As dusk deepened and the crowd dispersed, the Chen family’s entrance returned to tranquility.

The Chen family sat around the table, watching the pile of copper coins spilled from the money box. The clinking sound echoing with the sound of money.

The coins formed a small mountain.

After counting money so many times, only today did this little mountain of coins reach its highest point.

The snowskin mooncakes, priced at ten wen each, had buyers who paid on the spot if they had enough money, while those who didn’t hurried home to fetch it.

Excluding ten from the Shen family, there were three from neighboring villages and two from their own, making a total of fifteen buyers.

With more than a tael of silver collected, plus today’s stall earnings, a rough estimate suggested they definitely had around fifteen hundred wen.

“Let me count first,” Father Chen said, nervously swallowing. His hands trembled slightly at the sight of so much money.

“Then I’ll count second,” replied Dad Chen calmly.

“I’ll count third,” Chen Yuanqiu raised his hand.

Chen Yuping said, “With Dad, Father, and Brother counting, I won’t need to. I’ll check the kitchen, we need to prepare a lot of snowskin mooncakes for tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll help you once we’re done here,” Dad Chen replied.

Chen Yuanqiu added, “I’ll help Third Brother too.” Having enjoyed several mooncakes from him, he felt a bit guilty.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, several sunny days followed.

Dad Chen planned to dry some vegetables, as there wouldn’t be many during winter. He was aiming to change things up.

With old brine available, Chen Yuping thought about sun-drying some old pickled cabbage for fish stew, which was especially appetizing.

The tasks in the kitchen were numerous and tedious, but once they became routine, they felt less tiring.

Every morning they steamed buns and prepared braised meat and pig trotters. With these three staples, breakfast became simpler and sometimes just dumplings or congee, or even plain buns with shrimp paste when feeling lazy. Occasionally, they’d make something more complex, like flaky meat pies, chive and egg pancakes, dumplings, or wontons.

Braised meat and pig trotters took time, but luckily they didn’t have to watch the stove constantly.

Now that they had an ox, they also needed to prepare pig intestines.

Recently, with the need to dry vegetables and pickles, Chen Yuping planned to push it a few days later, waiting until all the household chores were done.

Chen Yuanqiu and Chen Yuandong often took the time to go into the mountains to gather bamboo, bringing back a substantial bundle to prepare. Taking advantage of the sun, they boiled and sterilized the bamboo skewers before sun-drying them for the whole day.

When buying pig intestines in town, Chen Yuping also purchased several hundred wen worth of spices. Previously, he had spent two hundred wen and had nearly used it all.

This time he bought spices without avoiding Dad Chen. Dad Chen didn’t say anything, having seen how well his third son’s cooking was appreciated, and these spices were key.

“To be safe, don’t buy everything from one shop, try different ones,” Old Chen quietly reminded his son. “Our family’s business is quite prosperous, but it’s rare to see anyone set up a stall at home with so much traffic. We need to be cautious of ill intentions.”

Chen Yuping had already been cautious and nodded obediently at his dad’s warning: “I’m glad you reminded me, Dad.”

“You’re still young and inexperienced, always be wary of others.”

Having a bullock cart was convenient. It was still young and walked fast, making the round trip to town in just half an hour, much quicker than walking.

When the brothers Chen Yuanqiu and Chen Yuandong went to the mountains for fish traps, they’d use the cart to bring back not only the traps but also several bundles of firewood and a couple of bamboo poles, three benefits in one trip.

The whole village was excited about the Chen family’s new ox, as it meant they would soon sell pig intestines at the stall.

They waited eagerly, stretching their necks in anticipation, until the news finally came: starting from August 22, they would sell pig intestines at the stall.

Selling for one wen each, the pig intestines were much more affordable than braised meat or pig trotters, and being spicy and flavorful, it was enough for two or three bites. One wen for a skewered treat!

Chen Yuping wasn’t worried about the pig intestine business, and he had bought as many as he could find in town.

The father and son worked hard cleaning the intestines, with Chen Yuanqiu helping nearby, it took the three of them a solid two hours to finish.

If the intestines hadn’t been so cheap, they wouldn’t have considered selling them at such a low price, cleaning was a hassle, but counting the money afterward felt great. They laughed through the pain of it all.

“Uncle, do you have any pig intestines left? I could smell them from far away, give me two skewers.”

It was the eldest son from his third brother’s family. Dad Chen, familiar with his nephew, kindly warned, “The pig intestines are heavily spiced, be careful if your stomach is weak.”

“It’s not for me, but for Qing, who’s been craving it.”

Shunzi, married at the beginning of the year, had a partner named Qing, who was nearly three months pregnant.

Chen Yuping knew his cousin was about to become a father: “It’s fine for Shunzi to have some, but he shouldn’t overindulge while pregnant.”

“Is that so?” Shunzi scratched his head, a bit conflicted.

“Just ask Doctor Shen at their house, and you’ll find out.”

Doctor Shen was highly skilled and was often preferred over many town doctors. Villagers from nearby farms favored him for their ailments, and though his services were pricier than the town’s, he worked quickly, often needing only one or three doses for minor issues. He had never been known to fail.

That’s why the Shen family was well-off. The whole family had various talents, business, education, brewing, and medicine, far exceeding ordinary folk.

As Shunzi was leaving to run errands, several groups of people arrived, having heard there were pig intestines for sale, specifically coming to buy.

Sales of shrimp paste buns were brisk, followed by five-spice tea eggs, while braised meat and pig trotters lagged behind.

“One wen each is selling fast,” Dad Chen commented, glancing at the money box with a smile, noting it was only a shallow layer filled.

Liu Guixiang smiled back, “It’s good if they’re selling quickly, we can close up early and visit neighbors. You haven’t gone out in quite a while, have you?”

“True, this stall is a nuisance, but it’s not tiring.”

As they chatted, more customers arrived.

By the end of the morning, the pig intestines were sold out, as were the shrimp paste buns, while only a few five-spice tea eggs remained. The braised meat and pig trotters also sold out despite their slower pace.

A delicious aroma wafted through the village just as it was time for lunch when a hurried customer arrived.

“Do you have any pig intestines left? I want twenty skewers.”

“There are no more, only six spiced tea eggs left.” Dad Chen came out to greet him. He recognized this man. There was a village called Pingyuan Village below Kuzhu Village. There was a small gambling house in the village. People from the gambling house often came to buy food. There was a commotion in front of him. Several people, who smelled of alcohol and seemed to have drunk too much, stood in front of the stall and tried to eat for free without paying. He didn’t say anything, but was confronted by the villagers. He paid the money and ran away in shame.

“Sold out already?” the gambler asked, surprised.

“Sold out,” Dad Chen replied, disinterested in these gamblers.

“Will there be more in the afternoon?”

“None.”

“Why don’t you make more if you’re running a business?”

“Do you want to buy the five-spice tea eggs or not?” Old Chen said, growing impatient.

The gambler, sensing the lack of interest, hesitated and then said, “Fine, I’ll take the eggs.” After paying, he muttered in dissatisfaction, “It’s tough to earn money, and I couldn’t get any pig intestines. What bad luck! Bah!”

As Chen Yuping stepped out, he noticed the man spitting on the ground and frowned. “Dad, does the town not regulate gambling dens?”

“They do, but not very strictly. If the officials come, they receive warnings and clean up quickly.”

“Even if they seem carefree, their families suffer. They rely on a son to support them while dealing with an elderly mother and two young children. There’s nothing others can do about it. People like that shouldn’t marry. Compared to the likes of the Second Shan boy and Shuwa in our village, at least they don’t gamble and don’t harass widows. They’ve calmed down after their last uproar, but if they succeed once, they’ll keep going.”

Dad Chen’s expression grew serious. “Yuping, never give a friendly face to these gamblers in the future.”

“Don’t worry, Dad.”