The Merchant Woman: Sugar, Salt, Tea, and Cloth

Synopsis: When Jiang Wan opened her eyes again, it was already the third day since her “husband” had been conscripted into the army. A sickly father-in-law, a blind mother-in-law, a timid sister-in-law, plus a massive debt of thirty taels of silver. Creditors came knocking, threatening to seize the shop and take their lives within half a month. At the brink of despair, a mysterious interface suddenly popped up in her mind: [Detected host on the verge of bankruptcy. System emergency activation initiated.] […] [Tip: Deposit materials from this world into the Pickup Point. The system will settle payment in ¥, which can be used to purchase Platform Merchandise.] Jiang Wan stared at the panel for a long moment, then suddenly laughed. A dead end? Not necessarily. Since she was here, she might as well overturn this mess! From then on, the farming households and the barbarian villages became her cash machines. Buy brown sugar and red dates, trade for eggs and dried mushrooms; Use cheap suet to render fragrant, crispy lard cracklings… She never missed a single thing that could be bought or sold. When the half-month deadline arrived, thirty taels of pure silver slammed onto the table. The creditor wanted to build a connection? Jiang Wan swept a cold glance over him. “No partnerships. I only sell sundries.” Medicinal herbs, mountain goods, cured meats, fruit wine… Her money snowballed bigger and bigger. Just as life was getting better, her natal family came to cause trouble. Her blind mother-in-law grabbed a broom and was the first to refuse; A local squire came to harass her? Her timid sister-in-law picked up a rope and went straight to the yamen to make a scene… Who said women could only sit by the stove? She was determined to hoist a peddler’s pole and carve out her own sky, traveling north and south! When her coffers were full, corrupt officials and merchants tried to block her way. As fame and fortune pressed down on her all at once, Jiang Wan burned her boats and offered a thousand dan of grain to silence the controversy! —————— The most amusing part was the “husband” who came back from conscription. He thought the sky had fallen at home, and rushed back covered in wounds, desperate to hold up the household! But what he found was: His father didn’t dote on him, his mother didn’t love him—the whole family only recognized the daughter-in-law, not the son. She didn’t ask when he’d return; he didn’t speak of the past. Two mountains, one family, slowly repaying the rest of their lives together. No matter how fierce the storms outside, she only gripped the peddler’s scale in her hand. When she turned around again, the man had already silently hoisted the carrying pole and fallen into step behind her.. — Description from novelcodex.orgFull novel: The Merchant Woman: Sugar, Salt, Tea, and Cloth — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠