After leaving Boss Cao's house, Tian Sangui said goodbye to his aunt at the next fork in the road and started calculating the money he had left on his way home.
The price of one hundred large jars and vats was finally settled with Boss Cao at one thousand coins. One hundred coins were paid as a deposit, and another four hundred coins would be paid when the goods were picked up in five days. The rest would be paid in full after the last batch of goods was received.
After deducting the cost of ingredients for the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and daily expenses, I currently have 3,411 wen and 10 taels of silver.
She planned to use three thousand coins to purchase the necessary items for opening the shop, and the rest as living expenses. The ten taels would be fixed assets to be used only in special circumstances.
With money in hand, one feels more secure and no longer has to endure hunger and cold.
That evening, Zhang specially called Tian Sangui to the side room. Now they were sleeping in separate rooms. Tian Laosi and his wife slept in one room with his brothers, while she slept in a room by herself. The main room had been completely turned into a living room for entertaining guests.
Under the oil lamp, only half of Zhang's smiling face, illuminated by the lamplight, could be clearly seen.
"Today, I have witnessed the wisdom and composure of my son San Gui. He spoke fluently with the dreaded Boss Cao, something even I, as an adult, could not do. Therefore, your father and I have discussed it and agreed that it is most appropriate for San Gui to run the household."
Upon hearing Zhang's words, Tian Sangui jumped off the bed and refused, saying, "No, Mother, you and Father are the backbone of this family. It's not appropriate for me to be a young steward, both in terms of sentiment and reason."
“Our family thinks you’re the right person, and that’s no one else’s business. Besides, you’re the one who’s supporting this family. Your father, mother, and two older brothers are just helping you out. Just listen to your mother. I’ll only feel at ease if you’re in charge of this family.”
Zhang grabbed her and earnestly began to discuss the matter of managing the household, then unfolded a piece of floral cloth and placed it in her hand.
Inside was Tian Laosi's work money, untouched.
"Well... alright, I'll take charge of the household, but Mother should keep the money. I don't need the money right now, and besides, it's best for Mother to keep Father's wages."
Tian Sangui wrapped the floral cloth and handed it back to Zhang. After several attempts to refuse, Zhang finally gave in, realizing she couldn't persuade him otherwise.
The next day, when Tian Sangui returned home, he saw two carriages parked in the yard: a blue sedan chair and a wooden cart.
A man dressed in a dark robe embroidered with red silk patterns paced back and forth in the courtyard, holding a top hat in one hand and lifting the hem of his robe in the other, his face full of anxiety.
With a bray from the donkey, he caught her gaze and immediately recognized Tian Sangui. His face lit up with joy as he strode over to greet her.
"Oh dear, Miss Tian, you're finally back! I'm the manager of Tongfu Restaurant. Manager Yan specifically sent me to ask if you still have the Spicy and Sour Jade Green Tea?"
Yes, but not many.
Seeing his anxious appearance, Tian Sangui could tell that the dish must be in short supply.
"Oh dear, what should we do? The jar you sent yesterday was sold out in no time at lunchtime, and the customers were scrambling to order it. They started making a fuss in the evening. If we don't have it today, my restaurant will be torn down by the customers."
"It's beyond my control. Although it's not much, it's enough for your emergency needs today. I'll make more as soon as possible to ensure you don't run out of stock."
"I'm so grateful to Miss Tian." The steward felt a little relieved after hearing her words.
Some things you won't know until you try them, and once you do, everyone raves about them and wants to order them. People who can't get them suddenly become very irritable, and then it's not just about the money anymore.
Hearing the manager say this, Tian Sangui was overjoyed. This was exactly what she wanted to see; the more people who liked her, the more money she would have.
Under her guidance, the person in charge personally carried the last four jars onto the carriage. It was almost noon, and he needed to hurry back, so he bid a hasty farewell to Tian Sangui.
The family warmly saw the steward off. Zhang looked at the cabbage on her donkey cart with a smile in her eyes, as if she saw a lot of money. Without Tian Sangui's instructions, she rolled up her sleeves and worked with great enthusiasm.
Tian Da and Tian Er also carried wooden buckets and happily got to work.
Everyone had something to look forward to on these days.
There were two horse-drawn carriages coming from the village, which inevitably aroused the curiosity of the women sitting at the village entrance.
"Hey, what brings you here? Who's so rich? Do you know anyone who's wealthy?" the old woman massaging his back asked first.
"Judging from the direction... it seems they came from Tian Laosi's house."
The woman carrying the baby glanced in the direction the car had passed and analyzed the situation.
"No way, the Tian family is so poor, what noble family would want to associate with them? If that's really the case, would the Yun family really let them split up?"
"I'm afraid the Yun family doesn't know yet. Old Man Tian has kept it a secret very well. If the Yun family found out, wouldn't they go to his house and make a scene?"
What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener; the onlookers didn't even realize when someone was missing from their side.
"Are you telling the truth?"
Yun jumped up abruptly. At this moment, her mood was as heavy as the dark clouds in the sky, pressing down on her heart.
"Grandma Yun, do you think I, Zhang Gui, am the kind of person who would spread lies?"
I think Brother Tian definitely doesn't know about this. It must be that Zhang woman having an affair. Think about it, they've been separated from their families, their lives must be tough. Brother Tian is at work during the day and not home, and the children are restless. With such a good opportunity, who would know what Zhang woman is up to?
"If I hadn't spoken a few more words with Granny Liu today and had the chance to see the carriage leaving in a hurry, this matter would still be unknown to others."
Zhang Gui stirred up trouble in Yun's ear, making Yun so angry that she wanted to confront Zhang on the spot, but Wang stopped her.
"Mother, everyone's gone now. Do you think Zhang will still admit it if you go there? Besides, it's almost noon. That Tian Sangui who believed in the ball must be back with Zhang. If you go there now, you'll only cause trouble."
Wang's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing Yun's anger and sending Zhang Gui away. Sitting in the main room, she became angrier the more she thought about it. She had originally wanted to give Zhang a hard time, but after only a few days of separation, Zhang was asking her to take in their fourth branch.
At that time, she was at Yun's mercy, and even if that wicked woman was there, Zhang would stop her. Just thinking about it made her feel happy.
But several days passed, and apart from that brat coming to borrow old noodles last time, there was no further news. She couldn't understand it before. Even with Tian Laosi's monthly allowance, it wasn't enough for someone who didn't even have a home to buy household items, let alone food.
It wasn't until Zhang Guilai came that she learned that this shameless Zhang had actually been having an affair behind her son's back and living off the other man's charity. She was utterly shameless.
Now that they've been caught, it won't be long before the whole village knows, and the Tian family will be utterly disgraced by this shameless woman who's throwing herself at them.
"That bitch, I won't be satisfied until I beat her to death."
Yun lay on the square table and burst into tears.
Wang, standing beside her, tried to soothe her: "Not to mention that I'm upset, I feel ashamed too. I want to go to Zhang and demand an explanation for the Tian family."
She straightened Yun's upper body, her eyes filled with calculation: "Mother, if you want to vent your anger, you'll have to wait!"
"Wait?" Yun asked her with a questioning look.
"Hehehe, think about it, isn't catching them in the act more convincing?"
"Back then, Tian Sangui and his boys weren't around, so Mother could do whatever she wanted with them. Wasn't that much more convenient than going now?"
It has to be said that Wang was the most ruthless. She specifically targeted Zhang's weak points and even used Yun's hand. Just thinking about Yun's handprint on Zhang's face made her feel particularly happy. Afterwards, when Tian Sangui came to her door, she didn't care about it.
That vixen not only seduced the fourth prince, but she also dared to seduce her man right in front of her. Even now, more than ten years later, she still feels resentful and wishes that Zhang's vixen-like face would be disfigured.
"You're right, let's go tomorrow!" Yun realized, her face turning sinister.
"Mother, don't be anxious. I'll have Gou Dan keep watch near Lao Si's house. As soon as that man comes over, we'll go!"
"Let's do it this way!"
This time, we'll definitely disfigure Zhang and see how she tries to seduce men then.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com