Chapter 85 Gossip from Every Household
Wan Qiqi was used to the villagers' quick changes of attitude and dealing with these people was no problem for her; she quickly became one of them.
Chen Yongnian glanced back a few times, and seeing that they didn't seem to be targeting Wan Qiqi, he stopped paying attention and headed home.
Someone tugged at Wan Qiqi, laughing and coaxing, "Sister-in-law Chen, how did you make this sweet soup? Teach us! It's good for everyone to make money together."
Wan Qiqi glanced at it and realized that it was Aunt Yang's daughter, Lin Xiaohua.
When the village was plagued, her father contracted the plague, and she absolutely refused to deliver the medicine. Now that she's old and frail, people are asking her to hand over the prescription.
She smiled faintly and said, "It's not that I don't want to teach you, it's just that honey is expensive and hard to find in the mountains. If I told you, I'm afraid you wouldn't be willing to give it up!" After saying that, she showed a troubled expression.
Someone then asked, "Do you want a lot of honey?"
Wan Qiqi countered, "If you don't add more honey, how will you cover up the bitterness of the grapefruit peel?"
Lin Xiaohua then asked, "If you put in less, will it taste terrible?"
Wan Qiqi glanced at her and exaggerated, "What kind of sweet soup is it if it's not sweet? Besides, the grapefruit peel is bitter, so it can't be masked. It's even worse than medicine!"
Lin Xiaohua nodded seriously and asked, "Are there any tips?"
"Yes, it will be better if you peel off the white part of the skin."
Wan Qiqi answered Lin Xiaohua with a mix of truth and lies, and when she saw Lin Xiaohua leave, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.
This mother and daughter are really something. If they wanted the recipe for honey grapefruit tea, they should have just asked. Maybe she would have taught them if she was in a good mood. Instead, they did it secretly, trying to get something for nothing and stealing business from others.
Aunt Fengxian looked on and said softly, "Chen family's eldest daughter-in-law, you shouldn't have told her. Today, as soon as her mother came back, she started saying that you've made money and don't care about the people in the village. She also said that you've hooked up with another man outside the village!"
Sure enough, the villagers love to gossip! The news had already spread before she even returned!
Wan Qiqi smiled and said, "How could the teachers of Hefeng Academy possibly take a liking to me? It would take someone to believe that if they said that!"
"That's what everyone says," Aunt Fengxian replied casually, then paused, "You mean the teacher at Hefeng Academy?"
Seeing her surprised expression, Wan Qiqi nodded.
"Sister-in-law Yang is talking nonsense. Master Wan's family is known as a good family in the town." The more Aunt Fengxian thought about it, the more unreliable Aunt Yang seemed. "When Master Wan was still doing business outside, he took out a lot of money to help people in the county get out of trouble."
"Yes, whenever there is a disaster in any town or village, they are always the first to contribute money."
Upon hearing this, Wan Qiqi was full of praise for Master Wan.
But it's also clear that people are referring to Wan Ziyan's father, not him.
Finally, someone sighed and said, "Master Wan is a kind and good-hearted man, but unfortunately, Heaven is blind to his goodness."
Wan Qiqi raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to the story, and asked, "Why are you so blind? The Wan family is doing just fine in town now, isn't they?"
"Alas, Master Wan was much richer in the past than he is now. It's a pity that he lost money in business a couple of years ago and his health is not good. He can only wait to come back to town to recuperate."
"Yes, back in the day, Master Wan was the biggest merchant in the entire county!"
Wan Qiqi interjected, "Isn't it said that merchants have a low social status?"
"That's true, but Master Wan has done a lot of good deeds. I remember one year the county government office burned down and had to be rebuilt, and it was Master Wan who funded it!"
Wan Qiqi nodded, having a general idea of the family's standing in the county.
However, after saying so much, they still didn't get to the matter of Wan Ziyan.
She then asked, "If that's the case, why didn't his son go into business with him and become a teacher instead?"
“I know that,” someone immediately replied. “Dean Tao of Hefeng Academy and Master Wan are old acquaintances. They share the same interests, so they opened this private school.”
"Master Wan has traveled all over the country with Master Wan, so he knows a lot!"
"Master Wan treated Master Wan very well, and specially invited a famous old teacher to teach him! Unfortunately, after Master Wan's health deteriorated, he also gave up taking the imperial examinations and preferred to teach in this small town."
Wan Qiqi suddenly felt that this person seemed very powerful!
If Pingping and An'an were to study under him in the future, they would likely learn a great deal.
She remembered that the private school recruited boys aged six to eighteen as students, and Chen Yongliang also had the opportunity to study there.
However, the cost is considerable, and the business needs to be expanded before they can be sent to school.
Wan Qiqi was distracted as the villagers started talking about all sorts of rumors, which confirmed some of her suspicions.
"I heard that Master Wan is not Master Wan's son, but was adopted by someone else."
"Yes, I've heard about it too. Apparently, she was injured while doing business before, and it damaged her very foundation, so she can't have children."
"I heard it's something you're born with?"
“You’re all talking nonsense. I heard that Master Wan was unintentionally saved by Master Wan and raised as his own son. In addition, Master Wan’s wife was in poor health, so she did not have any more children and let him take over the Wan family line.”
Speaking of this, someone suddenly realized, "Sister-in-law Chen, you also have the surname Wan, and he also has the surname Wan. Could you be related?"
"What nonsense! This Wan family has absolutely no connection with Wanjia Village! The Wan family's ancestors migrated here, while Wanjia Village is native to the area. What connection could they possibly have?"
Wan Qiqi had initially guessed that Wan Ziyan might be one of her brothers, but after hearing this, she dismissed the idea. After all, the two Wan families had no relation, and adoption should only be considered as a kinship.
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