Stepmother in charge: Making a fortune through farming and raising her children to fight back

The snow kept falling.

It rained for two days in a row, which gave everyone some time to catch their breath.

Yun Zhenzhen also announced that the work of the woolen yarn workshop would be temporarily stopped this year and would not resume until after the fifteenth day of the next year. All the people gathered in the woolen yarn workshop, waiting to receive their year-end wages so that they could go home and have a prosperous new year.

Paying wages is always the most exciting moment, and everyone’s face is filled with happy smiles.

"That's great! The salary here is the highest. After I get this month's salary, my family will have some savings."

"Oh, really, I was so disappointed that I didn't get paid a few days ago. It just so happens that we get paid today. Let's go to town and buy some meat. The kids are craving for meat after not having eaten meat for a long time."

"That's right. We're almost out of seasonings at home. I have to go to the city to buy some New Year's goods. It's almost New Year, so I want to buy something festive."

"Okay, we can go together. It's safer to have a companion along the way. We can help each other out when the time comes."

"..."

the other side.

As soon as the aunts arrived at the entrance of the village, they discovered that the snow had piled up very deeply in a valley just outside the village. Both mountains were covered with snow, which looked scary.

"Oh my god, there's so much snow on this mountain. Can we get across? Will the snow fall and bury us?"

"It's okay. We've been walking this road for decades. There's no problem at all. Let's hurry over there. Otherwise, we just got paid today and won't even have a bite to eat."

"That's right, we have to hurry over there, otherwise it will be dark when we get back."

Several people were about to move forward when suddenly there was a loud bang on the hillside and a pile of snow rolled down, forming a huge wall.

The frightened aunts patted their chests in panic, saying, "Oh my God, luckily we walked slowly. If we had walked over just now, we would have been crushed underneath."

"Even if we leave, we can't come back. We can't afford to stay in the inns in the city. If we leave and have no place to stay, we will become refugees wandering the streets. That's terrible."

"But I can't go out. What are we going to do with this year's New Year's goods? The Little New Year is in two days. We can't be without anything."

"Luckily, my husband got a few dozen copper coins a few days ago and went to town to buy some meat that day. We still have half a pound of meat hanging around at home. If we save on food, we can still have a good life for a few days."

"Oh my! This is the first time I have some money in my hand. I didn't expect that I can't spend it. It feels like my heart is itching. It's uncomfortable."

"..."

A few people stood not far away, looking at the newly piled snow mountain, and walked back with lingering fear.

The main road from Qinjia Village to the city was blocked.

The accumulated snow mixed with rocks from the mountain collapsed from the hillside, and the only road out of Qinjia Village was gone.

What remains are some winding paths on the mountain, now covered with snow. It is easy for an avalanche to occur when going up the mountain, and no one dares to take the risk.

The weather is getting colder day by day, much colder than any other year.

The villagers have put on all the clothes they have at home, but it is still freezing when they go out. It is not so cold when they stay in the house and warm themselves by the fire, but as soon as they go out they are blown to death by the wind.

On the day of the Little New Year, the snow outside was falling even harder. The cold wind blew the snowflakes on my face, and I was freezing.

Yun Zhenzhen huddled on the kang and discussed with her children, "In the past, a few loads of firewood were enough for the New Year. This year, it's so cold, and we've been burning firewood all day. Some people's stockpiles of firewood at home are definitely not enough. We can't go to the mountains now. It's so cold today, we might freeze to death."

"Boss, weren't there a lot of people ready to bring us firewood in the city? They haven't been able to deliver it yet. Where is all the firewood piled up?"

Qin Li brought over a cup of hot tea. "It's in the warehouse inside our workshop. I saw a large empty room over there, so I asked everyone to put it there first. I haven't moved it yet."

Yun Zhenzhen nodded and said, "Okay, Boss. When the snow stops, go around and tell everyone in the village that if anyone is short of firewood, they can come to us and buy it. We'll sell it back at the same price we paid you."

Conditions are difficult now, and she will not go against her conscience to make money from others.

Qin Li looked at the wind and snow outside the window and saw that it had subsided a little. Then he stood up, put on his long hat, and went out to notify everyone one by one.

Yun Zhenzhen didn't sit there and slack off. She prepared a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner for her family.

It just so happens that the preserved eggs I made some time ago are almost ready to eat, so I can use them to make a cold preserved eggs.

There is some pork head and pork intestines left at home, so it’s a good idea to cook them together today.

There is also a basin of live river crabs in the wooden barrel in the backyard, which was given to me by my next-door neighbor when I closed my shop in town two days ago.

She poured out the river crabs. Xiao Nan saw this and her eyes widened. "Mom, are you going to use this bug to cook it too? It looks weird. What if it can't be eaten?"

Ignorance is bliss, so she even touched it directly.

"Oh, don't..."

Yun Zhenzhen and Awen tried to stop him at the same time, but Xiaonan's short hands were too fast.

"Oh, mother, what is this thing? It bites!!!"

Xiao Nan's tears of pain began to well up in her eyes. She raised her hand and saw that the river crab was still holding her little finger. As she shook it, the crab also swayed from side to side.

Yun Zhenzhen couldn't help laughing: "I told you not to touch small animals casually. Why are you so curious? Now you've fallen for it."

Xiao Nan pursed his lips in grievance, looking at the mark on his hand: "Can this thing be eaten? I think he is more like a cannibal."

Erya followed behind but didn't dare to get close. When she first brought this thing back, it looked a bit scary. She thought it was food for the chicks. Now that she saw that it would bite people, she didn't dare to get close.

Third Aunt had cooked prawns before, and they were indeed delicious, but can this ironclad beetle that I have never seen before be eaten?

"Of course you can eat them. These are small river crabs. Deep-fry them and they'll be crispy and fragrant." Yun Zhenzhen smiled as she carried the basin of river crabs to the kitchen. "You'll see later. I guarantee you'll love them."

Now that the family's conditions are much better, rice is basically the staple food for every meal. Yun Zhenzhen doesn't want to treat her stomach badly. Since she has money, of course she has to eat the most common staple food. She still can't get used to other foods.

There is still some bacon at home that Grandma Qin brought over a few days ago, but I haven’t eaten it yet. It’s a perfect time to make some bacon slices today.

Thinking that today was the Little New Year, Yun Zhenzhen simply asked Awen to call his grandparents over for a reunion dinner.