Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

No one knows what Liu said to Qinghe in the last part of the room. However, after Qingmiao returned from the kitchen with the bird's nest soup, Liu called her aside for a private talk, presumably a reprimand. Before leaving, Liu told Madam Fang that she wanted to take Lvmiao back with her.

Green Sprouts were part of Qinghe's dowry, and her indenture was still with the Zhang family. Naturally, Madam Fang didn't disagree with Liu's suggestion. She stated that she would definitely buy two more good servants to look after Qinghe and would never let Qinghe suffer any more grievances.

As for Lvmiao, it was ultimately because of her that Qinghe miscarried. Even if Fang Zhiming was very affectionate towards her now, he wouldn't dare to show her any concern in front of his mother-in-law.

When Green Sprout, locked in the woodshed, learned that Qinghe had lost her child, she knew she was doomed. She regretted being so foolish; the indenture was still with the Zhang family, and she had so easily believed Fang Zhiming's sweet words.

So when the old woman came to take her away and said that Liu was going to take her back, she didn't make a fuss or cause any trouble. She just followed Liu and the others out of the Fang family's gate without saying a word.

The sisters-in-law didn't ask how Liu would deal with Lumiao; they simply watched quietly. Qinghe's words earlier had not only offended Liu, but also Wang and Li.

Although they verbally comforted Liu, the two of them were not without their own worries. The family's financial situation had improved considerably in recent years, and they worried that because of Qinghe's words, Liu might feel resentful and arrange a concubine for each of her sons when she returned home.

After leaving the Fang residence, Liu instructed the coachman to take the carriage to the brokerage firm. In front of the other women, she sold Lümiao directly. It turned out that Liu had carried the two maids' indentures with her when she left home. If there were even the slightest problem, both maids would be sold that day.

On the way back, the atmosphere in the carriage was even more somber than on the way there. After all, while the sisters-in-law were worried about their sister-in-law on the way there, their feelings for each other were strong enough that their worries were limited. But Qinghe's words left them all feeling uneasy.

Just when the atmosphere inside the carriage was so heavy that it was hard to breathe, the driver's voice suddenly came from outside.

"Nineteen, I thought it looked like you earlier. What are you doing here? And carrying so many things!" The carriage suddenly stopped.

"Hey, Uncle Zhao, what are you doing? Is Madam in the carriage?" came the unique voice of the nineteen-year-old girl.

"The old lady and the three ladies are all in the carriage," the driver said, winking at Nineteen.

Hearing the voices outside, Madam Liu lifted the curtain of the carriage, looked at Nineteen standing below, and asked with a smile.

"Nineteen, where have you been? You bought so much stuff!"

"Madam, I'm going to the county town to take care of some things. These are some little trinkets that Miss likes, as well as some snacks." As he spoke, he handed a paper package to Madam Liu.

"Nineteen, get in, there are still seats in the carriage." He then opened the paper package Nineteen handed him, asking somewhat curiously...

What is this bag?

Nineteen laughed and jumped onto the carriage, sitting down next to the driver. She smiled and said to Madam Liu...

“Madam, I’ll just sit outside and enjoy the view. Inside are spiced hairy snacks, they smell wonderful. Miss bought them, so I’m just offering them to the old lady and the ladies to have a taste.”

As she spoke, Liu opened the paper package; wasn't it Mao Ke Zi (a type of Chinese snack)? She then smiled and said to the few people in the carriage...

“These kojis look big and smell pretty good. We’re just sitting here bored, so Mother, Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, let’s all have some to pass the time.”

Perhaps the atmosphere in the carriage had been too unpleasant, because when Liu said that, not only Wang and Li, but even Liu herself had a smile on her face. She first reached into the bag of hawthorn berries and grabbed a handful, then said to the other two wives...

"What the third brother said makes sense. Sitting around is boring, so eating some 'maokezi' can help pass the time."

And so, a packet of Mao Ke (a type of Chinese snack) from Shi Jiu broke the heavy atmosphere in the carriage. With the Mao Ke, Wang Shi started talking, recounting some interesting stories about her business.

The braised meat business at the old house is now entirely run by the eldest son's family. Later, at Xia Yu's suggestion, they added a few more varieties of braised dishes. The whole family is hardworking and willing to endure hardship. The business has expanded to the neighboring town, and now they no longer need to deliver goods door-to-door.

Instead, a distribution center was established in each town. Every morning, freshly braised meats of various kinds were transported from Zhangjia Village to the distribution center in the town by horse-drawn cart. Restaurants and taverns that had placed orders the day before would then send someone to pick them up. When picking up their orders, they would also report the quantity they needed for the next day. In this way, the braised meat business could be completed in less than half a day, without delaying their return to work in the fields.

This method was also Xia Yu's idea. At that time, the customers ordering from Zhang's were scattered, and Zhang Youjin, Wang Shi, and Changsheng's daily deliveries took a lot of time. Even so, many shop owners complained that the delivery times were too early or too late. When Xia Yu heard Chunyu mention this, she thought of the courier station from her previous life and designed Zhang's braised meat distribution center based on the courier station model. The town itself wasn't very big, so going to the distribution center to pick up the goods didn't take much time. In fact, people found it much more convenient than waiting for them to be delivered to their shops.

Currently, Zhang Youjin is in charge of their town, while Changsheng and Changyuan are in charge of the neighboring Huaxi Town. Jin Xiaoqiao's parents sell fried sesame cakes in Huaxi Town, and it was in Huaxi Town that Wang Shi took a liking to Jin Xiaoqiao.

That evening, Xia Yu didn't linger in her mother's yard. Ever since her father returned, she had been going back to her own yard after dinner, determined not to be a third wheel.

Shen Luo wanted to go play in Xia Yu's yard, but Chang Yun forcibly took her away.

"Have you finished writing all one hundred characters today?"

Shen Lu shook her head somewhat guiltily.

"Almost done, just a few more to finish writing."

"Alright, I'll help you write. Once you've finished writing, I'll let you go play with your sister Xiaxia." Changyun didn't expose him. He said that as long as he was a few more, he could play after he finished writing.

Seeing that he couldn't fool Changyun, Shen Luo could only hang his head and follow behind Changyun to continue writing. He had only written less than ten characters today, and the task was still very heavy.