Liu Xiaoman’s fingers pressed against the heavy silver ingots—fifty taels in total.
The rough engravings dug slightly into her palm, a reminder of the invisible weight resting on her shoulders.
She didn’t hesitate. Taking a deep breath of the air unique to Qingshi Town—a mixture of dust and food aromas—she resolutely turned and headed straight for the town’s largest marketplace.
Time was tight. Every second counted.
The market was bustling, teeming with people moving like a tidal wave. Shouts from street vendors rose and fell, pork sellers called out the day’s freshly slaughtered meat, and small merchants hawked their handmade snacks. The air was thick with the mingling scents of flour, spices, and sweat.
Yet Liu Xiaoman’s gaze moved through the crowd with laser-like focus, scanning the signs above the grain stores. There was an unusual gleam in her eyes—far beyond her years.
She walked directly to the edge of the market where the ox-cart rentals were, immediately spotting two sturdy-looking empty carts, their drivers honest-faced and reliable.
Approaching them, she spoke with a clear, firm voice, negotiating the terms. She paid a deposit above market price and promised an even higher reward upon completion—but with one strict condition: everything transported today and the route taken must remain completely confidential.
Liu Xiaoman understood the magnitude of her purchases. Such a large-scale operation in this era was already abnormal and could attract unwanted attention, or even trouble.
Her extraordinary sense of risk calculation whirred through her mind like a precision balance, weighing risk against reward. She had to be extremely cautious, devising a meticulous plan for purchasing and transport that minimized every possible risk.
She began with several smaller grain shops, ones that were usually doing well. Facing the shopkeepers’ questioning eyes, Liu Xiaoman remained composed, spinning a watertight story.
“Shopkeeper, the Wang family in town is arranging a wedding banquet for their daughter. I’ve been commissioned to buy the necessary grains.”
Presenting herself as a high-class purchaser, she cautiously bought small amounts of refined rice, flour, and coarse grains, observing each shopkeeper’s reaction.
“These need to be delivered quickly,” she added, a subtle hint of confidence and authority in her tone. “The Wang family expects to start making snacks immediately.”
She also mentioned possibly needing multiple shipments, politely asking the shopkeeper for his assistance.
Upon hearing it was a large order from the prestigious Wang family, the shopkeeper’s eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly, pleased at the profitable opportunity.
After confirming that none of the smaller store owners suspected anything, Liu Xiaoman began her sweeping purchasing campaign.
She didn’t limit herself to one shop but spread her purchases across more than ten grain stores in Qingshi Town. Each purchase was large enough to delight the shopkeepers, yet carefully controlled to remain within each store’s inventory and sales capacity, avoiding panic or excessive attention.
At “Fukang Grain House,” a large-scale store, the clerks immediately recognized the Huichun Hall VIP token in her hand. Their attitude shifted to one of respect.
Liu Xiaoman announced she wanted to buy enormous quantities of sorghum and beans. The clerk was stunned. Such a large order required managerial approval, and he hurried to fetch the store manager, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Shortly after, the manager, a man in his forties wearing a dark robe, with eagle-like eyes, emerged from the accounts office. He scrutinized the seemingly fragile girl before him, noting her unusual purchasing behavior, cleverly concealed yet still raising suspicion.
He said nothing, only nodded slightly, mentally noting her appearance and actions.
Facing his sharp gaze, Liu Xiaoman remained calm.
“Manager, I’m purchasing supplies for my employer’s planned expansion of the estate. These grains are the first batch. As you can see, we pay in real silver—no worries about running out of stock,” she said confidently.
She even preemptively offered a ten-tael silver ingot as a deposit, giving the impression of great wealth. This eased most of the manager’s doubts.
Soon, carts loaded with grains, oil, salt, and seeds were steadily dispatched.
Liu Xiaoman’s eyes remained sharp as she meticulously followed her checklist, prioritizing drought-resistant grain seeds like sorghum and millet, large quantities of coarse grains, and easily stored items such as salt, dried vegetables, and beans. Each item was carefully selected, as if preparing for an imminent, critical battle.
She navigated the market, aware of curious, envious, and occasionally disdainful glances from bystanders. They seemed to be asking silently: Where did this little girl get so much money? Which wealthy family does she belong to?
None of it disturbed her.
Her mind focused solely on the satisfaction of filling her baskets and the rare sense of security that came from having control.
By the time the last cart was fully loaded, the sunset stretched the town’s streets long and golden.
Liu Xiaoman took a deep breath and personally handed several small silver ingots to the two cart drivers. The soft texture of the silver notes lifted her spirits.
She walked ahead of the convoy, guiding the carts along a quiet back road, avoiding the main streets, toward the hidden location she had precisely plotted with the system.
The secret cave fortress behind the waterfall in the back mountain of Liu Village awaited.
After she left Fukang Grain House, the manager remained at the doorway, gazing into the distance where the carts had gone. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, murmuring to the clerk beside him:
“This little girl… unfamiliar face, yet she spends so freely, buying only ordinary goods. We must investigate her background—who in the Qingshi Town area has this kind of spending power?”
Night had long since fallen.
Inside the waterfall cave fortress, Liu Xiaoman looked at the mountain of rice, flour, coarse grains, oil, salt, seeds, and daily necessities. At last, she felt a sense of relief.
The damp air carried the characteristic aroma of stored grain, relaxing her tense nerves after a long day.
Yet in her mind echoed the manager’s probing gaze from Fukang Grain House and the subtle reminder from Shopkeeper Qian about rising grain prices.
She knew that today’s stockpile was only the beginning.