Qiu Yu also thought it was a good choice; the price was reasonable and the location was good. She said, "Let's buy it." If we buy this smaller one, we won't have to borrow money.

Diao Fei's uncle asked, "Are you using it yourself or renting it out? This tenant is quite nice." The tenant of the grocery store wasn't a local; it was a family of three trying to make a living. According to Diao Fei's uncle, he was always very prompt in paying the rent.

He Zifeng insisted on continuing the lease.

Together they went to write the transfer documents, and the shop officially became Qiu Yu's name.

Everyone looked at Qiu Yu with surprise. Qiu Yu quietly tugged at He Zifeng's sleeve, trying to persuade him to change his mind.

He Zifeng said, "Be good."

Qiu Yu blushed.

He quickly bought the shop, and the shop owner, upon learning that the shop had been taken over, immediately signed a two-year contract with He Zifeng and paid eight taels of silver. Although his shop didn't look big, it held a lot of money, and his regular customers were all used to it, so moving it would be a hassle.

It's better to sign the contract for peace of mind.

She went out and ended up with an extra shop. Qiu Yu carefully folded up the land deed and put it in her bosom.

Having accomplished such a significant task, He Zifeng invited Qiu Yu to go home.

He made an appointment with Diao Fei and Xiong Ge, promising to treat them to drinks when he returned before letting go. Since the major case, He Zifeng had become a rising star among the yamen runners, who all knew he had a bright future and wanted to befriend him as soon as possible.

When He Zifeng returned, he saw Old Xu standing at the door, looking around. When he saw them, he put on a smile and said, "Hey, sir, I was blind to your greatness just now. If you like my shop, you can have it for two hundred and eighty taels." He had also figured it out. This shop hadn't been sold for two and a half years. If he missed He Zifeng and his group, he didn't know how long he would have to wait before it was sold.

He Zifeng said, "You should keep it. Even if you gave me two hundred taels now, I wouldn't want it!" His shop was already quite expensive. He wasn't even picky, and yet someone was trying to rip him off like this. And the words were harsh. It made him uncomfortable.

While I was in the shop, I thought it was perfect, but once I calmed down, I realized it wasn't so great after all. If they had money, they could easily buy a good shop; why waste money on something unpleasant?

Old Xu looked at He Zifeng and, seeing that He Zifeng showed no sign of changing his mind, regretted his decision. It was strange, really. When no one wanted to buy the shop, he was anxious every day, afraid of being stuck with it. But as soon as someone wanted to buy, he couldn't bear to sell and would repeatedly make things difficult for them!

Now that the quick-thinking buyer has backed out, Old Xu is kicking himself. He should have known better than to be so quick-witted.

After buying the shop, He Zifeng took Qiu Yu home by carriage. Qiu Yu hummed a song along the way. He hadn't expected that in just over a year, they would escape the He family's dire straits. Now they owned a shop, land, and a house—a life he had never dared to dream of before. Qiu Yu lifted the carriage curtain, gazing at He Zifeng's handsome back. Lost in thought, she remained gazing into the distance. She held the curtain until her arm ached, then reluctantly lowered it.

He Zifeng said, "Isn't it stuffy sitting inside? Come out and sit for a while." He then slowly brought the carriage to a stop. Qiu Yu lifted the curtain and sat down next to He Zifeng; it was still more comfortable sitting in the driver's seat.

Qiu Yu asked, "What do you want to eat tonight?"

He Zifeng said, "Wild vegetable buns." His family cooks braised pork ribs every day, and occasionally he wants something lighter.

Qiu Yu said, "Okay."

He Zifeng said, "Let's go up the mountain to pick them together later."

The first time I saw Qiu Yu, he was very wild in the mountains. I never expected that he would raise such an obedient child as Ranran.

The two returned home, unloaded their belongings, and then fed Qinghua. Since the change in feed, it had become very palatable, and Qinghua loved it. Especially the feed mixed with soybean meal; if not enough was added, she would lie on the ground and refuse to get up, just like a child.

The two changed into old clothes on the mountain, since they would have to wash them when they got back anyway. The old clothes didn't have such high collars, and even a little red stain showing through the clothes was enough to make the village women tease them.

Qiu Yu raised her chin: "Has the mark faded a little?"

He Zifeng said, "It's faded, so others won't be able to tell."

Qiu Yu didn't believe his nonsense, but this was the only set of old clothes she had at home. The rest were still quite new, and she would be heartbroken if they got torn on the way up the mountain. So she said, "Then let's go up the side path." He Zifeng carried a basket, and Qiu Yu followed him furtively.

Luckily, we didn't meet anyone along the way.

Once Qiuyu reached the mountain, she felt as if she were back in her back garden, and her whole being became more agile.

Along the way, we saw some large wild mushrooms, some as big as two fists, and picked a few. It seems we were quite lucky this time.

They picked mushrooms along the way, and sure enough, the path hadn't been trampled out. Just two or three wild vegetables were enough to fill a whole plate. The mushroom flesh looked like little umbrellas. Stewing them with chicken made them so tender and smooth, they were even tastier than chicken meat!

People in the county love to eat mushrooms, and they are always much more expensive than other wild vegetables.

Qiu Yu not only picked mushrooms but also gathered fresh grass whenever she came across any, saying, "These are for Ranran's rabbit." Their rabbit was well-fed and clothed and was now incredibly plump. Even Gouzi's dad said the rabbit was big and would definitely taste delicious roasted. Qiu Yu thought so too, but since her son liked it so much, she had no choice but to keep it.

He Zifeng followed behind Qiu Yu and noticed that Qiu Yu was much happier after going up the mountain.

Thinking back, Qiu Yu had never been so carefree in playing on the mountain since she married him.

He Zifeng said, "We'll come often from now on!"

Qiu Yu hummed in agreement, and then collected a lot of seeds of wildflowers from the mountains. These wildflowers come in all colors and grow wildly in the forests, spreading out in large patches with a gust of wind, covering the mountains and fields with wildflowers.

Qiu Yu said, "When Ranran comes back next time, we'll plant it together next to the new house."

He Zifeng said, "Then dig up some more soil, the soil in our village doesn't grow well."

Qiu Yu said, "There's no rush." ​​He walked ahead. He Zifeng picked a few small flowers. The village children were all quite skilled at weaving flowers. He Zifeng's hands were even more dexterous. He somehow twisted a blue flower and a purple flower together and wove them into a small butterfly, which he then handed to Qiu Yu.

Qiu Yu was pleasantly surprised when she received it and held it in her hand for a long time. She was very fond of it: "I didn't even know you could do this."

He Zifeng chuckled and said, "I know a lot more than that. I'll tell you about it slowly later."

Qiu Yu hummed in agreement, then picked a basketful of wild vegetables before heading down the mountain. The roots of the vegetables were covered in mud, so she had to break them apart and wash each leaf individually. Qiu Yu washed the vegetables, while He Zifeng kneaded the dough. The two worked together seamlessly without needing to be told what to do.

He Zifeng makes steamed buns with leavened dough, letting it rise naturally after kneading the dough.

Then Qiuyu told him to go to the next village and buy pork for twenty coins, as adding a little meat filling to the buns would make them more delicious. Wild vegetables taste a bit astringent, and the flavor only improves with meat.

He Zifeng went out and bought some meat. When he returned, Qiu Yu had already started chopping wild vegetables, while He Zifeng was mincing the meat. This was a skill-intensive task; it wasn't just about strength. If you didn't control it properly, the meat would splatter everywhere.

He Zifeng chopped the meat for filling, then chopped the wild vegetables, salted them, and squeezed out the water. There were seven large clumps of wild vegetables in total. If this were used, it would make at least a hundred steamed buns. The air was much cooler after the rain, so it could be left out!

He Zifeng put the chopped minced meat inside.

After stirring vigorously, Qiuyu added various seasonings, and the dough rose. A little kneading was all it took to roll out bread and buns.

He Zifeng may seem like he can do everything, but his dumpling-making skills are terrible. They're nowhere near as pretty as Qiu Yu's.

But every single bun He Zifeng made had to be shaped like one of Qiu Yu's buns. One or two wouldn't be a problem. But after a dozen or so, Qiu Yu started to feel uncomfortable. She glanced at He Zifeng, thought for a moment, then looked at him again, too embarrassed to say anything.

Once the cutting board was full, He Zifeng took it down into the steamer to steam.

After the water boiled, steam rose, and soon the plump buns were all ready. When the lid was lifted, each bun had become plump, and their appearance was no longer noticeable. He Zifeng picked one up with his chopsticks, took a bite with his bare mouth, and found the outer skin soft and the filling savory.

The meat and wild vegetables mixed together tasted absolutely amazing. Even more delicious and satisfying than ordinary vegetables. It was already quite good to eat on its own. He then prepared a dipping sauce of fragrant vinegar and chili oil. After dipping, the tantalizing aroma of sour and spicy flavors mixed with salty and savory notes instantly stimulated all five senses; once you took a bite, you couldn't stop.

Seeing him eating so voraciously, Qiu Yu said, "Slow down, there's plenty left in the pot." It's still very hot from the pot.

He Zifeng learned the method of making soup dumplings, pouring vinegar into the filling, and found it very enjoyable to eat. After finishing one, he was still not satisfied: "I could eat this every day and never get tired of it."

Qiu Yu loved watching He Zifeng eat; it always made her hungry. Qiu Yu said, "It's nothing. If you want to eat, I'll make it for you."

Upon hearing this, He Zifeng said, "So good to me?" His voice was full of laughter. He realized that Qiu Yu not only spoiled Ranran, but also him. It seemed that he had never been rejected by Qiu Yu. His mind started to wander to those things that were not suitable for children.

Although Qiu Yu didn't know what he was thinking, they had shared a bed for so many years, she guessed he was up to no good: "He added, 'That depends on whether I'm happy or not!'"

Before He Zifeng could say anything more, he suddenly heard footsteps. Since becoming a yamen runner, he had become very sensitive to footsteps. He stood up and, sure enough, saw Sister Liu knocking on the door.

Just then, He Zifeng and the others were having dinner. Qiu Yu even invited her to stay for the meal, but Sister Liu said, "I'm not eating. I came to tell you that He Zifeng's mother has returned!" They lived the furthest away, and Sister Liu heard the news from the village entrance, so she quickly came over to inform them.