After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 23

Upon hearing this, Lin Bai, who was silently chopping wood nearby, blushed instantly to the roots of his ears.

Lin Sang looked at her younger brother and joked, “Our Brother Bai should be looking for a wife in two years.”

Upon hearing this, Wang said, “Yes, but then sighed, “There are so many things to spend money on when you get married. You have to build a house and prepare a dowry. Nowadays, good girls don’t have low dowries, so we can’t let them suffer.”

Lin Bai said in a muffled voice, “Mother, I’m not in a hurry.”

“What nonsense are you talking about! Men should marry when they come of age and women should marry when they come of age. Your sister is getting married, and you need to get a wife too.” Wang looked at her children with hopeful eyes. “It’s nothing for us to work hard and suffer a little. If this mutton soup stall really takes off, will we still have to worry about finding you a wife? At that time, good girls will be begging to come to our door!”

Everyone laughed at his words, and Lin Song joined in the fun, shouting, “I want to get married too! I’ll make sure my wife comes riding a donkey by herself!”

Wang laughed and tapped him on the head: “Do you think you’re the King of Heaven? Your wife rode a donkey here by herself? I think you look like a donkey!”

Eight-year-old Lin Miao pointed at Lin Song and giggled, “Second brother has a long face, he looks like a donkey! Haha!”

The kitchen was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, mingling with the increasingly rich aroma of bone broth from the stove, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

———

When the soup was almost ready, Wang began to direct the making of pancakes.

Lin Sang was in charge of tending the fire and controlling the temperature of the griddle, while Wang Shi kneaded the fermented dough into long strips, divided them into portions, rolled them into round cakes, and quickly stuck them onto the hot griddle. In no time, the edges of the cakes puffed up, and the surface was covered with golden brown spots, filling the air with the aroma of wheat.

As soon as the flatbread came out of the pan, the three children in the house couldn’t help but swallow their saliva and stare longingly. The fragrant flatbread paired with the pot of milky white, bubbling mutton bone soup was something to look forward to just thinking about.

After the pancakes were baked, the mutton bone soup was ready. Wang put the cleaned mutton offal into the boiling soup and added an appropriate amount of salt to taste.

Once the lamb offal was fully cooked and the broth had turned an even richer, milkier white, she sprinkled on a generous amount of bright green scallions and cilantro, and nodded in satisfaction: “It’s done!”

The delicious aroma of mutton offal soup instantly filled the entire courtyard, and several children rushed out impatiently.

The mother and daughter filled each person’s bowl to the brim with the newly bought large bowl. Lin Miao, being small, used a small bowl. Lin Sang took out some pepper powder and sprinkled some into her younger siblings’ bowls. She also added some precious chili powder to her own, Wang Shi’s, and Lin Bai’s bowls.

“start!”

At the signal, everyone began to slurp down the fragrant flatbread.

The lamb offal stew is tender and flavorful, with no gamey smell. The broth is rich and delicious. One sip warms you from your throat all the way to your stomach. The touch of spiciness adds a wonderful flavor that makes you sweat and feel completely comfortable.

The pancake is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and it’s a perfect match when dipped in the soup.

“This is so delicious! Sister! Mother! This can definitely make money!” Lin Song ate without even looking up.

Lin Miao sipped the soup, her little face scrunched up in satisfaction: “It’s so warm and delicious!”

Although Lin Bai didn’t say anything, the bowl that was quickly emptied and his lingering expression said it all.

Lin Sang herself felt the taste far exceeded her expectations. She asked, “What do you all think? Is there anything that needs improvement?”

Everyone shook their heads, agreeing that it was a great success.

Looking at the remaining half-pot of soup and flatbread, Lin Sang said, “There’s still a lot of soup left. Let’s get up early tomorrow morning and make some more flatbread. I’ll take it to the dock for Dad and Brother Zhou to try. If they like it too, we can ask Brother Zhou to help distribute some to the dock managers and hear their opinions.”

Wang nodded in agreement: “Let your younger brother go with you. Put the soup and bread in a wooden bucket and wrap it tightly in a thick cotton quilt so that it will still be hot when it arrives at the dock, and it will be better to eat it then.” Lin Sang and Lin Bai quickly agreed.

———

Early the next morning, the siblings carried a large wooden tub wrapped tightly in a cotton quilt to ride in an oxcart. The driver, Old Man Li, asked curiously, “Sang girl, Bai boy, what treasure are you carrying? Why are you wrapped up so tightly?”

Lin Sang replied with a smile, “Uncle Li, I made some new food and sent it to my father at the dock. It’s cold, and I’m afraid it will get cold.”

Old Mr. Li nodded approvingly: “Good child, so filial!”

The oxcart swayed and rattled until it reached the town, and the brother and sister hurried toward the dock.

When they found Zhou Han and Boss Lin, the two had just finished their work and Lin Sang couldn’t wait to share the new dishes they had created.

Zhou Han led them to a sheltered storage room, opened the wooden bucket, and a rich, fresh aroma immediately wafted out. Lin Sang took out bowls and chopsticks and served her father and Zhou Han a large bowl of mutton offal soup, adding extra mutton offal and chili powder, and also handed them warm flatbread.

“Father, Brother Zhou, please have a taste!”

The two of them didn’t stand on ceremony, took the bowls, and started eating the flatbread with gusto.

The hot soup dispelled the chill of the dock. The lamb offal was tender and the soup was flavorful. The warmth from the chili peppers spread from the inside out, and even a few beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads. The two ate with great relish, remaining silent for a long time.

Lin Sang watched from the side, her heart in her throat. Finally, when they put down their bowls, she hurriedly asked, “How did it go?”

Zhou Han wiped his mouth, his eyes filled with appreciation: “Very good, the soup is delicious and the pancakes are fragrant. After eating, I feel warm all over and it’s very filling.”

Lin Sang breathed a sigh of relief and a smile spread across her face: “Then, Brother Zhou, do you think it’s feasible to use this as a stall?”

Zhou Han nodded affirmatively: “It’s feasible, we can try it first.”

Lin Sang’s eyes lit up instantly: “There’s still a lot left. Brother Zhou, do you think we should share some with everyone at the dock so they can all have a taste?”

Zhou Han paused and said, “Leave your things here, take Lin Bai home first, I’ll handle the rest. You go back and wait for news.”

Lin Sang knew that this was meant to be given to other managers to taste and to smooth things over. He was grateful and didn’t ask any more questions. He said crisply, “Then I’ll leave it to Brother Zhou! My younger brother and I will go back first.”

“Okay, be careful on the road,” Zhou Han said as he saw them off at the dock.

On the way back, Lin Bai couldn’t help but whisper to his sister, “Sis, this dock is really big and lively! There are so many people. Brother Zhou seems to have a lot of influence here. I think those people are a bit afraid of him, but they listen to him. Such a capable person, Sis… are you really not going to reconsider?”

Lin Sang glanced at her younger brother, her tone calm but meaningful: “These things can’t be rushed, so don’t worry about me. You should think about the hardships you’re about to endure, instead of thinking about anything else.”

Lin Bo, however, said firmly, “As long as I can make money and give my family a better life, that’s not hardship! I’m happy to do it!”

Lin Sang raised an eyebrow and smiled: “You’ve thought things through quite thoroughly.”

———

After watching Lin Sang and her brother disappear from sight, Zhou Han turned back and distributed the mutton soup and flatbread he had left behind to several influential managers at the dock. Everyone was busy in the cold wind, and they all praised the hot and delicious soup, asking Zhou Han where he had bought it.

“A girl I know in the village has good skills and is thinking of setting up a stall to supplement her family’s income. She brought this over early this morning to hear your opinions, brothers.” At this point, the managers joked that Zhou Han might be pursuing her and trying to find her some benefits.

Zhou Han gave a subtle smile, neither admitting nor denying, his attitude remaining ambiguous.

He then took the opportunity to mention Lin Sang’s plan to set up a stall at the dock, and said, “From now on, all the managers who come to eat will get a 50% discount. On the first day of opening, it’s on me.”

Upon hearing this, the managers exclaimed, “What a great deal! Half price is much cheaper than going to a restaurant, and we can get a hot meal!” They immediately expressed their support.

“Don’t worry, Hanzi! We definitely support this!”

“Exactly! We’ll protect that business from now on, let’s see who dares to cause trouble!”

Zhou Han wanted exactly that. He had calculated that there weren’t many people in charge here, so a 50% discount wouldn’t be a big loss, but it would do them a favor and protect the Lin family’s business, thus stabilizing their business.

After settling everyone in, Zhou Han found Boss Lin, gave him a day off, paid him as usual, and told him to go back and inform Lin Sang to make preparations as soon as possible. He also conveyed the message about giving the managers a 50% discount.

After hearing this, Lin felt even more grateful to Zhou Han. He didn’t know how to express it, and only thought that he should go back and discuss it with his daughter so that he could thank him more in the future.