Chapter 93: No Trading, No Selling

Leng Tian was so shocked that his jaw dropped.

He never expected his two younger brothers had been trying to get information out of him all along. When did this happen? Why hadn’t he noticed at all?

Moreover, he felt he hadn’t said anything.

He had only occasionally reminded them not to mention the family’s food or money matters in front of outsiders.

How could his two younger brothers have picked up on any clues?

Was he too naive, or were his brothers too precocious?

“So, what are your thoughts on this matter?”

Leng Yun poured out the suggestions he had long prepared: “We can’t tell anyone, under any circumstances, at any time. I think the one we should worry about most isn’t us, but Second Brother—he’s easily tricked into revealing information.”

“And we need to become stronger. If one day it’s accidentally exposed, we’ll have enough power and ability to protect Sister-in-law,” Leng Chen continued.

As twins, their minds were perfectly in sync at this moment, working together seamlessly as one.

Such a treasure, regardless of the dynasty or era, would attract envy and covetousness. People would stop at nothing to obtain it, fabricating any absurd excuse or finding any high-sounding reason.

And Sister-in-law—she would be guilty merely for possessing such a treasure.

What they could do now was ensure Sister-in-law avoided danger. For the future, even if danger arose accidentally, they would have the ability to protect those they cared about.

Leng Tian fell silent.

He had originally thought it was just a matter of not letting others know. But after hearing his brothers’ words, he suddenly realized: if it were discovered by someone powerful, how could they possibly protect Sister-in-law?

So, he was the only one who had thought about it in the simplest, most superficial way!

He had only considered how wonderful this treasure was, never realizing the danger it could bring to Sister-in-law.

Would poor places attract envy? But wouldn’t wealthy places do the same?

Human hearts are selfish and greedy. He had experienced this firsthand when he was very young. Why was it that his brothers could understand and deeply internalize this truth just from Eldest Brother’s teachings, while he needed them to spell it out clearly before he grasped it?

Leng Tian felt relieved that, so far, he had never mentioned it anywhere. Now that he understood, it wasn’t too late.

“We’ll earn the silver ourselves. From now on, all the food from the treasure will only be for our family—no trading, no selling,” Leng Xiao declared decisively.

The three younger ones nodded heavily in unison.

They would grow up and have the ability to earn money. Now they relied on Sister-in-law, but in the future, they would also be able to support her.

Wen Nuan Nuan felt somewhat troubled.

Why had they suddenly decided to stop selling ginseng slices?

They earned about half a tael per day, which added up to over ten taels a month. Although not a huge amount, it was still a considerable sum over time.

However, the four of them said that if they continued selling ginseng slices after reaching the capital, it would attract too much attention. Thinking about it, that made sense.

In the future, they would all be figures earning mountains of gold daily. Risking danger for half a tael of silver really wasn’t worth it.

Besides, once she settled in the capital, she should focus on starting a business to earn money.

“Sister-in-law, after all, it’s not like before when we didn’t have enough to eat. We’re growing up and can earn silver too. Our family has food and drink—safety is the most important thing,” Leng Yun said, worried that Nuan Nuan might regret the lost income, and he assured her.

In the future, he would use his mind to do business and earn money, so Sister-in-law wouldn’t have to worry about silver!

“Right, it’s already very good if the family can eat their fill every day. We can earn silver on our own.” Leng Tian didn’t know how to console her, so he could only speak from what he cared about most—having enough to eat.

Wen Nuannuan nodded vigorously. The three little ones truly inherited her teachings—always prioritizing life above all else!

Yes, when food and drink are not a worry, life is of course the most important. There’s no need to take risks.

She used to occasionally drink ginseng slice water, which was said to greatly replenish vitality, promote fluid production, quench thirst, and offer various other benefits. She didn’t feel any major effects, but when she was tired, drinking it did make her feel less fatigued.

Although these were short-year, artificially cultivated ginseng, there were dozens of grams every day! Enough for the five of them to drink daily.

After arriving here, she initially thought earning income was key and couldn’t bear to drink it. Now that they had reached a consensus, she could return to her previous lifestyle!

“Then we can finally have ginseng stewed chicken! We can drink ginseng chicken soup every day and also steep ginseng slices in water to drink.” Wen Nuannuan’s eyes sparkled, her little face filled with boundless anticipation!

The three little ones had just prepared a heap of comforting words, but after hearing their sister-in-law’s words, they all swallowed them back.

Sister-in-law’s reaction seemed… different from what they had expected?

Leng Xiao smiled faintly. Still thinking about food first, huh.

Wen Nuannuan looked at Leng Xiao.

Last night, she thought that if Leng Xiao remembered what happened, he’d want to find a hole to hide in. But now, looking at him, he seemed completely composed.

She couldn’t even tell whether he remembered last night’s events or not.

He must have blacked out from drinking.

“You should try to drink less in the future, especially when you’re outside.” Wen Nuannuan sincerely advised Leng Xiao.

He really wasn’t suited for drinking.

Fortunately, it was her last night. What if someone with ulterior motives had been by his side?

What if he grabbed someone else’s hand and talked about personal matters? Would others respect his privacy and not ask questions like she did?

If he answered whatever was asked, he’d have no privacy left.

Leng Xiao’s ears turned faintly red, and a flicker of panic crossed his expression. He quickly steadied himself and promised, “I won’t drink outside. I troubled you last night.”

Wen Nuannuan waved her hand, magnanimously unconcerned. “It was no trouble. You have good drinking manners—no fuss, no noise.”

He just said some things that were hard to understand.

After observing discreetly, Leng Xiao felt half of his hanging heart settle.

Now that the whole family knew about the refrigerator, Wen Nuannuan no longer had to hide what she was doing, and everything became much quicker.

Especially collecting ice.

Leng Chen and Leng Yun could even help draw well water, freeze it, and then call her over to collect it.

The fodder and fresh cabbages and radishes stored in the cellar were also moved into the storage room.

The snow fell intermittently for several days in a row, forcing Wen Nuannuan to stop her evening running exercises.

She switched to doing ten sets of the Rabbit Dance morning, noon, and night, increasing the number once it no longer felt strenuous.

She could slack off in other areas, but exercising her body was non-negotiable! It would be best if endurance and speed weren’t needed on the road, but once they were, they might just save a life.

Leng Yun switched to practicing martial arts with Leng Tian. Leng Chen would also follow along with a set in the morning but spent more time studying medical texts.

In the afternoons, Wen Nuannuan would take some time to teach Leng Chen how to write numbers and carefully go over the secret codes they had agreed upon.

Amidst these fulfilling and joyful days, Wen Nuannuan welcomed her first New Year here.