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

Outside the fabric shop, the street vendors were all busy calling out, and the sounds of bargaining blended together.

Looking at the various bundles in her hands, along with the heavy bundles of cloth and cotton, Ye Qingqing turned to Ye Dali and said,

"Hey, let's hire a mule cart. With all this stuff, it'll be completely dark by the time we get to Kaoshantun by hand."

Ye Dali, with his newly bought blue cotton shoes draped over his shoulders, quickly said "Hey" upon hearing this and strode off to find a car dealership.

Li Chunyan stood beside a pile of "spoils of war," her hands moving between touching a bolt of dark blue cloth and hugging a bundle of cotton, muttering to herself incessantly.

"How much silver must this cost... But this cotton is so solid, I can't even squeeze it."

And look at this fabric, look at this color! Dali will definitely look great in it!

She became more and more excited as she spoke, her face turning red from the cold wind, but she didn't feel cold at all.

Everyone's face was filled with satisfaction and joy, except for Ye Dazhuang, whose face remained expressionless.

It was as if everything was irrelevant to him.

A short while later, Ye Dali hired an open-top mule cart.

The driver was a thin, old man. He looked at the pile of stuff, smacked his lips, and...

"You must have spent a lot of money on all this stuff, right? Including the person, it'll cost at least 80 coins. I'll deliver it to your doorstep."

Ye Qingqing didn't say much. She took out a handful of copper coins from her heavy money bag, counted out a hundred, and handed them over.

"Hey driver, here's an extra twenty. Before you go back to the village, run errands for me at two places... first, to the cattle and horse market."

"Okay!"

The family of four, along with a pile of goods, filled the mule cart to the brim.

Li Chunyan was reluctant to sit down and insisted on sitting next to the large red silk, saying she was afraid it would be damaged by the jostling.

Ye Qingqing pulled her up and pressed her firmly onto the cart floor. "How could a piece of cloth be damaged by jostling? Sit down and save your energy."

Li Chunyan shrank her neck, then suddenly remembered something. She took out the newly bought bar of soap from her pocket, brought it to her nose, and smelled it. A scent of soapberry mixed with fragrance filled her nostrils. She squinted her eyes comfortably and chuckled.

"It smells so good. From now on, our clothes will smell wonderful after washing too."

Ye Qingqing, "..."

"By the way, Second Sister, what are we going there for?"

Li Chunyan held the roll of white cotton cloth in her arms, and in her other hand she was still clutching the fragrant soap, reluctant to let go.

In Niuma City, the smell of urine mixed with the smell of hay is so strong, don't let it taint her new cotton and cloth.

Ask about the price.

Ye Qingqing raised an eyebrow.

Traveling to and from town is so troublesome, so getting a sturdy carriage and a strong animal is essential!

The market was bustling with noise.

The mules snorted and pawed at the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. Several brokers in short jackets were praising a chestnut horse with great enthusiasm.

Ye Qingqing still stood out conspicuously among the livestock dealers and wealthy stewards.

Ye Dali, in particular, followed his wife with a simple and honest look, like a black iron tower, attracting the attention of many people.

Ignoring the stares, Ye Qingqing walked straight up to an old man who was grooming a donkey.

"Sir, how much is this donkey?"

The old man raised his eyelids, glanced at her, saw that she was a young girl, shook his head, and said, "Not for sale, she's one of my servants."

Ye Qingqing wasn't annoyed. She then turned to a middle-aged man leading a skinny horse and asked, "Where's the horse?"

The man sized her up, noticing her ordinary clothes but composed demeanor, unlike typical farm girls. He then held up three fingers.

"Thirty taels of silver. Young lady, this horse is honest, but he's a bit weak."

Hearing this from behind, Li Chunyan gasped, tugged at Ye Qingqing's sleeve, and whispered, "Thirty taels? That's enough to buy three mu of land!"

Ye Qingqing didn't turn around, but asked again, "What about the carriage?"

The man pointed to a slightly worn carriage parked not far away. "Carriage and horse together, 150 taels. Carriage alone, 140 taels."

Ye Qingqing nodded and went to ask a few more places.

Some ask for exorbitant prices, while others look rather timid.

She had a rough idea of ​​what to expect: a decent number of horses would cost at least a hundred, and with a sturdy carriage, it would cost at least ten taels of silver.

This price wasn't much to her, but she needed to know the market rate and not be ripped off.

"Let's go."

Having asked enough questions, Ye Qingqing turned around and saw Ye Dali still standing there, staring blankly at a yellow ox pulling a cart. She patted his arm, "Brother Dali, do you like oxen?"

Ye Dali snapped out of his daze and scratched his head sheepishly, "Awesome...reliable."

Ye Qingqing smiled but didn't say anything. The family then squeezed out of the bustling cattle and horse market.

"Second Girl, shall we head back now? It's getting late."

Li Chunyan looked at the sky and felt a little anxious.

She had been on edge all day, and only now, touching the solid fabric in her arms, did she feel a little more at ease.

"No rush." ​​Ye Qingqing's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. "Let's go somewhere else."

"Where are you going?"

Li Chunyan hurriedly asked.

"The academy, of course!"

Ye Qingqing smiled.

The academy—wasn't it the place where Fang Jincheng dreamed of embarking on an official career? Then let his dream be shattered here.

Ye Qingqing doesn't hold grudges, because she believes in revenge.

The academy was a completely different world from the cattle and horse market we had just been in; it was very quiet.

The sound of students reading aloud could be heard coming from the courtyard. An old servant, who was sweeping the floor, frowned at their attire and said, "This is an academy; unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter."

"We're looking for Fang Jincheng; he's a family member."

Ye Qingqing stepped forward, her voice not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

The old servant was stunned. Fang Jincheng was a well-known poor student in the academy. How could he have such relatives?

He looked Ye Qingqing up and down a few times, then stopped her, saying only, "Don't make a fuss."

Ye Qingqing nodded and led her family into the academy.

The bluestone path is lined with lush bamboo, which rustles in the wind.

Inside the main hall, a dozen or so scholars were reciting texts to a gentleman wearing a square cap. When they saw Ye Qingqing and her group burst in, they all stopped talking and stared in surprise at these country folk dressed in homespun clothes, looking like peasants.

The man also stopped and frowned as he looked at them.

Ignoring the curious or disdainful glances, Ye Qingqing walked straight to the teacher and respectfully bowed.

"Sir, excuse me. I'm here to complain about Fang Jincheng."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone's shocked gazes were fixed on her.

Fang Jincheng wasn't there. He had been beaten up and was taking leave to rest at home. He was afraid that Ye Qingqing would really dare to complain, so he didn't dare to go to the academy at all.

To my utter surprise, this girl actually went!

The man was utterly shocked. "Young lady, this is an academy. You...you mustn't be fooling around."

Ye Qingqing raised an eyebrow. "Shall we say it here, or somewhere else?"

The entire academy erupted in a frenzy, like a pot boiling over.