The reason why the Tian family said this was because the Great Yan Kingdom was the most powerful country in the world at that time. Not only had it not experienced war for more than ten years, but it had also enjoyed favorable weather in recent years, without any floods, droughts, or famines.

In years of famine, rice is naturally the most valuable commodity.

But now that the country is prosperous and the granaries are full, the rice seedlings here can be planted twice a year, so the rice can't be sold at a good price.

So after achieving self-sufficiency, the villagers all wanted to grow some other things that could make money.

"Have you decided what to plant?" Shen Yuan asked.

Tian shook his head. Everyone wanted to grow something that could fetch a good price, but they hadn't decided what to grow to make money.

Shen Yuan said, "If you really have any idle or barren land, why don't we try planting medicinal herbs together!"

"Grow medicinal herbs?" Madam Tian pondered for a moment and said, "Medicinal herbs are more expensive than rice, so we could try growing some!"

Shen Yuan smiled gently: "After you go back to the village, please ask around for me how much land each family can spare, and how many families are willing to grow medicinal herbs with me!"

"Okay! Auntie got it!" Madam Tian patted her chest.

As the two were talking, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door.

Shen Yuan walked to the entrance of the pharmacy and saw a large number of pedestrians gathered on the street outside, stretching from the Huajian Restaurant across the street all the way to the entrance of the pharmacy, as if they were watching some kind of excitement.

Shen Yuan pushed through the crowd and saw a beautiful woman in a bright red gauze dress standing in front of the Flower Garden Restaurant. Her appearance seemed vaguely familiar, and she couldn't help but frown.

At this moment, Haitang glared at the heavily made-up woman standing opposite her, her originally delicate face now showing a hint of anger.

But the other person was completely oblivious and continued to smile, saying, "Oh! Isn't this Sister Haitang? How did you become the restaurant manager?"

Haitang, with a cold face, pointed to the door and said, "Since you're not here to dine, please leave! There are other people waiting in line to eat!"

Upon hearing this, the woman sneered, "What? Now that you own a shop and are the manager, you can ignore your former sisters?"

Shen Yuan followed the sound up the steps and finally saw the speaker's face clearly.

She was a girl from Zuichunlou. Shen Yuan remembered her; her flower name was Jin Mudan. She was the oldest among the girls with flower names at Zuichunlou, and she was also the one who blamed her for bringing the government officials here and ruining their business.

I heard that after leaving Zuichunlou, she went to other brothels in Jian'an City.

Why did you come out of the building today and even find the Flower Restaurant?

Worried that Jin Mudan would cause trouble, Shen Yuan quickly stepped in front of Haitang and said to her, "You all go back first, I'll handle things here!"

Hearing Shen Yuan say this, Haitang was indignant, but she didn't look at Jin Mudan again and turned to go into the shop.

But as soon as she stepped into the shop, Jin Mudan suddenly rushed forward and reached out to pull off the veil covering Haitang's face.

Shen Yuan reacted quickly and reached out to stop her, but she was still a step too slow.

The veil on Haitang's face was pulled to the ground by Jin Mudan.

Upon seeing this scene, Shen Yuan's heart sank to the bottom.

The reason she made Haitang and her five other sisters wear veils was because they were in the food business, and wearing veils could prevent saliva from getting in the way, making them cleaner and more hygienic.

Secondly... secondly, she was worried that if things happened like today, Haitang and the others would be recognized.

Although Magistrate Jiang had helped them escape their lowly status, they had ultimately spent more than a decade in the Drunken Spring Brothel, where they had worked as girls.

Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain.

If the people of Jian'an City find out that Huajian Restaurant is run by prostitutes from Zuichunlou, how will Huajian Restaurant and these girls cope?

As fate would have it, just one month after the Flower Garden Restaurant opened, Golden Peony came knocking and publicly ripped off the veil from Begonia's face.

“Sister Haitang, we were both abducted to Zuichunlou thirteen years ago. We’ve known each other for so many years. Do you think I wouldn’t recognize you just because you’re wearing a veil?” Jin Mudan casually threw the veil on the ground and walked into the shop with a smile.

Haitang covered her face and took a step back.

Upon seeing this, Chuntao and Dujuan immediately ran over to protect Haitang, asking, "Jin Mudan, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Jin Mudan looked at the three people huddled together, her handkerchief twisted into a ball.

A few days ago, she heard from her other sisters that a new restaurant had opened in the city and was doing very well. It was opened by the six girls who had left with Shen Yuan.

At first, she didn't believe it. How could people like them open shops and do business like those law-abiding citizens?

But today, she came out of the building under the pretext of selling rouge and face powder. Not only did she see the thriving business of Huajian Restaurant, but she also saw Haitang sitting at the counter, constantly collecting copper coins.

She sat there casually, without having to fawn over anyone or constantly guard against unwanted advances.

She even had a smile on her face, not the fake smile that comes from training in brothels to please men, but a genuine smile that came from the bottom of her heart.

How could she not feel jealous?

They used to be girls at the Drunken Spring Pavilion, so why should she have to live a life of being exploited by the madam and serving two guests every night?

Why is it that Haitang can transform herself into the manager of Huajian Restaurant, living such a comfortable life and making money?

On what grounds?

Why do they think they're doing better than her?

Jin Mudan smirked coldly: "What could I possibly do? I just wanted to greet you all!"

"After all, we used to be girls at Zuichunlou, and we even served the same patron. It's not too much for us to greet each other, is it?"

The onlookers gathered outside the Flower Garden Restaurant changed their expressions upon hearing this.

"The Flower Garden Restaurant is actually owned by prostitutes from the Drunken Spring Pavilion!"

"No wonder they were all wearing veils; they were afraid we would find out!"

"We've been eating food prepared by prostitutes for so many days, it's disgusting!"

The words spoken outside the door were clearly heard by everyone inside the shop.

Haitang's face was deathly pale, and the other girls beside her also looked unwell. Shuixian and Furong's eyes were even red and glistening with tears, yet they stubbornly refused to let them fall.

Shen Yuan trembled with rage and angrily rebuked Jin Mudan: "Since we were once sisters, why did you have to kill them all?"

Jin Mudan took a step back guiltily, "I just greeted them, I didn't do anything!"

Shen Yuan, too lazy to waste any more words with Jin Mudan, turned around and explained to the people gathered at the shop entrance, "They were all separated from their families when they were five or six years old and were abducted to Zuichunlou. After Zuichunlou was shut down, the government investigated their origins and removed them from the social status. They are no longer of lowly status, and opening a shop and doing business is in accordance with the laws of Great Yan. What's wrong with that?"

"A prostitute is a prostitute. Even if she gets rid of her status, she can't wash away the fact that her hands have been touched by men countless times!" The old woman carrying a vegetable basket said with a disdainful look.

The young woman standing next to her also made a sarcastic remark: "I bet there's an aphrodisiac in that soup. Otherwise, why hasn't my husband been eating home-cooked meals lately? He's been craving food from your Flower Garden Restaurant every day."