Oh my goodness, so you are planning to sell steamed buns. What a coincidence! Do you see that shop at the end of the lane? They sell steamed buns too. I haven’t seen them around these past few days because their daughter just had a baby, and they went to visit her. But from now on, things are going to get really lively around here.
The old woman deliberately raised her voice as she spoke, making sure everyone nearby could hear every word clearly. Before long, a small crowd had gathered around. Many people covered their mouths and snickered at the idea that Shen Ying and her group intended to set up a stall selling steamed buns.
Shen Ying frowned and thought for a moment before responding. It does seem like quite a coincidence. But we won’t be selling our buns right here in this area. We plan to go to a different location further away, so there won’t be any conflict or competition between us.
Most of the people living in this neighborhood were ordinary commoners, and very few of them had enough money to buy steamed buns regularly. If two stalls selling the same products operated in the same vicinity, they would inevitably become competitors. As the saying goes, where there are people, there is the world of relationships, conflicts, and interests. Having just arrived in this place, it was much wiser to avoid unnecessary trouble as much as possible.
As soon as Shen Ying finished speaking, genuine smiles appeared on the faces of the people standing around.
That is the right attitude to have. We are all neighbors living side by side. What kind of scene would it be if we had two steamed bun stalls competing against each other right here?
Everyone chatted and laughed together, and in this way, the matter was considered settled and put aside.
Once all the visitors had left, the smile on Shen Ying’s face faded away quietly. You two need to work hard and learn your skills as quickly as you possibly can. The sooner you master what you need to know, the sooner we will be able to leave this place.
She had originally chosen to settle in this remote area hoping that it would help them avoid trouble and unwanted attention. She had never expected that the neighbors living around them would be so meddlesome and difficult to deal with. She had no idea whether the family that sold steamed buns was easy or hard to get along with, but judging from the expressions on the faces of the people just now, she could tell that more problems and conflicts were likely to arise in the days ahead.
Early the next morning.
Shen Ying had stayed up late caring for the child the night before, so she also got up later than usual. When she finally opened her eyes and stepped outside, the small courtyard was already empty. She walked into the kitchen and found that several meat buns had been left in the pot and kept warm for her.
What was going on here? Had they finished their martial arts training and then immediately started making buns to take to the market stall?
As she was standing there thinking, the sound of cheerful voices drifted in from outside.
Sister, the buns you make smell so delicious. Even though they are mostly filled with vegetables and have very little meat, they are selling incredibly fast. We should make more tomorrow, okay?
You silly Tudou, we only have so few people in our group. How can we possibly make more buns than we do now? Besides, if we make too many, what will we do if we can’t sell all of them?
The wooden gate of the courtyard creaked open, and Wei Jinhu walked in with a beaming smile on his face, accompanied by the two children.
As soon as he saw Shen Ying, the big, straightforward man hurried over quickly and held out a cloth pouch filled with copper coins. Sister Ying, look at this! This is all the money we earned early this morning. After deducting all the costs for ingredients and supplies, we still made a profit of more than ten copper coins.
Shen Ying weighed the small pouch in her hand and smiled with satisfaction. You really did earn quite a nice amount. But you should have woken me up to come and help you.
Wei Jinhu and Chunya had to spend their nights practicing martial arts and their mornings making and selling buns, which was truly exhausting work. Even Tudou, though he was just a young child, should have been allowed to sleep a little longer to get enough rest.
Wei Jinhu scratched his head and replied casually. It’s really nothing. I’m a strong grown man, and I can just catch up on my sleep during the day. I’m going to go lie down and rest in a little while anyway.
He flexed his arms to show off his strong muscles and prove how capable and energetic he was.
Chunya nodded in agreement from the side. I heard the little prince crying in the middle of the night. Sister Ying, you already have your hands full taking care of him, so you should focus on that and leave all this other work to us.
Shen Ying felt a warm stir in her heart, touched by how thoughtful and caring they all were.
Over the next few days, to make sure that Wei Jinhu and the others did not take on every single task and exhaust themselves completely, Shen Ying would prepare and knead the dough, as well as chop vegetables and prepare the fillings, before going to sleep each night. However, when it came to making the buns in the early morning and running the stall, they would always handle everything themselves and never let her help.
Days of peaceful and stable life passed by quickly, and before anyone knew it, a whole month had gone by.
Selling steamed buns did not bring in great wealth or large sums of money, but it was more than enough to cover all the daily expenses and needs of their whole family. Meanwhile, Wei Jinhu and Chunya had laid a solid foundation in their martial arts training, and their lessons with the man in black had officially come to an end.
Both of you are truly gifted and talented when it comes to martial arts. Given enough time and continued practice, you will definitely become highly skilled masters. The most important thing, however, is to keep training consistently and never give up halfway.
Thinking back to the words the man in black had said when he left, Shen Ying thought carefully for a while and decided that she would look for an even more powerful and skilled teacher for them as soon as she had the opportunity.
At dinner that evening, Shen Ying told everyone that they would soon be leaving this place.
Chunya and Tudou looked somewhat reluctant to depart, but they did not say a word to object or complain.
Wei Jinhu, however, quickly finished all the food in his bowl in a rush. So when exactly are we planning to leave? I have made a few new friends over these past few days, and I would like to say goodbye to them properly before we go.
Shen Ying nodded in agreement. Of course you may do that.
At that moment, she had no idea that Wei Jinhu’s trip to say goodbye to his friends would lead to a huge disaster. If she had known what was going to happen, she would have stopped him immediately without hesitation.
The next day.
Early in the morning, Shen Ying took Wei Jinhu with her to the horse market.
Since they were traveling as a family and also had a young child with them, having a horse-drawn carriage would make their journey much easier and more convenient. She had not bought one before because a woman traveling alone with a child and a carriage was like a child carrying a large pile of gold through a busy street—it would only attract greed and danger. But now that they had Wei Jinhu and Chunya to protect them, things were completely different, and their safety was far more secure.
Madam, please take a look here. We have the best horses in the entire market. These are war horses that were retired from the battlefield. They do have a few small wounds and scars, but they are strong and healthy, and they are perfect for pulling heavy loads or carrying people over long distances.
Young lady, you should come and look at my horses instead. I bought all of them from families living in the countryside. Just look how well-fed and sturdy they are. The villagers take the best possible care of their horses and treat them like family.
As soon as Shen Ying and her group stepped into the market, many shopkeepers and sellers immediately came forward one after another, eager to recommend their own horses.
Shen Ying had lived in the imperial palace for many years and had seen countless fine horses and the most excellent steeds sent as tribute from all over the country, so her standards and taste were extremely high. She walked around the entire market and looked at every horse on display, but none of them met her expectations or caught her interest.
Wei Jinhu had spent his whole life working in the fields, and he was very familiar with oxen and farm animals. When he looked at horses, he only paid attention to whether they were strong and healthy.
Before long, however, Shen Ying’s attention was drawn to one particular horse, and she walked toward it quickly.
Young lady, you truly have excellent taste and judgment. This is a horse I just acquired recently, and it is absolutely one of the best you will ever find… The shopkeeper spoke continuously, praising the horse endlessly and claiming that it was a rare treasure that could hardly be found anywhere else in the world.
Shen Ying simply rolled her eyes at his exaggerated claims. Enough of that nonsense. It is obvious at a glance that this horse is sick. Look carefully—its droppings are loose and abnormal.
The shopkeeper let out a cry of surprise and quickly tried to make excuses. It is not sick at all. It is just not yet used to the local water and soil here.
Save your lies. If this one horse is suffering from such a problem, then why do all the other horses you have look exactly the same way? Shen Ying glanced around at the rest of the horses in his care.
This shopkeeper ran a large business and owned dozens of horses. Every single one of them appeared energetic and healthy on the surface, but when you looked closely, their droppings were all clearly abnormal.
As soon as Shen Ying pointed out this obvious fact, the shopkeeper’s expression immediately turned dark and unfriendly. Young lady, have you come here on purpose to cause trouble and make things difficult for me?
He clapped his hands twice, and instantly several strong men dressed in simple working clothes walked over from the other side of the market and surrounded Shen Ying and her companions completely.
So you want to make trouble? Do you even bother to ask around and find out who I am? How dare you claim that there is something wrong with my horses! Today, you are going to buy a horse from me whether you want to or not. And don’t even think about leaving here unless you pay me at least a hundred taels of silver.
Are you planning to force us to make a purchase against our will?
Even though they were surrounded by a group of men, Shen Ying remained completely calm and showed no trace of panic. She glanced calmly at Wei Jinhu and Chunya, then walked over slowly and leaned in close to the shopkeeper’s ear.
Are you really so certain that you have the ability to keep us here? And besides… I have the knowledge and skill to cure all these sick horses of yours.
Enough of your boasting and empty words, young lady. Do you really think you have the power or status to speak such nonsense right to my face? Today, none of you are going anywhere. You will all stay here and become my new servants, and you can even be my eighteenth concubine if you wish! Hahaha…
Arrogant and mocking laughter rang out loudly through the air, but in the very next moment, it stopped abruptly and fell silent.