After leaving the village chief's house, Xichun felt reassured. At least for now, the county magistrate had just arrived and was being kept in check by the local gentry, so he probably wouldn't dare to act too recklessly.

Xichun was washing vegetables when Aunt Zhang came over. She had originally planned to bring Xichun eggs in a couple of days, but she didn't expect that the bowl of vegetables she brought also contained a lot of meat.

"Xichun, are you washing vegetables?" Aunt Zhang asked curiously as she looked at the vegetables Xichun had arranged in the yard.

"Yes, Aunt Zhang, I'm preparing things to sell tomorrow. Come and sit down. Why did you come at this hour?" It's already dark, and people rarely visit each other at this time.

“The chickens at home laid eggs, and I was thinking of giving you two to help you recover. Why did you give me so much meat today? My second son found it, and I was shocked.”

"Hehe, those are what I had left over today. I'll just cook them when I get home. I bought all the meat a day in advance. Luckily, it's cold, so there won't be any problems."

“That’s meat too. We only get to eat meat during holidays like Chinese New Year. So your bowl of meat dishes was completely cleaned by the whole family. My second son even licked the bowl clean. You’re such a kind-hearted kid.”

"Hehe, I'm glad you like it. I was just worried that you wouldn't be able to stomach the taste."

"No way, I never knew you were such a good cook. I've never heard of you before. Xichun, with this skill, you'll definitely make a lot of money in the future." Aunt Zhang said as she washed the vegetables with her.

"I don't have any particular thoughts about whether it's a lot of money or not. I'm just trying to make a living. Right now, I'm all alone, but if my mother doesn't want to stay with the Ma family anymore, at least she'll have someone to rely on when she comes back."

She had already spread the word, but knowing Wang's personality, she probably wouldn't come back. Moreover, during this time, perhaps the Ma family had told her something, because she had only come to see her once secretly before leaving.

"Your mother, sigh, never mind. You're such a clever and daring girl, daring to go to town alone to sell things. If it were me, I would only buy and sell things at the market. I would never be able to do business properly."

“Speaking of this, I remembered someone saying today that next month we’ll have to pay a three-cent stall fee to sell things at the market. Aunt Zhang, if you think it’s too expensive, you can just bring your things to me. I’ve already paid the stall fee, so you can sell them there. Or you can sell me your eggs and vegetables, and I’ll use them at my stall. You won’t have to pay the extra stall fee then.”

"Really? That's great! Why are they starting to charge stall fees? We don't go there every day. Ugh, really."

"Yeah, who knows? If you've made up your mind, just come find me."

"It's alright, I'll sell it to you directly if you need it, and it'll save me a lot of trouble." Aunt Zhang immediately agreed, since she was selling it to whoever she wanted, and Xichun wouldn't deliberately cheat her.

Aunt Zhang didn't go home until she and Xichun had finished washing the vegetables, no matter how Xichun tried to persuade her, she insisted on finishing the work together.

For half a month, Xichun left home early in the morning and returned home before dusk. This road was not the main road she used to travel, so for safety reasons, she never went home after dark. In addition, she always carried her kitchen knife and wooden stick with her in case of any special circumstances.

Business has been good lately. Over time, she has developed a regular customer base. There are quite a few residents in Peach Blossom Town, and the daily foot traffic is considerable. So, in the past two weeks, her business has been getting better and better, and she is too busy to keep up with the demand.

Especially in winter, when the north wind howls and the cold wind makes people shiver, drinking a bowl of spicy soup can warm you up to your very bones.

Fortunately, they live in the south, so even when the weather gets cold, it only snows for a few days. The rest of the time, the drought-resistant vegetables in the fields continue to grow against the wind.

Every day when Xichun returned home, she still had to build a kang (a heated brick bed) herself. Aunt Zhang and Uncle Zhang would come to help from time to time, and Aunt Liu would also come over. They would chat while they were busy, and the time would pass by faster.

The kang (heated brick bed) is built and will be ready to be used after it dries. The vegetables will then be able to grow.

"Aunt Zhang, you're here! Please sit down, please sit down." Xi Chun was washing vegetables again. It was too cold, so she slowly boiled water to wash the vegetables, otherwise her fingers would definitely get frostbite.

"Xichun, what do you want to see me about?" Aunt Zhang didn't know what Xichun wanted to see her about this time.

“Aunt Zhang, as you know, I’ve been busy with business lately, and I’m finding it a bit overwhelming to manage everything on my own. So I was wondering if you have some time to help me with some work. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you. The daily wage for hiring someone in town is eight copper coins, so I’ll pay you that price as well. See if you can spare the time?”

Xi Chun told her the truth: she had been getting busier and busier lately, and business was good. She had already bought another small stove to prepare blanched vegetables in clear water for those who couldn't eat spicy food.

"Xichun, is what you're saying true? Or are you just teasing me?" Aunt Zhang was pleasantly surprised. Could this really be her turn for such a good thing?

Her husband would go to town to look for work, and every day he would stay in an alley with a bunch of farmers. They would only be called upon if there was any work available. They were told that if they found work, they could earn fifteen coins a day, but they worked only sporadically, and there was no fixed amount. Sometimes they could only find work seven or eight days a month.

Her eldest son, following his father, could only be considered a laborer, earning at most ten coins a day. There were too many people looking for work, especially in this freezing weather.

"Of course it's true, do you think I could fool your aunt?" Xichun could tell from her expression that she was overjoyed.

"Of course I have time. My children are all grown up now, not babies anymore. They can cook for themselves at home. If you're willing to hire me to do chores, I'll definitely do it well," Aunt Zhang said immediately after confirming.

"That's good. Auntie, you can come and learn from me for a few days tomorrow. The wages will be calculated according to what I told you. We'll set up the stall during the day and come back to clean up the vegetables. I can do the rest myself."

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely learn from you. How about we forgo wages for these few days of learning? I don't know anything, how could I possibly take wages?"

“That won’t do. You’re wasting your own time studying. The money is settled, Auntie. Why don’t you go back and rest first? I leave home a little early every morning.”

"It's okay, let's wash these vegetables first and then go back." Thinking about how she would start earning money soon, she couldn't contain her joy and wanted to go home immediately to share the good news.