Chapter 109 - 109 98 Falling Out

Words : 1413 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

109: Chapter 98: Falling Out 109: Chapter 98: Falling Out Ms.Qian: “So?” “So, let’s cook some dishes and sell them to them. How can they stay healthy just by drinking soup?” Keke has said, if people don’t eat vegetables for a long time, they would get sick easily. Especially since they’re out in the cold wind. If they catch a cold, people could die. Upon hearing this, Zhou Wulang immediately snatched the one hundred coins from her hand, “What are you joking about? Cooking dishes, how would we price it? We almost started fighting today over soup that cost two coins a bowl.” Old Zhou, who had been silent, frowned and asked, “What, did you have a quarrel with someone?” “Not exactly,” Zhou Wulang hesitated but decided to talk about Luda trying to snatch the ladle. The feeling in his heart was still ambiguous, but he felt it was a minor conflict for them. If Manbao hadn’t suddenly spoken up, they might have actually come to blows. Old Zhou pondered for a moment, then looked at Manbao, “What do you plan to make with these vegetables?” Manbao listed on her fingers: “We can stew cabbage or white radishes, or even boil eggs!” What Manbao mentioned were all dishes they commonly ate at home, especially cabbage and white radishes, which were the only things left in the field now. Most of the cabbages had been stored in the cellar, and some were still growing in the fields. Now, every family could only eat these two kinds of vegetables. Old Zhou felt that the likelihood of this business succeeding wasn’t very high, because if they priced it too high, the laborers couldn’t afford it, and if they priced it too low, they’d experience a loss. But after thinking it over, considering the little girl’s suggestions had always made money, he didn’t strongly object. He then told Zhou ErLang and Junior Ms.Qian, “Think it over tonight about how to handle these vegetables. Tomorrow, you’ll go along with them, and tell those laborers that our family has six sons.” Zhou ErLang understood and agreed, then took the one hundred coins from Manbao’s hand. Manbao didn’t mind handing over the money at all, and even advised, “Second Brother, buy some eggs, okay? If we boil them and sell them later, we’ll make a coin for each one, and for every three eggs, we’ll earn one coin.” Outside, eggs were selling three for two coins, so one coin each meant they would make a three-fen profit per egg. Zhou ErLang felt that this profit was too small; they’d be better off looking for another place where laborers served to boil another pot of soup. Manbao didn’t see it that way and kept chattering in his ear, “Third Brother looks so pitiful. I wanted to secretly save the egg water this morning for him to drink. But I was afraid it would spill on the way there, so it’s better to just take the eggs there and boil them for him to eat.” She continued, “Egg water doesn’t taste good; boiled eggs are delicious. Sister-in-law is really, always making me drink egg water and never boiling the eggs for me. Second Brother, tomorrow Second Sister-in-law will be boiling egg water; could you ask her to actually boil the eggs for me? I don’t want to drink egg water anymore.” Zhou ErLang, seeing that she had drifted from the topic of cooking to earn money, nodded half-heartedly, “I’ll talk to your Second Sister-in-law about it.” As to whether she would listen to him, that was uncertain. Manbao, assuming that her Second Brother had agreed, perked up and after eating dinner cheerfully went to look for Bai Shanbao with the money she had divided. Zhou Wulang accompanied her along the way, rambling all the while, “We worked all day and only got fifteen coins. Manbao, why did you spend so much as capital?” “I only spent ten coins,” Manbao didn’t feel that the money was too little and even comforted Zhou Wulang, “We’re definitely going to earn more tomorrow.” “Even so, it’s not us who will hold the money; it’s Second Brother. Whatever we get will certainly be more.” Zhou Wulang sighed, “Tonight, Dad is definitely going to come to ask me for money again. Ah, why is saving money so hard? Right, Manbao, keep ten coins of my money for me. If Dad asks, I’ll give him five.” Manbao agreed without a problem. Zhou Wulang took Manbao to the Bai family’s doorstep, watched her go in, then went home. Manbao was practically a regular at the Bai family’s home. She was taken to the study by the Bai family’s servants, where she rushed in to find Bai Shanbao, who had finished dinner and was now practicing his calligraphy. Seeing Manbao arrive, he immediately dropped the brush, waving his little hands, “Why did it take you so long to come?” Manbao praised him, “You’re so diligent, already practicing your writing.” Bai Shanbao protested, “I don’t want to be diligent at all. It was grandmother who made me write. I said it’s useless no matter how much I wrote today, sigh.” Manbao took out her own paper and brush from her Small book box, “I’ll practice with you.” With a little friend for company, Bai Shanbao finally showed some enthusiasm for writing, and they sat down together to write. Manbao recognized quite a few characters now, but if she tried to write them without copying, there were many she couldn’t write, because she couldn’t suddenly recall how they looked in her mind. As for the characters she could write, they often lacked arms or legs, or had the arms and legs reversed, or sometimes one character would even turn into two. However, Manbao felt these issues could be corrected. The main problem was that she always dipped too much ink, and in the end, every word would turn into a blob of ink. What to do? Manbao held her brush, let out a wistful sigh, dipped it in ink, and carefully began to write the first character. Meanwhile, Ms.Liu had finished looking through the booklet brought back by Shanbao. She closed the booklet and handed it to Daji, instructing him to take it to the two children. She was still curious to see what they would do with it. Manbao and Bai Shanbao, who had supposedly come to discuss writing, had long forgotten about it and, after Daji delivered the booklet, tossed it aside and huddled together to critique each other’s writing. Bai Shanbao commented, “Your handwriting is really ugly.” Manbao, envious, replied, “Your handwriting is really nice.” Pleased by the compliment, Bai Shanbao felt a little bad for his criticism and said, “It’s okay, just practice more. I’ll teach you.” Manbao asked, “Was your handwriting this ugly the first time you wrote?” “Of course not. My writing has been good since I was little.” Bai Shanbao boasted, “I’m smarter than you.” Unconvinced, Manbao countered, “Actually, I’m smarter than you. I’m the smartest in a hundred miles radius.” Bai Shanbao made a face at her, “Big talker.” “No,” Manbao declared loudly, “I’m stating a fact! I am the smartest.” “Then why is your handwriting so ugly, and why don’t you know as many books or have read as many as I have?” Manbao was taken aback, her face turning gloomy. She asked Keke in her heart, “Who do you think is smarter, him or me?” The system felt awkward. It glanced at their intelligence values and said, “They’re similar.” “But there’s still a difference, right? Who is it, who’s less smart?” Keke remained silent. Manbao burst into tears with a loud “Wa,” pushed Bai Shanbao, “I’m not going to be friends with you anymore. I’ll be smarter than you in the future! Just wait and see, hmph!” Daji watched in amazement, completely baffled as to how the two children suddenly started quarreling. Bai Shanbao, pushed to the ground, got angry as well. He got up, pushed Manbao, causing her to fall down too, and still not content, said with a flushed face, “You’re dumber than me and won’t admit it, shame, shame, crybaby, I’m never going to play with you again.”

Chapter 109 - 109 98 Falling Out

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