Looking at the few remaining skewers on the stall and the bustling market, Meng Zhao found Gu Shi.
"Mom, these skewers are almost sold out. I want to go for a walk in front and come back to get yours later."
She was so focused on selling skewers that she didn't get a chance to appreciate the street scene. She had never seen anything like it since she arrived, and it would be a shame not to go and see it.
"Okay, I'll keep an eye on things. Don't worry, you can go and explore. You don't need to come back to relieve me."
The market was brightly lit, and there were countless vendors of all kinds along the way, from the most common household items to a dazzling array of jewelry. Most of them were vendors like Meng Zhao, pushing carts and hawking all kinds of food.
At the bustling street corner, a white screen was hung high in the crowd. Behind the screen, several shadow puppeteers manipulated their exquisite shadow puppets, which looked lifelike under the light and shadow through the white screen. The crowd in front of the screen was amazed by the scene and watched with rapt attention.
Suddenly, a loud cheer rang out from the side. Meng Zhao was attracted by the noise and saw a person in the crowd suddenly jump up and do more than twenty back handsprings, leaving the onlookers stunned and cheering.
A little girl holding a gong called out to the crowd, "Dear viewers, those with money, please support us financially; those without money, please support us with your presence." The audience, enjoying the show, readily gave her money.
When the gong was moved in front of Meng Zhao, she wanted to take out her money bag as a token of appreciation, but when she touched her waist, she realized that her money bag was in the money box and she hadn't brought it with her when she came.
Just as she was about to leave awkwardly, an arm reached out from beside her ear and threw a handful of copper coins, about a dozen, onto the gong, relieving her embarrassment. Meng Zhao turned around and found that it was Shen Qinghe.
"Second brother, what brings you here?"
Shen Qinghe was slightly out of breath. "There are too many people here. My mother was worried, so she sent me to come and stay with you so you wouldn't get lost."
Meng Zhao shook his head helplessly, "I'm an adult, how could I get lost so easily?"
Meng Zhao walked around the street again, mainly to see what kind of food was sold nearby and their prices. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. The wisdom of the ancients is boundless. He could not underestimate these competitors.
During this time, Shen Qinghe also strictly followed Gu's requirements, constantly helping Meng Zhao to block the crowd and prevent others from bumping into her sister-in-law.
After looking around for a while, Meng Zhao also felt a bit tired. They happened to walk to a wonton stall, so they sat down at the table and each ordered a bowl of hot wontons.
The wontons were freshly made and cooked by the stall owner. They had thin wrappers and generous fillings, and the soup base also contained seaweed and dried shrimp. Meng Zhao drank every last drop of the soup and wontons.
Eight coins for a bowl is quite a bargain at this night market. Since she didn't bring her purse, Shen Qinghe paid for it.
Thinking that the Gu family must be hungry after working all night, the two of them didn't continue shopping and returned to their stall by the same route.
"Mother, we're back." Meng Zhao said happily, her voice light and cheerful.
"Why didn't you stay out longer? You came back so soon."
“I walked around the market for almost a whole day and I’m a little tired. My second brother and I each had a bowl of wontons. Mom, take Qingze and Qingyu to get something to eat too. Qinghe and I are tidying up the stall.”
When they registered at the government office, the person in charge emphasized that they should clean up the surrounding area every day before leaving.
When Meng Zhao returned, Madam Gu had already finished tidying up with the children. Meng Zhao and Shen Qinghe only needed to load the used basins into the car.
"Zhao Zhao, you've already sold out." Meng Dashan and Xu Yunrong came back to find their daughter after wandering around, only to find that their stall was already packed up.
"Yes, I expected business to be good, but I didn't expect it to be this good. It's a real pity. If we had done more, we could have made a lot more money."
Xu Yunrong laughed and said, "You silly child, there's no end to how much money you can make."
Meng Zhao took out a food box from the cart and handed it to them, then told the two to go back and rest early. After Gu and the others returned, they went back to Shenjia Village together.
After a busy day, everyone tidied up and went to bed. Shen Qing and the others had to get up early to prepare the dishes, so they needed to get a good night's sleep.
The next day, after Madam Gu and Aunt Feng'e went to the dock, only Meng Zhao and the two children were left at home.
Having learned from yesterday's experience, today's quantity can only be more, not less. However, they are short-handed, and Shen Qinghe, who is in charge of chopping meat, has left. They are really too busy, so Meng Zhao thought of going out to the starch workshop to rent a helper first.
Before they even reached the riverbank, they encountered Granny Fang's eldest daughter-in-law, I think her name was Li Yunxiang.
Meng Zhao wanted to avoid her, but Li Yunxiang walked straight over and knelt down in front of her.
"Qing'an's wife, I beg you to help me."
Meng Zhao was startled and quickly moved aside. She had no grudge against Li Yunxiang and dared not accept her kneeling, but seeing her crying so sadly, she still asked, "What's wrong with you?"
“Ever since Er Ya said she would report it to the authorities, her grandmother has stopped hitting her, but she still won’t feed her. Er Ya is stubborn and refuses to admit her mistake, so she hasn’t had a proper meal for several days now.” Li Yunxiang cried uncontrollably as she spoke of her sorrow.
Meng Zhao stared in shock, her first thought being, "What do you mean? You're not blaming me, are you?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yunxiang hurriedly shook her head vigorously, her eyes filled with urgency. "No, no, that's not what I meant. How could I blame you? If it weren't for your help that day, I don't know if Er Ya would still be alive today."
Meng Zhao was puzzled. "Then why did you come to me? Do you want me to go to your house and take the child out?"
Li Yunxiang clasped her hands tightly together, her eyes filled with longing and pleading. "I want to earn money, Qing'an's wife. I know you're a good person. I beg you, please let me work in the workshop. I promise I'll do my best."
Meng Zhao asked, "Why do you want to make money?"
Li Yunxiang straightened her back and said firmly, "I want to earn money so that my daughter can have enough to eat."
That day, Li Yunxiang was dragged by Granny Fang to the village head to ask for work, like a puppet, without saying a word. Meng Zhao disliked people who only passively accepted things, but today she did express her thoughts.
Meng Zhao sighed softly. Well, she just happened to be short of help these days, so she might as well take pity on her love for her daughter.
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