Liu Xiaomei’s family was also making spicy cabbage.

She had also listened to Juhua and planted a lot of extra napa cabbage.

The Liu family had little land, so Fatty Liu naturally used it all for wheat. There was no spare field for napa cabbage. They had, however, set aside a plot in their vegetable garden for it. In any case, few vegetables grew in winter, leaving some usable empty patches.

Liu Sanshun, however, had taken notice.

He was an enterprising person. ’Juhua’s family sold some spicy cabbage last year,’ he thought, ’and it might sell even better this year. It can’t be wrong to listen to her and plant extra. Even if it doesn’t sell, our family still needs vegetables to eat.’ 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

So, with no land available, he persuaded his second brother to join him in tilling a paddy field. They dug deep furrows between the ridges and started planting napa cabbage.

After planting, he frequently tended to the water and soil, making sure the field didn’t get waterlogged so the cabbage could grow as if it were on dry land.

With such meticulous care, he actually succeeded in growing them.

When it was time to make the spicy cabbage, Liu Sanshun said proudly to his family, "How about that? Didn’t we succeed? And we didn’t even take up any fields—the main fields are still growing wheat. If we can sell this cabbage for money, it’ll be pure extra profit."

Liu Xiaomei nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. She praised her Third Brother for his cleverness, saying the spicy cabbage would definitely sell. Last time, Juhua’s family had sold over two hundred jin.

Hearing this, Liu Ershun and Liu Sishun grinned happily and started calculating together how much of a harvest they could get from this plot.

Liu Xiaomei reminded them not to talk about it outside. Juhua had said the pickling recipe was a secret. They could figure out a way to get the whole village to plant napa cabbage next year, but talking about it now would just needlessly offend people.

The Liu brothers nodded hastily in agreement.

Seeing his sons’ smug expressions, Fatty Liu pursed his lips and said, "Don’t go thinking you’re so smart. You think everyone else is a fool? That they don’t know planting more means harvesting more? They’re just afraid the land can’t take it. Normally, you plant one crop and let the land rest in the winter so it can recover. But with all your fussing, you plant rice in the summer, then napa cabbage in the autumn and winter. The land never gets a moment’s rest. How can it stay healthy? Even a person couldn’t stand it—we get to rest at home in the winter! Some meticulous farmers will plant for a year and let the fields rest for a whole year. That way, they don’t exhaust the land. If you don’t have enough fertilizer for the fields next year, the rice definitely won’t grow well. Let’s see if you’re still blinded by this quick silver then."

The Liu brothers’ faces changed. On second thought, they realized he was right.

Liu Sanshun thought for a moment and said, "Dad, don’t worry too much. We have two more pigs, so we have more pig manure. Next year, we’ll just put extra fertilizer on this field to replenish the soil."

Fatty Liu nodded. "I’m not saying you can’t plant napa cabbage. I just want you to understand that there are no free lunches in this world. If you plant an extra crop, you have to add extra fertilizer. Otherwise, even if you profit now, you’ll end up losing in the long run."

This time, even Liu Xiaomei nodded along.

After being lectured by his dad, Liu Sanshun didn’t dare try to be clever anymore. He began to earnestly consider other ways to earn money.

Why had he become so anxious, you ask?

On one hand, none of the brothers were engaged yet, so of course, they had to work hard. On the other hand, it was because of Juhua.

Ever since he had started developing feelings for Juhua, he had begun paying close attention to her. And as soon as he did, he realized something was wrong.

In the past, Zhang Huai was good friends with Qingmu, and the two often hung out together. He never thought anything of it. But now, he didn’t see it that way anymore. Since he himself was paying attention to Juhua, it was easy for him to notice Zhang Huai’s unusual feelings for her, which made him furious.

’You were the one who said you didn’t want to marry Juhua. What are you doing cozying up to her now?’

His heart ached at the thought.

He couldn’t be sure what Juhua felt for Zhang Huai. After all, the two of them had interacted more in the past. It was different for him; he had only seen Juhua a few times growing up and had barely exchanged a few words with her. It was only last year, when his sister became friends with Juhua, that he started to have any contact with her.

He watched Mei’s nimble fingers making the spicy cabbage and thought about how this dish was also something Juhua had come up with. He secretly made a resolution in his heart: he had to compete with Huai Zi.

’Huai Zi said those things. I refuse to believe Juhua doesn’t care about it at all. As long as I’m hardworking and diligent, and completely devoted to Juhua, she will eventually see my good qualities.’

’I’m San Jiangzi, after all! I never admit defeat. Why wouldn’t I dare to compete with a guy like Huai Zi?’

Love is a strange emotion; it can transform a person!

Some people become dark, resorting to any means necessary. Others use it to discover boundless wisdom and courage, achieving a higher state of being. And still others become lost in it, losing their own way.