"Mother, it's already dark. Why isn't Father back yet?"
In the old Wang family house, Zhou anxiously looked at the pitch black road, worried about her father-in-law's safety.
"What could happen to an old man like him?" Xue said. "He probably just has too much stuff to carry back himself."
"Then let me ask Yuan Ding to go pick him up," Zhou said.
But just then, Wang Jia Gui's voice sounded from outside: "No need to pick me up, I'm back!"
Putting down the slingshot and bamboo bed on the ground, Wang Jia Gui was already drenched in sweat.
"Father," San Fang Shen, who was waiting for dinner nearby, poked her head out and asked, "Did you earn any money today?"
"Money, money, money, that's all you can think about!" Xue scolded as soon as she heard this. "He's exhausted like this, and you don't even have the tact to get him some water first?"
Shen obediently closed her mouth and hurriedly went to pour water, though she still kept her ears pricked to listen to the conversation outside.
Wang Jia Gui didn't even catch his breath before taking out a money pouch from his clothes and handing it directly to Xue.
Feeling the heavy weight, Xue's eyes widened in surprise. "This much?"
Wang Jia Gui raised his brow arrogantly. "A full 200 wen!"
The whole family was shocked by this number.
At noon, Da Zhuang had said the old man didn't get any work in the morning.
In other words, he had earned these 200 wen in just an afternoon!
To earn 200 wen in half a day, this was unimaginable in the past.
"Do you know who I was making cotton mattresses for today?" Wang asked.
"It must be a rich family in town," Xue said. "To be so generous, could it be Master Lai's family?"
"What Master Lai?" Wang Jia Gui snorted disdainfully. "I went to the county yamen today and made cotton mattresses for the county magistrate! He even said he would introduce me to other wealthy families and have me make mattresses for them too."
"What luck!"
Indeed, Wang Jia Gui's luck was very good.
But he knew that if Li Yao hadn't taught him how to tease cotton, he would never have had this opportunity in his life.
This daughter-in-law really was a blessing!
"I think we should buy some meat for her family tomorrow to show our thanks?"
"As if her family is lacking your few taels of meat?" Xue said impatiently when she heard this. "But since you were able to earn money all thanks to the daughter-in-law, this year, split half your earnings with her."
"Fine with me."
The old couple had decided, leaving San Fang Shen anxious and exasperated beside them.
Her father-in-law had earned this money through blood and sweat, but now half of it was to be given to her sister-in-law for no reason! How was this fair?
But she knew she had no right to object to her in-laws' decision, she could only think of other ways.
"Father," Shen said with a smile, "you're getting older too, and teasing cotton everyday must be tiring. Why not call San back to help you?"
"But..."
"What but?" Xue said coldly. "It's just starting, we don't know how it'll go. Let's wait and see."
It wasn't that she was stingy, but this daughter-in-law was always money hungry. This temper had to be dealt with, or there would be trouble in the future.
...
Li Yao was preparing dinner when Xue came over.
Hearing her father-in-law had earned money today, Li Yao also breathed a sigh of relief.
With this extra income for the old house, they could withstand a few more years of drought. On the surface, she had fulfilled her duty as a daughter-in-law.
But what surprised her was her mother-in-law giving her half of today's earnings. Though she declined, her mother-in-law left the money on the table and walked away.
"Your family will have many expenses in the future," Xue said as she left. "The house is so run down it needs repairs, and you have three sons to marry off. Wang Er's studies to become a juren will cost even more money, so don't stand on ceremony with me."
Looking at the 100 wen on the table, the few children and Xiao Ya glanced at each other.
Since when did Grandmother treat Mother this well, even splitting her own hard-earned money?
But with Grandmother and Mother no longer arguing when they met, they felt this was good too. They were one family, and hoped to live in harmony.
"Mother," Da Zhuang said, "we should not accept this money."
"Since it's your grandma's intention, keep it for now," Li Yao said.
She knew if they didn't accept the money, it would leave a knot in Xue's heart. Rather than letting the old woman brood alone, they should oblige her.
...
"Da Zhuang!"
In the bustling marketplace, Da Zhuang had just set up his braised food stall when Zou the rouge shop owner came over.
"Zou manager, did you need me for something?"
"Nothing major," Zou said politely. "I just wanted to ask if your family has the green cream ready yet."
"Not yet," Da Zhuang said. "My mother's been making it everyday these past few days, but green cream is hard to make, so it may take a few more days."
"I see, then I'll come back in a few days."
Zou sighed lightly in his heart as he returned to his shop.
A middle-aged man in silk robes immediately asked: "How was it?"
"I'm afraid we'll have to wait a few more days, Mr. Hong," Zou said apologetically.
Mr. Hong was the boss of the rouge shops in Yi Zhou Fu, and Zou's rouge shop got all their goods from him.
Last time, Zou had given him some boxes of green cream, and the results were exceptionally good after selling them. News spread overnight in Yi Zhou Fu, and orders for the green cream came pouring in daily.
Seeing this, Boss Hong immediately came to Bai Chuan County, thinking he could buy large quantities of the green cream and make a fortune before winter arrived.
But this useless Zou still hadn't gotten any goods after three days.
"Can't even handle such a small matter, what do I keep you around for?" Boss Hong said displeased. "Don't bother getting goods from me in the future."
Boss Hong walked away after speaking, leaving Zou with a bitter taste in his mouth.
He had hoped to earn more with the green cream, but now things had become like this, what could he do?
Leaving the rouge shop, Hong Shan didn't return to Yi Zhou Fu.
In the few days waiting in Bai Chuan County, he had gotten the story out of Zou, and knew the green cream was made by a woman called Li in He Wan village.
Now he would go find this Li himself and buy the green cream directly, cutting out Zou as the middleman and earning more.
After finding an ox cart at the market entrance, he slowly made his way to He Wan village.
Seeing the direction he went, a person dressed as a waiter immediately ran back to Zou's rouge shop.
"Boss, this is bad!" The waiter found Zou in a panic. "Boss Hong went to He Wan village!"
"What?"
Zou paled in shock.
With Hong Shan going to He Wan village, it wasn't hard to guess his purpose.
This was terrible!
The man had immense wealth and influence, with a huge business in Yi Zhou Fu. Going to Li himself, he would certainly buy up all the green cream.
As a small shop owner in Bai Chuan County, how could he compete?
"Boss, what should we do?"
"Let's go too!" Zou thought for a moment, then added, "Buy a few boxes of osmanthus cakes first, and bring the lamb leg I bought this morning too!"
"Yes!"
...
Hong Shan had lived a pampered life in Yi Zhou Fu since childhood, travelling mainly by carriage, barely having seen mud before.
The bumpy ride had left him dizzy and nauseous. The narrow roads filled him with dread, worried the ox cart would slip into the roadside ditches at any moment.
When they finally arrived at He Wan village, his heart was cold as ice.
"What kind of shabby place is this?"
"Sir, did we come to the wrong place?" his servant said. "Somewhere this poor couldn't possibly make anything good."
But having come this far, Hong Shan could only have his servant ask around until they were led to Li Yao's door.
Seeing the dilapidated thatched hut, Hong frowned in distaste, standing far away in the yard and refusing to step inside. He had the servant shout for Li Yao from the edge of the yard.
"Hey, anyone home?" The servant yelled loudly. "Is the woman called Li here? Our master is here to buy green cream, hurry up!"