Chapter 87: Zheng Niangzi's Worry-Free

  The couple nodded and said: "Okay, we'll both listen to you."

  Shen Sisi's heart finally calmed down a bit, looking at Da Bao's dazed expression, she couldn't bear to scold him anymore. However, she didn't dare leave him alone to indulge in wild thoughts either. So she pulled him along and said: "Don't think too much about it, this matter has Mom, Dad, and me on it, don't worry about it by yourself. Thinking too much won't do any good anyway. Come with me to Zheng Tutu's house to pick up the meat, we still need to make lunch. After eating, we have to marinate the meat, today we're going to marinate 50 kilograms, and tomorrow...

  Dabao nodded silently and followed Shen Sisi, but whenever they passed through the village, there were always villagers' snickers and pointing fingers. Shen Sisi was calm and composed, but a bit annoyed, while Dabao just hung his head low and remained taciturn.

  Shen Sisi looked at Da Bao and sighed inwardly, "Won't this matter affect Da Bao? He's already foolish and naive enough, if he gets hit again, he'll become even more dull-witted! How can we cultivate him into a shrewd businessman like this?"

  She thought for a moment, then quickened her pace to the village head, and after leaving everyone's line of sight, she said: "Don't think about anything else, no matter whether you marry Niu Xiaohua or not, don't worry too much. No matter how Tian Guilhua makes trouble, she has nothing to do with our family anyway. At most, you can just be more careful in the future and even if you really marry Niu Xiaohua, just let her have less contact with them. Besides, you haven't married yet, why are you so anxious...

  Dabao was taken aback for a moment, nodded and said: "I'm just afraid that Tian Guifang will make trouble at home..."

  "Don't worry about home..." Shen Sisi patted his shoulder and said, "I'm here too..."

  Dà bǎo yǎn yī suān, "wǒ shì zuò dà gē de, zǒng ràng mèi mèi cāo xīn..."

  Translation:

  Big treasure's eyes turned sour, "I'm the big brother, always making my little sister worry..."

  "What are you siblings doing?!" Shen Sisi thought that this matter could make Dabao grow up a bit, and it seemed like he understood things now. As long as he didn't become too stupid or dull, his behavior was still normal. Shen Sisi didn't say anything else and walked to Zheng Tufu's house, smiling: "Uncle Zheng, today we need 50 kilograms."

  Zheng Tutu was shocked and said: "All the meat from yesterday has been sold out?!"

  "Yes, business is good, so I'll take 50 catties today..." Shen Sisi said with a smile.

  Zheng Tufu originally had a lingering fear that this business would not last long, but unexpectedly the next day they increased the order, and he immediately exclaimed with joy: "Good good good, I'll cut it for you right away..."

  He smiled and said, "Tuniu, how come your business is doing so well?!" while cutting the meat.

  "Braised meat......" Shen Sisi thought to herself that this matter couldn't be hidden anyway, so it's better to just be open and honest from the start. After all, her family members went in and out of the city every day, plus the aroma of braised meat at home every day, Zheng Tufu's place was even more impossible to keep secrets, taking meat every day, the villagers were watching too, so she didn't hide it either.

  "That's good, as long as business is good......" Zheng Tudou smiled happily while cutting the meat and said: "Take it, take all these pork ribs, internal organs and bones..."

  Shen Sisi and Da Bao put the goods into the trunk, smiled and paid the bill before leaving.

  Zheng Tufu was actually a honest man, but his wife had a bit of a mind. Every day, the Zhong family bought so much meat, and her eyes rolled around: "Husband, do you think that braised meat is profitable?"

  Zheng Tufu laughed and said: "It's definitely profitable, if it wasn't, how could the local girls run around every day?!"

  "I just don't know how they sell it, you only sell for 15 cents here, how much do they sell their braised meat for?!" Zheng's wife cleverly said: "If we can make a profit, why not braise some to sell too?" Zheng's wife smiled.

  Zheng Tufu frowned and said: "Do you know the recipe for other people's braised meat?! Is it that easy?! I'm just a pig butcher, this life is enough to kill pigs, make a living and raise you and the children, don't mind other people's business, how much they sell is their own affair, don't interfere..."

  Zheng Niangzi snorted and said, "No guts, if you can make more money, why not? What's Fangzi got to do with it?! Didn't that country girl's Fangzi also come from her own thinking? Can it fall from the sky? Humph, I'll go take a look, maybe I can figure out the trick, and think about it for a bit..."

  Zheng Tufu furrowed his brow upon hearing this, but didn't make a sound. If he could earn more money, who would be afraid of getting burned by it? He paused for a moment and said: "Don't make it too difficult to look at, or else you'll ruin this deal. If Fangzi doesn't get what she wants, she might get fed up with me and stop buying meat from my place, making it hard for me to sell..."

  "Alright, alright, don't worry..." Zheng's daughter said as she started packing, really preparing to go visit the Zhong family. At the same time, she sighed and said: "I have no idea what that country girl is thinking, last time she sold that fried chestnut recipe for 18 taels! How did she even come up with it?! People in the village tried many times but couldn't replicate her flavor, if only we could bring her back home... but she's only eight years old..."

  Zheng's daughter thought her son was already ten years old and it wasn't a good time to ask for relatives. But she also had some thoughts in mind.

  "Alas, she's really a little money god. Now she's selling braised meat, I don't know how she makes money... That girl is really a money-making genius... Sigh, why wasn't she born to me?"

  Zheng Tutu heard this and smiled, saying: "We two don't have such good fortune, you'd better stop daydreaming."

  Zheng Niangzi snorted and said, "The old Zhong family is really a grave with green smoke rising from it. However, no matter how useful the daughter is, she still has to get married out. Those three sons of theirs are not as good as their daughter at first glance. The eldest son is even more honest. Did you know what happened this morning?"

  "I heard that..." Zheng Tufu frowned and said: "That Tian Guihua is really not a simple person, her daughter is the one who's truly unlucky..."

  "She's not a good thing, but if her family's daughter marries into the Zhong family, that would be something to see... let's wait and see how it goes..." Zheng Niangzi sneered: "The Zhong family now has this way of making money, poor for a while, but not poor forever. Tian Guihua is blinded by wealth, Da Bao is honest, Xiao Hua is foolish, and the old couple of the Zhong family are dull... let's see, there will be something exciting to watch..."

  Zheng Tufu just smiled and said, "What's it to me? If the Zhong family's business gets bigger and they can buy meat from me every day, I'll be satisfied..."

  Zheng Niangzi gave him a sideways glance and said, "No talent," then turned around and walked away with her waist swaying. That one glance was truly a seductive gaze.

  Zheng Tufu was a skilled craftsman and businessman, although he didn't look particularly impressive, but his family lived well. His wife, Zheng Niangzi, was also quite attractive and had good taste, after marrying Zheng Tufu, her life became even more enjoyable. When she looked at him with this gaze, Zheng Tufu's heart felt like it was melting, not to mention that he usually listened to her obediently, now he couldn't even bear to hold the knife for slaughtering pigs, and when she spoke about herself in such a way, he didn't dare retort.

  Shen Sisi returned home and had Da Bao simmer the bones into a soup, starting to prepare lunch. Meanwhile, Shen Sisi instructed the anxious Er Bao and San Bao to wash the meat and pig's internal organs; they were also accustomed to doing this, so having something to do wouldn't lead them to indulge in wild thoughts.

  Shen Sisi sat by the well in the courtyard, lost in thought. How could this matter be resolved? Becoming relatives with Tian Guihua was really disgusting.

  Zhong Gensheng and He Axiu picked some vegetables in the backyard, watered them, and then returned to the house. Just as they were about to eat, Zheng's wife arrived.

  Everyone felt inexplicably puzzled by the arrival of this woman, as their family had always been poor and He Qiu didn't like to visit or gossip, so it was rare for women to come to the Zhong's house, now she appeared and it felt very strange.

  Zheng's daughter smiled and said: "Oh? Are you ready for dinner?"

  He Ah Xi nodded, for this woman with a lingering charm, she felt a little self-abased due to her worn and aged appearance from hard work, and couldn't finish what she was saying, "......yes."

  Zheng's wife had never suffered any hardship, basically all the farm work was done by Zheng Tufu and his brothers. Because Zheng Tufu slaughtered pigs, he would get some leftover pork, and his brothers were willing to do things for him. Moreover, Zheng Tufu was the eldest son, at home he had the final say, and his younger brothers didn't dare to make things difficult for him. So, Zheng's wife basically hadn't suffered any hardship, she was really well taken care of. Entering the dilapidated courtyard of the Zhong family, it seemed to bring a bit of radiance to this humble abode. In rural areas, such a woman was already considered very beautiful.

  However, others were silent for a moment, but Shen Sisi thought about it and understood the purpose of her visit.

  She smiled and said: "Aunt Zheng, how do you have time to come to my house for a visit? My home is too shabby, I'm afraid it's not good enough for you...and we don't even have any tea to serve you..."

  Zheng Niangzi smiled and stared at Shen Sisi, saying: "It's nothing, come here, country girl..."

  Shen Sisi remained still, her greatest fear was that as soon as she encountered a woman, they would immediately come to touch her hands and face. This really left her speechless, so she just smiled and said: "Aunt Zheng, do you have something to do at my house?"

  Zheng Niangzi smiled and said, "It's not a serious matter, it's just that after all these years in the same village, I've never walked through here before. Since I was passing by, I thought I'd drop in for a visit. Plus, your family has been taking good care of my family's business lately, so I came to thank you. But, Tuniang, your family buys so much meat every day, can you sell it all?"

  Shen Sisi smiled silently and listened as Zheng Niangzi spoke of her true intentions.

  "I heard that your family sells braised meat, I'm just curious, is the braised meat delicious?! What's it made of, and how much can you sell it for?!" Zheng Niangzi asked seemingly unintentionally, but her eyes were fixed firmly on Shen Sisi.

  Shen Sisi smiled lightly and said, "Whether it's good or not depends on individual tastes. We don't sell it at a high price, forty cents per catty, but the cost is relatively high. If we can make a few cents profit per catty, that's already quite good..."

  Zheng's eyes widened, "40 wen?!"

  She was shocked and hastily laughed: "What's the cost?! Selling it for such a high price?!"

  "Spices, spices are expensive, if you put too little it's not flavorful, so the cost is huge...” Shen Sisi rubbed her head and laughed: “This is just something I came up with, Auntie doesn't need to be curious, this is just a way to make some small money, it's nothing!"

  What's the big deal?! How strange, this girl is indeed shrewd. Zheng's wife felt a sense of admiration and looked around, seeing Er Bao and San Bao washing meat without making a sound.