"What are you selling? It smells so good!"

Gu Nanjiao smiled slightly and patiently explained, "This is a local specialty of our village, stir-fried bullfrog. We can also make bullfrog with garlic sauce. It's very delicious. Would you like some?"

How much does it cost?

"15 yuan per catty, it's a great deal. You can try it first before you buy."

Passersby were astonished: "What is this thing? I've never seen it before, and it's so expensive."

“Things are valued for their rarity,” Gu Nanjiao continued to promote. “This is a family heirloom. If I were to open a shop, I would have to sell it for 150 coins per catty. I’m the only one in the whole city that does this.”

As Gu Nanjiao spoke, she picked up the tasting plate and handed it to everyone: "Here, try it for free. If you like it, buy it; if you don't, don't buy it."

Gu Nanjiao was adept at using the reciprocal practices of modern supermarkets.

Ultimately, everyone succumbed to the temptation and accepted the free samples to try.

"Wow, this tastes really good. Give me two pounds."

"Okay!"

After a while, the crowd actually increased instead of decreasing.

It was lunchtime for the students, and the students, dressed in the uniforms of Nanxiang College, were attracted by the crowd and gathered around.

Young people, you know, are quick to accept new things. At lunchtime, spicy snacks with bullfrog and rolled noodles sold quite well, but the offal was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps for scholars, eating offal is considered an insult to their culture.

Many students arrived one after another, but Lu Yanzhao was nowhere to be seen.

Gu Nanjiao was already used to this.

Lu Yanzhao studied diligently and naturally wouldn't go shopping like others.

Changyang Street does not have a night market, and Nanxiang Academy is only open during lunchtime; it is under closed management in the evening.

The three packed up their stall and went home in the afternoon.

Gu Nanjiao went to Jiaoniang Pavilion. She hadn't seen Lü Siniang for a long time and wondered how her business was doing.

"Busy lady, you've finally arrived!" Gu Nanjiao's voice rang out as soon as she stepped into Jiaoniang Pavilion. Turning around, she saw Lü Siniang smiling radiantly.

Gu Nanjiao was stunned. In the past, if she came less often or was late, she would always have a bad look on her face. But now she was smiling broadly and her eyes were sparkling. Could it be that...?

Gu Nanjiao approached Lü Siniang mysteriously and asked, "Judging from your appearance, anyone who didn't know better would think you've found a second spring in your life!"

"Get lost! What second spring? Don't talk nonsense." Lu Siniang scolded, but her voice carried an indescribable coquettishness.

Gu Nanjiao wasn't annoyed and chuckled, "If it's not a second spring, then what is it? Do you mean you've made a lot of money? If you were making money, you wouldn't be like this."

"Go away, stop asking around. You're making a fortune." Lü Siniang turned her head away, not daring to look at Gu Nanjiao.

What kind of eyesight does that girl have? So sharp! She saw right through her little scheme.

Lu Siniang really wronged Gu Nanjiao. It wasn't that she had a sharp eye; it was just that Lu Siniang's flirtatious expression was practically written all over her face.

"Here you go, this is your share for this month." Lu Siniang looked annoyed, but there was a hint of coquettishness in her tone.

Upon seeing the silver, Gu Nanjiao's eyes lit up, and she no longer cared about teasing Lü Siniang.

After counting the silver in her hand, Gu Nanjiao exclaimed, "Fifty taels?"

She gets fifty taels even with a 30% share, so how much would Lü Siniang earn with a 70% share?

Lü Siniang laughed and said, "Yes, thanks to the Pear Blossom Festival, Jiaoniang Pavilion is now very famous and has a lot of orders. I can't handle it all by myself, so I've already posted a notice to hire people."

Gu Nanjiao nodded and then offered her suggestion:

"It would be best to recruit some talkative, clever, and tall and slender girls. When they wear our Jiaoniang Pavilion's uniform, they will definitely attract attention."

A clothing store's image is very important. An employee with a good figure and temperament can easily arouse people's desire to buy, and good communication skills can increase the store's revenue.

Lu Siniang nodded in agreement: "Your idea is good, let's do it!"

When we came out of Jiaoniang Pavilion, the sun had already set.

Gu Nanjiao hurriedly arrived at the city gate and saw that the old man driving the oxcart hadn't left yet. She breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and got onto the oxcart.

Fat Big Feet and Niu Er's wife sat on the oxcart, whispering to each other with their heads down, occasionally letting out a disdainful sound.

Gu Nanjiao listened intently and vaguely heard Yang Meiqin mention something about a wealthy businessman.

"Madam Lu, it's you!" Fat Big Feet greeted her warmly, and Niu Er's wife also smiled at Gu Nan.

"Yes, Auntie Fatty, Sister-in-law Niu Er, you two have come to the city too!"

"Yes, we're going into town to buy some things."

After exchanging greetings, the two continued to whisper among themselves, occasionally uttering curses from Fat Big Foot, such as Yang Meiqin dying from filth and disease.

Gu Nanjiao listened the whole way and finally understood what was going on.

It turns out that Yang Meiqin somehow managed to hook up with a wealthy old man, and these past few days, a carriage has often been seen parked in front of her house. In the village, a carriage is a rare sight, a standard possession of the rich.

Yang Meiqin dressed up in flamboyant clothes and showed off everywhere, which disgusted the villagers.

Fat Foot spat fiercely. Yang Meiqin, that prostitute ridden by a thousand men, that rich businessman didn't even find it disgusting.

Gu Nanjiao and Niu Er's wife listened to Fat Big Foot cursing all the way.

When they arrived home, Lu's mother had already prepared dinner, and the Wang siblings had finished processing the bullfrogs and steaming the dough for the rolled noodles.

The next day, the family set up their stall in a great hurry.

Business was even better today than yesterday, and all three of them were very happy.

When packing up, Lu's mother mentioned that Lu Yanzhao was on holiday at the academy today, so why not wait for him at the academy gate in the afternoon and go home together as a family?

Gu Nanjiao nodded, having no objections.

Nanxiang Academy has a two-day break for the first half of the month, which coincides with the afternoon when all the students go home together.

When we arrived at the academy gate, a number of parents had already gathered to pick up their children from school.

Gu Nanjiao offered a way out, letting Lu's mother sit down and rest for a while.

Several girls dressed in brightly colored clothes came over, chattering excitedly. They immediately stood in front of Gu Nanjiao, forcefully pushing Lu's mother and her two companions down the steps.

The group whispered amongst themselves from time to time, giggling and occasionally striking a shy pose.

Mother Lu frowned. These girls really had no sense of propriety. She had just sat down to rest when they were pushed down the steps and almost fell.

One of the girls in red asked, "Do you think Lu Xiucai will come out?"

"Of course he will. He's on holiday today; there's no way he won't come out."

"Lin Xiucai is also very handsome. The two of them standing together, wow, they're so charming."

"But he's still not as handsome as Scholar Lu."

Gu Nanjiao raised an eyebrow. Scholar Lu? Scholar Lin? Could it be Lu Yanzhao and Lin Ji? Those two are indeed handsome, both scholars. One is refined and handsome, the other is dashing and elegant.

Thinking of this, Gu Nanjiao couldn't help but ask, "Excuse me, miss, is the Lu Xiucai you're talking about Lu Yanzhao?"

The girls looked Gu Nanjiao up and down, and seeing that she was still wearing the coarse cloth clothes commonly seen in the countryside, they looked at her with disdain.

"Where did this country bumpkin come from? How dare you ask around about Scholar Lu?"

"That's right, that's right. She's a married woman, yet she's shameless and keeps asking around about men."

Madam Lu, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it any longer and stood up: "Young lady, how can you speak so rudely? You're not even married yet, and you're already waiting for men at the academy gate, aren't you?"