There was no way Shan Shan could refuse such a good thing.
Er Man wasn't trying to take advantage of his sister. He could repay her however he wanted once he earned money in the future. Besides, Shan Shan's cooking was so good, even better than their eldest sister-in-law. Opening a restaurant would be perfect for her, wouldn't it?
"Shan Shan, I think you're overthinking things..."
Yun Er Man picked up his pipe, rolled a tobacco stick, and lit it with the oil lamp. "Who says sisters-in-law who go into business together must argue? Besides, Eldest Sister-in-law is gentle and peaceful, and she handles everything steadily. You're just being too narrow-minded, aren't you?"
Du Tie Shan: "......"
Was that even a human thing to say?
How did it become her being narrow-minded?
Wouldn't it be better if Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law ran the restaurant themselves and made a fortune?
"If you're so capable, why don't you fund my restaurant yourself? You're a grown man, still expecting your sister to make a fortune for you, and you have no ability yourself. How dare you call me narrow-minded? Aren't you ashamed?" Du Tie Shan retorted.
Yun Er Man: "......"
No, why are you suddenly so angry? When did I ever expect my sister to become prosperous?
Is this person being unreasonable?
Yun Er Man extinguished his tobacco, stood up, and said, "Shan Shan, I'm telling you, I won't take a single cent of the money my sister earns. You watch, I'll just farm, fish, sell firewood, hunt in the mountains, and pick mushrooms, and I won't let you and the children starve..."
Du Tie Shan shook her head helplessly. "Any country bumpkin can do the work you do. Forget it, let's go to sleep!"
With that, Du Tie Shan took off her clothes, lifted the quilt, and got into bed.
Yun Er Man: "???"
This was the first time he had argued with Du Tie Shan, and feelings of guilt and self-blame surged through him like a flood...
To appease his wife, Yun Er Man went out and got a few frozen autumn pears, placing them in a basin of water to thaw.
"Here, try them, they're so sweet!" Yun Er Man pulled up Du Tie Shan, who was pretending to be asleep under the covers.
Du Tie Shan gave him a glare. "My stomach hurts, I'm not eating!"
"Then, then I'll rub it for you!" Yun Er Man said with a sly grin, extending his large hands and picking up Du Tie Shan.
The next morning, the Yun family sat in the main hall eating breakfast...
Gu Shi looked around and asked curiously, "Where is Fang'er? Why isn't she here for breakfast?"
"Cough, cough!" Yun San Man suddenly choked, wiping his mouth. "Perhaps she's not awake yet!"
He couldn't tell his parents about seeing the doctor yet, for fear they might accidentally let it slip and Shangguan Fang'er would find out...
Gu Shi said "Oh" and glanced towards the main door. "Has that lady left?"
The weather was so cold last night; if the mistress and her servant slept in the carriage, they would have frozen into ice pops.
Yun Da Man smiled. "Mother, they're not as foolish as you think. I heard Xiao Lou say that those two women left in the middle of the night yesterday. Perhaps they went to an inn in the county town to stay..."
The truth was indeed that. How could someone as delicate as Zhen Mei Li freeze in a carriage all night?
In the latter half of the night, she took Xiao Cui to the county town, planning to rest well before 'visiting' the old Yun family again.
Old Man Yun drank some porridge and instructed Yun San Man, "San Man, you go to the county town later and tell Magistrate Chen the date of the engagement banquet. Then, come back and buy some firecrackers and such..."
"Right, right!" Yun Er Man also nodded in agreement. "And buy a few new clothes for Jing De so he looks festive. As people say, you have to pay respects to the elders during an engagement ceremony!"
Upon hearing this, the Yun family burst into laughter.
Gao Jing De's face turned bright red, and he slowly lowered his head...
"Okay!" Yun San Man responded, rubbing his son's head. "You're quite the ladies' man, aren't you? Who would have thought the magistrate's daughter would be so fated with you? Didn't that magistrate's wife want to betroth Xiao Ran to Jin Shan back then? Haha!"
Old Man Yun glared at San Man when he heard this. "She wanted Jin Shan to become a live-in son-in-law, and our family absolutely cannot agree to such a thing..."
San Man had become a live-in son-in-law for the Gao family back then, which had made Old Man Yun unable to hold his head up all these years. His grandson would never do such a thing in the future.
"Uncle, Aunt, I'm full. I'm going to deliver milk now!" Jin Xiao Lou put down his rice bowl and said with a smile.
San Man heard this and quickly stopped him. "Wait a moment, I'll go to the county town with you..."
"Okay!"
After they left, Gu Shi said with a face full of relief, "Xiao Lou is such a good child. If his parents knew he was lost, they would be so anxious!"
"Mom, after spring comes, can we send Xiao Lou home?" Xiao Xi Tian asked with her tender, sweet voice.
Gu Shi pursed her lips and smiled. "Of course, it would be great. I just don't know where his home is. I'll ask your fourth brother to inquire about it when he has time..."
Xiao Xi Tian nodded solemnly. She knew her mother was even more eager than she was for Xiao Lou to be reunited with his family.
It was truly heartbreaking for such a young child to be wandering outside.
Old Man Yun poked his teeth with a broom straw and suddenly asked Xiao Xi Tian, "Daughter, I heard you chased away those renovation workers. So the shop won't be renovated before the year, right?"
Alas, his daughter finally wanted to open a restaurant, but it coincided with the New Year, and workers were nowhere to be found...
When this matter was brought up, Xiao Xi Tian felt a bit dejected. Although she had thought of a solution, she didn't know if everyone would be willing to help her.
"Daddy, I remember Uncle Zhuang Er and Uncle Yan in our village are carpenters, right?" Xiao Xi Tian asked.
Before Jin Shan went to study at the academy, he followed Yan Dajun to learn carpentry.
However, that person was rather lazy and unwilling to teach anything. As a result, even after Jin Shan studied with him for more than half a year, he couldn't even make a stool when he got home...
Old Man Yun was slightly taken aback. "Daughter, do you mean you want to hire Zhuang Lao Er and Yan Da Jun to help you renovate the shop?"
Oh dear, these two men were drunk and unsteady every day, their steps swaying. Could they even work?
Xiao Xi Tian said "Mm," "I want to go ask!"
Most of the work in the shop was carpentry. If they carefully repaired the exterior and interior of Xiao Lou's place, and if the family helped out when the work started before the year, it would be almost completed by the fifteenth day of the first lunar month...
This way, Xiao Xi Tian's renovation budget could also be saved quite a bit.
"Old man, take our daughter to ask later, and bring some salted duck eggs and jerky!" Gu Shi advised.
Old Man Yun took a couple of puffs from his tobacco pouch. "It's fine to ask!"
But whether they would agree to help was another matter...
After breakfast, Old Man Yun brought some peanuts and eggs and led his daughter to Zhuang Lao Er's house.
Before they even entered the courtyard, they saw a young man standing at the main entrance, craning his neck and looking inside.