"Oh, I see. Then he probably won't be coming back." After saying that, he saw the glutinous rice balls on the table and quickly stopped talking, lowering his head to eat.

Tian Yu looked at Tangyuan, who was still eating, and patted his head. She then noticed that Chen Chong seemed to dislike Li Yong and was a little angry. Li Yong, on the other hand, seemed quite carefree and even happy. Tian Yu sighed, picked up the last braised pork that her son had brought, took a bite, and understood why the dish wasn't very palatable—the salt had been added too early, and the cooking time wasn't right.

After they had almost finished eating, Manager Qian came panting to Tian Yu and the others. He first bowed to Li Yong, and Tian Yu then realized that Li Yong was the newly transferred city guard general. It seemed that she had underestimated him.

"Madam, what price is this? I wonder how much you would like?"

"Mr. Qian is a straightforward man; whatever you say, that's the price."

"Since Madam trusts me so much, then I will speak frankly."

"Please speak freely, Manager Qian."

"Okay, these snails taste good, but as far as I know, they are a seasonal food. Once the season is over, they will be gone. They can't compare to braised pork, which can be eaten all year round."

"Mr. Qian is right."

"But since Madam has chosen our store first, I cannot let her suffer a loss."

"So, what does Manager Qian mean by 'it's a good deal'?"

"Hey, shopkeeper, she's my sister. You can't give her too little, or I'll have plenty of ways to deal with you. Even your boss can't do anything to me."

"Yes, yes, General Li, rest assured, I, Qian, will certainly not let you suffer a loss. The price is two hundred taels of silver. I will also add one tael for the snails. From now on, I will give priority to purchasing the snails you send, at five copper coins per catty. What do you think, Madam?"

"Hmm, it's alright, let's leave it at that. But from now on, I won't be delivering the snails, but they will carry my name, Tian Yu, Tian Yu as in 'rural' and Yu as in 'language'. Manager Qian, you can't skimp on the delivery then."

"Of course, Madam, rest assured, it will not be less than what is promised."

"By the way, when buying snails, you should pay attention to the quality of the water source. If it is from a place with good water quality, like ours, the meat will naturally be more delicious. But if the water quality is poor, the meat will naturally be worse."

"Thank you for the reminder, Madam."

Tian Yu gave them some pointers on the braised pork they had made, then took the silver, and she and Chen Chong each put away a packet. She didn't forget to ask the shopkeeper if they hadn't been told last time they could only pay one hundred taels in cash. The shopkeeper said the owner had given him an extra amount after visiting, which was why they could come up with so much silver. They planned to go to the clinic to pick up the three of them, then go home together. Li Yong was quite diligent, following them the whole way, asking all sorts of questions. He found out their lodgings and who else was in their family. Tian Yu told him everything she could, but he still wouldn't leave. He started telling them his interesting stories from the battlefield, which Tangyuan really wanted to hear. Fortunately, a soldier ran up to him halfway there, saying he had urgent business and needed to return to the camp immediately. He then bowed to Tian Yu and Chen Chong, saying, "Sister, Brother Chen, I have things to do at the camp, so I'll be going now. Next time my elder brother comes, I'll definitely introduce you both properly." As he spoke, the soldier hurriedly pulled him away.