But before was long, and after will be even longer...
After setting aside enough for herself and Wei Xunzhou to eat, the grain she had counted was really not much.
The people outside, upon hearing that they might not be able to buy grain even with money, became anxious.
Some were even willing to pay five taels of silver for a peck of wheat. Seeing this, others started bidding—ten taels, fifteen taels, twenty taels... And so, the price of a peck of wheat was driven up fiercely by these starving buyers.
In the end, Di Yao decided to sell at one tael per peck, but with a limit—only one peck per person—so that everyone could get some grain.
And so, Di Yao bagged the grain while Wei Xunzhou kept the accounts. By the time they were done, it was already evening. The people got their grain as desired, and Di Yao's money pouch was bulging.
Just as she was about to carry the table back inside, a young girl of about fourteen or fifteen hesitantly approached.
Di Yao asked what was the matter. The girl pulled out a fifty-tael banknote from her bosom and pressed it into Di Yao's hand.
Di Yao smiled and explained to the girl, "Little sister, one tael is enough. This is too much, and I don't have that much grain left."
The girl had a dark complexion, with rough, chapped cheeks and some freckles. She was simply dressed, thin and small.
She looked up and said with a serious expression that she wanted to buy the land in Di Yao's yard.
Di Yao was taken aback. She asked the girl's name, and the girl said her name was Lin Shuang. Before this, she had tried planting at home many times, but each time she failed. So she wanted to buy a piece of land from Di Yao and plant it herself.
Di Yao was quite surprised by this idea. Just now, so many people only wanted to buy ready-made grain, but Lin Shuang had a long-term vision.
Wei Xunzhou finished putting away the account books and saw Di Yao talking and laughing with someone outside the door. He was about to go over when he saw Di Yao carrying the table inside.
Di Yao spotted Wei Xunzhou and bounded over to him in three steps. She proudly shook her money pouch at him. "We're rich now, hehe."
Wei Xunzhou sensed something and looked up at the courtyard gate. The peeping Lin Shuang immediately ducked back.
"Who were you talking to just now?"
"A young girl. She didn't want to buy grain; she just wanted to buy our land to plant. So I said I'd discuss it with you before replying. What do you think, husband?" Di Yao squeezed the money pouch, making the coins inside clink.
Wei Xunzhou had thought that when Di Yao said she'd discuss with him, it was just a perfunctory promise. He didn't expect her to actually ask for his opinion.
He thought for a moment, then said firmly, "No."
Seeing that Wei Xunzhou disagreed, Di Yao thought it over and decided to refuse the girl when the opportunity arose.
She thought it was because Wei Xunzhou liked peace and quiet and didn't want strangers in their yard. In truth, only Wei Xunzhou knew that the land in their yard wasn't special—it was the person who could make grain grow in the Underworld.
Di Yao had already sold grain to the neighbors, thinking that things would quiet down afterward. But to her surprise, for the next several days, people kept bringing grain to her house, just to borrow her kitchen.
None of them had kitchens or stoves at home, and they wanted to eat cooked food, so they came up with this idea. They flattered Di Yao, hoping she would oblige—after all, "a smiling face is hard to refuse."
Once, twice, but not three times. Di Yao sensed that if this continued, they'd expect her to cook for them. She was losing patience and told them to go home and build their own stoves. But these neighbors only wanted to use the ready-made facilities. They took it for granted that since they had paid, they had the right.
Di Yao was exasperated. After finally sending them off, she locked every room in the yard and, before going to bed, specially checked that the gate was securely bolted.
Indeed, no money was easy to earn—the one who pays is always the boss.
That night, as she lay in bed, Wei Xunzhou sat reading beside her. Di Yao was restless, tossing and turning without feeling sleepy. Finally, she threw off the covers, sat up cross-legged, and proposed to Wei Xunzhou.
"Husband, if I wanted to open a restaurant here, would you support me?"
"A restaurant?" Wei Xunzhou closed his book, somewhat incredulous.
Di Yao nodded.
"Actually, that's what Judge Cui talked to me about privately last time. I've been thinking about it these past two days, and I think Judge Cui's suggestion is really good." Although Cui Jue had told Di Yao to keep it a secret, Di Yao had no intention of hiding it from Wei Xunzhou.
Why would she keep secrets from her own husband?
Hearing that it was Cui Jue's suggestion, Wei Xunzhou's expression turned serious. He only slightly lowered his brows, but that was enough to make Di Yao nervous.
She sat up straight, abandoning her lazy posture, and explained her reasoning.
Over the past few days, she had talked with many people and learned a lot. For ordinary people, though it was hard to establish a foothold in the mortal world, there were still opportunities to change their fate. But once in the Underworld, their living conditions depended entirely on their living relatives.
As time passed, even the strongest longing would fade. Being forgotten was just a matter of time.
Moreover... Women had an even harder time in the Underworld. After marriage, they belonged to their husband's family, but since they didn't take their husband's surname, the sacrifices and offerings made by the husband's other descendants were not credited to someone of a different surname.
Similarly, if a family had no male heir, the incense would be cut off. Even if the daughter was accomplished, the amount and quality of paper money and clothes burned to her parents in the Underworld would be greatly reduced.
For generations, women had accepted these antiquated, discriminatory rules from the womb until death. After death, they continued to despise themselves and give up, resigning to their fate.
This had been the case for thousands of years. Everyone knew it was unfair, but what could they do? The power wasn't in their hands.
But Di Yao didn't agree with the neighboring sisters' views. She believed that no matter male or female, fate was in one's own hands.
"Whether alive or dead, women only have themselves for a lifetime. If they want to live well, they can only rely on themselves."
"So I want to open a restaurant here. Not only can it earn money, but it can also fill the stomachs of those who don't receive offerings from the mortal world. And if they have no money, they can exchange labor for grain."
She spoke rapidly for a long time. Some points she glossed over, not wanting to be too blunt in front of a man, but Wei Xunzhou understood anyway.
If anyone else had heard these words, they would have pointed at Di Yao and scolded her for talking nonsense and violating women's virtues. But not Wei Xunzhou.
Because as Di Yao spoke passionately, Wei Xunzhou felt as if stones had been thrown into the stagnant pool of his heart, stirring ripples that could no longer settle.
Everyone had the right to speak, but not everyone had the right to judge. At least he knew he had no right to judge anything.
Di Yao was usually careless and flippant. This was the first time she had spoken so seriously. She felt a little embarrassed for boasting in front of Wei Xunzhou, who always had a book in hand and was so cultured.
And Wei Xunzhou would surely think her idea was too naive. Wouldn't it be better to just live peacefully?