Yang Ruotong didn't say anything. She quietly tidied up the snacks on the table and smiled at Grandma Zhao.
"Grandma, take a rest first, I'll go cook."
After Yang Ruotong finished speaking, she went into the kitchen and began to cook.
Mrs. Sun took out a bowl, put in a spoonful of sugar, added some hot water, and handed it to Old Mrs. Zhao.
"When did you arrive, Grandma? Come and have some sweet soup."
In ancient times, if an older woman came to visit, serving her a bowl of sweet soup was considered a high-level reception.
The old lady hadn't had a drop of water since morning, and her mouth was already parched.
She picked up the sugar water and gulped it down, finishing it all in the blink of an eye.
After drinking a bowl of sweet soup, the old lady felt much better.
“I rushed over early this morning. Your Yang Hong said that Ruotong is already married and wanted to kick me out, but I shamelessly refused to leave. I won’t leave until I see my granddaughter-in-law.”
"Sigh." Mrs. Sun sighed. She knew about her son's frivolous thoughts, but she couldn't say anything to the old lady.
"Grandma, what brings you here today? Are you here to take Ruotong back?"
Since Madam Sun had spoken, the old lady didn't stand on ceremony. She knew that the longer Ruotong stayed at her parents' home, the greater the risk. If she could pick up her granddaughter-in-law that afternoon, that would be the best thing.
“Mother-in-law, of course I’m here to pick her up. I plan to take Ruotong back this afternoon.”
Sun's face grew increasingly grim. What was wrong with the Zhao family? Why did they send an old woman to pick them up?
"Where is your scholar? Why doesn't he come over?"
Grandma Zhao came today mainly to check on her family's situation, but there was a reason for it. Ruotong's brother was trying to harm his sister, and she had no choice but to take Ruotong back as soon as possible.
Logically speaking, it would be unreasonable for Tong Nan to not come and instead have his grandmother come to pick up his granddaughter-in-law.
"I originally came with Xian'er to pick up Ruotong, but the prefect came to visit this morning, and Xian'er had to entertain the guest, so I took the liberty of coming over."
Sun looked coldly at Old Madam Zhao, her face full of disdain. "If you're going to lie, at least come up with a plausible reason. What kind of status does the Prefect have? Would he be allowed to visit your home?"
Sun did not refute her, but continued to ask questions.
"The Prefect is a distinguished guest; why would he come to your house as a guest?"
When Mrs. Sun asked about this matter, Old Mrs. Zhao immediately became interested and began to tell the story in detail.
From building waterwheels to assisting the government in suppressing bandits in Qianniu Mountain, and finally capturing the remaining bandits, Old Lady Zhao not only received praise from the county magistrate but also a reward from the prefect.
Grandma Zhao's words surprised Madam Sun. Of course, she knew about the waterwheel. She had heard that it was invented by a scholar, and the county magistrate had ordered it to be promoted throughout the county. She had even built one for her own family.
As for the matter of suppressing bandits at Qianniu Mountain, it was widely known and even among women and children. However, she couldn't believe that this matter was related to her son-in-law.
Yang Ruotong was cooking in the kitchen when she overheard the conversation between Old Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Sun.
What Old Mrs. Zhao said seemed like boasting, but these things had all happened recently and had a certain degree of credibility. However, she found it hard to believe that these things were related to the scholar.
However, the old lady wouldn't lie through her teeth; she didn't know what had happened to the Zhao family during the time she was away.
She and Zhao Xian had been together for three or four years. At that time, Zhao Xian devoted all his energy to the imperial examinations in order to obtain official rank, and it was not until he was over 20 years old that he began to consider starting a family.
In ancient times, a man who married at the age of twenty was considered an old bachelor. At first, the young couple were quite loving and lived a fairly good life.
However, Zhao Xian failed the provincial examination again in his last attempt. He believed that he had no hope of passing the imperial examination and his mentality completely deteriorated.
From then on, Zhao Xian gave up on himself, neglecting his family and showing no compassion, living a life of ease where everything was done for him.
As time went on, he not only became bitter and pedantic, but also squandered his wealth recklessly.
Yang Ruotong was heartbroken to see Zhao Xian become like this. She wanted to change him, but it was no use. She could only feel disappointed in him. In addition, with the instigation of her brother and sister-in-law, she went back to her parents' home in a fit of anger.
After returning to her parents' home, her life was not easy. Her mother felt sorry for her daughter and naturally didn't say anything, but her brother and sister-in-law were a different story.
Yang Ruotong had just returned to her parents' home. She was only in her early twenties, with a beautiful appearance and elegant demeanor. Her older brother and sister-in-law saw her as a cash cow and wanted to marry her off to a wealthy man to earn some dowry money.
Xiao Kui, a nouveau riche in the village, had long coveted Yang Ruotong. When Yang Ruotong returned to her parents' home, he conspired with Yang Hong to marry her. However, Yang Ruotong refused, and the matter has been dragging on until now.
Grandma Zhao and Mrs. Sun continued their conversation. At first, Mrs. Sun scoffed at what Grandma Zhao was saying, but gradually she began to take an interest in what Grandma Zhao was saying.
In particular, when Grandma Zhao mentioned making pickled vegetables at home, Mrs. Sun immediately became interested and asked questions.
"Last time, when Ruotong's father was working at the Yingkou Town dock, he ate pickled vegetables at a food stall. They were very delicious. A small plate cost ten copper coins. People working at the dock all liked to eat this kind of pickled vegetables."
They would often pool their money to buy a dish, then share it, saying that eating this kind of kimchi gave them extra energy for work, which might be related to the salt used in pickling the kimchi.
Her father once bought ten coins' worth of pickled vegetables and brought them home for the family to try. The pickled vegetables were indeed delicious. I wonder what your family's pickled vegetables are like.”
"Is the kimchi you're eating bright green, with thick leaves that look a bit like seaweed, and a pure aroma of alcohol?" Grandma Zhao asked.
"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right. This kind of kimchi, is it homemade?" Mrs. Sun asked, increasingly surprised.
"This is the kimchi we make at home. The wholesale price is eighteen coins per pound. One pound can hold at least five or six small dishes. So we can resell it for fifty or sixty coins. That's incredibly profitable!" the old lady exclaimed in surprise.
"What kind of vegetable is used to make this kimchi? I don't think I've ever seen this vegetable before," Mrs. Sun asked.
Grandma Zhao smiled mysteriously and slowly began to speak:
“Mother-in-law, I can tell you this, but you must not tell anyone. Xian’er said it’s a trade secret.”
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Mrs. Sun assured her.
"This is made with purslane."
“Ah, ox-bean vegetable, impossible.” Mrs. Sun immediately shook her head. Every country person knows about ox-bean vegetable. She would never believe that this kind of pickled vegetable is made from ox-bean vegetable.
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