"Mom, the city is a complicated place, and these sorts of things aren't uncommon. Don't be afraid; if you come along a few more times, you won't get swindled again."
Seeing that Zhang Guifen was feeling a bit down, Li Xiulan offered some comfort.
"Yes, from now on I'll just stick with you; I don't trust anyone else." Feeling that she had only received care rather than blame from the others, Zhang Guifen’s mood began to lift.
They finished buying the rest of their items and brought everything back to the first shop owner who sold coal stoves. The second son-in-law went off to fetch the cart.
Seeing them return, the shop owner hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back. However, thinking that they would be regular customers for his shop from now on, he decided to offer a warning.
"Auntie, you folks need to be more careful when you go out. There are plenty of scammers in this market. I'm here every day, and I've already spotted several groups of people getting swindled."
The shop owner had seen He Youcai leading an old woman toward them, and then, after he walked away, watched as the woman left without even pretending to shop anymore. He had guessed they might have been cheated.
"Thank you, boss. We’ll be careful. Why aren't those people arrested?"
"Them? They work in gangs. Don't think it's just one or two people. Besides, they don't swindle much money at a time, so everyone finds it too much of a hassle to report them. Plus, people are afraid of retaliation, so they just turn a blind eye. But they wouldn't dare swindle us local vendors. I didn't warn you before because I was worried you might think I was trying to scam you myself. These days, you just have to keep your wits about you when you go out."
The three of them exchanged glances, realizing that this was a common occurrence in the market. In the future, when they came to stock up on goods, they would have to be more vigilant.
When He Youcai arrived with the ox cart, they loaded up their bags and boxes and slowly made their way out of the county town.
It was already afternoon by the time they reached the town. They dropped off the goods for Xinghua and her husband. They had bought quite a lot, so everyone pitched in to help carry everything inside. Once they had locked the door, they headed back to Zhangjiawan.
Feng Sixi, Jiayu, and the two boys, Erhu and Xiaohu, were at home. Hearing the sound of the ox cart, the children came scurrying out. They loved looking at the big ox, though they were too afraid to touch it.
"Hurry and move aside, let us get the things down first." Seeing Erhu trying to climb onto the cart, Xinghua shooed him away immediately.
"Mom, Dad, what delicious things did you buy? I want some candy," Erhu said, looking longingly at the items on the cart, his eyes fixed on them.
"Eat, eat, eat! Where would there be so much to eat? Stand aside!" Xinghua had originally hoped for a sweet daughter, but she ended up having two sons in a row.
"Erhu, Jiayu, Xiaohu, come have some candy. One piece each." Li Xiulan took out the candies and gave one to each of them.
"Wow, thank you, Auntie! It's so sweet!" Erhu popped the candy into his mouth the moment he got it, rolling it around until his eyes crinkled with joy.
"Thank you, Mommy. Mommy, you have some." Jiayu held out her candy to Li Xiulan, who put it in the girl's mouth for her.
"Look at that, girls are the ones who know how to show affection. These two little monkeys just think about their own bellies; they’d never think of us. Jiayu is still the best," Xinghua said, clearly doting on Jiayu, who always saved a piece of candy for her whenever she got some.
"Thank you, Auntie. When I get two pieces of candy, I'll give one to you too."
"Hahaha!" The innocent words of children are always enough to make one laugh.
Seeing the items they brought back, Feng Sixi also came over to help. He inspected each item one by one and nodded with satisfaction.
"These are all good things; they’ll last us many years."
Xinghua and her husband got off the cart and took out two packages of pastries—one for her parents' home and one for the Brigade Leader’s house. If it weren't for this ox cart, they would probably still be lugging their heavy bags and waiting for a ride.
Afterward, they took the children and went home. They were eager to get back to plan where to arrange all their new things.
Feng Sixi fed the ox some grass, and once he saw it was full, he took the two packages of pastries to the Brigade Leader's house.
Seeing Feng Sixi being so polite, the Brigade Leader declined for a good while. Only after hearing that they might need to borrow the ox cart again in the future did he stop refusing and accept the pastries.
The Brigade Leader’s wife, Liu Aixi, was from the same village as Grandma Li Xiulan. Once Feng Sixi left, she remarked, "Her aunt's family is certainly generous. I wouldn't be surprised if they’re planning to do business in town, too. Otherwise, why would they borrow an ox cart for their daughter and then send over two packages of pastries?"
"If they have a way to get ahead, that’s their own capability. Let’s just wait and see. I think the Feng Family has truly turned a corner this time. It’s hard to say whose life will be better in the future."
The Brigade Leader had heard some rumors. In the meetings they attended, there was talk of abolishing the communes and replacing them with village committees, and they even mentioned that villagers would elect the village head in the future.
He felt a bit anxious; if the villagers didn't vote for him, he wouldn't be able to become the village head.
Therefore, he hoped to make some changes to show his competence to his superiors and the village, preparing for the election. He was secretly observing the changes in every family in the village.
The Feng Family knew nothing of the Brigade Leader’s thoughts. At this moment, Grandma Liu Facui and her daughter-in-law Zhang Guifen were watching Xiulan cook.
"The mine canteen only serves noodles, porridge, and steamed corn bread. The stir-fried dishes at noon are also very light on oil. So, I’m thinking of making steamed buns, meat buns, and noodles with chili oil, topped with savory minced meat. It’s best to have plenty of condiments so they can choose for themselves. As for lunch, we can make stir-fried dishes and packed meals. We can offer a wider variety of stir-fries, cooking them at home and keeping them warm over the fire. That way, they can have a warm meal even in the dead of winter. There’s also minced meat rice noodles or vegetarian noodles—these are things my mom and I bought at a small noodle shop in town today. You all should have a taste."
Li Xiulan had always had a soft spot for rice noodles. Beef noodles and lamb noodles were the memories of her childhood, but they hadn't yet gained popularity among everyone else.
She was determined to be the first one to sell them.
Zhang Guifen watched as she washed several tomatoes, steamed them, and then brought out the chili powder she had prepared a few days ago, ready to make chili oil.
Around here, people mostly used rapeseed oil and lard. When spring came, the rape blossoms would bloom across the fields. If this were modern times, crowds of tourists would come to visit, but now, no one had the luxury of time to run out to the countryside to admire the flowers.
Smelling the fragrance of oil in the kitchen, Jiayu also ran in to watch. She saw Li Xiulan mix the dry chili powder with water and pour it into the pot. The scent of the chili instantly hit everyone’s nose, and it was a bit choking.
"Cough, cough, cough." Jiayu started coughing immediately, and Zhang Guifen quickly told her to go outside and play.
It was a bit pungent at first, but soon, a savory aroma followed.
"Xiulan, this chili oil you’ve made is actually quite fragrant. It would be even more delicious served with rice," Zhang Guifen said, sniffing the air.
"With that much oil, it would be strange if it weren't fragrant. If it were me, I’d be happy to eat that much oil, too." Grandma Liu Facui felt a bit of a pinch, but recalling what Xiulan had said about how doing business requires knowing when to spend and when to save, she held back her urge to talk about saving.