Chapter 52: I Taught Him

It didn't take long for Wen Yu'er's family to set up their stall.

Just as they finished, three more groups of people came pushing their carts in a bustling manner.

Two of the groups were driving ox carts, led by Village Chief Wen and Old Man Fu, both accompanied by their wives.

The last group consisted of Zhao Tiehu and his mother, pushing a handcart.

Zhao Tiehu was a nine-year-old boy, dark-skinned and very thin.

His family was poor; his grandparents and biological father had passed away due to illness some years ago, leaving him to depend entirely on his mute mother.

Wen Laoer and the others were dumbfounded seeing these three familiar setups approaching. How were more people showing up?

Madam Fang turned pale: "You..."

Village Chief Wen smiled warmly: "We heard you made a fortune with the cold salad business. So... we figured we'd tinker with it too and have a sip of the soup behind you."

The four members of the old family residence were almost breathless with rage, but since the man was the village chief, they dared not speak their anger aloud.

Wen Laoer forced a smile that wasn't a smile: "What fortune... we're just making some pocket money."

Village Chief Wen laughed heartily: "We're just making some pocket money too."

Madam Fang: "Where are you setting up?"

"Oh, I think right here is just fine. We're all from the same village, so we should support each other! Duoliang, don't you agree? Oh, Shengli's family is set up on your right, then we'll set up on your left!"

The four from the old residence quivered with their lips trembling, watching helplessly as Old Man Fu and Village Chief Wen set up their stalls on their left.

With nowhere to vent their frustration, they decided to pick on the soft persimmon!

Wen Mei glared at Zhao Tiehu and his mother: "Set up somewhere else! Go to West Street!"

Before Zhao Tiehu could speak, the village chief's wife had already put on a stern face:

"Why are you making things difficult for an orphaned widow and her child? Does this street have your name written on it? Such a young girl, how can you be so vicious and petty?"

No... Wen Mei was stunned into silence, her eyes welling up with tears.

Because she and Wen Liyue had once been carried off by human traffickers, her reputation was already tarnished. If she were to acquire a reputation for being vicious and petty on top of that, how could she ever hope to marry?

Madam Fang knew the principle of sharing the same fate, so she quickly pulled Wen Mei behind her and said with a smile:

"It's a bit crowded here, and Mei-ya's tone was just a bit harsh. How about this, Tiehu, why don't you set up next to Ye-ya? There's a small vacant space over there."

Wen Yuan had already beckoned to Tiehu: "Brother Tiehu, come over here. The vegetable vendor who was here just moved away."

Zhao Tiehu looked and saw that the spot was indeed vacant, so he and Mute Lin pushed their cart over to stand next to Wen Ye.

Seeing this, Wen Ye and the others took the initiative to help set up the stall: "Is this space enough?"

"Enough, enough. We only brought two tables."

Once their stall was set up, Mute Lin made a thanking gesture toward Wen Ye and the others.

There were three boys named Tiehu in the village. To tell them apart, the villagers never called Mute Lin by the name of Tiehu's mother; because she was mute, they simply called her Mute Niang.

The four from the old residence stared in utter astonishment at the four suddenly popped-up cold salad stalls. Add to that their own family, the third uncle's family, and two families who had jumped on the bandwagon, there were already eight stalls in town!

Although Dafu Town was a large town, it couldn't possibly handle this many cold salad vendors!

Wen Laoer was boiling with anger, constantly comforting himself in his heart: Don't worry, don't worry, those families don't have the recipe!

Back when the cold salad stalls first appeared, more than a dozen people tried to imitate them, but in the end, they all packed up and slinked away in disgrace, losing even the money they spent on vegetables, basins, and bowls.

These bandwagon-jumping dogs would surely lose everything down to their last pair of trousers!

Wen Lansan looked around, feeling as tormented as if he were being roasted over oil.

Before long, the town grew lively, and the various vendors began shouting their wares.

Except for Wen Ye's family, all the new arrivals today charged the exact same price as Wen Laoer's family.

Customers looked at the newly sprouted stalls and gasped in disbelief: "I've lived long enough to see everything. Did someone poke a nest of cold salads today?"

Wen Yu'er hurriedly called out: "Even though they're all cold salads, the flavors are all different, you know!"

"Then let me try."

Seeing customers sampling the new stalls, the four members of Wen Laoer's family wore ugly expressions, as if the new stalls had robbed them of a hundred taels of silver.

A customer took a bite from Wen Yu'er's stall and smiled: "Quite delicious, a bit more fragrant than the one next door."

The four members of Wen Laoer's family widened their eyes. How could that be?

They all had the recipe; why was Wen Yu'er's family's food also good? It must be that this customer's tongue was useless!

Customers arrived one after another, and those few new stalls actually attracted people willing to try something new, all praising the food after tasting it.

The old residence's business was already inferior to Wen Ye's, and with so many more stalls appearing today, their business became even worse.

Regular customers who finished eating even complained: "Today's vegetables aren't crisp, not as tasty as yesterday's."

With that, they shook their heads and left.

Wen Laoer's face darkened as he muttered: "I really don't know how their tongues grew."

Madam Fang said coldly: "Whose fault is it if not your mother and the others? I asked Big Brother and Sister-in-law to go pick vegetables before dawn, but they didn't want to get up early and insisted on picking them yesterday. Can vegetables left out overnight be as tender as freshly picked ones? And what about the dozens of catties left over from yesterday? Using them again today, it would be a miracle if they were still crisp."

Wen Laoer glared at her: "Shut up!"

He was also one of those who couldn't bear to throw away last night's vegetables and insisted on keeping them for today.

Wen Laoer said: "Shengli and the others can't possibly have such good business! There must be something fishy going on! Go, Mei-ya, buy a bowl and bring it back for us to try."

Wen Mei felt awkward, but she couldn't withstand Wen Laoer's barking, so she stomped off angrily to buy a portion from Wen Yu'er's family.

Wen Yu'er's eyes flickered slightly as she sold them a portion.

Wen Mei brought the cold salad back.

After tasting it, the expressions of Wen Laoer and the others immediately changed.

Wen Laoer slammed his hand down on the table and stood up, pointing at Wen Yu'er and the other two in fury: "Good, Wen Shengli, you actually stole our recipe!"

Wen Shengli's face was gloomy: "Wen Duoliang, don't talk nonsense. This recipe..."

He stopped himself, not daring to mention that Wen Ye was the one who had provided it.

Wen Ye smiled and said: "I taught them this recipe."

"What?" Wen Laoer looked at her in disbelief: "Wretched girl, how dare you teach my family's secret recipe to outsiders!"

Wen Ye arched an eyebrow: "Oh my, oh my, since when did the things I, Wen Ye, tinkered with become your family's property? I'll teach whoever I damn well please."

"Wretched girl, I've tolerated you for a long time!" Wen Laoer raised his hand, preparing to strike.

Wen Lansan was startled and quickly rushed over to block Wen Ye: "Second Brother, what are you doing!"

Wen Laoer roared angrily: "Wen Dansan, look at the fine daughter you've raised, actually teaching our fortune-making business to outsiders! Why aren't you going to discipline her to death?"

Wen Lansan frowned: "Second Brother... this was thought up by Ye-ya..."

"You're her father! Anything she thinks up belongs to you! Once you told us, it naturally became part of my family's share too! What right do you have to teach it to outsiders?"

Wen Ye retorted: "On the grounds that when we divided the family, Yu'er's family relieved our poverty. If even enemies like you who wanted to sell us out can be taught, why can't benefactors?"

"You... wretched girl! Third Brother, are you going to manage her or not?"

Wen Lansan stammered: "I..."