After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 38

Once the first wave of customers had passed and things had calmed down a bit, Wang wiped her hands, cleared her throat, and raised her voice to the regular customers who were still queuing and eating, saying loudly:

“Dear brothers and sisters, and our regular customers, excuse me for disturbing you all, but I have something to tell you.”

All eyes turned to her.

Wang’s face showed a hint of apology, but more so a bright smile: “Thanks to everyone’s help these past few days, our little stall has been able to get going. Starting tomorrow, we have some important family matters to attend to, so we’ll have to close for a few days and won’t be able to set up our stall for the time being. We can’t say for sure when we’ll be back yet, but we’ll definitely be back as soon as we’re done with our business!”

Upon hearing this, a chorus of regret and concern immediately arose in front of the stall.

“Oh? You’re closing down? What are we going to do? I feel unwell if I don’t have a bowl of your soup every day!” An old boatman who was a regular customer put down his bowl, his face full of reluctance.

“Yes, ma’am, your soup is delicious and your flatbread is really good. If you suddenly stop selling these, we’re going to be without breakfast!” another laborer chimed in.

“Sister-in-law Lin, has something happened at home? Is it serious?” a kind-hearted aunt asked Wang with concern.

Wang quickly waved her hand, her face showing a mix of embarrassment and barely concealed joy: “It’s nothing, it’s nothing, thank you all for your concern! It’s just… there’s a happy occasion at home that we need to take care of. We’ll be fine after these few days!”

Lin Sang smiled and reassured everyone, “Don’t worry, everyone. I just had some things to take care of at home. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done, and I promise it will still taste the same and be the same portion! I’m sorry for the past few days, and please bear with me!”

Hearing that it was a happy occasion, everyone was relieved, but they were still reluctant to part.

“Oh, it’s a happy occasion! Congratulations!”

“Young boss, it’s a deal! Come back as soon as you’re done! We’re all waiting for you!”

“Exactly! Without your pot, the aroma of this dock is halved!”

“Come back soon! We’ll come back to support you!”

Regular customers offered words of advice and encouragement, their words filled with sincere wishes and blessings. Lin Sang and Wang Shi thanked them repeatedly, their hearts overflowing with the warmth from these strangers.

Only after seeing off the last reluctant guest and packing up the large items like pots, pans, and dishes and locking them in the small house did the Lin family finally breathe a sigh of relief.

———

After working in town for several days, the Lin family members felt a sense of relaxation and languor as they suddenly stopped to rest. They were enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Wang took a basket and went out to see what was still edible in the vegetable garden.

Just as I reached the old locust tree at the village entrance, I was spotted by several sharp-eyed women who were doing needlework and chatting there.

“Oh my! Sister Lin! Has the sun risen in the west today? What brings you to wander around the village? Is your expensive stall in town not busy?” Aunt Guihua, who always speaks quickly, was the first to call out, which made the others look up curiously.

Wang walked over with a smile, knowing she couldn’t avoid the questioning, so she went along with it and replied, “The stall is fine, it’s all good. It’s just that the kids have been working non-stop and they’ve all lost weight. We also have some things to take care of at home, so we decided to close for a few days so everyone can catch their breath.”

“Closed down?” A young woman put down the shoe sole she was holding and exclaimed in surprise, “That will delay your earnings so much! But what happened in town? Is someone causing trouble?” The others immediately perked up their ears, their faces full of concern (and a hint of barely perceptible probing).

“No, no!” Wang hurriedly waved her hand. “It’s really nothing! The managers at the dock have been very helpful. It’s just… it’s just that I have some things to take care of at home.” A smile involuntarily appeared on her face, but she didn’t want to say it outright.

Aunt Guihua, being the most quick-witted, noticed Wang’s barely concealed joy and, with a quick twitch of her eyes, lowered her voice and chuckled, “Is something going on at home? Or is it good news? I see your mouth is practically stretched to your ears, sister-in-law! Could it be… that our Sang’er’s good day is coming soon?”

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

“Oh! Really? Sang’er is engaged?”

“Which family is it? Is it someone from town?”

“I knew it! With Sang’s ability, suitors would be lining up at the door!”

“Sister Lin, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us quickly, which family is so lucky?”

The crowd gathered around, chattering excitedly, their curious gazes almost overwhelming Wang Shi.

Wang blushed with excitement at the questioning, feeling both happy for her daughter and mindful of the rule that things shouldn’t be publicized until a formal agreement was reached. She could only manage a vague laugh, saying, “Oh dear, you clever people! You can’t hide anything from me! Yes… we’ve got a lead, but it’s not the time to talk about it yet. In a few days, everyone will know!”

Her attitude of half-acknowledging and half-keeping it a secret only whetted everyone’s appetite.

“Oh, you’re keeping it a secret!”

“It’s definitely a good match, look how happy Sister Lin is!”

“Could it be… that one of the shopkeepers in town has really taken a liking to him?”

“I don’t think so. Maybe he’s a promising young man from one of the nearby villages…”

Everyone speculated, but Wang just smiled and refused to reveal any more information, no matter what they said. She only said repeatedly, “I’ll treat you all to candy then!” After saying that, she made an excuse to go pick vegetables, got rid of the crowd’s “encirclement”, and walked quickly towards her own vegetable garden with a basket on her shoulder.

Behind them, the discussions under the old locust tree grew even more heated. Speculation about which good family Lin Sang had betrothed to spread like wildfire throughout the small Linjia’ao village.