Chapter 43: It Tastes Very Similar

Madam Lin was busy hanging out the laundry.

After Wen Ye and Wen Yuan agreed on tomorrow's vegetables, they had already returned and were sitting under the corridor sorting thread for Wen Lan.

Third Uncle Wen walked in with a dejected look.

Madam Lin turned her head. "How did it go? How much is a hoe?"

Third Uncle Wen's face stiffened, and he stammered, "I forgot... I'll go right now..."

"You just wandered around outside for a few turns and came back?" Madam Lin draped a piece of clothing over a bamboo pole.

Third Uncle Wen paused in his steps, thinking that this matter had to be told eventually, so he said with a muffled voice, "As soon as I went out... I ran into Feng Juan. She said Mother took a fall..."

Madam Lin's expression changed slightly, looking at him in disbelief.

Even Wen Ye and her younger siblings stopped what they were doing and looked over.

Feeling guilty under their gaze, Third Uncle Wen braced himself and said, "I-I went to take a look... I gave her the hundred *wen* so she could see a doctor... Don't worry, I'll pay that hundred *wen* myself."

Madam Lin only felt a stifling tightness in her chest, her eyes turning red. "Is that an expense you should be paying yourself?"

Wen Ye and her siblings also stopped what they were doing, and Wen Yuan said angrily, "Dad, they were about to sell Eldest Sister and Second Sister, and yet you're still giving them money!"

Filled with remorse, Third Uncle Wen mumbled, "I know... But it was Second Uncle's family who acted maliciously, it has nothing to do with your grandma. Although your grandma is a bit overbearing... she is still your real grandmother after all. Since she took a fall, how can I, as a son, not go to see her?"

Wen Yuan couldn't describe this feeling; he only felt anxious and distressed all at once. "But, but..."

Wen Lan and Madam Lin felt as though a basin of cold water had been poured over them, leaving them feeling disappointed and distressed.

Wen Ye sneered. The "yes, but" had arrived right on schedule!

She knew it; even after the family split, it was impossible to simply sever all ties with the old family residence.

After all, they were bound by flesh and blood.

Moreover, Third Uncle Wen inherently had a weak personality and had been exploited by the old residence for over thirty years; how could he change his ways overnight?

Just like that, the moment the other side showed weakness, his heart softened.

Too lazy to look at him, Wen Ye continued sorting her thread.

She had everything at home well under control.

Seeing such intense reactions from them, Third Uncle Wen didn't dare to say anything more and mumbled, "I-I'm going to find the blacksmith."

With that, he practically fled out the door.

Madam Lin looked at his retreating back, feeling a heavy weight in her chest.

Wen Yuan wiped his tears. "Sob... It hurts... What should I do, I want to cry..."

Wen Lan didn't feel well either. "Don't cry, don't cry. If he wants to show filial piety, let him do it himself. We'll live our own lives."

Madam Lin nodded. "Fortunately, the money is all kept in Ye'er's hands."

...

That evening when Third Uncle Wen returned, he didn't mention anything about forging a hoe.

He simply worked diligently, splitting firewood in the courtyard.

Wen Ye and the others remained aloof, completely ignoring him.

The next day, Wen Ye, Madam Lin, and Wen Yuan went out together to sell cold mixed dishes.

Although there were three other stalls in the market, it didn't affect their business.

Today they also prepared three hundred catties, and since they didn't worry about selling out, there was no need to rush; they arrived only after the town became lively.

When the family arrived in the town, they were dumbfounded.

They saw a stall set up directly opposite theirs, surrounded completely, with loud shouts coming from within:

"Don't crowd, don't crowd! There are plenty of vegetables today! This is authentic Wen Family Cold Mix!"

"Small bowl for three *wen*, large bowl for five *wen*. The cold mixed noodles are a bit more expensive, a small bowl is five *wen*. Weighing by the catty is fine too!"

The family froze in place.

Wen Yuan exclaimed in shock, "That's Second Aunt's voice!"

Wen Ye narrowed her eyes, and sure enough, she caught sight of Second Uncle Wen and his wife through the gaps in the crowd, accompanied by Wen Liyue and Wen Mei, selling cold mixed dishes.

Wen Yuan said angrily, "They're copying us."

Madam Lin said, "Plenty of people copy. Quite a few people in our village have sold it too."

"That's different... Their business is actually this good too, that's just bizarre!"

Madam Lin's internal alarm bells rang loudly. "Second Sister-in-law was a cook in the Liu family for over a decade; she probably has some real skills."

Wen Ye said, "It's not a matter of culinary skill. I put a lot of things into the soy sauce and oil; that's the soul of the cold mixed dishes. Without them, it won't be fragrant."

The hearts of Madam Lin and Wen Yuan instantly sank.

Wen Ye said, "Never mind that for now, let's start selling."

The family immediately began setting up their stall.

The customers surrounding Second Uncle Wen's stall across the way were stunned, and one auntie asked, "What's going on? Didn't you say you were the Wen Family Cold Mix?"

Early this morning, this stall had been set up, and Second Uncle Wen had hoisted the flag of the Wen Family Cold Mix, claiming that Wen Ye's family didn't have time to set up their stall today, so they were doing it on their behalf.

Second Uncle Wen tossed the vegetables with his tongs while saying, "Our surname is Wen too, we're one family!"

The auntie frowned. "Then... you were originally one family, but now you've set up two stalls?"

Madam Fang answered irrelevantly, "Big Sister already ate just now, would you like to weigh a few more catties to take home? What vegetables would you like, I'll mix them for you."

Hesitating, the auntie was just about to speak.

Wen Ye and the others had heard it all, and Wen Yuan rushed over immediately. "Bullshit! What do you mean 'originally one family, set up two stalls'?"

All the customers looked at each other in dismay, sizing up Wen Yuan and Second Uncle Wen's group.

Madam Fang wore a fake smile. "Hammer, we are family after all! I am your Second Aunt!"

Wen Yuan shouted, "I am not called Hammer! My name is Wen Yuan! We split our household long ago! Our cold mixing business has nothing to do with you."

Hearing this, the customers were even more confused. "What's going on?"

Wen Ye stepped forward with a cold smile. "Actually, it's very simple. More than a month ago, our families split up. After the separation, we figured out this cold mix stall."

"The old residence saw that we were selling well and copied our cold mixing business. Therefore, this isn't us opening a branch store or setting up two stalls; it's simply not the same business at all."

The customers all understood and cast contemptuous glances at Second Uncle Wen and the others.

This was stealing business by using someone else's reputation!

The auntie said, "No wonder the taste is a bit different, it's not as fragrant as your family's."

Wen Ye smiled brightly. "That's only natural. Come on over, our stall is all set up!"

The customers who had originally gathered around Second Uncle Wen's stall swarmed over to Wen Ye's small stall.

Madam Lin and Wen Yuan both breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily suppressing their anger, and began to get busy.

The auntie stepped forward first. "Weigh three catties of cold mixed noodles for me; my old man and the kids love this the most."

Wen Ye said, "You got it! Medium spicy as usual?"

With that, she began mixing the noodles.

The auntie lowered her voice and said, "Don't be upset, but the cold mix over on their side is also pretty good. The taste is very similar to yours."

Wen Ye smiled. "I'm not upset at all, Auntie. Let me give you a complimentary bowl of cucumber."

The auntie's eyes lit up. "Haha, wonderful, wonderful. I'll come to you next time. Don't worry, your family's is definitely the best!"

Yet, Madam Lin and Wen Yuan remained heavy-hearted. The stall across the way was very similar to theirs?

At the opposite stall—

With the majority of the customers leaving, Second Uncle Wen was extremely unwilling.

After whispering with Second Uncle Wen for a moment, Madam Fang shouted at the top of her lungs, "Small bowls of cold mix for two *wen*, large bowls for four *wen*!"

Hearing this, the customers lingering around Wen Ye's stall felt their eyes light up.

The customers at the back of the line quietly slipped away and went to buy from Second Uncle Wen's family.

Although the old stall tasted better, the new stall wasn't bad either, and it was one *wen* cheaper. No matter how you calculated it, the new stall offered better value.

Second Uncle Wen and his group looked smug and hurriedly started working.

Seeing most of the customers leave, Madam Lin and Wen Yuan turned pale with anger.

Wen Yuan asked angrily, "What should we do now?"

Wen Ye said, "Let's go investigate. Yuanbao, find a kid to go buy their cold mix. Here are five *wen*; four *wen* to buy the cold mix, and one *wen* as an errand fee for them."

As she spoke, she took out five *wen* and handed them to him.