Chapter 398: Pottery With Pine Wood
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Lin Chai and his three sons returned almost simultaneously as Miss He. Lin Chai was curious when he got home and noticed his wife was not around. His neighbor was the one who told him about her whereabouts.
Miss He had told her neighbors that she would go to Ding Wan’s place with
Ding Wan. She also told the neighbors to notify her husband of her whereabouts.
Lin Chai was not in a hurry since he knew where Miss He had gone. He warmed up the rice and prepared to wash the remaining laundry in the courtyard.
His heart ached for his wife. He thought she should not do these things alone and always helped her whenever possible. He felt his wife should be able to relax when she returned.
When Miss He arrived home, she saw her husband washing the remaining laundry in the courtyard. The sun had begun setting, and the courtyard was still bright and rosy with its light.
Miss He’s heart felt warm as she looked at her husband washing the laundry. She approached him and said, “I’ll wash the clothes. Why didn’t you just rest when you came home?
Lin Chai was thrilled to see his wife return. He revealed an honest smile, saying, “It’s okay. I can wash the laundry too. Then you can feel more relaxed when you get home.”
“You’re such a fool.” Although she said this, she felt touched, reaching out to hug her husband as she continued, “I have good news.”
Lin Chai paused and looked at his wife, asking curiously, “What’s the good news?
He noticed how brightly his wife smiled, looking exceedingly delighted.
Miss He said smilingly, “Miss Su will be opening an embroidery shop, which Madam Ding will manage. Madam Ding visited when you went to chop firewood.
“She asked me if I wanted to work at the embroidery shop and that I would earn at least 60 coins monthly. Also, the more I work, the more I’ll earn, especially since there will be a bonus.
“I was shocked when I heard that. You don’t know how excited I was. Madam Ding told me to start tomorrow morning, but I insisted on going this afternoon. I feared they would change their mind and not hire me if I went late.
“It felt unreal until the afternoon. Now, you’ll no longer have to work so hard since our lives will improve. We’ll make a good earning monthly and can afford meat soon.”
During the past New Year’s, Lin Chai and his wife were reluctant to buy meat because they could not afford it. To them, it was good enough to eat their fill and not starve.
However, they could look forward to the New Year now. They could soon go to the town market and buy goods for the New Year celebration. Previously, the couple would never go to the market or buy things even when it was the year’s end.
Lin Chai was ecstatic when he heard his wife’s words. He said while holding his wife’s hand, “Don’t tire yourself out, okay?”
Although earning money was vital, he did not want his wife to exhaust herself.
“I won’t be since I’m just doing needlework. I also have Sun Dimun, Zhou Wen’e, and others to help me. They’re nice people and patient when teaching me.” Miss He excitedly told her husband everything that had happened in the afternoon.
Lin Chai sat there and listened attentively. A smile appeared on his face as he listened. “You’re the most capable person I know, dear.”
Miss He blushed after her husband praised her. “All you do is compliment me.”
Since Lin Chai could speak without stuttering, he would talk more with his wife. His words made his wife’s face blush red, but she liked hearing them.
“I’ll save up when I get my wages. When it’s almost New Year, we’ll take the children shopping in town to buy meat and noodles. We can make dumplings, too,” Miss He said.
“Remember to buy meat for your parents, too,” Lin Chai added. He knew his wife was worried about her parents, but the family’s conditions did not allow them to help Miss He’s parents.
However, it was a different story since Miss He would have a job soon. She could soon buy things for her parents.
Even now, Lin Chai was grateful to his in-laws for allowing him to marry Miss He. They did not despise Lin Chai for stuttering or that his family was poor. Miss He said, “My parents know you’re a good person because you cared for me even though I’ve been weak all those years.”
He was also grateful to Lin Chai because he did not mind if she was weak and could not work. He was even considerate of her and could not bear to let her overwork herself.
“Let’s not say such things,” Lin Chai said.
“Yes,” Miss He nodded and continued, “All right, let’s eat.”
She saw her three sons feeding the chicks and ducks and called them over. “Come and eat. Dinner is ready.”
“Mother, did you just say you’d work in an embroidery shop?”
“Yeah, our family will be able to eat better food soon when I earn money.”
“Is your body still weak?”
“No, it isn’t.”
Mrs. He was talking to her three sons while entering the house. She opened the pot lid and filled the bowls with rice while her sons hurried to help. Even her youngest son, only a few years old, stood on a stool to help.
Su Fengzhang and Su Wenxian were also busy that day. They had started to prepare earnestly after Su Binglan told them about opening a wine factory.
In the morning, Su Fengzhang and his son went to a house in Willow Village where a family made clay pots. It was the Tao family’s house.
When Su Fengzhang and Su Wenxian arrived, a few people were already pressing Tao Zhenggang for payment. ‘You guys haven’t settled the bill for the pine trees you bought from us. When are you guys going to pay up?
The Tao family needed a unique pine wood to heat their clay in the furnace. Since pine trees were only on the back of the northern mountain, the villagers could not cut them down and could only buy them.
That was why Tao Zhenggang and Miss Li had bought pine wood. However, they still needed to pay for the batch of pine wood, and the creditors came asking for payment.
Tao Zhenggang and his wife, Miss Li, had used all their food to pay for the pinewood, but it was not enough.
Su Fengzhang and Su Wenxian looked at Tao Zhenggangs house and noticed how old and run-down it was. The father-son duo was in disbelief. Su Fengzhang had been to Willow Village many years ago and remembered that the house did not look like that back then.
Tao Zhenggang and Madam Li almost kneeled and begged the creditors to give them more time. When the creditors finally left, the couple looked at the father-son duo in shock. They feared the two had also come to collect money.
“Zhenggang, we’re here to ask if you’re still making and selling pottery,” Su Fengzhang said.
Tao Zhenggang heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that the duo was not there to ask for money but to buy something. He said, “We can’t since we don’t have enough pine wood.
“Also, we couldn’t save much money even after all these years of selling our pottery. We don’t earn as much as selling crops in the village?’ He spoke dejectedly.
“What happened?” Su Fengzhang asked.
Tao Zhenggang did not know how to answer and could only sigh.
Miss Li wiped her tears and said sobbingly, “It’s all because we got fooled by others..”
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