However, the recruitment will have to wait until she returns to the village; right now, the most important thing is to make longevity peach buns.
Xia Chunmei and the others first went to the Zhuang family and found Wang Aiju, who then took them to the customer's house.
Just like last time, Xia Chunmei did half of it today, and will do the other half tomorrow morning.
This time the quantity was large. Initially, it was said to be for sixty tables, but this family likes to eat longevity peach buns, and since the weather is cold now and things can't be stored for long, they asked Xia Chunmei to make an extra hundred to keep for later.
A hundred sounds like a lot, but actually these things aren't that big. An average adult would need four or five to feel full. Plus, families don't usually separate, so three generations together can make quite a few people. A hundred would probably only last two or three days.
Xia Chunmei and the others were busy until the end of the 11 PM to finish.
"Sister, are we going shopping now that we're done with our work?" Xia Qiumei asked.
"We won't go shopping today. You, Grandma Ming, and Xiaoping go back first. I have something to do at the Jin family's house. I might not be going back tonight. Listen to your aunt at home. When you go back, buy a few skewers of candied hawthorns to share with your sister."
Upon hearing that Xia Chunmei was going to spend the night at the Jin family's house, Xia Qiumei was incredibly envious. The Jin family was being so generous; if she went along, wouldn't she...
"Big sister, I want to..."
"Don't even think about it, I have important things to do."
Xia Qiumei's eyes darted around, and Xia Chunmei knew what she was up to.
She was going to teach the Jin family how to make ginger candy, not just for fun; it was a trade secret.
Jin Yuntian wants to make a fortune this year, so he will definitely keep the method a closely guarded secret. Taking Xia Qiumei along would make Xia Chunmei seem too immature.
Xia Qiumei has become more obedient now. She knows that if Xia Chunmei says she won't take the child, she really won't. She also knows that crying and wailing won't help, so she just purses her lips and doesn't say anything.
As soon as the work here was finished, Xia Chunmei was picked up by a carriage. Xia Qiumei was extremely envious, fantasizing about when she could have that day too.
Xia Mingshi saw Xia Ping and Xia Qiumei off at the village entrance and then hurried to her eldest daughter Xia Huomiao's house to tell her about going to work for the Jin family.
"Six hundred coins a month? Mother, are you sure you're not mistaken?" Xia Huomiao was shocked upon hearing this.
“Chunmei’s introduction can’t be wrong. Besides, I heard her talking to Manager Xu. Get ready, come over early on the seventh day of the new year and set off with the villagers.”
"Chunmei is so amazing! The shopkeeper and Master Jin both give her so much face."
“Chunmei is very capable.” After saying that, Xia Mingshi lowered her voice and said to her daughter, “Just tell your in-laws that it’s 500 coins a month. You can save up 200 coins in two months.”
Xia Huomiao nodded repeatedly: "Mother, I know what to do, so don't worry."
Xia Huomiao's in-laws not only favored their younger son, but were also stingy, giving all the good things to their younger son's family, leaving Xia Huomiao's branch of the family with no benefit whatsoever.
They haven't separated yet, and all their earnings go to the public fund. Sometimes when they need something, like buying something for themselves or treating their children to a nice meal, they can't find a single penny to spare. It's so difficult.
Xia Mingshi knew this, which is why she gave Xia Huomiao such instructions.
"My mother-in-law is here!" Lin Jiangshi, Xia Huomiao's mother-in-law, said with a smile. "Huomiao, quickly cook two poached eggs for your mother-in-law. She's come all this way, it must be hard work."
Lin Jiangshi wouldn't have been so generous in the past, but recently Xia Huohua and Xia Mingshi made money from their banquet, so Lin Jiangshi's attitude has changed.
"I'm really hungry. I walked a long way here. Huomiao, get me three fried eggs."
Xia Huomiao immediately went to cook three poached eggs when her own mother wanted to eat poached eggs. Her mother-in-law agreed without saying a word.
Lin Jiang was taken aback. She was just being polite, but she didn't expect Xia Ming to be so impolite, asking for three fried eggs right away.
She was indeed reluctant to part with it, but since the words had already been spoken, Lin Jiangshi was too embarrassed to take them back. Besides, she was still hoping that Xia Mingshi could help the Lin family out.
Poached eggs cook quickly, and soon Xia Huomiao brought over a bowl of poached eggs with soup.
Xia Huomiao's eldest son smelled the aroma, stared longingly, and swallowed hard.
"Xiaohe, go and call your younger brother and sister back to eat together."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaohe looked at Xia Huomiao but did not move.
"Mother, don't worry about them, just eat your food."
“The child is too thin. Besides, I cook for him every day, so he doesn’t lack food or drink. You can’t see that I’ve gained weight around my waist. Xiaohe, go quickly, Grandma isn’t hungry.”
Lin Xiaohe then ran out to call for help, but the child was clever and quietly called her younger siblings back without alerting anyone else.
Xia Ming asked for three poached eggs, not for herself, but for her three grandsons.
Lin Xiaohe quickly called his younger siblings back, and Xia Mingshi told the three of them to take the food and share it.
Lin Jiangshi was heartbroken! It was one thing for her grandson to eat it, but the cheap maidservant also ate it, leaving her youngest son's grandson with nothing to eat.
"Alright, I'm going back now. Don't forget to meet me in the village on the morning of the seventh day of the lunar new year. Mother-in-law, I'm leaving now." Xia Mingshi said goodbye.
As soon as Xia Mingshi left, the children from the second branch of the Lin family saw Lin Xiaohe and his siblings eating eggs and immediately started fussing: "I want to eat eggs too! I want to eat eggs too! Waaah..."
Lin Jiangshi was biased towards the second branch of the family. Seeing the second branch's child crying so sadly, she quickly tried to snatch Lin Xiaohe's bowl. However, they rarely got to eat eggs, so they practically wolfed down their food. When Lin Jiangshi snatched it back, the bowl was empty.
"You're all reincarnated starving ghosts!" Lin Jiangshi cursed angrily.
"Grandma, I want to eat eggs too, I want to eat poached eggs..." Xiao Mu from the second wife sat on the ground and wailed.
"My darling, it's all my fault for being so useless. I can't even let you eat fried eggs. Who told you not to have a capable grandmother?"
While seemingly coaxing the child, Madam Lin Xu was actually making sarcastic remarks about Madam Lin Jiang's favoritism and Madam Xia Ming's Xia Huomiao being too scheming, saying that her mother had never received this kind of treatment when she came.
Her words were overheard by Xia Huomiao, who was escorting Xia Mingshi back. Xia Huomiao was not a weak person, especially now that her family had risen in power, she was even more assertive.
She said directly, "Xiao Mu, your mother is right. Who told you not to have a capable grandmother? Unlike our Xiao He and Xiao Sha, whose grandmothers and uncles can all make money."
Madam Lin was nearly driven mad by these words. She retorted irritably, "She's so rich, yet I've never seen her spend any of it on you? And she comes to our Lin family to beg for money!"
“My family didn’t give me any money, but that big fish yesterday was a gift from them. Sister-in-law, what did your family give you?”
Lin Xu's family wasn't too bad off, but even if they were, it was her son's family, not hers. She couldn't even get a single egg, let alone a five or six-pound fish.
Xia Huomiao continued smugly, "Actually, my mother came today to introduce me to a job. It's four hundred coins a month, with room and board included. So having a good family to rely on is really important, don't you think, sister-in-law?"
Madam Lin: "..." Damn it!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com