The meat couldn't be kept until tomorrow, it would spoil, so Yu's mother and Liu's mother simply cooked it all.

Apricot wine stewed with pork belly, some dried orange peel, hawthorn fermented bean curd juice and white sugar, stewed together in advance for an hour, the pieces of reddish-brown pork belly with soft skin and tender meat, although the wine has evaporated, the light apricot aroma is still retained.

Next up is a spicy crab. Although it's not as plump as crabs from later generations, river crabs have their own way of being eaten. After removing the shell and cleaning it, stir-fry it with scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers, and it has a unique flavor.

Make some steamed egg custard for the triplets. Stir-fry the water spinach only after the father arrives; if you stir-fry it too early, it will turn yellow and soft, and won't taste good.

As soon as Yu Qian entered, he smelled the overpowering aroma and pungent spiciness, carrying two yellow catfish in his hand.

Yu's mother, with her sharp eyes, spotted it immediately. "Oh! This yellow catfish is fresh. Since your dad won't be back for another half hour, I'll just take it and cook it for tonight. It'll be perfect for making soup for Beibei and the others."

So tonight, I added a yellow catfish soup to the meal.

When my father arrived home, the pungent spiciness was gone, replaced by a strong, aromatic scent.

Liu's mother went home after breakfast the next morning, and Liu Yun and her husband started taking the triplets to daycare in the morning, then going to work. After work, Yu Qianhe would pick them up, while Liu Yun would go home to cook. Fortunately, there were two buses that went directly to their doorstep during that time, so Yu Qianhe could pick them up by himself.

The triplets' daycare was right next to the police station where their father worked. Whenever he had free time, he would peek at it, and their mother would also check on them occasionally, so it was very safe. The daycare teachers also knew who their father was, so bullying was simply impossible for the triplets.

Liu Yun and Yu Qianhe's schedules were now staggered, and with the house surrounded by walls, there was absolutely no possibility of being spied on. Liu Yun was happy; she could now pick fresh vegetables every night, and finally, she could openly use her space and consume its contents. Heaven knows how stifled she had been before, always having to rack her brains to send things to Yu's mother. Now, she could use it however she wanted, as long as Yu Qianhe didn't find out.

Within a month, Liu Yun had filled all the pickling jars. She pickled everything that could be pickled this season, and also made two jars of salted duck eggs. If she had enough jars, she would never have stopped. These things are used as side dishes in the morning, and can be used with noodles, rice noodles, or porridge. They can also be given to neighbors.

In just one month, Liu Yun's space was no longer so messy. Although the fish still often ate themselves to death and the number of rabbits was still out of control, at least the plants and fruits inside no longer ripened and fell to the ground as nutrients, and grew in a messy way.

She planted them according to designated areas before, but later she couldn't manage them all, and they grew quite haphazardly, especially in the orchard, where all sorts of vines, melons, fruits, and peppers were everywhere. Now she can take better care of them.

These days, there are more and more dried goods in the living room cabinets, and more and more dried vegetables and mushrooms in the kitchen cabinets.

But there's nothing she can do; everyone says timid people can't achieve great things. Those who reach high positions are never truly rigid, rule-abiding, and honest people. She's that kind of person. Without a bit of courage, she can only keep the treasure for herself and wouldn't dare go to the black market. At most, she'd sell it to a few trusted friends or relatives to earn some money for baby formula. She wouldn't dare go to the black market, nor would she.

She racked her brains for several years but still didn't earn as much as Yu Qian did a few days before the New Year. She should just give up and stay home quietly.

Things took a turn for the better when Liu Jing came to visit her and saw the cabinet full of dried fruit, which caught her eye.

"Damn it, third sister, you didn't even tell me about this!" Liu Jing was annoyed. You could say her younger sister was smart and bold, but often didn't know how to make money. But you could also say she was timid, as she could support herself while still in school, and her grain trading could feed the whole family. And you could also say she was stupid, because if she didn't want to, you couldn't expect to get a single penny out of her.

"It's like I'm missing out on your food and drink, but you've eaten everything you need." Not to mention anything else, she would send a bag of dried fruit to Xiao Zhihua every now and then, and then pass it on to Liu Jing.

"Is this what I meant? Do you have a lot of this? Cheng Ke hasn't had any clothes made for a long time, and I'm almost out of money." Cheng Ke hasn't had any clothes made since she was heavily pregnant. Her mother-in-law is still taking care of her baby, and the baby is still young, so the business has to be suspended for a while.

"Yes, we do have money, but what are you planning to do with it? And you say you don't have any money, do you think I'd believe your nonsense?" Although Liu Jing and her family earn more, they do spend much more than their family, but they certainly don't lack money. Buying ten or so houses like hers in a small courtyard wouldn't be a problem.

"How about we team up and get a batch? This stuff is rare everywhere, and it's presentable whether you buy it for yourself or as a gift. Are you in?"

"No, I don't plan to get involved in this. But if you want to, I can help you bring some goods, but I won't get involved." Liu Yun didn't plan to start a business right now, but she could still get a small amount of goods for her.

How many can you get at once?

"Ten or twenty kilograms is no problem, but anything more than that is not an option."

"Okay, I'll come find you then, and you can get as much as you can." Liu Jing was already quite satisfied with this much, after all, fruit was a rare commodity these days, and dried fruit was even rarer. Besides, these were things like dried apples, dried pears, dried bayberries, and red dates; those candied fruits were even harder to find.

"Sure, but you can't tell anyone that I got these for you. Brother-in-law, you should also keep quiet. I don't want to get involved in this. This time it's really real, and we were just lucky." Liu Yun didn't plan to do this for long; she would stop once she used up a batch of dried fruit, since there were too many to explain their origin.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!