| TBBOTOF | 204
Wu Guizhi was quite agile.
After finishing her meal, the old lady couldn’t sit still. She wanted to leave, but the old man didn’t agree. She packed a bundle, which only contained a set of clean clothes and nothing else.
There’s no need to bring anything else, Tang Xu has everything prepared over there. Last time, he already got a whole set of daily necessities ready.
“Grandma, you’re rushing so much,” Tang Yang couldn’t help but remind her.
After tying the bundle, the old lady shoved it into Tang Yang’s hands, grabbed Tang Xu’s hand, and said, “Come on, come on, let’s go! We still need to tidy up the house when we get back.”
Tang Xu wasn’t prepared and stumbled a bit as she tugged him along.
“Grandma, at least let me tell Grandpa,” he said helplessly, thinking how strong this old lady was.
“What’s there to tell? He already saw us earlier.” Wu Guizhi was worried that the old man might sober up and try to stop her, so she just wanted to leave quickly.
Anyway, she wasn’t planning to stay long—just half a month.
“Grandpa, we’re leaving!” Tang Xu didn’t dare resist as he was pulled out of the house, turning his head to shout back inside.
Tang Guangliang, tipsy from a small drink, heard the voice and mumbled a response from inside the house.
After that, there was no more movement.
Tang Xu twitched his mouth and seriously asked, “Grandma, was Grandpa a bit drunk just now?”
"You noticed, huh?" Wu Guizhi’s steps were quick, practically gliding, and she looked relaxed and cheerful.
Tang Xu thought to himself, Did I even need to figure it out?
Earlier, when the old man heard they were about to leave, he tried to stop them at the table. But when he saw them packing clothes, he didn’t ask a single question.
That clearly meant his brain was muddled and couldn’t keep up.
"Your grandpa can’t handle alcohol, especially that homemade sorghum liquor. Just a small cup can knock him out for more than an hour. He’ll need a good nap." Wu Guizhi waved off Luo Pingping, who had come to see them off, signaling her to go back inside.
"Go on, don’t worry about us. How could I get lost when I’m with Xu Ge’er?"
Luo Pingping smiled and said, "I’ll help clean up later. But, Mother, why don’t you ever feel like staying home?"
"Stay home for what? Dongzi has been away for almost a month now. If his braised duck business is doing well, wouldn’t he have come back already? Hurry and get those ducks prepared and dried. I’ll go help Xu Ge’er get things done—I can’t have my precious grandson wearing himself out."
Although Wu Guizhi was getting on in her years, she was still clear-minded.
The family was large, and when it came time to make the braised ducks, her eldest daughter-in-law could handle it with the younger ones.
But the big house was different. Wei Dong was away, and their son-in-law had taken his Ah Li to town to run a shop and make money, leaving only two half-grown boys attending school.
Who else was there at home?
Aside from Wang Cuicui, who was a good worker, there were mostly the elderly and the young.
That’s why, as soon as she heard Tang Xu invite her over for a few days, she was tempted. She might not be able to do heavy labor, but she could help look after the children.
That way, her second daughter-in-law(WC) could be freed up to assist her dear grandson.
Wu Guizhi’s thoughts circled around, and she concluded that her decision was indeed perfect.
Tang Xu smiled as he supported his grandmother's arm and said, "Grandma, slow down a bit. I can barely keep up with you."
He turned to look at Luo Pingping and asked, "When will Auntie and the others start making the next batch of ducks?"
"In just a couple of days," Luo Pingping replied. "I heard the ducks over there were being harvested recently. We’re planning to wait a few days, to line up the timing with theirs. After we harvested the ducks before the new year, more people in the village started raising ducks. I know at least a dozen households that started, and they’re raising quite a lot."
"Wait, what?" Tang Xu was surprised. "Each household has three or four hundred ducks?"
He thought this number was a bit excessive. Most families raised chickens or ducks to sell eggs, but now it seemed like they were raising ducks in bulk to sell as full-grown birds.
This increased costs, but the selling price was also higher.
"What are they feeding them?" he asked.
Luo Pingping strode ahead, raising her hand to point toward the river. "The river’s thawed now. Every household drives their ducks to swim a few rounds in the water. There are plenty of small fish, shrimp, and crabs there. Afterward, they feed them grass and rice husks. In no time, the ducks are plump and ready."
Tang Xu thought to himself that this was turning into a proper industry. If they could eventually dry and braise these ducks to sell in different towns and cities, the whole village could profit from duck farming.
However, he also realized that raising too many poultry could lead to the risk of diseases like bird flu, so they would need to be extra cautious.
"Auntie, when you’re buying ducks, make sure not to buy any dead or sick ones," Tang Xu warned seriously. "If people end up eating ducks that died from illness, it’s easy for them to get sick too."
Since they were in the food business, they had to be especially careful.
Luo Pingping nodded in response, "I know, I’ve been keeping a close eye on things. If we end up making someone sick, it’s not just about losing money—this business would be over for good."
Tang Xu nodded firmly, his expression a bit serious. "It’s not just about losing the business. If something goes wrong, the people in the village will gossip, and our family’s reputation will be ruined.
So, no matter what, we can’t make any mistakes when buying the ducks. Even if someone offers them for a few coins cheaper, if the ducks look sluggish and sick, we can’t take them. Remember, cheap things are never good quality!"
Before Luo Pingping could respond, Wu Guizhi chimed in with a gruff snort.
"People selling ducks for three coins when they could get five? Why would they sell them for cheaper? Anyone who dares buy that without thinking is just asking for trouble! Don’t even listen to those who try to cozy up to you. If anyone pulls that, send them packing. Don’t deal with them again."
Luo Pingping quickly nodded, "Got it, got it. Mom, I’m not that foolish."
Tang Xu trusted his aunt. If nothing else, she wasn’t the type to risk losing a large profit over some small change. She wasn’t short-sighted.
Now, if it were his third aunt... well, he smiled to himself and decided to leave that thought unspoken.
"You’re not foolish, but make sure to warn those two daughters-in-law of yours," Wu Guizhi continued, her voice sharp with frustration.
"They’re always scheming this and that. Just watching them tires me out. Instead of focusing on taking care of their children, they’ve been trying to weasel money out of their mother-in-law’s pocket. What kind of behavior is that?
Let me make it clear now: they can fuss all they want, but if they mess with Xu Ge’er’s business, I’m going to lose my temper!"
As a grandmother who didn’t live in the same courtyard, Wu Guizhi had mostly turned a blind eye to her two granddaughters-in-law.
However, ever since their mother-in-law had started earning money from selling cold noodles, the two women, who used to be quite honest and modest, had become more cunning and calculating.
“They say they have their own households to manage,” Wu Guizhi remarked. “Sure, they each only have one child now, but they’ll probably have two or three later on. They need to save up some money for the kids.”
Luo Pingping, being a daughter-in-law herself, could understand her two daughters-in-law to some extent. So, whenever she gave them money, she wasn’t stingy.
As a mother, she was always fair, never giving one more than the other. If she gave two taels to one, she’d make sure the other got two as well. Always the same.
But despite her fairness, both daughters-in-law were still dissatisfied these days.
Especially after the recent sale of 300 ducks. Once they were delivered, the payment was made in small silver ingots.
After bringing the money back, Luo Pingping gave five taels to each of her sons as their share for the hard work they put into making the braised ducks.
The rest went into her own savings.
But within two days, her eldest daughter-in-law came by, claiming her child was sick and needed medicine, and asked for half a tael.
Not long after, the second daughter-in-law followed suit, saying her child was growing fast and needed new clothes. She also mentioned that she and her husband hadn’t made new clothes in a while and wanted some as well.
The implication was clear: since the eldest had received half a tael, they should get half a tael too, or it would seem like favoritism.
Hearing this, Luo Pingping exploded and scolded them both.
Wu Guizhi, remembering the incident, let out a cold laugh. "I say, just split the household already. Let them manage on their own. If they make money, they can spend it. If they don’t, they won’t have anything to spend. Then let’s see if they still waste time worrying about petty change! Such ambition..."
The daughters-in-law always approached her for money when the men were out working. Luo Pingping, not wanting to put her two sons in a difficult position, never mentioned it to them.
Tang Xu hadn’t heard about any of this before. He’d always thought these sorts of tensions—between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law—only happened in his cousin Wei Zhonghong’s family.
He never realized his own aunt’s family had similar problems.
Tang Xu joked, “Isn’t Auntie pretty tough? How did she let them get the upper hand like that?”
Wu Guizhi snorted coldly, while Luo Pingping gave an awkward smile.
Tang Xu’s eyes darted, and he realized what was going on. It was the classic case of a mother trying to keep the peace.
She didn’t want her sons to be caught in the middle of tension between their wives and their mother, so she’d rather take the hit herself.
But this approach had emboldened her daughters-in-law to constantly push her boundaries.
"Brother, we’re heading back first. My stomach’s feeling a bit off," Tang Yang, walking ahead, had been growing increasingly uncomfortable with the conversation about in-law relationships. Wei Xi felt the same.
The two teenagers exchanged a glance and decided to make a hasty retreat under the excuse of needing a bathroom break.
Tang Xu handed them his basket and let them leave first.
It was early afternoon, right after lunch, and the village paths were empty, with most people resting indoors.
As they passed a patch of rice paddies, Tang Xu glanced at it and asked, “Auntie, is that our family’s paddy field over there?”
“No, it’s still quite a ways down,” Luo Pingping said, turning to check. “Why?”
Wu Guizhi also paused to look and added, “That’s our dry field over there, and the other side belongs to your grandfather. The paddy fields are farther down. You can’t see them from here.”
Tang Xu nodded slightly and continued walking. “I remember when my dad first started selling braised goods in town, he was reluctant to give up farming. Later, when he realized the work wasn’t as bad as he thought and could actually bring in some silver, he ended up renting out the five acres of land he used to farm.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard him mention it,” Wu Guizhi said, chuckling. “He keeps telling me how comfortable life is now.”
Though she sounded like she was complaining about her second son, her face lit up with a smile. She patted Tang Xu on the shoulder and added, “Having such a filial son like you is better than raising eight sons.”
Tang Xu couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly. That didn’t quite sound like a compliment!
When they got home, the three youngsters had just woken from their afternoon nap.
Hearing the commotion, Wang Cuicui came out from the house and greeted Wu Guizhi with a smile, “Mother, I tidied up your room earlier. It’s been cleaned regularly, so there’s no dust. The bedding just needs to be aired out, and I’ve already warmed up the kang bed, so it won’t feel damp.”
Wu Guizhi thanked her with a warm smile.
After settling the old lady in her room, Tang Xu brought over two live rabbits, one male and one female, for his aunt.
“Raise them, and maybe they’ll breed. If they’re like mine, they’ll keep multiplying, and soon enough you’ll have all the rabbit meat and fur you want,” he joked.
Luo Pingping laughed and accepted the bamboo basket, taking a look at the two rabbits—one black and one white. “Alright, I’ll give it a try and see how it goes.”
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