Time Travel: A Fisherwoman Goes to the Sea to Raise a Baby

Chapter 477 Ordering Winter Clothes

Xu Anyang and Lao Lu exchanged a glance, their attention instantly drawn to the question.

Xu Anyang scratched his head and tentatively said, "Ten taels of silver? The cost of this chili sauce is unknown, but with the name of Wufu Restaurant, half a jar... ten taels at most, right?"

Old Lu scoffed, "Ten taels? Do you think Wen Shichen is giving money away to a beggar? Even if he doesn't know the cost of the chili sauce, he knows how important it is! In my opinion, it should be at least that much!" He held up two fingers, "Twenty taels! That'll make him wince!"

Xu Yiyi watched their speculations in silence, slowly shook her head, and revealed a mocking expression on her face.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong! You've all guessed wrong."

As she spoke, she held up two fingers, and then, under the questioning gazes of the two, she said clearly and slowly, "He spent two hundred taels of silver."

"Two hundred taels?" Xu Anyang was so shocked he almost jumped up, his eyes wide as if he had heard a fairy tale. "Just this half-jar? Has he...has he gone mad?"

Old Lu also gasped, his stubble-covered chin trembling in surprise.

But he was a seasoned veteran, and after the initial shock, he suddenly had an idea.

"Oh my god! That's two hundred taels of silver! Not ten taels, not twenty taels, but two hundred taels!"

He suddenly leaned closer to Xu Yiyi, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of encouragement, "This deal... will earn much more than if we worked from dawn till dusk at the restaurant all day. Otherwise... you could take on the hard work..."

As he spoke, he rubbed his fingers together and glanced at the jar of chili sauce, his meaning all too clear.

"Get out of here! You're always coming up with terrible ideas. If this chili sauce sells out, what business will we have left?" Xu Anyang said rudely as he pushed Lao Lu aside.

"Sister Yi, do you think Wen Shichen is a sucker? Or is he so rich that he doesn't know what to do with all the money he's made? He's so stupid as to spend two hundred taels of silver on half a jar of chili sauce." He said as he closed the jar.

"I don't know if I'm being taken advantage of," she said casually.

His gaze then swept over the jar on the table, his tone carrying a hint of speculation: "But I reckon that even if he wants to take back that building next door and not rent it to Hong Gang again, he would never easily rent it to anyone else."

Xu Anyang and Lao Lu were both stunned and looked at her at the same time.

Why do you say that?

Xu Yiyi's lips curled into a smileless arc: "Otherwise, why would he be in such a hurry to spend so much money to buy my chili sauce recipe? And let me name my price."

She paused, then looked sharply at Ruyi Residence.

“His intentions couldn’t be clearer.” Her voice turned somber. “Once he buys the recipe, he can open his own restaurant, using my secret recipe, right next door to me, blatantly stealing Wufu Restaurant’s business.”

Xu Anyang was immediately enraged and spun around in his arms, clutching his head.

"I knew I was annoyed by this person from the first glance. He really is annoying," he said angrily.

"I thought his wife's pillow talk would work, but it turns out they're just like each other."

Old Lu sighed and took the wine flask from his waist.

"Not necessarily. Madam Wen seems quite naive; she might have already been completely fooled by Wen Shichen."

Xu Anyang shook his head, expressing his opposition.

Old Lu glanced at him sideways: "Don't you know there's a saying, 'Pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger'?"

Xu Anyang pursed his lips, still feeling that Madam Wen wasn't the kind of person with deep thoughts.

"You don't understand. Her eyes are so clear. She's definitely not the kind of person who says one thing to your face and another behind your back."

Old Lu chuckled.

"She's still too young. She looks to be only in her early twenties. How could her eyes not be clear? When she gets to my age, her eyes will naturally become cloudy."

Old Lu said dismissively.

Xu Yiyi, sitting to the side, shook her head helplessly.

"Oh dear!"

A gasp interrupted their argument.

"Great-Grandma?" Xu Yiyi looked over in confusion, and Great-Grandma hurriedly walked in.

After shouting that, Auntie didn't care about anything else and rushed in hurriedly with her little feet, heading straight for Wuyuan, who was crawling around on the bamboo mat.

The child and Sihai were happily playing with a cloth tiger on the cold mat, not feeling cold at all.

"In the dead of winter! How can you let Xiao Wu lie directly on this straw mat! It's terrible! He'll freeze to death!"

As her great-aunt spoke angrily, she bent down with difficulty and carefully picked up the giggling Wu Yuan, her eyes full of heartache.

His gaze swept over Xu Yiyi, Xu Anyang, and Lao Lu standing to the side.

When Wuyuan was picked up, he thought they were playing with him, and he kicked his little legs happily.

"I'm doomed," Xu Anyang said, utterly dejected.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Uncle, Xu Pinghai, A Si, and Xu Honglian walked in.

"He's just a kid, he's got a lot of energy. He's dressed so warmly, he won't get cold, he won't get cold. You're just worrying unnecessarily." Uncle Taiye looked at Wu Yuan, who was almost wrapped up like a dumpling, and his lips twitched involuntarily.

"What do you know?"

Grandma immediately turned her head and unleashed a barrage of rebuttals at Grandpa, while tightly holding Wu Yuan in her arms.

“What’s the use of wearing thick clothes? The cold air from the ground is so penetrating! It seeps into the child’s bones through this mat. They may not feel anything now, but once the cold enters their body, they may develop a fever or a stomachache, and then it will be too late to cry.”

She grew angrier as she spoke, pointing a finger at the bamboo mat: "You're really getting senile. Children are delicate; how can they withstand the same kind of abuse as you, this old tree bark?"

The great-uncle was speechless after being rebuked. He awkwardly touched his nose and muttered, "You always have so much to say," but he didn't dare to continue arguing.

Auntie's anger immediately shifted from the silent Uncle to Xu Anyang, who was waiting to be scolded.

"And you, you blockhead, all you do is stand there and watch Yi Yi run around busily?"

She kept nagging, "Yi-yi runs such a big restaurant, managing everything inside and out. Is it easy for her? When she's so busy she barely has time to breathe, can't you just keep an eye on the kids?"

She bounced Wu Yuan, who was kicking incessantly, in her arms, and continued to scold, "Look at this! Such a small baby, just left on the straw mat like this. If I hadn't seen him, who knows what kind of illness he would have gotten from the cold! You're an older brother now, and you don't care at all!"

Xu Anyang was scolded by his great-grandmother. He shrank back and didn't argue at all, just kept nodding.

The old lady was always a good-tempered person. After she calmed down, she felt embarrassed and sat down with Wu Yuan in her arms.

Xu Anyang breathed a sigh of relief and carried the jar of chili sauce into the kitchen.

"Sister Yi, can you be a little more loyal next time? At least stand by me when I'm being scolded!" he said helplessly.

Xu Yiyi smiled shyly.

When her great-aunt started scolding her, she quietly slipped away.

Xu Honglian didn't hold back in criticizing him: "Yi Yi is of no use anyway! In the end, you'll still be the one to take the blame."

Xu Anyang let out a wail and placed the jar on the condiment shelf.

"Everyone else spoils their sons like precious treasures, but why is it the other way around for me? I've become the one who gets scolded and the workhorse..."

Xu Honglian gave him a disdainful look.

Xu Anyang's words were not entirely nonsense.

When he was young, his mother did spoil him a bit too much. She treated him like a precious gem, afraid he would melt in her mouth or break in her hands, and wanted to do everything for him.

At that time, Xu Anyang was also spoiled to an unruly degree, being mischievous, naughty, and cunning.

He often argued with her, his older sister.

If it weren't for his great-grandparents taking it out on him and personally disciplining him, beating and scolding him as needed, they would have managed to correct all his bad habits...

Xu Honglian silently added a piece of firewood to the stove, the firelight illuminating her profile.

If it weren't for the great-grandparents' ruthless reformation, and the father's constant persuasion of the mother...

Xu Anyang today would probably not be the somewhat sensible and hardworking person he is now. He would probably have been spoiled into a lazy and ignorant playboy.

"Wait! Leave this outside, we don't need it." Xu Yiyi suddenly spoke up.

He lightly pointed at the half-empty jar of hot sauce with his finger.

"Why? There's still more than half a can left, it's such a waste to throw it away! We finally managed to get it back, even though there's not much left, it's still usable, it's such a waste to throw it away..."

Xu Anyang was a little puzzled, but he still obediently took the jar off the shelf.

"What's a pity?" Xu Yiyi finally raised her eyes, her clear gaze sweeping over the earthenware jar. "This chili sauce is already half gone. It passed through countless hands before those brokers bought it, and after it was opened, it was seen and touched by countless people. Who knows if it's still clean? Has someone added anything else to it?"

Her tone was calm but resolute: "The worst thing you can do when it comes to food is to eat it of unknown origin. If you get sick from eating half a jar of sauce, it will ruin the restaurant's reputation and even make the customers sick. That would be a case of losing more than you gain."

He looked at Xu Anyang and emphasized, "Listen to me, throw it away. We don't need this sauce, but we can't leave any potential problems."

Listening to Xu Yiyi's analysis, Xu Anyang still felt the pinch, but he understood the implications. He stopped talking, obediently hugged the jar, turned around and walked out, intending to find a place to dispose of it.

Xu Yiyi was just about to fry the prepared fish skin.

Suddenly, a burst of laughter and chatter came from the courtyard, and she craned her neck to look towards the food serving area.

Ah Xiu, the owner of the clothing shop, came in with two quick-witted embroiderers, carrying baskets full of fabric patterns and measuring tapes.

"Boss Xu, we're here!" Ah Xiu's wife greeted with a smile. "Since we have some free time now, let's take everyone's winter coat measurements, shall we?"

Xu Yi wiped her hands and hurriedly went out to greet her: "Thank you for your trouble, Madam Xiu. This way, please."

Uncle and Aunt were happily invited to the front, where the embroiderers skillfully took their measurements.

When it was A-Si's turn, she was taken aback at first, and then she realized what was happening and quickly waved her hand and shrank back: "No need, no need, I have enough clothes, you don't need to measure me."

Xu Yiyi seemed not to hear her refusal and directly instructed the embroiderer, "Please take the measurements of my aunt, uncle, and my elder sister."

Asi tried to refuse, but Xu Yiyi covered her ears and went inside.

“When children are filial, you, as their elders, should accept it,” said Mrs. Xiu with a smile.

Upon seeing this, the embroiderer immediately smiled and stepped forward, wrapping the soft ruler around the still somewhat awkward A-Si's shoulder without saying a word.

"This...this is too much to ask..." Asi murmured, but her body involuntarily moved in sync with the embroiderer's movements.

When it was Xu Pinghai's turn, he was much more natural than A Si.

……

"Mikawa!"

Xu Yiyi suddenly spoke, and Sanchuan finally snapped out of his reverie.

“Ah Xiu’s wife, come over and take the measurements for Great-Grandma and the others. You should take your measurements too.” She walked over and patted Sanchuan’s head.

San Chuan moved his head a little embarrassedly: "Big sister, didn't I just measure my body two months ago? Why don't we just make the clothes according to that measurement?"

Xu Yiyi was amused by his bookish appearance, and flicked his forehead lightly with her finger: "Have you gone stupid from reading too much?"

She gestured to indicate his height and laughed, "Don't you feel your pants are a bit too short again? You've grown so much these past two months, the measurements from before are no longer suitable. Or are you planning to wear cropped pants for the New Year?"

When Sanchuan heard what she said, he subconsciously looked down at his trouser legs and realized that they were indeed a bit short.

He touched his forehead where he'd been tapped, chuckled sheepishly, and put down his book: "Oh, I'll go measure it now!"

After saying that, he ran out in a flash.

Only after all the siblings had their measurements taken did Xu Yiyi begin to choose fabrics.

"I must say, Mr. Xu's cooking is excellent; they've all gained quite a bit of weight," Mrs. Xiu said with a smile.

Xu Yiyi's height changed the most, she suddenly grew taller and stood out among the generally petite women in the fishing village.

Her once thin and frail body, which seemed as if a sea breeze could blow her away, has now quietly changed.

These past few months of cooking, handling food, and moving goods have given her shoulders and arms a layer of supple yet strong muscles. Her back is straight, and she has shed her girlish frailty, exuding a powerful and vibrant strength.

Although she is still not plump, she is no longer the frail woman she used to be.

Xu Yiyi's rapid growth in height really frustrated Xu Anyang.

The two are close in age, and he should be at the age where he is growing, but for some reason, he just can't catch up in height.

Standing next to Xu Yiyi now, he was actually half a head shorter.

He felt quite frustrated because he had to tilt his head slightly when talking to her.

Ah Xiu's wife saw through his depression and quickly said, "The chief steward has grown taller and more robust. He will definitely grow even taller in another two years."

Xu Anyang chuckled and scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.