The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 344: Just a Concubine (9)_1

Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Just a Concubine (9)_1

Upon hearing that it took over half a year to produce the soy sauce and that it could only be found in the restaurants of the county town, where they wouldn’t sell it, people started coming over to buy it from the Pei family affordably in the town, eager to get a taste of this novelty.

The owner of the pork shop, after much bargaining, brought a rack of ribs to Pei Qin and bought two catties to take back home. At home, it was a cycle of braised pork belly, braised ribs, braised pork feet, and braised pork intestines, altering the dishes now and then.

Those who bought the soy sauce also wanted to try making braised pork, so they came to the butcher to get their meat, which significantly improved business for both the butchery and the fish stalls.

Pei Qin joked with the fishmonger, "The fish sales have increased; you should thank me later by sending over eight or ten fish!"

"Deal! I could send you eighty of those little white fish without any problem!" the fishmonger laughed along energetically.

The little white fish were only the size of a finger.

As the soy sauce started selling well, Fang Hui became a bit restless. The soy sauce her family consumed was obtained previously, after she shamelessly asked for a jar, and it was nearly finished now. Since last year, Pei Qin no longer proactively thought of their family for anything good.

Grandma Fang was furious that her own niece would scheme against Pei Qin, and given Pei Qin’s fiery temper, it wasn’t easy to persuade her otherwise, even if she wanted to.

Lady Yu saw her sitting at home and wiping her tears, while Grandma Fang also sighed heavily. She then suggested, "Since Qinqin brought a fiance back for Feng Bo, why don’t you bring some gifts and speak kindly to her? Qinqin is not a heartless person!"

Fang Hui felt that Pei Qin was indeed heartless. She had visited them several times this year, never showing up empty-handed. Besides during New Year’s, they had not visited the Feng Family Estate once.

Wishing to arrange a match between her son and Pei Qin again, Fang Hui, even if she didn’t want to admit it, knew it was hopeless. If she harbored any more thoughts, she feared it might truly sever their relationship completely because Pei Qin didn’t seem to mind losing one more relative.

Reluctantly returning home, she finally relented and arranged for a matchmaker for Feng Bo.

The matchmakers of the Feng Family Estate had already mentioned it to Feng Bo, but Fang Hui had always refused, and the Feng family hadn’t consented either. They could guess that Fang Hui wanted to marry her niece to her son. Yet the prosperous Pei’s siblings were out of reach for the Feng family, so, with a heavy heart, they had to look for someone within the village.

Fortunately, thanks to Old Scholar Fang, the Feng family didn’t have to pay taxes and wouldn’t starve. In the village, they were still considered well-off, and since Feng Bo worked in a shop in the county town, arranging a marriage for him was relatively easy.

On that end, the matchmakers found several agreeable girls’ families. Fang Hui was not very satisfied, so the grandmother picked two of the better ones, waiting for Feng Bo to meet them upon his return.

Feng Bo was very unwilling, but he knew he had to come to terms with reality. Clinging to the hope would only push him further away from the Pei family, and he had no chance. He carelessly picked one, saying he was busy with shop duties and had to return after briefly coming back.

Fang Hui was not quite satisfied, as the girl was a bit short. Except for being fair-skinned and spirited, she couldn’t compare to the other girl, who was taller and gentle. However, it was Feng Bo’s pick, and her family was not poor either, so she nodded in agreement.

Once the marriage was arranged, Fang Hui carried some vegetables and a drake from her home to visit Sister Peiqin and her siblings.

Pei Qin was not at home; she had gone to Tian Zhuang.

The sweet potatoes had already been taken to Tian Zhuang for sprouting. In the summer, when no crops were to be harvested there, they just scattered some vegetable seeds, allowing the farmers from two households to cut vegetables daily for Moon Restaurant and Drunken Immortal Tavern or to sell in the county town.

Now that the fields had been tilled, they weren’t reluctant to plant. It was a good break. If they grew wheat for one season, followed by two seasons of sweet potatoes, and then spring soybeans the next year, it would overexert the soil’s nutrients, and all the crops would fail to thrive. With no fertilizers available, they had to rely on just a bit of manure.

The two households living in Tian Zhuang were simple farmers, though both were of the lower class. Pei Qin had bought them, and they were managing the small Tian Zhuang.

As the donkey cart arrived at Tian Zhuang, the donkey immediately left a pile of dung outside.

A small boy around eight or nine quickly ran over, efficiently shoveled the donkey dung, and placed it in the manure pit at Tian Zhuang to ferment.

Watching him, Pei Qin was reminded of when she had initially arrived; Pei Qian was still Si Ya, and she had once nearly argued with a lazy man over the deft way to handle cow dung.

"Little Radish! What’s your name?"

The suntanned boy looked up at her.

His grandfather by his side said, "Melon Kid! The lady is asking you something!"

Melon Kid... Pei Qin’s mouth twitched.

"My name is Chen Gua!" the boy responded.

No wonder he was called Melon Kid! Pei Qin nodded and went to check on the sweet potato sprouting process.

The sweet potatoes had been previously watered to sprout tender shoots, and since they all were adept at farming, Pei Qin didn’t need to worry much; they managed just fine.

After observing for a while and handing out some reward money, with additional instructions for important matters, Pei Qin left Tian Zhuang.

Fang Hui, seeing the mantle clock on the hall table and enjoying the comfortable coolness of the room, decided not to leave. She stayed for dinner, waiting for Pei Qin to come back; if she left now and returned the next day, it wouldn’t have the same effect.

But Pei Qin did not make it back home.

No sooner had she said it than a heavy rain began to fall, and the donkey refused to go any further.

Lu Hai, seeing her slender body soaked through, with the sun hat providing no real protection against the downpour, took over the reins and whip with a cough, "It’s pouring like this. Let’s take shelter in the Temple of City God over there!"

Pei Qin wouldn’t go, "On a day like this, with no one else on the road, taking refuge in a derelict temple overnight could make us run into a beautiful female ghost!" Wasn’t it in such a temple that Ning Caichen encountered Nie Xiaoqian!? What if the rain kept pouring?

Lu Hai’s mouth twitched fiercely, "That’s not a derelict temple; it has incense burning and a temple keeper." He led the donkey cart towards the nearby Temple of City God.

Pei Qin didn’t speak and followed him to the Temple of City God.

Inside the Temple of City God, there were others taking shelter from the rain, but no beautiful female ghosts. Instead, there were two handsome... men... demons...