Chapter 97: CH 97

Mo Zenian’s joy at returning home was dissipated by Mo Ling. Knowing her temperament, he didn’t want to force her, so he let go of the marriage talk for now.

As Mo Yan expected, rumours quickly spread in the village that Mo Ling was going to marry someone in Yicheng, and her fiance was an idiot.

Mo Ling didn’t bother to deal with these rumours and let them say whatever they wanted. She had grown indifferent after last time.

Braised meat, steamed cakes, steamed buns, fried peanuts and melons, fried noodles…

Mrs. Liang made all the food she knew how to make.

Mo Zenian noticed the sisters had been out all day and only came back when it was almost dark two days in a row, so he asked Mrs. Liang what they were busy with.

“Didn’t you see that they have a storefront in the city? They’re doing business.”

“Then why doesn’t Feng’er go?”

Mrs. Liang hesitated before saying, “Isn’t he still young? Besides, he looks down on operating these small businesses. You should take him to Yi City after the New Year!”

“Why would I? I’d have to serve him like a young master. What kind of son did you raise?”

“Then why don’t you try raising him!”

Mrs. Liang knew this would end up as another meaningless quarrel. Mo Feng came over and asked, “Mum, the people in the village want Mo Yan to do some storytelling for the next few days, so that everyone can have fun. After all, the businesses are closed for the New Year.”

Mo Zenian slapped the table, “What storytelling, and what fun? She’s doing this at this age, what will she do when she gets older? See if I don’t break her leg!” [1]

Mrs. Liang said, “They’re all from the same village. They just sit together and tell jokes. No one is looking for fun.”

She gave Mo Feng a look, and he turned to go out. Mo Zenian asked, “Stay behind for a second. What do you do all day?”

Mo Feng was too frightened to turn around. He hesitated before answering, “Nothing much, just a bit of reading and writing.”

“Reading, what book are you reading? If you study well, I will send some money to someone to recommend you to take the imperial examination.”

“No, there’s no need.”

Mo Zenian slapped the table again, and the teacups on the table jumped up, “You’re already fifteen years old, you can’t even speak a whole sentence, and you still want to work? Since we’re doing business, why aren’t you helping? The two girls are the ones working, outsiders would think that there are no sons in my Mo family.”

“I’ll go, I’ll go right away.”

Mo Feng escaped from the house and ran all the way to the market, his heart pounding with fright. He’d been slapped by Mo Zenian more than once in the past.

When he arrived, he didn’t want to face Mo Ling, so he didn’t dare to go to the storefront and went to the courtyard instead. Ms. Hua’s face turned pale when she saw him, “What are you doing here?”

“This is my family’s business, why can’t I be here?”

Ms. Hua couldn’t afford to offend him, so she hurried to the front to find Mo Ling, who dropped what she was doing and came to the backyard angrily.

“’Esteemed young master’, what are you doing here? Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll just take it back for you.”

Mo Feng blushed, “I…dad asked me to help.”

It was only then that Mo Ling realised that he fled here after being scolded by his father.

“Don’t stay here, go to the front and help!”

“What can I do?”

“Just charge people for what they buy, it’s not that hard.”

He followed Mo Ling to the front. There was only so much space in the shorefront, and Mo Yan didn’t want to spend time with him, “I’ll go to the back to make gift baskets to hand through the back window later.”

Mo Yan was already very skilled at making gift baskets, and quickly packed over a dozen gift boxes. She handed them over through the back window of the shop with Ms. Hua.

Mo Ling took them then handed the gift baskets to Mo Feng.

Someone came to buy the gift baskets and asked about the contents. Mo Feng couldn’t answer him, so he turned around to ask his sister.

“It’s the dried fruit and candied fruit in the small basket at the stall. You can try it.”

The customer picked up a few and tasted them, and found them to be pretty good. He asked for the price and ordered four boxes at once.

After Mo Feng collected the money, he turned around and happily rushed to the back and said, “Sister, we earned so much money in one go.”

Mo Ling came over to receive the money, “Isn’t it because of the New Year? These don’t sell very well normally.”

“Then we’ll make a lot of money. Let’s sell these to all of our relatives!”

Mo Yan said from outside the window, “For the first fortnight of the New Year, you’ll be on duty, and all the profits will belong to you. What do you say?” [1]

Mo Ling also said, “If you can do it, why go to Yi City? Are you really willing to face our father’s every day?”

“No way, of course I’ll do it.”

“Okay, I’ll teach you so you have skills and can make money. Only then can you stand up straight.”

Even though she was mad at Mo Feng, which girl didn’t want her birth family to prosper? If Mo Feng was really willing to work hard, Mo Ling was willing to help him.

There was no smoke in the shop, and it felt cold when they weren’t busy. Mo Feng rubbed his hands while saying, “It’s so cold, my hands are numb.”

Mo Ling smiled, “We live like this every day, aren’t Yan’er’s hands more tender than yours?”

When she was saying that, Xiao Chuzi ran over with two hand warmers, both of which were bright red and lined with fur.

“Big Sister Ling, Ms. Zhao made two hand warmers for you.”

Before Mo Ling could answer, Mo Feng hurriedly took one, disregarding its colour.

Mo Ling stretched out her hand to touch the material, “It’s such good material, what a pity.”

“It’s all leftover from making clothes, these are all they can be used for.”

“Please go back and thank her for me.”

After Xiao Chuzi left, Mo Feng asked who Ms. Zhao was, and Mo Ling said truthfully, “Lu Junming’s mother. Don’t talk nonsense when you go back to the village.”

Mo Feng still remembered Lu Junming’s fist from last time, “I know, I’m not going to care about their family’s business.”

Seeing a man wearing sable pass by on the road, Mo Feng said enviously: “When I make money, I will also wear sable. Then, I’ll look like a high-ranking manager.”

“Make money first. A manager needs skills, not just clothes.”

At noon, the three siblings took turns to look after the shop, and then went to the sheep soup restaurant to drink a bowl of soup. For the first time, Mo Feng spent money to be served. From the warm greeting from the clerk when he entered the door, to when he was seated, to when he brought the food in front of him, and said, “Please enjoy your meal.” All of this made him extremely satisfied, and he secretly swore in his heart that he would become rich.

After returning home in the afternoon, Mo Feng happily told Mrs. Liang about what happened today. She even praised him, but Mo Zenian snorted coldly from the side, “A small shop selling snacks can only earn enough for a bowl of sheep soup.”

Mrs. Liang didn’t back down, “Don’t underestimate that small shop.” But Mo Ling shook her head at her, signalling her not to continue.

Mrs. Liang changed the subject, “We have reclaimed several acres of land, and we plan to plant medicinal herbs next spring!”

“We don’t have livestock, how did you reclaim land?”

“We hired people to plough the land for us.”

Post-translation notes: That’s right, don’t disrespect the storefront. As always, thank you for reading!

[1] Isn’t that a little too generous?