When Old Madam Lu saw how much meat Lu Zhengguo had bought, her heart ached.
How much silver must all that have cost?
Still, she knew the purchase had been for Qianqian, so although she felt pained, she didn’t say anything.
“Little Sister, take a look. Will this do?”
As soon as Lu Zhengguo saw his mother and sister return, he hurriedly set down his work and stood up.
Truthfully, he was nervous.
He was afraid his mother would scold him.
Yet this time, she only glanced at him before walking inside without saying a word.
Lu Qianqian entered the kitchen.
A large basin sat on the table, filled with pork belly.
“I got lucky this time.”
“The butcher had just slaughtered a fresh pig, so I picked the fattiest cuts available.”
Lu Zhengguo explained.
Lu Qianqian nodded with satisfaction.
The fattier the pork, the better.
She wasn’t interested in the meat itself.
She wanted the lard.
“Little Sister, here’s the change.”
“Ten jin of pork cost three hundred copper coins.”
Lu Zhengguo handed her the remaining money.
Lu Qianqian accepted it without argument.
Then she counted out fifty copper coins and handed them back.
“Big Brother, this is for you.”
Lu Zhengguo immediately shook his head.
“No, no.”
“It was only a small errand.”
“I can’t take money for that.”
“Take it.”
Lu Qianqian pressed the coins into his hands.
“Don’t worry.”
“I already discussed it with Mother.”
“And this won’t be the last time I need your help.”
“There’ll be plenty more work in the future.”
“Are you really planning to work for free forever?”
Lu Zhengguo froze.
He was a filial son.
But he also cared deeply about his wife and children.
With his parents still alive, however, he couldn’t simply prioritize his own household.
Yet Lu Qianqian’s words struck directly at his heart.
His eldest son was already four years old.
The boy was smart.
Lu Zhengguo had often dreamed of sending him to school.
The problem was money.
If he brought it up to his parents, they would almost certainly refuse.
“Big Brother, we’re family.”
“Mother is tough on the outside but soft-hearted underneath.”
“And with you helping me, I feel more secure too.”
Holding the copper coins, Lu Zhengguo finally nodded.
“Alright.”
“I’ll listen to you.”
Lin Gui had followed them into the kitchen earlier.
After overhearing the conversation and seeing the money in her husband’s hands, her eyes turned red.
Just then, Lu Qianqian looked toward her.
“Perfect timing, Sister-in-law.”
“This pork also needs to be rendered into lard.”
“Of course, I won’t ask you to work for free.”
She counted out thirty copper coins and handed them over.
Lin Gui was startled.
“No, no.”
“You already paid Big Brother.”
“That’s enough.”
“Big Brother is Big Brother. You’re you.”
“How can they be counted together?”
“And I’ll need your help with plenty of things in the future.”
Without waiting for refusal, Lu Qianqian placed the money into Lin Gui’s hands.
“Sister-in-law, I’ll leave the pork to you.”
“Store the lard in jars after it’s rendered.”
“As for the leftover pork scraps, cook whatever dishes you think are appropriate.”
After saying that, she left the kitchen before Lin Gui could respond.
There was still plenty of work waiting for her in the courtyard.
The Cold Beauty flower water needed to be covered with gauze and stored until the molds were finished.
Outside, she busied herself organizing everything.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Lu Zhengguo and Lin Gui simply stared at each other.
After a long silence, Lu Zhengguo let out a slow breath and handed his coins to his wife.
“Since Little Sister insists, let’s accept it.”
“Whatever she gives us, we’ll take.”
“She’s right.”
“We’re family.”
“If she’s willing to think of us, then we’ll work hard for her.”
Lin Gui’s eyes reddened even more.
“Alright.”
“I’ll put the money away first, then come back.”
“You wash the pork.”
Carefully tucking the copper coins into her clothing, she hurried toward their room.
The children were overjoyed.
There would be meat again tonight.
Truthfully, the adults were just as happy.
The Lu family had never lived this extravagantly.
Normally they only bought meat during the New Year holidays.
Yet recently they had been eating meat almost every day.
It felt unreal.
During dinner, Old Madam Lu noticed an empty seat.
“Second Son.”
“Where’s your wife?”
The question surprised her.
Liu Zhaodi was both lazy and greedy.
The idea of her missing a meal was nearly impossible.
Lu Zhengjun quickly stuffed food into his mouth but answered honestly.
“Zhaodi said her mother was sick.”
“She went back to visit her family.”
Old Madam Lu accepted the explanation without much thought.
“Fine.”
She didn’t ask any further questions.
After taking a bite of braised pork, Lu Qianqian spoke.
“Big Brother, Second Brother.”
“The mangoes and guavas should be ripe tomorrow.”
“Get up early and harvest them.”
“Pack everything into baskets.”
“Then we’ll head to the prefectural city and meet Third Brother.”
The moment she said this, every adult at the table immediately understood what it meant.
Only the younger children remained confused.
Everyone else’s faces lit up.
“Qianqian…”
Old Madam Lu still found it difficult to believe.
“Can those two trees really produce fruit every few days?”
As a lifelong farmer, she knew more about crops than most city people.
Plants maturing in a matter of days?
It sounded impossible.
Old Master Lu was equally astonished.
However, remembering the Florist he had once met, he recovered more quickly.
“Good.”
“Very good.”
Then he turned toward his sons.
“Whatever your sister asks you to do, do it properly.”
“Understood, Father.”
Neither Lu Zhengguo nor Lu Zhengjun needed reminding.
They would help their sister wholeheartedly regardless.
By the time Lu Qianqian woke up, her family had already harvested everything.
This time the yield was:
Old Madam Lu stared at the fruit with eyes nearly closed from smiling.
To her, these weren’t fruits.
They were silver.
Lots and lots of silver.
If the trees could produce a harvest every few days, the income over a month would be incredible.
The more she thought about it, the happier she became.
The moment she saw Lu Qianqian step outside, her smile widened even further.
“Qianqian.”
“Mother already prepared breakfast for you.”
“Eat first, then you can leave.”
As she spoke, she instructed Lin Gui to bring the meal from the kitchen.
Lu Qianqian knew she couldn’t change Old Madam Lu overnight.
Besides, in this ancient society, mothers-in-law held enormous authority.
Failing to respect one’s parents or in-laws was considered deeply unfilial.
This time, however, Lin Gui served her willingly.
In the past, she had done the same thing but always felt wronged.
After all, a daughter eventually married out.
No matter how well you treated her, she would one day belong to another family.
But things were different now.
Lu Qianqian had brought enormous wealth into the household.
Even though Lin Gui didn’t directly control any of that money, Lu Qianqian had generously paid them wages.
That alone was far better than before.
Previously, they had worked hard and received nothing at all.