Wang Youliang returned with copious amounts of food, claiming it was all the unsold stock from the day, which stunned the assembled group. Despite whispers throughout the village about Wang Youliang's sudden drive after completing his corvée labor, most people had remained skeptical, convinced he couldn't endure hardship. No one had expected him to genuinely aim for success.

The old man and woman were first puzzled upon seeing the food Wang Youliang brought back, and then became wildly excited when he explained he had set up a small food stall and this was what remained unsold. The old man, especially, felt immense relief that his eldest son was finally engaging in tangible work. Upon learning his son hadn't earned much that day, the old man immediately began comforting Wang Youliang, assuring him that one couldn't get fat in a single bite and that everything must be taken one step at a time, fearful that the meager earnings would crush his son’s resolve.

With continuous encouragement and cheering from Huang Shi by his side, Wang Youliang would not yield so easily. He was determined to achieve something significant this time, to make others look up to him, and to give Huang Shi and the whole family a better life. This mention of "the whole family" was added at Huang Shi’s gentle insistence; she felt deep guilt for having broken up another person's marriage and couldn't bear to keep Wang Youliang solely for herself.

Therefore, Wang Youliang casually dismissed their worries: “Father, you needn't fret. I fully anticipated today’s outcome, which is why I didn’t prepare an excessive amount of food in the first place.”

Hearing this, the old man nodded repeatedly. “Good, good. Since you think this way, Father is relieved.”

Tian Shi was quite pleased about Wang Youliang setting up a food stall in town. She felt confident about it, already picturing the future scene of her sitting at home counting money.

The old man quickly made the final decision: a portion of the food would be given to Wang Qingshan and He Shi, some to the second and third branches of the family, and the remainder would be kept for their own household.

Luo Yin was also delighted to see the food. During her pregnancy and confinement period, the family certainly had not neglected her, but afterwards, her diet had become the same as everyone else's. If she hadn't had a child, it wouldn't have mattered, but now with a baby to nurse, how could she manage without good food providing enough milk? Thus, she was extremely happy about the provisions her father-in-law brought home.

When Wang Youfu and Wang Youtian’s families received the food, they were initially confused. After learning the full story, they were astonished. They knew Wang Youliang well and found it genuinely hard to believe he had reformed so quickly.

While chatting, Zhang Shi remarked with amazement to Yang Shi, “I truly never imagined it. For someone with his older uncle’s temperament to change so completely. It’s unbelievable!”

“Indeed, I didn't believe it either. After all, he even deceived the old man about serving the corvée labor, hiding himself away in town. But thinking back now, perhaps he was already planning to set up the food stall then? Otherwise, why go to town to find those old acquaintances from when he ran his shop?” Yang Shi mused. She had come to believe Wang Youliang’s earlier story about visiting that alley to find people he knew from his previous shop venture.

“Perhaps. I once heard that some people truly turn over a new leaf and start anew, but I never believed it until now, seeing a living example right before my eyes. That stinginess the older uncle used to have—now he actually gives food away to us. That’s proof he’s changed completely, started anew,” Zhang Shi concluded.

Yang Shi merely smiled and shook her head.

Soon, the news of Wang Youliang setting up his food stall outside the academy gates spread throughout the village. People readily accepted the fact of the stall itself, but they were intensely curious about the transformation in Wang Youliang’s character. Several elders from different families even made a special trip to the old residence to seek wisdom, as they too had descendants with temperaments similar to the former Wang Youliang, and they wanted to learn how the old man and woman had managed to straighten him out.

The old woman didn't quite know what to say, but the old man began boasting with great pride. He recounted how, upon discovering his son’s poor character, he had devised every means to correct it, how his son had subsequently disappointed him, and finally, how he reluctantly sent him off for corvée labor, detailing the whole narrative with profound emotion. The listeners echoed his sentiments repeatedly, saying things like, “Yes, that’s exactly how it is,” and “My son frustrates me the same way!”

By the time the elders finished listening to the old man’s tale, they reached a single conclusion: to correct the character of such wayward descendants, they must be sent off to perform corvée labor! This conclusion was then circulated throughout the village and even in several surrounding villages. They claimed that Wang Youliang’s former character was dreadful, but after one term of corvée service, his temperament had improved dramatically.

Consequently, during the next year’s corvée duty assessments, every family in Wangjia Village and the neighboring communities that had a descendant whose character needed straightening adopted the old man’s method: they refused the option to commute the service with silver, insisting instead that the descendants serve their time personally. As a result, the silver collected as commutation payments for corvée duty in the following year drastically decreased, because even families whose descendants were already well-behaved joined in the excitement, hoping to further refine their offspring’s character. It was clear how many fewer people would choose to pay the silver commutation fee. This situation greatly perplexed the village reeves. After investigating, the reeves from other villages concluded that corvée labor might indeed be effective. However, the reeve of Wangjia Village felt his face twitching uncontrollably; while others didn't know Wang Youliang never actually served, how could he not know? Of course, that was a story for later.

Because Wang Youliang had been entirely consumed with managing the food stall and planning the future establishment of a proper eatery, he completely forgot that the lease term for the shop Wang Youfu had rented out was expiring, and he had previously intended to leverage that shop for his own benefit.

At Wang Youfu’s house, no one saw Wang Youliang come by to borrow the shop even on the day rent was due, which struck them as odd. However, Wang Youliang forgetting was even better for them. Although they had already prepared a contingency plan, they were now even happier that they hadn't needed to use it, and quietly collected the next year's rent of seven taels of silver. They figured Wang Youliang must have truly changed his ways and intended to open his own shop through his own efforts, as everyone had witnessed his diligence recently. Though hard to believe, Wang Youliang’s temperament had undeniably undergone a drastic shift.

It must be said, Wang Youliang truly had forgotten about needing Wang Youfu’s shop due to his intense focus on his new venture. Moreover, even if he had remembered, he likely would have dismissed the idea now; how could borrowed space compare to what he earned himself? Wang Youliang was currently brimming with vigor, confident that he would succeed and prosper in the future.

Following Wang Qingchen’s suggestion, Wang Youliang erected a sign for his stall that read "Wang Family Food," and he had already decided to use this very name when he eventually opened his permanent shop.

Wang Youliang’s business gradually stabilized, a success undeniably supported by Huang Shi’s assistance, daily persuasion, and encouragement. Wang Youliang felt increasingly dependent on Huang Shi; if not for Tian Shi still being at home, he would surely have married Huang Shi.

Wang Qingtong was aware of his father setting up the food stall and viewed it favorably. Now that his father’s stall business was regularizing, and word was spreading that he was preparing to open a shop, Wang Qingtong felt intensely envious. Hadn't his own hard work for so long been aimed at eventually opening a shop or something similar? To think his father achieved it so easily left him a bit dejected. However, he soon reasoned that it was no disgrace for his father to be better than him, and thus he let the feeling go.

Heeding Huang Shi’s advice, Wang Youliang rented a storefront near the academy to establish his eating house. Originally, Wang Youliang considered borrowing money from relatives to secure and acquire a shop, but after Huang Shi reasoned that business must progress step-by-step and he would eventually earn enough to buy a shop outright, he abandoned that thought.

Before the rented premises could be renovated and stocked with necessary supplies, Wang Youliang continued operating his stall. However, whenever students bought food, he would mention his upcoming shop, where it would be located, and ask them to visit and support him then.

Two days after Wang Youliang opened his shop, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, bringing a joyous atmosphere to the Wang family. The first branch was naturally elated; with Wang Youliang’s established food stall and now a proper shop, the family income had increased. Wang Qingshan and He Shi radiated the contentment of having children.

For the second branch, the mill managed by Wang Qinghua continued to yield substantial monthly profits, and Wang Qingchen’s studies were advancing steadily. Furthermore, Yang Shi was due to give birth any day now, bringing a new member into the family circle.

The third branch, though their joys were less tied to coin—they had always managed well enough with the support of Zhang Shi’s maternal family—was happy because their daughter had found an excellent match; Zhao Jing was only a step away from achieving the rank of Xiucai (scholar).

Since Yang Shi’s due date was imminent, all household matters, including the festival gifts, were entrusted to Luo Qing to manage this time. Luo Qing dared not make decisions alone, but realizing she couldn't bother Yang Shi, she could certainly consult Wang Qinghua. Thus, Luo Qing directly discussed the festival gift arrangements with Wang Qinghua.

Since opening his own shop, Wang Qinghua had become much more adept at handling social obligations than before. He and Luo Qing soon finalized the details regarding the seasonal tokens of respect, followed by the reciprocal exchange of gifts as the family prepared for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.