Chapter 23: Tea Eggs

Early in the morning, Jiang Liyun got up and had been busy for quite a while. After wiping away the sweat from Feng Yi, she also wiped away her own sweat, sat on a plastic stool to rest, and rolled the last bit of dough into dumpling wrappers.

“Dad, Mum, Liyun, it’s really you! How come you’re setting up a stall in town?” Jiang Liping’s voice suddenly rang out.

Jiang Liyun turned around to see the well-dressed Jiang Liping.

She was wearing a bright orange nylon shirt today, looking exceptionally charming.

“Sis,” Jiang Liyun called out.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re setting up a stall in town?” Jiang Liping complained.

Her sister and parents were setting up a stall in town, and she had no idea! 

“It was a last-minute decision,” Jiang Liyun explained. “You haven’t been home these days, and we didn’t want to go to the Li family. We didn’t have time to tell you.”

Jiang Liping’s husband, surnamed Li, had an intelligence issue named Li Xuyang. Li Xuyang’s parents were okay with Jiang Liping, but they didn’t like Jiang Lame Wu Xiaochun.

At this point, many urbanites looked down on rural folks, let alone considering their poor conditions.

Although the Li family didn’t say anything offensive, Jiang Lame and Wu Xiaochun could feel the Li family’s disdain. They were inherently inferior. Jiang Liyun remembered from her previous life that their families had little interaction.

Even during the New Year, when visiting relatives, only she and Jiang Lihai went to the Li family; her parents didn’t go.

Li’s parents never visited their home, but Li Xuyang would be brought by her sister to watch ants or chicks at the doorstep.

“You’re treating me like an outsider,” Jiang Liping pouted.

“Didn’t you always say that a married daughter is like spilt water?” Jiang Liyun could go on, as she wouldn’t be involved in household matters after marriage.

Jiang Liping suddenly felt a bit upset.

At this moment, Jiang Liyun used a plate to pack a few poorly shaped pan-fried dumplings and asked Jiang Liping, “Do you want to eat?”

“Of course! Jiang Liping sat by the folding table with dumplings and poured some vinegar for herself. ‘Where did you learn to pan-fry dumplings?’

‘I learned it when I went to the provincial capital before,’ she said. In fact, she had only been to the provincial capital once, accompanying the factory’s leaders to a furniture exhibition.

At this point, most people in the village had never even been to the county seat, so, in the eyes of the villagers, her visit to the provincial capital was quite impressive.

‘These pan-fried dumplings are really delicious,’ Jiang Liping ate with great satisfaction; after all, they were filled with meat!

Although the Li family treated her well, they didn’t give her money. She would hesitate for a long time, even to buy a bun on regular days.

Before marriage, Jiang Liping worked as a housemaid for a family in town, but after getting married, she stopped working. In recent months, she has been spending her savings from before marriage and the red packet given by the Li family during the wedding.

However, the total amount in the red packet was only a few dozen yuan, and she had almost spent it all by now.

After finishing the four pan-fried dumplings Jiang Liyun gave her, Jiang Liping said to her, ‘Liyun, give me a few more.’

‘I don’t have any left; I’m planning to sell these pan-fried dumplings,’ Jiang Liyun replied.

‘You’re so stingy.’

‘Then be generous and buy me some fried dough sticks and pancakes? ‘ Jiang Liyun suggested.

Not wanting to spend money on fried dough sticks and pancakes for Jiang Liyun, Jiang Liping immediately changed the topic and pointed to Feng Yi, asking Jiang Liyun, ‘Who is this? ‘Where did her sister find this handsome young man?

Jiang Liyun smiled and said, ‘This is Feng Yi; we’re dating.’

Feng Yi never really liked Jiang Liping; when he was a child, he saw Jiang Liping bullying Jiang Liyun.

But now, he’s dating Jiang Liyun, and Jiang Liyun’s sister is his sister!

After introducing himself, Feng Yi immediately said, ‘Sister Liping! ‘

For the past few years, Feng Yi had been staying at the brick and tile factory, while Jiang Liping kept going to town. The two hadn’t met for two or three years, and Feng Yi had changed a lot in these years. Jiang Liping didn’t recognise him until Jiang Liyun introduced him.

But now, with Jiang Liyun’s introduction, she remembered everything about Feng Yi.

Jiang Liping looked at Jiang Liyun incredulously and asked, ‘You’re dating him? ‘

‘Yes.'”

“You’re insane!” Jiang Liping exclaimed. “He doesn’t even have a house. How can you marry someone without a house? If you don’t get married, after dating someone, you won’t find a good match again!”

When Jiang Liping brought up this topic, she thought about her own experiences.

She started dating someone in junior high, thinking she would definitely marry him.

His parents didn’t approve of her, but she shamelessly went to their house to help with chores.

And what happened? He left without a word!

With such experience behind her in town, she couldn’t find a good match and had to settle for Li Xuyang.

Jiang Liyun knew that in many people’s eyes, Feng Yi wasn’t considered a suitable match, and she was aware that many people doubted them, but she didn’t care.

She knew her choice was right.

Jiang Liyun said, “I won’t look for someone else, and as for the house, after we earn money, we can build our own.”

“What are you talking about? What has he fed you with? You.” Jiang Liping couldn’t finish her sentence before Jiang Liyun interrupted, “Feng Yi is much better than your man, very capable.”

Jiang Liping looked at Jiang Quanzi and Wu Xiaochun and said, “Dad, Mum, say something! The guy I introduced to Liyun, Zhou Dafei, is way better than Feng Yi, right?”

Feng Yi was right there, and with Jiang Quanzi and Wu Xiaochun’s personalities, they wouldn’t speak ill of Feng Yi at this moment. Wu Xiaochun said, “Feng Yi is also good.”

Jiang Liping was furious. “Jiang Liyun, you’ll regret this sooner or later!”

Jiang Liyun replied, “Sis, I won’t regret it. It’s you who will regret it if you don’t leave the Li family.”

Facing Jiang Liyun’s determined gaze, Jiang Liping felt like a fire was burning inside her. With a stern face, she turned and walked away.

Jiang Liyun sighed silently and immediately greeted a guest who approached.

By now, it was past eight o’clock, and vendors in the morning market were starting to close their stalls.

Selling vegetables at the market didn’t bring in much money for them.

These days, meat is quite expensive, but vegetables are cheap, selling for a few cents per unit. Those who bring vegetables from home to sell in town, like the group mentioned, may earn as little as one or two yuan in the morning, while others might make four or five yuan.

However, being farmers, they see it as earning some extra income, so they don’t mind the relatively small profits.

Old man Feng counted the money in his cash box. He had put one yuan in change before leaving, and now there was more than three yuan inside, meaning he earned over two yuan today.

It wasn’t bad, but the business at the pan-fried dumpling stall was so much better!

Old man Feng felt discontented.

The person next to him noticed that Old Man Feng kept looking at the pan-fried dumplings stall and said, “The pan-fried dumplings smell delicious; they must be good, but they are too expensive.”

“Yeah, one yuan each is too expensive.”

“There are really many wealthy people in this town; there was even a queue there earlier!”

“Now there are quite a few people with a million yuan; they’re not short of money.”

“We have someone raising chickens; they can earn over a thousand when they sell a batch!”

…

These farmers were reluctant to buy pan-fried dumplings; in their eyes, all the food sold in town was too expensive. Unless it was a special occasion like a birthday, they would hesitate to buy a bun.

However, some people were affluent. At this moment, a middle-aged man in a suit approached Jiang Liyun and immediately ordered five yuan worth of dumplings.

“Sure, I’ll pack them for you.” Jiang Liyun smiled as she packed the dumplings for him. “Sir, why are you buying so many?”

“I have a big family,” the man laughed. “Do you sell these pan-fried dumplings in the evening?”

“We only sell them in the morning,” Jiang Liyun replied.

“Oh, that’s a pity,” the man said, looking disappointed.

Jiang Liyun realised something and asked, “When do you want them?”

The middle-aged man replied, “Our factory has been working overtime every day lately. I want to prepare supper for them, and these dumplings seem good.”

Jiang Liyun quickly learned that the middle-aged man owned a clothing factory and had recently taken a big order. Due to the increased workload, his factory workers were working overtime every day.

Knowing the workers’ hard work, he planned to treat them to supper.

Normally, they would provide each person with a packet of instant noodles, but eating instant noodles every day could be monotonous.

“If you want them for supper, you can buy raw dumplings and cook them at home. If you need a lot, we can deliver raw dumplings to you. We sell raw dumplings at a cheaper price, one yuan for thirteen.” Jiang Liyun actively promoted her business.

Selling raw dumplings was more convenient! This could be a good business opportunity.

After considering, the middle-aged man agreed. His factory had supper at 10 p.m., and Jiang Liyun would deliver the raw dumplings at 9:30 p.m. There were twenty workers in his factory, and he himself was included. In the end, he bought sixteen yuan worth of dumplings.

Getting an unexpected order, Jiang Liyun was in a good mood.

By 9 p.m., they had sold all the dumplings. Jiang Liyun counted the money, and her mood improved even more!

Today, she earned twenty yuan!

If things continue like this, in just one month, she’ll be able to earn back her investment and have some leftover!

Jiang Liyun didn’t hide how much money they earned from her parents: “Dad, Mum, today we earned twenty yuan! Selling raw dumplings tonight could bring in another three or four yuan! Our business may not always be this good, but if we diversify and sell other things, earning twenty yuan a day is still possible.”

“Dad, Mum, we made money today. Later, we’ll buy a chicken, and I’ll cook braised chicken for you tonight.”

“Feng Yi, wait until next year, and we’ll be able to build a house!”

…

Feng Yi’s eyes sparkled as he kept staring at Jiang Liyun.

Jiang Liyun was focused on her business, so they didn’t talk much.

But when Jiang Liyun wiped his sweat, stood up for him, and even said she wouldn’t look for another partner when Jiang Liping scorned him, Jiang Liyun even praised him for being capable!

Feng Yi felt like he was bathing in honey every day now.

As they walked home, pulling the cart, he even wanted to jump a few times.

Of course, he restrained himself. He didn’t want things in the cart to spill!

Jiang Liyun didn’t notice Feng Yi’s joy.

After motivating the three people who were running the stall with her, she began to brainwash her parents: “Mum, Dad, look how good Feng Yi is; he eagerly takes on any task.”

“He has always listened to me since he was little; he’ll definitely listen to me in the future.”

“You’ve seen him grow up; you know him inside out.”

“He’s not close to his own family; he’ll treat you both like his own parents in the future.”