After Chen An finished speaking, he thought of a problem: there are many men at the dock! Looking at Cheng Yue again, although she was dressed in rags and was thin, she was radiant and her beauty was undeniable.
"Ah Yue, let's forget about the dock. It'll be too chaotic with too many people, I..."
"It's good to have more people! Thank you for reminding me." Cheng Yue had already made up her mind to go and check it out tomorrow.
As for food that is plentiful, filling, and affordable, she already has some ideas.
Chen An opened his mouth but then closed it again. Ah Yue was so happy, he shouldn't spoil the fun.
"From now on, you can keep the money in the house. Buy whatever you need yourself."
Is this a handover of financial power?
Cheng Yue thought that she did have important things to do, and Chen An couldn't leave the house, so giving her the money wasn't a big deal, since she wouldn't spend it recklessly anyway.
Furthermore, she has a spatial dimension, and she doesn't feel safe keeping silver anywhere else; throwing it into her spatial dimension is the safest option.
It has to be said, but the feeling of being trusted and supported is indeed quite nice.
After dinner, Da Ni and Er Ni took on the task of washing the dishes, Chen Lin went to the spring to wash the floor, and Cheng Yue tidied up the bedroom.
With the bed boards I brought from the Chen family, I had two beds, and two quilts too. Although they were made of coarse linen stuffed with willow catkins, they were still clean enough to be taken out to air in the sun.
I'll take out the comforter from my storage space when I go shopping tomorrow.
That night, Cheng Yue made up an excuse to sleep with her two daughters, and asked Chen Lin to sleep with Chen An.
Last night, with only one bed, the whole family squeezed together, which wasn't so awkward. Now that there are two beds, the men and women naturally have to separate.
We can't let Chen Lin be with his two younger sisters, can we? They're such big kids, we have to keep them out of sight.
Of course, it was also because Cheng Yue didn't want to sleep alone with Chen An. She was still finding it hard to accept sharing a bed with a man she had only known for two days.
The family slept soundly, especially Chen Lin, Da Ni, and Er Ni. They didn't wake up hungry in the middle of the night, nor did they have to worry about Zhao Shi's scolding at any time. They slept soundly until dawn under the fragrant and soft quilt.
Only Chen An couldn't sleep soundly, with only one thought in his mind: the bed in the other bedroom had to be made immediately.
The next day.
Cheng Yue got up early and made a pot of cornmeal porridge, which is also called corn grits porridge here, and also fried two egg pancakes.
After breakfast, Cheng Yue took Chen Lin to town, while Da Ni and Er Ni stayed home to keep Chen An company.
With all three children in tow, Cheng Yue couldn't keep an eye on them all. If she wasn't careful and one of the children was kidnapped by a child trafficker, it would be a disaster.
There are no oxcarts in Houshui Village, which is understandable when you think about it.
The villagers all make a living by farming. Although it wasn't a year of famine, after paying taxes, they were lucky if they had enough left to feed their families. Where would they find the money to buy an oxcart?
Cheng Yue could only sigh to the heavens. Even when other transmigrated women arrived in remote mountain valleys, they had means of transportation. But she could only rely on her two legs.
But thinking about it again, at least I had a lot of money. Luckily, I didn't end up in a truly poor family where people couldn't afford to eat. I was fortunate.
Moreover, Qiu'an Town is only ten miles away from Houshui Village, so walking there is not much of a problem.
I've eaten well these past two days, so my body isn't so weak that I can't walk five kilometers.
It was still early, and Cheng Yue and Chen Lin each carried a basket on their backs as they slowly walked towards the town.
Qiu'an Town is not large, but its location is good. It is situated in the middle of its more than thirty villages, on a flat area surrounded by mountains.
Because it's in the center, it's exceptionally lively.
Qiu'an Town is located in the Tang River basin. The Tang River flows from north to south and has a wide basin, which is suitable for transporting goods. Therefore, Qiu'an Town established a wharf.
Upon arriving in town, Cheng Yue inquired with people and led Chen Lin straight to the dock.
Cheng Yue looked into the distance. Although it was still early, the movers had already started work, carrying and moving goods back and forth.
Nearby, there were two people who had reserved spots with stones, but no one had arrived yet, and it was unclear what kind of business they were doing. There was only one stall selling steamed buns and wontons with a middle-aged couple present.
Cheng Yue thought she would ask around and find out the price, so she went over and ordered a bowl of wontons and two steamed buns. The wontons cost five coins a bowl and the steamed buns cost three coins each, for a total of eight coins.
The steamed buns were large, and the wontons were plentiful, but they were well worth the price.
Cheng Yue wasn't hungry, but Chen Lin was a young boy, so there was no worry that he wouldn't be able to eat.
Chen Lin scratched his head. Didn't he just have breakfast before leaving the house? Why do he have to eat again?
Presumably because his mother felt sorry for him and was afraid he would be hungry, Chen Lin ate one wonton after another.
Although it wasn't as delicious as his mother's, he had never eaten wontons before, so he found it quite novel and enjoyed it immensely.
The buns and wonton wrappers were a bit yellowish-black, but still much better than coarse flour. It's obvious that refined white flour is too expensive.
Cheng Yue took a bite; the filling didn't have much of a meaty flavor, it was just average.
The woman selling wontons nearby glanced at Cheng Yue a few times and asked, "Young lady, are you planning to set up a stall here?"
Cheng Yue looked up in surprise. The woman smiled slightly and said, "This is the dock. You can't be here to carry heavy loads, can you? This is your son, right? He's so thin, he's definitely not here to do any work."
The woman looked kind and spoke without malice. Cheng Yue smiled and said, "I was indeed thinking of coming here to sell food. I might as well ask you about the situation here."
The woman gestured towards the dock and said, "Setting up a stall is under the jurisdiction of Master Chen at the dock. You can do whatever you want, but you have to pay a stall fee of five coins a day."
"I have to pay a stall fee?" Cheng Yue had read so many novels, how come other people could set up stalls whenever they wanted, but she had to pay a five-cent stall fee? This was unreasonable.
"Hey! Girl, you don't understand. This dock is full of grown men. If they cause trouble, it'll be a disaster. We pay money so we can have a safe and reliable business deal. Master Chen is a good person who gets things done."
Cheng Yue understood. After thinking about it, she realized it made sense. It was better to avoid getting hurt instead of making money; safety was the most important thing.
"Big sister, what kind of businesses are there around here?"
"Besides our place, there's only one place that makes vegetable dumplings, steamed buns, and flatbreads, one that sells big pot dishes, and another that makes noodles, but the taste isn't very good, so I guess we won't come here."
After the woman finished speaking, she asked again, "Sister, what do you want to do? Let me tell you, there are many people here, but they are all doing hard labor. This business is both easy and difficult to do."
The food you make has to be flavorful and plentiful enough to fill you up. They only make thirty coins a day; if it's too expensive, nobody will eat it. You see, my business is so hard to do, sigh!
The older sister meant well, Cheng Yue smiled and said, "Thank you for reminding me, I'll think about it when I get back."
The woman waved her hand, "Don't be so polite. It's good to have company. If you want to come, just go to the wooden house at the dock and pay Master Chen."
Cheng Yue thought to herself, "This older sister is really a down-to-earth person. She's open-minded and warm-hearted."
After thanking him again, he led Chen Lin out of the dock.
She already had an idea in mind, but setting up a stall wasn't something she could just do on a whim. She didn't have any tools or materials yet, so she decided to go back and prepare first.
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