According to Qin Huai's idea, it's definitely best to stay nearby.

With the way Mr. Qin and Granny Qin handle things, borrowing an empty room from someone else would definitely require paying rent, and Qin Huai's house always pays rent with snacks. If they really paid with money, people might not care, but bartering with snacks is definitely in high demand. If there were barriers to entry for washing dishes, lighting fires, chopping vegetables, or cutting meat, borrowing a room is definitely zero barriers, so small disputes are normal.

Qin Huai believes that with Mr. Qin and Granny Qin's abilities, they can definitely handle it well.

But looking at the stance in the courtyard today...

Qin Huai especially wanted to ask Granny Qin how many pounds of snacks per day we are ultimately charging for a room, and whether the price is slightly above market, disrupting the market economy and affecting the harmonious coexistence among merchants.

"Isn't it all because of the Four Happiness glutinous rice balls you made last year, Huaihuai," Granny Qin said somewhat helplessly.

"Huh?" Qin Huai especially wanted to point to himself and turn himself into a meme, asking Granny Qin: Me? Is this my fault?

"Last year's Four Happiness glutinous rice balls... anything special about them?" Qin Huai carefully recalled. He admitted that last year's Four Happiness glutinous rice balls were somewhat over the top compared to previous years, mainly because his skill level had improved a lot compared to previous years, and Level A Four Happiness glutinous rice balls would be impressive in any village.

And last year, to improve his skills, he made a large quantity, almost like a banquet.

But Qin Huai didn't think everyone's reaction was exaggerated. The usual customers at Yunzhong Restaurant also behaved this way, which was within Qin Huai's range of acceptance and understanding of the villagers' reactions.

It wasn't Qin Huai's first year making snacks in the village for the New Year. Everyone should be accustomed to it by now.

Granny Qin sighed: "Those glutinous rice balls you made were just too delicious."

Qin Huai: ?

"You know Old Secretary's personality, right?"

Qin Huai nodded to indicate he knew — fair and just, with great virtue and prestige.

"Previously, you sent a message to your grandpa, asking the two of us to help you find a suitable room to borrow in the village. Old Secretary's house is so far away, it shouldn't have been possible for him to offer a room, but Old Secretary secretly approached your grandpa, asking if he could spare two rooms. He was willing to charge two pounds less in snacks per room."

Qin Huai: !

Old Secretary, how could you do this behind the scenes!

"If it were anyone else in the village asking your grandpa, he definitely wouldn't agree, but since it was Old Secretary... Old Secretary has never asked for anything like this in his life; how could we refuse? So we gave him two rooms."

"Actually, you can't blame him, Huaihuai. You don't know how many people felt empty after New Year's last year, who couldn't eat their meals energetically, all because they were thinking about your glutinous rice balls."

"While eating, they only thought it was delicious and didn't think much of it, but suddenly when they couldn't have any, it felt incredibly frustrating."

"You regularly send those rice balls, buns, and dumplings back here. Your grandpa always sneaks into town to pick up the packages, afraid of being seen by others." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"During this period, so many people in the village are counting days with their fingers, waiting for the New Year. Didn't you say you'd make more snacks this year? You asked your grandpa and me to preorder goods with the vendors in town and find people in the village to help, right?"

"There's no need to find people. Your grandpa went to town to order yesterday, and by the next day, the whole village knew. We've had people flooding our doorstep, fighting to wash dishes."

"When they were younger, they never worked as dishwashers in the city. Now, even having washed dishes seriously for several years, they can't even secure a dishwashing position."

"When your grandpa went to order meat, the pork vendors in town practically offered to pay him, asking your grandpa if he could reserve 80 pounds of rice balls for them for New Year's, since his family is large."

At this point, Granny Qin showed a worried expression: "Huaihuai, you said this year you wanted to use the opportunity of the New Year to make more snacks, so everyone in the village could properly taste your skills."

"And you also welcomed nearby villagers to visit during the New Year and taste your skills."

"Grandma knows your intentions are good."

"But given the current situation... perhaps we should only accept relatives and people from the same village as in previous years?"

"Otherwise, at this rate, even if you don't sleep 24 hours a day, the snacks you make won't be enough for everyone."