Wen Ranran looked at Sun Shi in confusion but still obediently positioned herself in front of her as instructed. Peering around curiously, she whispered quietly, “Third Aunt, what’s wrong with you?”
Wen Junliang followed her gaze and immediately spotted several familiar faces: “Eh? Isn’t that Madam Shen and Madam Kong over there!”
“Keep your voice down!” Sun Shi reacted as if her tail had been stepped on, slapping his thigh fiercely twice.
“Ouch! Are you trying to kill me?”
Wen Junliang cried out in pain, hurriedly rubbing his thigh as his features contorted in agony.
Sun Shi hid behind the pushcart, nervously peeking out several times until the figures disappeared from view before finally relaxing: “Thank goodness they didn’t see me.”
“Who were they?” Wen Ranran helped Sun Shi up, brushing off the dirty wheel marks on her back.
Sun Shi remained highly vigilant, covering her head and face while urgently urging: “Hurry, let’s go!””
Wen Junliang curled his lip and leaned close to Wen Ranran’s ear to whisper: “She ran into her old fox friends and dog friends.”
Wen Ranran’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued, her clear black-and-white eyes sparkling with anticipation for gossip: “Fox friends and dog friends?”
“Exactly!” Wen Junliang quietly complained, “They appear respectable in public, but their actions are utterly disgraceful.”
Sun Shi, seemingly reminded of something, began pushing the cart with remarkable speed.
Wen Ranran and Wen Junliang stared blankly at her retreating figure before exchanging prolonged glances, both seeing astonishment in each other’s eyes. They couldn’t fathom where Sun Shi – who normally rested after every five steps – found such energy.
As the bustling market faded behind them, Sun Shi gradually slowed her pace.
“Why did you have to run like that?” Wen Junliang asked, panting heavily with sweat pouring down his face.
“What else could I do?” Sun Shi gasped for breath, “If they saw me reduced to this state, they’d definitely mock and ridicule me endlessly.Wen Junliang casually picked up an oiled paper and folded it into a firm fan, waving it vigorously: “Didn’t San Yatou teach us just days ago to take pride in hard work and feel ashamed of laziness?” Have you forgotten already?”
“Don’t give me that nonsense!” Sun Shi wouldn’t have it, “If you were the one who encountered your old fox friends and dog friends today, you’d probably run even faster than me!”
“You!” Wen Junliang choked, trembling as he pointed at Sun Shi, stuttering “you” repeatedly while turning red in the face, unable to form a rebuttal.
Sun Shi shot him several annoyed sidelong glances, inevitably recalling her former days of being fawned over by everyone. Back then, the Shens and Kongs would constantly flatter and curry favor with her – now she had to hide from them. The humiliation was unbearable.
Understanding her distress, Wen Ranran took out a handkerchief and handed it to Sun Shi: “Third Aunt, please wipe your sweat.”
Sun Shi accepted the handkerchief with a long sigh: “Ranran, you know I value my dignity. If they saw me running a street stall, all of the capital would know within half a day.”
“It’s not that I think stall-keeping is shameful, but…”
Wen Ranran held her hand and gently comforted her: “Third Aunt, you’re earning money through your own hard work now. If they laugh at you, they’re the ones in the wrong. Why should we bother with unreasonable fools? They lack wisdom – we should pity and sympathize with them instead.”
“Pfft—”
Sun Shi and Wen Junliang burst out laughing simultaneously.
“That’s true.” Sun Shi chuckled behind her hand, then patted her substantial money pouch and proudly straightened her posture. “I can earn my own money now!”
“Exactly, Third Aunt is truly remarkable!”
Wen Ranran and Sun Shi affectionately pushed the cart together as they headed home. Meanwhile, Wen Junliang, who had been happily following along, suddenly stiffened his smile and chased after Wen Ranran with a peculiar expression. “San Yatou, back when we used to pick on you, were you secretly cursing us as fools in your heart?”
“Well…” She wasn’t sure about the situation before she transmigrated, but she had indeed cursed them a few times after arriving.
Sun Shi also paused at these words, turning to squint slightly at Wen Ranran.
“Ahem…” Wen Ranran forced an awkward laugh, her expression strained. “Let’s hurry back! Father and Mother must be waiting for us at the gate!”
With that, she unconsciously quickened her pace.
The night had deepened, the moon hanging like a silver plate in the sky, casting cold light everywhere.
“Father! Mother!” Wen Ranran waved toward the two figures standing at the doorway.
Shen Shi and Wen Yiliang, seeing their daughter return safely, lovingly took the cart from her hands. The family entered the house in high spirits.
Wen Ranran linked arms with Shen Shi and pointed proudly at the cart. “Mother, Father, look what wonderful things I bought!”
“Oh!” Shen Shi followed her finger and noticed several bolts of fabric lying quietly in the cart.
She caressed them lovingly but then pulled Wen Ranran into a hug, her voice full of concern. “How much silver did these cost? Your father and I have perfectly good clothes. If you’re going to buy anything, it should be food to nourish yourself.”
Her young daughter, barely in her teens, worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk—running the morning stall, setting up the Night Market, and frequently making deliveries… The more Shen Shi thought about it, the more her heart ached. Rubbing the faint calluses on her daughter’s palms, her eyes reddened. “How many Jianbing and Bo Zai Gao did you have to sell for this…”
“Your clothes are covered in patches—even a thief would take pity seeing you two dressed like this.” Wen Ranran nuzzled against Shen Shi, then held her hand with a bright smile. “I earned one and a half taels just tonight! These things are nothing.”
She hugged Shen Shi warmly. “When I earn more silver in the future, I’ll buy you the finest brocade, Mother! Someone as beautiful as you deserves only brocade!”
Shen Shi’s heart swelled with warmth at these words. Liang Shi, who had emerged at some point, peered over curiously. Envy stirred in her heart at the sight of the cotton fabric, and she instinctively reached out to touch it. But when no one addressed her, she awkwardly withdrew her hand.
Feeling slighted, Liang Shi snorted coldly. “Just a few bolts of ordinary cotton fabric, and you’re already getting carried away—daring to dream of brocade.”
Wen Ranran couldn’t even be bothered to roll her eyes, ignoring her entirely. Instead, she cheerfully retrieved the two goat hair brushes from her basket and handed them to Wen Yiliang. “Father, throw away your old brush and use these new ones!”
“Ah!” Wen Yiliang was overjoyed at the sight of the brushes. He hastily wiped his hands and accepted them with great care. He alternated between gazing at the brushes and looking at Ranran, remaining silent for a long while. Secretly, he vowed to study even harder, to pass the Academy entrance exams—only then would he be worthy of his daughter’s heartfelt efforts.
Wen Junliang and Sun Shi exchanged a silent glance: Ranran must be cursing Sister-in-law as a fool in her heart!
“Oh dear! Third Son, you’re finally back!”
Old Mrs. Wen hurried out at the commotion, but her smile withered the moment she saw Wen Junliang. Trembling, she approached and cradled her youngest son’s face, her heart aching. “When has my Third Son ever suffered like this? You’ve grown so thin.”
Wen Ranran raised an eyebrow: He’d only been gone for less than two hours…
Wen Junliang got goosebumps and quickly diverted the old lady’s attention by presenting the dark green cloth. “Mother, look! San Yatou specially bought this cloth for you, saying she’ll make you two new outfits.”
Old Mrs. Wen touched the dark green cotton fabric, beaming with delight. “This child, why waste money like this!”
Despite her words, she was already happily holding the cloth against herself to check the fit. “This color is truly wonderful!”
Wen Ranran quietly pulled Wen Ruru aside, her eyes twinkling. “Second Sister, which do you prefer? Ginger yellow or pea green?”
Wen Ruru looked surprised. “There’s one for me too?”
“Of course!” Wen Ranran casually handed her two tea cakes as well. “I’ll be troubling Second Sister to take care of things from now on!”
Wen Ruru pouted. “I knew you had ulterior motives!”
She stamped her foot, her tone and actions full of complaint, but the smile in her eyes was unmistakable.
The family warmly discussed clothing designs together. Liang Shi watched from the sidelines for a long time as the several bolts of cloth were meticulously allocated – from the large waist pleated skirts down to socks and shoe soles – yet not a single item was meant for her.
She snorted contemptuously, reluctantly tearing her longing gaze away before turning coldly to return to her room. “It’s just some cheap cotton cloth! What’s there to be so excited about? I don’t see what’s so special about it!”
Hearing Liang Shi’s sour remarks, Wen Ranran’s smile widened even more: We won’t even need vinegar for our dumplings now!
“Sour grapes,” Sun Shi spat out. The entire family paid no attention to Liang Shi, continuing to cheerfully debate what patterns would look best embroidered on the fabric.
Golden morning sunlight spilled over the streets, bringing them back to life.
The line in front of the jianbing stall stretched long, and despite Wen Ranran’s swift movements, she still couldn’t keep up with demand.
Dong Shu and his group had arrived earliest and now stood by the roadside, each devouring a steaming jianbing.
Acheng and his friends had also become loyal customers of the jianbing stall, showing up punctually every day.
Today’s fillings were bean sprouts with vermicelli and Pao Jiao Ji Za (Pickled Pepper Chicken Gizzards), the aroma alone was intoxicating.
Zhu Zi chewed on the sour and spicy chicken offal, finding not even a hint of the usual offal smell. Each bite was crisp and juicy, while the thin pancake was saturated with the fresh spiciness of chopped and pickled peppers, making him squint with pleasure. “I don’t know how this chicken offal is made, but it’s incredibly fragrant!”
Acheng took a big bite of his jianbing and nodded vigorously in agreement. “I normally never eat offal, but tasting it today – truly delicious! Even more flavorful than meat!”
“Is there anything Wen Xiaoniangzi’s skilled hands make that isn’t fragrant?” Dong Shu smacked his lips, recalling the delicious food he’d eaten during those two days helping Wen Ranran build the stove. “That Hong Shao Rou was absolutely exceptional! The lean meat was juicy and tender, the skin soft and springy, and the fatty parts were even more aromatic! It slid right into your mouth and melted with a gentle press, mixing with the meat juices – enough to make someone die from delight!”
A nearby customer eating his pancake overheard this and slurped hungrily, taking a fierce bite of his jianbing: I want to eat Hong Shao Rou too!
Zhu Zi simply couldn’t bear his craving any longer and said with a mournful face, “Dong Shu, ever since you started working at Wen Xiaoniangzi’s place, you’ve been going on about Hong Shao Rou every single day. You’ve already tasted it, but you should think about us too!”
Dong Shu chuckled twice, “Alright, alright, I’ll stop talking about it!”
He paused for merely a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up with a spark of excitement, and he said enthusiastically, “Then let me tell you about that braised tofu! It’s incredibly fragrant…”
Everyone covered their ears, feeling utterly helpless and on the verge of tears: Life is just unbearable like this!
Wen Ranran watched them joking around and then turned to look at the Braised Dish on the pushcart, feeling a bit worried. It was time to make deliveries to the various madams.
Her business had expanded too much, and she was starting to feel overwhelmed.
Wen Ranran pursed her lips and glanced at Zhu Zi and the group of strong, energetic men who seemed to have endless strength.
It was time to hire a few delivery workers!