Divorced woman with child travels through time

With one day left before the market day, Chen Wenfang thought she might as well make a few jars of candy to sell and try it out. So she took her child and planned to go to Wangjiazhuang to buy jars. As soon as she opened the door to the courtyard, she saw Aunt Liu coming.

Aunt Liu felt she needed to learn from Chen Wenfang how to spoil children. Thinking the candy didn't look like something bought outside, she guessed it must have been homemade by Chen Wenfang. So she took some stones and three pounds of peanuts to Chen Wenfang's house. When she arrived at the door and saw Chen Wenfang preparing to leave, she felt a little embarrassed and asked, "Are you going out?"

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "If you come over, I can go later."

Aunt Liu explained her purpose with some embarrassment, "Fangfang, this candy doesn't look like the kind you buy outside. Did you make it yourself? Could you teach me how? I want to give my child some candy in the future." Shitou was a bit older and could understand, and he looked on expectantly.

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "Of course! I was thinking of making a few more jars and if they sell well, I'd like to make some with you. I was just worried they wouldn't sell well, so I wanted to try it myself first. Since you're here, you can help me make some. Don't be lazy!"

Aunt Liu smiled happily and said, "I definitely won't shirk my responsibilities, Fang'er, thank you, Aunt Liu."

"You're being so polite with me. Your family helped me when I came here," Chen Wenfang said with a smile. "I'm going to Wangjiazhuang to buy some jars anyway, let's go together."

"Okay," Aunt Liu said as she and Chen Wenfang headed out to Wangjiazhuang.

"Let's go buy jars!" Stone cheered as he ran ahead.

When they arrived at Wangjiazhuang, a large crowd had gathered in front of Chuntao's shop. People were pointing and whispering, looking rather strange. Chen Wenfang didn't care. She bought ten jars in total. The jars were cheap, only three coins each. She took the child there and then bought a few pieces of maltose before going home.

After returning home, Chen Wenfang and Aunt Liu went to dig up thatch roots. Shitou went back to call his brother and father. Uncle Liu Hai and Dazhuang went to chop some firewood and came back to help dig. The men were strong, and they dug up four baskets full, weighing them down tightly. After cleaning them, they carried them home. Finding that Chen Wenfang's pot was too broken, they moved to Aunt Liu's house to cook. Aunt Liu used two pots to cook together, and after about three hours in the afternoon, the pots were completely full, with a small basin left over.

Uncle Liu Hai took a bite and said, "This is indeed very sweet. It will definitely sell well. This thatch grass grows all over the mountains. We only knew that cattle could eat thatch grass, but who knew its stems were so sweet?"

Aunt Liu also said, "I've lived for so many years, and I really didn't know if Fang'er hadn't told me." After saying that, she chewed on a raw root and sighed, "If we had known about this a few years ago, many people could have lived longer."

The three children were each holding a bowl and eating syrup. Chen Xuanyu was a little tired of it and ate it half and half, but the two boys were different. They kept eating it with chopsticks.

Aunt Liu asked, "Fang'er, how much do you think we should sell a jar of these for?"

Chen Wenfang asked, "How much do you think is appropriate?"

Uncle Liu Hai said, "The sugar now costs forty coins a pound, but ours is syrup, so it's naturally cheaper. Let's say twenty-five or thirty coins. This jar contains about two pounds, and it will last a long time. We should be able to sell it for fifty coins a jar, including the jar."

Chen Wenfang said, "I think fifty coins is fine too."

Aunt Liu also said, "Then fifty coins a can." After saying that, she looked at Uncle Liu Hai and said, "This way of making money was taught by Sister Chen. I think the money from the sales should be split 20/80, with Sister Chen getting 80% and us getting 20%. What do you think?"

Uncle Liu Hai said, "I have no objection. It was originally Chen's daughter's business that she earned money from, and it was allocated to us."

Chen Wenfang said, "That won't do. Let's split it 50/50. I didn't put in any effort; you guys did all the work."

Aunt Liu laughed and said, "Don't say anymore, it's settled then, split 20/80. You're a widow and orphan, it's not easy for you."

Chen Wenfang pretended to be angry and said, "No way, I can't let you suffer such a big loss. Listen to me, it's a 50/50 split."

After the three of them passed the buck for a long time, Aunt Liu finally gave in to Chen Wenfang. Chen Wenfang persuaded Uncle Liu Hai to agree to a 40/60 split, with Chen Wenfang receiving 60% and Liu Hai's family receiving 40%. As for the subsequent production of syrup by Uncle Liu Hai's family, they would give Chen Wenfang 10% of the gross profit. Chen Wenfang hesitated for a long time, but under the pressure of Uncle Liu Hai's threat that the two families would break off relations if he didn't accept the money, he finally agreed.