The New Year was approaching, and a farmer's life was full of chores—so many odds and ends that it was hard to know where to start. On this particular day, Meizi happened to bring a few of the younger girls over to play with Juhua, opening a new door in Juhua's otherwise sheltered life. So let's start our story there.
As it turned out, word had spread through the village that the Zheng Family had bought land. Everyone knew they'd used the silver Juhua earned from teaching people her recipes.
Gou Dan's mother mulled it over. That Juhua was certainly a clever girl, and quick-witted too. She'd long since noticed how well-behaved and gentle Juhua was. On top of that, her daughter Meizi was always going on about how delicious Juhua's spicy cabbage was, and how her own version never tasted the same. Gou Dan also said that Juhua's braised offal was fragrant and that Little Shitou got to eat it all the time. But he wasn't close with Juhua, so she never sent any his way.
