"By the way, Shuangshuang, is there sothing you need this ti?"
After finalizing matters with Ge Sandan, Mu Dalang approached to ask Mu Shuangshuang about the purpose of her visit.
Mu Shuangshuang didn’t hide anything and began to speak in front of Ge Sandan and Mu Dalang.
"Here’s the thing, my restaurant recently developed a new dish, but collecting the ingredients requires quite a few people. Originally, I had already asked the won who were free in the village to help, but it still wasn’t enough!
This ti, I’m thinking of seeing if I can find so won without much to do in Tie Dao Village to help collect them. As for the collected items, they can be stored at your hos. Of course, they will be paid for this work!"
After saying this, Mu Shuangshuang took Ge Sandan and Mu Dalang to a small ditch outside Mu Dalang’s house. She casually picked up two small snails and said to the two n:
"It’s these! If you collect these, it’s two coins per pound, one coin goes to the others, and you earn the remaining coin. But you need to change the water for every three days in the wooden barrel."
Snails at one coin a pound aren’t actually cheap.
After all, they co with shells; you can easily collect a bucket full, maybe twenty or thirty pounds, which would be twenty or thirty coins.
A grown man working at the dock for a day would barely earn twenty coins.
A bucket of snails might only take an hour to collect.
"Shuangshuang, why do you want these? There are plenty on the ridges between fields!" Ge Sandan frowned.
"Yes, there are lots on the field ridges, but we need people to bring them ho, and we’re short of hands. Besides, the guests at the restaurant love eating these; nothing else will do!"
Mu Shuangshuang explained to Ge Sandan.
Ge Sandan’s mouth hung open completely in disbelief that the things he’d seen since childhood could be eaten, and that they were so popular!
Mu Dalang, who had eaten them once, wasn’t as surprised.
Mu Shuangshuang said, "How about this, in a few days when I have ti, I’ll prepare so snails and bring them for you to try?"
Ge Sandan nodded heavily, "Sure, I’d like to taste what’s so popular at the restaurant!"
"Shuangshuang, don’t worry, I’ll talk to the people in the village tomorrow and definitely get you the snails!" Mu Dalang said.
Ge Sandan also nodded, "I’ll help too, as for the money, I don’t want it. It’s no big deal anyway!"
"Yes, we don’t want the money!"
Both n were honest people; though not particularly wealthy, they wouldn’t take advantage of one of their own.
"Then I don’t want you to do it, I’ll find soone else. Others will definitely charge !" Mu Shuangshuang said.
Ge Sandan and Mu Dalang remained silent, only listening as Mu Shuangshuang continued.
"It doesn’t matter if others aren’t as thorough, after all, you’re willing to let this fat opportunity pass to outsiders!"
Ge Sandan and Mu Dalang frowned deeply.
"In that case, let us do it!" Ge Sandan and Mu Dalang said at the sa ti.
Once everything was settled, Mu Shuangshuang was anxious to leave and declined Mu Dalang and Ge Sandan’s kind invitation to stay for a al.
She headed straight back to Er Gui Village!
As for Ge Sandan, he didn’t stay long at Mu Dalang’s house; he was thinking about what Mu Shuangshuang had said to him.
When he returned ho, he went to the kitchen to find his mother.
Aunt Ge had just finished frying the last dish and was preparing to cook rice.
Seeing her son, she happily welcod him, "Sandan, why are you in the kitchen? Go and rest, I can handle this myself!
Oh right, ask Xiuxiu to go to my room and light so incense, and pray to the Childbirth Goddess to grant our Old Ge family a male heir!"
Hearing about having a male heir, Ge Sandan’s head started to ache.
"Mom, can you stop talking about having a male heir? Xiuxiu is already under a lot of pressure. If you keep saying this, she’ll be very unhappy!" Ge Sandan said.
The man felt incredibly troubled; even he found these words hard to bear, so how could Xiuxiu, as a daughter-in-law, possibly endure it?
"She’s unhappy? Well, I’m unhappy too! When I married her to you, it wasn’t to give worthless girls; I want a grandson, I must have a chubby grandson. If she can’t have one, she should make way sooner rather than later!
While you’re still young, find a better one. I refuse to believe our Ge family will die out!"
When it ca to her own grandchild, Aunt Ge was quite unreasonable.
Ge Sandan also got irritated.
"Mom, Xiuxiu is my wife, not livestock! Even if she were livestock, she wouldn’t be able to decide what she gives birth to!"
"Ge Sandan, what do you an? Are you saying I’m deliberately picking on your wife? Go and ask around the village, which daughter-in-law doesn’t give birth to sons? Which man is willing to be without heirs?"
Among the three great unfilial acts, leaving no heirs is the worst!
Aunt Ge’s mind had room only for having a grandson!
If Xiuxiu and Ge Sandan’s first child was her great hope, then this one was her last hope.
"Mom, no heirs, no heirs, I’m not dead yet, why say such things?" Ge Sandan’s voice unwittingly grew louder.
Hearing this, Aunt Ge got so angry she raised her hand and slapped Ge Sandan across the face.
"Shut up! Usually, I listen to you on all matters, but this one you must listen to . If Xiuxiu doesn’t give a male grandson with her next birth, you will divorce her!"
Ge Sandan, ignoring the pain on his face, stared in shock at the woman he had called mother for ten or twenty years.
She seed so unfamiliar now!
Back when Ge Sandan returned from the military camp, with a limp leg, he almost gave up on marrying.
But his mother said, as long as he could marry a wife, it didn’t matter how undiscerning or unattractive she was!
Listening to his mother, he started looking.
Luckily, he and Xiuxiu took a liking to each other in the end.
Everything was fine before having kids, but things changed once their daughter Chunhua was born!
"Mom, don’t you want Xiuxiu to bear a son? I want to take Xiuxiu to the White Cloud Temple in town to pray for luck. Hopefully, heaven will take pity on us and grant us a son!"
Ge Sandan expressed emotionlessly, using the suggestion Mu Shuangshuang gave him.
"White Cloud Temple? Is it that temple said to be very effective? When are you going? Let co along!"
Aunt Ge was quite excited.
She had heard recently from won in the area that the White Cloud Temple was very famous.
Even people from other places went there to pray for children!
"Mom, this is a matter between and Xiuxiu. We can go by ourselves! Once Xiuxiu’s belly gets a bit bigger, I’ll bring her ho!"
"What do you an it’s between you and Xiuxiu? The grandson matters to too! I don’t care, I want to go!" Aunt Ge said.
Ge Sandan wasn’t happy, "If you plan to go, then you can go by yourself. Xiuxiu and I will not go!"
After saying this, Ge Sandan prepared to leave.
Aunt Ge got anxious, realizing it was rare for her son to take initiative; as an old lady, why should she undermine him?
"Alright, alright, you two go, you two go!" Aunt Ge said.
After saying this, she added, "Take Chunhua with you; she’s not the grandson, and I don’t want to look after her!"
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