..

“Does selling eels determine whether someone is respectable or not? You’re both grandmothers already—why don’t you try selling eels in an ‘improper’ way and see if that helps you sell them?” Shen Qing didn’t bother explaining how she conducted her business properly.

Instead, she threw the question back at them.

The other women who overheard this conversation suddenly came to their senses.

That’s right!

Jiang, at thirty-seven, had given birth to multiple children and already had two grandchildren.

Who would care whether she was ‘proper’ or not when buying her eels?

Besides, she wasn’t the only one in the village selling eels.

Clearly, selling eels was a legitimate way to make money.

If selling them was profitable, why would anyone risk their reputation doing something disgraceful?

“Are you both just mad that you didn’t get to eat any eels?”

“Or are you jealous that Jiang’s family is making money?”

“If you ask me, our Xingcheng waters are full of eels, and you both have men in your households—why don’t you make them go catch some instead of sitting around complaining?”

…

Zhou Chuncao and Sun Xiaomai’s faces turned red and then pale.

If their men could catch eels, they would’ve already gone to the city to sell them!

But making eel traps wasn’t something just anyone could do, and knowing where to place them in the right eel burrows was even harder!

Shen Qing didn’t plan to let them off easily.

She raised her voice and spoke earnestly, “I’m already a grandmother, so if someone wants to throw dirt on my name, fine. But what if this happened to an unmarried girl? How would she defend herself? Even if she tried, who would believe her? Wouldn’t this kind of gossip drive someone to their death?”

“Chuncao, Xiaomai, I’m telling you—don’t ever say things like this again. This is a terrible sin!”

Her words immediately made the surrounding women realize how serious the issue was.

That’s right!

Today, the target was Shen Qing, an older woman.

But what if it had been a young girl or a newlywed wife?

She wouldn’t be able to clear her name, no matter what!

Zhou Chuncao and Sun Xiaomai were being outright malicious!

As if they were carrying some kind of filth, the other women instinctively took a few steps back, putting more distance between themselves and the two troublemakers.

At the same time, they exchanged knowing glances—it was clear that they all planned to go home and warn their families to stay away from these two women!

Granny Qin couldn’t help but mutter, “Chuncao, Xiaomai, you two really need to watch your words from now on. And Jiang’s right—if you follow her advice, you might even receive good fortune in return.”

Zhou Chuncao and Sun Xiaomai clenched their teeth so hard that it made a grinding sound, their bodies trembling with anger.

Were they some kind of plague or filth?

Why was everyone suddenly avoiding them?

And now they were supposed to listen to Shen Qing?

Why should they?

In the past, they had to bribe others with food and gifts just to get some attention.

And now, they were expected to listen to Shen Qing for “good fortune”?

To hell with that!

They snorted, turned on their heels, and stormed off.

Shen Qing: … Well played. Keep it up!

The other women watched as Shen Qing carried two large wooden buckets on her shoulders and walked away, whispering among themselves.

“Lately, Jiang’s been acting really different!”

“Not really—she’s just working harder. But honestly, it’s about time she did! Isn’t her second son already nineteen?”

“Not just her second son—her third is eighteen, and her fourth is seventeen. If they don’t get married soon, who’s going to want them when they get older?”

“Why worry? She doesn’t seem worried at all. She used to say she had many sons, so she was destined for a life of comfort. She even claimed her youngest would become a high-ranking official and bring glory to their family. She was planning to become a noble lady herself!”

“Tsk, tsk—so she really said that? No wonder her family got so poor they almost had to abandon their granddaughter.”

“Come on, let’s not dwell on the past. She’s changed for the better. Just look—she carries those heavy buckets to town every day!”

“True, true. And that Guo Li girl keeps going to their house. If they don’t have enough money for a proper wedding, won’t that be embarrassing?”

“Exactly!”

…

Shen Qing didn’t have the time to care about what others were saying.

Right now, her only thought was making money to buy some meat!

She hadn’t had any for five or six days, and she was seriously craving it.

She walked home quickly, and as soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she instinctively closed the gate behind her to keep outsiders away.

Making soap was easy—Huo Bing could do it alone in the kitchen with the door closed, keeping it well-hidden.

But making brushes was different.

The reed-roofed hut was too small, and many steps required space to move around, meaning they had to work in the courtyard.

The yard was surrounded by a fence of reed stalks—not sturdy enough to keep out thieves, but at least tall enough to block the view of nosy villagers.

Yes, she decided—when they built a new house in the future, the yard needed to be big, the walls high and sturdy, with iron nails or wooden spikes on top for extra security!

“Mom, can I go to town with you tomorrow?” Jiang Xiangbei asked eagerly as soon as he saw Shen Qing return.

He just wanted to take a look—just seeing the city would be exciting enough!

Thinking about how last time his mother had taken his third brother as an excuse, he quickly added, “I’ll carry the brushes on my back so you won’t have to work too hard!”

The teenage boy’s bright, eager eyes reminded Shen Qing of her own childhood, when she had begged her parents to take her to the market.

Her heart softened. “Alright.”

She glanced around at her children, who had been working tirelessly for days.

The oldest wasn’t even in his twenties yet.

She asked, “Anyone else want to go? You all can.”

“Tomorrow, we’re taking half the day off! We’ll sell the brushes and buy some good food!”

Jiang Xiangnan jumped up and waved his hand excitedly. “Me! Me!”

Huo Bing smiled. “The little ones are too young. I’ll stay home and cook so you all can come back to a warm meal.”

Jiang Xiangdong wanted to go, but after looking at his mother, he saw the look that said, ‘Your wife and kids are at home—what do you need to go for?’

He shrank back in defeat.

Ever since their mother had stopped abandoning girls, she seemed to dislike him more and more.

Even though he had agreed with her decision back then!

Jiang Shui stood up hesitantly, his lips moving, but he didn’t dare speak.

Shen Qing made the decision for him. “Xiao Shui, you’re coming too!”

Then she turned to Guan Li. “Didn’t you say you had a lot of things to buy? Come with us—it’ll be safer to have company.”

“Alright,” Guan Li agreed, then glanced at her younger brother.

Twelve-year-old Guo Xiaoshan lowered his gaze in disappointment.

Seeing his sister look at him, he quickly forced a smile. “Go ahead, sis. I’m fine.”

His injured leg was no one’s fault. He just had to accept his fate.

Shen Qing remembered how much Guan Li’s family had suffered while fleeing famine and quickly said, “It’s fine—you have a cart. Xiangnan and Xiangbei can take turns pulling it so you can come too.”

Jiang Xiangnan happily agreed. “Last time, I wished we had a cart! We had so much stuff, and there was nowhere to put it!”

Guan Li hadn’t expected Shen Qing to offer.

She couldn’t refuse and thanked her profusely.

Shen Qing didn’t reply and instead clapped her hands. “Alright, let’s finish up quickly! The sooner we’re done, the sooner we rest!”

“Tomorrow, we head to town early!”