Cheng Yang and Cheng Feng, who were washing their faces in the yard, immediately came out upon hearing the commotion.
Cheng Yang, his face beaming, said, "Little sister, what brings you here?" Then he noticed the oxcart behind them. "Wow, that ox is so strong! So handsome!"
Sure enough, all men are the same; they can't resist a cow.
Cheng Feng also called out, "Auntie, cousin, cousin!"
Although he didn't remember seeing his aunt and cousins often, his grandparents and parents talked about them all the time, so he didn't feel any sense of unfamiliarity; on the contrary, he felt very close to them.
The three siblings, Chen Lin and his brother, grinned and said, "Uncle, cousin!" They were a little reserved at first, but they were genuinely happy to see each other.
Cheng Yue took a bag of steamed buns from the oxcart and handed it to Cheng Feng, saying, "Xiao Feng, take this. We'll have big meat buns later."
I was so busy outsmarting my mom on the way here that I forgot to take out this bag of steamed buns, and they're getting a bit cold now.
Cheng Feng looked into the bag and his mouth dropped open in surprise. He exclaimed, "It's white steamed buns!"
Their eyes were practically sparkling; they clearly had never eaten this before.
Cheng Yue was puzzled. Last time her parents came, she filled half a bag with rice and flour. Could it be that they couldn't bear to eat it and sold it all?
No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Looking at Cheng Yue's eyes, Wu immediately knew that her daughter was overthinking things. She quickly explained awkwardly, "Flour is so precious. I wanted to save it for the New Year."
Cheng Yang and Liu Shi both looked noncommittal, leaving Cheng Yue feeling both heartbroken and helpless.
She knew in her heart that although her parents had some income from selling pork, they still had nothing left to support their children's education. What other choice did they have but to live frugally?
If they could run a noodle stall, their parents' lives would definitely be much easier. Thinking of this, Cheng Yue breathed a sigh of relief and said in a spoiled tone, "Mom, I'm starving. I want to eat white flour pancakes."
Mrs. Wu knew exactly what her daughter was up to, but since her daughter was already being coquettish, she couldn't bear to refuse. She huffed, "Fine, I'll make it for you!"
Madam Liu smiled and said softly, "Mother, please rest. I'll go do it."
They don't have the habit of eating lunch, but the sister-in-law is taking her child back to her parents' home, so she can't go hungry.
It's just a white flour pancake, what's the big deal? Even the white flour was given to me by my sister-in-law.
"Sister-in-law, wait a moment, let's go together." Cheng Yue called out to Liu Shi, took out most of the meat from the basket, and secretly took out a dozen eggs from her spatial storage.
What's the point of just eating plain white flour pancakes? Make big meat pies and serve them with egg drop soup.
Cheng Yang was dumbfounded and said, "What a wonderful day it is today... That piece of meat must weigh at least twenty or thirty pounds!"
Even though my parents sell meat every day, I've never seen any meat in their meals. The last time I ate meat was when I went to my younger sister's house.
"Xiaofeng, bring the steamed buns in. We'll heat them up and eat them together in a bit."
"Oh, okay!" Cheng Feng ran into the house as fast as he could, his heart pounding with excitement. It was so good that his aunt was here; he could finally eat meat!
Cheng Yue and Liu Shi walked in front, while Chen Lin led the oxcart towards the courtyard from behind.
Chen Tong and Chen Ning tugged at Cheng Yang, who was in a daze, and said mysteriously, "Uncle, you'll definitely be able to eat meat every day from now on."
As long as you listen to your mother, you can eat meat; that's how they are.
"Huh?" Cheng Yang was even more stunned.
Cheng Yue and Liu Shi cooked together; both of them were quick and efficient, and the meal was ready in no time.
Looking at the table full of oily white flour meat pies, plump steamed buns, and soup with only egg drop soup and no vegetables, the family almost burst into tears.
It smells really good, and it really hurts to see it.
Ignoring everyone's pained expressions, Cheng Yue said, "Eat quickly, we can talk after you finish eating."
It's not that she's overthinking it, but if she said it now, she'd definitely choke everyone.
Knowing that Cheng Yue still had something to say, the family didn't delay any longer and started eating, taking bites of bread and sips of soup.
If we finish talking to my daughters sooner, we can go home sooner. Otherwise, it will be dangerous on the road after dark, and it could be troublesome if something happens.
After the family finished eating, they all turned to look at Cheng Yue.
Cheng Yue didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "I'm going to the county town to do business, and I can't manage the noodle stall, so I'd like to hand it over to my older brother and sister-in-law."
"What? Going to the county town to do business?" Wu exclaimed in surprise. Goodness, the stall in the town had only been set up for a little over half a month, how did it suddenly expand to the county town?
Cheng Yue then recounted the whole story, leaving the family completely confused. Finally, they were convinced that Cheng Yue was indeed going to the county town and had not been deceived, which put their minds at ease.
The daughter's cooking skills are indeed good, as Mr. Cheng and his family know. As for why they are so good, it must be because she was tormented by that wicked mother-in-law, Zhao!
Cheng Yang frowned and said, "Little sister, we only know how to farm and do manual labor. We don't know how to do any of these handicrafts!"
He had tasted the he luo noodles his younger sister made; how could they possibly replicate that flavor? Food is all about taste; how can you run a business if you can't make it right?
Liu nodded in agreement. Doing business is not like feeding chickens and ducks, which anyone can do. What if they ruin my sister's hard-earned stall?
Cheng Yue said, "I know how to cook, sister-in-law. This is nothing. I will prepare the recipe. You just need to stir-fry the sauce well. The taste will be perfect. It's not difficult."
Mrs. Wu, who was more thoughtful, disagreed, saying, "Daughter, this won't do. If your in-laws find out that you've given such a lucrative business to your brother and sister-in-law, who knows what they'll say about you supporting your own family? How will you ever be able to hold your head up again?"
Cheng Yue understood what Wu meant: once a daughter is married, she is like water spilled from a bowl; everything belongs to her husband's family. This is true even in modern times, let alone in ancient times.
Although the Wu family didn't think that way, they still had to consider Cheng Yue's situation.
"Mother, the stall is mine, and I get to decide how to do it. Besides, we've already separated and broken ties with them long ago, so why should we care what they say?"
Mr. Cheng asked nervously, "What is your son-in-law's opinion?"
Cheng Yue smiled and comforted her, "Your son-in-law thinks the same way I do, he wants you to have a better life."
Hearing Cheng Yue say this, the whole family felt much more at ease. Since Chen An had agreed, no one would dare to say anything more.
With their daughter thinking of them and their son-in-law also keeping them in mind, Mr. Cheng and Mrs. Wu felt very comforted.
Cheng Yang and Liu Shi exchanged a glance. Just as they were about to say they would give it a try, Wu Shi pulled Cheng Yue aside and whispered, "Daughter, tell your mother the truth, how much can this stall earn in a day?"
The girl said she earned that big bag of silver in a day, but she couldn't believe it, so she had to ask for clarification.
If they earn less, they'll give it to their own family; but if they earn more, they certainly can't take advantage of their daughter, and they have to make up the difference.
Cheng Yue told the truth, "The noodle stall is doing stable business now. We make 30 catties of noodles every day, and after deducting costs, we can make a net profit of 500 wen a day."
Five hundred coins a day?! And that's pure profit? That's fifteen taels a month!
The family counted on their fingers, their mouths agape, and Liu was especially panicked, exclaiming, "Little sister, we can't take this stall!"
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