Chapter 88 Greed

  She actually wanted to take a peek in the kitchen at this time, but the Zhong family was about to have dinner. She didn't have Tian Guihua's thick skin after all, so she just smiled and said: "Your family is going to eat now, right? Then I won't disturb you. Speaking of which, I came out to find my little boy to come home for dinner, but he ran away without even leaving a shadow..."

  She smiled and was about to leave, but He Axiu insisted on inviting her to stay for dinner. Zheng Niangzi didn't want to overstay her welcome, so she bid farewell and left. She thought to herself that the timing wasn't right; if it were during the busy hour of Zhong's braised meat, she could have mustered up the courage to sneak a peek into the kitchen. Fifteen cents' worth of meat was sold for forty cents after being braised - this was truly too profitable! Even with expensive spices, they couldn't be using that much, and Zheng Niangzi refused to believe they were only making a few cents per pound.

  She thought for a moment, thinking that she would come again in the afternoon when the braised meat was served or find an opportunity to let the children come and take some of their family's braised meat seasonings.

  Thoughts of home made him hurry back without stopping.

  Zhong Gensheng gruffly said: "She has never been to our house, nor has she had any dealings with us. What is she doing here?!" He Axiu was equally perplexed.

  Shen Sisi sneered, what could she do, after all, it was just a recipe, but fortunately, the recipe was in her hands alone, and no one else in the family knew about it. Moreover, every time she cooked, she secretly ground the spices into fine powder that couldn't be seen before wrapping them in breathable cloth. Even if someone with a keen sense of smell could detect several flavors, they wouldn't be able to identify all ten or more spices mixed together. So, Shen Sisi wasn't worried and didn't expose the truth, which would have made the couple feel uncomfortable. She just smiled and said, "Maybe Zheng's aunt was just passing by, perhaps because she bought meat from their house these past two days, they're just feeling happy..."

  "It's also because their house is in the next village, and we haven't had much contact... " Zhong Gensheng smiled: "Indeed, this friendship still needs to be nurtured by frequent visits..."

  What friendship?! Even if it's a friendship, money has to be the key. If they weren't buying meat from them, their family wouldn't even bother to set foot in this broken house.

  Shen Sisi just smiled and didn't speak, saying: "Dad, mom, let's eat, don't think about anything else, the bridge will naturally straighten out when we get to the boat head..."

  Zhong Gensheng finally sat down to eat with the children, and Shen Sisi brought in a bowl of soup. At this time, although Si Bao could walk around on his own, he had been injured on the head and couldn't go out into the wind, so he was resting in the house, feeling extremely bored. Seeing Shen Sisi come in, he looked up and said, "Tuniang, has something happened at home?"

  Although he hadn't stayed for long, although the girl always bullied and oppressed him, the food here was good, the sleep was sweet, and when he got hurt, there were people to take care of him. He really regarded this place as a home, and his heart was also very attached to them.

  Shen Sisi nodded and said: "Did you hear? Let's eat, I'll tell you slowly..."

  Four Treasures was eating while listening to Shen Sisi, and finally frowned, saying: "I really don't understand, just saving people why must marry her?! If it wasn't for Da Bao, everyone would have died, but the result is that they want to die again for their reputation, and also blame it on Da Bao's body, this is too much..."

  "It's not that simple... " Shen Sisi sneered: "Ordinary people would have married, but Tian Guifang is not a thrifty lamp. Let's wait and see what tricks she will play. She spent 18 taels in our family, if she doesn't think of a way to get it back, she won't be called Tian Guifang. But I won't let her have her way..."

  After finishing, she coldly laughed and said "heh heh", the four treasures originally had a heart full of righteous indignation, but for some reason when they heard Shen Sisi laugh like that, their whole body's hair stood on end, they shivered and didn't dare speak nonsense again, continuing to eat and drink, looking very well-behaved.

  Shen Sisi smiled and patted his head, saying: "Eat well, eat well, work hard..."

  The tone of this speech always has a kind of feeling of watching pigs in a pigpen, as if saying "eat well and then I'll eat you"... Si Ba was stunned by this imagination, and then looked at Shen Sisi, thinking that this girl would really oppress people, he's not even doing well yet, but she's always thinking about making him work.

  He couldn't resist either, and thinking about it made him feel extremely disheartened, so he fell silent again.

  How long will he have to struggle to pay off these medical expenses and other debts?! He's the descendant of a famous family, after all.

  In the afternoon, because there was a lot of meat, it had to be braised in two pots. Fortunately, the earthen stove in the countryside originally had two pots. Shen Sisi immediately wrapped two packets of braising spices and threw them into each pot. Then, Dabao started to ignite the fire for braising. After the braise opened, he turned down the heat and simmered slowly to infuse the flavors. Suddenly, the courtyard of the Zhong family was filled with a savory aroma again.

  Two dogs came over as soon as they finished eating, and their hearts were thinking about it. As soon as they entered, they smelled the fragrance, their eyes lit up slightly, and said: "Tuni, your family has braised meat again?! Did you sell all the meat yesterday?!"

  "Of course, delicious and affordable, of course it sells well."

  Delicious, of course, nothing to say, but the two words "not expensive" are too speechless for Er Gouzi and his friends, however they still happily said: "Great..."

  Business is good, they have a profit margin.

  "Tomorrow, you and Xiao Fuzi come with me to the city to observe, and then you can start work the day after tomorrow. The other kids will take turns coming, at first the business won't be that big, in a couple of days we'll all go together to set up stalls and sell. You guys shouldn't rush either, it's necessary to get familiar with things for two days before starting work normally. I don't want you to be busy and make mistakes...". Shen Sisi's words were final, the other kids wanted to go too, but they were after all Xiao Fuzi's followers, their eyes were red with anxiety, yet they didn't dare disobey Shen Sisi's words, and could only reluctantly agree.

  She was annoyed that they were too noisy and her family had worries, so she didn't have the mood to deal with them anymore. Shen Sisi finished speaking and sent them away.

  Two dogs also had nothing to do, so they went to the riverbank to catch fish, planning to catch a few more fish to please Shen Sisi.

  A group of kids just left, and Zheng's wife is here again. Shen Sisi can't help but think: how much do they miss their braised meat to run so quickly?! However, she still smiled and said: "Zheng's aunt, what brings you here again?!"

  Again?! This is really well said.

  Zheng's daughter-in-law smiled and said: "Nothing, just sending our young master to town to study, and taking the opportunity to visit relatives..."

  By the way!!! The road to town doesn't pass by their house, does it???

  Shen thought for a moment without saying a word, but still picked up the stool and said: "Auntie, sit..."

  Zheng's daughter wouldn't sit down, but just smiled and said: "What a delicious smell! I've never seen braised meat before, it smells so good, I can imagine how delicious it must taste, no wonder it sells for 40 cents..."

  While speaking, he had already lifted his leg and walked towards the kitchen. Shen Sisi was a bit speechless, wanting to stop him, but he had already avoided her hand and arrived at the kitchen first. His hands quickly opened the pot lid, and suddenly smoke billowed out, filling the air with fragrance. The color of the braised meat was even more enticing.

  Zheng's daughter was stunned and said: "...... really fragrant!"

  This kid from the Zhao family is really a money-grabbing little brat, how did this brain come up with such an idea?!

  Shen Sisi was too young, and her roots couldn't stop it. Seeing her actively open the pot lid again, she was speechless, saying: "Auntie, what are you doing?!"

  She had already turned black in the face, Zheng's daughter saw that her complexion was not very good-looking, so she smiled and rounded the scene: "What's wrong? I'm just curious to take a look, Tuniu, don't be polite, Auntie is just this temper, hehe..."

  She said with her mouth, but her eyes kept looking into the pot. When she saw the seasoning packet, her eyes lit up, and just as she was about to reach out to grab it, Shen Sisi sneered: "Auntie, please be careful not to touch this seasoning packet, it's a secret recipe of my family, the Zhong family, and is not to be shared with outsiders..."

  Zheng's daughter heard this and withdrew her hand, but she was not very willing to give up, always sniffing and glancing in that direction.

  Shen Sisi said that this was already a revelation, it was like a slap in the face. Zheng Niangzi originally wasn't so anxious, but after smelling the fragrance and seeing the meat, she thought too much and unknowingly became greedy, unable to bear it for a moment.

  Moreover, she also had a bit of bullying the young girl's emotions inside, thinking that this little girl was clever but after all still young. However, she didn't know that Shen Sisi was already gritting her teeth in anger at this time. Her face looked a bit unpleasant as she said: "Auntie, since you're so interested in our family's braised meat buns, I'm afraid we won't be able to buy meat from your house anymore. It's really sorry, but no big deal, after selling the braised meat in town, we can just buy some back home, it's just a bit more trouble, nothing serious. From now on, Auntie shouldn't come to our house again, my family is poor and defeated, there's really nothing to entertain you with..."

  Zheng Niangzi's face changed greatly upon hearing this, and she thought to herself that things were not going well. Looking at Shen Sisi's iron-green face staring at her, with a pair of eyes full of cold smiles, she suddenly came back to her senses, put away her greedy thoughts, and smiled awkwardly: "Oh dear, little girl has quite a temper! I'm just curious, don't mind me, I was just being a bit greedy and curious, but I didn't have any other intentions towards your family's recipe. Don't take offense, Auntie is just like that..."

  As she spoke, she had already proactively covered the pot with its lid.

  Shen Sisi didn't bother to reason with her, but instead sneered repeatedly, "Auntie shouldn't bully me just because I'm young and try to coax me with words. My family's secret recipe is not to be shared with outsiders. This time I'll let it go, but if there's a next time, Auntie shouldn't blame me for not caring about our village relations and making a scene that would make her lose face. What am I, a little kid, afraid of anything?!"

  Zheng Niangzi's face had stiffened, but she still didn't have the audacity to put aside her pride like Tian Guihua, so she just smiled wryly and didn't dare to speak up. She thought to herself that this young girl was sharp-tongued and clever-minded, and wondered what good fortune the old Zhong family had encountered to get such a daughter-in-law.

  She had no choice but to coax him with a few words and leave reluctantly, unwillingly, yet not daring to really lose this business.

  He Yaxiu listened on one side with a not-so-good expression, and when she left, he said: "Why do these people always think of taking advantage of others..."