Lin Fang comforted Lin Yuanmin, “Dad, don’t worry. The cart will find its way around the hill when it gets there. That piece of land is still barren anyway, and even if we build a restaurant, it won’t make money right away. By the way, how’s the new chili sauce product you and Mom have been working on?”
“We tried a few variations as you suggested. The fermented chili bean paste is already a success today. The others are pretty good too, but your mom says the flavor is still a bit off, and the texture and elasticity of the meat aren’t ideal yet. We need to improve it further.” Talking about this, Lin Yuanmin perked up.
“Haha, I always say, when Mom and Dad team up, they’re unbeatable. Mom’s skills were already great, and with this pursuit of perfection, our family’s chili sauce is bound to be the tastiest. Dad, I was thinking—should we register a brand for our chili sauce?”
This idea had been brewing in Lin Fang’s mind on her way back. She wanted all their family businesses to share the same brand name. People in this era didn’t pay much attention to brand registration, which often led to infringement issues later, leaving them with no recourse but to swallow the bitterness.
Lin Yuanmin was puzzled, “Register a brand? Almost every household makes chili sauce. What’s the point of registering a brand? Besides, everything these days requires fees. Why waste money on that?”
“Dad, you’re right. Almost every household makes chili sauce, and not just chili sauce—many foods are homemade. But why do people prefer products from established brands? It’s because they genuinely taste better, and over time, they’ve unintentionally built a brand reputation. Conversely, if we have our own chili sauce brand and find ways to make it known—and ensure it tastes better than others—then even though many can make chili sauce, people will still prefer ours. So, registering a brand is necessary.”
Lin Fang’s reasoning left Lin Yuanmin momentarily speechless. He stared blankly, mulling it over in his mind. Lin Guicheng burst into laughter, “Big Brother, Lin Fang is right. A brand is important. Take me, for example—if my aquatic products company didn’t have a brand, selling them would be a huge hassle. Legitimate stores wouldn’t carry my goods. My company uses genuine, high-quality ingredients, but small vendors would refuse to sell them because of the higher cost. If I had to sell everything myself, how could I make any profit?”
Lin Yuanmin was still digesting Lin Fang’s explanation when Lin Guicheng piled on with his own reasoning. Feeling thoroughly overwhelmed, Lin Yuanmin reflexively asked Lin Guicheng, “What’s your brand called?”
Lin Guicheng replied, “Lin’s Aquatic Products.”
“Fang, what name were you thinking of registering for our chili sauce brand?” Lin Yuanmin turned back to Lin Fang.
“Ah? Well—” Lin Fang hesitated. “I was originally planning to register ‘Lin’s Chili Sauce,’ but Uncle Cheng already uses ‘Lin’s,’ so we can’t use it. That would be infringement.”
Lin Guicheng quickly interjected, “It’s fine. Even though both would be ‘Lin’s,’ mine is for aquatic products, and yours is for chili sauce. The two wouldn’t be confused, and I would never accuse you of infringement.”
Lin Fang shook her head with a smile, “Uncle Cheng, that’s not what I meant. I know you’d never sue me for infringement, but consumers only see the name—they don’t care about the details. Besides, I want a unique brand, not one that overlaps with others.”
“Then how about I register a different name and let you have ‘Lin’s’?”
Lin Guicheng felt a pang of bitterness. In the other world, though Lin Dalang had freed him from slavery, as a man without a surname, his status remained low despite his personal freedom. It was only after his adoptive mother, Madam Tong, bestowed the Lin surname upon him that he gained the standing to interact with others as an equal. He cherished this surname deeply, and even after his soul was forced into this world, he insisted on keeping it.
He could guess why Lin Fang wanted to use “Lin’s.” In the other world, all of the Lin family’s shops and workshops bore the prefix “Lin’s.” Lin Fang wanted to connect the two worlds through this name. Similarly, he had renamed his aquatic products company with “Lin’s” for much the same reason.
He had thought that by collaborating with the Lin family and acknowledging Lin Yuanmin as his elder brother, he could ease the pain of never being able to return to the Lin family in the other world. But now, Lin Fang’s idea of brand registration had inadvertently created a conflict between them. The timing wasn’t right—he couldn’t reveal his identity to her yet. Why was it so hard just to be a man with a surname?
Lin Fang, however, didn’t take him up on his offer. “Haha, Uncle Cheng, you must be joking. Brands aren’t something you can just hand over. Besides, a brand you give me wouldn’t have the same meaning as one I create myself. I want to rely on my own efforts.” She found his earlier remark a bit odd but didn’t dwell on it.
*Fang, the aquatic products company I took back from the Zhou family’s wastrels was already an empty shell. It was only revived using the gold and silver the old monk handed over to me—your private savings. That company was always meant to be yours, as was the money I used to repay your family’s debts in name. So this ‘Lin’s’ is rightfully yours.*
*If your parents weren’t so cautious, if I weren’t afraid of arousing your suspicion, I would have directly given cash for your family’s restaurant construction. You must understand—when I arrived in this world, Zhou Guicheng had nothing. All the wealth I have now comes from your private savings, passed to me by the old monk. I’m willing to return everything to you, if only to save my daughter’s life and preserve my wife’s spirit.*
Lin Fang couldn’t hear Lin Guicheng’s inner thoughts. She was still pondering the name for the chili sauce brand. Meanwhile, Lin Yuanmin finally grasped the gist of Lin Fang and Lin Guicheng’s lengthy explanations. He decided to discuss it with his wife, Dong Huixin, when she returned—to see if they should register a brand and then find out how much it would cost.
Each lost in their own thoughts, the room fell silent. Lin Guicheng grew restless and stood up, pacing around before saying to Lin Yuanmin, “Big Brother, I’m going to check on the batch production of the fermented chili bean paste.”
With that, he left the restaurant alone. Lin Yuanmin, preoccupied with his own musings, merely acknowledged him without noticing his unease. Lin Fang, however, sensed Lin Guicheng’s unsettled demeanor but didn’t press him since he hadn’t brought it up.
Dong Huixin and Teacher Wang returned with Teacher Guo, who looked like he was about to fall asleep on his feet. Lin Yong and Lin Tuo also arrived back at the same time. Lin Yong greeted Teacher Wang before heading off to spray the mushrooms with their second round of water for the day.
“Mom, I ran into Meatball on the way. He’s already taken Hongping home and went back to his grandma’s place. He asked me to let you know,” Lin Tuo reported to Dong Huixin.
Dong Huixin nodded, “Tomorrow’s the Lantern Festival. As the male descendant of the Guo family in his generation, Meatball has to stay with the Guos tonight.”
“Haha, Mom, I don’t think his message was just about courtesy. He’s probably worried that if you don’t see him in person, you’ll forget to make his portion of yuanxiao (sweet dumplings).”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
As soon as Lin Fang finished speaking, the whole family burst into laughter, especially amused at the thought of Meatball’s greedy antics. Teacher Wang chuckled along. Though she hadn’t known Meatball for long, she’d grown quite fond of the chubby little fellow.
After some more casual conversation, Teacher Guo began snoring in his chair. The sun had dipped westward, and the temperature was dropping. Though spring had officially begun, the mornings and evenings were still chilly. Lin Yuanmin urged Lin Tuo, “Second Son, come on—you carry Teacher Guo, and I’ll take the bags. Let’s get Teacher Guo and Teacher Wang to Meatball’s place quickly. If we wait any longer, he might catch a cold sleeping outside.”
“Alright, Dad.” Lin Tuo hoisted Teacher Guo onto his back. Earlier, his first task at Meatball’s house had been to light the stove before cleaning. By the time they returned, the house would be nice and warm.
Teacher Wang felt guilty. “My visit has caused you so much trouble. Teacher Guo will probably sleep straight through till morning. Don’t worry about us tonight—just focus on your own work.”
Dong Huixin replied sincerely, “Teacher Wang, please don’t stand on ceremony. I’m not one for fancy words, but honestly, since you’ve been so good to our Fang, we consider you family. When you’re here, treat it like your own home.”
Lin Fang added, “Yes, Teacher Wang, no more polite talk from now on. Just think of our home as yours. Heh, I forgot to mention—Meatball’s house is just in the alley behind ours, really close. If I yell at him from our yard, he can hear me.”
“Ha, the little chubby told me that even when he hears you scolding him, there’s nothing he can do about it.” Teacher Wang stopped with the formalities and joined in the banter. Though this was her first time interacting with the Lin family, her decades of life experience told her their kindness was genuine.
Lin Tuo carried Teacher Guo, while Lin Yuanmin handled the luggage. They walked ahead, with Lin Fang accompanying Teacher Wang behind them. As the group headed into the village, they exchanged greetings with many locals along the way. Teacher Wang, being naturally sociable, chatted freely with them, not hiding the fact that her husband had dementia.
After settling Teacher Wang and her husband, Lin Yuanmin and Lin Tuo left first—Lin Yuanmin to cook dinner and Lin Tuo to return to the shop. The usual shop attendant had family matters this year and wouldn’t be back until after the Lantern Festival, leaving Lin Tuo to manage everything alone.
Knowing Teacher Guo would likely sleep for a long time, Lin Fang suggested Teacher Wang rest and then headed home herself. When Lin Yuanmin finished cooking, Lin Fang brought food to Teacher Wang, who insisted she wasn’t hungry yet and urged Lin Fang to leave the meal and go home. Seeing Teacher Wang’s exhaustion, Lin Fang grew anxious—they needed to find a caretaker for Teacher Guo soon.
As dusk fell, Dong Huixin returned home, and Lin Yuanmin didn’t go to relieve her at the restaurant. With the Lantern Festival the next day, they expected few customers for dinner or fuel that night, so the family decided to take the evening off.
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