Transmigrated as My Aunt in the 70s
Chapter 40 - 040 Good idea

Chapter 40: 040 Good idea

"Grandpa, what do you think about having my uncle sell this wine for me? We can split the money we earn," Tian Sisi approached the Old Man and asked.

"It could work, but where did you get so much grain? Brewing alcohol consumes a lot of grain," the Old Man certainly knew his granddaughter’s idea was good, as Man Tong often traveled afar with wide connections, and as long as the goods were good, there was no worry about not being able to sell them. But brewing alcohol really does require a lot of grain.

"Grandpa Bai Yuan gave me a lot of grain, as much as a mountain, all inside here," Tian Sisi stretched out her left hand, pointing at the silver bracelet while speaking.

The Old Man had already gotten over his initial surprise and thus did not find it strange that the small bracelet could hold as much grain as a mountain. He thought for a moment and chuckled, "Then you can brew it. When your little uncle arrives, you can talk to him about it. But you need to find a helper; brewing is physically demanding, and you, a little girl, cannot handle it all by yourself!"

"Would it work to ask Brother Xinhua?" The first person Tian Sisi thought of was Tian Xinhua. Tian Manjin often worked outside, and Granny Zhao was getting on in years. She didn’t wish for the old lady to overexert herself, so Tian Xinhua was the best choice.

"Xinhua is alright, but if Xinhua helps with brewing, he’ll know about your secrets, and that’s not proper!" the Old Man furrowed his brows. Although Xinhua was a good kid and he trusted his nephew’s character, this was related to Ah Nan’s life. He dared not take the risk. He had seen too many cases where people betrayed their closest family to save their own lives or for promotion. Human hearts are unpredictable!

The Old Man was hesitant and indecisive, and so was Tian Sisi. In her past life, her cousin Tian Xinhua had indeed treated the original host well, but in her past life, the original host did not have the treasure that was the Jade Space. She dared not test the waters with her own life at stake. But without help, relying solely on her 10-year-old body, it was indeed very difficult to achieve.

"How about asking Dad for help?"

"No, Ah Nan, you are still young and unaware of the horrors of human nature. Let Grandpa think about it. I’ll surely come up with a good solution for Ah Nan," the Old Man of course trusted his own son’s character, but he didn’t trust Zhu Aiqing. A woman’s greatest love is definitely for her own children. He couldn’t guarantee that if Zhu Aiqing knew about Ah Nan’s treasure, she wouldn’t harm her foster daughter for the sake of Donghua and Qinghua. Just the thought of Ah Nan possibly getting hurt made the Old Man’s heart ache.

"Hmm, I’ll listen to you, Grandpa." Tian Sisi obediently agreed, actually leaning towards letting Tian Xinhua help. She certainly trusted Man Tong, but the couple shared a bed, so Zhu Aiqing would definitely find out.

Although Zhu Aiqing also loved her, after all, there was a gap with Donghua and Qinghua. Even though it didn’t show on the surface, the always sensitive Tian Sisi could sense it. But this was human nature; any woman wouldn’t treat an outsider better than their own children. Even Tian Sisi herself couldn’t do it, so she was very content with Zhu Aiqing loving her as she does now.

After pondering for a long time, the Old Man’s eyes brightened, and he slapped his forehead. He pulled Tian Sisi closer and said, "Ah Nan, Grandpa has thought of a good idea. You still ask Brother Xinhua to help, but you just tell your Brother Xinhua that all this grain and the brewing recipe are Grandpa’s doing. This way, Brother Xinhua won’t suspect you."

Tian Sisi’s eyes immediately reddened, and she shook her head vigorously, "No, Grandpa, I don’t need to make money. I’ll just brew a little at home for Grandpa to drink, and there’s no need for Brother Xinhua to help. Don’t tell Brother Xinhua you arranged it."

Seeing his granddaughter’s red eyes, the Old Man smiled warmly. Ah Nan was a kind-hearted child. He and the old lady loved her so much, and it was not in vain. However, he truly thought his idea was good. Not just for brewing but for other things Ah Nan occasionally comes up with, there has to be an explanation for where they come from. Besides, what has he to fear with his old bones?

"It’s alright, Ah Nan, Grandpa is just preparing for the worst. Brother Xinhua is not that kind of person, we have to trust Brother Xinhua," the Old Man consoled her, cradling his granddaughter’s soft body in his arms.

If Tian Sisi really were a child, she might have believed the Old Man’s words. But as an adult with a mature soul, how could she be so easily deceived? She snuggled in the Old Man’s arms and shook her head, "I know Brother Xinhua is not a bad person, but I just don’t want Grandpa to say that. It’s not good for Grandpa."

The young and the old were at a stalemate, neither willing to budge first. In the end, the Old Man sternly lost his temper, exerting the authority of the head of the family. He decided the matter then and there; any items Tian Sisi brings out in the future would be said to be the Old Man’s doing. Tian Sisi had the mind to object, but she also knew that if she continued to oppose, the Old Man would start to get suspicious. So she reluctantly accepted the Old Man’s proposal, pouting her mouth, but in her heart, decided that if something really happened, she would definitely tell the truth. If worse comes to worst, she’d just hide in the Space; nobody could find her then.

"Grandpa, the White Ape said this wine is Immortal Wine, drinking it leads to a hundred years of life, so please don’t give it to others," warned Tian Sisi, reminding the Old Man not to serve guests with this wine.

Old Man felt it too by now, his body all warm and cozy, and waves of heat surged inside him, feeling much like soaking in a hot bath, very comfortable. Even the places where he had been hurt before were throbbing and tingling with an indescribable sensation. It was hard to believe that just two small cups of liquor could have such a significant effect. This truly must be Immortal Wine!

He hurriedly stowed the bottle of wine in a chest; this was a treasure that money couldn’t buy! He would call his younger brother in the evening to share a bowl. His brother had aged too quickly over the past few years; he needed to be well taken care of. Tian Sisi found this amusing and whispered, "Grandpa, Grandpa Bai Yuan said this wine shouldn’t be drunk in excess, you can only have up to two cups a day."

"I got it, two cups a day, right?"

Tian Sisi giggled in response, then ran out to play with Jianguo and the others. Lately, Jianguo and Weiguo had been strangely eager to work—at the crack of dawn, they wouldn’t stop working. The woodshed was piled high with kindling, and the courtyard was swept spotlessly clean. The two kids would dive into any chore they saw, and Granny Zhao’s repeated scoldings were of no avail; eventually, she just let them be. These kids are restless! Well, let it be. Since it’s not heavy work, they might as well keep at it, otherwise, they won’t even dare to eat their fill.

While Jianguo and Weiguo were outside chopping pig grass, one cutting and the other bundling neatly, Donghua and Qinghua were playing with Bao Guo. Seeing this, Tian Sisi shook her head; she didn’t bring Jianguo and his brothers back to be laborers.

"Jianguo, Weiguo, come play with us."

"No, we haven’t finished our chores," Jianguo shook his head. These past few days of good food had improved their complexions considerably, and they were plumping up, no longer with the blue and purple marks from cold exposure on their faces and hands due to warmer clothes.

"The pig grass is almost done," said Tian Sisi as she approached them and saw that there was only a little left on the ground.

"After chopping the pig grass, we still need to cook it. Sisi, you should go play with Weiguo, Donghua, and the others," Jianguo said, like an adult organizing his little brothers.

"No, I want to help my big brother with the work," Weiguo shook his head in refusal.

Tian Sisi suddenly felt ashamed—she had brought back two industrious little bees that only made her seem lazier in contrast. Weiguo was only 6 and he knew he needed to work; she was over thirty! Sigh, she couldn’t even compare to a six-year-old tot. Tian Sisi frowned and squatted down to help Weiguo bundle the pig grass.

Jianguo immediately panicked; how could he let his cousin do such rough work? "Sisi, you should stop. It’s dirty work; don’t get your clothes dirty."

"It’s alright, let’s hurry up and finish so we can all go out and play together. The more people, the quicker it gets done."

However, Tian Sisi was a perfect example of the idiom "too many cooks spoil the broth." If it wasn’t too much water, it was too much bran, and Jianguo, not daring to blame her, had to watch his cousin messing around aimlessly until Granny Zhao entered the kitchen and saw a total disaster by the stove, while Jianguo’s face was almost wrinkled like an old man’s. Ah Nan bustled around by the stove.

"Oh my goodness, my little ancestor, what on earth are you doing? Look at the state of this stove. Quick, quick, quick, get out of here. Look at your clothes, covered in ash, go change them now!" Granny Zhao was fuming at the sight of her dusty granddaughter and raised her hand to slap, but seeing the granny’s smiling and lively face, she withdrew her hand and tapped heavily on Tian Sisi’s forehead instead.

"You useless girl, always making things worse. Alright, Jianguo, you go play with your sister Sisi. I’ll cook the pig feed."

Tian Sisi made a face and dragged a hesitant Jianguo off in a flash. They ran out the door before she remembered to change her jacket and rushed back into the room to get changed. Watching his cousin flit about like a headless fly, Jianguo genuinely felt that his cousin was so unlike a girl—what girl at the age of 10 doesn’t know how to do any work? Perhaps only his cousin.