Transmigrated into the role of the matriarch, I ensured my family had enough to eat and wear during

The three siblings walked into a quiet alley where there were few pedestrians, making it convenient to talk.

Tang Susu took out the cloth bag from her waist, poured all the copper coins inside onto the ground, and carefully counted them one by one. After counting, she looked up at her two younger brothers and said, "A total of three hundred and sixty-nine coins. This is all the money we earned from selling jelly today."

Tang Lifu and Tang Liqiang came over to take a look, and their eyes lit up when they saw the copper coins all over the ground.

"Now, let's assign tasks." Tang Susu began to give instructions. "Lifu, here are thirty copper coins. Go to the market and buy all the peanuts. We'll need them to make jelly later. Here are forty copper coins. Buy enough brown sugar that we're short on at home. Don't buy too little."

She then turned to Tang Liqiang and handed him thirty-five coins: "Liqiang, take this money and buy as much meat as you can."

"Meat?" Tang Liqiang's mouth watered instantly at the word. He subconsciously licked his lips and hurriedly took the coin: "Okay, Mom! I promise I'll buy the fattest cut!"

"Don't be too happy yet," Tang Susu advised. "After you two finish shopping, if you still have time, you can stroll around Jiangtou Town and experience the lively atmosphere. Remember, you must meet back in this alley after an incense stick has burned."

As she spoke, she tucked the remaining two hundred-odd copper coins into her pocket: "I'll take this money to get something done. We can split up and be more efficient."

Tang Lifu and Tang Liqiang nodded, pocketed their coins, and excitedly ran out of the dark alley.

Tang Susu then turned around and walked towards the cloth shop.

She had already planned it out. The family of six had very few changes of clothes, and every garment was covered in patches, not to mention underwear, which was unbearable for her, who had a slight obsession with cleanliness.

The primary task was to buy fabric and make clothes.

As soon as we entered the cloth shop, the shopkeeper immediately came to greet us.

Tang Susu directly asked about the price of homespun cloth and learned that it cost two copper coins per foot, a very affordable price.

She immediately decided: "Give me ten feet of each of the following colors: gray, cyan, navy blue, black, yellow, and light pink homespun cloth."

Six colors, ten feet each, a total of sixty feet, costing exactly sixty copper coins.

Seeing that she had bought a lot, the shopkeeper kindly helped her wrap the cloth and even gave her an extra rope to tie it up.

After leaving the cloth shop, Tang Susu found a secluded corner and brought up the trading platform.

She spent twenty copper coins to buy six pairs of cotton women's underwear, intending to share three pairs with Miao Yulan.

She planned to include this expense in the cost of purchasing fabric from the shop earlier, so that even if someone asked, she could keep it a secret.

Next, it's time to buy chicks.

She had seen locusts on the road before, so she decided to buy more poultry, both to lay eggs and to protect against locust plagues.

Tang Susu inquired and found a place selling chicks.

But the chicks in the cage were all sickly, their heads drooping, lifeless, and they didn't look like they would live long.

On the contrary, the ducklings in the cage next to it seemed to be in better spirits, chirping incessantly.

She then thought that Yangqu Village, with its abundant water resources, rice paddies, and ditches, was actually more suitable for raising ducks.

Moreover, ducks are very good at eating locusts, which can come in handy.

After inquiring about the price, I learned that each duck costs six copper coins.

Tang Susu selected twenty-five ducklings that were still in good spirits and put them into the basket she had prepared in advance, spending another one hundred and fifty copper coins.

After buying the ducklings, Tang Susu still had some time before the agreed-upon time with her two younger brothers. She returned to the alleyway early, brought up the trading platform again, and began replenishing her supplies.

Previously, she lied that she had pawned the original owner's silver hairpin to exchange for food, but in reality, she relied on the trading platform to supplement her food supply, which is why her family did not go hungry.

Miao Yulan had her doubts, but she brushed them off with vague answers.

This time, she bought 25 catties each of millet, white rice, and white flour, and 10 catties each of cornmeal, buckwheat noodles, and dark flour.

I also bought some pastries, candies, and other snacks, as well as small soaps, wooden combs, and several pairs of comfortable cloth shoes.

After her shopping spree, she checked her balance and found she still had 125 taels and 5 qian left, giving her plenty of confidence.

Not long after, Tang Lifu and Tang Liqiang returned to the alley with their belongings on their backs.

Seeing the pile of rice, cloth, ducklings, and other things on the ground, the two of them stared wide-eyed, speechless for a long time.

As it was getting late, there were no more oxcarts running from Jiangtou Town to Dongtai Town. The three siblings had no choice but to carry their belongings on their backs and walk towards Yangqu Village.

After a long and arduous journey of nearly two hours, we finally caught a glimpse of Gou Tuo Mountain in the distance.

The sun had already set, and dusk was gradually enveloping Yangqu Village.

The orange-red afterglow of the setting sun is reflected in the water-filled rice paddies, creating a shimmering, tranquil, and beautiful scene.

Under the big banyan tree at the entrance of the village, several village women were chatting together.

Seeing Tang Susu and her two siblings return carrying large and small bags, they immediately gathered around and bombarded them with questions.

"Dog's mother, are you coming back from town?"

"I heard you went to do business on the street. How's business? Did you make any money?"

Tang Susu gestured to her two younger brothers to carry the things home first, while she stayed behind with a smile and replied, "Yes, aunties, I went to town to sell some food. I was lucky and earned a few copper coins. I bought a few ounces of fatty meat for the family to have some meat."

"Oh, buying meat?" The village women immediately perked up and started discussing, "Last time I inquired, meat cost twenty-six copper coins a pound, that's really not cheap."

"Dog's mother has made a fortune! She can actually afford meat!"

"That's right! Tell me quickly, how many copper coins did you earn?"

Tang Susu sighed deliberately and said, "Aunties, you don't know, but the price of meat has gone up again, it's now thirty-six copper coins a pound. I spent a lot of money on meat, and with the rest, I bought ducklings to raise at home to lay eggs. Raising ducks and selling eggs will be easier than running a food business."

A village woman who knew arithmetic secretly calculated in her mind: buying meat would cost at least thirty copper coins, and buying twenty ducklings, at six coins each, would cost one hundred and twenty coins, which would add up to one hundred and fifty coins.

So, Tang Susu must have earned at least a hundred copper coins a day selling food.

A flicker of eagerness and envy flashed in her eyes, and she quickly asked, "Dog's Mom, what delicious food are you selling? How can you make so much money?"

Tang Susu continued to sigh, explaining helplessly, "It's a snack made from the lantern fruit from our mountain. It sounds easy, but it's very troublesome to make. The key is to add sugar. Brown sugar costs more than fifty copper coins per pound, so we have to buy a big bag every day to boil sugar water. We also have to add peanuts to make it appealing to customers."