Chapter 87: Gathering Information

Several women left in a huff.

“Her wings have hardened. She used to be so pitiful, her clothes and shoes full of holes, not daring even to lift her head when she walked, and now she dares to talk back to us.”

“She’s just a fool. Who doesn’t know what kind of person Peach Blossom Li is? She’s nothing but a leech—once she latches onto you, she’ll suck you dry and never let go. A woman like her would never treat her stepchildren well. If it weren’t for Tang Yichen being good at his studies, she wouldn’t have kept up the act for so long,” Madam Wang spat.

“So you’re saying Peach Blossom Li’s been putting up this act all this time just waiting for Tang Yichen to pass the imperial exams, so she could become an official’s wife?”

“Of course. Otherwise, why does she dote on Tang’s children but ignore Song Ruizhe, who’s also her stepson?”

“Madam Wang, if you had a stepson like Song Ruizhe, wouldn’t it be good enough not to beat him to death, let alone care about him?”

Madam Wang opened her mouth, but as soon as Song Ruizhe’s gloomy eyes appeared in her mind, she dared not speak further.

“What kind of business do you think Big Fortune Tang’s family is really running?”

“Didn’t we hear already? It’s a food business.”

“What kind of food? They go to town every three days, leaving early and coming back late, carrying all sorts of buckets and bundles—they must be making a good profit.”

“Whether they make a lot or a little, what’s it got to do with us? It’s not as if we’re close to Peach Blossom Li; she wouldn’t tell us anything.”

“Aren’t you curious? Everyone knows how to cook a few dishes. If they can make money from it, so can we. We just need to find out what exactly they’re selling.”

Schemes began to stir in the hearts of the women.

Madam Wang was on such bad terms with Peach Blossom Li that she wasn’t even allowed to set foot in their house, so sending her to snoop around would be pointless.

As for the others, at least they hadn’t fallen out with Peach Blossom Li. After all, in a village, how could neighbors not interact? For example, Old Woman Zhang—Big Fortune Tang bought an old hen from her, so she could use that as an excuse to pay a visit.

Tang Yixiao finished drinking his medicine, his little face scrunched up in discomfort.

Qin Huiyin slipped a piece of candy into his mouth, then placed the jar in his hands. “From now on, after you take your medicine, have one of these. It won’t taste so bitter.”

“Where did you get this?” he asked.

“I bought it,” Qin Huiyin replied. “You take medicine so often and your mouth is always bitter—this will sweeten things up for you.”

Tang Yixiao’s eyes reddened with emotion.

Qin Huiyin sighed. “Why do you cry so easily?”

“I’m not crying,” Tang Yixiao said stubbornly, looking straight at her.

“All right, you’re not crying.” Qin Huiyin gave a gentle laugh. “We’re having dry pot pork intestines for lunch. Could you help me clean the intestines?”

“Sure, leave it to me.” Tang Yixiao put the intestines into a wooden bucket and carried it downstream to the river.

Now, there was someone fetching water for the family and someone delivering firewood as well. For just a few coins, they could hand off these heavy chores to others.

Their regular helpers were both honest villagers who had no grudges with Big Fortune Tang or Peach Blossom Li. They never poked their noses into others’ business, did their work well, and left when finished.

“Oh my, Huiyin girl, are you home alone today?” Old Woman Zhang strolled in with a smile.

Qin Huiyin went to greet her. “Auntie, is something the matter?”

“Didn’t your father buy an old hen from me? She looked a bit listless before, and I was worried she might keel over right after being sold, so I came to check.”

Qin Huiyin pointed at the hen strutting about the yard, surrounded by lively chicks. “Don’t worry, Auntie. She’s doing well—nothing to worry about.”

“Seems she is! You’ve got good water and earth here—nurtures not just people but chickens too.” Zhang gave a hearty laugh. “By the way, your family’s been doing well in business lately, haven’t you? What kind of business is it?”

“We just sell a bit of food,” Qin Huiyin replied brightly. “Don’t laugh at us, Auntie. We’re just bumbling about for a bite to eat—we’re hardly making anything.”

“You little rogue! If there’s no money in it, why are you all so busy every day? Don’t worry, I’m tight-lipped. Tell me, what exactly are you selling, and how much can you actually make?”

“We mainly sell meat and flatbreads. Auntie, you know both meat and fine flour are expensive,” Qin Huiyin explained. “We put a lot of meat in each bread, so we might make one coin per bread at most. And as for the meat, the ingredients are so dear that sometimes we can’t sell it all and have to eat it ourselves. What else could we do? We can’t just throw it away, and the food can’t be kept overnight—it goes bad and could upset your stomach. Then we have to rent a stall, pay entry fees to the town, and even give gifts to the local bullies…”

“Oh my, stall rental isn’t cheap, is it? I know the entry fee is one coin per person. And those bullies are hard to deal with!” Zhang’s eyes widened. “So how much do you actually clear in a day?”

“After all the costs and bribes, if we make fifty or sixty coins a day, we’re doing well.”

“So many of you go to town and work all day, just to make fifty or sixty coins?” Zhang looked at Qin Huiyin skeptically. “Little girl, you’re not lying to me, are you?”

“Auntie, is fifty or sixty coins not much? I think it’s plenty! If we sell ten times a month, that’s five or six hundred coins, right? We have no other income, so this money feeds the family and gives my brother a little for his studies.”

“If it’s just for that, your family would be better off finding jobs in town. With so many people, just for a few hundred coins—it doesn’t add up.”

“Then who in our family could go work? Uncle Tang’s leg is injured—he can’t do any heavy labor. My mother is too beautiful to be out and about. My eldest brother? The thought is laughable! Then there’re Sister Green Reed, little brother, and me—I’m only eleven. Who among us could do such work?”

Zhang was speechless.

Whether others believed it or not, she was half convinced. In such a big family, there wasn’t a single person who could go out and find work. If they only grew crops at home, they’d barely have enough to eat, let alone save money for Tang Yichen’s studies.

“And it’s not always fifty or sixty coins. Sometimes we’re lucky—like last time, when a generous customer came by and we made a hundred coins.” Qin Huiyin glanced around conspiratorially, as if sharing a secret. “But don’t tell anyone—I’m only telling you.”

“That’s not bad at all. Well, I have to get back to cooking, so I won’t keep chatting. I’ll be off now.” Zhang quickly found an excuse to leave.

Tang Green Reed came back hugging a wooden basin and happened to brush past Zhang at the door.

“What was she here for?” she asked.

Qin Huiyin couldn’t help but laugh, then recounted what had happened.

“Do you think she believed you?”

“Doesn’t matter if she did or not. That’s the story she gets from me. If she doesn’t believe it, she can try to find out for herself. It’s easy enough to go to the town, but the county seat charges an entry fee. Is she really willing to pay just to satisfy her curiosity?”