The days passed by peacefully and happily as they sold braised meat and gathered medicinal herbs every day. Before they knew it, Er Ya's fifth birthday arrived.
Early in the morning, Jiang's mother got up and started busying herself. There were quite a few dishes to cook today, so she had told Li Taohua in advance to come and help. Sure enough, her loud voice could be heard from afar:
"Sister-in-law, I rushed over as fast as I could, just to finish up things at home. Why are you already busy?"
Jiang's mother said softly, "It's not like I can't move. Let's start with what I can do. When I went to see the doctor last time, he also said that I need to move around more so that I can give birth more easily in the future."
"Look at your belly, it's a little scary to look at. Is it just around the corner?"
Touching her belly, Jiang's mother's smile softened even more: "No way, it's not time yet. Maybe it's because I've been eating so well. They've been trying to get me to eat more every day. Look at my face, it's almost as big as a bowl."
Li Taohua said enviously, "Don't be jealous of me. I really hope I can live the life you have."
The two of them worked much faster, frying fish and stewing meat, with several pots steaming and bubbling away.
"You're envious of me? You're doing pretty well too. Since your old lady passed away, Gou Dan has been doing well. You've been running a small business, and I've noticed you've gained quite a bit of weight."
Li Taohua touched the fat on her face: "That's all thanks to you guys. You know, other people's businesses are kept secret and don't let others know about them, but you, on the other hand, taught me step by step. Our family is where it is today without your help."
Now things are much better. Her family's debts have been paid off, and she has saved some money. She can speak with more confidence now.
“Hey, look at the market, there are only a few stalls selling braised meat now, they're just making a little pocket money, it's nothing like when we were the only ones selling it.”
Li Taohua said with emotion, "I'm content with this. I have a few acres of land, take care of the children, and can earn a few yuan every day. So many people envy me, hahaha. I'll let them laugh at me back then. Now that I'm living a good life, I'll just stroll around in front of them a few times and make them angry."
Thinking of the money in the family's savings account, Jiang's mother couldn't suppress the smile on her face. She really couldn't believe that their family was now a household with ten thousand yuan.
The restaurant was doing incredibly well. In the first month, they received a thousand yuan in dividends, and they received more several times afterward, each time more than the first. In addition, the chili sauce they sold and the medicinal herbs Er Ya dug up over the past few months helped them accumulate so much savings.
And the most valuable thing was the wild ginseng that Er Ya found on the mountain last time. They took it to show Old He, and he held onto it tightly, reluctant to let go.
They said it looked to be at least two hundred years old, a rare find, and insisted that Er Ya take him with her next time she went up the mountain, as he wanted to share in Er Ya's good fortune. He would be content even if it was only a few decades old.
However, the family wasn't short of money for the time being, and Er Ya didn't want to sell it. Every time they dug it up, there were fewer and fewer of them left, and who knows what use it might be in the future if they kept it at home.
Old He didn't say anything when the other person didn't want to sell their things, but he repeatedly told Er Ya to keep them safe. As a doctor, he couldn't bear to see good things being wasted.
After cutting the meat, Li Taohua looked around and asked, "Where is our birthday boy/girl? Is he still sleeping in?"
Jiang's mother said irritably, "No way! She dragged Lin Xiao up the mountain first thing this morning, saying it's her birthday today and she'll have a very lucky day. She insisted on seeing what gift the mountain god had given her."
Li Taohua had complete faith in Er Ya's intuition, so she quickly spoke up for Er Ya: "That's right, I also think that the Mountain God is especially good to Er Ya. Just look at the day you two recognized Lin Xiao, good heavens, when I saw them carrying a basket of pheasants and rabbits, I was so shocked that I fell to the ground. You know, quite a few people in the village go into the mountains, but no one has the good fortune of Er Ya."
Jiang's mother couldn't stop smiling when she thought of Er Ya: "If that girl heard you praising her like that, she would be so happy that her tail would be wagging in the sky. You don't know, that girl has to be praised every day. She says that if she hears praise every day, she will be full of energy the next day. You tell me, what kind of talk is that?"
Li Taohua pondered for a moment: "No wonder I said my Gou Dan isn't as lovable as your Er Ya. Do you think it's because I scold him every day and have ruined his spirit? No, no, I have to praise him more in the future."
Just then, a child covered in mud, his face streaked with black and gray, ran excitedly into the yard shouting, "Mommy, Mommy, look what I found!"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Li Taohua forced a smile and was about to praise him when she stepped out of the kitchen and exclaimed, "Good heavens, who is this?"
As soon as the child saw Li Taohua come out, he quickly ran up to her and said, "Look, I caught a big fish. Why don't you take it and cook it for Er Ya to make fish soup?"
Li Taohua surveyed the yard, grabbed a stick, and started hitting him: "You naughty monkey, are you trying to drive me crazy? I just changed your clothes this morning, and in such a short time, you've gotten them like this. Are you sent by God to torment me?"
Dog Egg has learned his lesson now. He won't just stand there and let her hit him anymore. He carefully put the fish he caught into the basin and called out, "Auntie, I put the fish there. Don't forget to give Er Ya some water."
Jiang's mother looked at the fish in the basin, which was no bigger than the palm of her hand, and shouted loudly, "Okay, I know, Gou Dan, run up the mountain, Er Ya and the others are there."
As expected, Gou Dan obediently ran up the mountain. This seven or eight-year-old child was incredibly fast, and he disappeared in no time.
Li Taohua returned angrily with a stick in her hand, complaining, "Sister-in-law, you always side with him. Look, he's not afraid of me at all."
Jiang's mother said earnestly, "Children are naturally playful. If you don't let them play freely now, when will they ever get to play? Er Ya often says that we shouldn't stifle a child's interests and hobbies. Sometimes I think Er Ya is too unlike a child. I also envy the mother-son relationship between you and Gou Dan, but Er Ya doesn't give me that opportunity."
"They say a half-grown boy can drive his father crazy. If I let him have his fun, he might have gone so far as to tear down our house. You have no idea, sister-in-law. Last time he brought a bunch of kids to our house to play some kind of house game, and they almost set the house on fire."
To be continued!
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