference for carts.

They can't resist the novelty and selfless temptation

!" Yuhe, where should we put these two large stone mortars

? We can put them in the backyard.

I've already moved them

and cleared the space

. The process of making sugar from mixed lotus roots can be carried out simultaneously

, which can increase output

and save time and labor,

perfectly meeting the demand after the wasteland is opened.

Yuhe, make some noodles for your two uncles. They must

be starving after

not eating all day .

Oh dear, I gave you money for food,

why didn't you take the children to eat in town ?

They're starving

now. Yuhe, hurry up and

knead the dough

, I'll start the fire for you

. Auntie, don't blame Uncle

Lin. After buying the cow, we planned to eat in town,

but the two of us insisted on not doing so.

Grandma, it's okay,

I'm quick

, I'll make the noodles soon,

and everyone can have a hot meal right away.

Yeah

, Yuhe, when you have time, you must go to your uncle's house

and teach your grandmother and aunt how to cook.

You'll eat it! The food you made

is so much worse than what we used to eat.

When we were poor,

my brothers would always bring us things,

but they were always careful

not to take away from our food supplies.

Now life is getting better and better,

and it's so nice to be with family

. Grandma Lin,

I was bored at home, so

I came to help.

Little girl, be a good girl

and stay home with your

Aunt Yuhe. Cuiyu,

that child is so

carefree ,

leaving her daughter here and running off.

Little girl,

come with your great-grandmother.

Great-grandmother

, this little girl has such beautiful big eyes; she

'll definitely be a beauty when she grows up. It's just that she

's not getting enough nutrition;

it's heartbreaking to see her like this.

Whose little darling is this?

Grandma, where's Little Duck's mother?

Why is Little Duck all alone in our house

? His mother... Grandma

went to help in the wasteland with our oxcart,

leaving Little Duck alone in the yard.

Aunt Yuhe,

hello! Yuhe, you don't usually go out,

so this child is shy around you.

Little Duck , come here to Auntie!

Auntie has something delicious for you.

Aunt Yuhe,

you little girl,

you don't want anything as soon as

Auntie says she'll give you food,

right? No, Great-Grandma

, Little Duck, no, I don't want

anything. Great-Grandma, this little girl is so quick-witted,

so lovable! Little Duck

, sit here obediently,

Auntie will go get you something delicious.

Aunt Yuhe, I'm eating,

but Great-Grandma isn't eating.

Little Duck, you 're eating !

Mother and Cuiyu are new to this business, so things are bound

to be awkward.

Today, I'll personally oversee

the production and customer flow

until they're more familiar with each other before letting go.

Yuhe, is the dough you kneaded today...? There are too many!

What if we can't sell them all?

Mother

, don't worry, I'm here

. Have you forgotten what Grandma always said?

What did I say?

You two were talking about this old woman behind her back.

I caught you red-handed!

Hehe, Grandma

, we didn't say anything else. We

just remembered something you always said:

"Yuhe, if

we can't sell the stuff, we'll bring it back and eat it ourselves

!" Hahaha, you silly girl

, always teasing me. Do you

think I

'd dare hit you if I didn't?

The family chatted and laughed,

and the burden on our hearts suddenly felt lighter.

This is so good.

Cuiyu, why are you here so early

? Didn't I tell you not to rush?

You're going to work in the wasteland.

Who will look after the little girl?

Why don't you leave the child with me?

I'll watch over

Xiaoya for you; let her grandma take care of her.

It's not right to earn money from the Lin family

while expecting them to take care of my child for

free.

Cuiyu, have you had breakfast?

If not,

I'll get you a bowl. You

can't eat on an empty stomach.

I've already eaten

, Grandma Lin. No need for more,

I haven't had breakfast.

I only had two bowls of water to tide

me over. It's not really appropriate to eat right

after I've just arrived to work.

Alright, let's not delay.

Quickly load the basin onto

the oxcart

and set off. Warm water will slow down the cooling of the dough, allowing it

to ferment naturally in the wasteland.

Cuiyu is clearly hungry.

I'll find an excuse to give him a steamed bun.

Sister-in-law Cuiyu,

I'll take a steamed bun

... "If

you can't eat, you can eat it for me.

Sister Yuhe isn't hungry

either, you can eat it yourself

. Sister

Cuiyu, don't be shy , consider it helping me out.

Come and lend a hand,

carry all the basins inside.

Yuhe, it's auspicious time.

Auntie wants you to go over and light the firecrackers.

Hurry up, we can't be late for the auspicious time

! Hahaha,

Lao Lin Stone Marrow is officially open!

The division of labor is settled.

Cuiyu is wiping the tables and chairs in the front hall,

not wanting to be idle for a moment,

diligent and conscientious.

Sister Cuiyu

, stop wiping

, the table will peel off if

you keep wiping. You always tease people.

Cuiyu, pick and wash these vegetables

, cut them into this size.

Hey, I'm

coming right now. Yuhe, someone's here!

There's a guest. They've already turned into this wasteland.

This person looks very familiar,

like I've seen them somewhere before."

For a moment I couldn't remember.

Little girl, don't you recognize me?

Oh, it's Brother Liu

! What a coincidence!

Today is the first day of

official opening for my family's Lao Lin Inn.

We specially came around here to try our luck

. I saw they were building houses here

a while ago,

and they were all dug up.

Liu, say a few words.

Brother Liu, what would you like to eat today?

Free rice soup,

one bowl for

each person. Two pieces

of meat

for each person. Three plates of sliced ​​meat . Sister-in-law Cuiyu served each guest a bowl of rice soup.

These people are all dressed in black, with an imposing

presence.

They are definitely not ordinary travelers.

This kind of formation is really frightening.

I'm very nervous.

Here comes Brother Liu!

My family has been continuously adding meat buns and vegetarian buns.

And there's also our special glutinous rice lotus root,

would you like to try it

? Is it delicious? Brother Youzi

, what are you saying?

Old Lin's products

are always delicious,

there's no reason

they shouldn't be. Try it and see how it tastes.

This was specially made for me to try.

Of course, my family loves it.

You try it for me.

It tastes good, it 's sweet

, but most men prefer

savory.

It would definitely be better

if it were savory . Brother Liuzi, it's not that I don't like it, I just change the flavor.

Glutinous rice lotus root is supposed to be sweet,

hahaha. Your gap between your teeth is too big

, it's not enough for a little girl.

Sister Yuhe, you can still chat

and joke with them

so calmly, that's amazing!

Sister Cuiyu, please serve one to each guest. Steamed buns,

mantou, pocket bread, Grandma cut three plates of pig's head meat and

three plates of glutinous rice lotus

root. Hurry up

! Alright, everyone,

eat and drink well. If you're still hungry

, we 'll add more. Don't

worry, Grandpa,

your food is excellent

. If you're still hungry

, we'll add

more! Hahaha. Little girl

, do you only have rice porridge?

Do you have anything else to drink?

These dishes are a bit dry.

Yes, would you like some vegetable and egg soup?

Everyone, one bowl each!

One bowl each for

the customers ordering

vegetable and egg soup.

I saw Lin's mother make vegetable soup

with my own eyes.

She didn't crack many eggs,

but the pot was full of egg drop soup.

Cuiyu is done! Serving it

to you, everyone!

Yuhe is not only capable, but her

skills are also superb! It's truly

amazing! Wow, that's impressive!

What are you daydreaming about, sister-in-law?

Hurry up and bring the soup, it

's fresh out of the pot,

be careful it's hot! They

only dine in

, no takeout.

Looks like their lodgings aren't far from here.

Young lady, please settle the bill.

There are 20 of us in total,

one serving of each dish,

five plates of meat, three plates of glutinous rice lotus root,

and a bowl of soup for everyone.

That'll be 530 coins in total.

Wow, young lady, you 're

so fast at calculating!

Being able to calculate is the most basic skill in business. You 've

not only calculated

the net profit, but you've also calculated it perfectly,

down to the last penny.

This coin is enough to pay the bill.

The vegetables and eggs you made are delicious, very much

to our boss's liking.

Welcome, thank you for the tip!

As long as I'm in the shop,

we can always order here again. The restaurant

is open today,

and there are still many items that haven't been prepared yet.

Good girl

, don't lift a finger,

let me handle it. You

don't need to lift a finger.

It's been really busy today;

I've been watching the orders and serving customers the whole time.

Cuiyu has been busy from beginning to end

. It's all thanks to Grandpa's help halfway through;

otherwise, we wouldn't be able to manage at all

. Grandpa needs to add another person to clean the tables

and wash the dishes.

Without someone,

it's too much of a hassle

to serve customers and keep the business running smoothly

. Monkey, isn't that child a bit too young? I'm

afraid he can't do the work.

Although he's young

, he can definitely do simple tasks like wiping tables and washing dishes.

I just wanted to help him and his sister. Living

with their grandmother is too hard for them.

I'll have your grandmother go to the monkey's house and ask

if he doesn't want to work

... How much are you planning to pay,

Sister Cuiyu?

Starting tomorrow, you'll get 15 coins a day,

plus two meals,

hot soup, and the finer tasks of serving guests. You'll still be doing

those. Monkey is young;

I 'm worried he'll be treated poorly.

Wages are paid monthly, and you can get an advance.

Lunch

is provided, and you can take any leftovers with

you in the evening. Just focus on your work,

sister. Don't worry

, I'll work diligently and honestly, and I

won't slack off

. No one would give up

such a good job with such generous pay.

Auntie, since Monkey is

young, I'll settle for 8 coins a day

, plus two meals

, just simple

cleaning and washing.

8 coins is a good wage for Young Master Liu; it will be very generous in the future.

I'm leaving now ; my father

will definitely cause quite a stir in the future.

I won't be coming tomorrow.

There are still several hundred kilograms of candy waiting to be made at home, and

we must hurry up and finish them

so as not to delay sales.

I wonder how well my two uncles are progressing in crushing lotus roots at home.

Lotus root processing is time- consuming and laborious

, but luckily I drew up labor-saving diagrams in advance.

Auntie,

do you think the carpenter in the village can make this?

It's easy. There is a skilled carpenter in our village.

I will go back to the village now to find someone,

and I can pick it up tomorrow.

Nothing Yuhe has ever invented is useless.

This tool must be for making lotus root powder

to save time and labor.

I'll get it done quickly.

Yuhe

, don't work too late

, I'll have your father come pick you up later.

I understand. Auntie doesn't plan to stay open late

anyway; we close

at 3 PM to 5 PM, which is now. We have

a regular schedule

and won't stay up late.

Tomorrow I won't be here, so I

must teach Cuiyu how to make steamed buns.

If she can help,

Shifu's business won't be affected.

Cuiyu, sister-in-law

, I won't be coming to the shop tomorrow.

You need to learn how to knead the dough and make steamed buns

carefully. Watch my technique closely.

Yuhe, why am I so stupid? I

've been learning for so long and I still can't learn.

What if she dislikes

me and quits this good job? It's okay,

everything takes time to learn.

First, master the technique.

Remember, the most important thing for steamed buns is to steam them thoroughly without the filling leaking out.

Making steamed buns

while I'm not at the shop is Cuiyu's most basic skill.

He needs to hone his skills

to keep the shop running smoothly. A job

with 15 coins a day

and two meals included—

it's hard to find even with a lantern!

I 'll practice making buns

until I'm good, even if it means staying up all night

. Sister-in-law Cuiyu

, do you know any good-

natured and capable girls in our village?

There are quite a few good-natured girls.

Are you looking for a sister-in-law ?

People often look down on me, and my mother

always refuses, using her young age as an excuse.

Of course, I won't play along with the joke.

No,

I want to find a few girls to help wrap candy at home.

Three jin (1.5 kg) of candy, one coin per bag.

The

faster they wrap,

the more they earn.

No wonder they need good-natured girls

; candy is precious,

and if someone is of bad character,

they'll definitely steal some,

resulting in too much waste

. There are quite a few pretty girls here.

Let me tell you a few.

Go back and discuss them with your grandmother.

Don't mention that I introduced them, so as

not to offend anyone.

Business

was exceptionally good today.

By late afternoon,

all the popular dishes were sold out,

leaving only four steamed buns and mustard fish.

Customers are very stable.

Mother, let's close up shop. We

don't need to wait for customers anymore.

Cuiyu, take these two steamed buns home for dinner. You've

worked hard all day

. No, no,

I've only done some odd jobs today

and have already eaten two meals. I

can't take anything else.

I'm really sorry.

Sister-in-law Cuiyu

, please take them.

Uncle Li also has some

. I won't be at the shop tomorrow,

so please help me out. Mother, just keep an eye on things.

Today, after deducting all costs

, we made a net profit of nearly one tael of silver.

The shop and the wasteland initially cost a total of 60 taels.

At this rate,

we can break even in just over two months.

Lin Yuhe, keep

fighting! Oh no,

this is

so embarrassing!

I want to dig a hole and crawl into it

! Hahahaha!

Mom, why are you laughing at me?

Yuhe,

are you in a hurry to go to the outhouse ?

Hurry up, hurry up!

We'll watch the shop for you.

It's not going to the outhouse,

this gesture is to cheer yourself up.

Come on, you all learn this with me!

Sister-in-law

Cuiyu, tomorrow I'll have Sanjin take Li Erhu

to my grandpa to get some

work. Grandpa

Li keeps praising Sanjin and Li Erhu for being reliable. They

finished turning over the entire wasteland in one afternoon.

The villagers used to laugh at them for being stupid.

Now they finally have stable work.

I spent three coins to hire someone to look after the child,

and the little girl was even bullied

. It's so unfair!

Mom, I won't order any dishes today

. I'll prepare the filling for the buns for you.

Steam more buns and

less steamed bread.

Okay, I understand.

If you have time, make some pocket bread.

Grandma Lin

, can I leave Xiaoya with you for the day?

As soon as I finish work

, I'll send Xiaoya to my parents' house

so my mother can look after her for a few days.

Oh dear, what's wrong with you? My

mother-in-law took the three coins I gave her

and let my second uncle's kids bully my Xiaoya.

Look at

these cuts on the stone

!

You

know, your mother-in-law can't tell the difference between a granddaughter and a

granddaughter. She's her own granddaughter, right? Right, Great-Grandma?

Okay

, Xiaoya will stay with me today.

Xiaoya, do you remember what your mother told you?

Remember, in the Lin family, you must listen to Aunt Yuhe

and listen to Great-Grandma Lin.

Don't cause trouble.

Xiaoya, come to Great-Grandma Lin.

Let your mother go do her work.

Hmph, Cuiyu,

don't worry, go do your work.

Eat! If you're not full, ask Great-Grandma Lin for

more. Yuhe, stop working and eat first. After you

finish eating, Grandma will

be with you. Okay, Grandma,

help me wash the pot later.

After I finish eating, I'll make sugar.

Hey, are you tired?

Yuhe, come, come

, have some tea. Uncle

, look at what I'm doing... Can you still lift your hand to hold a teacup?

Then I, your uncle, have to feed you.

Uncle, I'll teach you how to make sugar.

See, once you know how,

you can make sugar

however you want , whenever

you want. I'll teach you tomorrow,

okay?

Hey girl, are you trying to be lazy?

Actually, if you don't want to work,

I'll recommend

someone to you. Hey

, you two are sitting in the yard, why are you locking the door?

Father, you've finally arrived! We

've been waiting for you for a while. Come on,

let's chat. Daughter, what brings you

here? Wait a minute, I'll put down the firewood and come right away.

Little girl, this

isn't good. Eat

what

your aunt made

. If you don't eat it

, give it to me.

I

think you're having a good time,

but who knows who it is? Humph

!

Uncle, the candy is done now

, but we still need to wrap it

in different flavors with different candy wrappers.

Also, we need to find someone to wrap the candy.

Hmm,

you wait for me at the top of the stairs.

What's for lunch, Yuhe?

Go ask your uncles.

Grandma, go light the fire.

Okay, Grandma,

I'll go ask.

Uncle

and Grandma asked me to come and ask

what you want to eat for lunch. Yuhe told your grandma that

anything that can fill your stomach

is fine. Cousin

, I want to eat stir-fried pork intestines.

You little

rascal, you haven't done much work and all you do is eat.

Your cousin is busy with chores every day, she

doesn't have time to cook for you. Okay

, stir-fried pork intestines , and also

stir-fried tofu that Auntie bought in the village this morning,

and braised cabbage with pork.

Yuhe, we've ground about 50 jin of lotus root.

It doesn't look like there's much lotus root starch. It's

okay, Second Uncle.

Making lotus root starch uses a lot of lotus root.

About 100 jin of lotus root can yield 5 jin of starch or less.

Dad, wait a minute, put all the water on top of this. Pour it out

, add water and rinse three times

until the powder at the bottom turns white, then scoop it out and let it dry.

Kid, your uncle, hurry up and wash your hands and come eat!

Eat more!

There's still more in the pot.

Hmm

, Mom, why is today's porridge sweet?

The pot for boiling sugar wasn't washed today,

so the porridge shouldn't be sweet.

Hmm, Grandma

, how much sugar did you put in the pot?

The porridge is almost sweet rice!

Grandma, the porridge is sweet and delicious

.

Little Duck thinks it's delicious

, let's drink more!

Grandma, I've inquired about some nice girls in the village,

but I still want to find someone to pack the candy .

I definitely can't pack

all of these several hundred pounds

. Besides, if there are more orders in the future, I'll still need to find someone.

Alright , then we'll do as you say

and find four maids to

work. Make it clear first

, if any maid is caught stealing food,

I'll kick her out.

You can't be soft-hearted or

plead for her. Grandma,

I'll listen to you.

You can manage

the maids from Xu Mazi's family; they're good.

Shi Tou

's daughter, the maid from the Zhao family, and

one from the Li family

too—that's four in total

. We'll discuss it when your grandfather comes back

and have them come tomorrow.

Grandma, we make food that goes into our mouths.

They say illness enters through the mouth, so

cleanliness is essential. If we're

not hygienic, it's absolutely unacceptable.

Yes, you're right.

Some houses are filthy.

Don't worry about that.

Go back to your room and rest. You

've been busy for several days.

I'll wake you up when your mother comes back from packing up.

Man,

huh. Huh,

Grandma, what's going on?

Why is it so noisy?

Cuiyu's mother-in-law,

who knows what's going on at their house?

Did I wake you up?

Get up!

Your mother is

cooking dinner. Go back to sleep after dinner.

Grandma, what's going on?

Why are you at our door?

Stay home and don't come out

! Heavens,

open your eyes and look!

That daughter-in-law we paid so much to marry

is unfilial!

Heavens, why don't you take her

away? Mother, can you stop making a scene

? Let's talk at home.

What's the meaning of you sitting at Grandma's door crying?

Get out of

here, you traitor

! Grandma

, don't hit my mother anymore!

Please let my mother go!

I'll be good and let my brother hit me, I won't cry!

You little brat,

what nonsense are you talking about?

Your brother just pushed you lightly.

When did he hit you?

Sanjin, Sanjin,

hurry up! Your mother is crying at the Lin family's door.

Be good and go back now!

Uncle, let me take another look!

Ahhhhh!

Look, look!

That old woman

is wailing! "What

are you doing, you tearful mother?

Can't you talk at home?

Why are you sitting at my door?

I'll beat you to death, you heartless bastard!

Neither of you is good

! What's the village chief doing here? Are

n't you ashamed?

Didn't you already separate your families?

You live with your eldest son's family. You and your wife

give you food rations every year, don't

you? What are you doing here causing trouble?

The village chief's food rations aren't enough to eat.

Unless that little foreman gets to work for his sister-in-law,

why should she?

The Lin family made my wife work because they value

her character.

And what kind of mother-in-law

scolds her own daughter-in-law?

What am I?

I'll see if you hit me

! Don't hide!

Don't you know how shameful you are?

Take your mother-in-law back home

! Hahaha! Old woman

, your eldest daughter-in-law doesn't care about you anymore!

Hahaha! What's it to you?

Mind your own

business!

Lin girl, let my eldest daughter-in-law work at your house!

My eldest daughter-in-law is capable

and doesn't slack off, she

's better

than that little one ! " Huh

Bai Haitang, you heartless bastard,

why did you hit me?

I'll teach you a lesson for your foul mouth, you old hag, how dare you lay a hand on

me! Ahhhhh,

spare

me

, I'll never dare again!

Hey hey hey, let go, all of you let go

! Lin Hai, why don't you drag your mother and your wife in and

beat them to death?

No,

I won!

Good, good, good, hahaha,

well done! We're all just bored and have nothing better

to do than go out and find some work.

Village Chief, would you like to come over for a visit?

What exactly happened?

Why is Sanjin Niang causing trouble at your house?

Oh, Village Chief, you have to judge for the Lin family!

That old hag deserves to be beaten!

If you need anything, just let me know when you get home. Hey,

Village Chief, you guys ran so fast!

I wanted to ask him in person

how much the river on the east side costs.

It's okay, I remember this.

I'll bring some things to the Village Chief's house in a few days.

Cousin, Cousin,

it sounds like someone is calling you outside the yard.

Is there something you need?

Brother Lai, it's so late

... Is something wrong?

Come in, come in.

Uncle Lai, are you here to sell firewood?

Hurry up and come in

. I just chopped two bundles of firewood and came back a little late.

It's alright, Uncle , just

carry the firewood into the yard .

Uncle Lai, here are four copper coins for you.

Take them, don't drop

them. Niece, you gave me a steamed bun

. I don't have anything good to give you.

Here, take this

. I picked some sour fruit in the wild forest.

Have some,

niece. I'm already hungry

, and eating this sour fruit makes me hungrier.

Your family in the village eats three meals a day.

Here, take it all.

Uncle Lai, you're giving me all this.

Is it because picking sour fruit for me took up your time

that you came back late?

Wait a minute,

Uncle Lai, here you go.

Uh, no, no,

niece, I can't take your steamed bun.

This steamed bun is a gift to thank you

for picking sour fruit for me.

Niece, I don't want the steamed bun.

If you really want to thank me,

let me work with you.

Uncle Lai, are there many sour fruit trees in this forest?

If you have too much, go pick

some and sell it to me.

I'll give you one coin. I

'll take as much as you have

. My dear niece, you're not kidding me, are you?

He said he'd take one coin for three pounds

, so it's one coin for three pounds.

I'm not kidding

you .

Okay,

then I'll go

pick

some

tomorrow and

bring it to you tonight.

Okay,

okay

, I'm leaving now. Haha ...

Hahaha, we common folk are really happy today

! What's there to be happy about?

You tell me,

Erlaizi gave you a few sour, tooth-aching fruits, and

you gave away two big steamed buns and you're this happy?

Grandma, I have a great use for these fruits. I

told Erlaizi that

he was buying the sour fruits at one copper coin for three catties of fruit.

I don't know how many there are in the mountains.

I also said I'd buy as many as there are.

Why didn't you tell us you were buying them? Why are

you making such a fuss and scaring the children?

Didn't you hear Yuhe say they're very useful?

Since they're useful,

then let's buy them.

Grandma, trust me, I'll be right.

Also, Uncle and Second Uncle,

you two go pick some tomorrow.

I'll buy them at the same price.

Fifth Uncle, you go pick some sour fruits too.

I'll pay you, so I

won't pay you wages.

I'm hungry, let's eat.

You gave away two big steamed buns

, so you'll be fined two

meals without any steamed buns.

You want to starve to death?

It's fine

if anyone doesn't eat, but he has to eat.

Huh,

Grandma Lin, Grandpa Lin,

today it's all my mother's fault.

I apologize on her behalf. It's alright, it's alright, it's not your fault

.

Tomorrow you all go pick some sour fruits too. Anyway, the more you pick,

the more you

save.

Oh, oh! Oh,

Sanjin, you need to handle this matter properly.

If your mother keeps coming over to make trouble every few days

, we won't agree.

Aunt Lin, don't worry,

I will definitely handle it well

and won't let my mother bother you anymore.

Aunt Lin, don't worry,

I will handle my mother's matter well

. I... I want to ask for half a day off tomorrow.

I want to send the child to my in-laws' house

. Okay, you two go back and get some rest. You've

been busy all day.

You have to go to work tomorrow.

Hurry up and finish writing.

In a couple of days, I'll go to the town school to see my younger brothers

and also visit Old Man Ye Song.

I'll ask him to take a look at what I've written.

Yuhe, are you asleep yet?

No, Auntie,

come in quickly. Is there anything I can help you with?

I just wanted to tell you that I

've found four little girls who carry candy for you. After

you finish eating them tomorrow... "Breakfast is here.

Take a look.

We agreed

I'd keep an eye on those girls.

If they steal any candy,

this old woman won't be

happy. Grandma

, I'll only handle production

; the rest is up to you.

Is Li Binbo home?

The main room door is open;

he should be home.

Call him again. Coming!

Ma Zi, why are you all here so early

? The other three families haven't arrived yet.

Uncle Lin, Uncle Lin,

we're all here

. Come in,

Yuhe. These girls are here to do chores.

Look,

I told you they weren't

here to wrap candy.

There's still mud under their fingernails.

Can you even eat the candy you wrapped?

Grandma Lin, please, please keep him here. It's

all my fault. I

made him come with me to the fields to pull weeds this morning,

that's why there's mud. You

little brat..." "Straighten your head,

Mrs. Lin.

Please let me work here.

My younger brother is sick

and we don't have money for medicine

. Yuhe, look, Grandma

, he's standing here with mud on his hands and his

clothes aren't clean.

We're making something that goes into people's mouths.

Cabbage, did you hear me?

Go back quickly, wash your hands,

and change into clean clothes before

you come back . Your job is to wrap candy.

Wages are calculated by weight, meaning

the more you wrap, the more you earn.

The candy is delicious.

I'll be watching you.

If anyone steals candy and I see it,

the Lin family will kick you out

and make you pay 100 taels of silver. I'll

report this to the county magistrate.

Put your fingerprint here,

and you can work for the Lin family.

Watch how I wrap candy...

according to my..." The faster

you pack, the better,

but you have to pack them tightly so

they don't fall apart.

Each person packs their own.

I'll weigh them for you every day after work,

understand?

Pack them quickly

so you can get more money in the evening.

Oh, there are still a few hawthorns. We

'll talk about it again in the evening.

Grandma, I'm going out for a walk.

No, you can't go out alone.

I'm worried about

you. Grandma, I'm fine. I'm

just going to see if there's anything to dig up.

I won't go far, I'll be

right back. Oh, there's nothing to dig up.

The grass is all yellow this time of year.

I'll just take a quick walk and come back.

Be careful on the way

, don't go too deep into the mountains.

Come back early,

I know. Grandma,

come back early!

Haha, Yuhe, you're

digging for vegetables.

Yes, Aunt Wang

is just out for a walk

. Haha

, Dr. Qian,

long time no see!

Are you also digging for wild vegetables?

You're the girl from the village,

I was looking for some herbs in the mountains.

How's your recovery? You

're all better!

Oh, I forgot,

the villagers followed you around picking baskets and digging for lotus roots.

You even planted a stone tree in the wasteland!

Dr. Qian,

if you like this wild vegetable, you can give it to your

villagers. Only you dig this to eat.

You know this yellow violet is a medicinal herb?

I read about it in a book. It's edible.

Besides, this is the perfect season

to eat it.

Hmm, it is indeed a medicinal herb.

It can clear heat and detoxify.

But you should be careful;

people with weak spleen and stomach or diarrhea should not eat it.

Hahaha, little girl

, do you think ginseng and lingzhi in the mountains

are like the old lady and the Taoist priest in your hand, you

can just find them whenever you want?

Well, if you find them, they're

usually quite old.

When I have money, I'll

definitely buy one and stew it at home to make chicken soup.

That would be so nice!

Hahaha,

Dr. Qian, you often look for herbs in the mountains,

do you often dig up ginseng

and collect lingzhi?

Ginseng and lingzhi are both good things.

Purely wild,

digging up one is worth several months of my hard work!

Dr. Qian, what are you laughing at?

I didn't say anything wrong.

By the way, have you ever discovered ginseng seeds?

Ginseng can be grown.

You can collect some seeds and plant them

so you won't have to go through the hardship of digging them up in the mountains later.

Little girl, do you know how to grow ginseng?

I

'm not a student of traditional Chinese medicine

, how would I know? Even if someone studied traditional Chinese medicine, they might not know how to grow ginseng.

If you don't know, then how do

you know, Dr. Qian? If seeds can't be grown,

where do the ginseng in the mountains come from?

Don't you think it's possible that the wind blew the seeds down

, and they sprouted and grew into ginseng

? Yes, I never thought of

that. Of course, ginseng grows from seeds.

Miss Lin, on behalf of the poor people who need ginseng to treat their illnesses,

and the hardworking herbalists, thank you.

Hehe, I was just talking nonsense.

Don't take it seriously . I really

want to slap myself. Slapping yourself

in front of a stranger seems to reveal too much.

What's wrong? You're

home, why aren't you coming

in? What happened?

Are you being chased by a ghost?

Uncle, did you pick a lot today?

Or were there not many hawthorns in the woods?

There were quite a lot.

The baskets we brought were all full, so we came back.

Are you hungry? I'll cook now.

How's the work going?

I

think you've only packed about two or three pounds this morning

. Okay, it's almost dark, so we'll stop packing.

Crabapple and winter plum, come and weigh them.

Take them.

Plum and wood ear mushrooms, 7 pounds,

7 copper coins

. You take them too.

Shi Xiaomin, 7 copper coins too.

Apricot blossoms, 7 copper coins.

Cabbage, 6 pounds,

6 copper coins.

You all got your coins. Pack them

all up.

This is the result of your day's work.

Be quick tomorrow!

Try to earn more copper coins. Those

who receive their money, please put your fingerprint here.

Thank you for your hard work today.

Come back after breakfast tomorrow.

Great! My mother said that

as long as I work hard,

she'll give me two coins a day as

my own money to spend as I please.

My mother also said that

all the money I earn will be saved

as my dowry.

Hahaha, Muer wants to get married!

Hahaha, I earned the least today

. My brother still has to get medicine every

day. If he can't manage tomorrow,

he won't come home for lunch.

This girl isn't that old, but

she's thinking so far ahead.

You guys, collect your money and go home early.

Lai Zi, why are you so late today?

It's already dark.

Uncle, hehe,

I just saw someone picking a lot

in your yard.

Lai Zi, Uncle, these are all... You picked

so many

by yourself! Yes, I picked them all by myself.

I went into the mountains very early today

and brought several baskets. Once

one

was full, I hid it.

There were 220 jin of sour fruit in total.

Count them,

there are 74 in

total . One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eighty, seventy-four,

just right!

Niece, do you want more sour fruit tomorrow?

Yes, didn't I tell you?

How many do you want? How many sour

fruit do you want? Uncle wants some too.

If you see any in the mountains, pick them together.

I'll give you one wen per jin.

I'll take my dad home first

and come back to get the basket later.

Sour fruit, carry your dad on your back. Walk slowly and

look carefully. It's getting late,

let's eat quickly.

Grandma, after I eat, I need to make

sugar. It's inconvenient during the day since there's no one at home to help

. I made it all night.

I have

sugar-packing work to do tomorrow,

so I don't need to worry about Grandma. It'll last me a few days.

I'm going to the town school tomorrow to visit my brother,

and I have some other things to take care of.

I'll have your uncle go with you tomorrow. Go

early and come back

early. Yuhe, do you still have any silver on you?

Grandma will pack some for you.

Hey little girl,

it's been a while since I've seen you.

I heard from your brother that your family opened a shop

and you're busy making money at home, right?

Yes, Uncle opened a shop and is earning a little

hard-earned money.

Just follow the newly opened official road

and you'll see my family's old Lin's shop.

Go eat

there sometime. They have a wide variety of food

, and you can order à la carte.

Okay, okay, I'll go sometime.

Give me a discount!

Don't worry, anyone who orders or makes a reservation there,

as long as they say they're a regular

customer from town, will

get a discount! Give me a 10% discount , hahaha, okay, okay

, you're so generous, little girl.

Uncle, let's hurry to the town school,

or they'll have finished lunch soon.

Yuhe, you said you wanted to find a shop last time,

and I actually found a good one.

I'll take you to see it when you're done. Uncle

, I know.

I'll come find you when I'm done. I'm in a hurry

now, so

I'll go first

. Here, I'm already the shortest in the family,

and I'm carrying heavy things

. Aren't you worried about shortening your height?

How about we take this road?

It'll be faster next time we come.

Oh, it's Yuhe, little girl, you've come to see your little brother.

Come in quickly, Auntie.

This is my uncle.

He was worried about me coming to town alone today,

so he specially accompanied me.

This is the wife of the town school's head teacher.

Madam, hello,

this is... What's that smell?

It looks like something's burnt.

Oh no,

my food's still in the pot

! Auntie, it looks like this pot of food is ruined.

I'll help you cook another one.

Ah

, sister, sister, sister,

I miss you so much

! I miss you all too!

How are you doing at school in town

? Haha, hey,

you three

little devils, how old are you? Still acting

like spoiled brats with your sister

! And you only care about your sister,

can't you see your elder? Right?

The boys are getting stronger and stronger

, not bad. Uncle,

is everything alright

at home? Good, very

good. You're on your way to school

, don't worry about home.

You guys,

stop standing there, come and eat!

How are you all? Do you need anything

I can prepare for you?

Sister, I need writing paper.

The one you bought for us last time is all used up,

sister, don't you know? The

three of us have already jumped from Class C to Class A!

The teacher even said we've made great progress.

You guys are really awesome, you

've really made your sister proud.

This time, your sister brought you some freshly made lotus root starch from home.

If you get hungry while studying tonight, you can make a cup,

haha. I've already given

the paper

you wanted to the master's wife. If

you run out of the ones you have, go get some from her.

Sister, when are you coming to see us again?

Oh, you're

such a grown-up, why are you still crying?

Lin Tong,

you only have 10 days left until the time to repair the tomb.

I'll have my older brother come and pick you up to go home then.

Lin Chang'an, Lin Ping'an, the teacher is in class!

He's here! Hahaha,

Uncle, come with me to Old Master Ye's residence.

I also brought the Stone Record today

, I want him to take a look at it.

Yuhe, how could you take the Stone Record to the Ye family?

Uncle, come with me to see someone and

you'll understand. Who are you looking for?

This is the Ye family.

This lady

, I'm here to see the steward's wife. Fatty God,

I served at the banquet for the old master's birthday last time. I served

at the banquet.

Oh, I see.

You're that girl.

Come in quickly, I'll take you to see the steward's wife.

He girl, why are you here?

What's the matter?

Oh, I missed

you so much, Auntie. You don't come to my

pancake stall often. I've been a few times

, but your brother sells pancakes there.

I missed you too,

Fatty Auntie. I opened an old Lin's Inn near my home,

heading north along the official road.

If you have time, go there and

I'll cook you something delicious

. I brought you some today too,

haha. Come, come

, sit down. What delicious food did you bring me?

Hmm, it has a light and fragrant aroma.

I know it's delicious even before I've tasted it.

Hmm, it's really delicious.

If you don't have an appetite or want to fill

up your stomach, this is perfect.

Fatty Auntie,

I plan to sell this lotus root starch at the shop next to the official road.

Will it sell well?

Hmm, it's delicious

and convenient, it'll definitely be good. This is for

ladies and young ladies who

travel long distances by carriage and lose their appetite.

They 'll really like this.

This is a gift for you, and

this bag is for Grandpa Ye.

Make him a bowl when you have time;

it's easy to digest

and good for his health.

You're a really good girl

; no wonder Grandpa Ye often talks about

you . I wanted to see Grandpa Ye;

I have something to discuss with him.

You should have said so earlier. Come on,

I'll take you there.

It's about time for you to get up.

Uncle Lin , please

wait a moment.

Grandpa Ye just got up

and is coming over after tidying up.

Little girl, what made you decide to come see me?

Aunt Ye, this is my uncle.

He was worried about me traveling alone,

so he came with me

. Alright, alright, please sit down.

Little girl, you've come to see me today,

haven't you? I once heard a story.

The storyteller's name was Cao Xueqin. I

copied and compiled this manuscript

based on his story:

The Story of the Stone, Chapter 1.

You two, come with me.

This is my study.

You can speak freely here;

no one is eavesdropping

. Aunt Ye,

is there something wrong with this manuscript? "

Master, the matters outside have been arranged.

Miss, you needn't worry.

I've instructed the servants in the hall

not to gossip outside.

Butler,

I'm not drinking tea anymore.

I need to go to the outhouse

. Everyone, please leave first

and don't disturb me.

This way, the outhouse is behind that door.

Go quickly and come

back quickly . Yuhe, I'll go with you.

Master has granted you permission to go in.

Aunt Ye, your study is so big,

and you have so many books.

Did you write this book yourself

, or did you have someone else write it

?

This person named Cao Xueqin must be a literary master.

However, there are many contents in this book that cannot be

signed and must be changed.

It's all up to Master Ye to decide.

If it's not appropriate,

I will destroy the manuscript

and not write it anymore.

Oh, little girl,

why do you listen to everything you hear?

If you don't write it

, what will I read in the future?

I'm eager to know the rest of the story.

Yuhe, since the manuscript has been given to Master

, let's go first.

You forgot that your uncle helped you find a shop

and you still need to look at

the house. Sir, sir,

since that 's

the case, I'll tell you the rest of the story.

You are listening ..." I'll help you polish and revise

the story you heard,

and then I'll show it to you after I'm done.

Hmm, you like reading,

so go pick out a few to take with you,

Aunt Ye. You really want me to pick out books to take with me?

Hehe, I'll definitely keep them safe and

bring them back after I'm done reading. Go

pick them out,

come with me.

You just said you wanted to find a shop to do business.

I have quite a few good shops that

you can rent.

No need, Aunt Ye,

my uncle has already found a shop for me.

We'll go check it out later.

Aunt Ye, can I choose these 5 books?

Yes, you can.

Aunt Ye, please take care of yourself .

We'll leave now. If you have time

, why don't you come and sit in my stone room by the official road?

It's my treat. Okay, you guys go ahead and

do your work

. I won't keep you any longer.

Little girl, these are some snacks my wife packed for you

to take on the road.

You're so generous,

inviting everyone you meet to eat,

and you always treat us.

I want to pave the way for my brothers. I

don't want them to rely on others,

but at least I want to make sure that others don't dare to bully our

family. Connections are very important.

Yuhe, you guys...

It's all settled then,

Uncle. Uncle

, let's go look at the shop today. We

can't go today,

the middleman said the landlord changed his mind.

Come find me again tomorrow.

Okay, Uncle,

give these pastries to Grandpa, Grandma, and Dad.

Take the rest back for your mother to try.

Alright , I'll accept them.

Thank you on behalf of your mother,

Yuhe. If you rent the shop,

will you stop running the food cart stall on the street?

I plan to hand the food cart over to you, Uncle

, and let my brother be the manager.

I'd like to ask you, Uncle, to help out at the counter.

As long as I can work with you,

I don't mind the hard work at all. Haha,

Uncle, the work will definitely be hard,

but the income will increase.

I'll give you one tael of silver a month as wages.

Learn your skills well ,

and maybe you can be the manager when we open a new shop in the future.

Okay, I will definitely learn well.

Changfu , from now on you need to teach me to read more.

I can't be a blind man when I'm in charge of the shop.

Before, we couldn't even get enough to eat.

Now, I can get an ounce of silver a month—

it's something I never dared to dream of!

My wife has always said

that Yuhe is no ordinary girl,

and now I've truly seen it for myself.

Uncle, look, our house is surrounded!

What happened?

Uncle Tang, please hurry up with the oxcart.

You all go home first.

The children have all gone to town.

It's just me, an old woman, at home.

Wait until the children come back before you come back.

And

Li girl, you're finally back!

Look at my sour fruit,

every single one is plump

and there isn't a single rotten one.

Collect them all

! Shut up , don't make any more noise!

​​Everyone,

line up over there.

If anyone makes a sound, I won't collect their sour fruit

. Yuhe, why are you back so late today?

They've been waiting here for almost an hour.

Grandma, you can stay in the yard.

We'll collect the fruit outside.

There are people wrapping candy in the yard;

don't be disturbed.

We buy sour fruit

for three catties for one coin. The fruit

must be clean, without any rotten or damaged fruit.

If you think the price is unreasonable,

you can leave with your sour fruit.

We have no objection to Lin Yatou

selling; please come in order.

My uncle and younger uncle will be responsible for weighing.

My brother, who's in charge of bookkeeping

and weighing, came to collect his coins from me.

It's all because someone accidentally saw him. His

perfectly good, exclusive business is ruined.

Lai Zi is getting diligent now,

going up the mountain to pick sour fruit too.

Hurry up and line up,

or they might not accept you if you're late!

Lai Zi,

you made a lot of money selling sour fruit yesterday, didn't you?

You're getting rich without telling anyone.

What's it to you

? Why should I tell you?

Yu He, you must be exhausted.

Rest, Grandma, go cook.

Auntie, my uncle

found me a food stall in town.

I'm going to town tomorrow

to rent it and increase the variety of food. I'll

go tomorrow! What? Rent a stall ? My goodness! Yu

He, we're already doing very well

. We

don't have to worry about food

or clothing, and we

have income every day.

Don't bother anymore!

Old woman, don't interrupt.

Let the children talk about their ideas.

It's getting colder,

and traveling back and forth isn't worth it.

Renting a stall with a yard

will increase the variety of food and make more money.

My brothers will also have a place to live in town. Here

's all the money in the house.

I don't know how much it will cost to rent a shop,

so take it all,

Grandma. You're really generous enough to give me all your money,

here you go. This money

is what you've worked so hard to earn.

This banknote is enough for you, Grandma.

Keep the rest of the money safe

for now, and I'll come back for

more if you need it later. Okay, when you need money, just ask Grandma for

it. Yuhe, do what you've decided to do.

Tomorrow, have your uncle go with you.

It's not reassuring for you to carry so much money alone

. Grandma, tomorrow, have your third aunt come over to process the sour fruit.

Just like that

, put the pitted sour fruit in water to soak

, and I'll process it when I get back

. Okay, you can

go look at the shop

tomorrow without worrying about the house.

Uncle, today,

let's go look at the shops and market in town.

Okay, I'll listen to you

.

Uncle, have you thought about your marriage?

If you don't like it,

don't force

yourself.

Our family is doing well now,

so at least find someone you like

. It turns out it's

Yuhe, the one I'll spend my life with. That's fine .

Uncle knows our family's life is better

now, and there are girls better than Xiaotao

, but I've got my eye on this one.

Oh, oh , oh, I've finally found you two! Auntie, slow down!

How did you find me?

Hmm, I heard you're the shop owner's steward,

right here at our stall.

Your uncle sent me to find you

. He's over there at the stall.

Okay, let's go back then.

Steward,

it's you!

Little Yuhe, you didn't expect it to be me, did you?

To be honest, I didn't expect it either. You want to rent the shop

. Let's go, let's go see the shop

and see if it suits your taste.

Steward, how has Aunt Ye been lately? Hmm,

the closer we get, the more familiar it feels.

Steward,

this shop belongs to your family

. My brother used to work as a waiter here.

The original owner of this shop was a ruthless tyrant.

You're right,

this is our master's property.

As for that owner, he

's already been...

Hahaha, let 's

go inside and look at the shop.

Butler,

how much

do you want to rent this shop?

Yuhe, how much silver do you think is appropriate?

The master said that

if you don't have enough silver,

you can pay forty or forty

taels a month. Yuhe, girl,

you heard me right,

the master said it himself.

Thank you, Butler,

and thank Aunt Ye for me too.

I'll rent this shop.

Although the rent isn't much

, we still need to sign a contract.

Okay, we've rented the shop,

so let's get started!

Uncle, I'll make sure the Lin family has a firm foothold in the town,

and in the future,

our family's name will be in the county and the prefectural city.

Thank you

for your hard work, Yuhe. Uncle,

we're family,

right? Yes,

you're right,

we're family.

Yes, that's right.

Uncle, wait here for a moment

, I'm going to the general store to buy some things

and clean this place up.

Oh,

I'm not going to buy spoons or rags!

Uncle is getting engaged soon,

I need to prepare something presentable for him.

Ah... Ah,

why aren't you back yet?

Where did this girl wander off to?

What's wrong with you, girl

? You're so

bold!

You've been wandering the streets alone for so long. What have you been doing?

Hehe, Uncle, I wasn't wandering around.

I went to prepare a gift for you.

Uncle, look how

nice it is, Yuhe. Why did you buy this?

This style doesn't suit you.

Uncle, this is for your engagement betrothal gifts.

Although Aunt said we don't need betrothal gifts

, our family can't do that. Anyway

, it didn't cost much .

Uncle, when the time comes, I'll buy a few packs of pastries

, pack two jin of candy from home,

and put 10 taels of silver in the bundle.

That should be enough.

What's wrong, Uncle

? Don't you like what I bought?

No, Yuhe, Uncle

thanks you. We won't need this much silver for the engagement next time

. Half a lifetime of dreams, the Heavenly Pearl,

the years write a lifetime of heartbreak.

Under the May sun,

Uncle, that's about it.

Let's go.

Big brother

, the shop where you used to work has been rented by our family.

Yuhe, you mean the old restaurant closed down

and you rented

the shop? What about the manager?

I heard from the housekeeper that he's a bad one. Egg was chased away,

big brother. You heard me right.

I rented that shop.

From now on, you're the shopkeeper. You're in charge of that

shop.

After closing tomorrow, tidy up the shop again.

Also, bring your bedding.

You can bring your younger brother from the town school to stay

at the shop for a few days.

Hmm,

Yuhe, don't worry about it.

I'll go over there

with Xingxing

after closing tomorrow. When we get home, go back to sleep.

What's wrong with this girl ? She

didn't say anything when she came back

. Why did she go straight to her room?

Mother, don't disturb her.

That girl is very tired.

Let her get some rest. Daughter, are you

hungry

?

Wait a minute, Mother will keep your food warm in the pot.

Yuhe, there are already several bowls of sour fruit, the seeds removed.

How do you eat them?

Grandma, clean the sour fruit. Steam

the fruit until cooked,

Dad. After Grandma has steamed the sour fruit,

grind it into a puree using a stone mill.

Mom, help me stoke the fire. Yuhe,

be careful, the pot is full of hot sugar.

If you accidentally

burn yourself, you'll get a big blister.

Okay,

Grandma. Dad, bring over the cleaned basin.

Okay , just wait until tomorrow morning, it'll be ready to eat.

It's that simple.

Grandma, that's all.

Tomorrow morning, wait until the sugar in the sour pot solidifies,

and the hawthorn cake will be ready.

There are other ways to

eat it, you'll have to

wait a bit. You can eat it tomorrow.

Cousin, really, we have to wait until tomorrow to eat it

, haha, it will taste even better tomorrow . Yuhe

, I heard from your uncle that the shop has been rented

, it's Grandpa Ye's shop.

Yes, what a

coincidence

, and the price is super cheap. Yi

Yuhe, what I mean is,

look how much help Master Ye has given us.

We don't have anything particularly valuable, so perhaps

we could invite him over for a simple meal sometime.

Okay , Auntie,

I'll remember. I'll let

you know when I see him in town next time.

Oh, by the way , Doctor Qian from the west of Yuhe Village sent over a box,

specifically saying it was for you.

I was wondering what important it was,

so I didn't open it.

What is this?

It's quite exquisite,

huh

? Ginseng!

What?

This is

the kind of ginseng that a few ginseng roots can sell for a fortune at the pharmacy

. I've heard the older generation say that there's ginseng in the back mountains,

but no one has ever dug it up

or seen it.

Grandma, how do you know ginseng roots are valuable if you've never seen them?

Well,

it's a long story.

That year, your great-grandmother was sick, and

the doctor said she needed... I needed money

to buy

ginseng, so I took it to the pharmacy. They only gave me a small pinch of ginseng powder.

Since I didn't have any money

, I went to the back mountain to search for it for two days. I

almost got eaten by wild beasts

, but luckily I

escaped.

Even so, I couldn't find it.

A few days after I returned,

Grandpa Lin's mother passed away. Grandma

, Doctor Qian brought the ginseng.

Did he say anything? He didn't say anything

, just that it was for you.

He said

he was saving it to stew with chicken.

Yuhe, when did you see Doctor Qian?

He's a strange man; he

doesn't get involved in village affairs.

I heard he has a wife at home;

the villagers say she's his wife,

but she never goes out.

A couple of days ago, I went to the foot of the mountain to look for wild vegetables

and saw him gathering herbs.

We chatted for a bit. It's said

that a ghost is chasing you. That night,

what nonsense were you spouting?

It's perfectly clean here;

there's no such thing as that.

What nonsense did you tell them?

They went to such lengths

to give you a whole ginseng

root without saying anything.

I just casually mentioned that ginseng can be grown

and explained how.

How many times have I told you

not to go out alone

? Do you think you

can just casually say you can grow ginseng?

Second brother,

tomorrow you go and return the ginseng to

the doctor. Tell him Yuhe is just a child

talking nonsense.

Auntie, actually, I wasn't talking nonsense

; ginseng really can be grown

. Why don't we keep the ginseng?

Although I want to eat ginseng stewed chicken to nourish myself

, Grandpa and Grandma are getting old.

Years ago, they did so much for this family… She felt wronged

and needed to replenish

her energy . She knew she wouldn't say such things again.

Seeing her dream of eating ginseng ruined,

Lin Yuhe felt terrible.

What to do about ginseng stewed chicken

? Oh well, she'd better check her hawthorn cake.

Hmm, not bad,

just waiting to eat it.

"Mom, wake me

up tomorrow morning. I'm going to help Shixu tomorrow

. I'll help you knead the dough in the morning.

Okay , you can sleep now.

" Dawn broke.

Yes, dawn broke. Oh dear,

it looks like I overslept today. "

Yuhe , get up! Get

up! Get up!

Uncle and the others have been working in the backyard

for an hour.

Grandma, why didn't you wake me today

? Don't blame me, I

'm your mother. I love you

. You're always so busy, it's good

that you get some more sleep."

Wake up, have some food,

and come with us to the hotel.

Daughter, daughter,

is the cake you made ready?

Oh right, I

almost forgot!

I didn't expect to make so much yesterday.

Grandma Lin had a lot of cleaned hawthorns,

so I made them all.

Dad, help me turn the bowl upside down!

Great! This hawthorn cake is a perfect success! It 's

wobbly but doesn't break easily.

The color is a deep red,

it looks so tempting!

Grandma, you should try some first, isn't it delicious?

Haha

, only my eldest granddaughter knows how to make it good!

Hmm, sweet and sour,

delicious! Dad, take it and

eat it over there.

Uncle, let me try some

, hahaha! The big table

is full of good hawthorn cakes! Hahaha!

Hmm, not bad,

sweet and sour, because I added sugar to

balance the hawthorn flavor. It's sour. I

'll add some chopped hawthorn to

eight-treasure porridge or plain porridge.

It'll taste really good.

How about the hawthorn cake I made?

Is it delicious? Yes, it's

sweet and sour. It's

better than just eating fruit.

It's not

as sour. Of course, it's better than sour fruit

. Otherwise, what are those few pounds of sugar for?

Dad, don't eat too much

, or you won't even be able to bite into a steamed bun by noon.

This is good

. Eating some in the morning is more appetizing.

Uncle is right.

Eating sour fruit has many benefits .

Pregnant women should avoid

eating hawthorn.

Pick some hawthorn and stick it on your butt.

Cousin, both of these are delicious.

Yes, these hawthorn slices can be eaten as a snack.

They're not bad. I can make more.

Yes, they are indeed delicious.

When Li Luohua comes over,

ask him if he wants some sugar.

Ma Yuhe, there haven't been many sour fruit vendors these past few days.

It's alright, Grandma.

These are almost out of season anyway.

Let's just collect as much as we can.

With more business at home, renovating

the house has become a priority.

Sigh, money doesn't go far!

I plan to take these hawthorn cakes to Shiqu

to see if they sell well.

To avoid people not knowing that

hawthorn cakes are made from sour fruit,

we'll just call them hawthorn cakes

. Okay, let's just

call them hawthorn cakes.

I'm leaving now. It's getting late.

Come

on ,

Yuhe,

you're coming with us to Shiqu today too.

I'd like another bowl for the wet nurse;

ask the shopkeeper to add extra

red sweet and sour fruit.

I'd also like a bowl for the old lady;

it tastes good.

You two, each of you should try one.

Thank you, Madam.

Little girl, four more bowls of lotus root starch,

please. Okay, Auntie, please wait a moment.

Auntie, this hawthorn cake is homemade.

We also sell it separately.

If you like, you can buy some to go

with white rice porridge or eight-treasure porridge.

It tastes very good,

haha.

Auntie, if you like my food,

this is a snack.

Please try it, Miss. I'll

thank you on behalf of my young lady.

She'll definitely like it.

Auntie, you're too kind.

I have to thank you

for supporting my business.

Little girl, you

're good at business .

The food you make is also very good.

Oh, um,

let them eat in batches. Yes, Madam,

you

guys go eat first. After you

finish, we 'll move to the next batch.

Hurry up, Monkey, hurry up and get

a bowl of rice soup for everyone. It's free. Okay,

everyone, finish your soup first.

Wait a moment

. The fragrant and delicious buns are coming right away.

Granny , watch the young lady carefully

. Don't touch it, it's hot.

Yes, Madam. Hello, this is the food we sell.

Do you have anything else you want to eat? Do

you still have the snacks you gave my nanny?

We

can sell some more.

This is hawthorn slices

. This is hawthorn cake.

This is called fruit peel.

These are all 50 coins per catty.

uh Huh,

this is glutinous rice lotus

root, it's sweet

and delicious.

Let me give you a slice to try.

My house is in that village,

the first house on the east side of the village is the Lin family's house,

it's very easy to find.

There's also a shop in town.

If you want to eat my food in the future,

you can just come to my house,

hehe.

I'll take all of this glutinous rice lotus root,

and this one too.

Is this one

easy to spoil?

I made it fresh last night,

it can be kept until tomorrow afternoon.

Okay, I'll

take a bowl of this too. I also like lotus root starch.

Miss, you bought too much,

it will spoil if you can't finish it.

It's okay, Nanny,

cut this hawthorn cake in half and give it to them

so they can try it too.

The rest... I

can eat these on the way and also bring them to my cousin and her

family. These sour things are delicious and appetizing

, but you can't

eat too many, or you'll get stomach acid

and feel uncomfortable, and your teeth will feel sensitive and you won't be able to

chew

. Okay, I understand,

little girl. We were in a hurry

and didn't bring anything.

It's alright,

Auntie . This bowl is for you.

For snacks, I'll use a snack box, please put them in.

Little girl, your buns are soft and

delicious. Give us three more buns each. Okay, Auntie

, just a moment. Monkey

will bring you three more buns. Please

try them, Aunties.

My braised pig's head

and offal are free.

This is for you.

We sell them well in town.

Mmm,

delicious. Little girl,

did you make this too? Huh,

little girl, go do the math. There are

seventeen people in total:

three female relatives, three guards,

two steamed buns,

six bowls of lotus root starch

, and the water chestnuts, glutinous rice, and lotus

root we ate. The total comes to nine taels and

two mace of silver. You can pay nine taels.

Hmm, not bad,

little girl, you've got the accounts

right. You'll be waiting for me

to die. One hundred and eighteen

. Auntie, wait a moment,

I'll give you one tael in change. No

need for change,

it was already nine taels.

Also, we ate your braised meat

, so we didn't charge you for it. Consider

the extra money a reward from the madam

. Thank you for the reward, madam

. Thank you for speaking up for me. I'm leaving

now .

We'll almost make up for the losses from this wasteland

today. The biggest profits today

will come from lotus root starch and hawthorn-based food products.

He's thinking of developing the snack industry.

Go home and think about it carefully.

You're really amazing.

Those two old women weren't easy to

get along with, but you flattered them

so much that they even spoke up for them.

Ah, it's nothing.

In business, you have to be better off than the devil.

Some

people around your master are not to be offended.

Besides, who doesn't want to be flattered?

You little rascal, always saying "

Mommy's here, good stuff!

" Yuhe

, the hawthorn cake you brought today

is really selling well!

This is a new addition to the food competition;

everyone else has tried it, but

you haven't, have you?

Mommy, hahaha!

Monkey, here you go!

Hmm,

monkey, what's wrong?

Why aren't you eating

? Is it because I didn't make it well?

Yuhe, don't worry,

I'll earn lots and lots of money in the future!

Mommy,

from now on, let's change Shigu's meals to two steamed buns.

Anyway, Shigu can drink her rice porridge as much as she wants.

Lin Yuhe thought

that if Shigu's meals were unlimited and she could eat her fill,

then they wouldn't be able to take anything from home anymore.

Now she can eat one

and take one,

but who can eat this much?

Sir, look how fresh this fish is

! This egg is tender too!

And there's something good! What is this

good stuff?

Lotus root! What is that

? Sir, our lotus root is exceptional—

sweet, crisp, and refreshing!

You must try it

! Okay, then,

whatever you say, little girl!

Kitchen, bring a plate of stir-fried lotus root

! Kitchen, bring a plate of stir-fried lotus root!

The buns from the shopkeeper are amazing!

Little girl, give me five buns

and pack ten more

to

take

on the road. The buns have filling and it saves money

on groceries.

Perfect for the road!

Hehehehe,

we're so busy we missed lunch .

Everyone's exhausted.

Thanks, little girl.

We only have these few steamed buns left.

We've basically sold out of ingredients for today.

Mom, help me roll out the dough

and we'll cook noodles.

Tang Shen, help me wash some vegetables.

Cuiyu and Monkey are sitting on the side washing dishes.

Old Li and his wife haven't left the pot

. Come over and

take a bowl, pick up a mouthful of noodles

, and drink some soup.

This is the life of immortals!

Since coming to Linjia Shizhu,

we can eat white flour every day.

I never dared to dream of this

before. In the future, if I'm not in Shibu,

and it's too busy at lunchtime

, take a moment to eat a bun

and drink some soup to tide you over.

Don't work on an empty stomach.

Yuhe,

we're not tired.

It's much better than working in the fields on an empty stomach.

We've basically run out of ingredients for today.

We'll eat lunch and dinner together.

Mom, take the few steamed buns from the bun basket...

Let's divide them up and take them home to eat.

We'll go home too.

Thank you, Yuhe, Sister

Lin, thank you, Sister

Lin, Aunt Li. There's not much left today.

There are still some noodles left on the cutting board.

If you're hungry tonight, you can cook them yourself.

Be careful when you go out and in the dark

. Sigh, since our daughter died,

no one has cared about the two old people.

This girl is such a good child.

Sigh, I know.

You've been busy all day.

Go home

now. Oh dear, it's so late today. Why are you back

? Are things not selling well?

Grandma, are you sold out ? There were so many people today

,

it took too long

. Oh, really sold out.

Come inside and rest for a while.

Yuhe and Granny Chen

have already discussed it.

They'll give your uncle the betrothal gifts the day after tomorrow.

Tomorrow, you and Grandma will go to town to buy

some things for your uncle's engagement.

Grandma Lin, I almost forgot.

The things I bought for my uncle are still in the house

and haven't been unpacked yet.

Grandma, I bought things for my uncle in town a couple of days ago

and forgot to tell you.

I'll go

get them for

you. Here you go , Grandma

. Oh dear, he's so thirsty. He

put too much salt in the noodles today . What did you buy

? Oh, these two pieces of cloth are so festive.

Oh, what's in this box?

Haha, Yuhe, come here. It

's alright, Grandma. A bracelet isn't worth much.

If you wrap it in 10 taels of silver,

wouldn't Auntie feel valued?

Child, it's not that

expensive.

Even if you send it over,

your auntie and brother might not be able to keep it.

The people in your auntie's clan aren't stupid.

Good things, Grandma, just give good things to Auntie privately. Keep

it as ordinary stuff in public.

Later, your maternal grandfather even gave one tael to your mother as part of her dowry.

Of course, in the end, that one tael of silver was spent on the Lin family.

I understand what

you're saying, Grandma. As for Mother,

although it's relatively simple,

no one in the village spends this much

money on a wedding. But it's money that your granddaughter earned day and night.

Grandma, when Mother married into the Lin family

, she spent all the family's money.

Now that the family is better off, it's normal.

Besides, Uncle

used the money he had for his own marriage proposal for me. I

also reminded myself

not to neglect anyone who is good to him.

As long as he has something

and the family needs it,

he can give it to

Mother. This bracelet is really beautiful.

It's for the child's Uncle's engagement. "Hehe, Mother, is n't

this pretty?

I bought it.

When I earn more money, I

'll buy you an even better one.

You little rascal, you know how to make your mother happy.

It 's not just empty promises.

Later, Lin's mother wore different jewelry every day,

and she couldn't keep up with it all.

I bought most of it for

her. Our family's life is getting better and better.

My granddaughter

is sensible, and

my daughter-in-law is filial. Life is getting better and better

. Mother, I also bought you and Grandma some fabric.

Do you like it? Isn't it

sparkly?

Huh

, you child, you're wasting money again.

I'm such a wretched person, I have too many clothes to wear.

" Haitang Yuhe said, "

Add another 10 taels of silver. Do

you think this gift is too heavy?

I've never seen such a gift in our village.

I want to keep the bracelet. I'll

just give 10 taels of silver,

two catties of pastries

, and these two pieces of floral fabric.

That's enough for others to envy.

You can send it over.

" Yuhe said, "That child

has worn out so many pairs of shoes

for this family

. He deserves it. Okay,

I'll listen to you. If

you're late, you can skip

a day.

Grandma, are you willing to give up food and lodging and not do business?

Today we earned

more than ten taels

, almost as much as two of these." The bracelet weighs over

ten taels. I'll take Cuiyu and your aunt to stay and eat.

Let your parents and Granny Chen go to your aunt's house

to present the betrothal gifts. Second son

, your engagement gift is unique in our village.

All of this was prepared by Yuhe for you.

You should treat your brother and sister-in-law well in the future.

I know, Mom

. Don't worry.

Let Yuhe go with you the day after tomorrow.

I'm worried that the Liu family will cause trouble the day after tomorrow.

Okay , let Yuhe go too.

At least she's clever and fearless

. Changfu, remember to bring back two catties of pastries

when you come back from town tomorrow.

Grandma, Grandma,

hurry up and pack the things. I'm going

to the backyard to see my uncle.

Hey, why is this child running so fast?

Uncles, you've been busy all afternoon, you

must be tired, take a rest.

Look at this rascal,

he only drank two bowls of porridge at noon,

didn't touch any

dry food. Fifth brother, are you feeling unwell?

Why aren't you eating anything?

Fifth brother, tell your sister Yuhe

why you only dared to drink porridge.

This morning you secretly ate half a piece of hawthorn cake,

your teeth are so sensitive

you can't chew anything.

Silly brother, you can't eat too much of anything, no matter how delicious it is.

Wait for your sister to cook you something soft.

Hmm, sister, my stomach doesn't hurt anymore. Hey

ha

These past two days, the girls who wrap candy have gotten quite busy.

We don't have much candy left at home.

The girls have been keeping track of their earnings these past few days,

waiting to be paid in a few days. They 're

all willing to

do it. We also need to make some hawthorn slices tonight.

Tomorrow, Young Master Li will send someone to pick up the candy,

so they can take some with them.

Go and tell the four girls who wrap candy that

they won't be wrapping candy tomorrow.

There isn't much left in the jar

. Uncle,

weigh this bag of candy;

it's about 150 jin. It's the 500 jin of candy

we promised Li Luohua,

to be delivered in installments

. The hawthorn slices are just a side dish

to open up the market.

Uncle, weigh out two jin of candy first. We'll take it

with us to the betrothal ceremony the day after tomorrow.

We'll talk about it after the delivery.

Uncle, do you know how valuable this candy is?

Mainly because it's not available outside.

Uncle, you... Listen to me

, we'll weigh out two jin of candy.

Our family makes wedding candy,

this is a joyous occasion for you

, everyone has to give way to you, haha!

These are colorful candies,

I usually wouldn't even dare to eat one myself,

and now you've bought two jin!

You soft-hearted, spendthrift girl!

Grandma, let's go inside and eat! Mother,

look,

this is how you cut them thinner...

Hmm, Mother will remember.

This book talks about the customs and traditions of different places

, and the products that each place is famous for.

It perfectly fills in my knowledge gaps about this dynasty

and its regions.

But why

isn't this book signed? Who wrote it?

Never mind, as long as I can read it.

Yuhe, don't read too late,

get some rest.

Tomorrow you have to go to literacy class.

As long as Yuhe goes to Shishi to help with

literacy, the income will skyrocket.

This child is truly a lucky star for the family.

I know, Mother,

you should also get some rest.

Blow out the oil lamp.

Opening my eyes, it's another beautiful day.

Auntie, wait a minute, don't go out.

Someone's come to the house to take some candy.

We can't have just Grandma Lin at home

. Also, don't go to eat or stay there.

Didn't you want someone to take away the hawthorn slices today?

I don't know what to say

. Yes, Yuhe

, you stay at home.

Aunt Yuhe,

open the door quickly! Another big carriage has come to your house! Here it comes!

Here it comes! Here it comes!

Grandma Lin, I'm my young master's attendant,

A-Jin.

I brought people to the house today to take away the candy we made. Oh,

A-Jin, I know, I

know. It's a bowl of lotus root starch that costs 5 taels of silver.

A -Jin, oh Grandma Lin,

it's me.

Come in, come in

quickly, Miss Lin. My

young master asked me to bring people to take away the candy.

Oh dear, you old man, you're

such a child! Before I

even had a sip of water,

you told the working

kids to come over, rest

, have a drink, and then continue working.

Miss Lin, my young master asked

if we could sell them some of your powdered sugar.

My young master said

the price is negotiable

, only about 100 jin of candy.

Why are there two carriages today?

Turns out they've got their eye on your white sugar.

Hehe, I'll consider it.

Grandma, we have guests.

I brought out my homemade hawthorn slices and jelly salt

for them to try.

To promote our snacks,

we need to let people taste them first ; if they

're delicious, they'll naturally buy them.

Hey, don't fight over them,

these are homemade!

Is there anything else delicious?

Delicious, sweet and sour! Are you

really looking for a tattoo to play with?

I haven't finished yet !

Even the most delicious things shouldn't be eaten in excess

! Jin, can you make decisions for your master?

No, no,

my master will kill me if I do that.

You don't know

how strict my young master is with us servants.

I'm mainly thinking about

whether I can make hawthorn slices in large quantities.

Looking at the room where they put sugar powder,

half of it is sugar

and half is hawthorn. It's

not that I'm worried about not being able to sell the stuff.

What I'm worried about is that I want to renovate the house.

There's so much stuff in the house and there's nowhere to put it.

Grandma, when Jin and the others leave, I'll

pack some for each of them

so that the family

can try it. I'll also pack one for Young Master Li.

I didn't mention Li Luohua wanting to buy white sugar powder.

I'm not in a hurry.

Anyway , there's no

rush to build the house.

I'm waiting for Young Master Li to come to his house so he can talk to me in person.

Jin can't make decisions,

so we can talk. Bai Tan:

Grandpa, let's weigh out the candy for them.

Grandma Li, did I say something wrong?

It's a big deal, I can't make the decision myself

, but bringing these hawthorn slices is fine .

My granddaughter, I know

she's not angry with you.

You guys pack the candy first,

I'll pack the hawthorn slices for you.

My granddaughter is right,

hawthorn slices and peels are delicious,

we all know

that. You can't eat too many,

or you won't be able to chew your food at your next meal.

Yuhe, what is this you drew for?

Look how beautifully you drew this little figure!

And these two maids look just like real ones.

Mother said Grandma has excellent embroidery skills.

Grandma, you even know these pictures are of court ladies?

Oh dear, how could Grandma know

? It's because those two boys from home

came back and saw your drawings again.

"It 's some kind of painting of ladies.

Grandma doesn't understand anything.

Hmm, Grandma Lin,

could she have a secret? Maybe she's some kind of extraordinary person who's been living among the common people?

I really dare to imagine. Even

novels wouldn't dare to write something like this.

Yuhe, what are you grinning about? It's

nothing. Grandma just thought of something funny.

I came in to ask you

if we should cook something for Ajin and the others. What should we

eat at home? What should we give them

? We don't need to cook

separately. I don't think they'll eat at our house

since they have a long way to go.

Grandma, go and pack some hawthorn slices for them.

I'll figure out what to do with the food.

Don't pack too much

; you paid for it yourself.

What does my fifth cousin

want ? Go

get 6 steamed buns and 6 dumplings.

Hurry up, I'm in a hurry.

You're the only one at home. Be quick! Okay,

Ajin weighs 150 jin.

You saw it yourself.

We didn't shortchange you.

Aunt Lin, I saw..." "

How could I be wrong with what I

've said? I really can't do anything with you,

Ah Jin. Sign your name.

I haven't finished what my master instructed.

I need to ask about the sugar powder.

Miss Lin, about the sugar powder...

Ah Jin, you two have a lot to do

and a long way to go.

My family won't keep you for dinner at the Lin family's house.

But my 14-yuan steamed buns and mantou are very delicious,

so I'll take a few for you to eat on the way.

I won't take Ah Jin's words.

He can't make the decision .

I'll wait for Li Luohua to come and talk to me.

My master's business hasn't been completed yet.

He only took away the candy

and the main sugar powder.

I'll pretend I didn't see their interaction.

Ah Jin can't make

the decision, so there's no point in talking.

The neighbors won't see you off.

Take care on your own on the road. Goodbye

. Until we meet again

, hahaha.

Today the candy shipment went smoothly,

and the hawthorn slices were also well received.

Business will get better and better in the future.

The day to rebuild the house isn't far away.

Yuhe,

I saw that Ah Jin asked you about the sugar powder several times.

It's obvious he wants to buy from us.

Why don't you sell to him?

People

have money to buy things." Why

don't you want to sell?

What are you thinking,

Grandma and Jin?

You can't make any decisions. That's not how business

is done. You old woman, you talk too much

. You don't understand anything.

Just stay home and take care of those girls

and the house.

We already feel we're too old to help our granddaughter.

You're just making

trouble.

Grandma, I'm hungry. I'm

starving.

I can't let you two start arguing.

Humph, I won't argue with you, you old geezer. I

'll boil some eggs for my granddaughter first,

and then I'll settle the score with you.

Granddaughter, wait a bit.

Grandma will boil some eggs for you.

Yuhe, your grandma is old and

just worried about you.

Don't blame her

. Auntie, how could I blame her?

My family is all sincere to me.

We've never done business before and we

don't know the ropes. We're afraid we'll hold you back. From now on

, we'll do whatever

you arrange

. Auntie, it's okay.

I'll take care of things at home.

Auntie, I'll cook delicious food for everyone.

I'm hungry too.

I love whatever you make.

Grandma, help me wash two radishes.

I'll knead the dough.

You don't mind the trouble, girl.

Just make a little for everyone.

One for each person is enough.

I'll make radish rolls. It's easy and delicious.

After washing, just shred the radish for me.

Okay, I got it.

You're just being greedy. You

can't see Yuhe is always busy running around, always

giving the kids chores.

It's not that I want to eat it;

it's Yuhe's idea to make it.

The old man doesn't care about his granddaughter.

He complained about cooking before,

and now he says it's her choice.

You really know how to talk.

Ugh,

I get annoyed just looking at you

. If you don't want to see me, just stay away.

You think Granny Chen is nice

and won't argue with you, right?

Grandma, it's not that Grandpa wants to eat it

; it's just that I'm greedy and I

specifically wanted to make radish rolls.

I know. Grandma, you're usually lonely , so you like to argue

with Grandpa to relieve your

boredom. You always take his side,

and I can't even say a few words?

Ugh , you two

are

like two old children combined, and your mentality is like a three-year-old child

, hahaha

. Yuhe,

you drew this so well.

Why don't you learn embroidery and

embroider it yourself

? Grandma, you think too highly of your granddaughter.

Look at my hands,

can they even touch the embroidery cloth?

Yuhe, our family owes you too much.

You're busy in the kitchen every day.

Look at your hands.

Grandma, I'm fine

. Don't be like this

. I don't like embroidery.

I like drawing.

The shopkeeper of the embroidery shop

said he'd give me a thousand taels of crabapple blossoms for a screen as

betrothal gifts. Are you ready?

Make sure everything is packed well

so nothing is left out.

I understand, Your Highness. I've packed

two sets of clothes,

10 taels of fabric,

a bracelet

, a pair of earrings

, two catties of candy

, and a large piece of meat.

This is on the far side.

When we get there, take this

out first and secretly give it to Xiao Tao

so no one will see it

and that troublesome family won't be eyeing it.

I understand, Mother. Do

n't worry.

You know, Yuhe is such a generous girl,

she's good to everyone in the family.

You bought such a big piece of meat,

next time we'll just buy one or two catties.

This one is already 5 catties.

Is Haitang ready?

We need to go early today

. Don't rush us .

Sister-in-law Yulan,

why don't you let Yuhe come along too?

Go ahead, go and get to know Xiao Tao.

Go ahead, go ahead

, finish your business early. Come back to

Haitang, look after Yuhe,

Granny Chen, how many people are in Xiaotao's family?

Are her uncles fierce? Is

their house big?

For the first time, I feel like the road back to Liu Village

never ends.

You see,

this is Liu Village.

Walk a few houses further in, and that's Xiaotao's house.

You bad person , you

've come to my house to steal things again!

Kid, let go of my uncle,

Lin Daocheng,

brother-in-law, hurry up and help my sister!

Put it down!

That's something I borrowed from the neighbor,

it's not ours! What

are you doing, robbing people like this ? Aren't you

afraid of going to the county magistrate

to report you and have the magistrate beat you?!

Where did this brat come from

, spouting nonsense?

Believe me or not, I'll beat you to death!

Auntie, you dare

to hit my daughter

?! Ahhhhh!

Dafu

Jin Today is your niece Xiaotao's engagement day.

What are you doing?

Aren't you ashamed?

Aunt Chen, yes,

you two good

girls, today is your engagement day.

How can a family be without an adult? If you have

any problems in the future, go to the village and find Aunt Chen.

Your parents are good people.

Even though they are gone

, Aunt Chen is still here in the village.

Aunt Chen will stand up for you.

It seems that Village Chief Chen is a good person. Aunt Chen

, please sit down.

Sister-in-law, brother,

Yuhe, and sister, please sit down first.

Xiaotao, quickly

pour some tea for the neighbor's brother and

sister-in-law. Liu Dafu, today is your own niece's engagement. Why

didn't you bring your wife and children to help?

How can you cause trouble?

Village Chief Chen,

what we saw when we came in was not a fight, but

someone came to rob us.

Anyone who robs a house will

be punished with 80 strokes of the cane, a fine of 100 taels of silver,

and then sent to do hard labor.

You're talking nonsense. Who told you to meddle

? We are the elders of this family.

Elders can take their own things. No one can stop

them. Brother, get on the carriage.

Let's go to the county to report to the authorities.

Wait a minute, Doctor Liu, keep

your Liu family in check

. If I find out you've come to bully these two siblings again...

Don't blame me for kicking you out of the village.

You're Xiao Tao's husband, right?

Look at this little thing, it's not worth reporting to the authorities.

Xiao Tao is married, but

her younger brother will stay in the village.

Reporting it to the authorities won't be good for Cheng Zhi either.

Sister, you're the one who arranged this marriage.

Xiao Tao's parents are gone.

Go home and call all your brothers over

to be witnesses today.

Okay, I'm going right now. They

're really shameless . They're

about to report it to the authorities,

and they still have the nerve to stay in the yard.

It's no exaggeration to say that they're destitute.

Besides Liu Xiao Tao and her younger brother,

there's no other living thing

in this house. Yu He

, come here and sit down . Yu He, what color

or pattern do you like

? I'll make you a pair of shoes when I have time.

Xiao Tao, this is a silver bracelet that your family bought for you

. Your mother-in-law gave it to you. This is for your

sister-in-law, please take it carefully

and don't take it outwards.

Today, I beg you, sir, please help my brother and me.

My brother and I want to sever ties with our uncles.

You mean sever ties, you brat?

I'll beat you

to death! Yeah,

Liu Dafu, pull your wife away

and hit her again, then get out of Liu Family Village.

Uncle, this is a Liu family matter

, and it was my aunt's doing. The

Lin family can't interfere

! Ahhh, this is outrageous! How can

a junior sever ties with their elders?

Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning

? Please, elders, help us!

At least I can decide to give our house and

land to the village for 10 years.

The harvest from the land and the rent from the house will belong to the village.

After 10 years, my brother will come back to collect the land.

You, a married daughter, can decide

to give the land to the village for 10 years

?

Sister, I can't! I'm the male heir of this family, I

can do it !

We agreed on ten years ,

and I agree too

! No, I can't agree!

This is our Liu family's land,

the land of Sanguo Town! Old Zheng,

I need to write a letter of severance

, and I need all the elders and patriarchs to bear my fingerprints as witnesses

! No problem!

If you're asking why I agreed so quickly

, it must be because of the Liu family's house and land.

Liu San, come here

, girl, have you thought it through?

Are you sure? Write

the letter of severance now, and

give the land and house to the village

clerk now too.

However, I'm getting married out of this house.

You two, each take your wives with you. If you

don't leave, I'll have her tied up

, gagged, and thrown out!

Ahhh! I told you not to rush

, not to rush, take your time.

Look how angry you've made that girl!

Thank you, Village Chief.

Today is my future in-laws coming to present my betrothal gifts. Since

there are no elders in the family

, please stay for a meal

and be witnesses.

You guys come in and help with the cooking.

Buy a chicken, and that family can exchange some vegetables

... Haha, today is Xiaotao's happy day!

Her future in-laws value her highly. Her future husband

has come in person to present

the betrothal gifts. Today, let's learn from the wealthy families in town and

show off our betrothal

gifts! Xiaotao's betrothal gifts are truly unique:

two pieces of fabric for clothing,

two catties of pastries and candy

, five pieces of

gold and silver bracelet, a

pair of silver earrings

, and ten taels of

silver. Oh, ten taels of

silver and a large silver bracelet

—these alone must be at least twenty taels!

Hey, Xiaotao,

does your husband's family have any unmarried brothers who can help

us find a match for your sister?

I have so much

face because of the Lin family.

He Chengzhi, come here

! Niece,

what do you want?

Niece, don't

call me that! Niece, what do you want? Niece, don't call me

that!

You

're my brother-in-law's niece

, so you can't call

me that! I'm

taller

and older than you. Even if you don't call me "sister," you

still have to call me by my name

. Yuhe, what do you want?

Go and distribute those two packets of wedding candy to the villagers.

Oh,

yes, these are wedding candy—

my sister Liu Xiaotao's wedding candy!

You all should try the sweet ones, see if they're sweet or not

, hahaha. Okay,

just try them, that's enough .

Also, leave some for Chengzhi and his sister.

Chengzhi, this is your sister's,

you have to protect it well,

don't worry.

From the moment I saw Liu Chengzhi carrying his bundle,

he hasn't left the kitchen.

Little Peach,

your betrothal gifts today are a bit eye-catching.

You two siblings

must be careful with your necks tonight

.

Little Peach, your aunt and brother are coming back to the Lin family with us today. Little Peach

, you and your brother are coming back to the village with us today.

My uncle is minding the shop in town

and won't be coming home. That way, you can go to Shixu and help me.

Mother, yes,

I 'm

too busy, I can't manage everything

myself

. You come back with me and share a room with Yuhe.

Sister-in-law Yuhe

, I'll take my brother and come back with you.

Your Lin family has a shop in your town.

What kind of business do you do

? If we go to your town in the future, we'll have another place to go.

It's just a food shop .

Lin Chong is coming back and wants to entertain you, right?

Hahaha, what does that mean?

It means "fire" hahaha.

"

Grandma Chen, why did you decide to arrange a marriage

between Aunt Xiaotao and my uncle?

It 's

a long story . It's

because Xiaotao's parents helped me when I was young,

and I felt the two of them were a good match.

It's also because they, siblings, had

a hard life. I've forgotten the details over time."

Lin Yuhe knew that Granny Chen had many things

she hadn't said , but she didn't intend to ask.

"What's going on?

You went to Liu Village very early

this morning, why are you still not back?

I wonder what happened.

You old man, you're really patient.

The children have been out all day and haven't come back,

and you act like nothing happened.

I'm worried, but I have to let you see.

Look at you running back and forth,

aren't you tired? I'm tired of watching

you . Come on, old man

, look, that's our oxcart. No

,

that's our oxcart!

I'm suffocating!

If we'd been any later, it would have been too late!

Auntie, my brother and I have nowhere to go, so

we came to the Lin family with our sister

-in-law. Oh, Xiaotao, little girl, you're here!

Good, quickly take your brother and come with your..."

Sister- in-law enters the courtyard.

Where are you looking, Granny Chen?

Haha, Brother Lin , we're back! Granny Chen

, go back to your house! My

house doesn't have your brother.

What nonsense

are you spouting? Hurry up and

go home!

My goodness, is a fight about to break out?

Granny Chen,

I saw your Uncle Zhuzi calling you home!

Hmph ! Trying

to fight me? You're still too green!

Haha! Little Tao

, sit down and rest. Are you

hungry? My mother will go cook for you now.

Child, have some candy

and sit here with your sister for a while.

Aunt Lin is going to cook for you.

Granny, your face changes faster than flipping through a book!

I'm dumbfounded!

Why are you looking at me? It's not like

I'm not going to talk! Those who are reasonable

should thank him, and I should thank him.

There are things he can't touch,

things he can't even think about.

Yuhe, what can I do?

Grandma, I want to drink radish soup.

Go to the backyard and pick two radishes from the vegetable leaves.

Okay , I'll go pick radishes.

Xiaotao

, sit down. Today, you can familiarize yourself with the house.

Finally, we've sent Grandma away.

Now we can introduce Xiaotao to her uncles.

Xiaotao, you've been busy all day.

Eat your meal and rest early.

Our house isn't big enough, so

you'll share a room with Yuhe for now.

Chengzhi will live with Bai Laowu.

Second brother, starting today, you'll live in the Shi Mansion.

I understand, Mom.

I'm done eating. Let's go to Shi's house for dinner.

I really don't want anyone crowding around Yuhe.

Her room has all her important things;

I don't want her to be uncomfortable.

Changfu said the shops in town are all set up

. I had someone calculate

that the day after tomorrow is an auspicious day.

Hmm, I'll go to the shops tomorrow to see

if there's anything else we need to add.

We're opening the

day after tomorrow, and I plan to have my aunt and uncle go to town to help.

Chengzhi, don't eat anymore.

Hmm, save your room for tomorrow's delicious food.

Xiaotao

, you can squeeze in with Yuhe for now.

Also, don't tidy up his room, or

he'll be worried when he can't find these things.

Here's a quilt for you to use

at night. Don't get cold

, I know, Auntie.

Oh, those girls in the painting are so pretty!

She can not only

read but also draw.

This girl is really something!

Mother, turn the fire down a bit .

Help me pour in the peanuts.

Okay, be careful

not to let the hot sugar splatter on you.

Mother, turn the fire down.

Yuhe, the water for washing your feet is cold,

go back to your room and sleep.

Yuhe, it's okay

, you can sleep a little longer.

My sister woke you up too.

Grandma, I'm going to town now.

Let Yuhe sleep a little longer.

After she finishes eating,

let her take a ride to town.

Okay, you guys hurry up and go. Be careful

on the road.

Mother, I put Yuhe's breakfast in the pot to keep it warm.

When she gets up...

Let her eat before going to town.

She can't go on an empty stomach.

This girl has lost weight lately

; she must be exhausted. She's so hungry

! Let's get up.

Hey

, Lin Yuhe is so lucky

to sleep this late.

Grandma Lin,

only Yuhe in our village can sleep this

late. Hmm,

you don't have to go to work,

so you can sleep at home until this late too.

Oh dear, why don't you sleep a little longer?

Don't worry, your uncle hasn't come home yet. He

was busy until late last night.

Are you hungry? Eat up,

Yuhe! Eat

all of this!

Grandma, you look a little thinner than before.

You can't be picky anymore! "I've eaten.

This is the life I've worked so hard for.

My family is all around me

. Come and meet your boss. Hehe,

this is

your boss. He's the one who pays your wages. It's

not appropriate to change today. I've

met the junior boss

. From now on, just call him boss

and drop the '

junior' part. Now that

you've met the boss, please introduce yourselves. What's your name? Where

do you live? Do you live in

the shop

or do you have somewhere else to go

? Boss, my name is

A-Cai. My name is

A- Bao. We are cousins.

We live in Xuejiazhuang

and stay in the shop.

Good name. We're already bringing in wealth before we even open for business.

Boss, my name is Baishiren. I

live in Baijiacun. No,

I stay in the shop.

My ancestral home is in Baijiacun.

We'll ask you more details later.

Wages are paid on the fifth day of each month. We receive our wages

monthly."

Waiters get 10 coins a day,

food and

lodging included. Accountants get 500 coins a month.

You can only go home after submitting your accounts each day.

The shop does business in the morning and at noon,

closing at 3 PM

. I'll go over the rules and regulations again,

with a special emphasis:

no gambling! Anyone caught gambling will

be fired immediately. Also, if you want to

quit,

you must notify the shopkeeper 3-5 days in advance

so the shop can have time to recruit.

This is the highest-paying shop in the whole town;

only a fool would quit.

This is the uniform:

two aprons,

two pairs of sleeves,

and two masks.

You must wear them while working

and wash and change them frequently.

The shopkeeper even provides uniforms

; you can save on your own.

Try them on and see

what's embroidered on this.

We don't recognize the

small characters: "Old Snack Sunflower."

Even smaller characters are "Branch No. 1."

Large characters: "Call me if you need anything."

Finally, a smiley face.

Work hard, good business will lead to a raise,

and a year-end bonus.

If you do well, you can even be promoted to shopkeeper.

Waiters can't be illiterate;

after work, you need to learn to read from the shopkeeper.

Okay, you can all go about your business now

. Open the shop door

wide and put up a sign saying "Opening Tomorrow." "This brand

... um

... it's in the shop again.

How many times is this already? Hey

Yuhe, didn't you already buy some fabric

? Don't buy

any more!

If you buy any more

, I really won't

be able to carry it all. Uncle, put these things on the ground first.

I'll just look at

them and not buy anything. If I believed you,

I'd be out of my mind. Where did this pile of things on the ground

come from? Is this girl buying ready-made

clothes or just buying fabric? I'm not in a hurry.

The shopkeeper has been looking at me for a while

now. If I don't

sell these , I'll get scolded. What kind of fabric is this?

And this one

... what are the prices for these items?

What's the lowest price?

What's the price

for

two or three items together

? This girl is here to cause trouble,

isn't she?

This set, this set , and this one...

wrap them all up for me , hahaha. Okay, okay,

I'll wrap them

up for you right away.

Little girl, I see you don't have anything to carry, here

's a wrapping cloth for you, hahaha

. Another

arm is about to break.

Oh,

Uncle, you've struck it rich! You

bought so many things

! Changfu, which eye of yours saw me strike it rich? Do

you think

it might be your

little sister who can't resist buying things

? Hmm, very likely

, haha

​​... You've laughed at me so many times, I

'm immune to it now.

Uncle, my brother's closed up shop. How much

do you still have left to sell?

When are you going to close up shop

? Oh, there's still quite a bit

left, at least 30 jin.

Do you see that?

There's another meat stall over there.

Oh, so

that's why there's so much left over with

four businesses sharing the business.

Uncle, give me everything on this counter.

It's perfect for the shop's opening tomorrow.

Yuhe, there's still so much left. It's

okay, give it all to me.

My uncle came over to help weigh it.

He's already bought

all the meat from the Bai family, so he definitely won't buy mine.

Miss Lin, what brings you here?

Uncle, are you sold out of your pig's head and offal

? If not, sell them to me.

I haven't sold out today's.

Can you take them all?

If you can, I'll give them to you

at the usual price.

I got a wedding job today, so

I slaughtered an

extra pig. I was worried about not being able to sell the offal.

Okay, uncle,

then give me all of it. How

many sets of offal do you usually sell a day?

I used to sell a maximum of two sets on market days

. Since that family came, I've only sold

a maximum of one set a day,

and sometimes there's even some left over.

Uncle, you... " Come

here, Uncle

, from now on, don't sell any of your offal every day.

Sell it all to me,

my little uncle. The price will be the same as now,

how about that?

" Uncle, here's 10 copper coins

, that's the deposit for tomorrow's pork offal.

Hey, Miss Lin,

do you want my pig's head offal?

Do you want my pig's head offal?

Hmph, I want

yours and this uncle's, I want both!

Little uncle, go

and call that other family over too.

We're all on the same street, it's not good

to leave out theirs. Yuhe,

why do you want so much offal?

Hey, can't you speak properly? You're

glaring at me like that, scaring Yuhe!

Little uncle, my shop opens tomorrow,

I'll give you this food cart.

What?

This food cart costs several tens of taels of silver,

how dare I accept

it? No, no,

this costs several tens of taels! If

I dare to accept it

, your father-in-law will break my legs!

Little uncle, what are you afraid of

? I've got you covered.

I'll teach you how to make cooked food. Not only can you

sell things that run on the ground,

swim in the water, and

fly in the sky

, but you can even sell vegetables from the garden!

Yuhe is making empty promises again.

That's right, that's how it is.

"You can even turn things that fly in the sky into

cooked food and sell them off?

You 're just bragging

! How can things that fly in the sky be cooked into cooked food

? No way! If you can shoot something down from the sky

, I can turn it into delicious cooked food!

Hahaha! Come to my house today, and

I'll tell you the specific plan.

Also, come to my house tonight to learn how to make braised offal.

Hmm,

great! Now there's hope for the future!

This is the fabric for clothes and some red stone pastries I bought for my maternal grandfather.

Take them back

... you silly thing, I don't know what you're laughing at.

Hehehe, little uncle, what's wrong with you? Are you so

happy you've gone mad? You

little idiot, you deserve a beating !

How dare you laugh at your uncle!

I've been working,

you big fool!"

嘿嘿嘿

雨荷你把餐车给你外母家

你跟你爷奶说过没有

他们同意吗

提过一次

爷奶说我来做主

等回家再正式说

爷奶肯定不会有意见

咱家人手不够

外祖一家又疼我

拉帮他们是应该的

我敢分蛋糕

就不怕背叛

能让大家有饭吃有银子赚

傻子才会背叛我

雨荷我个人对你的决定没意见

就是你买这些肉是不是有点太多了

回家雨荷没事

我肯定得挨一顿揍

小叔猪肉是明天铺子开业用的

这些还不一定够下水

是教舅舅他们做熟食的

明天留一套在铺子里卖

阿奶阿爷

我想把熟食方子给我外母家

想问问你们的意见

雨荷你别又不好过

方子女外是你的负担

你做主就好

咱们家那些年不好过

私底下给你阿娘东西

做人要感恩

应该带着白家

咱家人It's still too little.

Even if we keep it all, we can't finish

it all. People's hearts are warmer the more

they are said. What are you saying? I can't understand a word

. Father, you're such a fool

. Grandpa is reluctant

to part with the recipe

, but he knows he should bring the Bai family

along . Oh, in-laws, come in quickly.

Look at you, you've brought so much stuff.

Why didn't you bring the children?

Grandmother, oh my, my precious darling,

I've missed you so much

! How come you've gotten so thin?

Look at this girl,

she's already eleven,

but she's still like a child.

She's running and

jumping around .

Hmm, as soon as she saw you, she was so affectionate

. I, her grandmother, can't compare to her.

Hahaha, my dear sister

, Yuhe is the treasure of both our families,

isn't she?

Both families rely on me.

Uncle, you

can wash the pig's head with wheat bran or firewood ash.

Also, rinse it with plenty of water. Burn off

the hair on the pig's head and trotters.

But you must be careful

, cleanliness and hygiene are the most important

things for us in the food business.

Yuhe, I know this

, and I will explain it clearly to those who buy cooked food.

Yuhe: The pig hair is all removed,

and the pig's head is all chopped up,

just waiting to be cooked.

Yuhe: The pig hair is all removed,

and the pig's head is all chopped up,

just waiting to be cooked.

Good, Uncle Lao Wu

cleaned it so well; this way the meat will be fragrant.

Grandmother: I've prepared all the spices.

This packet of spices

can cook 10 jin of meat.

We've run out,

so I had Lao Wu bring it over.

Remember, one packet cooks 10 jin,

don't mix it up.

Remember, this time I really remember.

One packet cooks 10 jin,

this time I won't make a mistake.

Grandfather: First, boil these things until they're boiling, to

remove the impurities from the pig's head.

Then change the water, add the spices, and cook.

It's best to add a little wine to remove the fishy smell.

Scallions and ginger are essential.

After cooking, take out all the spices.

I know these things can't be seen by outsiders,

don't worry. Ah,

finally, I've told you everything I can.

My throat is dry.

Drink slowly, don't choke.

Look how tired you are,

Yuhe. How long does it need to cook?

Tell me again,

I forgot

again. Uncle,

I've told you all the steps three times already

! I know you've said it before,

you brat, you

just know how to tease your

niece. Grandma

, there's one more thing

. My shop is opening tomorrow,

so it might be quite busy.

Can you come help out at my shop, Aunt?

I'll pay you

20 coins a day.

How can I take your wages

? We're family, helping out is only

right. No, I'm hiring long-term workers. I

'd have to pay someone else anyway

, so it's better to let my family earn

the money . Okay, okay, we'll all come over tomorrow to support you.

And from now on, you can prepare cooked food

and deliver it to my shop

every day . I'll pay you at cost price.

How

can I not take your money?

You can just add a little firewood to the price of meat. The ingredients are fine

, otherwise I'll buy them from someone else. It

smells so good! I never thought offal could smell so good

, hahaha!

This meat smells so good,

it might cause trouble if left out too long.

Brother Lin,

I heard you had a lot of adobe bricks made.

Hurry up and build your yard!

Besides, you're the only one in the village making money,

isn't that enough? Let's talk to

the other villagers... Yeah,

I know, but

I'm too busy

with family matters.

Adobe bricks are enough for the yard.

I've lived in the village for decades,

I know everyone's temperament.

Grandpa, I'm thinking of rebuilding the house soon

, not

using adobe bricks, but all red bricks to make a tiled

house . I'll keep the adobe bricks for other uses.

Grandma, come here for

a second. Grandma, starting tomorrow,

we'll not only collect peanuts and

sesame seeds, but also all kinds of grains and vegetables

. You didn't mention it, but I forgot,

some old women in the village asked me about their family... Many people

have asked me if I'd like to buy

grains and vegetables. We'll buy them all.

Like I said before, we don't want anything rotten or bad. Okay,

I

understand.

The extra vegetables can be pickled for breakfast.

How did this girl end up in the Lin family?

Our Bai family is also missing a Yuhe!

Grandfather, tomorrow morning, you wait for us at the shop entrance.

We'll bring the cooked food over,

and you'll receive the goods at the shop.

Okay, okay, but can you handle this much?

Leave the oxcart at your house.

Tomorrow, have your second uncle go to town with you.

You two must be vigilant tonight

and leave someone in the yard to watch over things.

Okay, Dad.

Liangjingjing,

Auntie, I bought you two sets of clothes.

Go try them on; do they fit?

Yuhe, I have clothes to wear.

Why did you buy me clothes?

Yuhe, I bought these for you

; keep them.

Remember to treat her well in the future.

So it turns out she bought it for Xiao Tao at the clothing store.

I should have known better than to let her spend the money.

Don't worry, I'll be good to Yu He from now on

, not just to Yu He,

but to our whole family.

I'll also be good to my niece from now on

, hahaha.

Here, this is for you.

How many times have I told you

not to let my niece

try it on?

My niece even bought it for me

, hehehehe.

Chengzhi, take off your new clothes, I'll sew you a few stitches.

Liu Chengzhi, do you want to study? Liu

Chengzhi, do you want to study?

Ah,

Lin Yu He, what do you mean?

I'll send you to school.

You're too young to do much work.

I 'll pay for it

, but I have conditions.

From now on, you have to listen to me,

no matter how well you do in school, you have to listen to me.

You understand? Bai,

I understand. I can agree to everything else,

except for one thing:

I can't call you "sister" anymore.

Everything else is fine,

Liu Chengzhi, I'll strangle you!

You dare say anything

, hahaha!

Yuhe, on behalf of my parents and Orange Juice, thank you!

Mother, you saved

my life ! Xiaotao, what are you doing?

You're shortening his lifespan

! Get up ! Xiaotao

, get up! Mother is right,

you are an elder.

From now on, no matter what,

remember to treat Yuhe well.

Yuhe, have you thought about sending Chengzhi to school?

I want to know your thoughts.

I also want my child to study,

but we haven't separated the family yet,

so it 's hard to say.

Uncle, Chengzhi is still young,

what can he do if he doesn't study?

If my elder brother is willing to go,

I'm willing to support him too. You

also have money, I can...

I've said it before

, I don't lack money, I lack manpower. I can't

send my younger siblings to school,

I'm already too old.

It's never too late to start school,

Uncle. Don't worry,

I really do need manpower.

Look at our business,

if we had enough people ourselves

, we wouldn't need to hire others.

Hmm, Uncle,

there's something else.

When you were a peddler,

you must have known quite a few

people in the same trade, right? Do you have any good ones in mind?

Why are you suddenly asking this? That's

a very abrupt change of topic.

Yes, yes. What are you trying to do?

This girl seems to have a light about

her, making people want to follow her.

Uncle, you should know that

Li Luohua is interested in buying our white sugar, right?

We also use their sugar powder.

I don't want to sell white sugar right now;

he's our candy supplier .

To avoid being passive,

the distributor

needs to find some competitors.

I still don't understand

how to find competitors

. Our distributor can't only have Li Luohua;

in other words, we can't put all our eggs in one basket.

Right, what if he stops buying one day

or tries to lower the price

? Yuhe, I understand

what

you mean. How does this girl know so much

about doing business?

Yuhe, the shop opens tomorrow.

After these busy days, I'll go find them

. Should we talk at home or at the shop?

The first person I think of is the one who delivered candy

to the next town the first time.

You can arrange it as you see fit.

Hmm, Yuhe,

why aren't you

asleep yet ?

We have to get up early tomorrow . I'll sleep

tomorrow while I make steamed buns. I

definitely won't get enough sleep.

Oh, why are you up already?

I told them to be quiet

so as not to wake you up,

and you still got up.

Stop nagging,

it's about time to go.

Yuhe, hurry up and wash up,

let your grandma help you comb your hair.

You take the oxcart,

the rest of us will walk

. You still can't comb your hair yourself,

you wash it every day and it's still frizzy.

What's wrong, Yuhe

? Are you scared?

Come and sit next to me.

Your second uncle is protecting you, so don't be

afraid. From now on, you don't need to follow

a little girl around, don't work too hard.

You do the talking, let us do it.

There are so many people in the family. I

know, second uncle

, second uncle,

third uncle. This time you're going away for quite a long time.

When will they be back? They

should be back soon.

They said they'd wait for them to come back.

Your third aunt is also due to give birth right now,

and I haven't seen her yet

. I heard from Mom that she's a year younger

than my mom. A year younger than my mom

means advanced maternal age.

Giving birth these days is too dangerous.

Looks like I'll have to make time to visit the Bai family.

What's wrong, Yuhe?

Do you miss your third uncle?

Or did he bring you something from outside?

Hehe, I have everything.

I want my third uncle to tell me

what it's like outside.

Hmm, it should be similar.

But I heard your third uncle say that

if you go north from here,

it gets colder and colder

, and there will be heavy snow

and people will freeze to death.

This girl is too tired,

she can't...

Why did you

wake her father

up? Why didn't you wait at the shop

? Why are you taking so long

? Can't you hurry up with the oxcart? This girl is too tired.

You go first,

the town isn't far from here.

We'll follow behind

.

Second Uncle

, take the rest of these to the food cart and

give them to Little Uncle.

The price is what we agreed on.

Also, tell Little Uncle that

the knives and cutting boards for raw meat and cooked food must be separate.

Got it?

Hahaha, Yuhe,

why are you two carrying this?

It covers most of your faces

, you don't look like good people.

Don't worry,

you each have your own, one person at a time. You're the one

who talks too much.

Look, we all have to carry this thing.

During work, besides eating and drinking,

everything else... Wear masks all the time

and wash your hands frequently.

Aunt and cousin

, let me teach you how to make steamed buns.

We'll make two

kinds: one is scallion oil steamed buns

, pour oil, sprinkle with scallions and salt

, make sure it's even,

then roll it up .

The other kind is fresh meat steamed buns,

no need to add oil, just

spread the meat out,

the other steps are the same.

Oh dear, look how clumsy I am,

how clumsy I am!

It seems that earning 20 coins is really not easy.

Second aunt, it's okay,

you knead the dough

, I'll twist it after it's done.

And

wow,

okay, put it here to rest

for a while before steaming

. Yuhe , you can put the things in the steamer now. Here it comes!

Aunt Tang, put the meat steamed buns in a separate pot to steam,

that takes time

. Hey, what

's steaming in this steamer? It smells so good!

Who cares? We

haven't even eaten yet, so

why not just try it?

Sirs, please wait a moment;

the first batch of steamed buns and dumplings hasn't been steamed yet.

What are steamed buns?

Never had them before

? One for each of us brothers to try,

and six more dumplings, please!

We have scallion steamed buns, meat steamed buns, vegetarian dumplings, and meat dumplings.

Which would you like

? Hey waiter, really!

Give

us brothers one

of everything!

Table 3

guests, one serving of everything in the shop! Vegetarian

steamed buns are two coins each,

meat steamed buns are four coins each .

Each steamed bun and dumpling is quite large;

please eat

within your means

and don't waste

food. The shop requires payment before eating.

Sorry,

it's a small shop with many customers;

payment before eating is required.

Humph, fine,

I'm not leaving today.

I see how delicious your food is,

yet you dare to charge first?

Who do you think you are?

I have money to

pay for your meal!

Dad, watch the heat,

don't burn it!

Don't worry,

I often

tend the fire for Mom at home, I'm skilled enough

not to burn it.

This soup smells so good!

I'll definitely drink a couple more bowls later,

daughter. What kind of soup are you making? I

don't think I've ever made it at home

before. Serve Dad a bowl later.

Dad, you eat

quickly, watch the fire

! You'll get your share later. My

good

daughter, my little darling.

Aunt and cousin,

when the soup is ready,

let's each

have a bowl to tide us over.

That's great,

we're actually a bit hungry!

Yuhe, what did you put in all this?

Meat and other ingredients!

It must cost several

copper coins a bowl.

If you sell it cheaply, you won't even break even.

I'm not selling it expensively,

just look at what you put in. Only

the lean pork shreds are valuable;

the rest are worthless.

Besides, this big pot of soup can serve dozens of bowls

—it's a sure-fire way to make a

profit! Okay, Dad, waiter

, when will the soup I ordered be

served? I've already finished three steamed buns and two steamed rolls.

Waiter, give us five steamed buns,

two steamed rolls,

two plates of pickled radish shreds

, and two bowls of soup

on table number 2. This business is booming!

I'd have to work as a waiter myself. I'm not taking

this place;

I'm going to sit down and eat.

Is the boss's gluten soup ready?

The customers are going crazy!

Is the boss 's gluten soup ready?

The customers are going crazy!

Okay, Ah

Cai, come in and bring the soup!

Hahaha, let me tell you,

those people outside are really funny. They're getting

so angry from the hot soup! Second

brother, you should say less and

keep your voice down

. What else is so funny?

My fingers are almost cramping. I

've never seen anyone like this before! Those who are tired

and have nothing to do, hurry up and eat. After you've eaten,

tidy up and it's time

to sell for the lunch rush.

Yuhe, today is the opening of the shop,

that's all for now

. Yuhe, do you want to say a few words

? I 'm happy to open

, but I don't want to say anything right

now, I just want to eat. I'll say a few words

. First, I'm hungry.

Second, everyone sit down and eat

, hahaha. Eat up! Your boss

has let you eat,

don't just stand there

. The buns are so delicious

. Uncle Bai, have a bun too.

Finally, I can feel like a lump of mud,

my bones are falling apart.

Yuhe, the dough you kneaded hasn't risen yet.

There's still a lot of meat filling left

for the buns.

We definitely won't have enough for the lunch rush.

It's okay, brother

, I didn't knead much dough to begin with.

I'll make dumplings for the next batch of customers.

Dumplings don't need to rise.

Hmm, sister, you've worked too hard.

I'll do more

so she won't be too tired,

hahaha.

Brother, don't drop the dumpling filling,

I'll do it . I know no one in our family is as good as

you. Wait

, what's wrong? It's wrong again. How

many times have I calculated it?

Why can't it match up?

Cannibalistic book, you calculated it wrong.

Uh, the meat rolls are 4 coins each .

The customers at that table ate 9 rolls in total.

4 nines is 36. You calculated it as 35,

but you're short one coin. Oh,

boss, it really was my mistake.

Boss, how come you're always so accurate

and quick at calculating?

You're so clever!

It's not that I'm clever, it's

just that I have a formula.

Wait until I'm done,

I'll show you the formula

. This multiplication table has to be written out today and

popularized in the shop.

Yuhe, the dough is ready!

Hurry up and come over to prepare the filling!

Yuhe, this is so beautiful!

Look at

how bulging the belly is! It looks like it's all meat filling except for the skin!

Auntie, you say dumplings are all skin and no filling,

so what else is there?

Hey, you're just making fun of me!

I'm telling you, I

could eat 10 before,

but now I can eat 20!

Sister-in-law, do you think it's because you're hungry?

You could eat 20 before,

hahaha! Second brother's wife,

why are your dumplings flat

and can't even stand up?

Hmm, sister-in-law,

don't talk about me!

The edges of your dumpling skin are almost half the width of a dumpling

! Hahaha ! My dumplings can't stand up,

they're tiring, can't they lie down and rest?

Haha, Yuhe,

slow down! You pinch

and squeeze and you've got one!

I have to roll out this dough so many times!

Aunt Tang's dough should be ready by now.

You all go knead the dough

, I'll do it myself

!

Wow,

Yuhe, are the dumplings ready?

Someone ordered dumplings! Okay ,

I'll put them in the pot to cook now. Waiter,

another bowl of dumplings,

please . Hmm

, waiter, give me a portion, about the same as his. I've

made almost a thousand dumplings,

my hands are so tired they're practically

numb! Yuhe, you asked me to deliver the food to the Ye family,

and I did. I went

to the back gate.

Aunt Pang said Master Ye went out to visit friends

and hasn't been home for several days.

I gave the food box to Aunt Pang.

I understand. Uncle,

are you hungry? Come and eat!

What? There's nothing left!

Everything's sold out,

not even a single steamed bun.

Abao, go to the counter and get some money,

then go to the noodle shop across the street and buy a bowl of noodles.

I understand, boss.

Yuhe, this won't do

. You're doing all the work

by yourself, you'll never finish even if you work yourself to death.

Starting tomorrow, we won't sell dumplings anymore,

and you don't need to help in the kitchen.

Your aunt and the others can make steamed buns and twisted rolls too.

Your uncle is right.

We'll hire two more people for the shop:

one to tend the fire, wash dishes, and do odd jobs,

and the other to be a waiter.

I'll be coming over in the next couple of days to teach them how

to make soup. Yuhe, pack your things and go back to the village with your uncle. Leave

this place to your brother and grandfather

. You're coming back with us too.

You're too old

to walk back; it'll be too tiring.

Brother, go to the grain shop in town and buy flour,

or have them deliver it to you every day.

I've put the starter for making dough in your room.

Soak it in a basin tonight,

and you can

make the dough

yourself tomorrow morning.

Okay, Yuhe

, you don't need to come too early tomorrow.

Sleep in a little longer. Our

steamed

buns are delicious because of this starter. We're the only ones on the whole street who use starter dough

, hahaha. Aunt Lin is home,

Aunt. Think about

what I said. I can't cheat either side, right?

Hahaha.

My nephew is the only scholar in the surrounding area. He

's handsome and mature enough

to take care of people.

I don't have a say in the Du family's children's marriage.

Your nephew is almost 30,

he could be Yuhe's father. You

still say he's not that old

and won't cheat Yuhe? Pshaw

! I said, Aunt Lin,

what do you mean? What's

wrong with my nephew?

Your Yuhe is always showing her face

with a bunch of... The man was joking around

when Zhang Tongsheng broke off the engagement.

My nephew was willing to marry her,

so she got a good deal.

I'll beat you to death, you gossip !

How dare you steal my Yuhe's brothel

girl! What are you doing

? Let's talk this out

! Ahhh, I can't live anymore!

Du is bullying this old man

and making us Lin family members look bad

. This Du is so wicked, relying on her husband being the village chief.

She must have seen the Lin family opening a shop and

came back to try and steal their money.

Grandma, get up,

the ground is too cold.

Let's talk this out slowly

. Oh,

you stinking woman,

all you know is your nephew.

He's practically besieging the house!

I arranged for him to marry the neighbor's girl

because I thought he'd make money.

If he married that girl

, my family would have money to pay us back.

Humph, I even wanted her to marry our boy!

You ruined my plans!

The Lin family is not what it used to be

. I have to go apologize quickly.

Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin, wait a minute!

I don't know what my wife did

or said.

It's all her fault.

Yuhe, don't ask.

Let's hear what the village chief has to say. "

What are you all doing here,

brother? Someone's making a move on our neighbor's daughter

and spewing nonsense.

Do you think I don't know?

This third uncle is really hard to please

; his words always hit home .

Third Uncle, please sit down.

I'll pour you some water.

Okay, Village Chief Xu, this

old man is telling you today,

no matter who you're talking about,

the Lin family disagrees.

The third uncle's words are also my opinion.

Village Chief, let's talk.

Lotus Gully

is poor because you, the village chief, are incompetent.

Nine out of ten families in the village are starving,

which is your fault

. If the villagers are hardworking and diligent,

today my Lin family can guarantee that

I will lead the villagers to prosperity.

Lin family girl,

are you serious?

A gentleman's promise is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.

Okay, Xu Wang,

I'm telling you,

if any of those shady characters come to my house again and

speak ill of Yuhe,

don't come to my Lin family's door

again.

Hey, the village chief must know about this too.

This isn't that simple.

Grandma, I'm sleepy, I'm

going to sleep." Hey,

stand still!

Look, just because you told the village chief about harvesting vegetables,

the villagers are going crazy!

Cartloads of radishes and cabbages are being brought here.

The cabbages are alright, but

how many radishes can you eat? They're cooking

a huge pot of it every day,

and your dad's almost sick of it,

hahaha.

He even said that now his burps and farts smell like radishes,

hahaha. Grandma,

I haven't eaten yet!

Now that you mention it, I feel full.

Oh, oh, oh,

oh, Grandma, no,

I'm not right. I'll get you some food from the pot.

Hmm, Grandma,

are there any kilns nearby?

And

where did you buy that big vat for washing lotus root starch in our backyard? Was it

expensive? Why are you asking this

? Do you need a kiln?

That's hard work,

exhausting, and you might not even succeed.

What kind of kiln is that?

It's a suicide business. I'm not going to do that kind of work.

Grandma, I don't want to make a kiln.

I want to buy a big vat.

We have over ten vats, big and small

, and it's not enough for you.

If we buy another one, where

will we put it? It'll just have to sit on my and your grandpa's heads.

There's really no room.

It'll be better when we build a big house.

Grandma, where's my grandpa? He's

in the fields

. He's been busy in town for so many days.

The fields are almost overgrown with weeds.

Your grandpa went to the fields early this morning with his hoe and

hasn't come back yet.

I've been here for so long and I've never been to the fields before. Grandma,

after you finish eating, I

'll go check on the fields.

You can't go out alone;

I'm worried

about you. You always cause trouble when you go out alone.

Sometimes it's the trouble that bothers me

, not me.

Grandma, if you don't want to go,

then I'll go to the wasteland

and have your grandpa

come with you. Go wherever you want!

You little rascal, you've only been home for a few days and you

already want to go out and run around.

Grandma, did you like the radish rolls I made last time? They were delicious

! You know, they

were much better than the carrots in the big iron pot.

We need to find a way to use up

all these radishes

quickly . Grandma, I've thought of a great way to eat radishes.

Let's make radish rolls

and sell them. It would be best if we sold all the radishes quickly

. Yuhe, can we sell all these radishes we washed?

It would be such a waste if they went to waste.

Grandma, don't worry. If

I can't use all the shredded radish,

I'll fry radish balls. It

's fine as long as it's not wasteful;

I'll eat it however I want

. Yuhe, will radish rolls sell well? How

much are you planning to sell them for?

Even Grandpa says they're delicious,

so they'll definitely sell well.

Just the same price as vegetarian buns.

Yuhe, here you are

! Aunt Lin,

you're busy, go ahead .

This is too heavy

; you can't help.

Yuhe, why did you bring so much shredded radish

? We won't be able to use it all for soup.

Are you going to make radish buns ?

Will they taste good?

Cuiyu , shredded radish

can not only be used for soup,

but also for radish soup

, radish rolls, and radish balls

—they're all delicious! Hey,

little girl, how much is a serving of radish soup?

If it's not expensive, give us a serving.

Not expensive, not expensive

—10 copper coins a serving.

No, no, no,

Yuhe, why did you bring so many shredded radishes?

Mother, let's not steam buns first.

We'll sell the leftover dough as radish rolls.

The method is simple

, even more convenient than flower rolls.

Waiter ,

give me two of your new radish rolls to try

. Okay, please wait a moment

, hahaha. Ye

Liang,

how long until that girl's fourteenth master arrives? He should

be here soon.

I see the house with smoke ahead, that's

it! Hey, welcome!

Old Lin, ten years old.

Yuhe, it looks like you're looking for

Aunt Ye. Butler Uncle,

what brings you here

? Hahaha.

Yuhe, girl, snap out of it! What

are you laughing at?

Grandpa , Grandpa, come here quickly.

Yuhe, what's

wrong? What's the rush?

Grandpa Ye, Butler Uncle,

this is my dear grandpa,

that's the one you've met before, my mother

. Okay

, grandpa, this is the Grandpa Ye I always talk about. Brother

Lin, Brother Ye,

please come in. Yuhe, what delicious food have you and your fourteenth brother made?

I can smell the aroma from far away.

This old man ate early just to eat this.

I haven't eaten

yet and I'm starving!

Grandpa Li, just a moment,

it'll be ready soon.

Grandma Li, could you cook me

some soup?

Oh, girl, here I come!

Mom, could you bring me some steamed buns and radish rolls?

Grandpa, this year's radish harvest was bountiful!

Today's a radish-themed day! Please have some

soup to warm your stomach.

Hmm, it's flavorful,

a little charred

and a little spicy,

quite delicious. I

changed the script so much it doesn't feel the same anymore.

Looking at it makes me want to play a play.

I sold the revised manuscript

to a famous opera troupe in the capital

for 500 taels

of silver. Here's the silver note.

This is your

original manuscript. When are you going to give me the rest of the manuscript

? Yeah! Yeah,

I don't want to write the rest.

You little

rascal, don't worry about anything else.

What am I supposed to read if you don't write?

Aunt Ye, I recently wrote another book

that's more suitable for selling to opera troupes.

In a few days, the manuscripts for both books will be delivered to the Ye residence.

Keep your silver notes safe.

Also, your radish rolls are delicious.

Make me a few

before I leave,

don't let them all sell out.

Xiao Yuhe, I heard from your Aunt Pang that you sent dumplings

. When can we eat dumplings?

It's not difficult at all.

As long as you want to eat,

I can make them anytime

. Or, why don't you have dinner at my house tonight? If you leave

too late, I'll have my father take you

home. Yes, Brother Ye,

I'll go home today.

No need for

dumplings

today, let's have radish rolls.

Save the other good stuff for a few days.

I went to No. 14 in your town,

the food was good and

the business was booming

, but I almost missed the queue,

haha. That was because my older brother

probably didn't see me.

If you had, you

would have definitely set up a separate table for me in the back kitchen courtyard.

No way, the food was delicious

without a queue,

it's really hard to please.

Hey Xiaoyu, this place is nice

, not only can you eat

here, you can also rest here

. It's normal to rest when you're tired.

These are all potential customers of Lao Lin's Food and Sex.

Over time

, people who frequently walk this road will come back to this place again.

What are you planning to do with

lotus roots? The kind of glutinous rice lotus root and lotus root powder you eat.

Our village is called Lotus Gully,

how could there be no lotus roots?

I think we'll wait until the lotus flowers bloom.

I've been staying for a while

, and it's getting late, so

I should go.

Aunt Ye, this is some radish rolls I brought for you.

If you want to eat them at home, ask the kitchen to heat them up for you.

Don't eat them cold,

okay? Thank you. Yuhe, little girl

, hehe, did you finish the lotus root starch from last time?

This

is freshly made.

There are

also hawthorn slices;

eat two slices when you don't have an appetite.

You little girl,

how come you're more fussy than

the old man's housekeeper? You're so talkative! Yuhe

, there are only five silver notes,

how come you can't count them?

Hurry up and put them away!

Mother, look,

this is 500 taels! Oh

, we have the money to rebuild our house!

These three are for Grandma to use for building the house. Mother

, this is for you.

No, Mother,

don't want so much silver!

Don't pretend it's lost, it's all for you, Grandma.

Hmm, this one is Yuhe's

. Yuhe, how many... Two loose silver coins will do.

This is 100 taels!

Oh dear, Mother

, are you still worried?

I'd rather lose myself

than lose 100 taels! Hmm,

Yuhe, what's the worry?

Auntie, are the big vats in our backyard expensive?

Our village has had a bumper harvest of radishes this year. I

want to pickle radish slices

that can be stored for a long time.

The vats are 15

copper coins each.

But if I buy too many,

where should I put them?

Grandpa, do you think it's okay to put them on the wasteland?

The stuff isn't worth much,

so no one should steal it.

Besides, the vats are so big

, who can move

them? Okay, then let's put them on the wasteland.

Buying three big vats

will definitely be enough.

Let's buy 20 first.

If that's not enough, we'll buy

another 20.

Are you going to put all the radishes in the village in them

? I think buying three will be enough.

Grandma, here you go

. Where did you get this?

How come...? So many! Oh dear,

okay,

I'll go buy a big vat tomorrow.

How big do you want?

Auntie,

do you have any that one person can't lift?

Uncle, where have you been? You've been gone these past few

days, only coming back now.

You're nowhere to be seen.

Such a big house, and so much silver!

I even have to peek out to check when I go to the outhouse.

Grandma, I'm not going to town.

I've been staying home with you lately.

Oh, my granddaughter is the best!

Mother, tell me, which is better, silver notes or Yuhe?

You brat,

you're always climbing on the roof

if you don't get a beating for three days! Grandma, don't hit me

. Uncle knows he was wrong.

Uncle

, you haven't told me what

you've been doing every day.

Didn't you ask me to find the people I used to work with as a peddler?

I found a few and

arranged to meet Shi Xu in town tomorrow.

Mother, what are we eating tonight?

Radish soup

and radish pancakes.

What's wrong with you? You

've been eating well for a few days and you've become so rich you've

forgotten how we couldn't even afford wild vegetables before.

Brother Li , Brother Li,

Brother Li Hey Uncle,

should we buy another oxcart?

It's so inconvenient to go anywhere.

If you have the money, you can buy it

. I don't want your grandma to kick me out of the house.

Let's buy it together

, consider it your investment.

It'll be more convenient for you to run your business.

You're serious,

I can use the oxcart anytime.

It's all yours,

Uncle. You're so rich!

You even carried 15 copper coins with you when you went out

. You can't possibly spend

them all! Hey young man, do you want to ride in my oxcart?

Please , Yuhe, don't be angry.

Uncle will treat you to a ride in the oxcart.

Hmph, since you've admitted your mistake

, I'll be magnanimous and forgive you.

Uncle,

those guys are waiting for you in the back courtyard.

It 'll be a while.

Okay, brother

, you're busy. We're going to the back courtyard.

Huh

.

Hahaha

, oh my god,

I said, you little rascal, leaving your brothers here to smell the steamed buns,

what are you up to?

Hahaha,

little girl, who are you? What are you laughing at?

Who am I? I'm your boss,

the boss who pays you all.

Friends,

this is the niece I was talking about,

Lin Fan. You just said your niece

but didn't say how old she is.

Yu He, this is Brother Qi,

Brother Qin, and this is Brother Zhou.

Uncles, sit down and let's talk.

My uncle told you, but

he didn't explain clearly before letting us explain.

He found us a job to make money.

That's right, it's mainly to have you go out and sell candy

, but not loose goods.

You can sell

in the area south of our county .

I gave the sales rights of several counties north of our county

to someone else

. The supplier brings 1,000 jin of candy from me every month.

Miss Lin, even if you beat us to

death, we can't sell that much.

For every jin sold

, I'll give you a commission of five coins.

The task is for each person to sell at least 100 jin a month.

At five coins per jin

, 100 jin is 500 coins.

Selling a few hundred jin will earn you two or three liang.

Think about it.

My uncle said you have good character, that's why

I agreed. "Use your help.

I'll go to the shop ahead and see if you need any help.

Uncle, bring over the candy samples we brought.

Hmm,

how much do you think you can sell?

I

used to sell a dozen pieces of candy every four or five days,

and I only

sell about one or two jin a month,

far from 100 jin.

And

taste them, each shape

and flavor is different

.

My niece's first collaboration,

the customer directly ordered 2,000 jin!

Don't think about going from village to village.

Every prefecture has pastry shops.

If one shop orders 50 jin,

ten shops would be 500 jin.

I agree.

You must all be hungry.

Eat something to fill your stomachs.

Lin Yuhe is treating. Hmm

, third brother,

can we take the leftovers home

for our parents and children?

Hmm , ahhh,

what do you three think

? If you decide,

we need to sign a contract.

I'll give you candy samples.

If you violate the contract,

you'll be in legal trouble

. We've all thought it through and agree.

These are samples for customers to try.

Be careful with the quantity, don't eat them all.

Are all three of you literate?

It would be best if you could learn some.

The Lin family pays wages on the fifth day of each month.

If you don't have time, you can temporarily store them with me."

It would be best if you could write your own name here

. I only calculate my commission when I see your name.

I never thought these three

would become the biggest agents

after so many years

. Yuhe, I was thinking of going out to sell candy like them.

I want to try my luck.

I have no objection

, but you still have to get past Grandpa and Grandma.

Grandma

has already arranged for someone to choose a wedding date for you.

As long as you agree,

Grandma and Grandpa won't be a problem.

I'll come back to get married on a good date.

Uncle, you didn't even ask Aunt if she agreed.

I think you're so scummy.

Lin Yuhe, explain yourself clearly.

If I don't hit you, you'll become lawless!

Help! You're going to kill me! Oh,

Lin Fan, you've got guts.

I'll see if you touch him. I

just got 100 taels

and I'm not going to spend it. I feel uncomfortable.

Hey,

Uncle, do you know where cows are sold?

You really want to buy a cow?

I really didn't bring any money today

. I didn't bring any money either. I

just wanted to go and take a look.

Hahahaha.

When you get married, you can ask for more dowry

and you'll be able to afford it.

What nonsense are you talking about?

Your

family is exchanging daughters for cows

. Is it over there?

It smells

bad. You still want to come to

this place

because it smells bad.

Hmph, your cow's teeth are so old

... Asking for 30 taels

? How dare you

, young lady, talk like that?

30 taels, no bargaining

! You're

just a child, don't be offended

. What's wrong

with you today

? You can't even talk back to anyone! What kind of horse do you want to see?

I originally wanted to buy a cow, but then I thought it wasn't

worth it. They're expensive, eat a lot,

and run slowly.

I already have two cows at home.

Uncle, I've got my eye on that one.

Hey, how much is this horse

? Can you process the paperwork?

100 taels, not a penny less!

No way! No way!

I forgot my purse at home,

I didn't bring any money!

Uncle, what are you doing? You want to

look?

What are you looking at?

Look at me again!

Believe it or not, I'll buy you and make donkey meat

sandwiches!

Hey, whose donkey is this? How much?

30 taels, no bargaining!

Humph, why is everyone here not bargaining today?

30 taels for this donkey is too high!

Donkeys can be eaten, but they can't plow the fields.

You're not a plowman!

Didn't you say you wanted to kill it and make donkey meat sandwiches?

Hey, eavesdropping isn't a good habit! Ha,

young lady, your voice is a bit loud.

If you ask me,

I'd rather spend 30 taels to buy my donkey than that horse.

That horse is dangerous;

buying a donkey is more cost-effective

and can pull a cart.

So, sell me this donkey for a lower price,

young lady? You really want to buy it?

Do you have any silver?

I didn't bring any, but I have a food stall at the market

with reasonable prices. You can go back and get

it. Okay, young lady, you speak so frankly!

"I'll take away one tael from you,

29 taels. Uncle

, I'm happy, but are you unhappy?

It's just a little less.

To be honest, I want to buy

a horse. Uncle , where did you get this donkey?

From beyond the pass

. Only livestock from beyond the pass grow fat and strong.

It seems the border is relatively safe now

, no war.

Sell it to me cheaper.

I still need to buy a carriage.

Come to my shop for steamed buns later.

I'll treat you, young lady.

26 taels of silver,

and I'll also give you a covered carriage.

But you said

you'd treat me to dinner, so it's a deal. What about these unsold donkeys?

I don't have room in my shop.

Waiting

here is my son.

He'll rush back

if he sees they can't be sold.

Hey, it's a family business, is n't it?

Young master, what are you doing?

Get in the carriage, let's go.

Uncle, we're here

. We're here. That's my shop.

Huh,

Yuhe, what are you doing?

Hey, this donkey is nice.

Why did you drive it to the front

? Uncle Tang, you see the donkey?

Didn't you see me?

Haha, I saw it.

I saw you right away, you big girl. Grinning.

Uncle, come in quickly.

This is my food shop.

Brother, bring one serving of all the food.

Young master, Yuhe, this is from..." Uncle,

this is all the stuff left in the shop.

Is there any

soup left? Two bowls, please.

Little girl, you brought me

here. What do you want to know? Ask away,

uncle. Is the border safe? Are

the horses cheap there?

Can I buy them freely?

And

have you ever seen those big spotted cows that produce milk?

Little girl, why are you asking these questions while selling steamed buns in this town

?

Uncle, eat your buns!

I want to buy horses to form a caravan. I

want to make some food from the big spotted cows.

Trade is no problem

, but salt, iron, and sugar are not allowed.

Also, buying horses isn't easy;

people I don't know will sell to you.

As for the kind of cow you mentioned,

I'll keep an eye out for it next time I go.

Uncle, I don't need to buy horses

myself. I can buy them from you, right?

Okay, don't worry, the

price is absolutely fair.

But...

Uncle, are you saying that horses sold from outside the border

are all harvested?

I can help you buy horses,

but they won't be back for at least

three months

. It's okay,

just come to this steamed bun shop and find the shopkeeper,

just mention my name.

Hey,

this girl has such big

ambitions! She's asking for ten or twenty horses!

The Ma family can't protect her. A girl's

ideas are too bold.

Yuhe, the livestock dealer said a horse costs

80 taels of silver.

If it's not good, we don't need

it; a good one might cost more.

80 taels a horse,

a dozen or so would be over a thousand

taels. Even if we sold them, we wouldn't be worth that much.

Yuhe, does our family really have to buy these horses?

Can't we buy oxen or donkeys?

Actually, donkeys run quite fast

, or we could buy fewer.

Uncle, do you know how much a donkey can pull? If you lead it

and it won't move, it'll just go backwards. That's a donkey.

If it's carrying too much cargo

and it gets stubborn, it'll be very dangerous to leave it in the middle of nowhere.

Uncle, let's not talk about horses.

When are you planning to go sell candy?

If you leave me,

Grandma

definitely won't let me go anywhere.

Uncle, let's go to my uncle's butcher shop.

Do you know how to drive a donkey cart?

I'll go with you to the

butcher shop. I'll practice the donkey cart when I get back.

Uncle, I'm here!

Haha! My chubby hands swiftly cut the knife and

it's ready in no time

. Yuhe, eat

your favorite pig's trotters!

Uncle, how did you know I like pig's trotters?

I also know you like pig's snouts

. I don't know... Why do you

have to eat things others look down on?

Uncle,

I haven't seen Lao Wu for days. He

went to another town to get water.

He's been going there every day lately.

Uncle, there are only so many people in our town,

we don't need to braise too much cooked food

. Even the best food gets boring if you eat it every day.

Four sets of offal a day are more than enough.

Once they're sold out, we'll close up shop

. If you 're late, come early tomorrow.

That way there won't be any left,

and it'll give people a sense of scarcity

. Yuhe, I'll listen to you.

Tomorrow I won't let Lao Wu go to get water.

Tomorrow I'll have Lao Wu come to see

you. Uncle , your donkey cart driving skills are pretty good!

You're so young and you

've already learned it in a short time.

Uncle, there's no one on the road right now

. Teach me how to drive.

Okay, slow down. If you

go astray , pull the rope.

I have a little donkey

that I never ride.

One day I rode it

... Ahhhhhh!

Didn't I tell you

to watch out for the donkey

and not go astray?

Okay, get in and sit down.

Uncle, I'm sure this donkey doesn't like me.

I just said I wanted to ride it to the market,

and it got upset.

Stop nagging

. Sit down, I'll drive faster and

get home early. Haha

. Grandpa

,

how's your cake order ? Did

Yao Shang deliver it?

No, it's not as big as you said.

I ordered 20,

but I forgot to ask the kiln owner if he'd deliver.

You said you'd ask me to do some work,

but you

've never taken

it seriously.

Mom and Dad,

I want to go out and try

selling our candy.

I'll be back in a

month. What? I'll be gone for a month

, and someone will come to collect our candy every 10 days. I have to go out again. Is

it

because my brother and I are eating and staying at the Lin family's house that

Lin Fan is unhappy?

Aunt, eat in peace. It's

nothing.

Old woman, don't talk.

Listen to what the second son says.

Is something we don't know about?

Aunt, I hired a few people to go out and sell candy.

My uncle is going too.

I don't want to just sell white sugar

, and I'm worried that Young Master Li will cut off our family's future.

Sigh, I'll find someone to help you and Xiao Tao reconcile.

I don't know if you'll be able to come back in time.

Grandma,

my uncle is the groom, so he'll definitely come back early.

Who's in a hurry to get married?

You big girl,

what are you talking about?

Haitang, just talk.

Don't provoke him. He's been gone all day.

I don't know if he's eaten properly.

Grandma, I'm wronged. You're

making it sound like I, the shopkeeper,

am not feeding him.

Now, let's get back to the second

brother. You've made arrangements for your departure, so go ahead.

It wasn't easy for that girl to come seeking refuge with her family.

You need to

make arrangements for her now that you're leaving.

I know,

I've already arranged everything. Hey,

third brother, I slipped five taels of silver into your bag

and even made you a new pair of shoes.

You little ingrate,

you're not even worried about me going on this long trip! Humph!

Hey, uncle, what can I say

? Maybe I should go with you and see the world.

Where are you going? Just stay home and behave yourself.

Uh...

fifth brother, go to town and buy two fish.

I want to eat fish.

Pick the big ones

. Okay, everyone go about your business.

Hey

boss

, help me move that lump of iron under the shed.

I'll go to the field later.

Oh, here it comes,

Mom. This isn't a lump of iron.

Yuhe said it's a machine.

I don't care about machines!

I'm so angry! I knew this thing was good.

Grandma, stop rubbing it.

This machine is only half-finished.

Don't use it. What are you saying?

I think it's useful

. I've already cut all those candy sticks

. Hey, my grandma is so great!

These candies are packaged into one-pound bags,

saving time, effort, and money.

While Mr. Li is still buying our candies and hasn't changed his mind

, let's sell him more.

Hehe, grandma, you're so smart!

When he wants to buy candies from me later...

I won't sell it to him yet,

Dad.

Do you think you can make all the candy for our family from now on?

If I'm not home,

won't it be a hassle if no one makes candy?

Dad, you know how tiring it is for me to make candy every day? If I'm tired , I won't

eat well, and if I don't eat well, I'll get thin.

Daughter, do you think Dad can really learn to make candy?

It's useless

for me to make candy alone. I want Dad to make

candy because I want to be lazy,

and also to give him something to do.

But I also want to do other things

; I can't do everything myself.

Dad, you'll make the next batch of candy.

I'll tend the fire for you, and

I'll guide you.

Remember the steps and the points

to pay attention

to. Xingyuhe,

you... Let Afei learn.

Afei will listen to you

and learn well.

Hmm, the

ingredients are so good

my throat is dry,

I really want to dig a hole for water.

Whether it's the color or the shape

, it's almost identical to mine

.

I've succeeded, Dad!

This batch of sugar turned out well.

Remember, when boiling sugar, if the color of the syrup changes

too slowly,

the color won't look good,

and of course, the taste of the sugar won't be good either.

Hahaha,

Mom, I can boil sugar

now. From now on, the sugar-boiling work at home will be left to me.

Yuhe is too tired,

let her rest from now on.

Hmm, Mom heard me. Now that

your son can boil sugar,

you'll still be the pillar of our family.

Oh dear, my rice is still soaking.

Yuhe, what are you doing soaking this big basin of Yuantou rice?

Grandma, I'm making a new dish

that requires Yuantou rice.

When I'm done, can you taste it and tell me if it's good? Oh,

why did you buy so many mushrooms?

These things get ridiculously expensive after the season ends.

I picked some this spring

and sold them all for a

few coins. You must have spent a lot of

coins on all of this. It is expensive,

but luckily we don't need too many after soaking.

After the New Year, we'll go to the forest to pick some,

dry them, and keep them for ourselves.

Okay, how do we cook this?

Grandma, come on

! Dad, come help too!

Grandma, look,

wrap the rice balls in the dough

and use a tiger... The dumplings are wrapped into a flower shape.

Yes,

that's right,

Grandma, yours are prettier than mine.

You should eat two more later.

Yuhe, you 've wrapped so many shumai!

Lao Wu, don't eat the fish you bought

yet, keep it for tomorrow.

Lao Wu, go to my third uncle's house

and tell them to come over for dinner tonight.

Tell them I made some fresh food.

Yuhe ,

what delicious food have you made this time

? Hahaha,

what delicious food have you made this time?

You know, chickens are eating well now,

they lay more

eggs, thirteen or fourteen a day!

We can't eat them all

, and they don't fetch a good price at the market.

Grandma, your ducks are also... Now I have an idea for

the duck eggs! Yuhe,

if you like chicken eggs,

Auntie San still

has some. I'll send

some more over later. Auntie San has as many as

she has, send them all

over to me. Come and take them home after I've made them,

hahaha! That's great!

Anything

you've touched can't be bad! Cousin, your cooking is so delicious!

Fifth Brother, are you really hungry?

It should be ready in a bit. Ahhh, it's

so hot! It's

killing me!

You silly Fifth Brother!

Can't you be a little smarter?

Look at all the oil on you! Hehe

, mmm, delicious!

Grandma Li, you should eat some too!

I haven't tried any yet,

they

all look so good

! The food

on the

ancient road is getting better and better, Yuhe

. You two should try some too.

If it's good

, I plan to make it at the wasteland tomorrow and

sell it. If it's good and sells well,

you still need to teach us how to make it

. You need to come to the wasteland to help tomorrow.

Grandpa, Third Uncle

, you two should drink

the soup first, then

eat. Yuhe, I went to the kiln and asked.

They said the vat you wanted was too big,

and they didn't have enough manpower.

They could give us the oxcart,

but we'd have to bring our own people to haul it.

Okay, tomorrow we'll have the clay brick haulers go to the kiln to help

haul it directly to the wasteland.

Yuhe, I've already made a lot of clay bricks. That

should be enough for building the house. We

'll pause the mud-brick making for

now. Grandpa, tell the village

we're buying a lot of radishes. They

need to be cleaned thoroughly,

no mud

, and the radish cores too.

I'll

also pickle them.

Yuhe, little sister,

shall we make something else to eat today?

Hmm

... Cuiyu, sister-in-law,

could you help me tidy up the backyard?

I need to put some things

away. Hey, coming!

Mom, could you chop all these vegetables into small cubes?

I'll go to the backyard.

I'll chop the small peach greens.

You tidy up

first, steam a pot of steamed buns and a pot of dumplings.

Yuhe said the shumai is quite troublesome,

it'll take a while...

and

20 jars...

According to my measurements, it should fit pretty well,

but it might be a bit cramped

for Old Li and his wife to walk around in.

Yuhe,

what are you measuring?

Grandma Li, it's like this,

I want to put some things in this yard,

just enough standing space...

"This place is a bit big,

so it's less space for you to walk through.

Hmm, hey,

what are you doing?

It's okay, there's still room for people to pass through here,

haha. Your Grandpa Li and I only come out during the day,

and we rest as soon as it gets dark.

Aunt Li, I'm going to put a large vat in the backyard

, but it takes up a lot of space,

so I 'll leave you a path to walk through.

Although the wasteland is my family's

, I

should at least say so if you two are taking up space

here . It's right in front of the house,

so my husband and I can keep an eye on

Old Li. Old Li is quite sensible.

Yuhe, little girl,

Grandpa Li has had a hard

life, but at the end, he still has someone to take care of us.

Your Grandma Li and I have also saved some copper coins,

so we don't have to worry about food and drink here.

We don't need to give you any more money

. We need to find someone to help take care of the wasteland

and also take care of you two.

Yuhe, Yuhe,

what are you thinking about?

I've been calling you for so long and

you haven't said a word. Look

how your mother is wrapping them, right

? Your mother is wrapping them very well. The wrapped

shumai are ready. Steam half of them for half an incense stick's time

, then simmer the other half until they're cooked through.

Be slow, be slow,

don't break the vat." "Here

it comes!

You and your second uncle brought the vat over.

Move aside! Move aside!

Are

you out of your mind? Stand in front of the livestock and put it here. Put it all here and arrange it neatly. You clumsy thing,

don't just jump in

!

Dad

,

you kicked me

outside again, didn't you leave me any face?

Lin Hai, you've got guts,

daring to yell at me!

You're my son

, I can kick you whenever I want!

Hurry up and finish cleaning the vat that Yuhe hasn't finished cleaning.

Yuhe, come here

and rest. Tell your aunt what to do next.

Oh, niece,

we're not allowed to make adobe bricks.

What other chores do we need to do at home?

Just say the word.

Uncle Lai has plenty of strength.

He can chop vegetables, but he can wash them.

Isn't that something a three-year-old can do?

Oh,

Uncle Lai, why are you touching me?

Uncle Lai, it's nothing.

Since you can all chop vegetables

, each of you

take a knife and go to my house

and bring all the radishes.

I'll go back with you

. Li Erhu, hehe,

how about this? What's this called?

It's so delicious!

This is shumai.

I made it. What I make isn't delicious

, hahaha. Uh,

remove the roots and heads from the radishes.

Cut them into quarters

, then cut them in half again. " The chopped

radishes are placed in the small baskets in front of you.

Okay, all packed. We 've used up all the salt we bought

. She's been busy so late today,

thank you for your hard work. For

those extra three hours,

I'll pay you three coins per hour, paid at the

beginning of next month along with your wages.

These next few days, if you have nothing to do, go to the woods to chop firewood

and sell it to the Lin family.

I'll ask you to work again in a while.

Also , I haven't fulfilled

my promise to the village chief to help the villagers earn money.

Xing Yuhe and your family

, when you have work, be sure to ask us.

We won't slack off.

Working with your family makes me feel safe

and secure. As soon as there's work, I'll ask your

boss. You'll be staying in the wasteland starting tonight.

There are only two elderly people there;

I don't trust the wasteland

with my family . The land can't be left unattended.

There are elderly people, children, and women

at home; both sides need constant attention.

I understand,

Dad. My dear,

wait a minute, I'll pack your bedding.

Haitang, I'm not going until tonight.

Why are you in such a hurry?

You're already sending me away

, hahaha!

Your relationship is still so good,

Yuhe. We're going to the wasteland.

Don't wander around at home;

listen to your grandma.

I understand

, Mom and Grandma. What's Grandpa rushing off to today?

What's he doing

? It's because you spent money to rent that section of the river for ten years.

Your grandpa and your third uncle agreed that

two people over a hundred years old would go dig soil to repair the river.

Hey, we've harvested so many beans

, but how can we eat

them ? We can't just boil soybeans every day.

Soybeans can only be made into tofu,

but we don't know how . We'll take them

to sell for a price.

It was cheaper than what I paid;

it turns out Grandma deliberately put the beans in there.

I said there were beans in everything I cooked these past few days.

Others might not know how, but I

do! In my past life, I often made tofu at home.

It seems there aren't any dried tofu, tofu skin, or bean curd sticks here yet.

I can develop

those! Grandma, I can make tofu

and sprout beans

, and I know a lot more!

Hey, what are you yelling about in the yard?

Hurry up and come inside.

I 'm a little late today.

Hurry up and get to work.

Don't steal candy;

this old woman has sharp eyes.

Grandma, I'm going to check on Grandpa. You're going!

You're coming back! You

're coming back!

You should go to the river less often.

Fifth brother, stop working.

Your cousin went to the river;

you need to follow

her and keep an eye on her. Make sure she stays away from the river.

I understand, Lin. Grandma

, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on my cousin. Second

Uncle, Third Uncle

, Grandpa, Third Uncle

, your method won't work.

Look at that place;

your soil is being washed away by the water. "Do

n't do it yet,

let's think of a way.

Yuhe, what do you want to do with this river?

Even if there are lotus roots

, it's not worth spending money to rent it for 10 years.

I plan to find someone to clean up this section of the river

and raise fish in it

, so it will be convenient for us to eat fish in the future

. How do you want to do this?

Actually,

just fill a few burlap sacks with soil and fill the shallow water area. Sew

a few cloth sacks, the effect will be better.

What? You need to sew cloth sacks for a broken river?

You can't just go around outside making

a fuss. Hmm , then use burlap sacks.

Hey,

those two people at your door look so familiar

. Nonsense, aren't they our second aunt?

Hey, third uncle, slow down.

They're coming home,

they can't run away in a short time.

They're both over 50 years old, and

they run quite fast.

Don't fall.

I've never seen this second aunt before.

I only heard my grandmother say that

she used the two taels of silver to treat my great-grandfather's illness."

She married far away, her

family was poor, and they rarely visited.

Fortunately, that family

was honest and kind

to her, just

poor. Oh, brother , second sister, what's wrong?

Meeting is a happy occasion

, why are

you

crying?

Yuhe, these are

shoes your second aunt made for you. They

're made of old cloth,

do

n't mind, they're

really nice and fit perfectly.

This is eldest brother,

third brother. I came with my husband today

to borrow some money from both

families. I promise I will pay it back. My daughter-in-law is sick,

and we've spent all

five taels of silver.

The doctor said she needs

at least ten taels more ginseng

. Her family is unwilling to lend

her any, saying that even if she recovers, she'll have to be

cared for. If she

dies, so be it. I can't bear to see my

grandchildren lose their mother at such a young age.

I just wanted to borrow ten taels of silver to treat her.

If she doesn't recover, that's

her fate . Alright,

second sister, don't cry.

It's her blessing that

you, as her mother-in-law,

are willing to lend her money for treatment.

Her family lives dozens of miles away.

Did you leave

in the middle of the

night to come here? Are you hungry?

I remember when I first came,

my family was also poor, only able to drink gruel.

They were hungry while I was here. "I'm so embarrassed to eat

anymore, Second Sister.

There's still some left

in the pot...

Hmm,

Old Gu, here's 10 taels of

silver. Here's the silver,

can you listen to me?

Go inside and call Lin Yuhe out. Yuhe,

come out here

for a moment.

Your grandfather is looking for you.

When did a little girl like you become involved in adult matters?

Grandfather,

wait a moment, let Father drive our donkey cart to take Auntie home.

When we get home, let's see if there's anything else we can help with.

10 taels of silver to buy ginseng.

The medicine storehouse can give you some if you have kidney deficiency.

It'll be good if you can take care of her.

Sigh, every family has its own troubles.

How to help is up to them. Eldest

brother, your family bought a donkey cart.

The one tied at the door is...

Hmm, the children in the family opened a shop

and life is better.

Otherwise, where would we get the silver to lend you?

A few months ago, we sold the entire Lin family

, but it still couldn't help the children.

Mother, don't say anymore.

You have a good mother

and good brothers.

Eldest brother, thank you for your willingness." "I'm begging you to lend us

money. My family will pay it back.

We have three mu of land.

After the New Year, your nephew and I will cultivate two more mu. We're

both getting old,

and the land we cultivate won't have enough manpower to grow well.

Hurry up and get going.

There are sick people waiting for us at home

. Yuhe, I'm begging you

, can you help your great-aunt?"

Your great-aunt was only able to marry into the Gu family

because of the Lin family.

The Gu family were refugees;

they were the only family in the whole village with the surname Gu, and they

often went hungry. When

the two elderly people passed away

, they didn't even have money to buy coffins;

they had to dismantle their own door panels to carry them to the burial site.

Your great-aunt only had one son;

two other children died young.

Yuhe, before your great-grandmother passed away,

she told me and your third uncle

that she felt most sorry for Ernizi

. She didn't know what kind of people this family was;

if they could lend money to their daughter-in-law for medical treatment, they must be good people . But

we live too far away to

help. Unless

they're willing to move here,

Auntie and Second Auntie live too far from our house.

I don't think I can take care of them all.

You should ask them if they

're willing to leave their families and come live in our village.

As long as they're not lazy,

it's not too difficult for them to live a better life than before.

So where will they live? There's

not enough room for both of our families.

Renting a house in the village for

a year won't cost much.

When they have money, they can

buy some land and build a house.

Grandpa,

can you go to the carpenter's shop and order some big

, thick wooden planks for me?

No need to find a carpenter

, the two of us old folks can make them for you.

That's fine, hurry up,

I need to use the salt left over from the pickled radishes at home.

It's perfect for making brine.

We used to make lotus root starch, so

we can use that too. Fifth Brother, grind the soaked soybeans into

a paste. Hmm,

Grandma, can you help me light the fire

and make soup? Girls, eat whatever you want,

it's not like we can eat it as a meal anyway.

Yu Yuhe, this...

"This tofu is tofu, right?

Grandma, you're getting more and more amazing!

I haven't even finished making it yet and you already know what it is!

I only made one batch of tofu

for our family to eat,

and the rest I'll make dried tofu.

I want to make soy products more valuable.

Yuhe tofu sells well.

There aren't many tofu shops in town, and

if you go too late, you won't be able to buy

any. Tofu, oh,

the tofu-making skills in town are all passed down from generation to generation.

Our Lin family has produced an extraordinary person.

Yuhe, how do you know how to make tofu?

Oh, I won't ask anymore

, I won't ask anymore. Yuhe, just pretend I didn't say anything.

I took out a book from that river.

That's the book that taught me.

I'll burn the book after I learn it.

Okay, Yuhe, keep your mouths shut.

Yuhe, you made the tofu in the backyard.

The fence in the backyard is lower than the one in the frontyard.

Doesn't that mean everyone can learn it

? Yuhe, did anyone come near the backyard when you were making tofu today?

Hmm, I didn't notice.

Isn't there a shed in the backyard?

Brine is the key ingredient.

Without brine,

you can't learn just by standing in front of it.

Tomorrow, I'll find someone to build up the backyard.

The adobe bricks are ready-made,

Grandpa..." I want to build a workshop,

a tofu-making workshop

, but there's no land to build a house right now.

The girls who sell candy have already gone home.

Bai Laowu and my mother are in the backyard. They're watching

Yuhe. Your uncle isn't home.

We old folks don't understand.

Sit down and tell me.

Three pairs of eyes are staring at me. I

feel like I'm being interrogated.

Hehe, what are you doing?

I just want to buy a piece of land to build a workshop.

You see, we need space to make tofu soup and candy.

Our kitchen is too small.

If we buy land, Yuhe, can we rebuild the house and

build a bigger yard?

Auntie, your uncle is getting married soon.

Your older brother will be getting married in a few years.

Our house isn't big enough to live in.

Besides, if business is good, we'll need to hire more people.

I value my privacy

. It's

uncomfortable to have too many people in the house. I want to build the new house behind us and

the workshop in the woods in front of our house.

But

no, if we build it in front, we'll be neighbors with Granny Chen.

I've seen her

sneaking around peeking over the wall at our house several times

. Sometimes she only goes back when your grandfather isn't home.

Let's

get down to business.

What nonsense are you spouting in front of the children, you old woman? Fine,

I'll go ask the village chief tomorrow how much money that land is worth.

Brother, I'll go with you tomorrow.

I wonder if he'll hold a grudge about what happened last time

. You don't need to go tomorrow.

Just ask Sanjin and a few others

to build a mud

wall around the backyard

. Old woman, bring me a pound of pastries and a pound of candy

tomorrow. I

'm reluctant to give it

to the village chief,

but I've already asked him, so there's no other way.

I know that once the backyard wall is built,

where will those ducks live?

It's so late, and I'm still thinking about the ducks.

I'm even thinking of moving the vegetable garden outside.

Not to mention the ducks, just

thinking about them makes me remember the quacking of the ducks this morning.

I dare not say I won't raise it because of its squeaking

, otherwise Grandma will make a fuss again. Dad

, I'm here to take you home.

Tomorrow people will come to work

in the backyard, so please

pack everything up. Before you go out

, it will be dark, so hold your dad steady so he doesn't fall. Don't forget

to keep watch in the wasteland later.

I understand.

Dad went to Second Aunt's house today

and hasn't come back by this time.

It looks like he stayed there overnight.

Yuhe , go to bed early tonight

. Tomorrow people will come to work and make

a lot of noise, so don't disturb them. If you

're

worried, move the tofu to the front yard. Eldest brother

, move the tofu to the front,

okay?

Is it because the people working in the backyard are disturbing you?

Erhu,

tell him to keep his voice down,

but he just can't remember.

Look at your little puffed-up hair,

you're the only one in our family with such a bristling hair. The decision is to do chores in the backyard.

You'll play in the front yard today.

Don't go to the backyard.

First, I'm afraid he'll bump into you,

and second, I'm afraid the villagers will see him

and pull him aside to do

chores, which might offend people.

We old folks will handle that; we can't

let the little girl, who's so shy, be put in a difficult position

. Grandma, where's Grandpa?

Oh, he went to the village chief's house.

I don't know if the village chief will agree to

sell the woods in front to us.

I've looked at it several times.

If the village chief doesn't agree,

we'll have to find another way.

The village chief is here.

Come on, sit

down.

Eat your favorite porridge and eggs.

Don't leave any

. Yuhe hasn't eaten yet.

Judging from this,

he's here to see me today.

Getting up late one day is fine.

Don't get up too late every day.

We country girls still need to be diligent. Hurry up,

Grandma, is there any more porridge?

I'm out of food

. I'll boil you another egg.

Village Chief, come over here. It's like

this:

Grandpa Yuhe wants to buy this grove in front of your house.

May I ask what he'll use it for?

I want to build a few workshops

and houses. Can we hire villagers

to work for you ?

Everyone's life will be much better.

Okay,

Village Chief, how

big is this grove ? It's about 200 mu

. Further in, you'll reach the mountains.

But don't go any further in.

I only want this 10 mu in front of my house.

How much is it?

7 taels per mu .

That's a grove.

There are still quite a few trees on the ground.

We can

cut them down for firewood

. What? 7 taels of silver

per mu? How much is fertile land?

Xu Wang "Aren't you ashamed?

My family isn't buying anymore.

You can sell it to whoever you want,

Grandma.

It's such a small thing, why are you so angry?

We can negotiate the price.

Third Uncle, the village chief is here.

The woods by the gate are 7 taels a

mu. I've woken up!

Why aren't you rebuilding your house? You

're only building this wall around the backyard.

These silly boys don't work properly

and they talk all the time.

If you have nothing to do, don't talk to those guys.

I'll teach them a lesson.

Yuhe, come here. The woods in

front are 6 taels a mu.

Your third uncle and I agree

to buy 10 mu as you said.

Old woman, get the silver ready and go measure the land.

Okay, 6 taels it is.

After Grandpa finishes measuring the land

, find some people to cut down the trees and

dig out the roots.

The wages are 20 wen a day."

No meals included!

200,000 a day

? That's way too high!

I want to do it too. I was

a little hesitant earlier

, but I 'm sorry, Lin family, count

me in. The reason

I'm offering such a high wage

is because meals

aren't included. If meals were included, I'd have to hire someone to cook separately, and

I can't bear to see Grandma working so hard, hahaha.

Hey, did you guys hear?

That big idiot Lin old man listened to what the guy in front of his house said

and bought ten mu of land in front of

his house for 6 liang per mu.

That land can't even grow grain.

He's not stupid, he's... what

? 6 liang per mu

? My God!

Six 6 liang! How much is

that anyway? It's a lot!

If my family had 6 liang ,

my son wouldn't be 19 and still unmarried.

He'd be an idiot

for buying a mu of land for 6 liang. I see

their money-making rake is leaking,

hahaha. What big thing happened to the Lin family

that I missed ? It's all my fault

for going to the market . No,

I have to go back and keep an eye on things. I can't

waste my breath on these clueless women,

hahaha.

Well, it's getting late,

I'm going home to cook for my husband.

Hey,

didn't Chunmei's mom say her husband went into the mountains to chop wood

and wouldn't be back for lunch?

I just remembered we haven't fed the chickens yet.

You guys keep chatting

, hahaha.

Zhuzi's wife is so funny.

They only have two chickens,

they're so skinny they barely have

any meat. You silly woman,

my son is so unlucky to have married you.

Why did the neighbors buy

land? They need to hire people to work on the woodland too.

Oh, I'm such an idiot.

Erhu, we've been neighbors for so many years,

could you talk to Grandpa next door and ask him

to let me work too? Even if

the pay is low, it's fine.

Zhuzi, instead of looking for me here, go find Aunt Lin. If you

buy the forest, she'll definitely find people to work.

Sanjin, go talk to Old Man Lin and ask him

to let your older brother work too.

Your older brother got fired

and has no way to make money;

the two of them are always fighting at home.

Mom, I'm

working right now. I'll talk to Aunt Lin when she gets back.

No, you go now

, or I'm not leaving!

Hey, you Sanguaizi

, are you blind?

You owe me my clothes! Fine

, I'll pay you.

You'd better clean them up yourself!

All you villagers, young and old, come look!

This guy's throwing a tantrum!

Mother, you should go now.

I'm working here.

I'll talk to

Aunt Lin when she gets back

and say something for my brother.

You three-legged brat

, you just wait !

Humph , finish your work! Those who

don't want to work, go home and chatter

away. I already said the old man isn't home.

We'll decide who to hire when he gets back. Thank goodness

I was smart enough

to let my granddaughter in and not let her out. I

was trying to memorize two pages of a book,

but the noise kept me from calming down.

Uncle Lin, why is

Yuhe's name on the land deed for these ten acres

? Hmm, all the money in our family is earned by Yuhe. If

it's not her name, whose name is it?

The Lin family's business was all acquired by Yuhe,

and it will all be hers in the future

. Uncles, aunts, and grandma,

please be quiet and listen to me.

The Lin family isn't hiring today. We'll be

hiring in order of

arrival outside the yard

tomorrow. Everyone should go home today.

Ah,

so many people talking

, it's giving me a headache.

Finally, it's quiet

. Yuhe

, why is this tofu different from the one sold at the market?

Is the recipe wrong,

or did you press out all the water?

Grandma, you're so smart! Oh,

this is called dried tofu.

You have to press out the excess water.

How do we eat this

? Is it good? Is it good?

Let's stir-fry some and try it. Okay,

Grandma, do we still have any celery?

There's still some.

Grandma, could you pull up a couple for me?

I don't know when your dad will be back.

These vegetables are almost too old.

The village chief is here! Come in

and

have some food before you leave . No, no,

I ate in the county.

Old man, is the land deed ready?

Yuhe, put it away carefully.

Grandpa, why is this in my name?

The wasteland and this plot of land are both in my name.

I wonder if Xiaotao and

my brothers will think too much.

You're the one who built this family business.

If it's not in your name, whose name is it?

Your brothers, as long as they can have enough to eat, that's fine.

I've even paved the road for them.

Go, go, put the things away and come

out to cook.

It's a good thing you only came back now.

If you had come half an hour earlier,

you would have known how many people came to our yard looking for work.

On the way back,

the village chief also told me he wanted to work at our house,

and I agreed.

We can't give Xu Wang that kind of person too much face.

He cheated our family out of so much money.

Third Uncle, Fifth Brother, let's eat! Cousin

, this is spicy, it's really delicious!

This stuff is delicious

, better than tofu

. Tofu crumbles when you stir-fry it

and has a lot of water.

The backyard will be finished tomorrow.

Yuhe, when you have time, make some more

and you can sell them in town

. How

is Second Aunt's family? They 're dirt poor

and always getting bullied.

My cousin's wife isn't doing well either;

the county doctor only gave them two ginseng roots

for ten taels of silver.

Eldest

brother

, go to your aunt's house tomorrow

and tell her I said to

let them move back to our village.

Third brother

, you come with me tomorrow too.

There are people coming to help with chores,

so I can't leave.

Okay, let them come.

That way, the three of us siblings can live together again.

With Second Sister's temper

, who would dare bully us?

The trivialities of family life have smoothed out Second Aunt's rough edges

; her temper should be quite different now.

Third Uncle, Father,

tomorrow you should take the oxcart and donkey cart

to Second Aunt's family.

Everyone says even a broken home is worth a fortune;

they're used to poverty.

One oxcart certainly can't carry all the goods. Grandpa

Xi , the village chief is coming to work tomorrow. I'll

rent a spare village house from him

so they have a place to stay first

, and we'll arrange more

later. That's all I can do for now.

If they're hardworking and capable,

I'll let them come and work here too. My

cousin's wife's illness can't be

delayed

. It seems I should visit Doctor Qin's house in the west of the village tomorrow.

We'll go pick up Second Aunt first thing tomorrow morning;

we can't keep her waiting.

Brother Zhang, you're older than me.

My family can't use

you.

You didn't specify an age limit.

I can do woodcutting.

Old brothers

, am I right?

Yes, yes, yes, we can all do

this work.

Yuhe, Yuhe,

wake up!

Grandma, what's wrong?

What happened?

Several old men have come to the yard,

older than me and your grandpa.

Everyone wants to find some work.

Grandma, it's alright, I'll go

talk to you. You

Lin family are really something!

Didn't you say you had work? Now that

people have come, you say you don't need it.

Hey, Auntie,

don't make a fuss, everyone, please be quiet.

Listen to me, the Lin family is indeed hiring today,

but it's all manual labor .

See? All the trees on 10 acres need to be cut down

, the roots dug out

, and the ground leveled.

Can you all do it?

The daily wage is 20 coins

, no meals included. Yes,

20 coins a day. You

can do it , you can.

Neighbor's girl ,

could you let my son come and replace me?

Auntie,

yes, you can,

but only if your son is capable. Those who come

to work for the neighbor not only need to be capable,

but also have good character

and can't cheat or slack off,

otherwise the Lin family won't use them again.

Uncles and elders

, form your own teams,

two teams of 10 people each.

Whoever is capable and doesn't slack off will form

a team. Start cutting down trees

from this side... Another team is

digging up tree roots.

You're competing to see

who can do it the fastest and best, and there'll be extra rewards.

What do you want to say, you little girl

?

Let your grandfather do it

. Why are you shouting at those gatekeepers?

And you ran up there with your hair uncombed,

you'll just get all those women talking behind your back.

You never get up early, you're

always the last one to eat.

Grandma, scoop out some flour,

I'll knead some dough later. I

think my father will be back early today,

and I want to make some steamed buns. I'm going to Doctor Qin's house.

Someone with health problems will be coming to our house soon, so

we need to prepare in advance

. Yuhe, you asked me to find the village chief to rent a house.

There's news.

Old Li said he and his wife live in the wasteland,

and their house is empty anyway.

He said it's okay for your second aunt to live

there; she can use the things they have.

It's good, but even brothers should keep things clear. You

still have to pay rent,

Auntie.

You're so kind. Ask Aunt Li

how much she charges for

renting out her room. Second Aunt, you should pay rent for someone's house;

you can't just live there

for free. I've thought about it.

Your second aunt's family is a large one.

When they come, they should cook for themselves.

At first, give them some food,

then let them work for us

to earn wages and support themselves.

Grandma, I'm going out for a bit.

There are steamed buns in the basket and

noodles in the pot.

Don't wait for me for lunch.

Hey,

Yu, what are you doing?

Eat first, then go

. Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother

, Li Grandma, are you calling your relative's child?

He seems to be working in another team.

Oh, never mind which team. Liao

Genzi, hurry up and go call him,

I need to see him urgently.

Don't worry,

I'm going right now.

Okay, everyone's done work,

go home and eat.

Bai Laowu, Grandma Lin

needs you, it's urgent,

hurry over!

Grandma Li, what's wrong?

Laowu, your cousin ran away

, didn't she go west ? She's

carrying a basket,

all by herself,

hurry and follow her.

Okay, Grandma Li,

how do I get to the village doctor's house?

Cousin, wait for me!

Hey

Laowu, why did you follow me?

I'm fine, dinner's ready at home,

go home and eat.

It's okay, I'll stay with your

cousin. Whose house is this?

The doctor isn't home, don't worry

!

Little girl, you came looking for me,

Doctor Qin, you scared me to death! Hahaha

,

it seems you've come looking for me.

Don't just stand there,

come in and say something. I don't think you

're sick.

I'm not sick. I'm here to bring you steamed buns.

Hmm, they're meat-filled,

not bad, delicious.

No wonder you can run a food stall.

But the ingredients are bold;

they even dared to mix Chinese medicine into the filling.

Isn't that star anise?

This TCM doctor's tongue is really sharp.

I should have just steamed some buns for him.

Why bother chopping vegetables and mixing the filling?

Furong, come out and eat

! The steamed buns are delicious

, better than yours.

Girl, this is my wife .

She doesn't go out often because of her health.

What nonsense

are you talking about, madam? You're so beautiful,

little girl. No need to address me as "Madam," just

call me Aunt Rong.

It's

alright

, this is my cousin, Lao Wu, who came with me.

Hurry, don't stand outside, come in and sit down

. What brings you here,

Dr. Qin? I have a relative who is very ill.

The doctor says he needs ginseng.

His illness is due to poor diet

and

long hours of heavy work, which has ruined his health.

Is the patient male or female?

How old

? Has he given birth?

She's a woman in her thirties

with a son and a daughter.

Other doctors have told her family to prepare for her funeral.

Hmph, I don't have any ginseng for him.

But according to you,

whether or not he takes ginseng isn't really necessary.

Let me see him when he arrives.