Two people fighting together are always better than one struggling alone. After hearing Yang Dong's words, Xiaoxiao didn't feel as discouraged as before; her spirits lifted, she resumed her experiments, and finally achieved success after using up the last of the sugar.
Looking at her spoils of war, Xiaoxiao excitedly raised her hands and cheered, and Yang Dong was especially happy too, no longer sulking. After all, they were both just fifteen-year-old children whose emotions—be it joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness—were plainly visible on their faces. Their relationship was growing more and more pleasant, and bursts of laughter could be heard coming from the kitchen.
Inside the second room
"My dear, listen, I don't know what your third sister-in-law and fourth brother are concocting in the kitchen, but look how happy they are!"
"What else can you concoct in the kitchen but food? Don't overthink it; go to sleep!" Yang Gang, the second brother, might seem a bit simple at times, but he was no fool. He could detect the subtext in his wife's words. His wife, unfortunately, was not the most tactful person—saying whatever came to mind without a filter. He was worried that one day she might really put her foot in her mouth!
The next morning, after having breakfast, Xiaoxiao spoke up, "Mother, how much silver do we have left in the house? I would like to borrow some!"
"..." The family all widened their eyes upon hearing this. Was this third daughter-in-law still unable to shake off her extravagant habits? With the household situation as it was, she was still thinking of spending money? They had thought she had changed for the better.
"Third sister-in-law, given our current situation, you really shouldn't be thinking of wasting money; we don't have any to spare. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be pressured to repay money within a month." The second sister-in-law bristled at Xiaoxiao's request. No one in the family wanted to say it, so she assumed the role of the villain.
"If you don't know how to speak, then don't speak!" Yang Gang immediately intervened to stop her.
"How am I not speaking properly? I'm just telling the truth."
"You're talking nonsense."
"Yang Gang, you're the one talking nonsense!" The second sister-in-law shouted back.
"You're the one talking nonsense!"
Before things could escalate, Yang Gang and his wife had already begun arguing. Somehow, their argument devolved into a squabble over who was talking nonsense. The level of this quarrel really was unparalleled.
Xiaoxiao couldn't help but laugh, "Second brother, second sister-in-law, stop it, don't fight. I'm not wasting money," she said, giving Yang Dong a look. Understanding immediately, he went outside and brought in yesterday's spoils of war.
"This is the snack Yang Dong and I made yesterday. Please, have a taste. It's called candied hawthorn—hawthorn strung together and coated with sugar. I'm thinking of selling them in town, but I ran out of money to buy sugar because I used it all up for the experiments yesterday, so that's why I shamelessly came to ask Mother for some."
"Delicious, it's so good, Auntie, you are amazing!"
"Yeah, tasty, very tasty. This sugar is really sweet!"
The adults hadn't spoken yet when the kids began to express their opinions. The words of children are the most sincere, and this further boosted Xiaoxiao's confidence. She was more and more convinced that selling these would surely make money.
Seeing the kids' reactions, the others also picked up the candied hawthorns to try them. Yang Gang and his wife stopped arguing, and upon trying the snack, they too found it quite enjoyable—a never-before-tasted treat that was both sweet and sour.
"Third daughter-in-law, this snack is delicious, but isn't it just hawthorn from the mountain? It's something no one wanted—that's why it was still available even in this weather. If no one wanted these before, do you think they'll sell well?" The mother-in-law asked worriedly. It wasn't that she doubted Xiaoxiao; she just feared her only bit of silver would be squandered.
"And this sugar, it's so expensive. How much will you have to charge for each skewer? Will people actually buy them?"