CHAPTER 162: CHAPTER 162: LOOK AT THE RESULTS AFTER 1 MONTH (3)

The basket is light, Mrs. Qin took five baskets in one go.

The Princely Heir walked over to take them and placed them on the cart.

The other five were carried over by Li Yuzhu.

The Princely Heir asked Old Qin about the price.

Old Qin smiled and said, "If someone else came to buy, I would charge the normal price; since it’s you, I’ll just charge a little less, let’s say twenty-five coins each."

Li Yuzhu had already paid attention to the price when she went to the market.

At the market, they cost thirty-five coins each, and some of the larger ones cost even more.

The baskets made by Old Qin had densely woven bamboo strips, making it difficult for fish and shrimp to escape.

The price should exceed thirty-five coins each.

Yet he only charged twenty-five coins each.

"How could we accept that?" The Princely Heir waved his hand, "We can’t let Grandpa sell at a loss."

Li Yuzhu smiled and said, "Yes, at least thirty coins each."

"Yes, thirty coins each," the Princely Heir also said.

They took out three hundred coins and gave them to Old Qin.

Old Qin shook his head for a while, not knowing what to say, "You two kids."

"We’re young, it’s easy for us to make money, how can we bully an old man like you?" Li Yuzhu laughed and said.

Old Qin then asked, "Why did you buy so many fish baskets, where will you fish?"

The Princely Heir said, "There’s a swamp in front of our house with some fish and shrimp, and also on the road to Qinghe Village, there’s a big ditch, there must be fish and shrimp there too."

Old Qin said, "If you only catch and don’t breed, you’ll catch them all. It’s spring now, the time to release fish fry, catch the big fish and shrimp, leave the small ones to grow bigger."

The Princely Heir said, "But that swamp is very wide, almost a hundred acres large, and the ditch extends from the swamp to Qinghe Village, almost seven or eight miles long, how can we breed fish and shrimp?"

Li Yuzhu said, "Does Grandpa Qin have a good method to teach us?"

Grandpa Qin laughed, "When I was young, I also raised fish. To prevent them from escaping, I used bamboo nets to block the fish and shrimp in the mud, and sometimes covered them with fish nets. Speaking of fish nets, I still have some old ones at home, if you don’t mind, you can take them and use them. They’re just sitting idle at my house."

Li Yuzhu and the Princely Heir were very happy.

"Thank you very much." Li Yuzhu said with a smile.

"No need to thank me, just some unwanted old fish nets, no one at home loves fishing anymore, leaving them to rot in a couple of years, better to give them to you," Grandpa Qin laughed.

He called Granny Qin to fetch the fish nets.

When the fish nets were brought over, Li Yuzhu shook them open to find five or six of varying sizes, the largest being as big as half a room.

The siblings thanked him, placed the fish nets on the cart, and were about to leave when Qin Lizheng’s youngest two children came running.

"Grandpa, Grandma, the Liu Family has some excitement again, go see it quick!" said the ten-year-old girl and the six-year-old boy with excitement.

Mrs. Qin shook her head, "I’m busy here, you go play by yourselves."

"Alright, we’ll go see the fun ourselves." The brother and sister held hands and happily ran off.

Mrs. Qin sighed, "The Liu Family has small quarrels every three days and big fights every two days, it hasn’t stopped for half a year."

"That second branch is outrageous, why do they always meddle in the main branch’s business?" Old Qin also said.

Li Yuzhu blinked and said, "Main and second branch? Is it the homes of Liu the bricklayer’s two sons?"

Old Qin shook his head, "No, Liu the bricklayer’s two sons get along well, the two sisters-in-law don’t quarrel much, this second branch is Liu the bricklayer’s brother’s family."

"..."

"Liu the bricklayer has skills, his brother doesn’t, he always believes it’s because their father didn’t teach him, so he always has issues with Liu the bricklayer, often either cursing or hitting Liu the bricklayer’s descendants whenever he sees them."

Li Yuzhu said, "I remember that Liu the bricklayer’s skills weren’t taught by Liu’s father? It was taught by Mu Yuanxiu’s grandfather."

Grandpa Qin said, "Indeed, that’s what the villagers say. But Liu Family’s second branch doesn’t believe it, so they have disagreements. Besides, Yuanxiu’s grandfather and Liu the bricklayer’s father have been dead for many years, so there’s no evidence."

"In the village, it’s just those two branches always making a fuss, Liu Laoda accepted a live-in son-in-law, the second branch went to scold Liu Laoda for being muddleheaded, what’s muddleheaded about that? Liu Laoda’s family had all daughters, getting a live-in son-in-law, what’s wrong with that?" Mrs. Qin shook her head.

Old Qin also said, "Exactly, that son-in-law willingly came, the second branch really worries for nothing."

Li Yuzhu still wanted to see Miss Chai, so she didn’t continue listening to the gossip, and walked with the Princely Heir to Miss Chai’s place.

However, she doesn’t seek gossip; gossip finds its way to her.

When Li Yuzhu and the Princely Heir reached the back door of Liu the bricklayer’s house, they happened upon two families in the midst of a quarrel.

One of the quarrelers was the woman they saw at the market the other day, the one called Aunt by Liu Da Niu.

Standing behind her was a plump elderly woman, holding the hand of Aunt Liu’s son, with the two women pointing and cursing at Lady Liu with spittle flying.

"Let me make this ugly thing clear: if your son-in-law dares to touch the Liu Family’s money, the second branch won’t let it rest with your main branch," the plump elderly woman cursed.

"He’s got his own hands and feet to support himself. Who needs your family’s money? How much money does your family have anyway, for my son-in-law to covet?" Lady Liu sneered.

"That unreasonable Hu, who in the village doesn’t know her? Maybe she sent her son here to move the Liu Family’s money," the plump elderly woman sneered back.

Aunt Liu pointed at Lady Liu, sneering, "Sister-in-law, your son hasn’t been born yet and you brought in a live-in son-in-law. His intentions are clear, coveting your money, but how much could that be? His aim is the entire Liu Family."

Lady Liu was trembling with anger, "You... you..., Aunt, weren’t you the one who set up Da Niu and Shuangcheng? If that family’s no good, and Shuangcheng’s no good, why did you matchmake? And now you blame that family, what do you mean?"

Second Lady Liu also said, "Second Aunt, Aunt, if you want Da Niu and Shuangcheng to divorce, just say it outright. Why attack Da Niu like this?"

The plump woman and Aunt Liu both turned pale and looked unnatural.

"Oh, so after all this fuss, you were deliberately match making? Just to see Da Niu marry and divorce, to be laughed at as a rejected one? Did we offend you somehow, for you to harm us like this?" Lady Liu was shaking with anger.

Aunt Liu blushed, "Isn’t it because Da Niu can’t have children, I felt sorry for her. Besides, Hu wasn’t that excessive back then. Why blame me? Why not blame your daughter for being childless?"

Lady Liu’s face turned green with rage, "My daughter can have children! Pah! Before my daughter got married, how did you know she couldn’t have children?"

Aunt Liu sneered, "Then let her have a baby."

The plump woman laughed, "Married for three years, not a hair of a baby seen, can she even have a fart?"

"Whether my daughter can have children is none of your damn business! Insult my daughter again and I’ll hack you!" Liu Laoda shouted, wielding a hatchet and charged at the women.

Terrified, the women turned and ran, forgetting to take the child with them.

The little boy, seeing his mother and grandmother abandon him, burst into loud wails.

Li Yuzhu pulled him aside, patted his head, "Go home, these are adult matters. Be careful, you might get hurt. Next time they bring you to a fight, don’t come."

The little boy recognized Li Yuzhu as the person who saved him at the market the day before.

He blinked at Li Yuzhu, nodded, wiped his eyes, and ran off.

With the other side gone, the argument died away.

The villagers who had gathered to watch slowly dispersed.

Second Lady Liu tugged on Lady Liu’s arm, "Sister-in-law, let’s go home."

Lady Liu was still shaking with anger.

Li Yuzhu walked over, "Don’t be upset, Aunt Liu. It’s not worth hurting your health over."

Lady Liu glanced at her and sheepishly said, "Oh, it’s Miss Li, you’re in the village?"

Li Yuzhu replied, "I went to Grandpa Qin’s to buy fish baskets, passing by here on my way to the Chai Family’s old house."

"Let’s go, standing here makes us a laughingstock," Liu Laoda said, hands behind his back, marching towards home.

Second Lady Liu also guided Lady Liu towards home.

Li Yuzhu thought for a bit and followed along.

As soon as Liu Laoda and Lady Liu entered the house, they started arguing.

"It’s all your fault, bringing in a live-in son-in-law," Liu Laoda shouted, "Now the second branch found an excuse to scold us."

"I... I... wasn’t I just worried about Da Niu?" Lady Liu said, feeling wronged.

"If you cared about her, you should’ve found another family to marry her off to. Marrying that useless man — will her life ever get better?" Liu Laoda scolded.

"But they care for each other, what can you do? Force them apart?" Lady Liu sighed.

Li Yuzhu walked into the main room, "I overheard, Da Niu’s aunt and second aunt worry because Da Niu hasn’t had children, fearing Hu Shuangcheng might bully her, and they worry he might take advantage of you. But I think these worries are unnecessary; they will have children."

Liu Laoda and Lady Liu both turned to look at her, "How do you know, Miss Li?"

How did she know? Because she was a healer.

"Oh, because I checked their pulses separately — they have no health issues," Li Yuzhu made up a story, "If you don’t believe it, wait and see in a month."