During dinner, everyone was still chatting animatedly.
When Madam Cai and Madam Xi returned, they helped Madam He with the cooking.
Women from other households also came to help.
It was lively and bustling.
It felt like a return to the days on the caravan, and it was quite poignant.
The women, seeing the demeanor of Madam Cai and Madam Xi, were hesitant to speak to them at first.
But unexpectedly, the two of them remained so approachable, and the women soon opened up.
"When people become rich, they get arrogant. One by one, they look down on this, look down on that, their noses practically in the sky. It's true that we all followed the Cheng family, and none of us are the kind to look down on the poor and fawn over the rich."
"Exactly. When I went to attend the full moon celebration for the eldest young master's child, I didn't dare to speak to you two. Look at your attire, it's truly magnificent!"
"It's all thanks to you Cheng family members being so capable. You two are also quite adept at making money!"
"Yes, yes. I've wanted to say this for a long time. Are all of you Cheng family members so good at business? It must be inherited. Eldest Young Master Cheng is so capable, and you men are related, so you must be equally capable!"
They also knew about Cheng Kai Chun and Cheng Feng Tai's business ventures, and they were filled with envy. They were all men, but their husbands lacked such skills.
It wasn't that they didn't envy them.
They also knew it must have been the young couple who taught them, but they were able to manage it!
If it were them, who earned their living from the land, they might not have done as well.
When Madam Cai and Madam Xi heard this, they immediately refuted.
"Where did you get that idea? Doing business isn't difficult. If you don't even have the courage to start, how can you succeed? I've seen it clearly. Look at Hao Zi and Miao Miao. When do they ever do business on a small scale?!"
Madam Xi said that even if they didn't have as much skill as others, they could imitate and learn.
With such a good template to learn from, how could they not succeed?!
She had certainly learned a lot.
One must have a long-term perspective and not just focus on what they have at the moment.
Look at the young couple.
When do their ideas not exceed the imagination of everyone else?
They were also very bold!
Madam Xi said that she herself was bold; she dared to strike up a conversation with people she didn't know. In the past, she would never have dared. What did it matter to her if they invited a chef to their weddings and funerals? She didn't know them.
She wouldn't have dared to act rashly.
But it was precisely because she had been with the young couple for a long time that she felt her confidence soar.
What was there to be afraid of?
Didn't everyone have two eyes and one nose? When she went to that village, she treated it like her own backyard.
She would stroll around there every day.
She wasn't afraid of people.
It was only then that she encountered this opportunity, and even with an opportunity, one had to seize it.
So she told the women to stop always thinking their husbands didn't believe them, worrying about this and that, and not to rely on their husbands for everything.
They could do it themselves!
Women could also support their families and earn money. It wasn't shameful.
In Bei Yan Kingdom, there were quite a few women who set up stalls to do business.
Although their status wasn't as high as scholars or those with a craft,
At least their lives were good?
What did reputation matter?
"Besides, when you have money, you're the boss. Everywhere you go, people will defer to you."
Madam Xi now spoke with such eloquence that it could impress people.
The women listened intently.
They couldn't help but marvel.
But some people said, "That's because you're close to Eldest Young Master Cheng and his wife. With their guidance, you're naturally extraordinary. We are so far away from Scholar Song."
Madam Cai frowned slightly upon hearing the slightly sour remark.
But to everyone's surprise, Madam Xi did not get angry.
She simply smiled and said to the woman, "If there was no opportunity before, is there no opportunity now?"
Madam Xi said that now was their opportunity. If the young couple was willing to guide them, they should seize the chance. If their husbands couldn't, they could do it themselves!
"If you hesitate and worry about everything, how can you achieve great things?"
She said that even if they failed, it was just experience. They could try again next time!
The women were truly impressed.
Madam Xi seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, as if her understanding and mind had been enlightened.
Everyone was full of admiration.
Madam Cai couldn't help but smile and praise, "Remarkable, truly remarkable!"
Madam Xi then emerged from her state of disappointment, laughing heartily and saying, "Nonsense. It's just that with age, my mind has become clearer. It's much better than being confined to a small world in a daze!"
Honestly.
She even felt grateful for this disaster, which had allowed her to go out and see the world.
She realized that there were always people better than you and mountains beyond mountains. Outside the small courtyard that had confined her, there was such a vast world. It was truly a sigh of emotion.
Stepping out, she was no longer preoccupied with whether they could have meat to eat this year, what to do about her three children's torn clothes, or how her husband's temper was worsening. She had successfully moved away from these trivial matters.
She no longer had to play mind games with her sister-in-law, and lose, being bullied every day.
Her husband was also frustrated.
When life was unsatisfactory, he would vent his anger on his wife and children.
Madam Xi recalled her past life and felt that "bitter" was an understatement. She truly couldn't live like that.
Now, her husband dared not.
On the contrary, if she got angry, he would stammer and dare not provoke her.
Because of the neglect towards the children, they also ignored him.
If he hadn't tried so hard to appease them in the past two years, the children might not have even acknowledged him.
He deserved to atone for his sins.
Madam Xi felt no pity for him. If she felt pity for him now, who would pity the former self who was bullied by him? She had thought it through clearly.
Madam Cai was truly impressed. In fact, Madam Xi was much more formidable than her.
Later on, she didn't achieve much.
She helped with some farm work at home, gathered mountain goods, and took care of her husband and children.
Compared to Madam Xi, she was far behind.
Later, her husband, guided by the young couple, opened a department store.
Now, her daughter managed it very well, and she retired after only a few days of work.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to attend Cheng Xiao Xi's wedding with Madam Xi and go sightseeing.
Madam Cai felt quite ashamed.
But Madam Xi comforted her, saying, "It's nothing. You have good fortune. At least your husband is better than mine. Now that your daughter is strong, your husband dares not bully you anymore. Just enjoy your blessings!"
Madam Cai laughed at her words, "I can't argue with you anymore."
Madam Xi chuckled.
But her relationship with Madam Cai was still very good. In her past dark days, it was Madam Xi who pulled her through and accompanied her every day. She would never forget that.
The other women looked on with envy. Their lives, in the eyes of these women, were extremely happy, at least their lives were harmonious.
They still had to strive for basic necessities.
Although their current lives were much better than before, humans tend to compare themselves. Seeing them live well, they naturally wished for a better life for themselves.