Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Business Knocking at the Door (2)_1 Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Business Knocking at the Door (2)_1 In the evening, Lin Ziyin completed all the braised meat, then let it cool down in the pot.
The next day before dawn, Wu Dayou came on time. Not only did he help with grinding, but also with loading, and then ate breakfast at the Lin family’s home before leaving with Lin Changshu, each of them carrying a load.
This time, Lin Ziyin didn’t follow. Instead, she stayed home with Guo Huiniang and Lin Zige, picking beans before soaking them for later use.
“Ziyin, are you making buckets?” The old man looked on as Lin Ziyin started working with the wood.
“We need a lot of wooden buckets at home, so I need to make some extra ones.” Lin Ziyin replied.
“Mmm.” The old man agreed and quietly helped her split the wood.
After all the work was done, he sat aside and began weaving baskets.
“Little Sister is becoming more and more capable.” Lin Zige said laughingly to Guo Huiniang.
“Isn’t she?” Guo Huiniang also laughed along, remembering the family’s burden of debt and the constant hustle of she and Lin Changshu trying to make ends meet, which had been really depressing.
Now that there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel, there was a growing smile on Guo Huiniang’s face these past few days.
By noon, Lin Ziyin had made two wooden buckets, and Lin Changshu and Wu Dayou had also returned.
“How did the selling go?” Guo Huiniang asked anxiously.
“We sold everything.” Wu Dayou quickly answered, “The braised meat made by Sister Ziyin was indeed a good seller. No one asked for it at the start. But after we let everyone taste it for free, like Sister Ziyin suggested, it was soon sold out.”
“This is the money we made today.” Lin Changshu took a heavy purse out of his pocket and gave it to Lin Ziyin. “And there’s other good news. Several big households in the city have placed orders with us for tomorrow.”
“For tofu?” Lin Ziyin asked.
“Yes.” Lin Changshu took a sip of water before answering, “I didn’t dare to promise too much, fearing we would be too busy at home.”
“How much did you commit to delivering?” Lin Ziyin asked, very pleased that Lin Changshu hadn’t been blinded by profit. If he’d committed to too many orders, they might not have been able to deliver, which would have meant breaking their word.
And the most troublesome thing in business is to break one’s word.
“I agreed to an extra thirty kilos.” Considering that this was about the amount they had prepared yesterday, it seemed manageable.
“Next time, you can commit to an additional twenty kilos.” Lin Ziyin said, “But not when the weather gets hot. Also, on holidays like the first and fifteenth of the month, you should not take orders.”
“Understood.” Lin Changshu responded, letting out a sigh of relief.
Since their order quantity had increased, Lin Ziyin soaked more beans in proportion and set them aside.
With ready-made tofu, meat, and vegetables at home, the family enjoyed a lavish meal at noon again.
Guo Huiniang was somewhat worried that their meals were becoming too extravagant, given that the Lin family was still in debt.
But when she saw everyone’s improved mood at the table, she swallowed her words.
“Is anyone home?” They had just finished eating when they heard someone knocking at the door, followed by the voice of the Bai Family’s sister-in-law.
“Yes, come in.” Guo Huiniang went to open the door.
“What’s that delicious smell?” As soon as Mrs. Bai stepped in, she asked directly, “The village is buzzing about it.”
Buzzing about what? The Lin family had no idea, they had been busy making tofu and hadn’t been able to keep up with the gossip.
“They say the Lins are living in luxury, that they have money but are unwilling to repay their debts.” Mrs. Bai hesitated before answering.
Indeed, she didn’t believe the rumor at first, but after smelling the fragrant aroma from the Lin household for several days in a row, her curiosity got the better of her.