During famine years, I had a divination slip in hand, and my whole family ate chicken, duck, fish, a

"Sister-in-law."

Ye Qingqing looked at her, her tone calm, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"You said there are plenty of empty shops in town, that's true. But there are only so many good locations; if you miss this one, the next one might not be as good. Besides..."

As she spoke, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

"The Zhou family is in a hurry to move south, and they dare to ask for this price. They must have more than just this shop to sell."

"If we buy the shop, we can also see if he has any other valuables. If we take those too, we might be able to get some of the money back."

Miss Zhen's eyes lit up. "Second Girl, you mean..."

"We'll talk about it when we get there."

Ye Qingqing didn't continue speaking. She nimbly slid off the kang (a heated brick bed), casually brushing the dust off her coat.

"Dad, you stay home and keep an eye on things. Eldest brother and sister-in-law don't need to go either. Stay home and prepare the wild vegetables and fish. Once the shop is settled, we'll move the goods to town."

As she spoke, she looked at Ye Dazhuang.

Without even saying a word, just a glance was enough for Ye Dazhuang to nod knowingly, "I'll go."

"I didn't get to properly entertain your aunt today. She can come home later."

Ye Youliang puffed on his pipe, saying nothing more.

It's not that I spoil her; ever since my second daughter jumped into the Erlang River and came back, her mind has become clearer, she's more grounded, and she can even climb Qiushan Mountain in one breath...

It's like they're protected by the Dragon King; they can do whatever they want!

Li Chunyan was still muttering "It's such a loss, such a loss," when Ye Dali jabbed her in the back, finally silencing her.

……

The horse-drawn carriage crunched and creaked as it left Kaoshantun and drove along the snow track.

Miss Zhen's carriage was more spacious and warmer than the Ye family's. It was lined with thick mattresses and had a small charcoal stove, making it warm and comfortable.

Look! They're both BMWs, but their "luxury version" is definitely more impressive than her "basic" version!

Ye Qingqing let out a long yawn, tucked her hands into her sleeves, leaned against the carriage wall, and closed her eyes to rest.

I got up early, and the warm train carriage made me want to doze off again.

Miss Zhen looked her over gently, then suddenly laughed.

"Second daughter, whose temperament did you get from? You're much more composed than your father, and you have a bigger temper than your mother."

Ye Qingqing squinted and yawned as she spoke.

"My dad is very patient, so I let him be! My mom... I don't remember her very well."

"Hey, that's different."

Miss Zhen shook her head and said meaningfully, "Your father is a kind and honest man, the kind who would use the sky as a blanket if it fell down."

You're very shrewd; even knowing the sky is about to fall, you know where to hide... Your Aunt Zhen was right, wasn't she?

Ye Qingqing opened her eyes, glanced at her with a smile, and said, "Aunt Zhen is too good at praising people."

Miss Zhen laughed heartily, patted the back of her hand, and spoke with obvious appreciation.

"You're so lucky! I've been in business for most of my life, and I'm pretty good at judging people."

Don't worry, someone like you can make a living anywhere!

Ye Qingqing said with a smile,

"Then I take after Aunt Zhen. I've always felt that you're that kind of person."

It wasn't that she was flattering Aunt Zhen; Aunt Zhen spoke sincerely, and so did she.

A woman who was nearly murdered single-handedly opened a fur shop in town and established herself there...

In this chaotic world, how many people can do this without being incredibly shrewd and resourceful?

"I wish I had a daughter like you... but unfortunately I'm not so lucky."

Miss Zhen sighed softly, then turned her head away and said nothing more.

……

After the carriage had traveled for more than half an hour, the town walls of Kaoshan Town finally came into view in the distance.

It was cold, and not many people went out in town. A few scattered vendors huddled against the walls, casually trying to sell their wares.

Miss Zhen's carriage turned directly onto the main street and stopped in front of a shop with a sign that read "Zhou's Dried Goods".

The shop door was closed, and a yellowed piece of paper was pasted on the door panel with the words "Shop for Sale" written on it.

Ye Qingqing got out of the car and looked up...

It does indeed have three storefronts; while the storefronts aren't particularly grand, they are neatly arranged.

The location is indeed excellent. There's a grain shop right across the street, a cloth shop diagonally opposite, and just a few steps east is the market entrance in the town center.

Not bad. Geographically speaking, it's a city-level CPB!

Jane's assistant went up and knocked on the door.

"Is Manager Zhou here? Our boss has brought you a customer!"

"Creak..."

After a long while, the door opened a crack, and a thin, middle-aged man peeked out. His triangular eyes sized Ye Qingqing up and down, and he couldn't help but frown.

"Where is the buyer? This little girl? Miss Zhen, you know I'm in a hurry to go south, you're not kidding me, are you!"

"What are you talking about? I'm not doing my business properly, why would I waste my time making fun of you?"

Miss Zhen's face darkened, and she scoffed contemptuously, "Manager Zhou, don't look down on people just because you're peeking through the crack in the door!"

My niece may be young, but she came to talk to you sincerely, bringing money with her... Look at your persistent, shameless attitude, it's utterly disrespectful!

Shopkeeper Zhou reluctantly opened the door, muttering unhappily under his breath.

"Looking is fine, but if you like something, just pay up. I don't have time to waste with you guys..."

Before he could finish speaking, two sharp gazes swept across his face, and he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

He looked at Ye Dazhuang, whose face was calm but whose eyes were as cold as knives, and inwardly clicked his tongue in amazement:

Why is there a living Yama standing behind that little girl?

Ye Qingqing gave him a cold glance, then stepped into the shop.

Looking around, it was indeed as Aunt Zhen had described:

It was clean and tidy, with all the shelves and counters still there. The backyard wasn't big, just two side rooms and a small courtyard.

The place isn't big, but it has everything you need; it's more than enough to open a mountain produce shop.

She turned around, and when she came out, her face was expressionless. She only asked a question seemingly casually.

"Manager Zhou, is the five hundred taels included for all these shelves and counters?"

Manager Zhou, with his hands in his sleeves, rolled his eyes at her.

"Otherwise what? I couldn't possibly take all this stuff with me!"

Ye Qingqing nodded, then frowned and said,

Aunt Zhen said your shop costs five hundred taels, but in this year of famine and war, who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Manager Zhou is in a hurry to move south, and I do need a shop, so why don't we each compromise...?

Before she could finish speaking, Manager Zhou's expression turned displeased, and he shouted,

"Refund what? It was agreed to be five hundred taels, not a penny less! I spent six hundred taels to build that shop, and selling it for five hundred taels now is already a loss!"

Ye Qingqing smiled faintly, "Six hundred taels was the original price. In this day and age, a shop that costs six hundred taels won't even sell for three hundred taels."

Shopkeeper Zhou, if you're really not in a hurry, then I'm not in a hurry either. I can wait patiently.

Little brat, are you trying to take advantage of me?

I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice, do you think you can fool me?

Manager Zhou glanced at her disdainfully and sneered.

"Little girl, don't give me that crap! I may be in a hurry to move south, but I have plenty of people who want my shop!"

To tell you the truth, someone came to see the shop this morning. I didn't budge even when they offered 550 taels. I'm only waiting for you because of Miss Zhen.

"Go ahead and do it right, the shop is yours for 550 taels. If you keep dawdling, believe me, I won't even work for 550 taels!"