Wei Shulan's face instantly darkened, while Shen Ning continued acting completely oblivious, taking small bites of the bun in her hand.
Li Zhenxing watched from the side, his eyes filled with longing!
"Mom! Mom, I want to eat the bun! I want the bun! I just want the bun, I want the bun now!"
His wailing and tantrum made Wei Shulan increasingly irritable.
"Ask your Third Aunt! You're her nephew after all—she wouldn't even refuse you a bun, would she?"
At the mention of Third Aunt, Li Zhenxing's chubby body instinctively shrank behind his mother.
This was largely due to the original host's selfish nature. Ever since marrying Li Shan, she had treated everything as exclusively hers.
Back when they had just married, Li Zhenxing, knowing there were delicious treats at their place, had tried to get some but was caught by the original host.
She didn't care if you were some golden treasure or silver darling—she scolded him harshly and even whipped his hands with a thin stick.
The incident had caused quite a stir back then.
So now, whenever Li Zhenxing saw this Third Aunt, he instinctively wanted to hide.
"So you just wanted a bun? Second Sister-in-law, you should've said so earlier!"
Wei Shulan rolled her eyes in exasperation.
You're too stupid to understand plain words, and now you're blaming others?
But at least she finally understood… Just as she reached out to take it, her joyful expression suddenly froze on her face.
Wei Shulan looked puzzled at the open palm stretched out before her. "What do you mean by this?"
"Pay up! If you want to eat a bun, then buy it with money!"
What?
She still had to pay?
"You're asking me for money to give your own nephew a bun?"
Shen Ning rolled her eyes dramatically at her.
"Well, of course! Is flour free? Are red beans free? Is sugar free? Your husband has hands and feet—can't he even support you and your son? Coming to beg for food from a widow who lost her man—have you no shame?"
"You!"
Wei Shulan was left speechless by her retort, her face turning livid with anger.
What woman would flaunt her widow status like that?
She had no regard for reputation or face!
Unfortunately, she hadn't yet realized one truth: those without shame are invincible.
"I have three kids of my own to feed! My third child often goes hungry, but I've never seen you, Second Sister-in-law, show any generosity!"
Their argument attracted the attention of many passersby.
People love drama, after all, making Wei Shulan extremely uncomfortable. She was somewhat relieved that the dim light hid her face from clear view.
"Well? Not buying?"
Shen Ning's eyes were full of mockery. She had one last bun left, but she wouldn't sell it to them no matter what!
She waved the plump, white bun and, under Li Zhenxing's hopeful gaze, swallowed it in one bite.
Not a crumb left.
"Sorry, all gone. Even if you wanted to buy it now, I can't sell it to you~"
After finishing, she clapped her hands cheerfully and continued walking ahead.
Li Zhenxing burst into loud, heart-wrenching sobs.
"Waaah—I want the bun! Waaah… I just want the bun! I want the bun now! Boo-hoo—my bun! My buuun—!"
His cries were so pitiful that even more passersby turned to look.
Wei Shulan felt utterly humiliated.
She raised her hand and delivered a heavy slap on Li Zhenxing's buttocks, making him cry even louder.
"Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating! Have you never eaten a steamed bun before, or are you a starving ghost reincarnated? Do I look like a steamed bun to you? Shut up, no more crying!"
…
Listening to the noisy commotion behind her, Shen Ning's mood improved even more, and her steps became lighter as she walked.
As agreed earlier, Shen Ning carried her basket and headed toward the Gongxiaoshe, slipping into the familiar alley.
She thought she had arrived early, but as soon as she appeared, the woman from last time called out to her with a delighted expression.
"Little sister! Big sister! You've finally come!"
Shen Ning was startled, but after recognizing the person, she responded with a big smile.
"Oh, you're here quite early!"
"I happened to need to buy some things, so I came a bit earlier," the woman said with a smile, her gaze repeatedly scanning the basket behind Shen Ning—her intention was quite clear.
"Little sister, do you have the goods?"
"Of course! I promised you, so I had to keep my word!"
Smiling, she took out a thick piece of Xiangzao from the basket and handed it over. "Big sister, take a look."
The woman examined it thoroughly once again and tentatively asked, "Can I cut it open?"
"Of course, if you're buying it, I'll cut it for you."
As long as she paid, she could cut it however she wanted—even into tiny pieces.
The woman immediately made up her mind. "Alright, cut it in half for me!"
As she spoke, she pulled out a knife from her basket. "I just bought this knife."
Doing business with people these days was really tedious!
"Fine."
With a swift motion of the knife, the Xiangzao was cut in half.
The woman took it, promptly pulled out four yuan, and handed it over with a smile. "Little sister, your hands are so skillful. I'll come back to buy from you next time!"
"Sure, if you like it, come back again!"
No sooner had the woman left than Shen Ning took out another piece of Xiangzao and placed it in her basket, setting it in front of her.
Anyone coming to the market could easily see what she was selling.
Xiangzao was a hot commodity, and its appearance immediately attracted many people's attention.
What's more, the scent of this Xiangzao was truly fragrant—even a passing dog would take a second look and sniff a few extra times.
Soon, the second customer arrived.
It was a man dressed in a dark blue worker's uniform, who walked with a refined demeanor and wore a pair of thick glasses on the bridge of his nose—clearly an educated person.
His eyes showed a flicker of surprise when he saw the Xiangzao.
"Boss, how much for this Xiangzao?"
Shen Ning smiled and picked up the Xiangzao. "Four yuan per piece, no coupons needed. Look at the weight—one piece is equivalent to two bars of soap. It's great for washing clothes and bathing, and the scent is lovely too. You won't regret buying it!"
Four yuan was a bit expensive compared to buying a bar of soap, but it was more cost-effective than buying two pieces of Xiangzao!
Most importantly, the scent of this Xiangzao was truly delightful—even better than what he had smelled at the Gongxiaoshe in the provincial capital, almost like perfume.
If he brought it home, his wife would surely love it.
"Can you make it cheaper?" he asked after a moment, offering a price. "How about three yuan and eight jiao?"
Shen Ning's expression changed, and she shook her head repeatedly. "No, no, I can't get it at that price—I'd be losing money. Please don't bargain anymore; this is already the lowest price I can offer."
After she poured out her sob story, the customer, being someone who recognized quality, gritted his teeth and still bought one piece.
"Come back again if it works well for you!"
The crisp, cheerful voice of a young woman stood out clearly even amid the noisy street, catching the attention of Wei Shulan who happened to be passing by.
She watched with her own eyes as Shen Ning sold something to someone, who then counted out a stack of bills from their pocket and handed it to her!
The third daughter-in-law was actually doing business!!!