She Only Cares About Cultivation

Truly wanting to help them, you don’t need to invite them at all; even if you ask them a question, they will feel grateful.

Just like the tofu we gave away, which family didn’t come over to ask when they needed help?

It’s because they didn’t want to burden others, thinking they could manage on their own, so they didn’t ask for help.

But people coming over to show concern means they want to help, whether it’s genuine or not, at least they maintain appearances, and that’s enough.

Unlike your maternal family?

Haha, since the first night they moved in, they have been scolding, and they scold all the time, whenever they pass by. Sometimes both mothers scold together, and the sister-in-law and younger sister-in-law join in as well, repeating the same words.

"I raised you all these years for nothing. Now that you should feed and clothe us, you’re treating us like this? You’d rather give to others than let your own family benefit even a little. You’ve really made it, haven’t you? If you’re so capable, never come back to this house again!"

The two sisters learned how to make tofu shortly after leaving their family. It upset them, especially seeing how Liu Dofu’s newly renovated home was better and bigger than their own. When it looked bright and welcoming, they became jealous. Even more infuriating, the two daughters lived better and better after separating from them.

Anyone would feel bad about it. Isn’t this indirectly mocking how poorly their family used to live?

The entrance of An Yi’s home is also often littered with dung, which she quietly cleans up and uses as fertilizer, never saying a word or causing a scene.

In her view, this is a typical expression of jealousy towards her.

The early Fifties in the three northeastern provinces were busy, busy establishing farms, busy vigorously developing agriculture. Her settlement was an obscure place in the Northeast, and it took twenty to thirty miles to reach the nearest town; if you relied on your two legs, you might not get there before nightfall.

Now the village is discussing the matter of agricultural cooperatives, and unlike the mountains of the past where the roads twisted and turned and you might never find them, the five or six settlements nearby are all connected, not far from each other. If there is a future cooperative in the city, surely they will be part of the same one.

The era of striking against landlords has passed, but families with cattle or donkeys are still few and far between. She doesn’t want to stand out, so naturally, she doesn’t bring out her cattle. What will they use to sell their tofu?

Thirty to forty jin of tofu daily isn’t that heavy. She selected a peculiar rural cart from Yunan Province from her space. It’s basically a flat cart on top with an axle connected to two wheels underneath, carried by a harness pulled by people in front.

When she brought out this cart, the two sisters were overjoyed: "Oh my, Sister An, you’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?"

Li Qiuxia felt a bit embarrassed: "Honestly, it’s just thirty or forty jin of tofu every day. Each of us carries a basket and goes around selling it. There’s no need for you to trouble yourself with bringing out a cart, is there?"

"Don’t you also have to exchange for grain? Having a cart is much more convenient. Use it, now that you’re out of apprenticeship, the road ahead is yours to tread. I won’t involve myself much."

Initially eating together because they had no grain and needed care, after a month of adaptation, renovating the house, planting vegetables, and learning to make tofu, they were no longer the hopeless, depressed girls they were a month ago. Now they were busy every day, and their faces showed smiles of satisfaction and hope. Such changes, An Yi was relieved to return their lives to them.

"I’ll arrange help for you with vegetables and grain, skills too, nothing more needed. Once you’re financially stable, each of you give me fifty jin of grain, whether potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, or sorghum; they can be unpeeled, I’m not picky, but you must give. After all, arranging all this alone isn’t easy for me."

"Use the cart, and bring me some tofu every few days. Bean dregs you have extra can be given to me as well. Consider it tuition for what I’ve taught you. Are you willing to accept this?"

Upon hearing this, the sisters realized it meant she intended to separate from them!

"Sister, it’s not that we’re unwilling, but don’t you want to eat with us anymore?"

An Yi nodded: "You focus on your work, I’ll focus on mine, and we’ll not interfere with each other. Distance breeds fondness, proximity breeds contempt; being together can easily cause conflicts. If you need help, just ask. As long as you two stay diligent, selling tofu should support you. Just be cautious while going around selling, and stay safe."