Chapter 8
Before she could finish, Gu Xinxin turned around and said, "Stepmother, Qiuhe is indeed your biological daughter. You tell lies so easily. I made the breakfast you just had, and now you're telling everyone that I'm lazy and don't make breakfast? Ask grandma to come out and tell us who made breakfast today."
Gu Chen's face stiffened. Gu Xinxin continued, "Stepmother, you've been beating me for more than just the past couple of days. Why are you trying to find excuses to cover it up?"
Gu Chen couldn't even laugh anymore.
Gu Xinxin turned around and looked around, then called out, "Second Auntie, I have something I want to discuss with you. Are you free now?"
Second Auntie immediately smiled and said, "What do you want to discuss with me when you have time? Come, let's talk at my house."
This second aunt is Gu Daniu's sister-in-law. She used to have some sympathy for the original owner. Whenever she met her outside, she would always give the original owner some food.
Gu Xinxin remembers the kindness others have shown her and wants to repay them.
"Didn't I tell you yesterday that I saved the county magistrate's daughter? To thank me, they gave me some snacks. When I ate them, the new year suddenly appeared. These snacks can be sold for money."
Gu Xinxin didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point: "I've been thinking about this all day yesterday. I can make this snack."
Second Aunt was stunned for a moment: "What do you mean?"
"Oh, Second Auntie, I know how to make this kind of snack. I'll teach you. After you make it, you can take it to the town or sell it at the market and make some money." Gu Xinxin said bluntly, "This thing is delicious. I'm sure someone will buy it."
Second Aunt was a little hesitant: "Can you make it just by tasting it?"
"Yes, the day before yesterday when I was dying, I dreamed of my mother. She gave me advice, and now I'm very smart." Gu Xinxin made up a story, but the villagers believed it anyway. Second Aunt's eyes lit up: "You said you got advice from your mother?"
Gu Xinxin nodded: "Yes, she touched my head and I felt like I had finally gotten some enlightenment."
The second aunt clapped her hands and said, "That's right. I said your mother used to be a smart person. How could she give birth to you and Xiang Rong..." What about these two idiots? They were tortured by their stepmother every day.
Now it seems that I haven't gotten it!
This kid really needs to open his mind. She changed the subject: "Xiang Rong is twelve years old. According to the custom here, you have to be able to open locks at the age of twelve to open your mind. Have you bought a copper lock at home? Have you consulted a fortune teller? If you have no idea, I can introduce you to Meng, the fortune teller in our back village. She has some real skills. When you buy a copper lock, Xiang Rong can go to their house..."
Gu Xinxin said helplessly: "Second Aunt, let's talk about this snack first. I will teach you how to make it. It's not for nothing. If you sell it for money, you can give me a hundred copper coins for one tael of silver. When you give me ten taels of silver, I will stop giving you any more. What do you think?"
Second Aunt hesitated and asked the key question: "What is this snack made of?"
"Flour, lard, sesame, honey." Gu Xinxin said, patting her chest to assure Second Auntie: "I will definitely make money. If I can't make money, these things will be considered as my purchases, and I will compensate you."
The second aunt asked again: "How much is the capital?"
She wasn't very good at accounting, a common woman like her. She could count a few coins, but more than a few hundred, and she was having trouble figuring it out. More than a thousand... well, that was impossible.
Gu Xinxin calculated in her mind: "Two taels of silver, I need ten catties of flour, three catties of lard, and one catty of white sesame seeds. Honey is more expensive, so I need five catties of honey."
Second Auntie didn't dare to make a decision immediately. The cost was two taels of silver, which was their family's income for more than half a year. Moreover, it was only July and the autumn harvest had not yet arrived. All the family's savings totaled only a little over two taels of silver.
What if this doesn't work out... Although Gu Xinxin is willing to sell and won't let their family lose money, but Gu Xinxin is still a young girl. What if she can't come up with the money? Even if she can, can their family let a ten-year-old child bear the cost?
Second Auntie waved her hand and said, "Don't worry, I'll discuss this matter with your cousin and the others."
Gu Xinxin smiled and nodded: "Okay, but Second Auntie should make a decision soon. You can see that my stepmother really doesn't tolerate me. I have to find a way to gain a foothold now. Otherwise, I'm afraid that my marriage will be in her hands, and I'm afraid there will be no hope for the rest of my life."
She pursed her lips, feeling a little embarrassed. Obviously, as a young girl, she felt uncomfortable talking about her marriage.
But Second Aunt could understand. After all, at Gu Xinxin's age, it was considered time for her to get married in their countryside.
Marrying is a woman's second life. If she marries well, even if her life isn't as lavish as it is in a honey pot, she'll definitely have enough to eat. If she marries poorly... well, there's a lot to say. Some are beaten so hard they can't get out of bed, some become widows after their husbands die early, some are unacceptable to their mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. There are countless unfortunate cases, each with its own pitiful side.
She nodded. "Don't worry, I'll definitely give you an answer within three days. But don't be afraid of your stepmother. If she arranges a marriage for you, come find me and I'll talk to your grandmother."
Gu Xinxin smiled bitterly: "My grandma doesn't care about anything."
The two families had separated decades ago. Besides, Second Aunt was the younger generation. If Old Lady Gu was unwilling to care for Second Aunt, there was nothing she could do.
Second Aunt sighed: "Your grandma is really... Which old lady in our village is like her? She starts to retire before she's 60 and does nothing."
It's not like the wealthy city ladies who become old wives when they get old. Even those in their seventies or eighties in the village who can walk a few steps are willing to carry a basin and feed the chickens. But Old Lady Gu is different. At the age of fifty, she has started to do nothing. She just lies in the house all day, and she has to feed her mouth even when she is short of food.
Gu Xinxin didn't respond. Although she agreed in her heart, she had to act like a good and filial child on the surface.
Second Aunt went to the kitchen and took out a roasted potato and stuffed it into Gu Xinxin's hand. Gu Xinxin quickly declined: "I had it this morning."
"Just eat it if I give it to you. You little brat is eating me to death. You are in the growth stage now. Besides, I know your stepmother. How can she make sure you are full?" said the second aunt. She insisted on stuffing the potato into her mouth. Gu Xinxin had no choice but to peel the potato bit by bit.
After a moment, she quickly asked, "Second Aunt, how many potatoes do you have left?"
Second Auntie pondered for a moment and said, "There were still a few dozen kilograms left last year. This year, I planted two mu of land."
Potatoes are good. They can be eaten as staple food and can also be used in cooking. Even if a family has little land, they will set aside half of it to plant potatoes.
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