They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 12 Successfully Made Iced Jelly
There must be none.

After all, if she had done it, there's no reason why she would have eaten it all by herself while her brother-in-law hadn't tasted a single bite.

If they accidentally let it slip in front of their brother-in-law, there would be no way to cover it up.

Xu Zhichun shook his head and sighed softly: "Before, I was busy with work, only thinking about taking good care of these fields while waiting for Minglang to come back. Who knew that things would turn out this way? If we don't find a way to make money, life will be tough in the future. So I thought I'd give it a try."

"Actually, there are many delicious foods in my hometown. I remember that my mother taught me them all. However, it has been too long, and I was seriously ill before coming back with Minglang and forgot a lot of things. I don't know how much I still remember or whether I did it right. Anyway, let's give it a try."

Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu'er both knew her background, and they couldn't bear to sympathize with her because of her miserable life.

"I'm sorry, Sister-in-law Zhichun, I brought up your sad memories."

"I'm sure you remember it right. The food we make will definitely taste delicious. We'll definitely make money, and life will get better and better from now on. Don't be sad."

"Yes, yes, Aunt Pearl is right."

Xu Zhichun wasn't actually sad; her sadness was all an act. She was also feeling uneasy, unsure if her act was convincing.

But judging from their reactions, I think I'm doing a pretty good job of pretending.

She breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and smiled: "Yes, let's work together, and things will definitely get better and better in the future!"

Aunt Zhu went to check on the dishes on the stove and the chicken stewing in the pot, while Xu Zhichun and Zeng Xiaoyan made jelly together.

After kneading, Xu Zhichun slowly added the settled lime water, stirring as he added it, and stopped when he estimated it was about right.

"Okay, that's fine. Just leave it aside to air dry. Let's eat first, and try it after dinner."

Zeng Xiaoyan laughed and said, "This looks so crystal clear, even prettier than the osmanthus water chestnut cake we make at home. It must taste delicious!"

Aunt Zhu'er was adding garlic sprouts to the pot: "This, this konjac stewed chicken looks ready. The chicken soup is also done. Let's get ready to eat."

"Alright, alright, let's eat!"

The three of them busied themselves serving dishes and setting the table.

Xu Zhichun: "Xiao Yan, do you want to send it back first or eat it first and then send it back?"

"Let's eat first, and I'll take it back later."

If I go back now and see my second sister-in-law again, she'll definitely go crazy again, and it'll affect her appetite.

Aunt Zhu'er smiled and said, "Then I'll keep half in the pot. I'll leave some extra for Mingxuan too."

Zeng Xiaoyan smiled and said, "I'll pick out a few good pieces for the little prodigy later. Sister-in-law Zhichun, you don't know how much my father-in-law adores your little prodigy. He always praises him. He says our village has never had such a good child!"

Xu Zhichun liked hearing this and couldn't help but smile. "My Mingxuan is a good boy."

The fragrant chicken soup and konjac stewed chicken were served, and the three of them sat around it.

Xu Zhichun: "Quickly try this konjac tofu and see how it is."

"okay!"

The three of them couldn't wait to taste it. The konjac tofu, which had been stewed to perfection and soaked up the broth, was smooth and chewy with a slightly bouncy texture. It was a delightful surprise, and the more they chewed, the more fragrant it became. Its unique fresh flavor was irresistible.

Zeng Xiaoyan exclaimed with delight, "It's delicious! The flavor is very unique. It's a new dish that we've never had before. Just based on its novelty, it's sure to sell well."

Aunt Zhu'er also liked it and nodded: "I think it's good too. I think konjac tofu is easy to pair with other dishes, or it should taste good stir-fried on its own. Adding another dish, I think city people would be happy to try it."

Xu Zhichun was relieved. "This is the taste we all like. It seems we can really give it a try. Konjac is free; we just need to go up the mountain to dig it up, which saves us money on raw materials. That's great. I dug up half a basket yesterday. After we eat, we'll discuss the cooperation. How about we make about twenty or thirty catties this afternoon and take it to the city tomorrow to see how our luck is?"

Aunt Zhu'er was taken aback and hesitated, "Isn't this too early?" Zeng Xiaoyan agreed wholeheartedly, "I think it's a good idea. It's better to do business sooner rather than later. Since you think it's feasible, why not give it a try sooner?"

Xu Zhichun added, "Everything is difficult at the beginning. No one has ever seen konjac tofu before, so it may not sell well at first. But that's okay. Let's see how things go tomorrow. We'll work hard to improve, and business will definitely get better little by little."

Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu'er were encouraged by Xu Zhichun's words. Their eyes lit up and their confidence increased, as if they had already made money.

"Ok!"

"Zhichun is right!"

Xu Zhichun smiled and said, "Let's eat first, and then we can discuss it."

"Yes, yes, let's eat first, and eat while it's hot."

Such delicious food is right in front of you, why not enjoy it while it's hot?

The chicken soup was delicious and rich, and the chicken was stewed to perfection with no fat under the skin; the konjac stewed chicken was made with chili peppers, making it fresh, spicy, and refreshing, so delicious that you couldn't stop eating it.

The three of them enjoyed a delicious and satisfying meal.

After lunch, the ice jelly was ready. It was crystal clear and had a bouncy, soft texture when gently touched with a spoon.

Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu'er exclaimed in amazement and couldn't wait to try it.

Xu Zhichun smiled, quickly prepared the brown sugar water, took three clean small bowls, scooped the ice jelly into the bowls, and crushed it with a spoon like beating an egg. He added two or three spoonfuls of brown sugar, mixed it well, and the crystal clear liquid in the bowl, tinged with brown sugar water, immediately looked different.

Xu Zhichun handed them to the two of them one by one, saying, "Try them quickly!"

Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu'er couldn't wait.

The taste was sweet and cool, smooth and bouncy, soft and tender, and the two of them instantly brightened up.

"It's so delicious! This ice jelly is really good, Sister-in-law Zhichun, this will definitely sell well."

"Yes, yes, it's so delicious! I've never eaten anything so good before. I never imagined that something as small as a lantern fruit could be made into something so delicious!"

"The best part is that the lantern fruit is free, so we're doing business with no cost."

"Haha, that's right!"

The three men's confidence soared.

One bowl of this delicious ice jelly was never enough! Everyone ate another big bowl before they were still not satisfied.

Xu Zhichun put down his bowl and said with a smile, "Alright, let's discuss how to do this business now."

Even brothers need to keep clear accounts, right? Otherwise, conflicts are likely to arise in the future.

Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu'er immediately said they would listen to Xu Zhichun in everything.

"Zhichun (sister-in-law), we will do whatever you ask us to do."

Xu Zhichun was both amused and exasperated; this was simply unacceptable.

After some final discussion, it was agreed that after deducting costs, Xu Zhichun would take 60%, and the two of them would each take 20%. The method of making the food was to be known only to the three of them, and they could not tell anyone else, not even their spouses; it had to be kept secret.

It was one thing to keep this money-making scheme a secret from others, but to keep it from even her closest husband? Zeng Xiaoyan and Aunt Zhu'er were taken aback and felt inexplicably awkward.

Xu Zhichun secretly thought this was inappropriate; she needed to persuade him properly—

(End of this chapter)