As we approached the village entrance, a crisp voice rang in my ears.
"Lan Ying, what are you dawdling for? I've been waiting for you for ages. If you're late, the master will dock your wages again."
Madam Gu quickly stepped forward and explained to the woman in front of her, "I'm sorry that we ate a little late today, Sister-in-law Feng'e."
The woman addressed as Sister-in-law Feng'e paused slightly when she saw Meng Zhao behind Madam Gu, nodded as a greeting, took Madam Gu's hand, and continued walking forward.
Compared to the frail Shen family of four, Aunt Feng'e was slightly more robust, walked briskly, and had a loud voice. At this moment, the two of them were walking and chatting.
"Why did your shrew come along too? What kind of demon is she planning to cause this time?"
This woman surnamed Meng, her whole family is not to be trifled with. Her father is a pig butcher, and he can scare people to death just by standing there. Her mother seems to have a good temper, but she has a lot of eloquence when she speaks.
Back then, their whole family came to the Shen family to force her into marriage. One was a scholar and the other a warrior, and they managed to get the usually filial Shen Dalang to marry her before the mourning period was over. It's clear they had a way with their hands, but unfortunately, they ended up shooting themselves in the foot.
Gu looked back and saw that Meng Zhao was still some distance away from them before she dared to speak, "I don't know either. She stayed in the house for the past two days and didn't come out. Today she insisted on coming to town with me."
“She always goes to town by herself, why would she follow you? I think she has no good intentions. You'd better be careful, if this causes a few more trouble, your family will be in big trouble.”
“Who says otherwise? A few days ago she was staying in town, and things were a bit quieter at home. But as soon as she came back, my eyelids kept twitching, and my heart was never at ease.” Gu said, clutching her chest, still feeling a little flustered.
Although Meng Zhao couldn't hear their conversation from behind, she could guess that they were talking about her. When they stopped talking, she quickly walked up to them and asked.
"Mother, what time will you be back today? We can go together."
She didn't want to be disliked, but she had passed through several intersections along the way, and she remembered them now, but she was afraid she would forget them when she came back.
Since we've come out together, there's no harm in going back together. "There's less work these days, so we should be able to finish before dusk. If you're done, you can wait for us at the city gate."
"Okay, Mother, I'll wait for you at the city gate after I finish shopping." With a fixed place, Meng Zhao was no longer afraid. If she couldn't find the city gate, she could ask someone in the city for directions. But outside the city, it was not so convenient to ask someone for directions.
The book didn't mention what kind of work Gu Shi did, and Meng Zhao was afraid of being exposed, so he didn't dare to ask too many questions. He could only listen to the conversation between the two and occasionally chime in.
You can't hit someone who's smiling, so Meng Zhao took the initiative to strike up a conversation. Aunt Feng'e was also someone who couldn't keep secrets, and gradually, Meng Zhao learned a bit about Gu's mother's recent situation.
The two worked at a tailor shop in the city. When business was good, the shopkeeper was fairly fair. But recently, business had been getting worse and worse, and the shopkeeper had been using various excuses to reduce wages, from 40 coins a day to 30 coins now. He also frequently found reasons to deduct from their wages. That's why the two were in such a hurry, afraid that if they were late, the shopkeeper would find fault with them and deduct their wages.
Meng Zhao touched the cloth bag in his clothes. The fifty copper coins in his hand should be fifty cash. He would go to town later and see what he could buy with fifty cash.
Half an hour later, the three parted ways at the city gate. Meng Zhao claimed that he was going to the west of the city to see his parents, but after taking only a few steps, he changed direction again. He couldn't go to see the original owner's parents now.
The Gu family didn't have much contact with her, so even if her personality changed a bit, it wouldn't be easy to notice. But the original owner's parents watched her grow up, and since her acting skills were mediocre, it would be easy for them to become suspicious. It's best to avoid the original owner's parents for now.
Today, Meng Zhao is going to a place, namely the dock in the north of the city. The book once mentioned that the reason why Qingshi County was relatively prosperous was because of a canal dock. It was usually used for ships to dock, replenish supplies, and repair, and loading and unloading were also done here. The unloaded goods were transported to several nearby towns, so this dock was a relatively densely populated area in Qingshi County.
She needed a way to make a living here, and after much deliberation, she decided to start a food business. After all, she was a well-known food blogger in her previous life, and food is essential to people's livelihood. No matter what dynasty or era, the food business is indispensable.
As I was thinking, I arrived near the dock. It was breakfast time, and the streets were filled with various aromas and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares. It was a lively scene.
There must be management personnel here, as the stalls are spaced apart and arranged in an orderly manner.
Meng Zhao went up to take a look. The first stall was a steamed bun stand. Several baskets of steamed buns were displayed on the stall. The aroma was so enticing that it whetted one's appetite. The steamed buns were all the same size, with neat pleats, and they were plump and white. They were clearly made with old-fashioned skills.
A customer was already standing in front of the stall. Meng Zhao stepped forward and asked about the price, "Boss, how much are your steamed buns? What kinds of fillings do you have?"
"We have vegetarian options like chives and eggs, or mushrooms and greens. We also have meat options like pork and scallions. The vegetarian ones are one coin, and the meat ones are two coins. What kind of filling would you like, miss?" The proprietress answered Meng Zhao while serving buns to the customer in front of her.
"Give me one meat and one mushroom and vegetable one." Meng Zhao had only drunk a bowl of thin porridge at home, and after walking such a long distance, she had already digested it all.
The proprietress deftly handed Meng Zhao two steamed buns, which Meng Zhao quickly took and then handed over three coins.
The steamed buns were still hot, almost burning to the touch. Meng Zhao carried the buns as she walked around.
This area mainly consists of small stalls, and a few shops specializing in food are located a little further away. If you don't want to open a food stall, you can rent a shop there, but with such a good location, the rent is definitely not cheap.
She doesn't dare to think about renting a shop right now; a food stall is more suitable.
I took a bite of the bun; it was filled with shiitake mushrooms and greens. The filling was plentiful, and although they were all vegetables, the combination was incredibly delicious.
The meat buns smelled incredibly fragrant. One bite released a burst of rich, juicy meat juice, and she quickly took another sip. The meat filling was tender and juicy, and the dough was soft and slightly sweet, making it impossible to stop eating. The buns were also quite large, and after eating two, she no longer felt hungry.
One stall was particularly lively, with several people gathered around it. Meng Zhao squeezed forward; the stall owners were a couple.
The husband took the fried dough cakes out of the pan one by one. The bottom of the cakes was golden and crispy, emitting an enticing aroma. The wife then took the cakes out of the pan, cut them in half with a knife, and stuffed them with the prepared vegetables. Each cake was very full and generously filled.
When Meng Zhao heard the boss's price quote, it was 3 coins for vegetarian and 6 coins for meat, which was half the price.
剩下的摊位还有很多，她基本都上前看了一下，不过她只有一个胃，不可能每个都尝一下。
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
