stingy landlady

Chapter 154 Want to Go to the County Town

When Guizhi and Wanrou arrived at the stove, Jushuang was kneading dough and boiling water with Guixiang and Guihong.

Guizhi smiled and said:

"Those older sisters are quick on their feet!"

As Ju kneaded the dough, she said:

"Guizhi said she wanted to cook noodles, but Wanrou is pregnant! How can we let the two of you do it! The rest of us are used to cooking and we're quick and efficient!"

Guizhi said mischievously:

"Why don't we say it's better to be the younger sister? Then the older sisters can share the burden, big and small! Let's make ten fried eggs for them! One for each of them!"

Turning to Wanrou, he asked again,

"Are you hungry? Why don't you have a bowl too? Aren't pregnant women supposed to get hungry?"

Wanrou nodded, then said softly:

"Just leave me half a bowl! Eating too much will make my stomach feel full and uncomfortable!"

Gui Hong had already washed the pot clean and put water in it. She then added:

"Whoever is hungry can eat! How much can the few of us eat? Third Sister! Are they only hauling timber today, or will they continue hauling it later?"

"There's more to come! What's wrong, Second Sister!"

"Then we need to prepare early during the day! So they can have food and drink when they get back!"

"I'll ask them tomorrow morning! There were a few women in the village, but they all went up the mountain to cook! Luckily, you two older sisters are here, otherwise we wouldn't be able to manage!"

Gui Xiang also said:

"Third sister, what are you saying! Aren't we sisters? What's this about trouble or not? It's more fun when there are more people working together!"

In the morning, Guizhi got up early to ask the farmhands who had returned from the mountain how Xu Hong had arranged things!

"Boss! There's already quite a lot of timber on the mountain! Manager Xu said we have to haul it down the mountain every day! They're continuing to cut timber on the mountain! That way, we can bring it all back by the New Year!"

There's no need to leave anyone on the mountain to keep watch!

Guizhi understood the situation and reminded them to be careful before returning to her room.

Sitting on the kang (heated brick bed), he slowly pondered the personnel arrangements. Wanrou was pregnant, and during the day, she and Jushuang cooked for the dozen or so people left in the village, which wasn't a big problem.

If we get up again at night to cook for the people coming down from the mountain, we won't get enough rest! Gui Xiang and Gui Hong have been helping out these past few days, but who will cook after the three of us leave?

Gui Xiang and Gui Hong helped with the cooking. Gui Hong searched the kitchen and asked Gui Zhi:

"Third Sister! Didn't you sprout any bean sprouts? Or pickle any vegetables?"

Guizhi suddenly remembered and said:

"Oh dear! Look at my forgetfulness! I still need my second sister and eldest sister to come over! I completely forgot about sprouting bean sprouts! Bean sprouts are delicious and cheap!"

The soybeans are already there! We'll pick some to sprout later! Did we sprout any beans this year, Second Sister? I didn't even notice!

"You're always running around aimlessly! It was only when Li, the purchasing agent from Xiangmanlou, asked about it that I remembered!"

The bean sprouts at Aunt Zhou's place are only enough for our Caomujian Fast Food Restaurant and Xiangmanlou! But we've managed to eat them a few times at home!

Gui Xiang then asked Gui Zhi:

"Third Sister! We've sold out of wild garlic at home, and all that's left are pickled wild vegetables and dried shepherd's purse. What are you planning to do? If you don't have time, just sell them all to Xiangmanlou!"

Gui Hong looked at Gui Zhi, who thought for a moment before saying:

"Big sister, second sister! I originally planned to sell them in the county town while the weather was cold! But I haven't had time to go to the county town yet!"

Gui Hong said excitedly:

"Then let's go! We don't have anything else to do anyway! Let's find someone to drive the carriage, and we'll go to the county town to sell! Eldest sister! You and Wanrou stay home and make underwear! Third sister and I will go with you!"

Guizhi hesitated for a moment before speaking:

“Alright! I was just planning to go to the county town in the next couple of days anyway! Let’s go home today and load the wild vegetables and shepherd’s purse onto the cart. We can go tomorrow morning! Who should come with us?”

Gui Hong was happy and said:

"Who should go? Let Dad go! Who can you trust more than Dad? Call that guard Lin Yi! Let Dad go and have a look around the county town!"

Gui Xiang immediately chimed in:

"If Dad goes, I'll go too! I've never been to the county town before!"

Gui Zhi immediately compromised:

"Alright, alright! We'll all go! But if we all leave, Wanrou and Jushuang will be left alone. It's fine to cook during the day, but we'll have to cook them a hot meal when they come down from the mountain at night!"

Gui Hongdao:

"That's easy! We'll knead the dough, roll out the noodles, and freeze them! We'll also make a lot more dumplings and freeze them when we get back from the county town. When people come down from the mountain, we just need to boil water and put them in! It's not troublesome at all, and Wanrou and Jushuang don't even need to get up. Those people outside can do it!"

"It's such a simple thing!"

"Second sister is so smart! I started thinking about it last night, but I couldn't come up with a good idea! Second sister is really amazing!"

"Pshaw! That's nothing! I deal with food every day! People can come up with solutions! You should hurry up and figure out how to sell wild vegetables and shepherd's purse for a high price when we get to the county town!"

"Okay! Bring some bean sprouts too!"

Gui Xiang said anxiously:

"Third sister! Why bring bean sprouts! Didn't your second sister say that our family's bean sprouts are only enough for Caomujian and Xiangmanlou? If you bring them to the county town, they definitely won't be enough to sell! You'll have to travel so far to deliver them just to sell a few bean sprouts!"

Guizhi smiled slyly:

"Hehe! Big sister! Our mother's been sitting around doing nothing, hasn't she? Let's find her some work to do! Our old house's just sitting there empty, isn't it? Let Fourth Aunt help her sprout beans in that house!"

And there's the north kang (heated brick bed) in Grandma's room, where Fifth Uncle used to live. Now that he's moved away, it's empty, isn't it? Every family has beans, so if we sprout more bean sprouts, we can take a horse-drawn cart to the county town to sell them!

These guys all have things to do and money to make, so they don't have time to bother us!

We can finally make underwear here in peace! Especially you two older sisters! Mom's busy enough as it is, how can she have time to keep a close eye on you two?

Gui Hong clapped her hands and laughed:

"Third sister's idea is great! It saves our mother from having to listen to those women in the village gossiping every day! They keep bringing up my marriage with eldest sister! I'm so annoyed by it!"

"I wish we could get married tomorrow!"

Guizhi giggled:

"Hehe! I'm so worried about your marriage! On your wedding day, I'll definitely be the one crying the most!"

Gui Hong sighed like a little adult:

"Sigh! This is the dilemma of being a parent! They worry about their child not getting married, but once they do, they can't bear to part with them! I don't have that many worries!"

"If I have a daughter in the future, she can get married if she wants, and I'll support her if she doesn't! Aren't daughters always said to be like a warm little cotton-padded jacket?"

Gui Xiang spat at her:

"You can't control your mouth at all! You just spout nonsense! You're not even close to getting married yet! And you've already given birth to a daughter!"

Guizhi laughed so hard she almost fell over!

"Hahaha! This is so much fun! Second sister is so interesting! Eldest sister! You should learn from second sister! I've seen that second sister's personality makes her successful everywhere!"

Gui Xiang, unconvinced, turned her face away and snorted coldly:

"Hmph! Third sister! Don't be like your second sister! Think before you speak. She just blurts out whatever comes to mind without considering what others think!"