Wu Huinü's vigilance immediately shot up to her throat. Her face showed no emotion, appearing weak and fragile. "Third Aunt, I'm not very clear about this. My mother-in-law doesn't let me get involved."
Sun Shi continued, "Is it putting these lanterns into a pot to cook them, or drying them and grinding them into powder? You should at least know that, right?"
Wu Huinü continued to shake her head, refusing to say a single word.
Sun Shi had no choice but to use her trump card. "If you can tell me how to make the ice jelly, I'll give you half of whatever money I earn. After this money is given to you, it will be your private money, completely unrelated to your mother-in-law."
Wu Huinü still said nothing.
"Why are you so foolish!" Sun Shi lost her patience and scolded, "With your weak personality, you wouldn't even fart if beaten with a stick, which is why your mother-in-law bullies you. The whole village knows your mother-in-law abuses you every day, but you're fine, even while pregnant you wash clothes, light fires, and work like a maid every day... Your mother-in-law knows how to make money now, and in the future, she'll be like the Queen Mother of the West in heaven. Just wait to be tormented..."
Wu Huinü looked left and right, then walked over, picked up a broom, and swept at Sun Shi's feet. "Third Aunt, please move aside a bit. I want to sweep the floor, move aside..."
She held the broom and directly swept Sun Shi out.
Then, she forcefully closed the courtyard gate.
Sun Shi was so angry she felt like she was fuming.
"Youcai's wife, what are you still doing here?" Aunt Wang from next door returned from the fields. "There are two young men from Guihua Village at the village entrance. They seem to be from your maiden family. The patrol team saw that they were strong and didn't dare let them in. You should go take a look."
Daha Village's patrol team gradually became more regulated. If one person came from another village, they could be let in after clear questioning. If two or more people came looking for someone, they had to wait outside the village, and someone would go to inform them.
Sun Shi went to the village entrance and saw that they were her two eldest nephews from her maiden family.
"Aunt, Grandma told us to come borrow grain." The eldest Sun nephew went straight to the point. "All the grain in Guihua Village is gone. Grandma said that this year, our whole family will have to rely on you."
Sun Shi's scalp tingled. There were nearly twenty people in the Sun family, all relying on her. Who was she supposed to rely on?
She said angrily, "The grain in Daha Village isn't dried up and dead, but it's still in the fields. Where am I supposed to get grain for you to borrow? Wait until the rice in the fields is harvested, then we'll talk!"
At that time, lending ten catties would be considered showing kindness and loyalty to her mother's family.
The sun gradually rose.
Cheng Loanloan and her four sons finally arrived at Hekou Town.
She instructed Zhao Da again, "Uncle Da, meet at the city gate at the end of the noon hour. You absolutely must not go ahead alone."
Without an ox cart, she would have to walk home, which was a terrifying thought. Walking back and forth like this every day, she would rather do nothing.
Zhao Da naturally agreed. He could earn ten *wen* for one trip with this mother and her four sons.
Last night, Cheng Loanloan and Wu Huinü used two catties of *huashi* seeds to make a total of three barrels of ice jelly, which amounted to over three hundred and fifty bowls.
Nanzhou Academy alone probably couldn't eat that much, so she decided to take her sons to the dock to try selling some.
The dock in Hekou Town wasn't particularly large, but people still came and went. After a boat docked, many strong men went up to unload cargo. Some carried goods away, while others, after finishing their work, returned to the dock to wait for more. These men were itinerant laborers.
Cheng Luanluan casually found a few discarded planks on the dock, set up a temporary low table, and then began to shout.
There were no houses or trees along the riverbank. The scorching sun beat down, making the strong men wish they could strip off their shirts. Suddenly hearing someone selling something called "ice stones," and offering free samples, people immediately gathered around.