In a courtyard, where they lived, the commotion caused by setting up the Pickled Vegetable Workshop wasn’t small; the Upper Room of Old Master Lian, Lady Zhou, as well as the people from the second and third branches, all knew about it.

Lian Shouxin, along with Lady Zhang, and a few children went to the Upper Room and explained the situation to Old Master Lian in detail.

"It could indeed be a way to make money," Old Master Lian muttered, slowly nodding his head after hearing Lian Shouxin’s explanation. In the past, during winter, some families would pick a few of their pickled vegetables and take them to sell in town to those who hadn’t pickled their own. But there had never been an operation on such a large scale as theirs.

"Shopkeeper Wu wants our products; we won’t worry about selling the pickled vegetables," Old Master Lian thought for a moment, then said, "You are both buying supplies and hiring workers, which will cost money. It’s best to establish a written agreement with Shopkeeper Wu, that way it’s more secure."

Old Master Lian was a careful man; he was worried that Shopkeeper Wu might suddenly back out, leaving Lian Shouxin with unsold pickled vegetables and a loss.

Old Master Lian was genuinely planning for the benefit of his son’s family.

"You are an honest and upright child; I have dealt with Shopkeeper Wu and Big Boss Woo a couple of times, and I see that they are reliable traders. But in business, making a written agreement is only proper," Old Master Lian added, drawing on his dry pipe.

"Father’s right, we should have a written agreement," Lian Shouxin hastily agreed.

Lian Manman had been considering this matter as well, and her heart agreed completely when Old Master Lian voiced it first.

"To write an agreement we would need to find someone else; why not save the trouble, and have Grandfather write it for us?" Lian Manman said. Old Master Lian, who had been a Store Manager and could write beautiful calligraphy, was clearly knowledgeable. Writing an agreement should be no problem for him.

"Good," Lian Shouxin immediately replied, "Dad, we’ll have to trouble you with this."

"Grandpa, when I go to town and people know I’m from the Lian Family, they all tell me how well Grandpa writes. I haven’t seen it myself, but this time I might finally witness it," Lian Manman said with a smile.

A smile spread across Old Master Lian’s face.

"Everyone’s just giving me face... Ah, but it’s been a long while since I last picked up a brush."

By saying this, Old Master Lian had agreed.

After chatting a while longer with Old Master Lian, the family left the Upper Room in high spirits. Lian Manman also helped Old Master Lian roll his tobacco leaves, being the last to leave. As she stepped into the outer room, she ran into Lian Xiuxiu, who was busily working by the stove.

"All full of excitement! Obsessed with money to the point of madness, and now thinking of getting rich by selling pickled vegetables!" Lian Xiuxiu turned her head and saw Lian Manman, showing no warmth as she indignantly threw two potatoes she was holding into a nearby dustpan. The dustpan contained ashes scooped from the stove; the potatoes’ impact sent the ashes flying everywhere. It turned out she had been cooking potatoes in the stove.

Lian Manman realized that her mouth had been upturned the whole time and, thinking back, her family had all been smiling happily while talking with Old Master Lian.

All this had soured Lian Xiuxiu’s mood.

However, Lian Manman was not Lian Xiuxiu’s mother; why should she care whether Lian Xiuxiu was happy or not?

"Older cousin, you’ve got a speck of ’morning misfortune’ on your face," Lian Manman pointed at Lian Xiuxiu’s face. ’Morning misfortune’ was a local expression for eye boogers.

Lian Xiuxiu subconsciously reached for her face. Her hands, still covered in ash from scooping the potatoes, now left streaks of grey on her face.

Lian Manman chuckled to herself and, paying no further attention to Lian Xiuxiu, skipped merrily out of the Upper Room’s door.

By the time Lian Manman was nearly at the West Wing Room’s entrance, Lian Xiuxiu hadn’t felt any ’morning misfortune’ on her face. After running inside to check a mirror, she realized she had been tricked by Lian Manman and immediately rushed out to settle accounts with her.

"Lian Manman, there wasn’t any ’morning misfortune’ on my face."

By this time, Lian Manman had long returned to the West Wing Room and even closed the door. Lian Xiuxiu wanted to confront Lian Manman, but felt somewhat intimidated and stood by the Upper Room’s door shouting, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Old Master Lian yelled at her to get back in her room. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Don’t provoke your older cousin; she has a bad temper," Lady Zhang said.

"I didn’t provoke her, really," Lian Manman replied as she took a clean, big pear from Lady Zhang’s hands, biting into it with a crunch, and said cheerfully, "Mom, let’s think about the preparations for starting the workshop tomorrow."

Her words immediately and successfully shifted Lady Zhang’s attention.

......

The next day, the Lian Family’s Pickled Vegetable Workshop began operation. Lady Zhang hired ten women from their village to work, and after some thought, Lian Manman divided them into two shifts of five each— one in the morning and one in the afternoon.