Li Shan and his wife had tasted the sweetness of doing business. Farming two mu of land for the entire year didn't yield much profit. This winter, selling pickled cabbage alone earned them a hundred taels of silver. Although the couple could easily manage with just this one season's work and live comfortably, they were both diligent people and feared being idle.
"It's not that we're greedy; it's that your Brother Shan wants to stay with me," Li Shan's wife said shyly. "When winter passes, he won't have to go out looking for work and can help me watch the two children. Our family won't have to worry about eating through our savings."
To be honest, Qi Zhenzhen was a little surprised to hear this. Li Shan was truly doting on his wife.
"I do have some ideas for a small eatery. Most small eateries in town sell steamed buns, dumplings, soup noodles, and porridge. To stand out easily, you need not only fresh food but also good ideas. Take noodles, for instance. They don't just have to be served in soup; they can also be made into flat noodles. Some people like hot noodles, some like cold noodles, some prefer mild flavors, and some like spicy. You could offer both hot soup noodles and cold mixed noodles, as well as clear broth noodles and spicy noodles. With more choices, you'll attract more customers," Qi Zhenzhen mused. In her past life, noodle shops were everywhere, and their businesses were all good. Besides taste, another factor was the variety of noodles. It's hard to please everyone, so who knows what kind of noodles customers would prefer?
Li Shan's wife's eyes lit up at the mention of making noodles. "You could focus your business on lunch and dinner, which wouldn't be too tiring."
Since the two families were close, Qi Zhenzhen generously wrote down several noodle recipes for Li Shan's wife, including shredded chicken cold noodles, boneless meat soup noodles, clear broth noodles, and chili oil noodles.
Li Shan's wife's eyes sparkled. "Zhenzhen, I don't know what to say. These recipes could be sold for a lot of money in any restaurant, couldn't they?"
Qi Zhenzhen smiled. "Sister-in-law, do you think these are secret recipes? Not at all. With these noodles I've mentioned, an experienced master chef could figure them out with a little thought. Therefore, these are destined not to become signature dishes. However, they are more than enough to make a living and support a family."
Li Shan's wife carefully folded the recipes as if they were treasures and tucked them into her purse. "Later, I'll have Huzhi read them to Shanzi, and we'll try them at home."
Opening a small eatery wasn't just a matter of talking about it. One had to master the skills first. Once the skills were good, one had to choose a location, decorate it, and then pick an auspicious day to open.
"You should take it easy. Don't just focus on making money; your health is important. Didn't Doctor Mo say you were weak and needed to rest well?" Madam Yun chimed in, pouring cold water on the idea. "All businesses involve hard work. Your Shanzi is honest, but wouldn't all the chores, inside and out, fall on you? If you really want to do it, I say you should wait until after you've had the baby and recovered your strength."
Li Shan's wife chuckled. "I'll just use my brain and my mouth. I won't do any of the tiring work."
"Do you think using your brain is easy? Sometimes it's more tiring than physical labor," Madam Yun chided. "Do you think the doctor's warning about overthinking harming one's health is just a casual remark?"
Li Shan's wife knew Madam Yun genuinely cared for her and listened obediently, assuring her that she wouldn't overexert herself no matter what she did.
After discussing this matter, Li Shan's wife shifted the conversation to the clan school. "I specifically asked Song Yan for information. The clan school is good for basic enlightenment, but for serious academic study, it's a bit lacking. Our village doesn't have deep enough foundations, and we can't afford to hire such capable teachers. I'm thinking of having Huzhi study diligently. Even if he doesn't become an official, passing the imperial examinations to become a scholar would bring honor to our family."
"My mother and I are discussing sending Brother Yi to study in the county town in the spring. Would you like him to be a companion?" Qi Zhenzhen asked with a smile. "They play well together, and staying together would provide mutual support. The county school has student dormitories. If you pay some silver, you can get a room. As for food and drink, there's no need to worry; as long as you pay the fees, it's all taken care of."
Li Shan's wife nodded repeatedly. "I was worried about this and that before. My boy said he's not inept and can manage without us. Now that I hear you say this, I feel more at ease."
"Boys should be allowed a bit more freedom. Although they are small, their minds are not. It's not good to always restrict them," Madam Yun joined the conversation.
Both were mothers, and they chatted enthusiastically about their children, one sentence after another.
Qi Zhenzhen lowered her head and didn't join the conversation, but she was pondering what Li Shan's wife had said about Song Yan's words. It was truly curious that a country youth with some insight, who had ventured out for years, could say that the village lacked depth.
And regarding the proposal for the clan school, Elder Song had also mentioned that it was all Song Yan's idea, and he had explained it so clearly, as if these matters were commonplace to him. What had he experienced before returning to the village?
In the capital, at the Changping Marquis's mansion, in the Chaohui Hall.
Old Madam Qi rubbed her forehead with a look of worry. Madam Fang had indeed gone to the estate that day and asked some questions. The people on the estate felt that the Madam had been wronged and were not friendly towards Madam Yun and her two children. They assigned them chores and gave them the worst food. This was just what the estate people said, but the Old Madam guessed that Madam Yun and her children's situation at the time must have been very dire, otherwise, they wouldn't have escaped.
But it was too late to say anything now. The urgent matter was to find them quickly.
However, the people sent out had been searching for days with no results.
As it concerned the reputation of the Marquis's mansion, they couldn't make a big fuss. Moreover, there was no clue at all, so finding people was not an easy task.
Qi Tianming was so angry that he immediately berated the estate manager and several stewards. The next day, Madam Qin ostentatiously sent many things to the estate to comfort those who had been punished, and also pointed out that all the people on the estate were personally selected by her father and were old retainers of the Qin family. She couldn't let their hearts grow cold, which infuriated Qi Tianming to no end, but he could do nothing about it.
"We can't rush this matter!" the Old Madam said helplessly. "If we search openly, we might find them faster, but then this matter would be exposed, and the Marquis's mansion would become a laughingstock."
"Son understands. Son is just so angry. Back then, I let her deal with Yun Lan and the two children as she pleased, intending to appease her. I didn't expect her to be so heartless, sending them away and still not letting them go," Qi Tianming said with a cold face.
Old Madam Qi glanced deeply at Qi Tianming. The inner courtyard had always been a battlefield without smoke. On the surface, it appeared peaceful, but in reality, it was full of hidden darkness. Strictly speaking, Madam Qin couldn't be considered cruel, as she hadn't directly taken the lives of the mother and her two children.
"It's useless to dwell on this now. The most important thing is to find them as soon as possible," the Old Madam comforted Qi Tianming.