Early the next morning, Yun Niang looked utterly exhausted. She already hadn’t slept well the night before, and now she had to wake up even earlier.
It was the big market day in Zhoujia Town, and she had to head out early to claim a good spot and exchange the family’s stock for grain.
Shen Yourong had already said she wanted to go, so of course Xu Changnian wouldn’t miss it—he had to go too.
“Take me with you!”
“I want to go too!”
Once everything was packed, Shen Wei and Xiao Yue also got up, clamoring to join the trip to the market.
In a remote mountain village like this, there were no opera houses to watch plays, no tea houses to hear stories.
A visit to the market was the most exciting thing that could happen.
“I already spoke to Granny Huang yesterday. She’ll be coming later to check on Father’s leg. Someone has to stay home.”
“And besides, it’s freezing cold this early in the morning, and we don’t have enough warm coats at home. You two aren’t going.”
Yun Niang immediately shut them down and sent them back.
“I don’t care~”
As soon as Xiao Yue heard she wasn’t going, she ran back inside and buried herself under the blankets.
Shen Wei, on the other hand, was pulled aside by Shen Yourong as the two sisters whispered privately.
“Little sister, when that granny comes later, watch her carefully. I’m not entirely comfortable with this.”
Shen Yourong was worried.
They had come from a large and educated household, had been to school, and seen the world. These rural spirit women and so-called godmothers made her uneasy.
“Don’t worry, big sister. I’ll stay right beside her. If anything happens, I’ll wait for you to come back.”
Shen Wei nodded sensibly.
Her sister’s message was clear—don’t cause any trouble with that Granny Huang.
Granny Huang had a big reputation in the area. If they made a scene, the Xu family’s life in Qingshan Village would only get harder.
If there were any issues, they’d wait until Yun Niang and Xu Changnian returned.
Xu Changnian watched from the side, impressed by Shen Yourong’s foresight. What a sensible wife.
Since Shen Yourong was concerned, of course Xu Changnian—a transmigrator—didn’t believe in spirit women either.
The two of them had discussed it the night before and made up their minds:
Let Granny Huang come take a look. If she could help, great. If not, they’d still be polite and not offend her.
Anyway, they had Shen Wei as backup. If Granny Huang proved useless, she could take over.
And if even Shen Wei couldn’t solve it, then there was nothing left to do but prepare money and head to the county’s medical clinic for a real doctor.
In the end, it all came down to one thing—lack of money!
Xu Changnian sighed to himself.
Seeing a doctor had been difficult back on Blue Star. In ancient times, it was even harder!
Xu Tielin’s leg should’ve been treated long ago, but the family just didn’t have the funds.
The only reason they were calling Granny Huang now was because Xu Changnian had found that Wild Ginseng, giving the family a slight breather.
Only then did Xu Tielin agree to part with 1 kilogram of grain to bring Granny Huang over—and even that made him wince.
If it were up to Xu Changnian, he’d just have Shen Wei treat him. But the girl had never officially practiced before and didn’t feel confident.
Besides, even if Shen Wei could diagnose something, they had no herbs at home anyway.
“You’re taking so much with you—be careful on the road. That market isn’t exactly safe.”
“Yun Niang, if you pass by your mother’s house, be sure to stop and greet them.”
Xu Tielin stood at the doorway, giving his instructions.
Watching the three of them walking farther away, he finally felt at ease. Honestly, the Shen sisters were a blessing to this family.
Ever since they arrived, the household had been more harmonious, and Xu Changnian had become a new man.
Things were truly improving.
Yun Niang’s complexion wasn’t great—likely from the stress of the past six months—but now Shen Yourong could help share the burden.
…
On the way to town, Xu Changnian walked with his arms crossed, deep in thought.
The system’s cooldown had already ended, but today, he wasn’t in a rush to refresh the intel.
He had a theory: what if the refreshed intel always appeared within a certain distance from him?
The past few refreshes had all happened in the village or near Xiaoyue Mountain.
Now that he was heading to Zhoujia Town, maybe the system would show something new and different?
He had to test it!
The market in town would be full of people coming and going. If he could get some good intel, it would be far better than freezing in the mountains hunting rabbits.
“Your family’s from town, Sister-in-law?”
Xu Changnian seemed distracted. Shen Yourong could only make small talk with Yun Niang.
The road from Qingshan Village to Zhoujia Town was actually easy to walk—about 3 to 4 kilometers, not far.
Still, walking was boring, so a little chatting made the trip more pleasant.
“Your big brother used to work in Zhoujia Town. That’s when we met… It’s already been seven or eight years.”
“I still don’t know if he’s dead or alive.”
Talking about the past made Yun Niang’s eyes tear up. She thought of her missing husband, Xu Changqing.
She’d searched all the nearby villages for a month and found nothing.
Since then, she had no space to even grieve.
With an old father-in-law above and a young girl below, she could only shoulder the weight of the household alone.
Yun Niang had attended private school before and was once known as a well-bred lady.
If it weren’t for the hardships of life, who would want to be a shrew every day?
About half an hour later, Zhoujia Town finally appeared before them.
From a distance, Xu Changnian looked out and saw more than a dozen brick houses. No wonder it was the biggest town in the area.
Compared to Qingshan Village’s thatched roofs, the difference was obvious at a glance.
If he remembered correctly, out of over a hundred households in Qingshan Village, only the village chief and Old Xu Hei had brick homes.
Coming to Zhoujia Town today felt like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden—everything was new and impressive.
It was market day, and with New Year just a month away—even in a famine year—the place was lively.
Villagers crowded the streets, setting up stalls and selling goods everywhere.
“You two go with Sister-in-law and handle the trading.”
“I’m just going to wander a bit and check out the excitement. I’ll find you later.”
As soon as they entered town, Xu Changnian couldn’t hold back and rushed to find a quiet spot to refresh his intel.
Let Yun Niang handle the food trade. Shen Yourong wanted to look around to see if there were any ways to earn some money—let her do that.
Xu Changnian never expected her to support him anyway.
“What are you plotting now?”
Before Shen Yourong could respond, Yun Niang cut in first, eyeing Xu Changnian up and down.
Wander the streets? As if she’d believe that.
“Look!”
“Not a single coin in my pocket. What could I possibly do besides wander?” Xu Changnian flipped his pockets out.Cleaner than his face.
“Even without money, you still have hands and feet. You could still cause trouble.” Yun Niang rolled her eyes.
Just as she lifted the basket to head to the market, a familiar voice stopped her.
“Father~”
“I was just hoping to see you!”
Yun Niang suddenly became uncharacteristically quiet. Her voice softened, and she lowered her head.
Xu Changnian raised an eyebrow. Well, well, even big sis had someone she feared?
Father?
That explained it—Yun Niang’s full name was Zhou Yun. Her family was from Zhoujia Town.
Running into her father here was only natural.