Divorce with three kids? I'll build a house and eat meat, driving my in-laws crazy.

Chapter 32 My Mother is a Shopaholic

Li Ruru was conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to make money, but on the other hand, she couldn't get over her mental hurdle.

In her eyes, Chunfenglou was just as despicable as a brokerage firm.

If brokerage firms were gathering places for human traffickers, then Chunfeng Tower was a large-scale dissemination center for pornography.

As a model socialist youth who grew up under the red flag in the 21st century, Li Ruru only hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

"OK, no problem."

In places like Datang, Yaxing, and Chunfenglou, everything is legal, and she, a village woman, has no say.

In her opinion, the most important thing is to earn money to support her three children. If they can't even afford to eat, why worry about anything else?

Chu Xiu smiled and said, "Keep the invitation safe, or you won't even be able to get in the door."

After closing her stall, Li Ruru temporarily stored several large buckets at Aunt Pang's place next door, then took her three daughters to stroll around the market.

Today she planned to buy some daily necessities, but there was nothing in the house right now, so she couldn't easily take things out of her spatial storage.

As soon as Li Ruru left, there was one more person at Aunt Pang's stall: Old Mrs. Liu, who sold shoes across from Li Ruru.

"Auntie Pang, that Li woman made a lot of money this morning. She left the bucket here with you but didn't give you any money?"

Aunt Pang has been selling sesame cakes at the market for many years, and the name "Aunt Pang" has replaced her real name as a form of address.

Granny Liu was older than Aunt Pang, but she called her Aunt Pang just like everyone else, mainly because the two of them were not familiar with each other at all.

The plump aunt laughed and said, "They have a skill, so naturally they can make money. Why should I charge them for setting up a few buckets?"

Old Mrs. Liu said with exasperation, "Those buckets take up so much space! Look at you, there's no room for your guests to sit down."

Aunt Pang, puzzled, said, "I don't have many customers here, how could there be no place to sit? Granny Liu, you're overthinking it."

"Don't you even think about why you don't have many customers? Isn't it because all the customers go to Li's place to eat that konjac tofu?"

"Before the Li family came, I didn't have many customers here."

Aunt Pang was self-aware; her business was already bad, and Li Ruru's arrival actually brought her some customers.

Some people eat a bowl of konjac tofu and then buy a sesame seed cake to eat with it.

Thanks to Li Ruru, she's sold a lot more sesame cakes these past two days.

Old Mrs. Liu sighed, "Why can't you understand good and bad advice? I'm only doing this for your own good."

Auntie Pang chuckled, "Then buy me a few sesame seed cakes, they're delicious."

Isn't this for her own good? Then let her earn some money.

She will naturally remember Granny Liu's kindness once she makes money.

"You..." Granny Liu's lips twitched. Who would want to eat her sesame cakes? They were expensive and hard, and they didn't look appetizing at all.

Aunt Pang then added, "If you don't want my sesame seed cakes, I won't force you. You can also give me a pair of your straw sandals."

Granny Liu jumped up and down, "You wish! You think you can get my straw sandals for free? Who do you think you are?"

Aunt Pang's face darkened. "You keep saying you're doing this for my own good, but you neither buy my sesame cakes nor give me straw sandals. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Suppressing her anger, Granny Liu suddenly put on a fawning smile. "Auntie Pang, aren't you curious about how Li's konjac tofu is made?"

Before Aunt Pang could answer, she continued, "I was just asking casually, don't overthink it."

Aunt Pang didn't think much of it; it was Li Ruru who was in the konjac business, not her.

"If you're so curious, why don't you go ask them yourself and see if they'll tell you?"

Like everyone else in this dynasty, Aunt Pang respected craftsmen.

In her opinion, Li Ruru's ability to develop konjac tofu and turn the poisonous konjac into a delicious delicacy makes her a skilled craftswoman.

Craftsmen rely on their skills to make a living. If others find out about their skills, how will they support their families?

There's a saying in the craft world: "Teach your apprentice, and you'll starve."

Therefore, craftsmen have always passed on their skills only to their own family members and rarely teach them to outsiders.

Granny Liu was once again rebuffed, and said coldly, "Hmph, you really are a very kind person."

After saying that, she turned and left. If she couldn't get anything out of Aunt Pang, she could find someone else.

She didn't believe that no one knew how Li Ruru made konjac tofu, so she planned to go home and dig up a few konjac plants to try it herself.

Aunt Pang shook her head as she watched Granny Liu's departing figure. Even Li Ruru's elder brother and sister-in-law hadn't figured it out; Granny Liu, an outsider, was really just making trouble for herself. Wouldn't it have been better to use that time to make a few more pairs of straw sandals?

Li Ruru and her three daughters wandered around the county town for a long time. Li Ruru wanted to buy everything she saw and immediately started a shopping spree.

We're out of salt at home, so I'll buy a pound.

We also need to buy several pounds of vinegar.

Oil is needed for cooking, so I buy it.

Soap is needed for washing your face and body, so I'll buy it.

You need to buy a rooster, otherwise you can't hatch the chicks.

We need to buy two pounds of pork; we can't eat without meat.

Two pots, please. The two pots at home are broken.

Buy a dozen or so sets of bowls and chopsticks, keep some for home use, and use the rest for the stall. You can't serve guests broken bowls every day.

Thinking of Chu Xiu's business of selling 50 bowls, I wonder if Chunfenglou has bowls and chopsticks.

After thinking it over, she gritted her teeth and bought 50 porcelain bowls and 50 pairs of chopsticks.

The bowl and chopsticks are a set, decorated with pink carvings, simple yet beautiful.

Daya frowned the whole time. Her mother's shopping spree was terrifying. Was she going to buy out the entire market?
My mother used to be so frugal. She would split a copper coin in half and spend it twice. She never spent as much money in over ten years as she does today.

Is Mom possessed by a shopping addict today?

If this continues, Mom will squander all the money we earned today.

In contrast, both Erya and Sanya remained calm.

Er Ya would help carry whatever her mother bought, and whenever her mother hesitated about whether to buy something, she would encourage her to buy more.

Sanya is a foodie; she held a candied hawthorn skewer in her hand and ate it all the way.

In the blink of an eye, Li Ruru bought several more large buckets and basins.

"Mother, should we buy more?" Daya couldn't help but persuade her.

Li Ruru shook her head firmly, "Bowls and basins are needed to make konjac tofu, we can't always borrow from Aunt Pan's, can we?"

“Oh, right.” Daya conceded defeat.

"Do you think we should buy a stone mill?" Li Ruru asked.

Daya: "Let's not go for it, okay? How are we going to take that thing back? Besides, we can't move it, can we?"

Previously, my mother always asked Tiezhu and Uncle Tieniu to recommend her.

Er Ya laughed and said, "Big sister, isn't there an oxcart? We can help send it back. We can also buy a mule to help pull the stone mill, so we won't have to ask Tie Niu and Uncle Tie Zhu for help anymore."

It also saves us the cost of their wages.

Li Ruru's eyes lit up. "Erya is so smart. We should buy a mule. Maybe next time, after we've made some more money."

She didn't have much change in her hand, and she was afraid that buying too many things would make others envious.

She weighed the money pouch in her hand; it was already quite empty. If it weren't for the 186 taels of silver she still had in her spatial storage, she really wouldn't dare to buy anything more.

Passing by a clothing store, Li Ruru's eyes lit up, and she pulled her three girls inside.

"Shopkeeper, how much are your ready-made clothes?"

When the waiter came out to greet the guests, his face immediately darkened when he saw Li Ruru and her three daughters.

"Where did these beggars come from? Get out of here! Don't get our clothes dirty!"

Li Ruru and her three daughters carried a lot of things and were dressed in tattered clothes. Their attire looked normal in the village; none of them were dressed better than the others.

Compared to the beautiful and stylish ready-made clothes hanging on the wall, it does look rather shabby.

Li Ruru didn't want to argue with anyone. Anyway, there were plenty of places to buy clothes, so she could just go to another one.

Just as she was about to enter the shop across the street, she suddenly heard a voice behind her, "Madam Li, wait a moment!"

Li Ruru turned around and saw a woman who looked to be about fifty years old. She was dressed in a gaudy manner and had a flower tucked behind her ear. She looked like an old woman who was a pimp.

Li Ruru instinctively shielded the three women behind her, and asked warily, "You...you know me?"

(End of this chapter)