Zhao Dashan continued working on the stove, and by the time it got dark, the stove was finally finished!

Yin Lan went over to look, and Zhao Dashan explained that by adding firewood here, they could use this big pot, which could hold a small pot, to cook things and boil water at the same time, and even make two dishes at the same time.

The stove was now waist-high for Yin Lan, so she no longer had to bend over and squat on the ground to cook. Besides, there weren't many people in her family, so the stove would definitely be enough.

Tonight, Yin Lan will use the new stove to cook. The flames won't fly around, so there's no need to worry about burning her hands. The heat is also more concentrated, making cooking much faster.

Yin Lan was very satisfied, and a moment later, the fragrant braised fish was ready.

In addition, sweet potatoes were steamed in the rice, and with the braised offal from lunch, the meal was quite luxurious.

Da Dong and Xiao Xi were too embarrassed to eat any more, so the two kids ate a little and then immediately ran off. Pa Yin Lan complained that they ate too much.

After finishing his meal, Tian Youwei took a little bit of offal with him to give to his mother to try.

Yin Lan took the remaining pig offal, which wasn't much at all. She had specifically saved it for Zhao Dashan so he could take it back to his family, including his mother, wife, and child, to try and see if it could be sold.

Zhao Dashan felt he had gotten a great deal, while Yin Lan felt he had done her a great favor. Despite their reluctance to part, Zhao Dashan couldn't resist Yin Lan's insistence and gratefully took the items back.

Grandma Zhao looked at the food and muttered, "Everyone in the village is saying that the pig offal made by Madam Yin is incredibly delicious. How could pig offal possibly be delicious?" But she could indeed smell a fragrance that was hard to resist.

She took a bite, and her eyes lit up.

Da Shan's wife also ate some, and gave the rest to Da Hu and Er Hu.

"Aunt Yin is amazing! She can even make something as simple as pig offal taste delicious!"

“I think this stuff can sell. I went to a restaurant in the county town once when I was young. They sell cold dishes and snacks, but the taste is nothing like this.” Grandma Zhao took another bite. “Completely inferior, not even remotely comparable.”

But the woman from the mountains was also worried, "That's all ancient history, maybe people's tastes have improved now?"

Zhao Dashan denied it, saying, "I don't think so. When I came to the city, I often heard people say that the restaurants in the county town are getting worse year by year. I heard that the head chefs in the restaurants are old and the food tastes worse after they were replaced. The offal from Runxi's pig is much better than what they sell."

What are the prices like at that restaurant?

Zhao Dashan was the only one in the family who went out often, and he didn't have the opportunity or money to eat out. He had never eaten pork, but he had always seen pigs run. "A small plate of pork actually costs five hundred coins."

"What?"

The mountain woman's eyes popped out of their sockets.

"This is still our county town, which is considered poor. I've heard that in other counties, some can sell for one or two taels of silver."

The mountain woman was so shocked she couldn't close her mouth.

"Pork offal is so cheap, if a woman from the mountains were to sell it, how much money could she make?" The mountain woman longed for it.

"This matter must not be told to anyone else," Old Mrs. Zhao declared decisively.

People ask for their opinions because they trust them. If this kind of thing is shared, there will definitely be envious people, and who knows what they will do then.

"Dashan, go and tell Madam Yin about the situation, and remind her not to let anyone know," Old Madam Zhao reminded her.

"There's no way around it. The offal smells too good to be true. But I don't think anyone knows how to make it. It's all the work of Run's wife. And she didn't hide it from me. I saw her adding oil and sugar like crazy. In the whole village, besides her, who else would dare to add that much? Adding hundreds of coins to the pot, if the food doesn't taste good and we can't sell it, we'll lose a fortune."

"So, it's not a problem."

After Zhao Dashan said that, Old Mrs. Zhao felt relieved, though she cursed Yin Lan for being wasteful.

However, if you call her a spendthrift, then if she could actually sell all that stuff in the restaurant, that wouldn't be spendthrift at all; that would be outrageous profiteering!

So, it's possible to save money, but you can't save much in the end. To make big money, you need investment, capital, and courage.

In Old Mrs. Zhao's opinion, this Mrs. Yin is a spendthrift, but perhaps it's not such a bad thing. If she squanders the money, she can bring prosperity to the family.

It all depends on whether she can pull it off.

However, her character is impeccable. She is grateful and repays kindness, and even a small favor, though not a great one, has been repaid to her family in many ways.

People like this are unlikely to do too badly.

This was the first time that Old Mrs. Zhao had given Yin Lan such high praise in her heart.

Small thatched hut.

As always, washing dishes at home is the responsibility of the eldest and second children.

Before they had even finished washing, the sound of gongs and drums rang out throughout the village.

In the past, she would have gone over by herself, leaving the two kids to wash the dishes. But now she was a little worried; who knew if those thieves would come over?

After washing the dishes, Yin Lan took her three children out.

The first and second children can walk on their own, but the third child has to be carried because he's quite heavy.

In the open space, after everyone had almost all arrived, the village head announced what Chen Yourun had come to explain that day.

Unlike the wild boar incident, people had a different attitude. Faced with bandits, no one harbored any illusions anymore.

Last year, many places experienced drought, but only Tiejian Village and the surrounding county seat were spared. It is not impossible that they were targeted by bandits.

Moreover, once they're targeted, the losses aren't just about wasting food; they could even cost lives.

"I was supposed to go to the county town to report, but due to the heavy snow, it might take me until tomorrow morning to make the round trip."

Everyone felt quite heavy-hearted; what should we do?

So the village head introduced Chen Yourun's method, and with Chen Yourun's help, the voices of doubt decreased even more.

"Chen Yourun and his wife came up with a plan to detect invading bandits in time and protect everyone's safety. Anyone who wants to join the guard team can sign up. It's not without reward; everyone who joins will receive an acre of wasteland in the village."

Yin Lan never expected that her suggestion would be reported to the village head by Chen Yourun.

Soon, many people signed up. The village head handed over the task to Chen Yourun. There were too many applicants, so they had to be screened according to certain criteria.

Finally, forty people were selected from families with more than one man, who were reliable, capable, and obedient.

Chen Dafu, who was not selected, looked at the third son of the Chen family who was selected and was particularly resentful. He muttered to the people around him, "Chen Yourun only knows how to choose relatives and people who flatter him. It's so unfair. When it comes to fighting, I'm not inferior to anyone."

People around him challenged him, "Do you think you can beat Chen Yourun?"