Chapter 24: “You Give 40 Wen a Day? Is That Right?” 

Aunt Yao was talking as she walked, “She’s making a lot of cured meat, but it’s not just for her family. She’s going to sell it at the tavern in town.”

“Really? Aunt Xuezhul is amazing!” Li Qiuhu said, looking at her mother with admiration.

“Of course it’s true. The tavern in town wants her to deliver 100 pounds of cured meat every day.”

Li Qiuhu was shocked, “100 pounds! That’s a lot! How much money can she make from that?”

“I’m not sure how much she can make in a day, but she’s pretty generous…” Aunt Yao initially wanted to tell her that Shen Xuezhul paid her 150 wen per day.

But then she thought twice. She couldn’t tell her children.

If they blabbed and the village found out she made so much money, it could cause trouble.

Li Qiuhu caught on to Aunt Yao’s half-finished sentence and asked, “Mom, why do you say Aunt Xuezhul is generous?”

Aunt Yao quickly made up a reason.

“I meant that she gave me pork today. She’s quite generous.”

……

“Mom, don’t ask. I can’t tell you,” Zhang Er’s wife said when she returned home. Soon after, Grandma He came back with Laibao in tow.

As soon as they arrived, Grandma He immediately asked her how much money she was getting for making cured meat each day.

Zhang Er’s wife, of course, couldn’t tell her.

If she did, it would cause trouble.

Grandma He, worried that Shen Xuezhul might not be paying enough, asked, “Isn’t Shen Xuezhul giving you 40 wen a day?”

Zhang Er’s wife shook her head.

“50 wen?”

Zhang Er’s wife didn’t want to answer and said, “No, Mom, don’t ask. I can’t tell you.”

“Well, if you won’t tell me, I’ll find out sooner or later!” Grandma He grumbled, taking Laibao to the yard.

Seeing that Zhang Er’s wife was heading to the kitchen, Grandma He took Laibao and walked towards the Lu family’s old house.

“Xiaoshan, open the door!” Grandma He knocked loudly on the door.

Shen Xuezhul, with her sharp hearing, heard the knock even as she was cutting vegetables in the kitchen.

She put down the knife and went to open the door.

Since they were living in an old house, it wasn’t sturdy enough to withstand such loud knocking from Grandma He.

Once Shen Xuezhul made enough money, she planned to rebuild the house.

Soon, Shen Xuezhul arrived at the door and opened it.

“Grandma He, stop knocking so hard. If you keep doing that, the door will fall down.”

Grandma He was a little embarrassed, “Alright, alright. I won’t do it again next time.”

“I’m just here to talk to you, that’s why I knocked like that. I wanted to get your attention so you could open the door quickly.”

With that, Grandma He led Laibao into the house.

Shen Xuezhul asked, “Grandma He, what’s the matter?”

Grandma He didn’t intend to come inside. She stood at the door and said, “Xiaoshan, my daughter-in-law is helping you make cured meat. Is she getting 30 wen a day?”

At that moment, Aunt Jiang was walking by and overheard Grandma He’s words.

She came over and asked, “Grandma He, did you just say that your daughter-in-law is making cured meat for Xiaoshan, and that Xiaoshan is paying her 30 wen a day?”

Grandma He nodded confidently, “Yes, but it seems a little low. 50 wen a day would be more reasonable.”

Aunt Jiang said, “That’s not bad. 30 wen a day adds up to 900 wen a month, and that’s enough to buy quite a bit of stuff.”

Grandma He was guessing that Shen Xuezhul probably paid Zhang Er’s wife 50 wen a day. She had mentioned 30 wen on purpose to try and get Shen Xuezhul to reveal the real amount.

To her surprise, Shen Xuezhul didn’t respond, and Aunt Jiang spoke up instead.