Lian Xiuxiu, seeing Lady Zhou like this, fell silent.

"Second Aunt, it’s your turn," Lian Manman turned to Lady He.

Lady He looked around; if she were smart, she wouldn’t have come forward at this time. But Lady He couldn’t bear to lose the work money, with a few hundred Wen Money each month, she could probably buy quite a bit of snacks, and even splurge on a few sauced pig’s feet to enjoy for a couple of meals.

"Alright, I’ll do it," Lady He walked over. She was much more straightforward than Lian Xiuxiu, and with a clattering, she chopped up a pile of cabbage strips in no time. "How’s that, my cuts are almost as good as Old Fourth’s wife’s, right?"

The whole room fell into an eerie silence.

Anyone with eyes could tell that what Lady He had cut could never pass as cabbage strips, they should be called cabbage slabs, with the thinnest being as thick as Lian Manman’s fingers.

"With these, can grandpa and grandma chew them if they were pickled into sauerkraut?" Lian Manman asked.

Sauerkraut must be finely shredded to be delicious after stewing. If the sauerkraut strips are thick, they won’t stew well, won’t absorb flavors easily, and will have a poor texture in the mouth. Moreover, everyone knows that if Lady He’s "sauerkraut slabs" were served at a table, people would die of laughter.

"I think it’s almost okay," Lian Shouyi said nonchalantly with a wave of his hand, defending Lady He. "Old Fourth, your workshop pickles so much sauerkraut every day, the ones your second sister-in-law has cut would just disappear into it. It won’t affect sales."

Lian Manman laughed in anger. That was just too irresponsible. Right, the workshop wasn’t his, he wouldn’t lose anything if its reputation went down.

"Big Brother, I don’t know about other families, but our family can’t do such things. We don’t eat it ourselves yet sell it to others? I’m afraid of being talked behind my back," Lian Shouxin said.

"Old Fourth, how can you speak like that?" Lian Shouyi’s eyes widened in anger.

"Stop the clamor," Old Master Lian tapped his smoking pipe on the edge of the bed. "The two of you better not enter the workshop for now, going there would just mess things up for Old Fourth. It’s not easy for Old Fourth’s family, if you can’t help, don’t add to the trouble."

"Dad..."

Lian Shouyi still wanted to speak but was silenced by a glare from Old Master Lian.

"That’s enough, let’s disperse," Old Master Lian said.

"Grandpa, Old Aunt and Second Aunt are our own family. Let them practice well at home, and when they can cut good cabbage strips, they can come work at the workshop," Lian Manman said with a smile. "That’s also what my parents think."

Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang both nodded in agreement.

"Good," Old Master Lian also smiled.

...

After everyone dispersed, Lady Zhou still sat on the bed with a glum face.

"... I’ve been tricked by that wench again," Lady Zhou suddenly said after a while. She had just figured out that the so-called test proposed by Lian Manman was simply meant to embarrass Lian Xiuxiu and Lady He, and by extension, her as well. It was hateful that she had been backed into a corner by Lian Manman’s words and had to agree.

Lady Zhou gritted her teeth with fury.

"Stop always thinking of crooked tricks, think of something proper," Old Master Lian, squinting his eyes and leaning against the wall, advised. "From now on, stop spoiling Xiuxiu. She needs to do what she’s supposed to do. She lost face at home today; if she loses face outside tomorrow, you’ll have to cry about it."

"Mom!" Lian Xiuxiu clung to Lady Zhou and acted coquettishly, still shooting a dissatisfied glance at Old Master Lian.

Lady Zhou looked down at Lian Xiuxiu and was about to argue back at Old Master Lian, but try as she might, she could not come up with anything to say. Suddenly, she choked up and started coughing violently. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

...

In the West Wing Room, Lian Manman was applying ointment behind Lady Zhang’s ear.

"Mom, look at your injury!" Lian Manman said while turning to berate Lian Shouxin. "Dad, you were right there, how could you let my mom get hurt?"

Lian Shouxin looked at the wound behind Lady Zhang’s ear, also feeling very distressed.

"It’s all my fault."

"Grandma really went hard on Mom, her heart is really cold. All these years, what has Mom done to deserve this!" Lian Zhizhi said.

Lian Shouxin was silent.

"Not letting your Old Aunt and Second Aunt work at the workshop really offended Grandma," Lady Zhang said.

"Offended then offended, she can dream about getting into our workshop," Lian Manman retorted. The workshop was her first "brick and mortar business," although calling it a brick and mortar business was an exaggeration. Small as it was, as a first step, it was very important, and they might venture into even bigger businesses in the future. Lian Manman had been watching with cold eyes these past days and had seen the true nature of the Lian Family members. She was determined to nip in the bud any ideas Lady Zhou and the others might have of meddling in their business. She must not give in an inch, otherwise, endless troubles would follow.

Just like, if Lady He and Lian Xiuxiu were allowed into the workshop, everyone knew those two couldn’t work, but Lian Manman was more worried they would turn the workshop into a mess.

Of course, there was also a bit of personal sentiment from Lian Manman. She found Lady He sloppy, and she would never eat the food Lady He cooked.

As for Lian Xiuxiu, well, she was sorry. Lian Xiuxiu might be Lady Zhou’s precious pearl, but in Lian Manman’s eyes, Lian Xiuxiu was the culprit behind Lady Zhang’s injury and the unborn baby’s death. Lian Manman not making things difficult for her was already generous; there was no way she would simply give her money.

The test was to shut Old Master Lian up and to embarrass Lady Zhou, Lian Xiuxiu, and Lady He. They brought it upon themselves; Lian Xiuxiu and Lady He slapped their own faces, and by extension, Lady Zhou’s too.

...

Lady Zhou’s uproar did not affect the operation of the Pickled Vegetable Workshop. Because Lady Zhang was injured, the wives who came to work asked with concern. Thinking of the Lian Family’s reputation, Lady Zhang let the matter pass with just a brief mention, saying little. However, secrets in the countryside cannot be hidden, and people still found out about it. They refrained from discussing it in front of her out of respect for Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang.

Lady Zhou never brought up letting Lady He and Lian Xiuxiu work in the workshop again, because Lian Shouren had returned from the county. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)