Chapter 52

The Zhou family’s shop and the newly constructed factory building were completed smoothly.

Although the factory was built with blue bricks and big tiles, it was completely different from the house where the Zhou family lived. It was plain and simple, just an ordinary farmhouse.

The factory was divided into four rooms; the two middle rooms were used for work: one for processing ducks and the other for making sausages. The rooms at both ends were designated for the workers to take short breaks during lunch, separated into male and female quarters.

The shop in town was renamed Zhou Family’s Delicacies. Both upstairs and downstairs featured floor-to-ceiling windows, a design that was quite rare in town and very appealing.

When both windows were opened, bright sunlight poured into the shop, illuminating the entire space and making it feel especially spacious.

Under the staircase on the first floor, a koi pond was designed, similar to those commonly found in restaurants of later generations. It featured a rockery, aquatic plants, and small golden koi. On the rockery, gilded calligraphy was inscribed with the phrase “Koi Leaping Over the Dragon Gate”—symbolizing good fortune.

Considering that the shop primarily sold ready-to-eat food, most customers would buy it to take home. Although a few occasionally dined in the shop, the first floor was entirely sufficient for accommodating them. Thus, the second floor was transformed into a resting bedroom.

Worried that Shen Mo might be fearful about what had happened before and reluctant to rest alone upstairs, Zhou Jing put in considerable effort to decorate the space.

Next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, a narrow flower bed was created, filled with orchids. The lush green leaves were dotted with pink petals, as well as the bright red blooms of roses.

Despite being just a small flower bed, it transformed the entire second floor into a warm and dreamy space.

Shen Mo and Shen Lin saw it and not only felt unafraid but also attempted to envision their home being changed to resemble this.

All the chairs downstairs were removed and taken to the factory in the village for the workers to use during meals and work.

In their place, hanging chairs were installed in the shop. This unique and novel design had never been seen in town before.

The hanging chairs were adorned with lush green artificial leaves and vibrant red roses, wrapping the iron chains that spiraled up to the ceiling.

In the center of the long table sat a white porcelain vase, each one adorned with different designs, including mandarin ducks playing in the water, koi leaping over the dragon gate, and stories of lovesick men and women, as well as golden boys and jade girls.

The flowers inside varied as well, featuring royal peonies, vibrant roses, and pure white lilies.

Next to the koi pond, the counter displayed a golden toad holding money, with dozens of copper coins strung together by red threads, flowing down into a small incense burner below.

Because the interior decoration was clearly visible from outside through the floor-to-ceiling windows, it attracted the attention of many young women even before the shop opened.

During the renovation, there were often young girls standing curiously by the window, forgetting to look away; when caught, they would run off with flushed faces.

The bolder ones would ask when the shop would open, eager to come and support it, hoping to sit in the hanging chairs.

Amid the anticipation, Zhou Family’s Delicacies finally opened its doors.

The hot pot meals from both houses combined were served in the shop, all managed within the town. Knowing that the villagers were reluctant to spend money, Zhou Jing hired four fully loaded vehicles in town.

Wang Ren, Shen Lin, Cheng Yu, and Aunt Wang Ren each took a vehicle to care for the passengers onboard.

The four of them carried baskets filled with snacks like sunflower seeds, peanuts, and sweet treats. Everyone getting on the bus, whether elderly or children, received a handful of these delightful goodies.

Although the Zhou family and Aunt Shen’s family were no longer in business together, Aunt Shen still came, mainly to ease the relationship.

Aunt Shen and Wang Dali watched for a while but ultimately felt too shy to join Wang Ren and Shen Lin’s vehicle, opting instead to ride with Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu was Wang Ren’s cousin, and during this period of working in sales, he had become quite smooth and adept.

Although he knew that the two cousins disliked him, he did not show it on his face and greeted everyone with a cheerful demeanor.

However, among the snacks, there were only the inexpensive sunflower seeds; not a single piece of candy or peanut was in sight.

Aunt Shen and her son exchanged glances, looking at what others held in their hands and then at their own, unsure of what to think.

In any case, no one spoke up about it.

Wang Gui arrived early, leading his three sons and repeatedly congratulating Shen Lin.

After the last incident, Wang Gui apologized to Shen Mo, who, feeling soft-hearted, chose not to pursue the matter further, allowing the two families to continue their business dealings.

However, to avoid any further conflict with the Zhou family, Aunt Wang was ordered not to come along and was sternly warned that she must not provoke anyone from the Zhou family again.

If she did, she would be sent back to her maternal home for reflection.

Aunt Wang initially wanted to protest and cry, but seeing that none of her sons or daughters-in-law supported her, she eventually gave up.

What surprised Wang Ren and Shen Lin the most was that Wang Fu and Hao Yulan had brought their two sons, daughters-in-law, and all their grandchildren.

The second floor had been converted into a bedroom and was designed with a locked door, preventing anyone from entering. Only the first floor was set up with tables.

It was not that they looked down on the villagers; they were genuinely worried about the novelty of the situation.

They feared that children and elderly women would crowd onto a single hanging chair, and if the chair couldn’t bear the weight and broke, it would ruin the joy of the day.

Therefore, only three tables were arranged on the first floor to accommodate the officials from the local magistrate’s office; their status and position certainly couldn’t be seated outside in the open air.

Outside, fifteen tables were set up, each accommodating thirteen people.

Not only were they completely filled, but some even required extra stools, stretching across several storefronts along the long street. Zhou Jing had given prior notice and sent gifts to the neighboring businesses.

The villagers who arrived first filled the seats but waited for the local constables to finish their midday rest before the banquet could begin.

At first, the villagers did not know whom they were waiting for and thought Zhou Jing was merely putting on a show.

Wang Fen sat at the table furthest from the shop, next to her daughter, Zhang Ju. At this moment, Zhang Ju was no longer making a fuss or claiming she didn’t know Zhou Jing to avoid suspicion.

Beside her sat Aunt Shen and Wang Dali, while Wang Baichuan and his mother, Shen Wen, occupied the seats next to them. This table was filled with uninvited guests.

On each table, there were two fruit plates: one filled with sunflower seeds and peanuts, and the other with candies and pastries. The candies were the most precious, and Wang Fen rushed over, grabbing a large handful of sweets, which immediately emptied the plate.

Crunching and munching, she finished them and smacked her lips, wanting to go get more.

However, when she looked at the candy plate, it was indeed empty, making her pout in disappointment.

“Such stinginess. With this, they think they’ve become wealthy. Who can taste anything with just a few pieces?” she remarked. “That big handful I took is what rich families buy for New Year’s. They wouldn’t even let their own family eat it; it’s meant to be saved for entertaining guests. And they haven’t even started the banquet yet—what are they preparing for? As if they could wait for some big shot to arrive. Everyone knows each other; we all come from the same village.”

As soon as Wang Fen’s words fell, a large group of officials in uniforms was seen marching down the street towards them.

The villagers feared those from the government, even a mere night watchman from the yamen seemed capable in their eyes. At that moment, they were like mice seeing a cat, each one lowering their heads and not daring to move.

“You’re here! Come in quickly; we’ve been waiting for you to start the banquet,” someone called out.

Head Constable Yang did not arrive empty-handed; he was carrying two chickens, which weren’t particularly valuable gifts, but the gesture was significant.

“Cousin, all the brothers are here, not one missing,” he said.

“Great, great! I appreciate all you brothers for coming. Hurry in; we’re about to start the feast.”

Zhou Jing led several people into the house to sit down, and the kitchen began to bring out dishes one after another. The drinks on this table were different from those on the others; they were all high-quality. He poured a bowl for one person and raised a glass to toast.

“Brothers, in the future, as I conduct business in town, I hope you will all look after me,” Zhou Jing said before downing his drink in one go.

“Good! That’s the spirit!” Head Constable Yang laughed. “Since my brother is so straightforward, you can’t be stingy either. Everyone drink heartily today; we won’t go home until we’re drunk.”

“Are we already drinking? Did I arrive late?” Zhou Jing turned to see Butcher Wu, who had come carrying an entire pig. Following him were two of Zhou Jing’s long-term business partners, all of whom were not empty-handed, each carrying something.

Zhou Jing stood up and smiled, “Not late at all, not late! You arrived just in time. Please, come in.”

To Zhou Jing’s surprise, Head Constable Yang also stood up, saying warmly, “I was wondering who it was; turns out it’s Brother Wu. So, Brother Wu knows my cousin too.”

Seeing that the three of them were acquainted, Zhou Jing arranged for them to sit at Head Constable Yang’s table and added a few more stools.

Butcher Wu said, “Not only do we know each other, but we are also business partners. However, I just found out that Zhou, my younger brother, is your cousin. You’re quite something; having such a capable cousin like Little Brother Zhou.”

Butcher Wu had managed to build such a large business that he almost monopolized the entire town.

His network was not to be underestimated. While small merchants had to be cautious and mindful of the yamen’s officials, larger households like Butcher Wu’s could make the officials navigate around them; no one would dare to approach them and create trouble.

Now, with Butcher Wu holding Zhou Jing in such high regard—not to mention that he had come to the opening of a shop and even brought gifts—Head Constable Yang could no longer afford to look down on Zhou Jing.

Initially, there had been some doubts among the officials about Zhou Jing’s background, questioning whether he was really the cousin of Head Constable Yang. However, at this moment, they were completely convinced.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the shop reached a peak, with everyone—whether familiar or unfamiliar, whether they had met or not—calling Zhou Jing “cousin” in an affectionate manner, as if they truly had a familial connection.

Outside, the villagers were left dumbfounded.

Wang Fen stared blankly, saying, “How did Zhou Jing, a little hoodlum, get to know these big shots?”

No one could answer them, but it clearly highlighted the growing distance between Zhou Jing and the villagers. The once poor Zhou family was no longer there; now there stood Zhou Jing, who was on friendly terms with the officials.

At the street corner, a lavishly decorated carriage was lowered, and the servant driving the cart complained, “Sir, they are clearly trying to steal our business. Ever since Zhou’s Sausage stall appeared at the market, we have lost so many customers. Back when they were just selling at the market, it was fine, but now that they have a shop, it’s obvious they want to compete with us for business.”

A frail male voice came from inside the carriage, saying, “What can we do about it? Haven’t you seen Head Constable Yang personally bringing the whole yamen over to support him? This display clearly sends a message to everyone in town not to bully Zhou Jing. I’ve heard that the reason Head Constable Yang is putting in so much effort is because he’s related to Zhou Jing. With that family connection, no one would dare to mistreat him; even the county magistrate has to give him some respect.”

“But…”

“There’s no ‘but’ about it. Do you think there are few people who are envious of Zhou’s Sausage? They are all afraid of Head Constable Yang and can’t act against him. After all, being in the present position is better than being under someone’s thumb. If the yamen officials have their eyes on you, you’ll be in for it. Just wait and see. The Zhou family’s shop isn’t an easy one; it used to be a cursed place, and who knows if it will haunt them again?”

Hao Yulan, who had distant relatives with Zhou Jing’s mother, Old Lady Wang, sighed.

“I wonder if Cousin Wang would regret seeing Zhou Jing in this state now,” she said.

Whether Old Lady Wang would regret it, no one knew. However, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wang family (Village Chief’s family) had quieted down, no longer daring to think of anything else.

The Zhou family served a total of twelve dishes: six meat dishes, four vegetarian dishes, and two cold dishes.

The meat dishes were: roasted chicken, braised pork knuckle, pork belly with preserved vegetables, spicy shredded meat, stir-fried pork chunks, and ribs stewed with potatoes.

The vegetarian dishes included: stir-fried lotus root slices, mapo tofu, stir-fried lettuce with mushrooms, and stir-fried three shreds (a mix of shredded vegetables).

The two cold dishes were a homemade cold platter and a mixed plate of spiced peanuts and sliced sausage. The sausage was from their own home, and Zhou Jing had intended to promote his family’s sausage.

The dishes were truly impressive, all substantial meals, causing many families to click their tongues in admiration.

“Ah, you’ve come to eat, you little jinx. You didn’t even wait for your father and mother! You ungrateful wretch…” A sharp female voice rang out, causing everyone to turn around. They saw Old Lady Wang approaching from a distance.

She wasn’t alone; she was dragging her entire family along, young and old. Regardless of age, even those being carried in their arms were holding a small basket.

Trailing behind were a few members of the Shen family. They hadn’t brought a basket, but their facial expressions clearly showed their regret.

No one expected that there would be anything in the basket, nor did they think Old Lady Wang would bring gifts.

Not to mention Old Lady Wang, even the families who came to eat in the village—except for a few shameless ones—brought their entire households.

At most, they only carried a few eggs, a basket of homegrown vegetables, and some ragged cloth scraps.

The families carrying ragged cloth scraps were not ignorant of the fact that, given the Zhou family’s current financial situation, they absolutely had no need for those patched-up, faded cloth pieces. However, they were afraid of being laughed at by others, and they found it hard to part with anything else, so they came empty-handed.

Hao Yulan, considering their kinship, intended to persuade Old Lady Wang, but just as she moved, she was pressed down by Wang Fu.

Wang Fu glanced into the room and whispered, “Don’t go. There are so many officials sitting inside. They can’t stir up any trouble, but whoever gets involved will be in for misfortune.”

Sure enough, Captain Yang’s expression changed; it instantly darkened as he asked, “Who is that old woman outside? Your parents?”

Zhou Jing calmly shook his head and said, “No. Captain Yang should know that my last name is Zhou. The one outside has the last names Wang and Shen; what relation could I possibly have with them?”

With Zhou Jing’s words, there was no need for Captain Yang to give further orders. One of his subordinates said, “Boss, you all enjoy your meal. There are plenty of troublesome villagers; I can take care of them easily.”

The young constable held his head high and marched forward, sneering, “Who is this bold troublemaker daring to cause a ruckus in front of our brother? Do you want to know what prison food tastes like?”

Startled by the sudden reprimand from an official, Old Lady Wang flinched and instinctively shrank back.

“This… this is Zhou Jing’s shop,” Old Lady Wang muttered softly, so quietly that even those with poor hearing couldn’t catch it.

The young constable snorted coldly, “So what? What does that have to do with you?”

Old Lady Wang replied, “I am his mother…”

The young constable scolded, “Don’t talk nonsense. Zhou Jing’s last name is Zhou, and your family’s last name is Wang. Even a three-year-old knows you can’t be his mother. You shameless woman, it seems like you’re asking for a beating by trying to deceive me!”

Old Lady Wang was so frightened that she couldn’t speak and didn’t dare insist that Zhou Jing had come from her womb; she understood that no matter what, he had to honor her. Wang Cheng and his sons were even more reluctant to say a word.

Wang Ren waited until he felt it was the right moment before stepping in to smooth things over. “Officer, it’s all a misunderstanding. This is an aunt from our village. She just has a loud voice and isn’t here to cause trouble.”

Old Lady Wang quickly said, “Yes, yes, I’m not a troublemaker. I’m from the same village as Zhou Jing; I just came to have a drink at the wedding.”

The young constable snorted heavily, shot her a glare, and turned to enter the room.

Wang Ren guided Old Lady Wang and the others to squeeze around Wang Fen’s table. With ten or twenty people crammed together, there was hardly enough room, and some had to share a stool.

Wang Fen complained, “Our table is already full. Can’t you arrange for some people to sit at other tables? With so few dishes and so many people, it won’t be enough to eat.”

Wang Ren chuckled and said, “As for whether there’s enough to eat, that’s not my concern. All I know is that everyone sitting at this table wasn’t even invited by the host. You weren’t part of the arrangements at all; it’s just that they felt bad about sending you away when you showed up. Besides, everyone else came with something—whether it was a single egg or a handful of vegetables, it all meant something. But what do you have? Not a single scrap of cloth to show!”

The young wife, feeling embarrassed, lowered her head. Meanwhile, the older, shameless women rolled their eyes, showing no sign of shame at all.

When Old Lady Wang and the others arrived, the banquet had already begun, and the dishes on the table had been devoured halfway. There was only half a roasted chicken left, and Wang Fen reached out to tear a piece off, but Old Lady Wang snatched it away.

“What are you doing? It’s not your family’s; you can’t just take it!”

Old Lady Wang glared and said, “Zhou Jing is my son; whatever he has is my family’s!”

Wang Fen clicked her tongue in disdain. “How shameless! Haven’t you heard Zhou Jing tell the officials himself that he has the surname Zhou, while your family’s surname is Wang? There’s not even a fraction of a connection between you!”

“Ha! After all, he crawled out from my womb; does she really think she can just say something and sever our connection?”

“Don’t say that to me; go tell Zhou Jing and see if he listens to you.”

With so many officials present, and knowing that the officials and Zhou Jing were close friends, Old Lady Wang didn’t dare cause a scene with him. However, she wasn’t one to be easily intimidated; she picked up the plate and stuffed the remaining half of the chicken into the small bamboo basket she had brought.

The others at the table were stunned by her action and momentarily didn’t react. By the time they did, several plates of food had already been shoved into the small bamboo basket.

“Hey, what are you doing? We haven’t even eaten yet!”

“I don’t care whether you eat or not! I still need to take something home; if you eat it all, what will I bring back?”

Her shamelessness left everyone speechless. The noise from their argument grew louder, attracting Wang Ren, who was outside specifically entertaining the villagers.

Wang Ren glanced at the table, which was already missing a good portion of its food. “Where are the plates? Are you really eating the plates along with the food? I’ll tell you, this meal was prepared by the chef my brother hired from the big restaurant, and the plates were borrowed from there as well. We paid a deposit of 2 silver coins for them. If even one goes missing, it will be reported to the officials. It’s quite convenient that the officials are dining with us today, isn’t it?”

Old Lady Wang silently took the plates out and poured the dishes directly into the small bamboo basket. The roasted chicken was fine, but the rest of the food, along with the oil and soup, leaked out of the basket, spilling everywhere.

After the banquet, the well-fed drivers took everyone back to the village. Since Old Lady Wang and the large Shen family had come later, and with dozens of people without a carriage, they pulled Wang Ren aside, asking him to arrange a ride.

Wang Ren replied straightforwardly, “There are definitely no carts available. If you managed to walk here, you can walk back too.”

They no longer dared to directly confront Zhou Jing, fearing he might have informed the constables and that they could be thrown in jail for a few days. After wasting a good amount of time, they realized it was hopeless and turned back.

Their table had many people but very few dishes. Everyone ate to their heart’s content, but they left feeling even hungrier than before. After the back-and-forth trip, they were utterly exhausted, and it seemed like it would have been better if they didn’t go at all….