Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside

Chapter 670: Are You Hurting People Again?

Gu Jinli counted out the silver to Aunt Zhang: "Please take this, it’s a total of twelve taels and six hundred copper coins. If there are no issues, please press your thumbprint on the register."

Aunt Zhang took the silver and after counting it once, pressed her thumb into the ink and stamped her red fingerprint on the register: "Miss Gu, I must thank you. With this money, my second son’s mother-in-law can finally afford to buy medication."

Today, the second daughter-in-law did not come because her mother is sick and she has gone back to her parental home to take care of her. With the silver in hand, the second son could directly hire a doctor to see his mother-in-law.

Sister-in-law Zhang listened to this without any anger. Firstly, she has a good relationship with the second daughter-in-law, and secondly, the silver comes from her own family’s sale of Mingya Grass. If she took issue with them spending their own money on medical expenses, that would be ridiculous.

Sister-in-law Zhang said, "Miss Gu, I hear your restaurant is planning some sort of third anniversary celebration, and there will be ham served. Is the ham delicious? Is it expensive?" She wondered, if it wasn’t expensive, maybe her family could save up some silver to support the event.

Gu Jinli smiled and said, "Sister-in-law Zhang, you’re so thoughtful, but there’s no need to spend money for that. I’ll have Company Commander Qin bring some ham to the Military Office and distribute it among everyone, including you all to take home and cook."

Ham is quite expensive, and with many children in the Zhang family, only Zhang Zhong is capable of earning pay, receiving his monthly salary. The other sons are farmers and surely can’t afford ham.

Sister-in-law Zhang is smart. Hearing this, she knew ham wasn’t cheap, so she hurriedly said, "I was just inquisitively asking, ham is meant for selling. There’s no need for you to send any to the Military Office with Company Commander Qin."

Since Company Commander Qin took charge of the Military Office, he has always brought back lots of items to the Military Office whenever he returns home. It is said that Miss Gu provides them, always good items, greatly benefiting the soldiers’ families.

Lady Zhang, standing by, sighed to herself once more, Company Commander Qin is indeed fortunate to have such a good daughter-in-law, never needing to worry about the loyalty of his subordinates.

During their conversation, Lin Leniang leisurely came out holding a bamboo leaf.

Aunt Zhang frowned upon seeing her and asked Gu Jinli, "She hasn’t caused you any trouble, has she? If she spoke any nonsense to you, just tell Aunt Zhang, I’ll go to the Lin Family and scold her for you."

Lin Leniang’s little scheming is obvious to the more experienced; she has her eyes set on Company Commander Qin, intending to become the Company Commander’s Wife.

Gu Jinli said, "Aunt Zhang, don’t worry. She hasn’t said anything to me, just some inner thoughts. Let her be."

She was angry and would no longer concern herself with Qin San Lang’s messy love affairs.

After listening, Aunt Zhang could only suppress her own thoughts and glanced at Lin Leniang.

Who was Lin Leniang? The pampered daughter of the Lin Family. She glared back instantly, cursing: "What are you looking at, old hag?"

This old hag is always so meddlesome. Not to mention how her son and her second brother clashed over credit, when previously she lured Gu Jinli into the bamboo grove, this old hag watched her relentlessly, as though she would harm Gu Jinli.

Aunt Zhang was quite upset; this Miss Lin was far too unruly.

Sister-in-law Zhang, who respected her mother-in-law greatly, raised her hand prepared to slap and said, "You foul-mouthed girl, who are you calling an old hag? Apologize immediately, or I’ll smack you into next week."

Lin Leniang was startled, not wanting to lose face or get hit, she quickly uttered, "I’m sorry."

After speaking, she quickly ran to find her own mother. At first, she cried a few tears, then after some words were exchanged, the mother-daughter duo burst into laughter, looking quite smug.

Gu Jinli was sure that whatever the mother and daughter were discussing must have to do with Qin San Lang.

She withdrew her gaze and stopped paying attention to the mother and daughter... Although she disliked Lin Leniang, it was Qin San Lang who angered her more, "Just wait, when you come back we’re finished."

"Xiao Ji, bring over the two bags you have behind you," Gu Jinli instructed Xiao Ji, then said to Aunt Zhang, "Aunt Zhang, I have a type of herb here, called small aloe. It can be planted in spring and harvested in autumn, yields are high, and the planting process is similar to that of Mingya Grass. It doesn’t require taking up field space; it can be grown in front of doors and behind houses. It doesn’t need to be dried, just cut and ready to sell, thirty cents per jin."

Aunt Zhang was startled upon hearing, "Thirty cents a catty, and doesn’t even need to be dried before selling, is there such a good thing?"

Sister-in-law Zhang said, "Mother, Miss Gu has said it, so it must be true. Please listen to Miss Gu first, what exactly is this small aloe?"

Gu Jinli explained, "It’s a medicinal herb used to make anti-itch hand cream, it’s better to use it fresh as the efficacy is improved, and it can be harvested once a year, unlike the Mingya Grass which requires busy work for three seasons a year, too exhausting. Planting small aloe can be easier, and the earned silver is almost the same as that from Mingya Grass."

Even more so.

"I have two bags of seeds here; if you want to plant them, take them back. After they are grown, I am responsible for purchasing them. However, we would have to sign a new contract document."

As Gu Jinli spoke, she took a bundle of small aloe from the table: "This is the dried small aloe, orange in color, with a sweet fragrance like fruit."

Fresh small aloe has better efficacy and a stronger fragrance, but she couldn’t buy the fresh ones, so she had to use the dried ones.

Sister-in-law Zhang immediately said to Aunt Zhang, "Mother, this small aloe is better than Mingya Grass, let’s take it back and plant it, we will definitely make money."

Aunt Zhang trusted Gu Jinli very much and said, "Alright, we’ll take the seeds back and start planting them tomorrow at the beginning of spring."

Gu Jinli nodded and gave two bags of small aloe seeds to Aunt Zhang’s family. She then had Xiao Ji fetch a few more bags of small aloe seeds, and whenever she collected Mingya Grass from a family, she would ask if they wanted to switch to planting small aloe.

However, only a dozen or so families were willing to plant it; the majority of the families of the county soldiers were unwilling to switch, as they were reluctant to pull out the grass clumps of Mingya Grass.

Gu Jinli did not insist; those who were unwilling to plant were let be. While collecting Mingya Grass, and paying silver on the other hand, she busied herself until the afternoon and finally finished purchasing the Mingya Grass from the families of the county soldiers of the Military Office.

Before leaving, Lin Leniang ran over happily to say goodbye: "Sister Gu from the Gu Family, I’m leaving, thank you, I will definitely..."

Although the words were not finished, one could tell from her shy and timid appearance that her romantic prospects had already blossomed.

Gu Jinli raised an eyebrow and smiled at her, "You go for it."

Qin San Lang, go to hell!

Lin Leniang nodded vigorously: "Yes, I will try my hardest." Trying hard to become the Company Commander’s Wife and marry over to become neighbors with your family.

Saying this, she walked away with her own mother along with other families of the county soldiers.

Brother Cheng also came to help today and watched with much curiosity: "Second Sister, are you causing trouble for someone again?"

With a slap, Gu Jinli smacked Brother Cheng on the head: "Nonsense, I am helping her, as well as testing."

"Testing what?" Brother Cheng didn’t understand.

Gu Jinli did not answer but instead called out to the Tang Family People who came to deliver grass: "Uncle Tang, Aunt Tang, we’re purchasing grass over here, come on over."

Tang Family’s eldest son worked as a Government Official under Luo Wu in the county government. Knowing that Gu Jinxiu fancied Luo Wu, she thought since they had already bought the Mingya Grass from the families of the county soldiers of the Military Office, why not also have the Government Officials’ families plant Mingya Grass to help Luo Wu.

Now, this has been going on for more than two years.