"It was only said that she had talked back to Li Yang's mother while washing clothes by the river, and Li Yang broke off the engagement. At the time, the incident caused quite a stir in Lijiaba, and everyone praised Li Yang as a very filial son. As for the specific reason, no one has found out."
Lu Yan snorted, "She's already talking back to her future mother-in-law before even entering the house. No wonder Brother Li Yang broke off the engagement. This woman is really domineering."
Zhao Fang laughed at her, "Where did you learn such strange titles? He'll be your uncle-in-law in the future, messing up the generations."
Lu Yu's face turned even redder, wishing she could disappear into the ground, while a secret thrill stirred within her.
Qin Xiaozhou, however, felt something was off. "Don't announce this marriage yet. First, find out about the woman who was jilted. I'll go ask her myself."
The Lu family members were puzzled, and even Lu Yu looked up in surprise, "Why is this?"
Such a wonderful person, such a wonderful marriage, should be settled as soon as possible, lest someone else snatch it away.
Qin Xiaozhou sneered, "He's so filial. If you have any conflicts with his mother in the future, will you always be the one to bow your head and suffer? You're marrying him to be his wife, not his mother. His reputation for filial piety won't do you any good. These days, the word 'filial piety' can really wear a person down."
"If he's a reasonable, fair, and just filial son, that's fine. But if he only knows how to obey and listens to his mother in everything, how will he survive in that house if his mother finds out even the slightest mistake?"
Lu Yu retorted, "But I'm not the kind of person who would talk back to my elders, and I don't make mistakes easily."
Although she doesn't like going out, she's hardworking and capable. She can do everything from washing clothes and cooking to harvesting wheat, planting rice, and reaping rice.
Qin Xiaozhou sighed. This little aunt was, after all, just a seventeen-year-old girl. She had been protected by the Lu family her whole life. The Lu family members were conscientious in their actions, and she hadn't seen much evil.
"Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law have always been natural enemies. Not everyone is conscientious and reasonable. Li Yang's annulment of the engagement caused a great uproar. He gained a reputation for filial piety, but what about the woman who was annulred? She contradicted Li Yang's mother and was suddenly annulred. What about her reputation and her situation? What kind of rumors and insults followed? If she were petty, she might have committed suicide by jumping into the river. If Li Yang is kind-hearted, even if he was dissatisfied with the woman's behavior, he could have quietly annuled the engagement. He made such a big fuss. Did he not think about whether the woman could live afterward?"
Being jilted is already a huge blow to a woman, but to be accused of disrespecting her elders only adds to the stigma of being a shrew, a tigress, and a shrew. Even if she survives, who would dare to propose marriage to her? The end result is nothing more than being forced into an arranged marriage and carrying the stigma of disrespecting elders for the rest of her life.
Li Yang, basking in fame, made a dazzling exit from the farce, while the woman was kicked into the mud.
Lu Yu trembled all over. She had also been jilted before. The family that had rejected her marriage had rejected her because they thought the impoverished Lu family was no longer a good match for them. At that time, Lu Yu had thought about jumping into the river to end it all, but Wang Lan kept a close eye on her and wouldn't let her go out. Gradually, she got used to staying at home and not seeing outsiders, but she never managed to commit suicide.
She was quietly jilted, and the man's family was all saying she was a gold digger. She couldn't stand the gossip in the village and even wanted to die, let alone that other woman. She couldn't make up her mind for a while.
Zhao Fang had seen mothers-in-law deliberately torment their daughters-in-law before, so she didn't dare to speak. The room fell silent. Lu Yunfeng took charge, saying, "We won't announce this marriage yet. I'll go and find out more about the girl and what exactly happened by the river. Only by knowing the cause and effect can we understand Li Yang's character."
Three rooms were added to the backyard, and Jing and Jingyue moved to live there. In April, the shop earned 486 taels of silver, and in early May, Lu Yunfeng found someone to build the house.
The braised food shop had only been open for half a month, but the profits were substantial. Qin Xiaozhou and Lu Yunfeng collected the accounts and divided the silver, totaling 126 taels of silver. The two of them checked the accounts with Chen Haiping. The more Chen Haiping looked, the more shocked he became. In just over ten days, the turnover had reached an astonishing 250 taels. Even though he owned a large restaurant, he felt the thrill of making money at this moment.
If this shop were opened in the prefectural city, or in other places, or even in the capital, the daily turnover could reach tens of thousands of taels of silver! He was now incredibly grateful that he had decided to cooperate with Qin Xiaozhou; missing such an opportunity would have been a once-in-a-lifetime mistake.
He immediately clapped his hands, "Manager Qin, I'll arrange to find a shop in the prefectural city right away. We'll still split the profits fifty-fifty, and I'll take care of all the shop's labor costs. You're a great talent; don't forget our friendship in the future."
Back at the shop, Qin Xiaozhou and Lu Yunfeng went to Zhang Yazi again and bought two old women around forty years old.
I heard that she was a servant from a wealthy family in the capital whose property was confiscated and who was sold to the authorities. She was originally a servant in the courtyard. She was observant, clean, and well-mannered. Her background was clear. She was all alone and had no ties, which is why Qin Xiaozhou bought her.
The two of them were then in charge of baking bread, whipping cream, and making milk tea. Lu Yunfeng was free, so he went home to watch people build houses, and Yifanfengshun Store really became a women's store.
When May arrives, the weather is hot and humid, and the yogurt fruit salad in the store is especially popular. However, the cakes still sell out. With yogurt or refreshing fruit tea, young ladies can sit on the second floor all day.
Qin Xiaozhou installed curtains around each table and placed cool water from the well under the tables. In the hot early summer, the number of people in the shop increased rather than decreased. Sun Yuanyuan walked into the shop and was surprised by its elegance, which was completely devoid of any commercial atmosphere. She said to her friend, "No wonder you call it a summer resort. This place is indeed nice."
Sun Yuanyuan is the daughter of the county magistrate, and her status in Fenggu County is that of a star. Her friends flatter her, saying, "Of course, there is well water under each table for cooling off. A bowl of yogurt and fruit salad chilled in well water would be simply wonderful."
Sun Yuanyuan has eaten cake often, but she has never tried this yogurt fruit salad before. Perhaps it's a new type of dish and not easy to carry around. "Then let's each have one. I'm treating today."
Her friend dared not let her treat him, but he didn't want to spoil the mood and just smiled and complimented her.
So many young ladies sat on the second floor, their hair swaying and their fragrance wafting through the air. Qin Xiaozhou felt good just looking at them, and her gaze couldn't help but study their headdresses and clothes. The clothes were simple, even plain, and the headdresses were mostly made of silver. Gold ornaments were not something everyone could wear, but silver ornaments were also not cheap. Therefore, some young ladies chose to wear fresh flowers in their hair so that their heads would not look bare.
Overall, the women's attire in this world tends to be simple and plain, but this is related to the fact that the new dynasty has only been established for a little over ten years. Everything is being reborn from the decadence and extravagance of the previous dynasty, so frugality is the main focus.
Suddenly, a woman clutched her stomach, her face pale, and struggled to her feet. "I...I want to go home."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
