Chapter 17: Doing Business
At that time, soybean processing techniques were not refined, so they were difficult to eat, scratching the throat. As a result, people would only eat soybeans during a famine or if their family was too poor to afford wheat.
That’s why Mrs. Liang had said that.
Zhao Leiguang shook his head and went to clean the millstone. Because Zhao Dong had been grinding wet soybeans, he had to clean the millstone.
Mrs. Liang pursed her lips and gossiped again, "I hear the neighbors saying that Zhao Dong’s family doesn’t know how to manage their lives. Times are so tough, yet they’re still buying candy for their daughter. Tell me, surely he didn’t sell their flour to buy candy for his daughter, did he?"
Zhao Leiguang kept his head down, busying himself without answering her. Mrs. Liang continued talking to herself.
"If you ask me, your father shouldn’t have lent flour to their family. Who knows if he can even pay it back? What if he ends up relying on us later? We should be getting closer to Auntie Wang’s family. Her son is the most promising in the village, and if her grandson becomes an official in the future, that will benefit our family. Don’t you agree?"
She talked for a good while, but seeing that her husband wasn’t paying her any mind, Mrs. Liang grew annoyed. She went over and patted Zhao Leiguang, "Hey! I’m talking to you. Did you hear me?"
"Of course, I’m listening," Zhao Leiguang said, somewhat unhappily. "Let me tell you, you’d better not say those things again. If Father hears you, he’ll definitely be angry."
"Besides, Father has his reasons. I don’t think he’s wrong. Brother Dong is a good man, loyal and righteous. Now that he’s in trouble, and since our family is the Village Chief’s, it’s only right that we help him out. You should also stop spreading baseless rumors outside."
Having been told off by her husband, Mrs. Liang looked embarrassed and, fuming, said no more.
Zhao Dong, who was already some distance away, naturally didn’t hear any of this. Even if he had, he likely wouldn’t have paid it much mind.