In a snowy village in Northeast China, the Niu family men die young. Widow Ma Xiuqin grips a fire poker and holds the whole family together, while the entire village waits for them to fall apart!
Ten years later, her six daughters-in-law have become the courtyard’s “Six Thorny Roses”: the eldest endures hardship in silence, the second is sharp and fiercely protective, the third is hot-tempered and ready to fight, the fifth is miserable and oppressed, and the sixth is an adopted daughter who finally earns her place in the family. Their days are full of chaos!
Things get even messier when An Lisha, the fourth son’s wife, is pushed aside by Sun Xiaowan, who is pregnant and vying for her place, turning the Niu household upside down!
The winds of reform and opening up blow through their door, and the youngest son brings home a secret ancestral chili sauce recipe. The old lady makes the call: “We women are going into business!” The sisters-in-law may argue, but when it’s time to work, they’re fiercer than tigers. The second sister-in-law manages the books with an iron grip, the third can tell if there’s too much or too little salt with one taste, and the eldest and fifth work their fingers raw making pickles without a word of complaint. The second sister-in-law, Li Caifeng, the third, Jia Huniu, and Sun Xiaowan steal the secret recipe...
Baoxiang Chili Sauce grows bigger and bigger, until the Niu Group is founded.
The sixth sister-in-law’s little girl, Niu Li, also known as Niu Ya, clutches a battered phone and starts livestreaming. She has no team, no connections, and no capital. At first, her livestream room is a ghost town.
But she grits her teeth and sets a strict rule: Baoxiang Chili Sauce will sell just 88 bottles a day, with a limit of one per ID! Netizens mock her: “A country girl limiting sales? She’ll starve herself to death with that scarcity marketing!”
“The most pretentious streamer in the business. I bet it’s all a gimmick!”
But no one expects that after one taste of the fiery, savory sauce, all the criticism turns into a mad scramble: “Save me another bottle!” “I’m setting an alarm so I can catch the livestream!” From a shabby thatched hut to record-breaking orders nationwide, the six women argue and bicker beside the vats of chili sauce, turning their bitter lives as scorching as the sauce itself!
This chapter is set on a snowy night, and the mystery of Lixiang's life is laid out by Old Man Niu's instructions before his death. The atmosphere is adjusted through mother-daughter night talks and family treasure guessing, and Ma Shenglong's secret spying leaves suspense. The emotions are intertwined with joy and sorrow, the characters are vivid, and the rhythm is tight, making it attractive to read.