Chapter Bonanza (4/10)

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Tang Xianling and Huangfu Tieniu became engaged on the 29th of April and married immediately afterward. Seven days later, they buried Father Tang. On the day they returned, they filed a lawsuit against the Hu family. Three days later, they reclaimed the Li family courtyard and immediately began renovations.

Walls, floor tiles, roof tiles, weeds.

Though they hired workers, Huangfu Tieniu didn’t idle. With his considerable strength, climbing up and down to help alongside them. The Tang household provided meals for the workers, paying fifteen wen per day, and these were skilled laborers. For pure manual laborers doing heavy work, the pay was three or four wen less.

But meals were always provided.

Whether in the city or the countryside, when a household hired help, meals were always provided. The quality of the food was another matter, but one thing was certain: they had to be fed. It was all hard labor.

At first, Tang Xianling didn’t cook. With so many areas of the house needing tidying up, everything was in disarray. So they bought meals on the street. The staple was Lu’s large steamed buns—one meat bun, one vegetable bun, and one plain bun per person. If that wasn’t enough, they added more plain buns, along with thin porridge and side dishes ordered from the steamed dumpling shop.

After three days of this, not only was Jiang Yun feeling the pinch, but Tang Xianling was particularly worn out.

Laborers have big appetites and eat a lot; you can’t just feed them half-heartedly. Plus, there weren’t many small stir-fry restaurants around—that pricey “Boxed Meal Stir-Fry” place had gone out of business.

Working hard in the sweltering heat, they still needed something substantial.

The scant meat in those meat buns didn’t count as substantial fare in Tang Xianling’s eyes.

So first, the workers were told to focus on cleaning the kitchen. The kitchen that the Li family had used was filthy. They’d taken all the pots, pans, and utensils with them. Since the stove was on the Tang side, the Li family had used a stove without a chimney, leaving the walls blackened and greasy.

First, they scraped the walls clean, plastered them, painted them, pried up the floor tiles, and laid new, larger ones.

Tang Xianling took advantage of these days to shop at the West Market. Some items in the kitchen needed replacing. His family ran a food business, and large wooden basins were convenient for stocking supplies and washing vegetables. He hurried about, skipping meals at the West Market eateries, unaware that the opera troupe’s performance of “Brother Tang’s Wrathful Beating of Juren” had already spread.

Once the main kitchen was tidied up, the family’s original large stove was refurbished and repainted with lime wash, now appearing clean and white.

On the tenth day of the fifth month, Tang Xianling declared, “Starting today, I’ll handle the cooking.”

Jiang Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief, readily agreeing that cooking at home would save money.

“We’ve been eating steamed buns as our main staple these past few days. I’m getting sick of them. Today, let’s steam some mixed grain rice in the big stove. Also, buy some slightly fatty pork belly—just five jin of meat. “

”Zucchini are in season on the street. I’ll make zucchini and egg soup.“

Jiang Yun: ”Then I’ll go buy them.“

”Alright.” Tang Xianling grabbed an apron and tied it on. Stepping out of the kitchen, he stood at the doorway and looked up to see Tieniu climbing onto the roof to fix the tiles. It was only a little past ten in the morning. The sun was blazing hot, and he couldn’t help but feel concerned. “It’s too hot up there. Come down. Wait until it cools off before fixing the roof. After breakfast, I’ll make a pot of mung bean soup. Mother, buy some mung beans too. If you can’t carry them, Tieniu, you go with Mother.”

Jiang Yun, carrying her vegetable basket, replied, “I can manage.”

“Mother, I’ll go with you.” Huangfu Tieniu walked to the edge of the roof, using the wall for leverage like a dragonfly skimming water, and landed steadily.

Jiang Yun headed out. “No need. If it’s too much, I’ll have someone deliver it home.” With that, she stepped outside.

Tang Xianling noticed Tieniu had tanned a bit. Scooping several ladles of water from the water hyacinth into a basin, he urged Tieniu to wash up and cool down. “Don’t stay on the roof when the midday sun is scorching.”

The masters worked indoors, plastering walls and laying brick; at least it was cooler indoors. When it came time to pave the courtyard, they’d also avoid the scorching sun.

Huangfu Tieniu’s face had turned a chocolate brown—the kind with milk added. It wasn’t unattractive; it had shed some of his youthful innocence, making him look ruggedly handsome.

“Why are you staring at me?” Tang Xianling saw Tieniu hadn’t moved, so he wrung out the washcloth himself and handed it over.

Huangfu Tieniu took it to wash his face and hands, flashing a mouthful of white teeth as he said, “You’ve lost weight, haven’t you? Your waist looks slimmer.”

“It’s just the apron cinching me in,” Tang Xianling hummed.

With the masters all working indoors, occasionally stepping out to tamp down the yellow mud, the young couple chatted for a while by the stove room door, stealing moments of leisure amidst the busyness. After washing his face and hands, Huangfu Tieniu saw the water barrel nearly empty and went to fetch more water. Soon after, there was a commotion from the shopfront—delivery of vegetables: Chinese cabbage, potatoes, loofah, and eggs.

The bill was settled.

Tang Xianling began washing rice to steam in the large iron pot, mixing equal parts yellow and white rice. He, too, craved a bite of rice, adding extra white rice for its fragrance.

Once the rice was steaming,

Jiang Yun returned with her vegetable basket, carrying five jin of meat and five jin of mung beans. Tang Xianling soaked the mung beans first. Noticing the eggs and loofah, I began preparing the loofah. After a while of chopping and slicing, white smoke began to curl gently from the kitchen chimney.

The workers who had been laboring indoors all morning caught the scent.

“Why does it smell like rice to me?”

“You know exactly what it is, yet you pretend otherwise. Boss Tang is cooking for us starting today.”

“I just heard him say to buy meat—five jin of it.”

The Tang household employed seven workers, including a young laborer tasked with stacking the miscellaneous bricks scattered throughout the house and courtyard. Borrowing the Tang family’s mule, he hauled them outside the city. Though the Tangs disdained these fist-sized bricks, some farmers beyond the city walls eagerly bought them.

The young laborer could even make a little extra. After two days of this, the apprentice finally confessed: a cartload of broken bricks and tiles could fetch three wen.

Working for other households, he was a laborer. If the owner was kind-hearted and had a wheelbarrow, he could push the bricks out, saving effort.

If there were no wheelbarrow, he’d have to shoulder the load and carry it out.

Arriving at the Tang household, they lent him a mule, making the task even easier.

Tang Xianling watched as the man handed over six copper coins. Looking at his weathered face—darkened by the sun and lined with wrinkles, his actual age hard to discern—he realized the man likely earned his living as a porter, carrying heavy loads to support his family. He waved his hand, declining the offer.

“My family doesn’t need these. If you can sell them, that’s your gain.”

It was like discarding unwanted junk at home—if a scavenger picked it up and sold it, it belonged to the scavenger. Tang Xianling wasn’t coveting these few coins; as long as the household chores were done well, that was enough.

He had previously found it hard to stomach eating steamed buns and dumplings, and daily pickled vegetables, and thin porridge was getting old, but for the seven master craftsmen, the Tang household was generous—they even provided meat-filled buns instead of coarse-grain steamed buns.

Today, hearing Boss Tang buy five jin of pork belly, the workers were already craving lunch.

“Five jin of meat is a bit much—probably enough for two meals.”

“Of course it is. You expect to finish five jin of meat all at once?”

The workers exchanged knowing glances and chuckled, all thinking of lunch. They kept their hands busy, not slacking off lest they ruin their reputation.

The harder they worked, the hungrier they grew. The aroma drifting through the air stirred their appetites like hungry little creatures.

Not just the seven craftsmen—the Lu family next door caught the scent of this long-missed aroma.

Since the Li family had been driven out, Lu Sanniang no longer visited the Tang household from her bustling shop. Though her mother kept a close watch, forbidding her from frequenting the Tang house, saying it was now staffed only by male craftsmen and that a young girl like her shouldn’t wander about recklessly.

Chen Qiaolian kept a close eye on things. Just the other day, the Tang family bought extra steamed buns, delivered by Lu Dalang.

Now, catching the scent, Lu Dalang remarked in the courtyard, “I wonder what the neighbors are cooking?”

“Whatever it is, it must be Wu-ger’s doing,” Lu Sanniang declared confidently.

Such an enticing aroma could only come from Wu-ger’s culinary skills.

The more Lu Dalang smelled it, the hungrier he grew. He asked his sister, “What are we having for lunch today?“ Lu Sanniang, who cooked the meal, replied, ”Soup dumplings.“ 

Lu Dalang: … His appetite vanished completely.

”Hmph! What’s with that look, big brother? If you think my cooking’s no good, just wait till your sister-in-law comes and cooks for you!” Lu Sanniang retorted, her cheeks puffed out in anger.

Lu Dalang quickly soothed his sister with a string of compliments.

Father Lu returned from the back yard gate, driving his cart. Seeing the siblings bickering again, he just chuckled cheerfully. From the cart’s board, he lifted a large straw basket filled with small, plump, white…

“Pear melons!” Lu Sanniang rushed forward as soon as she saw her father.

Lu Dalang helped unload the grain sacks.

“Your uncle’s farm has harvested pear melons. He gave me quite a lot,” Lu Father said, instructing his daughter to take them to the kitchen to chill in water. After lunch, they could enjoy the sweet melons.

Lu Sanniang took the melons, her arms sinking under their weight. Lu Dalang, shouldering a sack of wheat, took the heavy bundle from his sister’s arms. Lu Sanniang followed close behind, saying, “Big Brother, give them to me. I can carry them. They’re not that heavy.”

“It’ll stunt your growth if you carry it too long.”

“Only a Lu family girl wouldn’t grow tall.”

Father Lu frowned deliberately at her words. “What nonsense is this?”

“Father, I’m not saying being short is bad. We Lu girls may not be tall, but we’re strong!” Lu Sanniang took the pear melon from her brother and headed toward the kitchen.

Father Lu didn’t argue with his youngest daughter’s playful banter. After a morning of rushing and loading cargo, he sat down to catch his breath. Lu Sanniang placed the pear squash in the kitchen, then brought him a bowl of water. Father Lu took a sip, recovered, and suddenly seemed to notice: “What’s that? It smells wonderful.”

“It’s not Sanniang’s handiwork. It’s the Tang family’s cooking.” Lu Dalang patted the dust off his hands and hoisted the second sack of hemp.

Lu Sanniang: Hmph.

Big brother, don’t eat her dumplings later!

“The Tang family’s, no wonder.” Lu Father said to Third Daughter, “We got a lot of pear melons. Pick a few to send over to the Tang family.”

For the past three days, the Tang family had come daily to buy steamed buns—meat and vegetarian kinds—taking thirty or forty at a time. Giving them a few of today’s free pears and melons was no trouble; they were neighbors after all.

Lu Sanniang agreed quickly. Finally, she had a proper errand to run to the Tang household.

Mother couldn’t say anything to her about it.

Hehe.

Lu Sanniang picked five or six pear gourds, cradled them in a bamboo basket, and headed to the Tang family’s house through the back gate. The gate to the Tang family’s courtyard was ajar. She hadn’t been here for several days. Today, when she pushed the gate open and looked inside, she was momentarily stunned. What a huge change! This courtyard was enormous, truly enormous.

“Wu-ger, Auntie, Brother Tieniu, I’ve brought you some pear melons.” Lu Sanniang called out as she walked.

Tang Xianling emerged from the kitchen. “What are these?”

“My father went to Uncle’s house yesterday and just brought back these sweet pear melons today,” Lu Sanniang explained. Standing at the kitchen door, she noticed that Wu-ger’s kitchen was much larger than hers.

It was spotless, not a speck of soot in sight, bright and airy.

Jiang Yun heard this and was about to say no —a customary act of neighborly courtesy—but Tang Xianling accepted them directly, saying, “Wait, I’ll get you a bamboo basket. By the way, did you make lunch?”

“I did,” Lu Sanniang complained. “But my eldest brother said my cooking was bland and didn’t taste as good as yours. It really annoyed me.”

In the kitchen, Jiang Yun chuckled as she watched Wu-ger carry a clean bowl to serve food, likely to take back to Sanniang. Since her family had just received pear melons from the Lu household, returning a dish of their own making was only fair.

“Here, take a bowl.” Tang Xianling grinned as he handed over the bowl. “Things’ve been chaotic at our place lately. This stew might look plain, but it’s incredibly fragrant. Take it home to spice up your dumplings.”

Lu Sanniang hesitated, embarrassed to accept, but the moment she opened her mouth, the aroma hit her, making her salivate. 

Lu Sanniang: …Oh dear, how pathetic of me.

“Take it.” Tang Xianling placed the bowl neatly on a bamboo tray. “Can you carry it steady?”

“Alright, alright, alright.” Lu Sanniang’s refusal turned into three ‘alrights’ before she could stop herself. Seeing that Wu-ger and Auntie weren’t teasing her, she took the tray cheerfully and said, “Well then, Wu-ger, Auntie, Brother Tieniu, I’ll be off now.”

The little girl carried the tray with a bowl of stew, her steps steady yet quick.

“Big Brother, Big Brother—”

Jiang Yun could hear Sanniang calling out to Lu Dalang urgently, even from her own courtyard. The unmistakable joy in her voice made Jiang Yun smile too.

“Mom, food’s ready!” Tang Xianling called out.

Huangfu Tieniu had already dished out the stew from the large iron pot. The newly bought wooden basin was filled to the brim. He carried it outside and placed it on the square table, setting down a bowl of stew, a bowl of mixed grain rice, and a tub of lukewarm loofah and egg drop soup.

Don’t judge by appearance—it was a communal pot meal after all. Just the aroma alone was enough to make your mouth water.

The main dish was stir-fried potato slices with napa cabbage and pork belly.

Tang Xianling had thrown in all five jin of pork belly for a hearty feast. The slightly fatty pieces were first stir-fried to render out the fat, then a small bowl of dried preserved mustard greens was added along with leaner pork slices. The aroma was intoxicating as they fried until golden and glossy, coating the wok with oil. Potato slices were tossed in, stir-fried until they resembled the pork in texture—

Slightly crispy, with a soft, dense texture.

Just before serving, a large bowl of garlic chives was added for extra fragrance.

It smelled incredible.

Not only did it make the neighbor, Sanniang, drool, but it also stirred up his own appetite while cooking. Store-bought food just couldn’t compare to what he made. Tang Xianling felt confident.

The chefs had already brought their bowls and chopsticks to wait.

“Master Tang truly lives up to his reputation in the food trade—his skills are exceptional.” 

“I’ve never smelled such delicious cooking.” 

“Is there enough rice?”

Tang Xianling: “Plenty. If it runs out, I’ll buy more steamed buns to go with it.”

His household provided two meals a day—lunch and afternoon snacks. Unlike common folk who prioritized the evening meal, those toiling in hard labor needed a substantial midday meal to sustain them through the afternoon, when simpler snacks sufficed.

“I’ll serve the dishes,” Huangfu Tieniu offered.

Tang Xianling nodded, heading to the kitchen to fetch water and wash his hands and face. In the heat, washing up after cooking was essential for feeling refreshed and building an appetite. When he returned, the masters’ bowls were all filled, and his mother had begun eating too.

Tables were set up in the courtyard, but the masters preferred to find a spot under the eaves, sitting on the steps with their bowls. The family of three ate in the shade.

The dishes were piled atop the rice. Tang Xianling scooped a mouthful, chewing and chewing. The morning’s busyness seemed to have rejuvenated him. He didn’t care for overly fatty cuts. Though the stir-frying had rendered the oil less greasy, he still passed the fattier bits to Tieniu.

He did all this with smooth ease and righteous confidence.

Huangfu Tieniu noticed an extra slice of slightly fatty meat in his bowl, smiled, and ate it with sweet delight, thoroughly pleased.

Tang Xianling: Silly boy!

Jiang Yun watched them eat beside them. Though she hadn’t spoken a word, seeing their happiness warmed her heart. This was the good life Wu-ger deserved.

The masters ate quickly, unafraid of the heat. Mixing rice and dishes together, they devoured their food so eagerly that they’d widen their eyes before swallowing, eager to tell others how delicious it was. Seeing everyone else wolfing down their meals just the same.

How could it be so fragrant? It was almost good enough to swallow your own tongue.

A bowl of rice and dishes were quickly finished.

Tang Xianling didn’t send Tieniu to fetch more. They hadn’t even finished yet, and the masters ate far too fast. So he told them, “Help yourselves to more. When you’re done, you can also help yourselves to the loofah and egg drop soup in the bucket.”

The masters brought their own large bowls. By noon, their bellies were full to bursting. Slices of meat wrapped in greens, the aroma of white and yellow rice—even when working for gentry families, they hadn’t eaten this well. And now they saw the Tang family sharing the same pot of food with them.

In the past, when working for some households, even though they were ordinary folk, they looked down on them. They’d get a separate pot for the craftsmen, while the masters ate much finer fare—white rice, white flour, more meat—all kept strictly separate.

Not so with the Tang family. One pot for all, masters and servants alike.

Tang Xianling and Jiang Yun shared one bowl of rice. His appetite wasn’t big, and eating too much made him uncomfortable. After his meal, he sipped half a bowl of soup slowly—its temperature was just right.

Tieniu had a hearty appetite, needing two bowls of rice and then a full bowl of soup.

Tang Xianling watched in admiration. “No wonder you’re so tall.”

“You could grow taller if you ate more.”

“I’m twenty-one. Can I still grow taller?” Tang Xianling remained skeptical. “Well, I’ll eat more then.” So he happily drank another half bowl of loofah and egg drop soup.

Huangfu Tieniu watched his husband, so easily pleased, acting like a little child who lights up at the mention of growing taller.

Next door at the Lu household.

Lu Sanniang carried a bowl of leftovers back home. Her parents scolded her for being greedy, telling her never to take food from others again. They warned her that rushing to another household during mealtime might make people think they were begging for food, which would be shameful.

Their words stung.

Lu Sanniang’s eyes welled up with tears.

The couple quickly softened their tone: “The Tang family is close to us. They wouldn’t think that way.” “I just sent Sanniang some fruits. It’s only fair to reciprocate.”

“We weren’t scolding you. Let’s eat.”

Lu Dalang added, “It’s my fault for being greedy. I said it smelled so good, and Sanniang felt awkward refusing once she got the food.”

Though Lu Sanniang had felt a moment of hurt upon arriving home, that slight grievance vanished the moment she began eating. She had prepared a large pot of clear broth noodles. Originally, it only had a token amount of green vegetables. But since she received a bowl of extra vegetables, she decided to add the entire bowl to the pot instead of dividing it among the family members, who wouldn’t get even a small bowl each. Unexpectedly—

“!!!”

It smelled incredible.

Noodles in clear broth are a dish every young woman in Fengyuan City knows how to make. Kneading the dough with melted brine produced remarkably chewy noodles. Now, with the addition of a bowl of rich, oily greens, the noodles became even more resilient, the broth thickened slightly, and each strand carried the flavor of the vegetables.

The savory aroma of roasted meat, the soft texture of potatoes, and the fresh sweetness of tender Chinese cabbage leaves. Take a sip of the broth—it carries a hint of smoked meat flavor—

“Not smoked pork, it’s preserved mustard greens. So fragrant, absolutely divine.” Lu Dalang held his bowl as if pouring it straight into his mouth. “And the aroma of garlic shoots—perfectly blended.”

Father Lu, with his bowl of noodles, insisted on grabbing a plain steamed bun. He broke off pieces and dunked them into the noodle broth. This way, soaking the bun in the soup made it even more savory, especially with those large slices of meat.

“The Tang family treats their workers this well?” Chen Qiaolian felt almost guilty eating.

Such big chunks of meat.

Lu Sanniang was eating so heartily she couldn’t even speak, but she still told her mother, “Yes, Wu-ger steamed mixed grain rice. It smells wonderful.”

“They’re all working men, big, strong fellows. Feeding them like this will bankrupt us in no time.” Father Lu said they should economize, not use so much meat—just enough to impart a hint of savory flavor. “I recall the Tang family hired more people?”

Chen Qiaolian knew, “They hired seven.” That’s why they bought extra steamed buns.

“Cleaning up a courtyard and replacing bricks doesn’t require that many people. More people mean more food and higher labor costs…”

Lu Dalang interjected, “More hands mean faster work. They’ll finish early, and the shop in front of the Tang family’s place can reopen for business.”

“That’s true.” Father Lu nodded, feeling indebted to them. “Not to mention Brother Tang’s skill—once his shop reopens, he’ll earn back every penny spent on food and drink.”

Lu Sanniang seized the moment to remark, “Brother Tang’s place is so spacious!”

The whole family chuckled. The Tang family next door had merged two courtyards into one, making it naturally spacious.

Lu Sanniang, still eating, didn’t elaborate. Her “big” didn’t refer to the spaciousness of the courtyard—though Tang’s yard was certainly larger than theirs—but rather the absence of clutter. The corners were cleared of weeds, the walls freshly painted, making the place bright, clean, and impressively grand.

“It’s almost mid-month now. Haven’t the second and third sisters who married out of the Tang family returned yet?” Chen Qiaolian casually brought it up in conversation, then glanced at her own third Erniang. “We absolutely can’t find a husband so far away for our third child in the future.”

Lu Sanniang held her bowl while eating, feeling terribly embarrassed.

The Tang household.

After the meal, the young couple tidied the pots and bowls in the kitchen. Jiang Yun still found it quite surprising—over the past days, Tieniu hadn’t shied away from washing dishes and cleaning up in the kitchen at all; he even seemed to enjoy it.

When Jiang Yun first witnessed this, she thought, How could a man do such work?

She offered to handle the dishes herself.

But Wu-ger said, “Mother, rest. Tieniu and I will take care of it together.”

Tieniu chimed in, “Yeah, we can finish faster together.”

No matter how many times she witnessed it, Jiang Yun remained astonished. Tang Xianling noticed Jiang Yun lingering in the kitchen instead of resting—clearly feeling awkward.

While continuing his work, Tang Xianling chatted casually, “Mother, the east room looks almost done. By tomorrow, all three rooms should be ready. After two more days of airing, we can move in to sleep.”

A layer of mud plaster had been applied to the brick joints, still slightly damp. Fortunately, it was summer, and the heat would help it dry. These days, all the furniture has been moved out of the rooms. Workers tidied the rooms by day, while the three of them made do with makeshift beds in the shop at night.

With many workers hired, progress was swift. In just four days, the main kitchen and the three eastern rooms were mostly finished. Next came the western rooms, the storage shed, and the bathing area. The bathing area and courtyard were left for last, as they required digging a new drainage channel to the outside.

The drainage channel was shaped like a curved tile made from pottery shards, layered underground. Stone bricks covered it, forming a small path leading outside. The mule shed and outhouse would be built quickly, taking only a day each.

Tang Xianling calculated the schedule; everything should be finished around the 16th or 17th of May.

“Mother, are my second and third sisters’ homes really that far away?” Having calculated the dates, he figured they should be able to return by then. They’d have a place to stay, after all.

Oh, and they’d need to buy some new furniture.

He’d placed an order at the West Market a few days ago. Large pieces took time to make, but they’d surely arrive once the courtyard was tidied up.

Jiang Yun looked at Tieniu first. Logically, Wu-ger shouldn’t have been unaware of where his sisters had married. She saw that Tieniu didn’t seem suspicious, and Wu-ger spoke to Tieniu bluntly, hiding nothing, quite openly.

That’s how a married couple should live. Old Tang, after forty years of marriage, still kept secrets from her. She had no idea how he made the mutton soup for the lamb soup dumplings—

“Mother? What are you thinking about?” Why did her expression turn sorrowful again as she pondered?

Tang Xianling felt a pang of fear and cautiously asked, “Could it be that my second and third sisters married poorly?” That couldn’t be right. He remembered that because Old Tang was ‘snobbish’ and ‘preferred sons,’ his second and third daughters were quite strong-willed. They were determined to show Old Tang that even daughters could marry well, no less than sons.

Thus, when it came to choosing husbands, they were quite decisive.

Old Tang wasn’t strict about his daughters’ marriages—he simply didn’t care. Had he had a son, he would’ve started picking a bride for Silang when the boy was still a toddler.

Because he didn’t care, and Jiang Yun had a gentle temperament, the two girls handled their own marriages.

Tang Xianling inwardly grumbled: The two girls married far away, surely wanting to distance themselves from Old Tang.

The eldest daughter, Tang Qiao, was the most down-to-earth and filial, truly growing up like a mother to her younger sisters. When seeking a husband, she considered the Lin family’s solid background and proximity to Fengyuan City—a farming family would be fine, and she could help support her parents’ home.

Though their parents had no blood relatives, Father often lamented that, as displaced people who’d put down roots, they weren’t like other shopkeepers in town who had brothers and relatives in the villages outside the city to help them out.

Tang Qiao kept these words in her heart, so when the matchmaker mentioned the Lin family, she made up her mind.

After the eldest sister married into the Lin family, she would occasionally visit her parents in the city during holidays. Seeing her older sister, the second and third sisters noticed she had tanned skin, rough hands, and her clothes were dusty and dull. They felt her life must be too hard. Both had grown up in Fengyuan City. The Tang family lived frugally, and though they knew life was tough, seeing her elder sister now, they realized farming in the village was truly backbreaking.

Then came the time for the second and third sisters to find husbands.

The second sister married into the Cui family in Cuilin Town, a grain merchant family. The journey from Fengyuan City to Cuilin Town took about three days by carriage. Sending a letter and allowing time for her to pack, she should have returned within six or seven days.

Yet ten days had passed, and there’s still no sign of her.

The third sister married the farthest away. Shijing Prefecture lies northwest of Fengyuan City. Her husband’s family is small merchants dealing in cloth within the prefecture and county. Among the three sisters, she married into the wealthiest family. Third Sister was fair-skinned and quite beautiful.

Old Tang had one thing going for him: his height was unmatched.

The Tang children were tall and lanky, their skin fair like Jiang Yun’s.

Tang Xianling was skinny now, but he reckoned he was still about 5’9“ or 5’10”, with a great figure—not a five-five split, if he did say so himself, with long legs and a slim waist.

Just look at Tieniu’s eyes popping when he saw him tie on an apron, even though he said he looked thinner.

Actually—hehe.

“Wait a bit longer. Maybe she’s still on her way. Both their husbands come from decent families. They visited us years ago, bringing all sorts of things…” Jiang Yun said. Old Tang sighed at the sight of the gifts, muttering that sons-in-law could never compare to a real son.

This must have hurt both sons-in-law’s feelings, and it didn’t make things easy for the daughters either.

Later, Erniang and Sanniang both became pregnant. Erniang hadn’t returned for two consecutive years, and Sanniang hadn’t been back for four years.