Chapter 8

Before she could finish speaking, Gu Xinxin turned her head: “Stepmother, Qiuhe truly lives up to being your biological daughter even lies come so naturally to her. I made the breakfast you just ate, yet you turn around and tell everyone I’m too lazy to cook? Why don’t you ask Grandma to come out and say who made this morning’s meal?”

Gu Chenshi’s face stiffened. Gu Xinxin continued: “Stepmother, it’s not like you haven’t been beating me for just a day or two why bother finding excuses to cover it up now?”

Gu Chenshi couldn’t even force a smile.

Gu Xinxin looked around and called out: “Second Aunt, I have something I’d like to discuss with you. Do you have time now?”

Second Aunt immediately smiled: “Of course I have time. What do you want to discuss? Come, let’s talk at my house.”

This Second Aunt was Gu Daniu’s sister-in-law. She had always felt some pity for the original host, often slipping her some food whenever they met outside.

Gu Xinxin remembered people’s kindness and believed in repaying favors.

“Didn’t I say yesterday that I saved the county magistrate’s daughter? To thank me, they gave me some pastries to eat. After tasting them, I suddenly had an idea these pastries could be sold for money!”

Gu Xinxin didn’t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point: “I thought about it all the way back yesterday I can make these pastries.”

Second Aunt was momentarily stunned: “What do you mean?”

“Ah, Second Aunt, I know how to make these pastries. I’ll teach you, and after your family makes them, you can sell them in town or at the market to earn some money.” Gu Xinxin said frankly: “They’re absolutely delicious, someone will definitely buy them.”

Second Aunt hesitated: “You can make them just from tasting them?”

“Yes, when I was nearly dying from illness the day before yesterday, I dreamed of my mother. She gave me guidance, and now I’ve become very clever.” Gu Xinxin fabricated freely, knowing country folk tended to believe such things. Second, Aunt’s eyes lit up: “You mean your mother guided you?”

Gu Xinxin nodded: “Yes, she touched my head, and I felt like I’d become enlightened.”

Second, Aunt clapped her hands: “That makes sense! I always said your mother was a smart woman, so how could she have given birth to you and Xiangrong…” These two fools? Always being tormented by their stepmother.

Now it seemed they just hadn’t been enlightened!

Children really need to be enlightened to bloom. Her thoughts wandered: “Xiangrong is twelve now. According to our customs, twelve-year-olds need the lock-opening ceremony to become enlightened. Has your family bought the copper lock? Have you found a spirit medium? If you need suggestions, I can recommend one that Spirit Medium Meng in the back village has some real skills. When you buy the copper lock, Xiangrong should go to their house…”

Gu Xinxin sighed helplessly: “Second Aunt, let’s talk about the pastries first. I’ll teach your family how to make them, not for free though. For every tael of silver your family earns from sales, give me one hundred copper coins. Once you’ve paid ten taels worth, you don’t need to pay anymore. What do you think?”

Second, Aunt hesitated and asked the key question: “What are these pastries made of?”

“White flour, lard, sesame seeds, and honey.” Gu Xinxin said, thumping her chest to reassure Second Aunt: “They’ll definitely make money. If they don’t sell, consider these ingredients as my purchase I’ll reimburse you.”

Second, Aunt asked another question: “How much would the initial investment be?”

She wasn’t very good at calculations. As an ordinary village woman, she could manage a few copper coins, but when it came to hundreds, it became difficult. If it exceeded a thousand… that was truly beyond her.

Gu Xinxin calculated in her mind: “Two taels of silver ten catties of white flour, three catties of lard, one catty of white sesame seeds, and more honey, which is the most expensive five catties of honey.”

Second, Aunt didn’t dare make an immediate decision. The cost alone was two taels of silver, which was over half a year’s income for their family. Moreover, it was only July now, and the autumn harvest hadn’t arrived yet. The family’s total savings were only a little over two taels of silver.

What if this venture failed… Although Gu Xinxin was willing to sell and wouldn’t let their family suffer a loss, she was still just a young girl. What if she couldn’t come up with the money when the time came? Even if she could, would their family feel comfortable letting a ten-year-old child bear the cost?

Second, Aunt waved her hand. “Don’t rush. I need to discuss this with your cousin and the others.”

Gu Xinxin smiled and nodded. “Alright, but Second Aunt, you should decide as soon as possible. As you can see, my stepmother really can’t stand me. I need to find a way to establish myself, or I’m afraid she’ll control my marriage, and the rest of my life might hold little hope.”

She pursued her lips, a bit embarrassed, clearly uncomfortable talking about marriage as a young girl.

But Second Aunt understood. At Gu Xinxin’s age, in their village, it was indeed time to discuss marriage.

Marriage was a woman’s second chance in life. If she married well, her later years might not be like living in a honeypot, but she would never lack food. If she married poorly… well, there were countless unfortunate possibilities being beaten so badly she couldn’t get out of bed, becoming a widow early if the husband died young, or being mistreated by a mother-in-law or sisters-in-law. Misfortunes came in all forms, each with their own sorrows.

She nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you an answer within three days. But don’t be afraid of your stepmother. If she arranges a wedding for you, come to me. I’ll go talk to your grandmother.”

Gu Xinxin smiled bitterly. “My grandmother doesn’t involve herself in these matters.”

The two families had already separated decades ago. Besides, Second Aunt was a junior. If Old Mrs. Gu didn’t want to pay her any attention, there was nothing Second Aunt could do.

Second, Aunt sighed. “Your grandmother is really… None of the other elderly women in our village are like her, retiring before sixty and doing nothing.”

It wasn’t like they were wealthy city folks, where the elderly could live like matriarchs. In the village, even those in their seventies or eighties, if they could still walk, would carry a bowl to feed the chickens. But Old Mrs. Gu was something else she had started doing nothing at fifty, lying around in her room all day, almost needing someone to feed her meals.

Gu Xinxin didn’t respond. Although she agreed inwardly, she had to maintain the appearance of a well-behaved and filial child.

Second, Aunt went to the kitchen and brought back a baked potato, stuffing it into Gu Xinxin’s hands. Gu Xinxin hurriedly declined, “I already ate this morning.”

“Take it and eat. Growing kids eat their parents out of house and home, and you’re at an age when you need nourishment. Besides, do you think I don’t know your stepmother? Would she ever let you eat your fill?” Second Aunt insisted, forcing it into her hands. Gu Xinxin had no choice but to take the potato and slowly peel it.

After a moment, she quickly asked: “Second Aunt, how many potatoes do you still have at home?”

Second Aunt pondered for a moment: “We had several dozen jin left from last year, and this year we planted two mu of land with them.”

Potatoes are wonderful, they can serve as staple food and be stir-fried as dishes. Even families with limited land would set aside half of it to grow potatoes.

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