"Your aunt said that Constable Zhou and his gang over in Taicang have probably made enough money. His father-in-law is notorious for being ruthless."

In the evening, when Lian Shouxin came back from work, the family was having dinner. Lady Zhang mentioned this to Lian Shouxin in front of Lian Zhizhi, Lian Manman, and Xiao Qi.

"It’s good they are back," Lian Shouxin said, "I’ve heard about Constable Zhou and his father-in-law’s reputation. Especially his father-in-law, who is known to extract Copper Coins from even the smallest scraps, is notorious for valuing money over lives. It’s only because he’s slick and knows how to spend money on the higher-ups that he hasn’t gotten into trouble all these years... His second uncle and the others may seem clever with us, but in front of them, they’re nothing... Without anyone leading them astray, things will be better."

"Given his behavior, if there’s still some profit to be squeezed out, why did he come back now?" Lian Manman blurted out, "If he was sick and had no choice but to return, isn’t he recovered now? Why not go back quickly?"

Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang exchanged a peculiar glance.

They knew the reason, but they couldn’t say it. They were not yet aware that Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman already knew about Zhao Xiue.

A particular thought in Lian Manman’s mind became clearer. Without Zhao Xiue’s issue, the only reason Constable Zhou and his gang would return now was that continuing to exploit Taicang would be dangerous.

"Perhaps something happened in Taicang," Lian Shouxin said vaguely, avoiding the real reason, "Constable Zhou and his group, being old hands at the Yamen, saw something amiss and decided to quit."

"What could have happened that we don’t know about? If Constable Zhou is scared, why aren’t my uncles?" Lian Manman asked persistently.

Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang were both a bit embarrassed.

"... What are they afraid of, aren’t they relying on Old Master Zheng’s family..." Lady Zhang muttered, "Manman, don’t just talk, weren’t you planning to eat fish? Does the fish your mother made not taste good?"

Clearly, this was a diversion to prevent Lian Manman from continuing her inquiry.

"It’s delicious." Lian Manman smiled, lowering her head to eat the fish.

...

By August, the sky was high and the clouds were light, and the heat in the air had long dissipated. The occasional breeze was noticeably cooler. There was still some time before the harvest, making this the last relatively relaxed period for ordinary farmers before the autumn harvest.

However, Lian Manman’s family had already entered the harvest mode early.

The lotus seeds, Gorgon fruit, and water caltrops in the Lotus Pond were ripe, and the last batch needed to be harvested completely. The lotus roots beneath the pond’s water were also ready for gathering.

As soon as the new lotus roots were dug up, orders came pouring in. Among the buyers were shopkeepers from various big restaurants, stewards from wealthy households, and businessmen who had profited from reselling lotus pods and fresh water caltrops.

Lian Manman only allowed a portion of the lotus roots to be dug out, refusing to harvest any more.

"There’s no shortage of vegetables at this time; our lotus roots are mainly for fresh consumption. We’ll sell some now and keep the rest in the pond until right before the frost. By then, with no fresh vegetables, our lotus roots will fetch a better price. Also, digging them out then will allow them to be stored longer," Lian Manman explained her plan.

The entire family had no objections.

"Sis, how much are we selling the lotus roots per pound?" Xiao Qi asked.

Regarding the lotus root pricing, while selling lotus seeds, Gorgon fruit, and water caltrops, Lian Manman had thought it over and consulted with Wu Yugui, Wu Jiaxing, and Shopkeeper Wu from the town.

"Let’s set it at twenty Wen Money per pound for now," Lian Manman said, after adjusting the abacus beads.

As winter approached, depending on how sales went, they could increase the unit price by a few Wen Money.

"With the number of orders coming in these past two days, the lotus roots we’ve dug won’t be enough to meet demand. I’m really a bit troubled about who to sell them to," Lian Shouxin said.

"Priority goes to those buying lotus roots for personal use; resellers come later," Lian Manman said without hesitation, "Priority is also given to those who have paid deposits first... Control the quantity slightly to accommodate more buyers."

"Alright." Lian Shouxin nodded.

Lian Shouxin had been busy these days, working with the long-term workers in the Lotus Pond, receiving batches of buyers looking for lotus roots, and occasionally tending to Lian’s. He was quite exhausted.

"Mom, Dad’s been really worn out these past few days, let’s make something extra for him tonight," Lian Manman said with a smile to Lady Zhang as she put away the abacus and ledger.

"Sure thing, what do you feel like eating, Dad?" Lady Zhang asked Lian Shouxin.

"Anything is fine, I’m not picky," Lian Shouxin replied.

"How about this," Lian Manman began planning, "Let’s go to town for two pounds of good ribs, and we haven’t had much of our own lotus roots yet, so tonight we’ll have ribs stewed with lotus roots."

"Great." Xiao Qi’s big eyes turned into crescents as he smiled.

"Alright." Lian Shouxin readily agreed upon seeing his young daughter’s suggestion and his son’s love for it.

"I noticed the shrimp in our fish pond is about ready too, why don’t we scoop some out for dinner? Mom, remember the boiled shrimp I mentioned to you the other day, can you make it?"

"I can." Lady Zhang nodded, "From what you told me, it doesn’t seem hard. Just remind me of the recipe when we start... Shouldn’t we wait for your brother before eating?"

"No problem then," Lian Manman said, "We’ll have a taste first. There are plenty of shrimp in the pond. When my brother gets back, we’ll try different ways of cooking them."

As they were talking, the sound of firecrackers came from outside.

****...*****

The first update is up, looking for your pink votes. There will be a second update tonight. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com with recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)