Snubbed

Su Jinniang was wearing brand-new clothes and looked beautiful.

When she saw Wei Ting, her face turned slightly red. “Mr. Wei.”

Wei Ting ignored her.

She mustered her courage again and looked at the bundle of dry firewood on Wei Ting’s shoulder. She said softly, “Young Mr. Wei, did you go to chop firewood? It’s inconvenient to move around in your condition. How can the Su family let you do such a job? Put it down. I’ll get my brother to send it over for you.”

!!

“No need.” Wei Ting rejected coldly.

Su Jinniang hurriedly said, “You don’t have to be embarrassed. We’re from the same village. It’s only right for us to help each other…”

“Brother Wei!”

Li Xiaoyong walked out of the house.

He looked at Wei Ting and smiled happily.

“It’s really you! I thought so at home just now! It’s snowing heavily. Why did you go to chop firewood? Let me know if you want firewood next time!”

As the two families interacted more, Li Xiaoyong’s address of Wei Ting changed from Mr. Wei to Brother Wei.

“Give it to me!” Li Xiaoyong reached out and grabbed the firewood from Wei Ting’s shoulder.

Wei Ting said politely, “Thank you.”

The two of them walked toward the Su family.

Li Xiaoyong ignored Su Jinniang. Su Yuniang had intercepted the midwife, so he was extremely angry.

The entire village was indebted to the Su family. While he could not take revenge on the Su family, he could ignore them, right?

Su Jinniang looked at the two of them leave without looking back as if she had been snubbed.

….

At home, the three little ones had only returned from digging bamboo shoots. To be precise, when they saw Su Xiaoxiao, they decisively abandoned Father Su.

Su Xiaoxiao made goat milk for the three human cubs and the small horse cub.

The three of them sat on the low stool in the small east room, grabbed the handle of the milk bottle with both hands, and gulped the milk.

The little horse was also drinking the milk Su Xiaoxiao fed it.

The four cubs sucked at the milk bottle, each more arrogant than the other.

Su Xiaoxiao was always taking out strange things that confounded Wei Ting. It could not be said that he was not surprised, but it was indeed not that strange when it came to her.

He had once asked Su Xiaoxiao what these strange things were and where they came from.

Su Xiaoxiao only replied with three sentences. “It’s made of goat’s milk! It’s given by a physician! It’s good for the body!”

Wei Ting doubted the second sentence.

At night, the family sat in the central room and ate.

Su Ergou frowned tightly.

He could not hide his thoughts. Almost all his thoughts were written on his face.

Wei Ting asked, “Ergou, did something happen?”

Su Ergou took a bite of rice and told him about the threat from Jin Ji.

Su Cheng slammed the table. “How ridiculous!”

So what if a new shopkeeper came? He threatened his daughter! How bold!

“I’ll go with you tomorrow morning! Let’s see who dares to touch my daughter!”

The next morning, Father Su was sound asleep…

After buying fresh ingredients yesterday, she was able to make plum-dried vegetable pancakes. In addition, she had also arranged for the braised meat.

Su Xiaoxiao made 160 more pancakes today than yesterday, a total of 360, 60 of which were for Wutong Academy.

As for the salted egg yolk, Su Xiaoxiao didn’t ask Madam Wu to work on it.

It was Jin Ji who destroyed the cooperation first.

Did Jin Ji think that it was the only one who could bully others?

From now on, she would also impose sanctions on Jin Ji!

Although it might not be of any use. After all, there were many snacks in Jin Ji. Selling one less egg yolk pastry would not hurt at all.

However, this was not a matter of whether she could cause much loss. It was her attitude and stand!

….

The three of them drove the donkey cart to town.

In the past, the route was the market, Jinji, and the Academy. Now that Liu Ping was here, they first came to the vicinity of Jin Ji to set up a stall.

Liu Ping sent them off before driving to the market and Wutong Academy to deliver the goods.

At the alley beside Jin Ji, Su Xiaoxiao took out the folding table she had designed and generously placed the snacks out.

She was no longer worried that Jin Ji would cut off her flour. Firstly, she had taken Father Su and Su Yuniang’s “sponsorship” yesterday to the market to stockpile enough flour to last for a month.

Secondly, Shen Chuan had told her that the prefecture capital was not far. She could reach it in a day.

Jin Ji’s clutches could not reach the prefecture capital yet.

These were her confidence in fighting against Jin Ji.

When the waiter of Jin Ji saw that the siblings had come to set up a stall again, he hurriedly went to the office upstairs to report to Shopkeeper He.

...

Manager He frowned.

“What did you tell them yesterday?”

The waiter said, “I told them not to set up a stall near us. Otherwise, we’ll chase them away every time we see them!”

Manager He said, “Then why are they still here?”

The waiter said anxiously, “I don’t know either! I’ve asked around. Back then, when Manager Sun asked them to buy the formula, they didn’t agree at first. Later on, when Manager Sun came to force them, the two of them immediately cowered! They sold three formulas in one go!”

Some truths were distorted as they spread. Back then, Su Xiaoxiao was not afraid, but digging a hole for Manager Sun. Manager Sun had taken a fancy to the three prescriptions himself.

Manager Sun cared about his face. He could not admit that he could not defeat a little girl. The truth that came out of his mouth was already a little warped. If he let others spread that, his nose would no longer be his nose, and his eyes would no longer be his eyes.

Shopkeeper He and the others did not know the truth.

In their opinion, two country bumpkins, one of whom was a girl, definitely did not have the guts to be enemies with Jin Ji. One threatened the other!

Shopkeeper He said coldly, “Go down! Chase them away!”

The waiter rolled up his sleeves fiercely. “Alright! I’ll go now!”

...

The sky was already bright, and there were gradually more pedestrians on the streets.

The siblings’ business opened for the new day.

There were repeat customers and many new customers. It seemed that their reputation had been established.

“Your five Ergou pancakes. They’re jujube-flavored.” Su Xiaoxiao wrapped them up and handed them to the first customer of the day.

She was an auntie in her early forties and was a regular. Her son was studying in a private school in town.

“Is your son’s leg alright?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.

The aunt smiled and said, “Speaking of which, I really have to thank you. Your method is very useful, and the seaweed you recommended is also delicious. My son has been eating for half a month and his legs haven’t gone weak again!”

Su Xiaoxiao had actually never seen the other party’s son. She heard the auntie’s description and felt that his limbs were weak and he had suddenly lost strength. Perhaps he was not seriously ill, but he lacked some trace elements.

Hence, she suggested that he ate more potatoes and seaweed.

Su Xiaoxiao said, “He can also eat more longans and celery.”

“Okay! I’ll remember it!” The aunt accepted the snacks and paid 75 copper coins. “Miss, you seem to have lost a lot of weight. Are you tired from setting up the stall too early?”

Yesterday, a few old customers said that she was thinner than before. It seemed that the effect of losing weight was more obvious than expected.

“Don’t tire yourself out too much.” The aunt thought for a moment and said, “But if you do look better after losing a little weight.”

Su Xiaoxiao smiled.

When the waiter came over to chase Su Xiaoxiao away, dozens of Su Xiaoxiao’s pancakes had already been sold. There were more people queuing up than at the entrance of Jin Ji.

The waiter was furious and shouted angrily, “Go, go, go! Who allowed you to set up a stall here!”

The guests looked at him.

Su Xiaoxiao said unhurriedly, “Who allowed me to put it up? It’s naturally the heavens, the heavens, and the laws of the Great Zhou!”

The waiter’s eyebrows twitched. “What nonsense are you talking about!”

Su Xiaoxiao was neither servile nor overbearing as she said, “Did I say anything wrong? Firstly, I didn’t burn, kill, or commit arson. Thirdly, I didn’t occupy any shops. I worked hard to earn some money with my own hands. Why can’t I set up a stall!”

The waiter pointed angrily. “This is Jin Ji’s territory!”

Su Xiaoxiao chuckled. “I’m at least ten feet away from Jinji. Did your Jinji buy this alley too? Or does the entire street belong to your Jin Ji!”

“Aiya, what’s wrong with your Jin Ji? There are so many stalls on the streets, but you didn’t chase them away. You came to chase them away when they were selling snacks! Or did you just bully honest people?”

“Your Jin Ji’s snacks are expensive and disgusting. Yet you don’t allow others who make cheap and good ones to be here? Who gave your Jin Ji the guts?”

“That’s right! Hurry up and leave! You’re delaying us from buying snacks!”

“Get lost!”

An old man gave the waiter a kick.

The waiter was dejected and went back to report angrily.

“Manager He, why don’t we just smash their stall!”

Manager He pushed open the window and looked coldly at the thriving stall downstairs. He recognized a few old clients of Jin Ji.

One was Minister Zhao’s servant, and the other was Lord Chen’s chef.

It was not a wise move to smash the stall now.

….

In less than an hour, the 300 pancakes were sold out. Even ones meant for Su Ergou’s food broadcast were bought.

There was no choice. When a child cried, Su Ergou’s heart softened and he sold it.

“Sister, where are we going now?”

“Back to the village.”

“Huh?”

“Liu Ping went to deliver the goods from the market and the academy.”

She had asked Liu Ping to return to the village after sending them off. There was no need to pick them up, but according to the speed at which they sold snacks, they would probably go back earlier than Liu Ping.

“Heh! I forgot about Brother Liu Ping.” Su Ergou scratched his head.

The siblings put away the stall, carried their baskets, and walked back.

This distance was nothing to the two of them, especially after shaking off 20 pounds of fat. Su Xiaoxiao felt that her body was much lighter.

The two of them left the town. When they approached the upper village road, a group of burly men chased after them fiercely.

“The persons in front, stop right there!”