Transmigrated into the role of the matriarch, I ensured my family had enough to eat and wear during

The atmosphere at the dinner table grew increasingly harmonious. Lu Hao watched his family chatting and laughing, his heart filled with emotion.

He thought of his own father, who always scolded him for being unruly and would often lecture him with a lot of grand principles, never guiding his family with the gentleness and wisdom of Tang Susu.

He secretly felt that the reason he was not as sensible as Tang Chengyu was perhaps because he did not have such an elder to guide him.

As he thought about it, he raised his head and said earnestly, "I will work hard in the future to become someone who can shoulder great responsibilities, so that I can help my father share his burdens and no longer disappoint him."

"Hey, Hao-ge, you've grown up?" Yang Xiaobao came over and teased playfully, "You're fifteen years old now, not little anymore. In our village, there are people your age who are already fathers!"

Lu Hao blushed, raised his hand and gently patted Yang Xiaobao's head to stop him, saying, "Don't talk nonsense, what does a child know?"

Their playful banter made the atmosphere at the table more relaxed.

At this moment, Ah Gui, who had been eating silently, put down his chopsticks and said earnestly, "My responsibility is to serve Young Master Lu well and work diligently for him. When Young Master Lu becomes an official in the future, could you help me find a virtuous wife? I also want to start a family."

As soon as A-Gui said that, Tang Lifu and Miao Yulan blushed instantly, feeling a little embarrassed.

Tang Susu and the others were amused and burst into laughter, filling the entire hall with a warm and lively atmosphere.

The next morning, the rooster crowed, and just as dawn was breaking, Tang Susu got up.

Stepping out of the room, I saw Miao Yulan sitting by the kerosene lamp in the main room, head down, sewing autumn clothes for the whole family stitch by stitch.

Tang Susu walked over, looked at the work in Miao Yulan's hands, and asked softly, "Yulan, are you up so early making thermal underwear?"

Miao Yulan looked up and smiled: "Yes, it's getting colder and colder, so we have to finish making them quickly, or the children will get cold. The summer clothes are made of a single layer of coarse homespun cloth, which isn't very warm. I sewed two layers of autumn clothes, leaving an opening between them so that when it gets cold, we can stuff them with reeds, willow catkins, or straw, which will keep them much warmer."

She pointed to the fabric beside her and continued, "If conditions improve in the future, we can stuff it with chicken or duck feathers, which will make it even warmer, almost like a cotton-padded coat. Families in the village who are slightly better off will use rabbit or fox fur to make clothes, which are more resistant to the cold."

Tang Susu looked in the direction she pointed and saw that there was a lot of rabbit fur in the bamboo basket next to her. Miao Yulan was still slowly sewing the rabbit skin together, and it seemed that she was making a cloak.

"This cloak is for you," Miao Yulan said with a smile, noticing her gaze. "You work so hard every day and your health is weak. Wearing a cloak in winter will keep you warm."

Tang Susu felt a warmth in her heart, and her eyes welled up with tears.

She secretly made up her mind that once she finished what she was doing, she would get a few quilts from the trading platform so that her children and sister-in-law wouldn't get cold.

Looking at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, Tang Susu suddenly thought of the earthen kang (heated brick bed) in the north and had a new idea: This place is located at the junction of the north and south, and the village is isolated. The villagers have never heard of earthen kang, but earthen kang is warm and practical. Sleeping on it in winter, they will no longer have to be afraid of the cold.

She remembered that there was a record of earthen beds in the book, and planned to talk to Yang Feicheng about it after the construction workers came, and then draw up the design drawings. Maybe it could be promoted in the village.

On the other side, Yang Gousheng had already packed up the goods and was carrying a heavy basket on his back, which contained more than 40 jin of braised pig offal and more than 20 jin of braised roe deer meat, all of which were to be delivered to Jiangtou Town.

He walked up to Tang Susu and respectfully said goodbye: "Mother, I'm going to Jiangtou Town to deliver goods. I'll be back soon."

Tang Susu carefully instructed, "Be careful on the road. When you get to town, remember to eat well. Don't act impulsively if anything happens. Stay calm. If you really can't solve it, come back first, and we'll figure something out together."

"I know, Mother!" Yang Gousheng nodded, slung his basket over his shoulder, and turned to leave.

This time the goods weren't much, so he didn't call Yang Defu's oxcart and planned to walk there alone—it would take about two hours to get from Yangqu Village to Jiangtou Town. Jiangtou Town had a wharf and was the most bustling and crowded place in the area, which was also the best place for his braised food business.

After a long journey, Yang Gousheng finally arrived in Jiangtou Town and went to the neighbor's restaurant first.

Manager Luo was already waiting in the shop. As agreed yesterday, Yang Gousheng delivered about twenty catties of braised meat to Manager Luo. The two completed the transaction smoothly. Manager Luo also told him to deliver more goods in the future.

After delivering the goods to the neighboring restaurant, Yang Gousheng carried the remaining goods to Zuiyuefang—the largest restaurant in Jiangtou Town, which also had many branches in the surrounding area.

As soon as he entered, Manager Liu greeted him warmly and quickly poured Yang Gousheng a cup of hot tea: "Young Master Gousheng, you've finally arrived. Please sit down and have some tea to rest."

Yang Gousheng put down his basket and said with a smile, "Manager Liu, you're too kind. I've brought you some braised meat, thirty-five catties in total."

Manager Liu took the braised meat, smelled its rich aroma, and smiled broadly. He then said urgently, "Young Master Gousheng, I have good news for you. The braised meat you delivered yesterday sold out quickly at our branch in Qintang Town. They urgently need more."

He paused, then said solemnly, "I'd like to place a long-term order with you. I need over three to four hundred catties daily. We have more than forty branches in Fuzhou, and they all need your braised dishes. As for the price, I'll add five wen to the original price, making it seventy wen per catty. What do you think?"

As he spoke, Manager Liu added, "Don't worry, I know the neighboring restaurant is also looking for you. I won't mention the matter of buying a son to you, I just beg you not to switch to them. Let's cooperate in the long term, I guarantee I won't treat you unfairly."

Upon hearing this, Yang Gousheng was instantly shocked and quickly calculated in his mind: each catty of braised food could earn thirty-five coins. If he delivered four hundred catties every day, he could earn twelve taels of silver a day, which was a huge sum of money!

He was very excited, but he quickly calmed down—his family was short-handed and still building a new house, so they simply didn't have the extra energy to immediately fulfill such a large order.

He took out nearly thirty catties of braised roe deer meat from his basket and handed it to Manager Liu: "Manager Liu, I still have some braised roe deer meat. Try it. If you like it, I can send you more in the future."

Shopkeeper Liu quickly cut off a small piece, put it in his mouth, took a bite, and his eyes instantly lit up: "Delicious! It's even more fragrant than braised pork offal, with no fishy or gamey smell at all. I'll buy this too, at the same price as pork offal, as many as you want!"

Yang Gousheng smiled and said truthfully, "Manager Liu, I can do several hundred catties later, but not this month. My family is building a new house and we don't have enough manpower. I'll have to wait until next month to supply you with that much goods."

Upon hearing this, Manager Liu, though somewhat disappointed, understood and nodded: "Okay, no problem, I'll wait for you. You must prioritize supplying me next month."

After chatting for a while, Manager Liu tentatively asked, "Young Master Gousheng, I have a favor to ask. Could you perhaps inquire with your mother about her braised pork recipe? I'll offer a high price!"

Yang Gousheng's face hardened, and he sternly refused: "No, Manager Liu, my mother said that this recipe is a family heirloom that must be passed down from generation to generation, and no one can sell it. She said that anyone who dares to sell their family recipe is not worthy of being a descendant of the Yang family."

Seeing his resolute attitude, Manager Liu knew that further persuasion would be useless, so he had no choice but to give up: "Alright, since it's a family recipe, I won't force you."

After the transaction was completed, Manager Liu warmly invited Yang Gousheng: "Young Master Gousheng, it's a rare treat to come all this way. Please have a meal at Zuiyuefang. Order whatever you like; it's on me."

Yang Gousheng wanted to decline, but he couldn't refuse such kindness and had no choice but to agree.

He picked up the menu, intending to order the cheapest vegetarian noodles, which cost only ten coins. However, remembering Lu Hao's previous mockery of him for being unsophisticated and never having tasted the main dishes at Zuiyuefang, he gritted his teeth and ordered two main dishes: Four Happiness Meatballs for three hundred coins and Lion's Head Meatballs for three hundred and twenty coins.

While waiting for his food to be served, he inadvertently glanced at a new dish on the menu—a braised platter, which cost 350 coins a serving.

Yang Gousheng's heart stirred, and he took out the abacus he always carried with him and silently began to calculate: He could earn thirty-five coins for selling a pound of braised food, and he always thought he was earning quite a lot.

But Manager Liu's platter, which weighs only about half a catty, sells for more than two hundred coins. He can earn five coins per catty, which is much more than what he earns.

After settling the bill, Yang Gousheng was deeply shocked. Looking at the customers coming and going in the restaurant, he couldn't help but feel envious—it turns out that running a restaurant is so profitable.

Meanwhile, Tang Susu was also busy at home.

She found Tang Chengyu, asked for some cheap coarse paper, and bought the construction plan for the earthen bed on the trading platform in advance. She studied it carefully and memorized every detail.

Then, according to the actual size and layout of her new house, she picked up a pen and drew the construction drawings of the earthen bed little by little. She drew very carefully, and marked every dimension and every structure clearly.

She plans to give the blueprints to Yang Feicheng after the construction workers start work, and discuss the construction of the earthen kang (heated brick bed) with him. If it is feasible, she will build it in her own new house first, and then gradually promote it to the whole village.