"There aren't many roasted chestnuts left. The truck that went to the provincial capital to wholesale them broke down on the way and won't be back for another half hour. Also, if you want them roasted fresh, you'll have to wait for more than half an hour. If it's inconvenient for you to have the time, you can come earlier tomorrow morning to queue up."

The store manager, wearing a tall white hat, held a megaphone to his mouth in his left hand, raising the volume as high as possible so that customers far away could hear him. He hadn't expected business to be so good today that they'd run out of stock, leading to a shortage.

Upon hearing the news, the crowd immediately fell silent. Those who hadn't bought any chestnuts grumbled and turned to leave.

Seeing that the person protecting her was Shen Ying, Jiang Yu felt a wave of bitterness wash over her. She couldn't explain why she felt this way. In short, the scene just now made her feel wronged.

"Mother."

Not far away, Shen Suisui saw Jiang Yu, broke free from Shen Wan's hand, and was about to rush towards the woman. When her father picked her up from school, he saw someone advertising a newly opened nut shop at the school gate, promising affordable prices, and the man was tempted.

Shen Ying remembered that women especially liked these kinds of snacks, and since it wasn't far away, she decided to bring Shen Sui Sui along.

Unexpectedly, she spotted her own sister in the bustling crowd. Although she had been pushed into a corner, her eyes were fixed on Jiang Yu in the crowd.

Without saying a word, Shen Ying handed the child to his sister and rushed towards the woman.

Fortunately, his height was a factor, and his years in the military meant he was physically fit, making it easy for him to reach Jiang Yu.

"Thanks."

After a brief thank you, the woman crouched down, spreading her arms to wait for Chen Suisui to pounce on her. She turned and glanced at the empty baskets in front of the shop, then sighed.

I should have come here to buy things first and then gone back to the clothing store; otherwise, I wouldn't have ended up not getting anything.

"Boss, how many days does this event last? Can I still make it if I come tomorrow?"

In Jiang Yu's eyes, she can buy chestnuts anytime, but this half-price promotion is not available every day.

In addition, no matter the era, she doesn't want to miss out on any opportunities to get something for nothing.

"Oh dear, what a pity, comrade. Our shop is a small business and we don't have the financial resources to keep offering these kinds of discounts. The promotion is only for one day and is mainly to boost our popularity. Please understand."

The owner was a shrewd businessman. He didn't give Jiang Yu a hard time or look down on her just because she was there for an event. Instead, he introduced her to other nuts in the store.

Jiang Yu rested her index finger on her chin, listening to the boss's eloquent introduction, and pondered it repeatedly.

Although the pistachios, almonds, and hazelnuts on the shelf looked tempting, she also had to consider the present. After all, the expenses of building a house and opening a clothing store were too high, and there were still outstanding debts. These realities were starkly reminding her of reality.

"Then please weigh out all the nuts on the left for us, and also three pounds of roasted chestnuts, and pay for them all at once."

Shen Ying kept a close eye on the woman's eyes, noticing her frequent glances at the nuts, and made a mental note. After spending so much time together, he had come to understand what kind of woman Jiang Yu was. She always thought of her family, and her career was also thriving.

Moreover, he possesses a tenacity that inspires admiration.

Unlike before, when he was lazy, selfish, and indifferent to delicious food, he would have probably packed up all the food in the shop before, and would have thrown a tantrum in the street if he didn't buy it.

"Are you crazy? These are very expensive, enough for our family's food expenses for a month."

Jiang Yu was startled by the man's domineering words. She gave the shop owner an awkward smile and waved her hands repeatedly. Wait, has this man always been this extravagant with money? If so, he's practically on par with the original owner of this body in terms of wastefulness.

"It's okay, just take the amount I just mentioned."

Shen Ying glanced at the woman, said nothing, and then handed her a black card from his pocket. She wanted to eat something, it wasn't anything expensive, there was no need to skimp on it.

"Alright, comrade, but these chestnuts will probably take a little longer."

The store manager took the black card, glanced at it, and without saying a word, immediately agreed without explaining that the roasted chestnuts were no longer available.

What is that?

Sensing something amiss, Jiang Yu couldn't help but ask. Her question came out off the cuff, so she hadn't expected a reply from the man.

"Commander Bai gave shopping cards to outstanding soldiers, with two thousand yuan in them."

Shen Ying explained. Deng Wei had delivered it to him at the time, and if Chief Zhang hadn't explained, he would have suspected it was some kind of trick.

"Why..."

"The shopping card has no cash on it. It's a complete waste if you don't use it."

The man knew what she wanted to ask, and before she could finish speaking, he began to explain.

Upon hearing the answer, Jiang Yu pursed her lips and didn't ask any further questions. The mention of Deng Wei's name still made her uneasy. It wasn't because that woman liked Shen Ying, but because Deng Wei had used underhanded tactics against her, which made her very uncomfortable.

The owner brought out all his stock of roasted chestnuts because of Shen Ying's identity.

The shop assistant worked quickly and efficiently, packing the nuts and bringing them over. Looking at the heavy leather bag, Jiang Yu had another idea.

Instead of eating these nuts plain, why not make them into cookies?

On the way back, they stopped at the supply and marketing cooperative and bought some ingredients. The group returned home laden with food, even Shen Sui Sui's hands were full of it.

Back home, Jiang Yu tidied up the things and started kneading dough. Shen Wan assisted her, while Shen Ying peeled chestnuts for the two children.

"Mommy, this tastes so good, it's fragrant and chewy. You should try it."

Shen Niannian, carrying the chestnuts she had painstakingly peeled, skipped and hopped to the outer room to give them to the woman.

At this moment, Jiang Yu had already shaped the cookies and was lighting the fire. Hearing Chen Niannian call her, she turned her head and didn't notice that the oil in the pot had already boiled over and splashed onto her hands.

'Sizzle'

A sharp pain shot through the back of her hand, forcing Jiang Yu to release the kitchen utensils. The chopsticks fell to the ground with a thud.

"Mommy, what's wrong?"

Seeing the woman's unpleasant expression, Shen Niannian's timid face, unaware of the situation, showed fear. He thought he had done something wrong to upset his mother.

"It's okay, Niannian, be good, go play with your sister, okay?"

Jiang Yu sensed the child's fear, knowing it stemmed from the original owner's past abuse, filling him with dread, a kind of lingering trauma. Enduring the pain in her hand, she smiled slightly and bent down to gently stroke Chen Niannian's head with her other hand.

Hearing the noise, Shen Ying got up and walked over. He saw that the woman's right hand, which she had hidden, was covered in red marks, and his brows furrowed.