Shen Ning hadn't expected to sell all four pieces of Xiangzao she bought, thinking she'd be lucky to sell even one piece.
The outcome exceeded her expectations. Although everyone was generally poor, Xiangzao was truly a hot commodity, and there were still many people in need of it.
Another possibility was that her Xiangzao was abundant, cheap, and fragrant.
So those who originally planned to buy from the Gongxiaoshe were all drawn to her Xiangzao.
Today's earnings were 16 yuan!
It was practically a fortune!
Just as she shouldered her backpack, someone called out to her, "That female comrade! Female comrade! Wait! Wait!"
Almost half of the people turned to look at the person shouting.
Shen Ning was no exception—after all, she was the female comrade being addressed.
When she looked, it turned out to be an acquaintance.
It was the bespectled male comrade who had just bought Xiangzao from her, clearly here to find her.
Behind him followed a female comrade dressed in blue work clothes, with a Hulan Head hairstyle, looking neat and efficient—definitely an intellectual type.
Her heart sank. Could it be that his wife disagreed with the purchase and he was here to demand a refund?
"Comrade, what's the matter?"
She was already thinking about how to handle the situation.
There was absolutely no way she was giving a refund!
The bespectled man pointed in her direction and loudly said to the female comrade beside him, "Sister Liu, it's her!"
Oh no, oh no!
They really were here to cause trouble!
Her mind was already racing, thinking about which way to escape. Although there wasn't a strict crackdown on this kind of thing now, what if? What if some jealous person insisted on making trouble for her?!
Getting caught would undoubtedly bring a lot of hassle.
"Comrade, do you have any more Xiangzao for sale?"
The female comrade spoke first, stating her purpose. Her hurried and flustered appearance made Shen Ning freeze for a moment—were they here to buy something?
"It's sold out today. Are you here to buy Xiangzao?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the female comrade's face fell with disappointment. She tentatively asked, "Will you have more tomorrow?"
"Do you need it urgently?"
Hearing this, the female comrade's face lit up with joy. "It's not too urgent. It's just that I found out Comrade Xiao Huang bought Xiangzao from you, and I liked it too. I rushed over as fast as I could, but I didn't expect to be too late. What a pity."
So that was it. She nearly scared her to death.
To make buying something feel like catching a thief—now that was talent.
"How about the day after tomorrow? I'll come back here to sell then. I'll save a piece for you, and you can come to buy it then."
"Okay, okay, okay." The female comrade's face broke into a satisfied smile. "Comrade, don't worry. When the time comes, I'll make sure to promote your goods well in the Family Compound!"
Well, well, it seems this could turn into a big business!
"Great, thank you, big sister!"
Xiaohe Village
Wei Shulan had originally gone to town to sell vegetables, but not only did she fail to sell any, she ended up spending money on two sugar buns for her unruly son.
What stuck in her mind, especially, was the scene she witnessed at the entrance of the Gongxiaoshe.
The third daughter-in-law had taken a stack of bills from someone else.
Who knows what kind of business she was involved in!
She was seething with anger and shoved her foolish son's head. "Look at you, all you do all day is eat, eat, eat!"
"Hmph, I want to eat! I want to eat!"
Just then, her eyes shifted craftily as a scheme came to mind. "Later when you see your grandma, remember to tell her exactly how your third aunt treated you today—how she wouldn't even spare you a single steamed bun."
She leaned closer to the child's ear and whispered maliciously, "When the time comes, your grandma will surely help you vent your anger properly!"
Upon hearing he had someone to back him up, the little brat immediately puffed out his round belly.
"I'm going to tell Grandma!"
With that, he immediately dashed toward his grandmother's house.
Although the three Li brothers had divided the family property, the old house wasn't far away. At this hour, Old Lady Li happened to still be home before heading to the fields.
"Grandma! Grandma! Someone bullied me!"
Li Zhenxing came running into the courtyard, howling and crying at the top of his lungs—this was his usual tactic.
Whenever things didn't go his way, he would throw a tantrum, and his grandmother would always give in to his demands.
"Oh, my precious grandson, what's wrong? Tell Grandma who dared to bully you, and I'll go beat them up!"
The moment Old Lady Li saw her treasured grandson looking so wronged, her heart ached with distress. She wished she could create a golden basket to shield him from all harm.
"Grandma, it was Third Aunt! She ate steamed buns without sharing any with me! She even asked me to pay for them!" he declared righteously, without a hint of self-awareness about his own behavior. "Grandma, didn't you say I could eat anything? Why wouldn't she give me any?"
"Grandma! You lied to me! Waaah—I just want to eat those steamed buns!"
He hadn't thought much about it earlier, but now that he was crying, he recalled the scene he witnessed that morning: the pure white, soft steamed buns in his third aunt's hand, stuffed full with dark, sweet-smelling filling that wafted a delightful fragrance when he got close.
Just thinking about it now made him drool!
The more he thought about it, the more he craved them!
"Waaah—Grandma, I want those steamed buns! I want them! I want them!"
The wrinkles on Old Lady Li's brow deepened enough to trap flies. Though quite puzzled, her priority was to soothe her precious grandson.
"Alright, alright, my dear, don't cry. Grandma will make sure she prepares steamed buns for you. My precious grandson can eat whatever he wants! How dare she refuse you!"
Wei Shulan, who had followed behind, quietly curled the corners of her lips, her eyes gleaming with triumph.
With Mother-in-law stepping in, Third Sister-in-law is in for trouble!
"Speak! What exactly happened?"
Having only gotten a fragmented account from the child, Old Lady Li turned to her second daughter-in-law. She knew all too well what kind of person Third Sister-in-law was—someone who could stretch one coin into two.
She could barely feed herself, let alone support her three burdensome children.
How could she afford to eat steamed buns?
"Mom, it's true!" Wei Shulan felt a surge of resentment as she recalled the incident. Those steamed buns were clearly made with pure white flour—how extravagant.
She leaned closer to her mother-in-law and began to stir trouble. "Mom, do you know what I saw when I went to town to sell vegetables today?"
Old Lady Li's drooping, turbid eyes swept over her with a sharp gaze that sent a shiver down Wei Shulan's spine.
She had endured plenty of hardships from her mother-in-law after marrying into the family.
"Spit it out if you have something to say."
Wei Shulan forced an awkward laugh. "Nothing escapes your notice, Mom. As I passed by the entrance of the Gongxiaoshe, I saw Third Sister-in-law selling something in the alley. I don't know what it was, but she received a thick stack of money!"
"What?!"
Old Lady Li's eyes widened a bit. "She's doing business? What kind of business could she possibly do?"
"I saw it with my own eyes, absolutely certain. If you don't believe me, you can ask Zhenxing. Our Zhenxing saw it too. Who knows what she's selling that could be so valuable?"
Her eyes rolled thoughtfully. "Hey, Mom, do you think maybe Third Brother sent her some valuable things before?"
Ever since this woman married Third Brother, not only did she get most of his allowance, but he even secretly sent her good stuff!
What a scourge!
She would never let her get away with this!