You are unlucky and I am tough

The air was filled with the aroma of meat and rice wine. Women brought out the prepared dishes from the makeshift stove and served them table by table. Several men came over with jars of rice wine. As soon as the lids were opened, the aroma of the wine wafted out, attracting many men who loved drinking to come over with their bowls in hand.

This time, there were separate seats for men and women, and for children. As soon as the dishes were served, the children happily scrambled for the food, and bursts of laughter broke out from time to time.

Cheng Shuang sat with several of her sisters and Lu Yinyin. Lu Yinyin's two maids did not want to sit down and stood by waiting. Also sitting at the same table were two young wives from the village and Qian Xifeng.

Cheng Shuang didn't know why Qian Xifeng insisted on sitting at the same table with her. Wasn't he Cheng Jinxiu's follower? Why didn't he go over there?

But she soon understood, because Cheng Jinxiu suddenly came about a quarter of an hour after the meal started.

She arrived with two maids and several servants, and attracted countless eyes. She told the villagers that her grandfather and brother had to accompany the prefect, so they sent her to see the villagers. She also brought some wine and hoped that the villagers would bear with her if she was not welcoming enough.

It sounded like her family was the protagonist of this banquet, but Cheng Lizheng was running back and forth all day long at his old age, and Zhao Xiuwen's parents were working non-stop, and were now helping to serve food to each table.

However, the villagers could not see through her thoughts. They all praised her for being quiet, dignified, gentle and generous.

Young men of marriageable age who have not yet married regard her as the bright moon in the sky.

Cheng Shuang was too lazy to watch her trying to feel superior to the villagers. The dishes were already on the table, eight dishes on each table, with chicken, duck, fish, beef and mutton all filling up a large plate. She picked up a piece of beef and gave it to Lu Yinyin, thinking about leaving quickly after finishing her meal.

But Cheng Jinxiu suddenly came to their table and sat with Qian Xifeng, just opposite her. Before sitting down, she asked the maid to spread a towel on the stool.

After sitting down, Cheng Jinxiu didn't pick up her chopsticks. She whispered a few words with Qian Xifeng and then looked at Lu Yinyin.

"This must be Mr. Lu's eldest daughter, right?" Cheng Jinxiu looked at her with a smile. "Ms. Lu, of your status, really shouldn't be sitting here. You should come to my courtyard with your father. When I came out, your father and my dad were having a good chat."

Lu Yinyin didn't know Cheng Jinxiu, but she didn't like her for some reason. She shook her head and said, "I think it's nice here. It's lively. It's just a meal. It doesn't matter where you are."

"That's true, but the food here is for the villagers, so it's inevitably a bit rough." Cheng Jinxiu glanced at the dishes on the table with a hint of disdain. "My family's food is different. It's a feast carefully prepared for the prefect and the county magistrate, and we have servants to help serve the food."

Cheng Jinxiu came here because her father said that Mr. Lu in her family was very rich. Even the total wealth of the people she met after arriving in the capital was not as much as what the Lu family earned in two or three months.

Cheng Jinxiu thought that if she could make friends with a young lady from a wealthy family like this, she would be able to get in touch with more people from the upper class.

If not for this, she would not have left the two sons of the prefectural government who were so rich and respected over there and ran to this messy place to see these country bumpkins who had never seen the world.

Although the two young masters never even looked at her, Cheng Jinxiu didn't care. The son of a fourth-rank official should be so cold and arrogant.

She smiled apologetically, "Miss Lu, how about I ask the maid to take you there?"

"No need." Lu Yinyin frowned and looked at her. "The banquet is for celebration. I'm just here to enjoy the good times. If I just want to eat well, then I can just go to the best restaurant in the city."

"What matters to me is who I eat with, not where I eat or how good the meal is. Being with my dad and being surrounded by businessmen who want to curry favor with him and do business with him is boring. This place is great. I'll finish my meal quickly because I have to go back to watch the rabbits give birth."

Cheng Shuang couldn't hold back her laughter. This little girl was quite talkative. Cheng Jinxiu was probably going to be mad.

Cheng Jinxiu could no longer maintain her smile and clenched her fingers. Qian Xifeng also frowned, as if Cheng Jinxiu's embarrassment was a slap in her face.

But she didn't dare to offend Lu Yinyin, so she glared at Cheng Shuang.

Cheng Jinxiu pulled the corner of her mouth, "Oh, since Miss Lu likes it here, then I won't force it."

Lu Yinyin nodded, no longer paying attention to her and picked up a piece of fried pork with bamboo shoots for Cheng Shuang with chopsticks. "Sister, try this. It's quite delicious."

Cheng Shuang said, "These dried bamboo shoots are all dried by the villagers themselves. If you like them, I'll ask who has some left and you can take some back."

"Mrs. Xu Sanpo has some," Cheng Pan said. "She even asked me if I wanted some, saying she had plenty left at home."

"Then I won't be polite." Lu Yinyin smiled. "Grandpa really likes the mushrooms you brought us last time when we soaked them and cooked them. By the way, Grandpa has lost a lot of weight now, his belly is much smaller, and he's in better health."

"We still have a lot of mushrooms at home. You can take some back, but don't forget what I said before."

Lu Yinyin said, "I remember it all. No matter how much you like it, you can only eat it every few days, and each time you eat it, it should not exceed 100 grams."

Cheng Jinxiu listened to their conversation and sneered with disdain. This Miss Lu actually liked these crude village food. She didn't look like a lady from a wealthy family at all. No wonder she was so good friends with Cheng Shuang. Birds of a feather flock together.

Cheng Shuang thought Cheng Jinxiu would turn around and leave after being humiliated, but she continued to sit there.

Wei Xinyi was at the children's table. Because she was thinking about the rabbit at home, she ran over after eating for a while and called Lu Yinyin to go home and see the rabbit.

According to the rules, today's four protagonists will come here to talk and toast with the villagers, and the guests will not leave before that.

But Lu Yinyin is not from the village, and Wei Xinyi is just a child, so it doesn’t matter and no one will say anything.

Before leaving, Wei Xinyi also asked Wei Nanxing to go with her.

Wei Nanxing was a little hesitant, but still found an excuse that he had something to do and followed them.

Everyone at the table with him was puzzled. Why did he run away after just taking a few bites?

As soon as Lu Yinyin left, Cheng Jinxiu came over.

"Sister Shuang'er, how about we talk for a moment?"

Cheng Shuang glanced at her and said, "I'm busy."

Cheng Jinxiu was furious and wanted to turn around and leave, but when she thought about the decision her father made after he learned that soap was the Wei family's business, she endured it.

She couldn't wait to show off to Cheng Shuang, and she wanted to see her get furious.

"I know your family is collaborating with Fu Ya Zhai to sell soap. You know, soon our two families will be partners."

Cheng Shuang looked back at her and frowned. What the hell?

After thinking for a moment, she put down her chopsticks, stood up, and walked to the side with Cheng Jinxiu. Amidst the noise, she spoke, "Tell me, let me hear what you were dreaming about while it was still daylight."

Cheng Jinxiu looked a little proud. "It's very simple. My father will talk to Brother Qinglang today about cooperation. My family will pay for you to build two more workshops, hire a group of workers to make soap, and find ways to sell the soap elsewhere. We don't want much, just 40% of the profits. We will cooperate and make money together in the future."

People really laugh when they are speechless. Cheng Shuang now deeply understands this sentence.

After she finished laughing, she looked at Cheng Jinxiu and her voice turned cold. "You only want 40% of the profit? Are you really dreaming in broad daylight?"

Cheng Jinxiu was ridiculed and said angrily, "What's your attitude? I tell you, as long as my father and Brother Qinglang reach an agreement, our two families will have a cooperative relationship in the future. My brother is a scholar now, and it is a blessing and honor for your family that he is willing to cooperate with you."

The two of them had not walked far when some villagers who were having dinner looked over curiously, wondering what they were doing.

Cheng Shuang sneered, "Your family's last-place scholar is truly blessed."

"Cheng Shuang, I'm just here to inform you in advance, not to discuss anything with you."

Cheng Jinxiu gritted her teeth, not seeing any anger or embarrassment on Cheng Shuang's face. "You don't have the final say in the Wei family. Business is a man's business. The soap is selling so well, yet you only built a workshop, hired so few people, and stingily supplied Fu Ya Zhai with so little goods. Many people want to buy but can't. As long as you expand the workshop and hire more people, you can naturally make more money."

"Brother Qinglang will definitely agree to this. As a woman, do you have the right to speak?"

Cheng Shuang was too lazy to care and said perfunctorily, "Oh, then go and discuss it with Wei Qinglang. I wish you success."

If she succeeds, Cheng Shuang will write her name backwards from now on.

This family is really daydreaming.

Cheng Jinxiu suspected she was being complacent. "Do you think that just because Brother Qinglang treats you well, he'll really go along with you in everything? Women shouldn't let their favors get them to them. If you start making a fuss, Brother Qinglang might divorce you."

Cheng Shuang looked at her as if she was a fool, rolled her eyes, and turned away.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Jinxiu caught up with her and wanted to pull her.

Cheng Shuang flicked her hand, and Cheng Jinxiu fell directly to the ground, which immediately attracted many people's attention, and they looked at them in surprise.

Cheng Shuang was speechless. She didn't have enough strength to push anyone down. This damn green tea girl was acting like a bitch.

"Keep acting." Cheng Shuang watched coldly, "One fall is not enough. Roll on the ground twice and then throw a tantrum and hang yourself in front of everyone. See if Wei Qinglang agrees to cooperate with your family if we get the news back."

"You want to steal my business and show off in front of me. You may be ugly, but you have beautiful thoughts."

After saying that, Cheng Shuang simply waved his sleeves and left, leaving a group of villagers looking at each other in bewilderment.