"Sorry, they've all been sold." Liu Yulian didn't refuse to give strawberries to the second wife, but the vendors who came to buy strawberries also bought strawberries that didn't look good. Strawberries that didn't look good could still be sold for two cents per pound.
Liu Yulian didn't like to keep the shop open all the time, so she would sell everything if someone wanted to buy it. This saved her the trouble of having to run a shop and wait for people to buy the strawberries.
"All sold?" Su Qiuya didn't quite believe it.
"Some people buy it and sell it in the capital." Liu Yulian stood at the door of the second house's shop, and there were other people passing by on the street.
Passersby heard what Liu Yulian said, and some echoed, "Your strawberries are really good, why don't you open the store to sell them?"
"Open it when you have time." Liu Yulian said.
Passerby: ...
Passersby thought that the people who run Sui Xin Shop might often be busy, otherwise, why would they never open the shop?
When Su Qiuya heard what Liu Yulian said, she stopped talking about buying strawberries. She had originally thought that if the first wife couldn't sell strawberries, they could buy some, and no one would dare to say that the second wife was so cold and indifferent.
"We'll plant tomatoes in a while. Tomatoes are more suitable for making tomato sauce and are also suitable for restaurants and hotels." Liu Yulian said.
"We'll see when the time comes." Su Qiuya thought to herself that she didn't know the quality of the ketchup made by the eldest wife, so how could she just casually ask to buy it? What if the eldest wife raised the price and the second wife refused to buy it? That would be difficult to deal with.
Liu Yulian didn't say anything else and went back.
Su Qiuya watched Liu Yulian's departing back, then glanced down at the ugly strawberries in the small basket. It was just a few cents short. Why didn't the eldest wife give someone something nice? Giving something nice would make people feel better, and wouldn't that be an easier way to earn favors?
In reality, many country folks sell the good-looking ones and give away the less attractive ones. As long as the taste is good, there's no need to worry too much about appearance; many people aren't picky.
What? They give you food without asking for money, what else do you want?
Su Qiuya came from a merchant family and liked to do some superficial work, not wanting others to think they were too cunning. Su Qiuya bought vegetables, fruits, chickens, ducks, fish and meat from the villagers, and also asked the people from the third wife to work in the second wife's shop.
When the second wife leaves, everyone here will say good things about her.
The division of the family was so long ago that no one mentioned it much. After all, the eldest wife was doing well now, and some people even thought that it was the eldest wife who wanted to split up, that she didn't want to support the other wives, and that the other wives were a burden.
Su Qiuya couldn't stand up and explain. The eldest wife was indeed living well and making a lot of money. Who knew what the eldest wife had hidden? Even if she hadn't hidden anything, why didn't the eldest wife mention that they could also subsidize the family expenses when the family was divided? If the eldest wife had said something, perhaps everyone would have waited.
There is no need to explain things that are not in your favor.
Su Qiuya carried strawberries into the shop and washed them directly.
Aunt Qing saw the strawberries, picked up one and took a bite. These strawberries did taste better than the ones she had eaten before, but they didn't look very good.
"It was sent by the eldest wife." Su Qiuya said.
"Why did they send us strawberries for no reason? Are they unable to sell them?" Aunt Qing asked. "Do they want you to buy some?"
"No, I wanted to buy some, but my younger sister said they were all sold." Su Qiuya said, "Since they are all sold, we won't buy any more."
Su Qiuya didn't know if the eldest wife was just trying to be generous, but she couldn't possibly buy more. Strawberries are a fruit, and Su Qiuya rarely makes cakes to sell. There were pastry shops in town, and if she made cakes and other delicacies at the same time, it would be difficult to balance them.
"Just because she said she was selling it, you believed her." Aunt Qing sneered, "No matter how delicious the strawberries are, how many people would be willing to spend so much money on them? Wouldn't it be better to buy meat?"
Aunt Qing thought that no matter how good the fruit tasted, it was still not as good as meat, at least in the homes of ordinary people.
Mr. Li's private school is in this town, and he has said before that he will send you another gift.
On the day before the Lantern Festival, Liu's father took Liu Qingyun there again. He did this to make Master Li think that they had behaved properly, so that Master Li might take better care of Liu Qingyun in the future.
Father Liu was carrying a basket of strawberries, two pounds of meat, and some small change. Small change was used to pay for the gift, but if it were all used for food, how could the teacher have enough to eat for just a few days? How could that be possible?
"Okay." Master Li was in a good mood when he saw what Liu's father brought.
In ancient times, these masters taught individually, some at academies run by others, and some at their own private schools. For example, Master Li, who ran his own private school, had no reason not to accept these things. In ancient times, unlike later times, masters did not force their students' parents to give them extra gifts, but only required them to pay the basic fees.
If these parents gave other gifts, the teacher would also accept them. The teacher was a human being, and the ancient times did not have the rich material foundation that later generations had. In ancient times, if a scholar raised a scholar, the whole family might become poor.
"Your strawberries are indeed good. Madam went to buy some, and they're very good." Master Li said this not to ask Father Liu to send more strawberries, but to speak the truth. If Master Li wanted the Liu family to send more, he would have asked long ago. Life was not easy for everyone, so how could he ask casually?
There is still some money at home. If you want to eat something, just go buy it.
This is Mr. Li's attitude. The Liu family is a good person and understands human nature. When the Liu family sent some strawberries, Mrs. Li did not refuse.
"The private school also prepares lunch. You can buy some if you need it." Master Li said, "But the food there is not that good. It would be nice if your family could send some better ones."
Master Li's wife prepared some food for the students at noon. The food wasn't particularly fancy, just ordinary fare, the only advantage being that it was a bit cheaper. Master Li's wife didn't cook to earn more money, but because she felt the students worked hard, and some of them lived far from home, so it wouldn't be good for them to eat the same old food all the time.
Therefore, Master Li said this in advance to prevent the Liu family from mistakenly thinking that the canteen was trying to make money. Master Li still hoped that these families would send good gifts, and that scholars should also take good care of their health so that they can study better.
"Thank you, Master." Father Liu had inquired about Master Li and had come to see him twice before, and he had always felt that he was a good person. This made Father Liu feel confident in letting his grandson study with Master Li. If the master has good character, the student's character will not be easily corrupted.
Madam Li saw the gifts and thought the Liu family was truly generous. Many families worked hard to support their families' education and simply didn't have that much money, yet they still often gave gifts to the teacher, such as things they grew themselves and bought gifts for festivals.
It doesn’t matter whether the gift is a lot or a little, good or bad, what matters is the thought behind it.
After the Liu family left, more people came to Master Li's house to send gifts and other things. They knew that they had to send the gifts before the Lantern Festival, so that Master could have a good holiday, which would naturally be good for their children as well.
When Liu's father returned home with his grandson, he happened to see Liu Yulian making Yuanxiao.
"Do less, not more." Father Liu said.
"Not much." Liu Yulian said, "I still need to send some food over to my brother. It's the holiday, so we need to eat better."
It’s not easy to bring soupy things, and it’s not easy to bring Yuanxiao (Chinese Yuanxiao), so just give something else.
"Strawberry jam is easy to bring." Liu Yulian said, "I also made some dried meat, meat floss, and some other things."
Liu Yulian made a lot of things, but in ancient times, there was no express delivery, so she had to deliver them herself. It took them several hours to go there, so it would be better to bring more things with her.
"They're thick-skinned and strong-limbed, so they don't need that much." Father Liu thought that he didn't eat that well back then, and no one always sent him food. "It doesn't matter if it costs money, but you still have to work hard."
"I make some when I have time." Liu Yulian usually does embroidery, plays the piano, and cooks some food.
There are people doing the work in the fields, and Liu's father often goes to keep an eye on it, so Liu Yulian doesn't have to do anything else.
"You're so kind to them, but they might not remember it." Father Liu felt a little sad. Even though Liu Yanjing was his son, he felt his daughter didn't need to go this far. As for He Xiyuan, he just gave him some things as a gift.
Father Liu doesn’t know what He Xiyuan’s future will be like, as people always change.
The head of Shiyuan Village would visit the Liu family's wheat fields from time to time. Seeing how well the wheat was growing, he wondered if the culture medium was actually effective for it. The Liu family's strawberries and cotton were growing exceptionally well, and the vegetables they'd planted were also growing quickly. The eldest daughter of the Liu family also ate those vegetables, proving that the culture medium was actually working.
The Liu family used the culture solution to irrigate the crops and also made other things, such as farmyard manure.
The village chief stared at the wheat field of the Liu family's main house because he wanted to make sure that the culture medium was useful so that they could use it.
"In another month or half a month, we'll be able to harvest." Widow Zhang happened to meet Village Chief Zhang on the road. "Just wait and see, we're sure to get a lot."
Widow Zhang was in a good mood. She had already bought culture medium from the eldest branch of the Liu family and used it on all the fields at home. She gave her eldest brother from her mother's family a small amount of culture medium, just one or two jars, and her eldest brother also gave her money.
After all, her money didn't come from the wind. A jar costs fifty cents. Fortunately, she can use one acre of land and use it three times, so it is not particularly expensive.
Widow Zhang was in high spirits whenever she saw the crops swaying in the wind and growing well in the fields. She used it early for her own use, so she didn't tell anyone else. After all, it was hard to say whether this thing would work or not. What if it didn't work and the crops died? That would be even more terrifying.
"You've made a lot of money, so why are you so happy?" said Village Chief Zhang.
"I wouldn't say I make a lot of money," Widow Zhang replied. "I've been working these days, tending the strawberry fields and helping pick them. It's a decent income, but it's all hard-earned money."
"Okay." Village Chief Zhang thought that Widow Zhang knew how to flatter the eldest wife of the Liu family. Widow Zhang and her family also worked hard. "If you have something to do, do it well. Don't be lazy or cunning."
"How could they possibly be lazy and cunning? I don't want you to take away our work," Widow Zhang said. "They've also bought a lot of land in town, so they might need more people."
Widow Zhang didn't know who the Liu family's eldest wife would hire to do the work, but they had to give it a try. It would be great to be able to work in the town or village, and the money would be good.
In the past, during the slack season, the men in the family would go to town to look for work, but there wasn't always work; they might have to go to the county town or the provincial capital. They didn't earn much money, and the money they brought back wasn't much either. By the time they returned, they were much thinner.
Widow Zhang often said that her children and grandchildren were not smart and were not like her, but she also felt sorry for them.
"Our village is close to the town. It only takes a quarter of an hour to walk there," said Widow Zhang. "It sometimes takes even longer to go to the mountains farther away from the village."
Widow Zhang felt that these things could be done. Even though the money was not as much as in the capital, it was much easier. The people at home were not so thin, so this was a win.
"If you can do it, do it." Village Chief Zhang was speechless. Widow Zhang's family had earned the job through their own strength, so how could the village chief say anything more? There was no way he could stop Widow Zhang from doing it. Village Chief Zhang was also afraid of Widow Zhang's aggressive nature, so it was difficult to deal with her.
They all shared the same surname and clan, so Village Chief Zhang didn't give Widow Zhang's family too much trouble. They were all relatives, so that was enough.
On the day of the Lantern Festival, Liu's father sent food and other supplies to the military camp early, as he had to rush back to celebrate the festival.
Liu Yanjing saw that it was Lao Jiang driving the ox cart instead of Mr. Zhang as before, and wondered if his family was looking for someone in the town?
"I bought three slaves," said Father Liu. "Qingyun needs to study, and he has to walk when he visits the fields, so I bought some."
"Okay." Liu Yanjing nodded.
"Brother Yuan didn't come?" Father Liu didn't see He Xiyuan and was puzzled. "Did he go to his aunt's house to celebrate the festival?"
"No." Liu Yanjing shook his head. "He took his men there when there was an enemy."
Liu Yanjing could see that He Xiyuan wanted to climb up quickly. Liu Yanjing thought he had tried very hard, but who would have thought that He Xiyuan could be so crazy.
He Xiyuan said: I am not the only son in the family, and I don’t have any children either. Unlike you, I don’t have so many concerns.
He Xiyuan only knew that if he didn't work harder, his grandmother would cancel his engagement with Liu Yulian. He had to work harder, fight harder, and climb up as soon as possible. By then, even if his grandmother didn't agree, he could leave that home.
Seeing how hard He Xiyuan worked, Liu Yanjing also realized how much He Xiyuan valued Liu Yulian. He Xiyuan was a man with a strong sense of responsibility and did not think of giving up his childhood sweetheart and fiancée.
"..." After hearing what Liu Yanjing said, Father Liu more or less understood a little, "Some things are given to him. Be more careful. You can't just use more of the medicine because it works well."
"Yes." Liu Yanjing said, "The ointment prepared by my younger sister is more effective."
Liu Yanjing brought along the ointment Liu Yulian had prepared. He discovered that different people had different effects on the ointment, even with the same recipe. However, the ointments prepared by others were not bad either, much better than the previous ones, and the other wound medicines were also quite good.
"Don't expect your sister to do these for you every day." said Liu's father.
Since the house wasn't close to the barracks, it wasn't convenient to bring chicken soup, so they brought roast chicken, smoked duck, etc. So Liu Yanjing didn't have to go to the kitchen, maybe he could just light a fire and roast some.
When Liu's father left, He Xiyuan had not appeared yet.
It was not until the evening that He Xiyuan returned with his men. He Xiyuan's arm was slightly injured.
Liu Yanjing gave He Xiyuan a simple bandage. For injuries like this that were not very serious, these soldiers might not necessarily go to the military doctor for treatment. Some of them would just take the medicine and bandage themselves.
"So careless?" Liu Yanjing saw the blood on He Xiyuan's arm.
"I'm not very skilled. Once I become more skilled, I won't be so easily hurt." He Xiyuan thought that he hadn't been careful today, giving the enemy an opportunity. Fortunately, the arrow wasn't poisonous, otherwise, he would have been dead.
He Xiyuan wanted to fight, but he also wanted to save his life, so he had to sum up his experience and lessons.
"I've brought you your portion of the things sent from home." Liu Yanjing said.
"Thank you." He Xiyuan smiled, as if he didn't feel the pain in his arm.
On this day, the second house's business was very good. They made a lot of delicious Yuanxiao, colorful Yuanxiao with different fillings.
Su Qiuya’s cooking skills are indeed good, and she can always come up with various kinds of dishes.
Compared to the second wife's shop, the first wife's shop was still closed.
Liu Yulian had no intention of working hard during the holidays. She had sold a lot of strawberries in the past few days, and she could still sell strawberries for more than a month, which would make her a lot of money. At most, Liu Yulian was thinking about starting to plow the land she had bought and planting the crops she needed.
When Liu's father came back, he happened to meet people from the second house delivering Yuanxiao.
Su Qiuya was thinking that the first wife had sent over three pounds of strawberries, and the second wife would not take advantage of the first wife. So, they made some extra Yuanxiao and sent some to the first wife as well.
"Dad." Su Qiuya saw Liu's father and quickly called out, "Come and give me the Lantern Festival."
It wasn't very dark yet, and there were still lanterns and other things outside later in the evening, and quite a few people were out on the streets.
Su Qiuya thought that she could make some food to sell later, and she couldn't waste such a good opportunity. She came to deliver the things, and she had to go back quickly after delivering them.
"Little sister, hurry up and get some bowls." Su Qiuya looked at Liu Yulian. The things sent by the second house were not the ugly leftovers. Unless the third house worked for the second house like the third house, the second house would occasionally let the third house take the leftovers back.
There was no need for Liu Yulian to take a bowl. Mrs. Jiang immediately took a bowl and replaced the bowls with the Yuanxiao that Su Qiuya had sent. Then she handed the things to Su Qiuya.
"I forgot that you have a few more servants here." Su Qiuya saw this and couldn't help but say, "There are lanterns outside, but they are not as good as those in the capital. Now we are here, just to look at them. I have to go back first. I have to make some food to sell later."
After Su Qiuya said these words, she took her things and went back first.
Liu Yulian did not try to keep Su Qiuya. The second branch worked hard in the food business. Many people in the town liked to go to the second branch's shop, and sometimes there were people queuing up.
"These Yuanxiao are good." Liu Yulian walked into the living room and looked at the Yuanxiao in the bowl. Su Qiuya is worthy of being the heroine. The Yuanxiao she made are both beautiful and delicious.
Liu Yulian also made some Yuanxiao, but they weren’t as pretty.
"Dad, please eat something first." Liu Yulian thought that her father had gone out in the morning and had just returned. If he ate dry food at noon, it would not be that delicious.
"Auntie." Little Liujia ran out. She heard that there was food and rubbed her little belly. She was a little hungry too.
On the way from the capital to the northwest, some people were sleeping in the open air and eating dry food in the wild.
"Just bear with it." The group was none other than Prince Su and his companions. Prince Su looked at He Xichen, who was walking in a wheelchair. Some of them rode horses, some took carriages, and they were all trying very hard to hurry along the way. "Don't mind the dirt."
He Xichen was a bit of a germaphobe, especially after his legs became crippled. He preferred cleanliness. He didn't like the smell of medicine on his body, nor did he like closing the windows, as that would be too pungent.
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