Chapter 41

Shen Mo was momentarily stunned and asked, “Do you also think this is a good method?”

Butcher Wu nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Of course! It couldn’t be better; it’s simply brilliant. Brother Zhou, how did you come up with such an idea? I can’t believe you thought of this.”

Zhou Jing replied, “It’s because of that heavy rain a while ago that caused my family to lose quite a bit of silver. At that time, I was thinking that sausages like this wouldn’t hold up well in this weather. Instead of letting them spoil and go to waste, I thought it would be better to sell them cheaply to the neighbors. They would benefit, and I could recover some costs. Unexpectedly, this action caught the attention of someone with ulterior motives, and it turned into a situation where I, Zhou Jing, was seen as defeated.

Not long after, due to my duck food business, I signed long-term contracts with several families in the village. Among them was someone who impatiently came to press me for money to buy his ducks. Although I managed to resolve it in the end, I felt a lot of frustration inside.

I also thought that relying too much on the weather for my stall business was not good. If the weather was bad and the stall couldn’t open, then the income at home would also come to a halt. That’s why I came up with this idea.”

Butcher Wu said, “You’re really fortunate in this misfortune. But, Brother Zhou, if you ever find yourself short on silver and struggling to make ends meet, just say the word. I might not be able to help in big ways, but when it comes to pork, take as much as you need. Sell it and pay me later—no questions asked from your old brother.”

“Thank you.”

Aside from the ten catties of sausage, he had already sent to the restaurant, Zhou Jing still had three catties left in his basket. He took out half and handed it to Butcher Wu. “I know you like this stuff, and it’s been a while since you’ve had any, so I saved some just for you.”

Butcher Wu quickly grabbed some silver to pay Zhou Jing, but Zhou Jing firmly refused to accept it.

Butcher Wu said, “It doesn’t feel right always eating your food for free.”

Zhou Jing laughed and said, “Not at all. You’ve always supported my business, and I’m well aware of it.”

The two exchanged polite words back and forth before finally parting ways.

—o—o—o—

Before the rain started, the Zhou family would set up their stall and be busy from dawn until dusk. On most days, they wouldn’t return home until after the villagers had finished their evening meals.

But today, it was only about an hour after lunch, which was much earlier than usual. This early return was noticed by some idle villagers, and soon rumors began to spread.

“The Zhou family’s business isn’t doing well anymore. Did you see how early they came back? It must be because no one bought anything at their stall, and they had no choice but to pack up early.”

“No way! I think if they couldn’t sell, they would stay out until late. They would only come back early if they sold out. Otherwise, who knows how much food they could sell in the afternoon?”

“That’s because you didn’t see this morning. The Zhou family made a ton of sausages, three large baskets full! That must’ve been at least seventy to 80 catty maybe even a hundred! No matter how good business is, there’s no way they could sell all of that in just one morning. It has to be that business was bad, nobody bought anything, and staying out any longer would’ve just been a waste of time, so they came back early.”

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions. Some were envious and jealous, others were simply there to join the gossip, and a few were naturally kind-hearted. Each had their own take on the matter, gathering around and talking nonsense together.

Aunt Shen mingled with the crowd, occasionally asking a question or two, all related to the Zhou family’s profits. The group eventually dispersed, satisfied with their gossip, but Aunt Shen walked home, deeply worried.

Wang Dali was feeding the ducklings when he saw Aunt Shen’s worried expression. He asked, “Mother, what happened?”

Aunt Shen sighed heavily and said, “It seems the Zhou family is really in trouble this time. I just went out and saw that they came back from town so early. The villagers are all saying it’s because they couldn’t sell their goods.”

Wang Dali was shocked and hurriedly said, “Then what about our ducks? We’ve invested so much money. If the Zhou family doesn’t buy them, where are we going to sell them?”

Aunt Shen patted Wang Dali’s shoulder with a look of frustration as if blaming him for not understanding the gravity of the situation. “Foolish boy, at a time like this, you’re still thinking about that? I’ve already asked Matchmaker Wang to arrange a marriage proposal with the Zhou family for you. We’ve spent a lot of money on it. If Zhou Jing’s business really goes under, should we call off the engagement or not?”

For a while, both Aunt Shen and Wang Dali were filled with indecision, sighing heavily as they contemplated their dilemma.

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Zhou family was tense. Although Shen Mo did not openly blame Zhou Jing, he was doubtful about Zhou Jing’s decision, constantly worrying that it would result in a major loss.

He couldn’t sleep that night, tossing and turning with concern. It wasn’t until late at night that he finally dozed off in a light slumber.

Yet, as soon as Zhou Jing made the slightest movement in the morning, Shen Mo jolted awake.

Usually, he slept deeply and often needed Zhou Jing to wake him up after breakfast was already prepared.

Zhou Jing said: “You’re not going to sleep a little longer? Yesterday, I heard you sleeping restlessly, even talking in your sleep about business matters”

Shen Mo replied: “No, I won’t sleep anymore. Even if I force myself, I can’t. Might as well get up early and do something productive.”

Not long after they got up, Shen Lin also woke up. Dark circles hung heavily under his eyes, clearly showing he hadn’t slept well either.

Zhou Jing took charge of preparing the soup and boiling the sausages, while Shen Mo and Shen Lin, the two brothers, focused on making breakfast and packing lunch to bring to the market.

Every morning at the Zhou family’s dining table, was usually lively with conversations or discussions about loyal customers. But today, the atmosphere was unusually gloomy.

Zhou Jing tried to start a conversation, and while Shen Mo intended to respond, his answers were often disjointed and off-topic, a clear sign that something was weighing on his mind.

The three of them hurriedly ate their breakfast, and just as they reached the village entrance with their mule cart, Wang Dali came running from behind, clearly in a rush. One of his shoes was slipping off as he hurried along.

“Shen Lin… Shen Lin…” Wang Dali called out breathlessly from behind the cart.

Hearing the voice, Zhou Jing pulled on the reins, bringing the cart to a stop.

Shen Lin, who had been sitting at the back of the cart, jumped down and walked over to Wang Dali.

“What do you need from me?” Shen Lin asked.

Wang Dali frowned, his attitude quite unpleasant, as if interrogating him. “Why didn’t you call me? I heard your family already set up the stall yesterday.”

Shen Lin was momentarily stunned, then realized what Wang Dali was referring to.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you that we don’t need your help anymore. A few days ago, it was because my elder brother wasn’t feeling well, and my brother-in-law had to stay home to take care of him. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to handle the stall alone, so we asked for your help. But now, after this period of rest, my brother’s health has improved a lot, and the three of us can manage the business ourselves. So, we won’t be hiring extra help anymore.”

Wang Dali was very dissatisfied with this answer. His tone was cold as he said, “Is it not because your family’s business is doing poorly?”

Shen Lin was momentarily stunned by the question. Then, realizing that the people in the village might have spread some rumors after seeing them return so early the day before, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s not for that reason. It’s simply because we have enough people.”

Wang Dali gave Shen Lin a deep look, a look that was very strange as if it carried some vague and ambiguous implication—like it was something that Shen Lin should or must have understood, an unspoken agreement between them.

However, Shen Lin was completely baffled.

He stared at Wang Dali’s gradually retreating figure, utterly confused.

“Xiao Di!” Shen Mo called out to Shen Lin from the cart, snapping him back to reality. Shen Lin quickly jumped onto the mule cart.

“What was that about? What did Wang Dali want with you?” Shen Mo asked.

Shen Lin replied, “He was probably asking why we no longer need him. I told him the three of us are enough.”

“That’s it? Then why do you look so uneasy?”

Shen Lin slowly pondered and said, “Big Brother, I just feel like Wang Dali might have misunderstood something. Clearly, I haven’t done anything; I’ve kept my distance, and even before we hired him, I hardly spoke to him at all. But he gives me the feeling that… that I am ‘secretly infatuated with him.’”

This time, it was Shen Mo who was taken aback. After a long pause, he finally replied, “No way! You didn’t have much interaction before, right? Maybe Wang Dali just has that kind of personality, and you’re overthinking it. Plus, his mother, Aunt Shen, values family lineage very much. She definitely wouldn’t want Wang Dali to think of you like that.”

Shen Lin nodded, “Maybe you’re right. I hope so.”

—o—o—o—

After setting up their stall in the town, it wasn’t long before the morning market began. People started to pour in gradually, and the Zhou family stall became busier.

Zhou Jing followed along, collecting money and making introductions. Additionally, the operating hours of the shops in town differed from those of the farmers, often requiring them to wait until the morning market dispersed, as some restaurants had just opened their doors.

So, despite their anxiousness to know the results of the trial sales, they had to be patient.

Once the morning market was over, Zhou Jing carried the bamboo basket away, leaving Shen Mo and Shen Lin behind to watch over the stall.

They were somewhat distracted, with Shen Mo glancing at the entrance of the market every few moments.

He knew full well that Zhou Jing wouldn’t return so early, yet he couldn’t help but keep looking.

Until the afternoon market had passed, Shen Mo still hadn’t seen Zhou Jing’s figure, even at the time when Zhou Jing had returned yesterday.

This made him restless.

He anxiously paced back and forth, repeatedly asking Shen Lin, “Why hasn’t Brother Jing come back yet? Could it be that the trial sales didn’t go well at some of the places, or maybe someone is trying to cheat us, claiming they didn’t sell anything just to avoid paying us?”

Just as Shen Lin was about to offer some reassurance, a man, who looked tired but still smiling approached from the market entrance.

Zhou Jing, even with a broad smile that showed his teeth but not his eyes, relieved half of Shen Mo’s worries.

Still, with the other half remaining, he quickly asked, “How did the trial sales go?”

Zhou Jing laughed a couple of times and said, “Very good. Most restaurants are left with only one or two catty, and that’s still because our family has just launched Zhouji Sausage. The customers are not yet aware of its reputation. Over time, as more people learn about it and returning customers join in, I believe our business will definitely get better and better.”

“Three restaurants have already signed long-term contracts with me, agreeing to officially receive deliveries starting tomorrow, with the order volume the same as yesterday. There are also a few that plan to continue testing the sales effects, but the money they owe us has been paid in full without any deductions.”

Shen Mo was so delighted that he almost jumped up.

“How much capital has been invested, and how much has been settled?”

Zhou Jing replied, “A total of 1200 copper coins has been settled. We only threw out 2 catty of sausage and duck products. For potato slices and some kelp, it was less than half a catty.”

“Really? That’s fantastic!” Shen Mo finally felt relieved, the anxiety that had been hanging over him dissipating.

Shen Mo continued: “We could earn 1200 copper coins by selling it to the restaurants, and our stall can earn at least 1700 copper coins. Together, that’s 2900 copper coins, almost three silver coins. The net profit is 1600 copper coins! In a month, that’s 49 silver coins! My goodness, 49 silver coins!”

Shen Lin gasped in surprise, “Doesn’t that mean that no matter how well the families in the village farm, they can’t earn as much in a year as we do in a month?”

Zhou Jing smiled and said, “Exactly.”

Shen Mo beamed with joy, “We’ve turned misfortune into a blessing! If it weren’t for this rain from the heavens pushing us, we wouldn’t have thought of this opportunity. It shows that there’s always a way out!”

Zhou Jing replied, “Xiao Mo, you’re right to think that way, but your calculations are off.”

Shen Mo immediately became nervous, “Where did I make a mistake? Isn’t it true that we can’t earn that much money?”

“I’m not saying you calculated too much; it’s that you calculated too little! This is just the beginning. We’ve only signed contracts with these few restaurants. Starting tomorrow, we need to continue increasing our volume. I still need to promote our products further. We don’t need too many—if just ten or so food stalls in the entire town will sell our products, then we’ll truly be sitting at home counting our money.”

Shen Mo didn’t even dare to think about how much that would be, overwhelmed by the endless possibilities of the future.

“Let’s go. We won’t sell the rest of these; we need to deliver some to the few new restaurants that have agreed to try selling them.”

This time, Shen Mo was filled with joy, wishing that all the restaurants would start trying to sell his family’s food at once.

Butcher Wu saw Shen Mo’s cheerful little face and smiled, affirming, “Is it working?”

“Yeah, it’s working!” Shen Mo replied happily. “Today, we need to increase our order to 150 catty of meat.”

“Not a problem, I’ll cut it for you right away.” Butcher Wu said as he quickly started chopping the meat. Then continued to talk: “When Brother Zhou first came to talk business with me, I thought of this day. I have a good sense when it comes to recognizing people’s potential; I knew you weren’t just treading water.”

Zhou Jing said, “Thank you for your kind words.”

There was so much meat that it had to be loaded onto the mule cart by the three of them.

Suddenly, Zhou Jing said, “Since I woke up, our family hasn’t had dumplings yet. How about we make dumplings today to celebrate?”

“Dumplings?” Shen Lin repeated the two words, swallowing a large gulp of saliva.

The Zhou family’s current life was not only incomparable to the past but even unmatched by anyone in the entire village. Because Shen Mo needed to nourish his body, they had to ensure at least one meat dish for every meal.

Just this requirement was something the villagers could hardly even dream of. Yet the Zhou family was already living this way.

However, despite the improved living standards, it had only been a few months, and Shen Mo and Shen Lin, who had grown up with their stomachs long deprived of rich food, still found the meat to be a rare treat. Especially this type of food, which was only indulged in during the New Year celebrations in the village.

Shen Mo was also craving the dumplings, but more than that, he felt a sense of shame. He tugged at the hem of his short clothing and stammered, “I… I don’t know how to make dumplings. It’s not that I’m lazy; it’s just that no one has ever taught me how to make them.”

He felt deeply troubled by the fact that, as a ger, he didn’t know how to make dumplings.

Shen Lin quickly stepped in to explain to his older brother, “It’s not that Big Brother doesn’t want to learn; it’s just that when our mother was still alive, Big Brother was too young. Making dumplings is a delicate task, and children weren’t allowed to handle it. They would mess it up, causing the filling to leak out and ruining the food.

After our mother passed away, Wang Chunhua wouldn’t let us touch it either. During the holidays, she would just cook two potatoes for Big Brother and me and then shoo us away, worried that if we learned to make dumplings, we might secretly stash some away and cook them for ourselves. So it’s not that Big Brother is lazy and unwilling to learn; it’s just that no one ever taught us.”

In just a few brief words, Zhou Jing could imagine the hardships that the little husband had endured in the past.

To outsiders, these struggles might seem pitiful, but to those who truly cared, it was a source of deep heartache.

It was a dull pain, slowly and steadily gnawing him away, persistent and ever-present.

Every time it came to mind, it felt like a heart condition nestled in him—causing a sharp ache that wouldn’t relent until it was acknowledged.

Zhou Jing held Shen Mo’s hand, his tone as gentle as water, filled with tender affection.

“It’s okay, Xiao Mo. If you don’t know how to do it, I will teach you. No matter what you can’t do in the future, I’ll be here to help you.”

Zhou Jing’s palm was so warm it felt almost hot, especially in the heat of summer.

Yet this warmth made Shen Mo feel an overwhelming fondness, making him reluctant to let go.

Gathering his courage, he squeezed Zhou Jing’s hand back lightly and softly responded with an “Mm.”