Chapter 49

Originally indignant, the people found some sense in Fan Jin’s words after hearing them.

The servants and maids sold to wealthy families were beaten and scolded at will, yet their lives were no better than the common folk.

And these young masters from rich families, relying on their wealth and power, often caused trouble in the bustling markets, even injuring people with their horses.

Though these young masters were arrogant, they did not treat human life as worthless.

The group of people stopped talking about the young man and switched to other topics.

The young man who stood out in the market was like a brief interlude, a passing cloud of smoke.

Yan Qiu, being the eldest, volunteered to take the last one. After her sugar painting was done, the group continued to stroll through the market.

The market wasn’t long, and many of the stalls were repetitive, but to the five children, it seemed endless, with each stall displaying new and fascinating items.

Hu Wenhua pulled his thoughts away from the snowy white horse, knowing it was beyond his reach.

Facing the younger ones, he said with an uncle’s grandeur, “Uncle’s treating you! Whatever you want to eat or buy, go ahead!”

His savings of over a hundred coins seemed limitless in his generous display.

Yan Qiu, Xing Hui, Jiang, He, and Hu raised their sugar paintings and cheered enthusiastically.

Despite the cheering, even the youngest, Fan Hu, restrained himself from asking for anything more.

A sugar painting cost three coins; the five of them had spent fifteen coins, enough to buy a pound of lean meat. Yet their uncle had unhesitatingly bought them sweets that couldn’t fill their stomachs—they felt they were being extravagant.

Holding their sugar paintings, they wandered around, admired by passing children.

After several rounds of the market, they reluctantly returned home with their uncle.

Back home, except for the youngest, Fan Hu, the others’ sugar paintings were mostly intact.

“Mom, look! Uncle bought us sugar paintings.”

“I picked a rabbit, does it look like one?”

“Mine’s a tiger, isn’t it majestic?”

“I think my snake looks the best.”

“Hiss~”

Shuiqing instinctively stepped back from the coiled snake.

The sugar paintings weren’t cheap, and she glanced at Hu’s mother, worried she might scold her brother or the children for spending too much.

“Beautiful, beautiful, not just the designs, but there’s a lot of sugar on them too. You kids have good taste,” Hu’s mother sincerely praised each child’s sugar painting.

Receiving their grandmother’s praise, the children were even more delighted, jumping with joy.

“Grandmother, taste mine, it’s so sweet!” Yan Qiu offered her sugar painting to Hu’s mother.

Hu’s mother, reluctant to eat the children’s treats, smiled, “Grandmother knows it’s sweet without tasting it. Good kids, you eat it. After lunch, your uncle will buy each of you another to take home.”

Shuiqing quickly interjected, “No, just one to taste is enough.”

Her parents’ home wasn’t wealthy, and though Wenhua was an uncle, he was only fifteen.

At fifteen, he was still a child in her eyes.

While making dumplings earlier, she heard Wenhua did strenuous day labor outside, earning forty-two coins a day due to his strength and extra work.

But such high earnings from temporary labor were unstable.

They couldn’t spend Wenhua’s hard-earned money so recklessly!

“Sis, it’s fine! You rarely visit, buying a couple of sugar paintings is nothing. Besides, your brother has money now!” Wenhua objected to Shuiqing’s restraint.

“I have money too, let me buy treats for the kids.”

Wenhua, moving forward like a small mountain, grinned, “What you buy is yours. This is an uncle’s gift.”

Shuiqing:… The troubles and annoying people at her in-laws’ were all healed at her parents’ home.

Yan Qiu chimed in timely, “Uncle, I’ve always wanted to try it, now I have, and I’m satisfied. No need to buy more.”

Xing Hui agreed with a smile, “Yeah, and look, I’ve barely touched mine. I can keep it for a few days at home!”

Jiang, He, and Hu nodded vigorously.

Seeing the children’s insistence, Hu’s mother felt heartache for their early maturity. She raised her voice, “Big buns are ready, let’s go eat white meat buns!”

At the mention of meat buns, everyone rushed to the main room.

Hu’s house had three red brick tile rooms, not very large, divided into a main room, two rooms, and a kitchen, making it quite compact.

With so many people in the main room, it felt even more crowded.

Shuiqing moved a small wooden table to the yard.

The yard, about thirty square meters, had a corner garden with various vegetables.

Along the yard’s wall, they grew climbing vegetables like pumpkins, winter melons, and gourds, especially good with gourds.

Near the house was a small chicken coop with three chickens, not the best smelling, but it kept the chickens safe from thieves at night.

This small yard, meticulously maintained, provided most of the family’s vegetables and eggs.

Hu’s family relied mainly on Hu’s father’s pig butchering and meat selling, with occasional help from Shuiqing, so there was only Hu’s father’s income.

The Hu family lived better than the Fan family, partly because Hu’s father earned well, and Hu’s mother was good at managing the household, spending wisely.

They saved money and invested in assets during good times, and tightened their belts during lean times without selling assets to maintain their lifestyle.

Over time, they built a solid foundation, unlike Shuiqing’s in-laws.

“Come, Yan Qiu, Xing Hui, cabbage meat buns are here, you kids eat more meat to grow strong,” Hu’s mother said, smiling, placing a basket of buns on the large wooden table.

Pointing to the side, she added, “These are mushroom and vegetable buns, with a bit of pork fat, also delicious. The mushrooms were picked from the forest and dried by me, very fragrant.”

Finally, she hinted to her son, “I also made spicy tofu buns. The kids can’t eat spicy, let’s eat in the yard?”

Wenhua stood up happily, “Sure!”

Fan Jin also stood up.

Hu’s mother stopped him, “You can sit here with the kids and have meat buns.”

Her son-in-law’s rare visit couldn’t be slighted, it would reflect poorly on her daughter.

Fan Jin understood his mother-in-law’s intention.