With a blush, Liu said, "Mother, these circles represent rice, and the crosses represent noodles. Your daughter-in-law can't read, so... so..."

Liang Shuyan felt a pang of sorrow: these children, they look so young, yet not one of them can read. No, she, their mother, must teach them to read and do math. This is the bare minimum, so they won't be taken advantage of or laughed at by others.

"Alright, I know what we're lacking at home, so this list of yours is useless!" Liang Shuyan said comfortingly before getting on the donkey cart.

Madam Liu froze on the spot: "Mother, are you really not taking your daughter-in-law with you?"

Erniu and Sanwang sat in front of the cart, driving the donkey. After a while, they passed through the winding mountain road of Daling Village. After about half an hour, they finally arrived at Qingfeng Town. The town was bustling with people, and there were all kinds of vendors selling candied hawthorns, yams, and steamed cakes!

The shouts and calls rose and fell, and Liang Shuyan was amazed by the prosperity of this small town. She glanced at the market and pulled Sanwang, saying, "Erniu, you stay here and watch the donkey cart. Mother and Sanwang will go see what they're selling up ahead."

Erniu had never seen such a bustling market before. He had originally wanted to go and take a look around, but his mother had made him stay behind to watch the cars. He sighed in despair, "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to watch the cars then!"

Sanwang was as happy as a bird released from its cage: "Mom, what should we buy?"

Liang Shuyan wanted to see what small businesses she could start in town. Now that she had just arrived and the crops were planted, she had to start a business so that she could support her family!

"Mother, look! The dough figurine seller!" Following the direction Sanwang pointed, sure enough, a man was sitting on the ground, arranging some dough figurines very neatly. The man looked to be about forty or fifty years old, wearing an apron and holding a small knife in his hand, making small dough figurines.

Liang Shuyan was very interested in the person in front of her. She walked over, squatted down, picked up a dough figurine, and examined it carefully. "Shopkeeper, how much is this? It looks very exquisite. Does anyone want it?"

The stall owner looked up and said, "I'm just doing a small business. I'm not some kind of shopkeeper. These little dough figurines are worthless, one cent each!"

Looking at the small dough figurine in her hand, Liang Shuyan pondered for a moment and then said, "Could you please give me three dough figurines?"

Sanwang pouted and said unhappily, "Mother, this stuff can't be eaten or drunk. What do you want it for? It's such a waste of three coins!"

Sanwang naturally didn't understand Liang Shuyan's thoughts. How could he support his family if a clay figurine only cost one coin? Liang Shuyan felt that he was also having a hard time. Besides, such exquisite little clay figurines only cost one coin each. Even if it was charity, Liang Shuyan could still afford it.

“If something can’t be eaten, it’s not a good thing. Besides, this is something your mother bought for Niu Niu and her nephews. Why are you angry? These are such exquisite dough figurines, and they only cost one coin each. Do you think the price is too high, or do you think such exquisite and beautiful dough figurines aren’t worth a single coin?”

Sanwang fell silent. Liang Shuyan then saw a pancake vendor on the road. It wasn't really a pancake; she just poured some oil into an iron pan and cooked it. Even so, there were quite a few people sitting around her stall.

Curious, Liang Shuyan went over to take a look. Each one cost two coins, and the flatbread was quite large, enough to fill one up. Liang Shuyan bought three more flatbreads and gave one to Sanwang: "Here, keep this one for your second brother. This flatbread is not bad, but it seems to be missing something!"

While eating heartily, Sanwang said, "This is already very good. In these times, we can still have enough to eat. Mother, this is already very good. If you had this skill, we would sell pancakes too!"

Liang Shuyan fell silent: "That's a good idea, but my pancakes aren't like that. My pancakes cost five coins each, but they have vegetables, meat, and fillings that will make them want more!"

Sanwang took a flatbread and came to the donkey cart. He handed one of the flatbreads to Erniu and said, "Second brother, this is what Mom bought. Try it, it's delicious."

Erniu was still a little reluctant. He glanced at his mother and said, "Mother, we should be more careful with the money. We have a whole family to support."

Liang Shuyan immediately got angry: "Alright, I'm giving you food, why are you being so picky?"

Erniu's face was tense, and he dared not speak.

"Alright, let's go, let's go into the rice and flour shop up ahead and buy some rice and flour!"

This time, Sanwang pointed at Erniu and said, "Alright, Second Brother, you go with Mother, I'll watch the donkey cart!"

Liang Shuyan went inside, glanced at the prices of rice and flour, and pondered for a moment: "Were rice and flour always this expensive in ancient times? A bag of flour, which is about 50 jin, costs 200 wen? Rice is even more expensive, with a large bag costing around 230 wen!"

The shopkeeper saw a woman come in and look at the prices of rice and flour, but he ignored her. In those days, there were many people who wanted to look at rice and flour, but very few families could afford to buy them.

"Shopkeeper, could you make the rice and flour cheaper? I'd like to take two more bags!"

The shopkeeper put down the book in his hand and slowly said, "Madam, are you joking with me, a small business owner? These days, it's good enough to have grain at all, how can it be cheap? To tell you the truth, our grain comes from merchants from other places, and the price isn't high. Go ask other rice and flour shops, whose flour isn't over 200 coins? They all get their goods from government merchants!"

Liang Shuyan nodded helplessly: "Alright, take two big bags of rice and flour and carry them to the donkey cart outside!"

Erniu thought to himself, "What's wrong with my mother? Did she find a gold ingot? She's suddenly become so generous, buying so much rice and flour?"

The shopkeeper burst into laughter: "I say, you woman, are you still joking with me at a time like this? Why do you want so much grain all at once?"

The shopkeeper's meaning was quite clear: judging from Liang Shuyan's attire, she definitely didn't have enough money to buy grain, so he didn't take the matter to heart.

"What's wrong? Don't you trust me?" Liang Shuyan immediately took out 200 coins from her purse and handed them to the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper, I'm not joking with you. Are we that close? Hurry up and move all the grain to the donkey cart outside!"

The shopkeeper then grinned happily: "I really didn't expect that you, a peasant woman, would have so much money. Nowadays, half of the households only buy small bags; they can't afford the large ones. I never imagined you were so rich!"

Liang Shuyan didn't want to hear flattery. She then came out with Erniu and saw that the shopkeeper had packed the rice and flour. She instructed Erniu, "You and Sanwang watch the grain. I'm going to the front to buy some bedding and other things. The kitchen needs quite a lot of things, so I'll get some more!"

"Mother, you've bought so much, do you... do you still have money?"