Chapter 126: Why Can't I Go?

"Go back and tell your parents to run that shop properly, don't be greedy; the prescription and recipe I have are for the Wang Family, and your Feng Family can't afford to offend them,"

"I can't offend them either; the pastries are for the Qian Family, whose status is similar to the Wang Family, and they're also not the kind of people the Feng Family or I could afford to provoke. As for the remaining snacks, I have to support an entire household myself."

"If the snack recipe I gave Xin'er works well, it will get better and better just as I said, because it's small and unassuming, so people are less likely to keep it in mind."

"Yes, Master, Yinshi will definitely go back and tell his parents."

"Hmm,"

After saying that, the meals were set out, everyone took their seats, and at the table Qiao Mai chatted with others, but didn't say a single word to Xin'er.

That brief conversation made her decide: from now on she'll treat her as if she were no disciple at all, just an ordinary person.

No matter how she taught, she couldn't produce results; once she left her natal family, not to mention dealing with her own family, even selling them off would be a mercy. It seems that Lu Ruxin has already told the Feng Family everything about her past.

Lu Shopkeeper had already seen something earlier; she remained silent without a murmur, and everyone, after eating together, dispersed simultaneously.

Lu Shopkeeper took Xin'er's hand and said, "Young lady, this time you really made a mistake."

"Mother, I think it's not wrong. Master gave you the prescription for me and said those words, but if it was given to me, it's mine. Moreover, I've married into the Feng Family, so I'm a Feng person; why would a family split you and me? You and Master are overthinking it."

"Perhaps this marriage was all pre‑planned by the Feng Family."

"Yes, I'm sorry, that White-eyed Wolf changed after getting married."

Xin'er flashed a sharp look, "She sent someone away."

"Taking on a disciple was just a pretense, merely to repay your kindness. Since there's no master‑disciple fate, it'd be better to end it early."

"I can understand a woman who goes to a stranger's home, constantly trying to please them for fear of displeasing them, yet never sees her own strengths, lowering herself so low that others can step on her. If you, mother, hadn't supported her, her days would have been very hard."

"On the second day of the new year, Ruxin and her Xianggong came to the shop; not only did they want to take some items, they also wanted to look behind the counter."

Lu Shopkeeper looked at the young lady before her, who seemed somewhat unfamiliar, and asked, "Mother asks: did your master give you the Palace Fan and the screen?"

"Do it well, and remember, she's no longer my disciple; whoever comes to take something, without my permission, must pay."

All the shops in Town were closed; only the Qiao Ji Snack Puzi was bustling, its business especially good. The workers couldn't make enough snacks each day to meet demand, and only after the fifteenth did the volume start to ease.

"Mother, we want to go see the shop ahead."

"Ruxin, that Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl, I taught her so many things back then; on the first day of the new year the in‑laws were pushed to our house, the Feng Family is trying to climb the ladder."

Niu Shopkeeper saw that her complexion looked fine and knew that something bad must have happened that day.

"Yes, Master!"

"That Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl, raised by Lu's wife, knows nothing of the world; after marrying out she was bewitched by the Feng Family, sigh~"

"You don't want her as a disciple anymore?"

"From now on she's just your daughter; I've done everything she should have, there's nothing I owe her, and besides, she's your daughter, so just receive her."

"After the fifteenth, go back and ask Qiao Niang; I only treated Ruxin well out of respect for her face."

The workers were swamped, and Niu Shopkeeper whispered to her.

"Hmm, that Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl crossing Qiao Niang's river wasn't a one‑time thing; it can't happen over and over, she's gone too far."

On the third day of the new year, Qiao Mai went to the shop ahead, taught the workers hand‑by‑hand how to make popcorn, and let them pack it in paper bags; such a small bag of popcorn cost Ten Wen.

Angry, Lu Shopkeeper opened his mouth, pointed at the carriage for a long time, then suddenly turned and jogged off to find Qiao Mai.

"Given? Let them see?" Qiao Mai frowned upon hearing it.

"Without your order, she didn't take anything, and the subordinates later didn't let the two of them look."

"I'm not angry, no need to comfort me. I didn't sleep much last night; I'm going to sleep, you go back."

But he's not a loudmouth, nor does he speak out of turn; he just does whatever Master says. Niu Shopkeeper's one good trait is his very tight‑lipped mouth.

Especially after the new products arrived, many people came to try them; anyone buying snacks, once they hear there's something good, they'll buy a bit to taste.

Speaking, they lifted Feng Yinshi onto the carriage and left with the Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl and the matron.

When they saw Qiao Mai, she was just about to lie down for a nap.

Lu Shopkeeper sat on the edge of her kang and tears instantly fell.

"Sister, something?"

These past few days Qiao Mai had nothing to do, and she searched online for a snack, which turned out to be fried dough snack.

Lu Shopkeeper left dejectedly; Qiao Mai sighed and closed her eyes.

She knew the girl was truly angry today.

Listening, it wasn't expensive—one jin of corn cost only Five Wen, popping a jin yields enough for twenty paper bags, that's Two Hundred Wen; after costs, you can profit up to One Hundred Fifty Wen or more. Truly a huge profit.

Yesterday she stayed home entertaining guests and didn't come to see; business was booming, the workers had learned, and she sat in the shop watching—there were indeed many people.

After it was ready, everyone's feedback was good, and on the fifth day of the new year it was placed on the shelves of the snack shop.

"Why? A disciple is only half a person; why can't I go?"

Lu Shopkeeper wasn't afraid to offend the Feng Family; in front of Feng Yinshi he blurted it out, the Feng son‑in‑law's face looked quite bad, but he said nothing.

"Alright, you wait in the front hall; Mother will prepare some return gifts for you to take back."

"I think that makes sense."

"What's wrong, old woman?"

In Fucheng, the Wang Family—elder gentleman and lady sat cross‑legged on the warm kang, facing each other, drinking tea.

"Then what's your point?"

"Mother, it's just an item; the daughter now can do Double-sided Embroidery, she can stitch a few more pieces. They're all family; if they want it, I can't be stingy and refuse, right?"

Xin'er, a bit angry, said, "Mother, no need to prepare return gifts; we're leaving."

"Look at what? If you can buy things, that's fine, but you can't go behind and watch how they make them."

"Sorry, girl, Xin'er made you feel cold‑hearted."

"A married young lady is like water spilled out; even if you say you're of the Feng Family, how could I dare treat you as someone from my Lu family?"

Lu Shopkeeper was somewhat disappointed, but after all she's his daughter, he couldn't keep saying that; besides, she already wants to argue with people.

"Old man, I misjudged you."

Shopkeeper Lu gritted her molars, thinking to herself, this Feng Family really knows how to do it—what have they been filling their own daughter's head with?

She glared at Xin'er. "Half a son? Other people can't even send a whole son, so who do you think you are? Hurry up and get back to the Feng Family, and don't come here again unless it's necessary."

It had to be said, this popcorn was the holy grail of snacks—there was no one who didn't love a bite of it.

"Sister, I've been very busy at the end of the year too, so I didn't pay much attention to her affairs. I'm truly sorry about that."

"You really don't know how to cherish what your Niang Jia elders gave you. All that added up to five or six thousand taels of silver, and you just gave it away like that? The Betrothal Gifts the Feng Family gave you were only a thousand taels—are you stupid or what?"

Especially the dark-colored popcorn, which was the most popular with children and young girls. Word spread from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, and the shop was nearly bursting at the seams.

"Mother, what exactly is going on between you and Master? Why are you guarding against me at every turn?"

Her daughter had changed into a completely different person after marrying, so much so that she hardly recognized her. Not only was she ungrateful, but she also made excessive demands—to put it bluntly, she was shameless.

On the sixteenth day of the first month, all the shops opened for business.

The Liu Family siblings also returned. After meeting Qiao Mai at the Qiao Family, they went back to work.

Life went on as usual! Although Shopkeeper Lu felt guilty in her heart, she wasn't the type to wail and complain. Her own daughter had done wrong, and there was no reason for others to have to put up with her.

Lu Sanniang didn't indulge her daughter either. Wrong was wrong. Now that she was Feng Lu-shi, since she wouldn't listen to advice, let her be—the day of regret would come.

(End of chapter)