Chapter 81 Filial Piety
The farce in front of the reception building ended with Chef Wang's complete defeat and San Ya's fame.
The thunderous applause was not only for San Ya, but also for all those who were not favored but still worked hard to live.
Feng Lan and Chen Kangbo walked through the dispersing crowd and came to their daughter.
Chen Kangbo's face flushed with excitement. He picked up Sanya and gave her a big kiss on the cheek: "Well done! You are worthy of being my daughter, Chen Kangbo! You have backbone! Daddy is proud of you!"
San Ya felt a little embarrassed by the praise, and her little face flushed, but her bright eyes sparkled with an unprecedented brilliance.
Feng Lan walked forward, straightened her messy hair, and said softly, "Mother only found out today that my San Ya is not only a restless little firecracker, but also a brave and resourceful chef."
She looked at San Ya and said seriously, "San Ya, what you said today was very good. There is no high or low in food, and the same goes for people.
Whatever you like and are good at, just do it."
"Your elder and second sisters like needlework and can shine in the embroidery workshop. You like pots and pans, so you can still make a name for yourself in front of the stove. I don't ask you all to become ladies of noble families carved out of the same mold. I just hope that you can all live the way you like."
Feng Lan's words flowed into San Ya's heart like a warm stream.
She has always felt that she is an outsider.
While her sisters were able to sit quietly and create beautiful patterns with a small embroidery needle, she was the only one who was fidgeting and felt that the silk threads were more difficult to bear than chains.
She even secretly wondered if she wasn't good enough or not girly enough.
But now, her mother told her that it was fine the way she was.
"Mother..." San Ya's eyes turned red. She threw herself into Feng Lan's arms and said in a muffled voice, "I...I thought you would blame me for causing trouble."
"Silly child." Feng Lan patted her back gently. "You're not causing trouble. You're standing up for yourself and for all the despised women in the world. I'm so proud of you, how could I blame you?"
The family returned to the embroidery workshop, and Daya and Erya also gathered around them, admiring and fearing Sanya.
When the family was having dinner that night, San Ya lowered her head, picking at the rice in her bowl. After hesitating for a long time, she whispered, "Dad, Mom, I... I have an idea."
"Tell me, what are your ideas?" Chen Kangbo was in a good mood and picked up a piece of food for San Ya with chopsticks.
San Ya mustered up her courage and raised her head: "I want to... I want to set up a small stall in front of our embroidery workshop."
"Set up a stall?" The whole family was stunned.
"Yes!" Seeing that no one objected, San Ya became bolder and spoke more fluently.
"It's so hot now. The ladies who come to our embroidery workshop to buy things, as well as the pedestrians passing by on the street, must be hot and thirsty. I want to sell some summer-heat-relief herbal tea or sour plum soup at the door. Our embroidery workshop is bustling with people, so business is sure to be good! This way, I can also earn money for my family!"
After she finished speaking, she looked at Feng Lan and Chen Kangbo nervously, fearing that they would think this was not a proper job and was not presentable.
Feng Lan looked at her daughter's eyes, which were full of anticipation yet a hint of uneasiness, and she suddenly understood.
Even though she won the competition today, the lack of confidence in her heart hadn't been completely eliminated. She still wanted to prove herself, to prove that she wasn't just a useless person at home.
Feng Lan didn't expose her daughter's little trick. Instead, she smiled and nodded, concluding, "That's a great idea! Very clever! We have the right time, right place, and right people. We're sure to make money!"
"Really, mother? You agree?" San Ya couldn't believe her ears.
"Of course I agree!" Feng Lan said with a smile, "I'll leave this matter to you with full responsibility. If you need anything, just tell me. If you make money, except for the capital, the rest will be yours to keep as your own piggy bank!"
Chen Kangbo also laughed out loud: "Okay! I'll find a carpenter tomorrow to make you a set of the best tables, chairs and benches!"
With the support of the whole family, San Ya was so happy that she almost jumped up, and the worries and anxieties in her heart disappeared in an instant.
The next day, we got to work.
Feng Lan took San Ya to the street to buy the things they needed for their stall. They bought a lot of things, including pots and pans, tea leaves, rock sugar, and black plums and hawthorns for making sour plum soup.
When passing by the butcher's shop, Feng Lan thought that her family hadn't eaten meat properly for several days, so she pulled San Ya in.
"Boss, give me two pounds of the best pork belly."
"Oh, okay!"
Coincidentally, just as they finished speaking, two people walked in from the butcher shop. They were Chen Kangshu, the third son of Chen from the west courtyard, and his wife.
Life in the West Courtyard has become much better since he relied on the lie that there was a treasure at home to get his daughter-in-law's family to send food.
Uncle Chen Kang and his wife had some spare money, so they thought of buying some meat to show their filial piety to Old Mrs. Chen, and at the same time, to find out the truth about the century-old ginseng and the underground gold ingots.
"Boss, we want that piece of pork belly!" Chen Kangshu's wife pointed to the last piece of fat and lean pork belly on the chopping board and said loudly.
The butcher looked embarrassed and said, "Madam, I'm so sorry, but this piece of meat has already been requested by this lady."
Chen Kangshu's wife then noticed Feng Lan and San Ya standing nearby. She curled her lips and said sarcastically, "Oh, who was it? It turns out to be the eldest sister-in-law from the East Courtyard. How come, now that you've made a fortune, you know how to eat meat?"
Feng Lan was too lazy to argue with her and said to the butcher, "Boss, cut it."
"Wait!" Chen Kangshu's wife was anxious. She grabbed the boss's knife and said, "We want this meat too! We're buying it to honor my mother! She's in good health and needs some nourishment!"
She placed great emphasis on the word "filial piety", as if Feng Lan would be unfilial if she didn't agree.
Chen Kangshu also stood up and said to Feng Lan confidently, "Sister-in-law, since you bought it for mother, you should give it to us. Your family is rich anyway, so you can afford this."
He spoke lightly, but he had no intention of giving money.
Feng Lan was so angry that she laughed at the couple's shamelessness.
"Give it to you? Why?" She looked at Chen Kangshu coldly, "Chen Laosan, your mother is your mother, not mine. When we split up the family business, it was clearly written in black and white that the two families have no connection anymore. I have no obligation to take care of your mother until her death, and I have no reason to give you the meat I bought. If you want it, go buy it from someone else yourself!"
"You!" Chen Kangshu's face turned red from choking.
"Besides," Feng Lan glanced at the two of them.
"You are so filial, what were you doing earlier? Where were you when the old lady fainted from hunger? Now you come to me to snatch the meat to show your filial piety, who are you doing this for? Are you trying to get more treasures from the old lady?"
These words, like a knife, pierced through the couple's thoughts.
Their faces turned pale and blue, and they became angry and embarrassed.
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