Chapter 75

Wang Er felt quite uneasy. Sitting opposite him, Zhang Dapeng endlessly criticizes him, calling him incompetent, useless, and unable to judge the situation. The more Wang Er listened, the more annoyed he became.

With a heavy thud, Wang Er slammed his wine cup on the table, startling Zhang Dapeng.

“What are you doing?” Zhang Dapeng asked.

“Elder brother, you’ve been talking for an hour. Don’t you have anything else to say? Besides, it’s just a marinade recipe. Is it really worth that much?” Wang Er replied irritably.

Zhang Dapeng’s face darkened. “What’s this? Are you complaining? Wang Er, have you grown some guts? Who am I doing this for, if not for my sister and her children? Do you think I want to grovel at others’ feet?”

Wang Er quickly lowered his voice and said, “Elder brother, that’s not what I meant. But you know my family’s situation.”

“What situation? Just a few girls and a baby who needs milk. Your big brother and sister-in-law are gone. Who else can they rely on if not you?” Zhang Dapeng sneered. “You can’t even get a recipe. If it wasn’t for the master’s liking for that taste, would he care about those foods? Hmph!”

Wang Er cursed silently, thinking it’s easy to criticize when you’re not in the situation. If it were that simple, would he be sitting here taking a lecture?

However, he showed no trace of anger on his face, instead looking troubled. “My niece may seem gentle on the surface, but she inherited her grandmother’s stubbornness. She said she wants to open her own shop. What can I do? If I force her, where would I put my face? My parents wouldn’t forgive me!”

Seeing Wang Er’s pitiful expression, Zhang Dapeng felt even more annoyed. “You better think it through. The river department will be established. Whether you can get a position there depends on you!”

Wang Er bit his lip, took out a money pouch from his waist, and pushed it to Zhang Dapeng. “Elder brother, this is all I have. Please say good things about me to the master.”

Raising an eyebrow, Zhang Dapeng weighed the money pouch and hummed in acknowledgment.

Seeing no one around, Wang Er lowered his voice further. “But Elder brother, isn’t the Crown Prince in trouble? Is the Tang family really unaffected? I heard that Madam Tang has returned to the capital!”

Zhang Dapeng, though unconcerned, also dared not speak loudly. “You don’t understand the intricacies. Even if there’s trouble, has the emperor deposed the Crown Prince? As long as the decree to depose isn’t issued, he remains the Crown Prince and can turn things around. What trouble could the Tang family face?”

Relieved, Wang Er said happily, “So, the river department will definitely be established? The Tang family can really take charge?”

“It certainly will,” Zhang Dapeng said, sipping his wine. “Although the news hasn’t spread yet, it’s almost certain that the Tang family will take control. Even getting the lowest position there is better than staying at your carpenter’s shop.”

“Exactly, exactly,” Wang Er said, rubbing his hands with a grin.

Seeing this, Zhang Dapeng smirked disdainfully and added, “That’s why I wanted you to get the recipe to please the master. But you’re just a blockhead, not enlightened.”

“Elder brother, I had no choice,” Wang Er said bitterly. “You know my sister-in-law’s condition. Cuizhi had her hands on this. If I forced it, my niece wouldn’t care about anything. I’m just thinking about our family’s reputation.”

Zhang Dapeng’s expression turned serious, his face changing several times before waving it off. “Forget it. I’ll talk to the master.”

Wang Er breathed a sigh of relief, happily drinking his wine, thinking about his future position.

Chapter 76

In February, the spring rain drizzled continuously, and Changle Mountain was shrouded in mist, resembling a fairyland.

Wang Yuan’er got up early and went up the mountain to chop firewood. By the time she returned home with a heavy bundle of firewood on her back, her second sister Wang Chun’er had already prepared breakfast. While making breakfast, she also heated a pot of water on the stove.

“Eldest sister, use hot water to wash your face before eating breakfast,” Wang Chun’er said considerately, mixing warm water in a wooden basin and handing over a washcloth.

“Okay,” Wang Yuan’er replied, splashing the warm water on her face. The warmth made her cold face flush with color. After drying her face with the washcloth, she looked toward the east wing door and asked, “Is Xiao Bao and the others still not awake?”

“Qing’er is up. The two Mei siblings came to ask her to go to the mountain to pick wood ear mushrooms. She took two buns and left,” Wang Chun’er replied softly.

This year, the insects awakened early. With the first thunderclap, the rain increased, and everything began to revive. The mountains were teeming with life, with fungi and mushrooms growing on the trees. Every year at this time, village children would go up the mountain to collect them, drying them for future use or selling them, providing a good yield.

“She can’t sit still,” Wang Yuan’er said, shaking her head helplessly.

The east wing door creaked open, and the youngest sister, Lan’er, rubbing her eyes, stood by the door and called, “Eldest sister, second sister, little brother is awake.”

Hearing this, Wang Yuan’er quickly threw down the washcloth and walked over. Seeing her little sister still not dressed, she pulled her back inside, scolding, “The spring cold is harsh. You must dress properly before going out, understand?”

The spring cold was unbearable even for adults, let alone children. Catching a cold could be serious.

“Okay,” Lan’er obediently replied, taking her clothes to put them on.

Wang Yuan’er smiled with relief. Children without a mother couldn’t afford to be spoiled; they had to learn to grow up quickly.

Waa! Waa!

Xiao Bao started crying loudly. Wang Yuan’er quickly went over, deftly dressed him, removed his open-crotch pants—he had soiled himself—and swiftly cleaned him up, changing his diaper. After more than a month of being both a sister and a mother, she had become very experienced and skilled in taking care of a baby.

The sisters had breakfast and fed Xiao Bao rice soup. Wang Chun’er took care of him while Wang Yuan’er went out to find a craftsman.

It was already past the first month of the lunar calendar, and she needed to build a stove at home. Sharing the stove with the second house was becoming inconvenient.

Besides the stove, she needed to remodel the layout of the east house.

In early spring, many people were waiting for work at the docks. Wang Yuan’er, carrying a basket, sold quite a few eggs and dried tofu, then found Li Shugen.

Seeing her, Li Shugen felt a bit awkward and instinctively avoided her. He was still embarrassed about the earlier issue with Xiao Bao’s milk.

“Uncle Shugen,” Wang Yuan’er called, making him stop.

Wang Yuan’er, unaffected by the previous incident, smiled and said, “Uncle Shugen, I need to build a stove at home and also want to add a room. I know you’re good at this. Can you help? I’ll pay you, including materials and labor.”

Li Shugen was a craftsman who is now working with his eldest son. His work was solid, and people in Changle Town preferred to hire him for any construction work.

Li Shugen paused and then said, “Why not? I’ll come with you to take a look.”

“That’s great,” Wang Yuan’er nodded with a smile.

Li Shugen, carrying his tools, followed her. Hesitantly, he said, “Yuan’er, before, with Xiao Bao and my wife..”

“Uncle Shugen, let’s let bygones be bygones. I understand. Just help me build the stove well,” Wang Yuan’er said generously.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it sturdy,” Li Shugen assured, patting his chest.