Time flies, and it's already the eighth day of the lunar new year.

This time, they didn't have to make longevity peach buns, which made things much easier. They didn't have to get up so early either. They ate breakfast at home at 3:45 a.m. before setting off for the Xu family's house.

Three adults were cleaning fish; Xia Qiumei and Xia Ping were washing ginger and garlic; and Xia Chunmei was stewing bone broth.

The same thing had already been done once before in the Wang family, so everyone was familiar with the process and worked much more efficiently.

In addition, the dishes were much simpler this time, so they weren't as tired as last time.

After this, more and more people learned about Xia Chunmei's craftsmanship.

Everyone praised it highly.

Xia Chunmei received four more orders: two wedding banquets and two birthday banquets on August 20th, 25th, 26th, and 29th.

Once she accepted their orders, she couldn't accept other people's orders at the same time, so Xia Chunmei collected a deposit of fifty coins for each order.

"Chunmei, you're going to be famous! Haha!" Aunt Lihua was so happy she couldn't stop smiling.

Xia Chunmei's business is good, so she can make money too.

Xia Mingshi said excitedly, "This is just the beginning. Business will definitely be even better in the future. Let me tell you, I've calculated it. A whole fish feast is more economical, saving at least half the cost of the dishes..."

The Xu family wasn't as wealthy as the Wang family, so they mainly used crucian carp in their dishes, including pickled fish and braised fish. Only grass carp was used in their fish cakes and fish balls.

Crucian carp cost five coins per pound, grass carp eight coins, but chicken and duck cost ten coins per pound, and even if you buy all lean pork, it still costs ten coins.

If we follow the old standards for banquets, the cost of food would definitely double!

Moreover, Xia Chunmei's cooking skills are excellent. The dishes are served in a manner that is not at all impolite. They are so delicious that everyone would want to swallow their tongues. Anyone who is not stupid would know who to ask to cook!

The wedding banquet actually had 38 tables, but dishes were prepared for 40 tables. Xia Chunmei earned a total of 240 coins. After deducting the wages of the four people, Xia Chunmei and her sister Xia Qiumei earned 114 coins.

The news that Xia Chunmei was cooking at the Xu family's wedding banquet, which was also attended by people from Yijia Village, quickly spread throughout the entire village.

I used to only hear Lin Xiaojuan say that Xia Chunmei was a good cook, but now it's different.

Now that they've tasted it for themselves, these uneducated people can only describe it with words like delicious, very delicious, and extremely delicious.

"I didn't realize Chunmei was so capable."

"Now the sisters' lives are finally starting to improve."

"No wonder he wouldn't sell his skills for two taels of silver. I wouldn't agree to that either."

"Liu Changgui makes so much money in a year with this, Chunmei will probably do just as well in the future."

...

The villagers were all envious.

Many villagers approached Xia Chunmei, wanting to work with her in the kitchen. Some even offered to accept only half the wages in exchange for the opportunity.

This infuriated Aunt Lihua and Xia Mingshi, who were also worried. They knew they could find someone for half the price; what would Xia Chunmei choose?

“This is malicious competition. We all share the same surname, Xia. How can we get along in the future if you do this?” Xia Chunmei said. “Grandma Ming, Uncle Huohua, and Aunt Lihua have helped me a lot, and they have already done this with me twice. They are quite familiar with the process. Unless they do something to betray me, or they don’t want to do it themselves, I will not ask anyone else to replace them.”

Xia Chunmei's words reassured Xia Mingshi and Aunt Lihua.

At the same time, it's also a warning: if they dare to betray us, then sorry, the cooperation ends here, and there are plenty of people who want to make a living from this.

Hearing this, Xia Mingshi and Aunt Lihua were completely relieved.

They were all shrewd people and knew that Xia Chunmei had another meaning behind her words.

They quickly reassured her, "Chunmei, don't worry, we won't do anything to betray you."

Xia Mingshi: "That's right. Lin Qianhong came to me and said that as long as I learn your skills and then teach them to her, she will give me five taels of silver. Don't worry, I won't do that."

Xia Chunmei had long guessed that Lin Qianhong would target Aunt Pear Blossom, Xia Mingshi, which is why she said those things to warn her.

It seems to be useful so far.

"I trust your character, Auntie and Grandma Ming." After saying that, Xia Chunmei said to the other villagers, "All of you uncles and aunts watched me grow up. If there are other opportunities in the future, I will take you all with me."

"Chunmei, then we'll wait."

"Yes, we've been waiting for you."

…………

The villagers gradually dispersed.

Xia Chunmei secretly approached Chen Jinlian.

Chen Jinlian is Xia Xiao'e's mother and the eldest daughter of Chen Shuitian, the village chief of Chenjiaqiao.

Because of this identity, Xia Chunmei wanted to bring her along to work.

She was completely stunned when she heard Xia Chunmei ask her to help her with the kitchen!

"Chunmei, don't worry, I won't hold you back."

"Auntie, I know you're a skilled worker. Auntie, how old is your niece?"

"Chunmei, why are you asking this?"

"The birthday banquet the day after tomorrow is expected to have 60 tables. With just a few of us, I'm afraid it might be a bit too much. I'll have your niece from your mother's side come and help out, like washing scallions, ginger, and garlic, and tending the fire. The first time, the pay will be a little less; I'll give her 25."

Upon hearing about the large sum of money, Chen Jinlian's eyes widened, and she immediately said, "We don't need to find anyone else for this job; Xiao'e can do it."

Xia Xiao'e looked hopeful.

Yang Jinlian's mother-in-law, Qiu, immediately chimed in: "Yes, yes, yes, we don't need to find anyone else for this job. Xiao'e can do it too. If all else fails, I'll go with you."

"Grandma Qiu and Xiao'e are certainly good, but I still want your niece from your family to do it."

"Why"

Xia Xiao'e was almost in tears. She really wanted to go with them; she could earn money and eat fancy meals at the same time.

Yang Jinlian was very clever. After a moment's thought, she said, "Chunmei, it's because of the Chen family."

Xia Chunmei laughed and said, "Nothing can be hidden from your aunt. You and Grandma Qiu know what kind of people my stepmother's family are. I don't have any other requests, just that they stop bothering me."

Xia Chunmei had already dealt with the Chen family severely last time, so they wouldn't dare to cause trouble for a while. However, she was worried that they might try something underhanded.

Liu Xiang definitely wouldn't dare to do it again; facial features don't lie, she was genuinely frightened.

But there are other men in the Chen family, like Liu Xiang's husband and her son, neither of them are good people. The women in the Chen family are bad on the surface, but the men are bad inside.

For example, when people came to steal the original owner's belongings, the three men of the Chen family never showed up; it was always the women and children who did it. They would sit back and enjoy the benefits, or offer suggestions.

Xia Chunmei's economic situation is getting better and better, and she is afraid that they will secretly play tricks on her.

She wasn't afraid, but she was worried that her three adopted sisters might fall into a trap.

Therefore, he needs someone to keep an eye on the Chen family at all times.

Actually, Xia Ping'an was the most suitable ghost candidate, but he had to keep an eye on Xia Changjiang and couldn't leave.

Also, it's already August, and it will start getting cold next month. It will start snowing in November, so we must prepare winter supplies before October.

She can't waste her time fighting for the best; she needs to make money as soon as possible!

Chen Shuitian is the village chief. He has many brothers, children, and grandchildren. If he wanted to suppress, deal with, or monitor his maternal grandmother's family, it would be very easy.

Moreover, Chen Shuitian's grandson, Chen Yongxin, is in school and cares more about his reputation than most families. Xia Chunmei is alone and powerless, so she needs to unite all the forces she can.

"Chunmei, you don't need to worry about the Chen family causing you trouble. When they come, we will definitely help you." Qiu Shi was still unwilling to give up and hoped that this opportunity to make money would fall into the hands of her own family.

"It definitely won't work this time, but there will be other opportunities in the future," Xia Chunmei said, still declining the offer.

Chen Jinlian said, "Since that's the case, then I'll make a trip and explain this to my parents, brother, and sister-in-law. My niece, Xiaoyu, is thirteen years old this year and is very diligent."

"There's a lot of work to do that day, so we have to set off for Xujiawan at 3 AM the day after tomorrow."

Xu's maternal home was Xujiawan.

Seeing that Xia Xiao'e's eyes were red and she was about to cry, Xia Chunmei thought for a moment and said, "Xiao'e, although I can't take you, I have a connection. I don't know if you'd be interested."

What approach?

“My younger sister has to stay home to take care of her younger sister, and there are chickens and ducks to feed. She doesn’t have time to collect firewood. If you’re willing, you can send a load of firewood to my house every day, and I’ll give you three wild eggs. Pine needles are fine too, but one pine needle will get you two baskets in exchange for one wild egg.”

With many wedding banquets approaching at the end of the year, the reputation of the whole fish feast and longevity peach buns has already spread. Xia Chunmei and Xia Qiumei will definitely be very busy in the future. Even if they have a day or two off, they will still need to fish to exchange for food, so they definitely won't have time to collect firewood.

"If Uncle Frog is free, ask him to prepare ten loads of firewood for me. I will give him thirty coins and also send him two wild chickens to supplement his diet."

Upon hearing this, Qiu slapped her thigh with joy: "Chunmei, don't worry, I'll definitely get it done for you."