Old Chen, who was listening nearby, kept swallowing hard and couldn't help but interject, "Oh dear, I heard that eating at restaurants is quite expensive. A plate of scrambled eggs must cost a lot, right?"
"It's none of your business. It didn't cost you any money." Old Mrs. Chen rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "I'd rather you be drooling than take you."
Old Chen shrank back after being scolded and dared not say another word.
Chen Ruolan laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight. "Grandma, you really haven't seen the world. Who eats scrambled eggs at a restaurant? It's all roast chicken, roast duck, braised pork hock, braised fish, braised pork belly, and big meatballs. I guarantee you'll eat until your mouth is full of oil and you're completely satisfied."
Grandma Chen swallowed hard as she listened, "Ruolan, don't say anything yet, I'm getting a little hungry too."
Chen Ruolan felt utterly contemptuous; these were truly unsophisticated peasants who had never seen the world and didn't even know how to spend their money.
If it weren't for the desire to trample that brat underfoot, she really wouldn't want to engage in any pretense with this old couple.
"Grandma, now is not the time to be greedy. Let's quickly discuss how to get those two hundred and fifty taels of silver!"
"Yes, yes, I was so happy that I forgot about this important thing!" Old Mrs. Chen glanced at Old Mr. Chen. "If you want to eat out, you'd better think of something for me right away."
"Alright, let me think about it." Old Chen no longer objected, frowned and pondered for a while, then spoke.
"Old woman, I think that if we want to make this happen, sweet words won't work. There's only one feasible way."
Grandma Chen's eyes lit up. "Quick, tell me, what's the solution?"
"If the soft approach doesn't work, we'll have to resort to the hard one!"
"It's hard, how is it hard?"
"Sneak a punch!" Old Chen gritted his teeth and said viciously, "Didn't you just say that if you want money, you have to be ruthless? Let's take her by surprise, find the right opportunity to catch her off guard, and then hand her over to Master Fan. Once that damned girl loses her innocence, even if the Emperor himself comes, she'll have to accept her fate."
Old Mrs. Chen remained silent.
Chen Ruolan nodded repeatedly, “Grandma, my grandpa’s idea is good. That brat is definitely not easy to deal with openly, so we can only do it secretly. We can knock her unconscious with a wooden stick when she’s not paying attention, and then give her to Master Fan. We can easily get 250 taels of silver.”
Grandma Chen narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "The idea is not bad, but it's too dangerous. If we hit that brat with a stick and kill her, then all our efforts will be for nothing."
"Grandma, you're worrying too much. That brat has been beaten a lot since she was little. She's incredibly stubborn and won't die easily. One or two hits won't kill her."
"Don't hesitate any longer. In the next few days, you and my grandfather will find an opportunity to send that wretched girl to Master Fan as soon as possible." Chen Ruolan was extremely anxious, wishing she could send Chen Qingqing to Fan Tong as a concubine right now.
Old Chen said, "Old woman, if you're worried about beating that brat to death, I have another way."
"What's the solution? Tell me."
"We can also sneak her into our pockets in the middle of the night while she's asleep, then she won't die."
"No, no, that brat isn't even afraid of Butcher Li. The few of us can't hold her down at all. If things get out, we won't have another chance to make a move."
Old Mrs. Chen narrowed her triangular eyes and revealed a sinister smile. "We can't make a move easily. When we do, we have to be quick, accurate, and ruthless, not giving the other side any chance to breathe. We must win in one move."
"I understand the principle, but how can I be quick, accurate, and ruthless?" Old Chen was at a loss, clenching his fists and pounding his head.
"I knew it. That's all you're capable of. Even if you smash your brains, you still won't come up with any good ideas."
Old Mrs. Chen's eyes narrowed to slits, her eyebrows and eyes smiling.
"Alright, old man, stop pulling my hair and hitting my head. I've already thought of a good solution."
Upon hearing this, Old Chen's eyes lit up. "Old woman, why didn't you tell me sooner? What's the method?"
Chen Ruolan also asked impatiently, "Yes, Grandma, tell me quickly, what's your idea?"
"Once my method is implemented, it will be like catching a turtle in a big basket; even a god couldn't escape it. It will guarantee that the brat will obey us and let us do whatever we want with her."
As Old Mrs. Chen spoke, a glint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes, and her smile grew even more smug. She beckoned the two women closer, whispered something to them, and Chen Ruolan was overjoyed, clapping her hands with delight.
"Grandma, your idea is absolutely brilliant! It's ruthless, decisive, and merciless. You have to use such underhanded methods to deal with that brat."
Old Chen was first taken aback, then his eyes lit up, and finally he beamed with joy, nodding repeatedly.
"Good, excellent, old woman, your method is a thousand times better than the surprise attack. It's done without anyone noticing, and it looks like we can easily get that 250 taels of silver dowry."
"Of course, just wait and see if you can eat out with me!" Old Mrs. Chen smiled smugly.
......
Chen Qingqing took Chen Xiaoyu back to Nanshan Village and went straight to the Wu family's old house.
"Father, Mother, I'm back!" Chen Qingqing called out as soon as she entered the courtyard.
Madam Lin greeted them with a smile, "Qing'er is back."
Chen Zhanshan followed closely behind and was surprised to see a strange man leading a donkey. "Qing girl, did you buy this donkey?"
Chen Qingqing nodded, "Yes, Dad, with it, not only can we save labor, but we can also greatly increase the efficiency of sugar production."
“You’re right. If we had a donkey, we could probably harvest 400 catties of beets a day,” Chen Zhanshan said excitedly, never imagining that his family could afford a donkey.
Looking at the plump and strong donkey, Lin laughed happily, "Your father pushed the millstone all day today, he was exhausted. He wouldn't listen to my advice to rest. Now that we have the donkey, things will be much easier for him."
"Xiumei, don't talk nonsense to your daughter, I'm not tired."
"How could I not be tired? The three of us cooked four large pots of sweet beets today, which should yield about sixty catties of sugar. You were the one who pushed the stone mill all by yourself." Lin's eyes showed heartache.
Chen Qingqing shook her head and smiled, "Dad, Mom is right. I'd feel bad if I wore you out."
"Good daughter, your father has plenty of strength." Chen Zhanshan smiled and took the reins from Chen Xiaoyu. "Good donkey, really a good donkey."
He looked Chen Xiaoyu up and down and saw that she was still standing there and had no intention of leaving. He casually said, "Donkey seller, the donkey has been delivered. You can go now."
"I'm not leaving, I'm not going anywhere." Chen Xiaoyu shook her head.
Chen Zhanshan was taken aback. "Why aren't you leaving? Are you planning to stay for dinner?"
"Yes, I'm hungry, I want to eat."
"What are you dreaming about!" Chen Zhanshan chuckled. "Are you alright, you donkey seller?"
"I'm not selling donkeys, I'm Xiaoyu." Chen Xiaoyu subconsciously took a few steps back...
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