When Ye Caiping and Ye Yong returned home, the lunch portion of spicy soup had already been delivered.

"Yong'er!" Upon seeing Ye Yong, Madam Du rushed over excitedly.

Ye Daquan, Old Lady Ye, Ye Jinhua, and Wei Shi also gathered around.

"Mom, I'm fine." Ye Yong smiled.

This smile wasn't as eerie as it was yesterday; it was genuinely relaxed.

Du looked worried: "Little sister, what's wrong with you...?"

Did they persuade Ye Yong to let go completely, or is there really hope?

Ye Caiping lowered her voice: "In a few days, sister-in-law, just wait for her to come begging to your door!"

Without her saying it aloud, Madam Du and Old Lady Ye guessed that she was referring to Xiuxiu Niang.

The group looked puzzled, but seeing that Ye Caiping was unwilling to reveal more, they were anxious but dared not ask.

"Mother." Ye Huan'er squeezed forward at this moment, "Today is the fourth day, should we go to the county town to set up a stall tomorrow?"

"No rush." ​​Ye Caiping smiled. "We should start building the house now. We'll be busy then. Once this matter is settled, we'll set up a stall in the county town for a few days and distribute the soup there. We'll do it like in the town, without setting up a stall, just delivering the soup."

Ye Huan'er smiled, her eyes narrowed: "Mm."

Ye Caiping looked at Old Madam Ye: "Mother, what's the date today?"

"October 30th, tomorrow is November!"

Ye Caiping said, "I'm really too busy. Starting in November, I won't make the spicy soup anymore. My mother and my two sisters-in-law will make it."

As she spoke, she looked at Madam Du and Madam Wei: "Eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, I wonder if you would be willing? The wages are the same as Mother's, thirty coins a day."

Du and Wei's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes!"

Ye Caiping nodded. With the help of her two sisters-in-law, she became more skilled and her mother no longer needed to lift a finger.

"Thirty coins... seems a bit high, hehe." Du said this, but she was secretly overjoyed. However, she had to be polite and refuse outwardly.

Ye Caiping smiled and said, "Not high. Starting in November, my eldest and second eldest brothers will also have their salaries increased to thirty coins. From then on, they will be paid monthly."

Since they started making spicy soup, both Grandma Ye and Ye Bajin have been eating it once a day.

But that's too cumbersome, and with the number of people increasing, we still need to settle accounts monthly.

"Okay." Mrs. Du nodded hurriedly. She was so happy she almost fainted; starting in November, she would be paid!

"After we finish eating, I'll talk to my eldest and second brothers again." Ye Caiping stretched and, arm in arm with Old Lady Ye, walked towards the main room, saying, "We should also start planning the house construction."

"They also deliver to the county town... Can an oxcart handle it?" Old Mrs. Ye thought of this. "Pulling six buckets at noon is already quite strenuous. The ox from Bajin's family has lost weight."

Ye Caiping laughed and said, "Then let's buy an oxcart too, so that the old ox of Bajin's family can catch its breath."

"It's time to buy it."

After lunch, Ye Caiping told Ye Daquan about the wage increase and the matter of asking the Du and Wei families for help. Ye Daquan and the others naturally had no objections.

As for how to deliver the goods, that depends on how much distribution is possible in the county.

Then they discussed building a house.

Buying bricks and tiles, hiring workers—everything was discussed and agreed upon.

Ye Caiping smiled and said, "Big brother, come with me to buy cattle first thing tomorrow morning. By the way, be sure to call Bajin along; he's experienced in looking after cattle."

"Then when we deliver it to the morning market, my little sister will come along." Ye Daquan rubbed his hands together with joy; their family was going to have a cow soon!

Upon hearing this, Ye Yong nervously gulped down all the water in his cup.

...

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Ye Caiping, Ye Daquan, and Ye Huan'er rode together in an oxcart, slowly making their way to town.

By the time the deliveries were finished, it was already dawn.

The group ate breakfast at Fatty's place before heading to the cattle market.

The cattle dealer saw people coming in and quickly came forward to greet them: "Gentlemen, are you here to buy cattle?"

"Yes, introduce some to us, the strongest ones."

The cattle dealer smiled and led everyone to see the cattle one by one. This dealer was an honest man; Ye Bajin nodded in approval of all the cattle he introduced, saying they were worth the price.

Finally, I settled on a black water buffalo and bought it for sixteen taels of silver. As for the cart for hauling goods, just getting that would cost another tael of silver.

Looking at the robust ox, Ye Bajin felt both happy and somewhat disappointed: "From now on, Sister Caiping and you will be able to deliver goods yourselves, and Daquan will be able to drive an oxcart too."

Ye Caiping laughed and said, "What are you talking about! We still have to deliver goods to the county town, and your old ox will still have to work. With ours, things will be easier."

Ye Bajin's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Sister Caiping."

"Starting in November, wages will increase by five coins, but payments will be made monthly."

Ye Bajin never expected that not only would things be easier for him in the future, but he would also get a raise. He was so happy that he didn't know what to do.

Ye Caiping said, "Big brother, Bajin, you two stay here and keep an eye on them as they put the carts on the oxen. Huan'er and I are going out for a stroll."

"Go ahead, go ahead!"

After leaving the cattle market, Ye Caiping and her daughter arrived at the south street of the small town.

"Cai's Carpentry Shop, Mother, is this the one?" Ye Huan'er asked in a low voice.

Ye Caiping smiled and nodded: "Let's go!"

The mother and daughter walked into the carpenter's shop together.

The shop wasn't very big, with some tables and chairs.

A square-faced young man in his early twenties was sitting on the ground, seemingly polishing something.

A woman in her forties stepped forward and asked, "What would you like to buy, sirs?"

As Ye Caiping looked around, she said, "Just browsing. Um... do you offer door-to-door work services?"

The carpenter Cai on the ground had a bright look in his eyes: "You've come to our door, what do you want?"

"My family is planning to build a house and we'd like to find someone to make some doors and windows. I saw that this is a carpentry shop while I was shopping, so I came in to ask."

The woman—Cai's mother—became even more enthusiastic: "You've come to the right place. We specialize in making doors and windows."

"Mom... let's go to the county to do it!" Ye Huan'er held Ye Caiping's hand, pouting. "Uncle said that the workshops in the county are better, and I heard that they know the latest patterns. Then our house will be the most beautiful in the whole Qinghe Village."

When Cai the carpenter and his mother heard this, they were shocked! They couldn't let this business opportunity slip away.

Mother Cai had a sudden inspiration and laughed, "Oh my, the little girl has such good taste, knowing that there are new patterns in the county. Don't worry, our patterns follow the county's trends. Whatever is popular there, we will make it, and it will definitely be better than what's popular in the county."

"Besides, no matter how you look at it, we're relatives, I wouldn't cheat you."

Ye Caiping looked surprised: "This... Big sister, you are surnamed Cai, right? We don't have any relatives with the surname Cai."

Cai's mother exclaimed, "You're from Qinghe Village, aren't you? My son's fiancée is from your village. My son is your village's son-in-law! Aren't we relatives?"

Ye Caiping looked puzzled: "Huh? May I ask who your nephew's fiancée is...?"

"That girl's name is Hu... Hu Xiuxiu! Yes, her name is Hu Xiuxiu!"

Ye Caiping looked like she suddenly realized: "Oh, it's Xiuxiu! I know her!"

Cai's mother's smile widened; as long as there was some connection, the business deal would be much easier to close.

"My elder sister and nephew are truly noble for being willing to marry Xiuxiu."

Ye Caiping looked at Cai's mother and Cai the carpenter with admiration and sympathy.