Chapter 46: No Need for Thanks Between Us - Fortune

In the evening, the entire Nan family gathered together to count their earnings, their eyes gleaming. "Two hundred and thirty copper coins."

"Wow, that’s a lot!" Nan Little Sister clapped her hands in delight.

Nan Dalang was equally excited, his eyes shining. "Yesterday and the day before were also over two hundred coins. We’re hitting the jackpot—our family is really going to prosper!"

During the summer, working outside all day would barely earn them twenty or thirty coins at most. Now, their household income could exceed two hundred coins in a single day. No wonder the Nans were over the moon!

Miao Shi piped up cheerfully, "How much have we earned in total these past few days?"

"The first day, I remember it was eighty-six coins," Nan Dalang replied immediately. "Being the first day, it stuck in my mind."

"What about the second day? Who remembers how much we earned then?" Miao Shi asked again.

"One hundred and twenty-three coins on the second day."

"Two hundred coins."

Nan Erlang and his wife spoke in unison.

"Sister-in-law, you're mistaken. It was a little over a hundred coins," Nan Erlang shot back, adamant.

"I couldn’t be wrong. I remember the household income these past few days better than my own name," his wife shot back, adamant.

They bickered endlessly, leaving the rest of the Nan family momentarily unsure who was correct.

Seeing their disagreement, Miao Shi stepped in to mediate. "Enough, enough. The cash is ours now—it doesn’t matter exactly how much. Let’s just count it as one hundred and twenty coins for now."

For the next few days, no one could recall exactly, only rough estimates. "So, the first day was eighty coins, the second day one hundred and twenty coins, the third day was..."

Miao Shi mumbled under her breath, only to trail off, forgetting the numbers.

Nan Jinping said, "Mother, let’s calculate slowly, day by day. The first day was eighty coins, the second day one hundred and twenty coins, so altogether..."

Still new to arithmetic, Nan Jinping crunched the numbers in her head, counting on her fingers several times to avoid mistakes.

"Altogether, it’s two hundred and nine coins," she announced after verifying the numbers multiple times to ensure accuracy.

The Nan family had never dealt with such large sums before—usually, they handled mere tens of coins at a time. Faced with bigger numbers now, they were totally lost.

Stopping their head-scratching, Miao Shi asked in surprise, "Jin Geer, how did you figure that out?"

The Nan family had always been poor, and before this, Nan Jinping had never even held more than ten coins at once.

Nan Jinping replied, "Da Lang taught me. He said it would be useful for our family’s business, so he taught me."

Miao Shi beamed with pride. Nan Dalang remarked, "That brother-in-law of ours is sharp as a tack. Not only did he teach Jin Geer arithmetic, but he taught her so well—she calculates so quickly. I imagine brother-in-law must be even faster."

Nan Jinping nodded earnestly. "Yes, Da Lang is exceptionally good at arithmetic. He even gives me problems to solve. Whether it’s addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division, he solves them in a snap."

The Nan family could understand addition and subtraction, but multiplication and division might as well have been magic.

Still, Miao Shi could tell from Nan Jinping’s words that her boy was thriving. Smiling, she said, "Math isn’t our strong suit, so we’ll have to trouble Jin Geer from now on. Jin Geer will be our family’s head bookkeeper."

In the village, a head bookkeeper was a big deal—a status far beyond the reach of someone like Nan Jinping, just a young’un. To Nan Jinping and all the villagers, the title "head bookkeeper" was high praise indeed.

"Mother, you’re exaggerating," Nan Jinping grumbled, though she was overjoyed, turning beet-red with shy delight.

Miao Shi smiled and stopped teasing her young man.

The subsequent earnings were a blur to the Nan family, so Nan Jinping had to calculate based on their rough estimates. Even so, the income over ten days had reached 1,880 copper coins—that was more than a tael of silver!

The Nan family was stunned by the figure, all gasping in shock. "Jin Geer, are you sure you didn’t miscalculate? Even if we work hard in the fields all year, we’d only save this much in a good harvest."

Nan Jinping affirmed, "I definitely didn’t make a mistake. This isn’t a tough math problem—Da Lang gives me tougher ones at home."

Miao Shi slipped away to count their savings in secret and came out looking dazed, making the Nan family anxious.

Qian Shi pressed, "Mother, tell us, how much did we really earn these days?"

Nan Erlang chimed in, "Did Jin Geer miscalculate?"

The Nan family waited for Miao Shi’s answer, and she finally said, dazed, "No, in fact, it’s a hundred copper coins more than what Jin Geer calculated."

"What? That much!"

"Good heavens, we really made over a tael of silver in just ten days!"

"1,880 copper coins plus over a hundred copper coins is… is… how much is that? Is it 2,000 copper coins? Is it two taels?" Qian Shi was flustered, too overwhelmed to calculate, so she turned to Nan Jinping for help. "Jin Geer, calculate it for us—is it 2,000 copper coins?"

Nan Jinping replied easily, "If it’s 120 copper coins more, then it’s 2,000 copper coins."

"Ah!" Before she knew it, tears were streaming down Qian Shi’s face, and she collapsed onto the ground.

Nan Dalang rushed to her side. "What’s wrong?"

Qian Shi shook her head in a daze. "It’s nothing, Da Lang. Tell me—am I dreaming?"

As she spoke, she pinched herself hard, yelped, and scrambled to her feet. Only then did she believe it. "It’s not a dream! This isn’t a dream!"

Soon, tears streamed down Qian Shi’s face, and soon Miao Shi, Nan’s father, and Nan Little Sister also began crying.

The three Nan brothers held back tears, but their eyes grew red. Nan Jinping wiped away tears too—their family’s life was finally improving.

Perhaps affected by the mood, the youngest nephew suddenly let out a loud wail.

Miao Shi snapped out of her daze and quickly picked up the child to soothe him. "Hush now, don’t cry. This is a happy occasion. Our family is about to live a better life—why cry? Tonight, we’ll kill a chicken. Everyone should celebrate, and my grandson will get a bowl of chicken soup as a treat."

Qian Shi eagerly agreed, wiping her tears, and said to Nan Jinping, "Jin Geer, go fetch your husband for dinner."

Miao Shi added, "Don’t send Jin Geer alone—he might think we’re not serious. Da Lang, you and your father should go together to invite him."

"Alright." Nan’s father didn’t bat an eye at personally visiting his son-in-law’s home to invite him for dinner—he even felt it was the right thing to do.

Liang Shi, seeing Nan’s father come in person, was flustered for her son. "No need to trouble yourself fetching him! Jin Geer could’ve just come back to tell him."

Nan’s father chuckled without explaining further. Liang Shi quickly sent Bing Sanniang to call Bing Wengu.

Bing Wengu stepped out and took in the situation at a glance, calmly following the Nan family.

Liang Shi remarked to her family, "The Nan family is good. Now that their fortunes have turned, they haven’t looked down on Da Lang. Today, they even had the in-laws come personally to invite him—showing Da Lang great respect."

Bing Silang clicked his tongue, jealous. "No other father-in-law in the village is like this. Other families wouldn’t call their married Xiao Geer or Xiao Niangzi and their sons-in-law back home just for a good meal."

Bing Sanlang blurted out, "Elder Brother hasn’t even been married that long, yet he’s eaten at his in-laws’ more times than I have in several years of marriage."

Qian Shi, mortified, gave Bing Sanlang a sharp pinch to stop him from saying more.

Six dishes—even for holidays, this was extravagant.

As the head of the Nan family and Bing Wengu’s elder by status, Father Nan had no reason to toast his son-in-law first. Yet, as soon as the feast began, he raised his teacup and said, "Son-in-law, today I raise a toast to you. Thank you for giving our family that recipe—you’ve saved all our lives."

Bing Wengu did not act arrogantly, but neither did he appear overly humble. Calmly, he stood up and returned the toast. "Father-in-law, there’s no need for such words. Since I’ve married your son, I am half your child. A son sharing a recipe with his father is no big deal."

Though Bing Wengu spoke lightly, the Nan family dared not take it for granted. After all, their son-in-law was a Bing, not a Nan—keeping the recipe didn’t feel right.

Father Nan said, "Think of this recipe as something I’m shamelessly borrowing from you. If you ever want it back, I’ll return it without hesitation—and no one in this family will say a word against it."

As he spoke, he shot a stern look at each of his sons and daughters-in-law to make sure they got the message.

Seeing that his family remained obedient and showed no resentment, Father Nan downed his cup of wine and turned it upside down to show it was empty.

Bing Wengu followed suit and drank his in one go.

After Father Nan sat down, Nan Dalang, as the eldest of the younger generation, stood up with his cup respectfully raised. "Brother-in-law, I’ll never forget what you’ve done for us. If you ever need me, I’d walk through fire for you."

Facing Nan Dalang, Bing Wengu didn’t bother with polite formalities. Instead, he said bluntly, "No need, Big Brother. If he hadn’t been worried about your family’s troubles, I wouldn’t have handed over the recipe."

He spelled it out—the recipe was only because of Nan Jinping.

Bing Wengu didn’t care how the Nan family viewed him. His kindness to them stemmed from Nan Jinping’s love for his family.

Since Nan Jinping cared so deeply for his family, Bing Wengu would never allow them to hurt him in the slightest. The best way to ensure that was to make the Nan family understand—he valued Nan Jinping, not them.

If the Nan family ever treated Nan Jinping poorly, he would take back everything he had given them.

Bing Wengu was Nan Jinping’s rock.

Nan Dalang seemed taken aback by Bing Wengu’s words. After a pause, he laughed and said, "Jin Geer, Big Bro thanks you—for not forgetting your family after marriage."

Nan Jinping jumped up, flustered. "I’m a Nan. I grew up here—how could I forget how good you’ve been to me?"

Nan Dalang raised his cup to Nan Jinping as well and drank it all in one go.

As soon as Nan Dalang sat down, Miao Shi immediately stood with her cup. She was quick—she picked up on Bing Wengu’s hint and knew he cared deeply for Nan Jinping. She wanted to show him respect.

With a smile, she said, "First, Sister-in-law thanks Jin Geer and Brother-in-law for looking after the family. Second, no matter what disagreements we’ve had in the past, they were trivial—Sister-in-law spoke without thinking. Now, I want to say this: the Nan family will always be your home. We don’t believe in ‘cutting ties once a son marries out.’ As long as you wish, you can come back anytime. There will always be a room for you here, and the Nan family will always be your strongest support."

Her words hit Nan Jinping right in the heart. He cherished his family deeply, though he had never voiced it—he’d been scared that after marriage, he’d no longer belong.

His eyes welled up, but he fought back the tears.

Bing Wengu squeezed his hand, wordlessly reassuring him. He appreciated Miao Shi reading the room—with this assurance, Nan Jinping could return home with dignity in the future.

Miao Shi hugged Nan Jinping, her own eyes wet. "Silly boy, you’ll always be my child."

Seeing mother and son on the verge of tears, Miao Shi quickly said, "Today’s a celebration—let’s keep it happy. Jin Geer, Brother-in-law, I’ll toast you both—to your happiness."

Nan Jinping returned the toast, pushing back his tears.

Afterward, Nan Erlang, Nan Sanlang, and even twelve-year-old Little Sister Nan all raised their cups. To show respect, they even let Little Sister Nan drink wine instead of tea—she drank a small cup like everyone else.

Thankfully, it was just a sip—enough to make her head spin a little, but no harm done.

Miao Shi was the last to stand up, holding a money box in her hands. "Da Lang, Jin Geer, you've given our family the formula, and we shamelessly accepted it. But we can't truly be that shameless to take it without any guilt. The family has discussed it, and we've decided to split all future profits equally with you."

Miao Shi reached past Nan Jinping, who was sitting beside her, and directly placed the money box into Bing Wengu's arms. Bing Wengu glanced at Nan Jinping beside him, who was also looking at him eagerly, awaiting his decision, while having no intention of making the call himself.

Bing Wengu sighed to himself.

If this were the interstellar era, his partner would have made the decision directly. But Nan Jinping didn't dare—such was the sorrow of this era, where Xiao Geer and women held too low a status to override the men’s authority.

It seemed he would have to treat Nan Jinping even better in the future, climb higher, and give him more confidence. He needed to make him understand that they were partners, lovers, and could make decisions for each other, be each other's home.

To avoid fostering resentment in the Nan family, Bing Wengu accepted the offer.

"If I don't accept, Father-in-law and Mother-in-law, your whole family will feel uneasy. But we can't truly split it half and half as Mother-in-law suggested. How about a thirty-seventy split? We take thirty, and you take seventy," Bing Wengu said.

"That’s unacceptable! Even if it's thirty-seventy, you should take seventy," Nan's father immediately protested.

Gu Shi, frightened, tugged at Nan Dalang's sleeve under the table, trying to get him to dissuade his father. They couldn't possibly agree to this split—seventy percent was far too much money.

Nan Dalang pulled his sleeve back and declared, "Aye is right. Without the formula, no matter how hard we work, we wouldn't earn this much money. The formula is what matters. Since we're collaborating, naturally the one providing the formula should take the larger share. Frankly, with this formula, he could partner with anyone or even hire workers to run the business. We're the ones benefiting here."

Bing Wengu concluded firmly, "As Eldest Brother said, with this formula, I could do business with anyone. Choosing the family is only because you're my in-laws. Doing business with family shouldn't be the same as with outsiders. Consider the extra as mine and Jin Geer's filial piety to you."

Once settled, Bing Wengu placed the money box into Nan Jinping's arms in front of the entire Nan family. "Jin Geer, you keep it."

Then, as if casually but deliberately, he added to the Nan family, "In our household, money matters are decided by Jin Geer."

This statement set them thinking among the Nan family.

After the feast, as Nan Dalang saw Bing Wengu and Nan Jinping off, he sighed upon returning, "Back then, our family wasn't too keen on Jin Geer's marriage to Bing Dalang. Who would've thought Jin Geer would end up so blessed?"

Gu Shi remarked, "Earlier, Brother-in-law said money matters in their household are decided by Jin Geer. Is that true? Didn't Brother-in-law receive many thank-you gifts? Weren't they supposed to go to Liang Shi? Yet they're all in Jin Geer's hands—would Liang Shi agree?"

Miao Shi knew the money was indeed with Nan Jinping. When he had returned with the bridal funds, he had mentioned that all household finances were in his hands. At the time, Miao Shi hadn't believed him, thinking he was just saying it so she wouldn’t refuse the money. But now it seemed true.

She couldn't even begin to guess how much money Jin Geer had now.

Little did she know, Jin Geer currently held over a thousand taels—enough to shock her to death if she found out.

Miao Shi warned her sons and daughters-in-law, "This only proves how much Bing Dalang values Jin Geer. From now on, treat him with respect when he visits, lest we offend him and Bing Dalang withdraws the formula, ending our partnership."

Gu Shi quickly assured, "Mother, don't worry, that won't happen. When Jin Geer visits in the future, I'll treat him like an ancestor. Not to mention, once our family earns enough to build a bigger house, I'll even set aside a room specially for him—he can stay whenever he wishes."

Miao Shi snorted. She trusted this daughter-in-law—though feisty, she knew her place, understanding whom to respect and whom to avoid.

Bing Wengu and Nan Jinping returned full and happy, much to the envy of the other Bing men. Among the brothers, only Bing Wengu received such frequent invitations from his in-laws to dine. The others, if they visited without gifts, would be met with cold shoulders—let alone a meal. Though things had improved lately, their in-laws still didn’t show the same warmth as the Nan family.

"Big... Brother," Bing Silang nearly called Bing Wengu "Bing Dalang" but quickly corrected himself. The current eldest brother wouldn’t tolerate disrespect.

Bing Wengu shot a sidelong glance at him in acknowledgment.

Bing Silang grumbled inwardly about Bing Wengu's rudeness—expecting manners from him while responding with a mere glance. Still, he dared not show his displeasure openly; he was no match for Bing Wengu in a fight. It was infuriating—losing to a scholar.

Bing Silang took a breath. "Brother, your brother-in-law’s family business seems to be doing well these days. Can they keep up with demand?"

"Spit it out," Bing Wengu said coolly, showing none of the patience he reserved for Nan Jinping when dealing with others.

"I was just thinking—if you're swamped, maybe I could lend a hand," Bing Silang quickly added. "No need to feed me—I'll eat at home. Just toss me a few coins. I’m not a kid anymore; sooner or later, I’ll need to settle down. Figured having a bit more money would help support my future family."

"Never thought you'd plan ahead," Bing Wengu remarked sarcastically, though inwardly, he admired Bing Silang. Despite being impulsive and reckless, the boy was loyal and caring toward his family—more so than the other Bing brothers.

As for planning ahead to provide for his future wife—Bing Wengu approved. He didn’t think it was too early to consider such things. He was the same kind of man—once married, he took responsibility for his partner. He hadn’t married Nan Jinping just to make him suffer.

"Are you praising me or mocking me?" Bing Silang asked.

"You’ll see," Bing Wengu scoffed.

Their conversation in the courtyard wasn’t hushed, so Qian Shi overheard and called out from inside, "Eldest Brother, if you need help, call San Lang—he can work too!"

Bing Wengu didn’t respond, but Nan Jinping quickly answered, "I’ll bring it up tomorrow."

Back in their room, Bing Wengu picked up a book to study. Nan Jinping counted the silver and put it away, then turned to see Bing Wengu reading.

"Wengu," Nan Jinping urged, "you drank so much—your head must hurt. Don’t read, just rest."

Bing Wengu chuckled. "Your man can hold his liquor. That swill was basically water—I could drink a thousand cups and still be sober."

Nan Jinping defended his father. "It wasn’t weak! My A-Die bought good wine—dozens of wen per liter!"

"I’m not saying your dad cheated me. It’s just that all wine nowadays is weak. Once I finish my exams, I’ll brew you real wine. Then you’ll realize how bland what you’re drinking now is." Bing Wengu teased, calling himself "husband" repeatedly, as if relishing the word. Even though they were already married, he still enjoyed flustering Nan Jinping with it.

Nan Jinping, now used to Bing Wengu’s mischief, ignored him—unlike when they first married, when just the word "husband" would make him blush furiously.

"Fine, do what you want. I’m going to sleep." Nan Jinping, slightly tipsy, lay down to rest.

The Nan family’s business kept them busy, but Bing Wengu refused to let Nan Jinping wake early to help. Unable to argue, Nan Jinping went after breakfast to assist with the accounts.

Just as he was leaving, Bing Wengu stopped him and handed him three contracts—drafted the night before. "These are the agreements with your dad’s side. Have him sign them. Later, I’ll take them to the town office for record. That way, even if the rest of the Bings find out and try to cause trouble, they can’t touch us."

"Thank you, Wengu." Nan Jinping beamed, gripping the contracts. He had been worried—what if the Bings discovered their business and ruined it?

Bing Wengu lounged on the couch, one leg propped up, watching Nan Jinping like he hung the moon, his heart overflowing. "Drop the thanks—we’re family."

Nan Jinping’s almond-shaped phoenix eyes sparkled as he blinked. "But I really mean it."

Bing Wengu grinned like a sly fox. "Next time you want to thank me, just kiss me instead."

Nan Jinping’s face burned crimson. "You—ugh! How can you say such shameless things? Don’t you feel any embarrassment?"

Bing Wengu’s face was thicker than a city wall—impervious to blades or bullets. Shame? Never met her. He’d long since erased the word from his dictionary.

Grinning, unshaken, he teased, "Sweetheart, we’ve crossed way shadier lines. Why fuss over this?"

"You—you—" Nan Jinping fled in a huff, while Bing Wengu collapsed onto the couch, cackling like a hyena.

His better half was adorable. Having a wife truly rocked—no wonder his subordinates in the army had all turned into smitten fools over their guides.

Before Bing Wengu could finish laughing, Nan Jinping sneaked back in and, before he could react, pecked him on the lips. Then, face blazing, he bolted again.

Bing Wengu’s smile widened. He touched his lips where Nan Jinping had kissed him, then brought his fingers to his nose, inhaling deeply. "Damn sweet," he murmured.

Nan Jinping raced into the Nan household like a shot. Miao Shi called out, "Brother Jin, why are you running? And why is your face so red? How long have you been out?"

"It took... half a day." Nan Jinping rubbed her face, trying to wipe away her embarrassment, then took out three contracts and said, "Father, these are the contracts written by Da Lang. Once you sign them, Da Lang can take them to the government office for registration. After that, the tofu business will be a partnership between our two families, and no one can hassle us anymore."

The Nan family was overjoyed. They had all been worried about interference from other members of the Bing family, and now that this issue was resolved, they felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Nan’s father said quickly, "I don’t know how to write. Can I just press my fingerprint?"

"That’s fine." After pressing his fingerprint, Nan's father looked at the other name on the contract and asked curiously, "Da Lang has been studying since childhood. How come his handwriting is still so messy, like chicken scratch, as if he’s just started learning?"

Nan Jinping said sheepishly, "Father, that’s my handwriting."

"Your handwriting? Ah, that explains it!" Nan's father suddenly realized something was off and froze. "You signed it? Why is your name on the contract with the Bing family?"

Unlike the previous dynasty, this dynasty was not as harsh on merchants. The children of merchants could still take imperial exams and become officials, though those holding official positions could not engage in business themselves. However, there were fewer restrictions on their children and relatives.

Even so, Bing Wengu couldn’t run a business himself if he wanted to become an official but could have his parents sign on his behalf.

But Nan Jinping signing the contract carried a different meaning entirely.

Nan Jinping hung her head, feeling a pang of guilt about what she had done, but she answered truthfully, "Husband... husband said I had no dowry, so he made this my dowry."

After saying this, she felt too ashamed to lift her head. How could she accept this? Once it became her dowry, it would be her private property from then on.

According to the dynasty’s laws, only her own children could inherit her dowry. This meant that even if Bing Wengu had children with someone else in the future, they would not be able to inherit Nan Jinping’s dowry.

If they ever split up, the husband’s family could not withhold the dowry of Shuang Er or Little Sister under any circumstances—it had to be returned in full.

In other words, the business would ultimately remain in the hands of the Nan family.

For a moment, the whole Nan family went quiet, staring at Nan Jinping. Miao Shi opened her mouth but, holding back for her son’s sake, refrained from scolding him.

"Bing Dalang truly cares for you, Jin Geer. You must not let him down," Miao Shi said.

"Mother, I won’t," Nan Jinping nodded firmly.

"Mother, Jin Geer’s no ingrate," Gu Shi said, her tone a mix of envy and jealousy. "Before, Bing Dalang used to sneer at everyone, and we all thought whoever married him would suffer. Who knew he’d turn out to be such a devoted man?"

Miao Shi sighed in agreement. "Had we known how Bing Dalang would turn out after marriage, even if the Bing family had been as poor as before, there would’ve been families willing to marry their daughters to him just for his kindness."

"At the end of the day, our Jin Geer’s got heaven’s favor," Nan Dalang remarked casually.

After he spoke, the Nan family members paused in surprise. Since when was Jin Geer 'blessed'? Before, everyone had pitied him.

It seemed the first person to call Jin Geer blessed had been Bing Wengu himself.

"Oh, Mother, Bing Silang and Bing Sanlang asked if our family needed extra hands to help out," Nan Jinping suddenly remembered and asked.

"We don’t. The family can manage," Nan Little Sister, ever blunt, cut in. "We were busy a few days ago, but now most villagers have already bought what they needed, so sales aren’t as brisk. Just yesterday, Mother said we ought to cut back production."

Miao Shi shot Nan Little Sister a glare to stop her from continuing. "It’s fine. If they want to come, let them. Everyone in the family has been working hard lately—it’ll be good to take a break."

But Nan Jinping smiled and said, "Mother, you worry too much. Since Da Lang gave this business to our family, he wouldn’t put us in a bind."

Gu Shi immediately understood there was another solution and chuckled. "Your husband isn’t worried about inconveniencing us—I think he just doesn’t want to inconvenience you."

"Eldest Sister-in-law, don’t tease me," Nan Jinping blushed slightly. "Da Lang said the family probably won’t need extra help, and tofu sales won’t be as brisk these days. He suggested we could start wholesaling."

"Wholesaling?" The Nan family had never heard the term before.

"Yes. Right now, we sell tofu for two wen per piece. For wholesale, within twenty pieces, three wen buys two pieces. Over twenty pieces, one wen per piece." Nan Jinping relayed Bing Wengu’s proposal to the family.

"Although it's cheaper, there are only so many families in the village. Who can eat that much?" Father Nan asked.

"It's not for them to buy and eat themselves, but for them to buy wholesale and sell on," Nan Jinping explained. "Among the nearby villages, only our family knows how to make tofu. Our villagers have had their fill, but folks in other villages haven’t even had a chance to try it yet. We can sell it to them at a wholesale price, and they can take it to other villages to sell, making a little money for their trouble."

Though the earnings may not be much, it’s still income. Otherwise, staying idle at home during winter means not a single penny comes in. Farming families aren’t afraid of hard work—as long as they can make money, they’ll do it. Especially in Shanghe Village, the poorest in the area, a few extra coins mean a lot.

Upon hearing this, Gu Shi’s face brightened. "Then my parents’ family could also do this business, couldn’t they?"

Now that their own family’s situation had improved, Gu Shi wanted to help her maiden family.

Miao Shi shot her a glare. "What are you thinking? The recipe belongs to the Bing family. You want your folks to cut into their business?"

Gu Shi immediately fell silent. If this business hadn’t belonged to the Bings, she would’ve put up a fight.

Nan Jinping said, "Mother, Sister-in-law’s family can do it too. Da Lang said it’s not just the Bings—anyone in the village who wants in can do it."

Miao Shi frowned in confusion. "If everyone comes to our house to buy wholesale, and there are only so many nearby villages, wouldn’t that be cutting into the Bing family’s business?"

Nan Jinping shook her head. "Mother, I don’t know either. Da Lang just told us to let anyone who wants to buy come and buy. As for the Bing brothers, Da Lang said it’s to toughen them up."

The Nan family didn’t understand. Making money was the point—why bother with toughening them up?

Nan Jinping said, "Father, Mother, we’ll just do as he says."

Miao Shi nodded. "Then we’ll do as Bing Da Lang says."

Thrilled, Gu Shi tossed her apron aside. "Mother, I’ll go back to my maiden home for a bit. Save twenty pieces of tofu for them."

Nan Dalang said cheerfully, "How does my brother-in-law come up with this stuff? He always thinks of so many clever ideas. Just as our family’s business was slowing down these past few days, he thought of a new solution."