Chapter 39 is all arranged.

In the afternoon, the whole family was in the yard preparing pickled vegetables.

Liu Shouren and Liu Xiangyang went to the mountains to chop bamboo, while Liu Zhixia and the other two packed fifty bottles of pickled vegetables.

In addition, the empty jars were cleaned thoroughly in preparation for making the next jar.

The eggs and vegetables that Liu Zhixia brought back from her spatial dimension amazed everyone.

"Everyone says our mountains and rivers are beautiful, but I never imagined the feng shui here could be this good!" Zhang Xiuying exclaimed.

Liu Xiangyang laughed and said, "Wouldn't it be better to go to the mountains to reclaim wasteland and farm the land? Why don't we mention it to the production team?"

Liu Shouren immediately shook his head: "No way. There are many wild animals in the mountains. If they eat all the things you've worked so hard to grow, and you encounter wild boars or bears, you'll be dead!"

Looking at the vegetables in her hand, Liu Zhixia had an idea: "When spring comes, I'll take these seeds to the brigade to plant, won't I? The seeds are good, so the vegetables that grow from them will definitely be good!"

Liu Xiangyang's eyes lit up: "That works! Just say it was from town, and we can get some benefits from the brigade!"

While the family was busy, Liu Zhixia heard rustling footsteps behind the courtyard wall.

Since using the space, her five senses have become much more acute than before.

At this time, who else could be acting so suspiciously besides Wang Laizi?

Her eyes darted around, and she deliberately shouted loudly, "Mom! I dreamt about Grandma yesterday! She said Wang Laizi wanted to set a fire and told me to be careful. She also said she'd be coming up in the next couple of days to settle accounts with Wang Laizi in person!"

She winked at Zhang Xiuying, who immediately understood.

"You know what! I dreamt about it too! Mom said she's arranged everything and told me not to worry!"

"That's good," Liu Zhixia breathed a sigh of relief. "With Grandma's protection, Wang Laizi definitely won't dare to cause any more trouble."

A muffled groan came from outside the courtyard wall, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.

Shen Hongmei was startled: "Is someone outside?"

Liu Zhixia continued working with her hands, calmly explaining, "I guess Wang Laizi got a talisman from the Taoist priest and came to scout the place again."

"Damn it!"

Zhang Xiuying snorted coldly: "Someone must have given her a bribe. We can't let this troublemaker stay in the brigade. I need to go talk to Lu Jianping and put in a good word for her, and get that young lady out of here first!"

Shen Hongmei said worriedly, "Mother, we don't have a good relationship with the Lu family. What if he goes against you?"

Zhang Xiuying laughed triumphantly: "Don't worry, I have a plan!"

In the evening, Zhang Xiuying was taking a walk with her old friends in the village when she bumped into Li Xuemei chatting and laughing with someone.

The two looked at each other, and their smiles froze.

Zhang Xiuying chuckled and fired the first shot: "Still in the mood to laugh? Your son cheated on my daughter, and now he's about to be cuckolded himself. That's what you call 'what goes around comes around'!"

Li Xuemei immediately put her hands on her hips and angrily shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting! My son isn't even engaged yet, where did this green hat come from?"

Zhang Xiuying leaned closer and whispered menacingly, "Everyone knows that your son has an ambiguous relationship with that educated youth, Gu. But now that educated youth, Gu, is going after Wang Laizi and has that scoundrel completely under her thumb. Tell me, how did she manage to do that?"

Li Xuemei's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

She could no longer chat and rushed home.

Upon entering the room and seeing Lu Huaiyuan lying on the bed, she was immediately filled with anger.

"Get up! You're not allowed to have anything to do with Gu Mansheng anymore! That woman is getting together with Wang Laizi!"

"Mother! What nonsense are you talking about!" Lu Huaiyuan found it laughable. "How could Gu Zhiqing possibly be interested in someone like Wang Laizi?"

Li Xuemei was furious: "How is it impossible? She's sleeping in the cowshed now, and your father won't let you help her. How can she survive without finding a man to rely on? Bah! She might be turning the cowshed into a brothel!"

"Shut up!" Lu Huaiyuan's face turned ashen. "Gu Zhiqing is not that kind of person!"

Seeing that Li Xuemei was about to speak, he impatiently interrupted her: "You have time to gossip with village women, you should learn from Aunt Zhang! I heard the Liu family has even paid off their debts! And you? All you do is talk nonsense all day long! Get out!"

After saying that, he forcefully pushed Li Xuemei out of the room.

"I'm your mother!" Li Xuemei stood at the door, both angry and anxious. "Don't let that little bitch fool you!"

Seeing that her son was no longer moving, Li Xuemei gritted her teeth and turned to find Lu Jianping.

That vixen must be driven out! She can't be allowed to hinder my son any longer!

The next day, Liu Zhixia and Liu Xiangyang once again entered the city carrying baskets full of food.

This time, they brought plenty of dry rations, determined to make a big splash.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived at the black market, before they could even put down their baskets, the first customer who had bought pickled vegetables the day before recognized them and rushed over.

"Gentlemen! Do you still have pickled vegetables today? They're so delicious! My father-in-law's family would like a few jars too!"

Liu Xiangyang was overjoyed: "Yes! I brought plenty today, more than enough!"

The brother and sister found an open space and quickly completed their first big deal of the day.

After receiving the money, Liu Zhixia smiled and said to the customer, "Brother, we've made a new flavor. We'll bring it for you to try next time!"

"That's great! I'll remember that, I'll definitely come next time!"

Watching the customer leave satisfied, Liu Xiangyang exclaimed excitedly, "A great start! Little sister, do you think we can sell out today?"

Liu Zhixia smiled confidently: "Don't worry, as long as the products are good, there's no shortage of buyers."

Sure enough, even more people tried the food this time, and more people also bought it.

Twenty cans had already been sold by the end of the morning.

At lunchtime, when there were fewer people, the brother and sister took out steamed buns and ate them heartily with their homemade pickled vegetables. The crunchy sound attracted the attention of the vendors at the nearby stalls, who all came over wanting a bite.

Liu Zhixia didn't mind at all and warmly invited them to eat together.

The black market has its own rules, and it's always good to maintain good neighborly relations.

Just then, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie walked over with two men who looked like bodyguards.

He picked up a bamboo skewer, tasted the pickled vegetable, and nodded in satisfaction: "How much is this pickled vegetable?"

“Comrade, five cents a can!” Liu Xiangyang replied immediately.

The man took another bite, his eyes lighting up: "It tastes really good, and it even gives you a boost of energy. It's a great product! I can buy some for the guys at the construction site!"

He tossed aside the bamboo skewers, took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, and looked down at the brother and sister with a condescending air: "Young man, I'll offer you a big deal, how about it?"

The surrounding vendors all cast envious glances their way.

Liu Xiangyang scratched his head: "What kind of business are you looking to do?"

The man held up three fingers, his tone arrogant: "Three cents a can, give me a hundred cans every week. Don't complain about the low price. You're all living in fear here, why not cooperate with me? The income is stable."

Liu Xiangyang was momentarily at a loss for words, then looked at Liu Zhixia and said, "Little sister, you're in charge of this business."

Liu Zhixia smiled faintly, her voice soft yet firm:

"Sorry, I don't even make much profit selling these pickled vegetables for five cents a jar. Three cents? I wouldn't even break even. Sir, I have no interest in working for you for free."