Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 206: Quite a Stir

Translator: 549690339

After sending her father-in-law and mother-in-law away, Su Wenyue felt much more relaxed. Considering the unrest in the town due to the monetary reform in recent days, she couldn’t delay the matter with Feng Susu and her child any longer. She immediately asked Xiao Xi to take two caretakers to bring Feng Susu and her child over.

When Feng Susu and her child arrived, their complexions were not great, and their clothes were somewhat disheveled. It turned out that due to the Currency Reform, the number of homeless people had increased, and even the Ruined Temple where Feng Susu and her child lived had become a sought-after place. Many homeless people had come to settle in the temple, leading to a conflict over territory. Feng Susu and her child looked to be the weaker party and naturally became targets. Feng Susu and her child were not the type to be easily bullied, and as a result, they clashed with those trying to seize their place.

By the time Xiao Xi and the others arrived, Feng Susu had fallen to the ground in a sorry state, and An Tai was resolutely fighting with a middle-aged man. Fortunately, they arrived just in time, otherwise, An Tai’s facial injuries would have been more than just scratches.

“This is really something. Aunt, An Tai, are you both alright? Are you injured anywhere? Should I call a doctor to check on you?” asked Su Wenyue with concern, her gaze falling on Feng Susu and her child. They seemed to be mostly unharmed.

“Lady Yue, rest assured, there’s no need for a doctor. We just have some minor external injuries; it’s nothing serious,” Feng Susu hurriedly waved her hand when she heard Su Wenyue mention calling a doctor, afraid of causing her any more trouble.

Seeing Feng Susu react this way, Su Wenyue didn’t want to add to her mental burden, so she didn’t insist, “Alright then, Xiao Xi, take them to their room first and let Aunt and An Tai clean themselves up.”

From then on, Feng Susu and her child stayed at the Han Family home. Feng Susu was someone who honored her word, and having promised to teach Su Wenyue her pickling skills, she indeed dedicated herself to teaching. Shu Qin was passionate about cooking, and spending every day with Feng Susu, their relationship became even warmer. Su Wenyue herself had higher culinary skills than Shu Qin, and her occasional tips were greatly beneficial to Shu Qin.

“Madam, this year’s harvest is still good. The vegetables and fruits we planted in the field behind our home have grown well. We certainly won’t be able to finish them, and it would be a pity to let them go to waste. Should we sell some?” Grandma Chen, who was assisting Su Wenyue in the management of both the kitchen and the vegetable field, suggested to her. Besides the commonly seen vegetables, they also planted some seedlings transplanted from the Zhuangzi that were new varieties introduced from the outer domain; they could fetch a good price if sold.

“No need. Partly process them into dried vegetables, and pickle everything else that cannot be dried. With so many people around, there’s no worry about lack of hands to do the work,” said Su Wenyue, who had Feng Susu move into the Han Family because she truly intended to utilize Feng Susu’s skills. Although Shu Qin’s skills were not bad, her pickles always lacked something. Even Su Wenyue, who had been skilled in cooking in her previous life, had failed to figure out what was missing. With Feng Susu’s assistance, the taste of the pickles would definitely be good—not only for their own consumption but also to give as gifts.

Speaking of giving away several jars of pickles, that was nothing to be ashamed of. It all depended on the manner in which they were presented. As long as the craftsmanship was good and the presentation was attractive, they would be popular. In her previous life, Consort Li had not even entered the palace before opening several stores, one of which, specializing in pickles, became famous in the upper-class circle—a single jar of pickles could fetch an “exorbitant price.”

Being well aware of her experiences from her previous life, Su Wenyue naturally knew that selling vegetables for a bunch of depreciating currency was not worth it. Currency reform would not be just a one-time event, and money would continue to depreciate. It was better to process the surplus vegetables into pickles or dried goods. Properly packaged, they appeared high-end and classy, definitely presenting well, and for a very long time to come, food would be the most precious commodity, often more welcome than gold and silverware as gifts in most places.

Grandma Chen was not aware of Su Wenyue’s thoughts and was somewhat puzzled; after all, not having experienced it, one could hardly imagine how difficult life would become, and most families would be doing well just to have enough to eat.

“Madam, making all these pickles, I’m afraid we won’t be able to finish them,” Grandma Chen stated, thinking the madam was simply acting on a whim, and her fondness for the pickles was the reason they were making so many.

“If we can’t finish them, we can give them away. Don’t worry, mother, I have my reasons for what I do. Just carry out my instructions,” Su Wenyue said and then remembered that they did not have enough jars at home to make the pickles, so she sent Xiao Xi into the town to commission the production of a batch, with the designs personally drawn by her.

“It’s okay if the price is a bit higher. Make sure they make the jars attractive, just according to this design,” Su Wenyue cautioned, worried Xiao Xi might compromise the quality of the jars in an attempt to save her some silver. She also specified a few requirements, insisting on the jars being aesthetically pleasing and elegantly made.

“I understand, madam. Don’t worry, I’ll handle the task well,” replied Xiao Xi, who was not new to running errands for Su Wenyue and whom Su Wenyue trusted to get the job done.

However, although Xiao Xi took the silver to make the purchase, the job was not completely settled. The kiln owner said they could produce the jars according to their specifications but he would not accept silver for the deposit, only food. With the recent Currency Reform, the value of currency was declining, whereas tangible food was seen as more reliable, staving off the fear of sudden devaluation.

These days, food was precious to every family. In the past, Xiao Xi might have made the decision on her own, but today, he decided to return and consult with Su Wenyue first. So they sent a portion of the food as a deposit and would exchange the rest after the jars were ready.

Su Wenyue was not short of food. Knowing the future development, she had prepared early, stocking up several granaries full of food and spending all her silver. Additionally, the Zhuangzi also produced a large quantity of crops, so there was no need to buy food from outside. The Su Family also stored a considerable amount of food, having more silver on hand and therefore managing to make a much larger provision than Su Wenyue.

“Those fruits and vegetables from the Zhuangzi should be treated the same—preserve what can be kept in the cellar, and process the rest into dried vegetables or pickles. There’s no need to sell them,” instructed Su Wenyue. Considering convenience, once things here were settled, she specifically sent Shu Qin and Xiao Xi to take charge of these responsibilities at the Zhuangzi. Feng Susu alone was enough to handle affairs at home; Su Wenyue did not plan to let Feng Susu know too much about the Zhuangzi operations.

These days, Han Yu had also been busy. The chaos caused by the currency reform could not be managed by the limited force at the Yamen alone, and the military camp also had to dispatch troops to maintain law and order. But even in his busyness, he had not neglected his pregnant daughter-in-law at home, aware that she had been quite active these days.