The little clown was still small; after being shown around to the villagers, the wet nurse took him back inside.
Qin Sanniang looked at the wet nurse, pouted with jealousy, and said sourly, "Oh, a country kid even has a wet nurse. Wu Caiwei is really quite lucky."
As Qin Sanniang spoke, she grew more curious about Wu Caiwei's husband, the big boss of the medicine shop who was once a hunter. She craned her neck through the crowd and asked Liu Ru, "Which one is Zhang Mu?"
Liu Ru scanned the crowd and said, "I don't see him; probably helping out in the back. He'll come out once the banquet starts. Zhang Mu is tall, about the same height as Su Li's husband Yuanbao, and has a handsome, proper face. You'll definitely recognize him when he comes out."
Qin Sanniang responded with an 'oh' but secretly paid special attention to Zhang Mu.
The banquet time arrived, and dish after dish, generously portioned, was brought out like a flowing stream. Just the aroma alone made mouths water.
Tang Shi and Zhang Zhaocai were starving and ate with their heads down fiercely.
Actually, most of the villagers were the same. Rarely getting to eat such good food, they all ate heartily. Even Qin Sanniang, who was used to eating fine things upstairs, couldn't put her chopsticks down.
"Oh, these dishes are really something. This whole table must have cost quite a bit," Qin Sanniang said.
"Definitely. Just look at the meat and fish—how much do you think that cost?" Liu Ru, whose mouth was greasy from eating, said. She truly hadn't eaten well before; her confinement period was miserably frugal. It was a rare chance to improve their living conditions.
"From this, it seems Zhang Mu is really wealthy and willing to spend money on his wife," Qin Sanniang concluded, thinking Zhang Mu was truly a rare kind of man.
"Of course, Zhang Mu dotes on his wife; everyone in the village knows that. Many young girls have their eyes on him, but sadly, he doesn't fancy them," Liu Ru said.
Qin Sanniang subconsciously touched her cheek, thinking to herself that she was full of charm and far better than those young girls.
In the kitchen, Zhang Mu was busy directing and coordinating everyone, with Su Li helping out as well.
Doctor Wu came over with a smile, his cheeks flushed and slightly drunk, shouting to Zhang Mu, "Good son-in-law, come on, let's go have a few drinks!"
Su Li smiled and said, "Brother Zhang Mu, you go ahead. I've got this."
Then, she pushed Xiao Zetian out and laughed, "Yuanbao, the villagers will definitely try to force Brother Zhang Mu to drink later. You have to help block that, or else if he gets drunk, Wu Caiwei will kick him out of bed tonight."
Xiao Zetian was known for his excellent tolerance for alcohol, making him the best candidate to help drink on Zhang Mu's behalf.
"As you command, my lady! But if I drink too much, you can't kick me out of bed tonight! Cousin Tudan, you stay here and help my lady with the kitchen work," Xiao Zetian laughed heartily, slinging an arm around Zhang Mu's shoulder as the two headed forward.
As soon as Zhang Mu and Xiao Zetian appeared in the front courtyard, Qin Sanniang's eyes lit up brightly.
She had seen Yuanbao before—on the very first day she arrived in the village, she had met Su Li's husband, Yuanbao, right at the doorstep.
Although Qin Sanniang had been dazzled by Yuanbao's looks and figure, she was a seasoned woman who knew that a man’s value wasn’t just in his appearance but also in his wealth.
A fool like Yuanbao had Su Li earning all the money at home. In Qin Sanniang’s eyes, Yuanbao was just a live-in son-in-law with no real value.
But Zhang Mu was different. He was tall and handsome, and most importantly, he had built his business all by himself without relying on his wife's family.
In Qin Sanniang’s eyes, a man like Zhang Mu, who had money in his own pocket, was truly valuable.