Chapter 126: Take It and Use It

“I have no objection to Old Zhou coming down, but is he willing to? And if he does come, will his two sons cause trouble?”

“What trouble?” The village chief’s wife narrowed her eyes. “Those two brothers from that family—the elder one married into another family long ago. He’s probably starting to understand the hardships his father went through back then. The younger one is somewhat capable; he got into university and works away from home. He used to come back once a year, but the last time he brought his wife, his sister-in-law mocked them mercilessly. He hasn’t been back in three years now.”

“Have your father go find Old Zhou. While he’s at it, bring some grain, oil, and wine. Also, get him a bamboo rat. That’ll surely make him happy.”

Though Old Zhang rarely spoke or asked for favors, he was well-liked. When he did make a request, hardly anyone refused him.

“Also, Second Sister, you need to talk things over carefully with your husband. Don’t just rush in hot-headed on your own. If your in-laws cause a scene, it’ll be impossible to settle later.” Only the village chief’s wife could say this without angering Zhang Second Sister; anyone else would surely provoke her temper.

Her urgency to take action now stemmed from pressure from her in-laws—not that her parents-in-law said anything directly, but her sisters-in-law subtly undermined her, accusing her of using her husband’s money to support her natal family. Now that things were better at her parents’ home, they claimed she hadn’t brought any good things back for them to enjoy.

If it weren’t for worrying about her husband being caught in the middle, Zhang Second Sister would have confronted those sharp-tongued sisters-in-law outright. She hadn’t stayed long this time before hastily leaving with her child—partly because of troubles at her parents’ place, partly because she feared losing control of her fiery temper if she stayed any longer.

“When everyone was struggling before, it was fine. My eldest brother and second brother all had about the same standard of living. Now that my family is better off, they can’t stand it anymore and want to take advantage of us. Dream on! My brother and sister-in-law worked hard for what they have. Why should it be handed over to them? When I offer a little something to my in-laws, they demand half, then accuse me of giving too little. I say, ‘Enough!’”

Speaking to Liu Chunyan in private, Zhang Second Sister finally vented her grievances.

“I’d rather use that money to provide for my parents in old age than give it to those ungrateful wolves. Haven’t they already eaten enough from my family? They’re just used to it and can’t be satisfied.” She hugged her child angrily. “When I came back, I deliberately stopped by the eldest brother’s place and left him 500 yuan. It’s not much, but I told him it was a bonus from his father—1,000 yuan split between the two brothers. From now on, they won’t need money from their parents for schooling; we’ll take care of it. They’re all kids; it wouldn’t be right to favor one over another.”

Zhang Second Sister felt clear-headed about this. The old couple clung to their grandchild only because they worried she might mistreat him. Now that she had her own child, they feared their grandchild wouldn’t be treated well, so they didn’t even want him to stay over during summer vacation. Zhang Second Sister said nothing; if the child didn’t come, so be it. She visited from time to time, bringing food and clothes to show her husband hadn’t forgotten him. As for the future, she would wait until the child was older and more discerning.

She wasn’t the kind of stepmother to be easily ruffled. She had been cautious before, afraid of embarrassing her husband. But after meeting Chen Xin, Liu Chunyan, and their technically skilled sister-in-law, she gained confidence. Her once restrained face now shone with radiance.

“I had discussed the idea of opening a farmhouse inn with my family earlier, but they thought we should wait longer. I’m worried if we wait too long, someone else will take the lead. Then if we follow, it’ll just be copying, and those places already have regular customers. Trying to steal their business would be just as much effort as starting now.”

Zhang Second Sister’s concerns were valid. Being the first to venture into something new was risky—it could either fail miserably or succeed wildly. Their advantage over others was being locals; they knew the nearby land well, the beautiful scenery, and which wild foods were safe to eat. If they ran a farmhouse inn, they could confidently answer customers’ questions instead of being clueless.

Zhang Second Sister preferred not to trouble Chen Xin, but Liu Chunyan didn’t hesitate. She and Chen Xin were still business partners and couldn’t watch Zhang Second Sister suffer losses. She wasn’t asking Chen Xin for money but trusted her judgment and hoped she could offer advice. Avoiding detours during the initial setup would save money.

When Chen Xin received Liu Chunyan’s call, she was with Qin Qing and a few other graduate students, all on the same floor, enjoying some grilled skewers.

“A farmhouse inn? Second Sister wants to open one?” Chen Xin’s voice was a bit louder due to the noisy surroundings, catching the attention of two girls sitting next to her.

Worried she disturbed them, Chen Xin smiled apologetically and moved to a quieter corner to take the call.

Liu Chunyan quickly explained the situation and asked Chen Xin to think about it and call back when convenient.

“Xin, your family is opening a farmhouse inn?”

“No, it’s my relatives. They live in the mountains where conditions aren’t great. Other businesses are tough there, so they want to open a farmhouse inn focusing on wild game. They even have a bamboo rat farm.”

“If you want to do it, I have a ready example—though it’s a fishing inn—but the process is quite similar. A classmate’s family has been running one by the East Sea for a year, and business looks good.”

“That’s wonderful! Let me thank you with tea for now. When the farmhouse inn opens, I’ll invite everyone to visit.”

“Definitely. I won’t ask for much—just take us hunting on the mountain for a wild rabbit or two.”

“No problem. They might not have much other wild game, but plenty of rabbits and pheasants. The locals don’t mind as long as it’s not for large-scale sale, just personal consumption.”

Among those present were not all city folk; two came from rural areas—one from a plain farming village growing vegetables, the other in nursery and landscaping. Neither had been to the mountains, and listening to Chen Xin’s tales of hunting wild rabbits and pheasants, they were itching to drop everything and head to the mountains tomorrow.

“Going to Zhang’s mountain area isn’t possible for now, but maybe we can spend a couple of days at nearby farmhouse inns? How about we organize a trip during the holidays for those staying around? A chance to relax and have fun.”

. m.