And since killing them outright wasn’t an option, she figured it was best not to leave them physically crippled in that way.
Yu Jin quietly let out a sigh of relief.
So she wasn’t actually going to do it—what a relief.
Otherwise, she felt her elder sister would dirty her hands by dealing with such things. Her sister didn’t need to stoop to such indignity.
—
After what had happened, neither of the sisters had the mood to continue wandering around and returned directly to the butcher’s shop.
As soon as they entered, the fragrant aroma of meat filled the air.
Lunch was already prepared. Zhang Yaoping and Uncle Luo were moving a table to the shade under the eaves, then placing dishes of braised meat, sauerkraut tofu fish stew, stir-fried vegetables, and pickled side dishes on the table.
Today’s meal was particularly sumptuous. The braised meat alone filled a large pot, and the sauerkraut tofu fish stew was served in a big basin.
The staple food was lo mein, also served in a large pot, along with a basket of steamed buns bought from the neighboring bun shop. They were mainly worried that Yu Li wouldn’t have enough to eat, so they had bought extra buns.
Everyone was present and greeted the sisters when they returned, inviting them to join for lunch.
Yu Li took her sister to wash their hands, and then they sat down at the table together.
The meal was lively, with no strict rules about keeping quiet while eating. Everyone spoke freely about whatever came to mind.
Zhang Fu laughed and encouraged everyone to eat more meat. He turned to Yu Li and said, “Li Niang, it’s rare for you to have lunch with us here. Eat more, and make sure your sister eats plenty too.” Then he asked, “Where did you two wander off to earlier? Did your second sister decide what kind of business she’d like to do?”
When Yu Jin heard him ask where they had gone earlier, her expression froze slightly.
Although she had been methodical and composed when threatening the two yamen officers earlier, thinking back now, she was shocked at her own boldness and felt a belated sense of nervousness.
Zhang Fu and Tu Laoda were both observant and quickly noticed her discomfort.
Yu Li responded, “We went to the dock earlier and ran into some trouble.”
She then recounted the incident with the injured dock worker.
Everyone’s expressions turned grim. Zhang Yaoping even cursed, “That so-called county magistrate’s brother-in-law—he’s nothing but a bully riding on the coattails of his sister, who’s just a concubine in the magistrate’s residence. Does he ever stop to think about how his family used to live no better than the people he’s now oppressing?”
Why is it that people, once they gain some power, always feel the need to oppress and exploit those who were once their equals?
Uncle Luo handed him a piece of meat and told him to eat and not get so worked up.
The trouble at the dock was well known to them. Ever since Steward Cui became the manager there, the dock workers’ lives had grown increasingly difficult, with their earnings dwindling.
Unfortunately, most of them lacked other skills and couldn’t find alternative livelihoods.
They had families to support, and the costs of food, clothing, and daily necessities required money. Silently enduring the exploitation was their only option—they still managed to earn a little in the end, enough to scrape by.
Seeing that Yu Jin’s face didn’t look well, everyone assumed she was frightened by the incident and refrained from asking further questions out of consideration.
After lunch, Yu Li took her sister and left.
Tu Laoda accompanied them on the way back to the village.
They walked together out of the city.
Once they were outside, Tu Laoda asked, “Li Niang, Jin Niang, you two didn’t run into any trouble earlier, did you?”
Despite his gruff exterior, he was keenly perceptive and felt that Yu Jin’s expression earlier was unusual. It didn’t seem to be entirely because of the injured dock worker—there must have been something else.
Yu Jin lowered her head nervously, avoiding his gaze.
She was still young and couldn’t completely conceal her feelings after experiencing such events. Hearing his question caught her off guard, and she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Sure enough, seeing her reaction only solidified Tu Laoda’s suspicions that they must have encountered some sort of trouble.
Yu Li did not hide anything and told Tu Laoda about what had happened earlier.
She trusted him.
Tu Laoda was someone who knew how to repay kindness—he had been especially attentive to her because she had once saved Xuan Huaiqing. His character was upright, and even if she told him, she didn’t worry about him exposing the matter.
When he heard her say she had crippled the legs of the county magistrate’s concubine’s brother, Tu Laoda stared at her in shock, his eyes wide.
He looked at her dumbfounded, as though he couldn’t process what he had just heard.
Yu Jin hadn’t expected her sister to tell Tu Laoda about this, but she wouldn’t question Yu Li’s decision. She quickly defended her sister, saying, “Uncle Luo, it was that Steward Cui who was out of line. He actually had the audacity to take a liking to my sister and wanted to, to…”
Her anger flared up again as she spoke.
Tu Laoda’s expression also darkened with displeasure, and he said to Yu Li, “Li Niang, you did the right thing.”
Yu Jin froze, surprised by his reaction.
She had thought he might think her sister had been too impulsive. Although she had expected him to side with her sister, she hadn’t anticipated him outright approving of her actions.
Tu Laoda glanced at Yu Jin and silently thought to himself that it seemed Li Niang’s younger sister wasn’t aware of her true capabilities.
Although he had initially taken care of Yu Li out of gratitude for her saving Young Master Xuan, he had gradually come to realize that she was quite formidable, giving him an unfathomable impression.
Tu Laoda trusted his instincts. Even though he hadn’t seen Yu Li do anything other than slaughter pigs, he inexplicably felt certain of her strength.
She was extraordinary.
He even had the illusion that if he ever had to face off against her, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
“You two don’t need to worry about this matter,” Tu Laoda said with a smile. “As Jin Niang mentioned, those two yamen officers were accomplices. To avoid County Magistrate Zhang holding them accountable, they definitely won’t let that Cui fellow leak this matter. They’ll even keep a close watch on the Cui family.”
Tu Laoda could already imagine Steward Cui’s fate.
Never underestimate the darkness and selfishness of human nature, especially when those two yamen officers had families to provide for.
For the sake of themselves and their families, they would take even harsher and colder measures.
Yu Li gave a faint nod.
Yu Jin, who had been feeling a bit anxious, finally relaxed.
She clenched her fists quietly, her resolve strengthening.
After finishing this topic, Tu Laoda turned to ask Yu Jin about what kind of business she wanted to pursue. After hearing her ideas, he nodded approvingly and said, “Jin Niang, that’s a good idea. Mixed-grain rice balls are filling, affordable, and will definitely attract many customers. If you want to sell braised offal, you can come to the butcher shop to get it. We usually give away the offal as a freebie, but if you need it, we won’t charge you anything, considering Li Niang’s connection.”
“How could that be okay?” Yu Jin shook her head, unwilling to take advantage of them.
Tu Laoda laughed and said, “What’s the harm? Even if you were to pay, offal only costs ten wen per set—it’s not worth much.”
Seeing no point in haggling over such a small amount, Tu Laoda quickly made the decision on Zhang Fu’s behalf, telling her to feel free to come and take some.
He added, “If you’re busy, you can have Li Niang bring it back for you.”
Yu Li nodded. “I can do that.”
After all, she went to the county town every day, so it wouldn’t be any trouble to bring her sister a set of offal on her way back.
Yu Jin was visibly moved. “Thank you, Uncle Tu.”
Uncle Tu truly was a good man. Despite looking like a bandit, he had a kind heart. No wonder he’d helped her elder sister by introducing her to job opportunities.
As they neared the village entrance, Tu Laoda suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned to Yu Li and said, “Oh, right, I’ll be heading to the prefectural city tomorrow. Qing Ge’er has something for me to take care of, so I won’t be going to the county town with you.”
He wasn’t always at the butcher shop. Occasionally, he would go elsewhere—sometimes hunting in the mountains, other times visiting the prefectural city.
The prefectural city was the place he frequented the most. He claimed to go there to visit friends, and it seemed like he had many friends in the prefectural city.
Who these friends were and why they kept needing him was unclear.
Yu Li, accustomed to this, simply replied, “Got it.” She then asked, “Has his leg injury healed?”
“It healed last month,” Tu Laoda replied, looking slightly sheepish. “He actually wanted to come thank you himself, but something came up, and he couldn’t leave.”
Yu Li responded with a simple “Oh,” not giving the matter much thought.
When Tu Laoda headed up a different path into the mountains, Yu Li and Yu Jin continued toward the village entrance.
Yu Jin asked curiously, “Big Sister, who’s that Qing Ge’er? How do you know him?”
She had never heard of this Qing Ge’er person before.
“He’s one of Uncle Tu’s friends from the prefectural city,” Yu Li replied. “I saved him in the mountains once. He had injured his leg and couldn’t walk.”
Yu Jin let out an “Oh,” letting the explanation pass without further thought, and her mind quickly shifted to thinking about business.
Tu Laoda had assured them they didn’t need to worry and encouraged her to start her business in the county town whenever she was ready.
As they entered the village, Yu Jin said, “Big Sister, I’ve decided. Tomorrow, I’ll go buy some spices and offal and try making braised offal.”
Poor families often ate offal because it was cheap. However, it had a strong smell, and making it taste good wasn’t easy.
She hadn’t even known that offal could be braised until Zhou Shi had braised some, and Yu Li brought it over for the sisters to try. The taste had been so incredible it had blown her away.
Who knew offal could taste so good?
Since offal was cheap and braised offal was delicious, the cost was remarkably low.
It was the first idea she had when thinking about starting a business. However, she had never made braised dishes before and would need to figure it out as she went.
Yu Li said, “You don’t need to buy spices. I have some at my place. Tomorrow, I’ll bring a set of offal back for you from the butcher shop so you can try braising it.” She paused, then added, “If you’re not sure how to braise it, you can ask my mother-in-law to teach you.”
“Wouldn’t that be a bit much to ask?” Yu Jin hesitated.
“It’s no big deal,” Yu Li reassured her. “Just bring a small gift when you visit her.”
Having spent so much time with Zhou Shi, Yu Li had come to understand her well and knew she wouldn’t mind.
Zhou Shi cared more about embroidery than cooking. When it came to cooking, she was always willing to share her tips with anyone who asked, just as she had with the neighbors in the Zhou family next door.