Chapter 84

The scene was chaotic and messy.

Shuiqing was crying because there wasn’t enough money.

Fan Jin was in a dilemma, unsure what to do.

Hu’s mother paid no attention to anything else and was determined to go back to call the butcher Hu to oversee the work and earn money.

Upon hearing that Butcher Hu was coming, the Fan family was filled with fear!

He was a pig butcher, skilled with his knife, strong enough to handle pigs easily. If they dared to argue with him over work, they might end up butchered!

Fan Qian trembled in fear.

Fan Dazhu and the others shrank back.

Fan’s mother hesitated briefly, unwilling to let Hu’s mother benefit at their expense.

She turned to Fan Jin and said kindly, “Son, your older brother and nephews came here to help you, fearing you might be overworked. I see you’ve managed things well here, so we’ll head back home.”

Then she turned to Hu’s mother and said, “Dear mother-in-law, you should give up on this idea! Haven’t you heard your daughter say there isn’t enough money? How do you expect to earn money for your son’s wedding expenses?”

Hu’s mother regretted her actions upon hearing this and asked Fan’s mother, “So, if I help out here, wouldn’t I be at a loss?”

“How could it be a loss? This is your daughter’s family too. Helping your daughter cannot be considered a loss,” Fan’s mother hastily reassured her.

Hu’s mother thought it over and realized that by not contributing physically, she still benefited.

Waving her hands repeatedly, she said, “This is also your son’s family. If I, as a mother-in-law, don’t help out, wouldn’t that be a loss? No, no, I’ll leave after these few days of work! Besides, we still don’t have enough money to finish building the house. Will my daughter have to borrow money from her family?”

Feeling increasingly justified, Hu’s mother grasped Fan’s mother’s arm and urgently declared, “Let me make this clear first. I won’t lend any money after I’ve worked hard. I still have a son who hasn’t married yet. There will be expenses everywhere, so you, as the older sister-in-law of your son’s family, must manage it!”

Fan’s mother had originally come to earn money, but now that they hadn’t earned any, and hearing they might have to borrow money later, how could she agree?

After a few perfunctory words, she forcefully pulled away from Hu’s mother’s grasp, and they all left without looking back!

Watching their backs, Hu’s mother sneered, hmphed, turned around, and rolled up her sleeves to get ready to wash another batch of vegetables.

Shuiqing and Fan Jin exchanged a glance, their lips curling slightly upwards.

“My mother-in-law is much more formidable than my own mother,” Fan Jin sighed sincerely.

Shuiqing thought the same way.

She was curious how Hu’s mother had acquired such skills, teaching the original owner to endure silently.

Then she shook her head, thinking of Fan’s mother’s cruel and selfish nature, who gave birth to Fan Qian, who was also a copy of her.

Bad bamboo produces good shoots, and it is not impossible.

“Don’t worry, they won’t come again during the construction of the house, and they won’t come again after the completion. They’re afraid you’ll borrow money from them to pay them back,” Hu’s mother said, without her previous dominance and unreasonable manner, smiling.

“Thank you, mother.” Fan Jin thanked her.

“Silly child, there’s nothing to thank me for.” After saying that, Hu’s mother squatted down to continue washing the small greens.

With so many people, there were also many vegetables needed.

Washing together could not be cleaned thoroughly, so they could only be divided into several batches to wash.

It was more than two months before the New Year, and the days before the New Year were a little cold, and the water was even colder. Fan Jin looked at his mother-in-law helping, feeling a little sour and warm in his heart.

If his own mother could…forget it, how could it be possible to have something big that he didn’t have when he was a child?

Hu’s mother also felt sorry for her son-in-law.

Her son-in-law had a tall and elegant figure, a gentle and patient temperament, not passing the scientific examination, but also copying books to make money. How could he be weaker than Fan Qian, who was fat and big?

Normally, he is also partial to his younger son.

How could Fan’s mother be partial to the older son, and how could she be so harsh?

“Mother, grandmother!” Several children rushed up and hugged her, their small faces glowing like the dawn, their voices clear and bright.

Hu’s mother hurriedly rubbed her hands against her skirt, making sure they were dry, and touched the small faces of the children, explaining apologetically, “Grandmother came in a hurry and didn’t bring candy.”

“We know!”

“Grandmother, mother took us to the prefecture city yesterday. It’s big there, and father and mother bought us candy balls. I’ll go get some for you to taste!”

A child ran inside, and the rest followed.

Shuiqing understood that they all wanted to taste one.

Hu’s mother smiled with wrinkles around her eyes and asked her daughter, “Was what you and your mother-in-law just said true or false? Is there enough money left?”

Shuiqing had originally wanted to talk to Hu’s mother about something before her mother-in-law arrived, thinking this was the perfect opportunity.

Putting down her knife, she squatted beside her mother and said while washing vegetables together, “Mother, I wanted to talk to you about this.”

Hu’s mother thought her daughter was going to ask for money and wondered how much money was left at home. When Wen Hua gets married, how much more could she earn?

If it wasn’t enough, she could get some more work from the external family…

Shuiqing explained her plan, “Mother, yesterday we went to the prefecture city and found that wine sells well there. So we thought of making our own and selling it. I calculated that I could produce a batch in four or five days. If it’s good and sells well, you can also try making some in Niutou Town. It could also earn us some money, right?”

Her younger brother had always been doing short-term labor work. He was strong and diligent, earning over forty wen a day. However, overloading on physical labor every day could hurt his health, and short-term labor jobs had no guarantee, so he could be jobless at any time.

She had previously thought about improving her family’s economic conditions, but mainly relied on the store. Her father, mother, and brother were all straightforward people. If she accidentally said something, it could be a disaster.

Only a solid way to make money would be suitable for them.

Hu’s mother didn’t think about whether it could succeed or not. Her first reaction was, “If this is a way to make money, and you teach us, what’s the point of you selling it? Your father can still butcher pigs to make money, so we’re good, you don’t need to worry.”

“Mother, of course I’ve thought about it. We have an ox cart to go to the prefecture city to sell, where prices are higher! You live in Niutou Town, and people around are familiar. If we prepare it well, we can sell it at home or in the market at a lower price, so people can earn money and not get tired.” Shuiqing said one by one.

Business people can’t fail to notice that the more competition, the lower the price, and she thought about it.

Hu’s mother hesitated after hearing it.

If it doesn’t affect her daughter’s family, she can really try.

Making wine is a good skill, and if she learns it, the family will have an extra source of income.

She was idle at home anyway, and if she could make a few wen by making wine, she could also help with the household expenses.

At that time, she wouldn’t need Wen Hua to do physically demanding short-term work. Seriously give him a master and learn a skill for the future to eat a light meal.

However, “Daughter, how can you make wine?”