Chapter 96 Stable Development
As night fell, the family sat down together for dinner.
Besides the wild vegetables we dug up, there was also pork and eggs that we bought, and a bowl full of brown rice in front of each person.
As the food improved, Wan Qiqi lost her initial confidence.
From being an outsider to becoming part of the family, and then the events that happened in the village, her sharp edges were gradually worn down.
The more naive one is at the beginning, the more sorrowful one is now.
She always felt that she could change the village's situation with her knowledge and understanding, but now she finds that she is alone and cannot shake the deeply ingrained, corrupt ideas.
If it weren't for the Chen family believing in her, and if it weren't for Wan Ziyan's unwavering support from the beginning, she would have had a difficult time surviving, and it would have been difficult for her to do business in this era.
She remembered the way the waiter looked at her and Chen Yongliang when they entered the restaurant, and the respect he showed to Wan Ziyan and Tao Ran. Was this the difference between the rich and the poor?
No matter the era, money is always the most influential thing.
As for what happened today, it was Lin Youtian's greed that led him to falsely accuse them of theft.
At the table, seeing Wan Qiqi's sullen expression, the others slowed down their eating.
Wang gave Chen Yongnian a wink, and he immediately asked, "Wife, is something on your mind?"
Wan Qiqi then came to her senses and realized that everyone was looking at her.
She shook her head and smiled faintly, saying, "I'm fine, I was just thinking about business."
Madam Wang gently comforted her, "Qiqi, if you feel tired, let the three brothers do the business in the future, and you can rest at home. It's okay!"
Wan Qiqi shook her head: "It's not that I'm tired, I'm just thinking about how to earn more and for a longer period of time."
Chen Yongxing replied, "You've already earned a lot! Sister-in-law, don't put so much pressure on yourself."
Chen Yongliang immediately chimed in, "That's right, the money we're making now is more than we could earn in several years!"
“Mother is right. If you’re tired, rest first. Let us handle the business matters.” Chen Yongnian said, putting a piece of meat on Wan Qiqi’s plate.
Wan Qiqi sighed and put down her bowl, then said seriously, "I'm considering what Master Wan said today about whether we should expand our business to the county. If we do, we'll earn more, and the demand will be greater, so we need to ensure a stable supply."
"Master Wan?" Chen Yongnian frowned, a hint of jealousy rising in his heart.
He knew that his wife had discussed business with the academy and was determined to meet with them.
However, he felt uncomfortable whenever he thought of the way Master Wan looked at his wife.
"Yes, Master Wan invited us to Guangjulou Restaurant for dinner today. He said he wanted to introduce the sweet soup to the restaurants in the county for my sister-in-law!" Chen Yongliang said, recalling the delicious food he had at the restaurant, though it was a bit pricey.
Chen Yongxing jumped up immediately, "You actually went to Guangjulou?" Although he had never been there, he had heard people talk about it.
Guangjulou is the best restaurant in Hefeng Town. Every time I pass by, I can smell the aroma of the dishes wafting out, making my mouth water.
He remembered someone saying that a meal at Guangjulou would cost at least several hundred coins, and a better meal would cost more than one tael of silver.
Thinking about missing such an opportunity today, Chen Yongxing felt regretful. Why didn't he insist on going with them?
Of the group, Wang reacted the least. She had also heard of Master Wan and couldn't help but ask, "Is he reliable? I heard that Master Wan is the son of Master Wan, a wealthy man in town. Why would he help us?"
"Master Wan is..." Chen Yongliang almost blurted out, but Wan Qiqi glanced at him, and he immediately covered his mouth and swallowed his words.
But others also sensed something was amiss, as if they were hiding something.
Wan Qiqi didn't try to hide it and explained, "Master Wan is my second elder brother, so I trust him."
Li Chongniang looked astonished. "He's your second brother? The Wan family only has you and your eldest brother. Where did this second brother come from? Don't be fooled!"
Chen Yongxing chimed in, "Yes, sister-in-law, are you sure? I've never heard of this before. Don't be fooled!"
Although he had met Wan Ziyan and felt that he was not that kind of person, he could not say for sure, after all, you can know a person's face but not their heart.
Now that my sister-in-law is too sharp-tongued, she might be targeted by someone with ulterior motives who could swindle her out of money and sexually exploit her.
Wan Qiqi couldn't produce any evidence, or even explain the connection, but she was always very good at judging people.
Although she felt that Wan Ziyan was hiding something, she thought it shouldn't be this, as he had no reason to ruin his reputation.
After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Whether what he said is true or false remains to be seen. I also have some reservations about business matters."
"Qiqi, to put it bluntly, you can't be too careful. Even if he really is your second brother, we can't be completely sure he'll help you. We've already earned enough; next spring, when the millet is harvested, we won't need to work so hard!"
Wan Qiqi understood what Wang Shi meant; she still valued the crops in the fields and wanted to wait until next year to plant rice.
However, she needed to think it over one more step.
What if there is another disaster next year?
Even setting aside the distant future, there are many uncertainties surrounding this winter alone.
However, what Wang said was not unreasonable. Even if she was sure that Wan Ziyan would help her, she could not say for sure what the people in the county would do. After all, she had never been to Yunhe County and had never met the people in Yunhe County.
After careful consideration, she made her decision: "Mother is right, let's take care of what's in front of us first. Tomorrow, my third brother will go to town to deliver the honey pomelo jam and find out how often they need a jar."
"What about Master Wan..." Chen Yongliang paused, waiting for his sister-in-law to tell him what happened next.
Wan Qiqi thought for a while and said, "Take the cakes I promised over and thank him for his kindness. Let's stabilize these three stores for now, see how the sales go, and then see how things develop."
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