Xie Dajiang was a big brother. Even if Xie Sui didn't repay the money, outsiders would only praise him for being generous and a good elder brother for taking care of his brother.
However, Wang Qiuju not only forced him to repay, but also demanded one yuan in interest. This was cruel and inhumane.
Of course, it was right to repay debts. Even brothers should keep clear accounts, so Zhao Xiue had always felt guilty and never talked back to her sister-in-law, no matter how much she was provoked.
If she had been thicker-skinned, she would have cursed back at Wang Qiuju, saying she wouldn't repay it, and since she couldn't borrow anymore, what could she do?
Shameless people always took advantage.
Zhao Xiue said, "No, Mother has always lived at Elder Brother's house, and we haven't given her any money for her upkeep. Let's buy some meat for Mother. I'll be going back now. We're still busy at home, and Xiao Sui's business is hard-earned money."
Wang Qiuju was speechless. When had this sister-in-law become so eloquent?
Not only Wang Qiuju was surprised, but the villagers were also very surprised. Xie Sui's mother had actually greeted them just now?
The sun must have risen from the west. Before, she would have walked along the walls, trying to avoid being seen, afraid that others would find out. Xie Sui was a disappointment, and even his parents were ashamed to show their faces, fearing that people would complain or demand repayment.
Now that Xie Sui had turned over a new leaf, Zhao Xiue was eager to chat with the villagers and praise her son. Why would she hide anymore?
Xie Sui didn't know his mother had this hobby. He was making amber walnuts at home.
He had brought back a bag of walnuts. They were nutritious, but eating them raw had a bitter taste, and most people didn't like them.
Xie Sui shelled all the walnuts, blanched them for two minutes to remove the bitterness, added sugar and a little water to the pot to make syrup, then poured in the walnuts. After they were coated with syrup, he heated oil in another pan and stir-fried them. Thirty minutes later, the walnuts turned amber and could be taken out.
While still hot, sprinkle with white sesame seeds and mix well. Once the walnuts cooled down, they became crisp and sweet amber walnuts, which looked appetizing.
"Wanwan, try some."
Xie Sui handed them to Lin Wanwan's mouth. She glared at Xie Sui and took them herself before eating them. She didn't let Xie Sui feed her. Their father-in-law was still at home, so what would that look like?
She loved the taste after one bite. The aroma of sesame seeds blended with the fragrance of walnuts, along with the sweetness of white sugar, was crisp and delicious.
"It's delicious, but it uses too much sugar."
This small amount of walnuts used a pound of sugar.
"If you want things to be delicious, sugar and oil are essential. If it's delicious, it's not a waste. Eat more. I'll make lunch and go sell canned goods in the afternoon."
The elders were at home, so Xie Sui made a lavish meal: braised pork, cabbage braised with pork belly, stir-fried wild vegetables, a tofu soup, and steamed rice.
Zhao Xiue said with heartache, "This rice is eighty cents a pound. It's good enough to eat noodles. Who can afford to eat rice?"
Xie Dahe also said with a grim face, "From now on, we'll eat steamed buns. Rice, we northerners, what rice do we eat?"
Xie Sui winked at Doudou and said, "Doudou, Dingding likes to eat it, so we'll eat it occasionally. Braised pork tastes best with rice. This is a one-off."
Doudou felt wronged. He liked to eat it, but he didn't ask for it to be made. They couldn't let the child take the blame just because he was young. It was always the child who wanted to eat, so why didn't he say that he himself wanted to eat?
Xie Sui patted his pocket and showed five cents. Dingding understood immediately. He served meat to his grandparents and said sweetly, "Grandpa, Grandma, eat meat. Dad's braised pork is the best.
My brother and I will also make money to buy meat and rice for Grandpa and Grandma to eat."
The elders immediately smiled. "Good, my grandson can make money. Grandma will eat. You'll be even more successful when you grow up than your father."
Xie Sui said, "Of course. Didn't you see who gave birth to him? Is it my wife?"
Lin Wanwan didn't say anything. It seemed everyone was more promising than him.
But in front of the elders, she saved Xie Sui some face and didn't retort.
"Wanwan is smart, and the children take after their mother. This is all thanks to Wanwan giving birth to them. Come, wife, eat meat."
Zhao Xiue said with satisfaction, "Isn't that so? You must treat Wanwan well and don't mess around."
"Wanwan, if he dares to bully you in the future, tell Mother, and I'll discipline him for you."
Lin Wanwan gave a perfunctory smile. "Okay, thank you, Mom."
She thought to herself, if you could have controlled them, their mother and three children wouldn't have suffered for so many years.
They had a harmonious meal. Zhang Wenfeng arrived with a mule cart. "Brother Xie, I'm here."
The family helped load the canned goods. There were two hundred bottles this time. Peaches were in season, and too many were sent. Lin Wanwan was also worried if they could sell them all.
Zhang Wenfeng was also worried. The villagers were observing. Xie Sui was the first to try. If he could sell all these canned goods, could their family also start this business?
As a result, when Xie Sui returned in the evening, the canned goods were indeed not sold out. Only forty were sold, and more than half were left.
"Xie Sui, didn't you sell them all?"
"Yes, it's not like food that people eat every day. It's normal not to sell them all. No one will eat canned goods as their staple food."
Xie Sui had a good attitude and said with a smile.
"Then what should we do? If they go bad, won't we lose money?"
"It's okay. Business is like this. There are losses and profits. You can't just see the thief eat meat and not see him get beaten."
"Don't be discouraged. There's a big market at the end of the month, and we can sell another batch. If not, let's take a break."
"I know, thank you for your concern."
There were two big markets in the town every month, which was the liveliest time. Usually, there were few people. The town's population was limited and could not digest many canned goods.
The Xie family was very lively at this time because the scorpion catchers had come to deliver their scorpions. Lin Wanwan dared not touch them, her scalp tingling. Girls were afraid of such things.
Xie Dahe helped weigh them. There were more than twenty catties. It cost almost fifty yuan to settle the accounts. Xie Dahe was worried that they would be stuck with them and sat by the door smoking his pipe, waiting for Xie Sui to return.
When he saw that so many canned goods were left, his face turned even darker. "What should we do? We haven't even made back the capital, have we? It's better to farm. Farming won't lose money."
"Dad, it's okay. I'll think of a way. Wenfeng, let's go to the county town early tomorrow to see my eldest sister and Huzhi."
"Okay, Brother Xie. Since the canned goods weren't sold, don't give me today's wages. I've earned quite a bit in the past few days."
Xie Sui sighed. People at this time were indeed simple. In his previous life, he had met countless people who called themselves brothers but stabbed him in the back. Not taking advantage was like suffering a loss. Almost no one considered others.
"It's okay, we're not short of your money. Take it. It'll be easier for your father to account for it. Come early tomorrow."
"Alright, Brother Xie, if you're short of money, tell me, and I'll lend it to you."
Lin Wanwan made dinner: yellow cornmeal steamed buns, stir-fried shredded potatoes, bean sprouts, and millet porridge. Simple home-style dishes were very comforting.
"Canned goods can only last for three days at most. Do they all have to be thrown away?"
Lin Wanwan was the most calm. She had expected this outcome. Those who had been educated were different. They had tasted novelty and couldn't keep buying it.