The first light of dawn breaks as the sun rises.
"Ooh ooh ooh!"
A loud rooster crow woke Wan Shu.
She sat up on the bed with a dejected look on her face, rubbing her sore back and making a silent vow in her heart.
She absolutely has to make money as soon as possible, build a big house, and then have a spacious king-size bed custom-made!
Last night, after eating and drinking her fill and struggling to wash herself with the little water she had left, she thought she could finally rest alone.
Upon closer inspection, wow, a family of six only had two rooms!
Three boys shared a room, while she shared a room with two other girls, Er Ya and Si Ya.
There was only one small, hard wooden bed, about 1.5 meters wide, in the room, and three people had to squeeze in. By the end of the night, my back and waist were aching terribly.
She walked out of the main room, rubbing her back, and the children were already busy.
Dazhu had just returned from fetching water at the village entrance, Sanshun was chopping firewood, Wu'an was tending the fire, and Erya and Siya, the two maids, were cooking porridge.
Last night, the mushroom and chicken stew was eaten by the children, leaving not a drop of broth. This morning, we only had wild vegetable porridge to drink.
With the addition of white rice, it's still palatable overall.
“We’re lacking everything at home right now.” Wan Shu put down her rice bowl and said, “You all stay home and work hard today, and be careful. Your mother is going to town to buy things.”
Prices are high in town these days, so going there was just a cover-up. In reality, she wanted to buy more things at the mall and bring them back, so she didn't mention bringing a few children with her.
The younger children were sensible enough to know that if one more person went to town, it would cost an extra two coins to travel by oxcart. They didn't offer to go with her, but simply stuffed the remaining wild vegetables into her basket.
Wild vegetables are worthless, but since the family is so poor, it's good to be able to exchange them for a couple more copper coins to pay for the carriage fare.
Wan Shu, carrying wild vegetables on her back, left home under the eager gaze of the children.
She walked to the village entrance, gave Uncle Erniu a coin, and got on the oxcart.
Several women who were going to town to buy things were already sitting on the oxcart. Because the original owner of this body was not popular, these women only gave her a perfunctory greeting and then ignored her.
Wan Shu didn't feel embarrassed at all, and sat leisurely to the side listening to them gossip.
"Have you heard? Qingzhou Prefecture, which is next door to us, is also suffering from an insect plague!"
"It's not just Qingzhou! I've heard that several other prefectures have been affected!"
"Oh dear, what are we going to do! With both drought and insect infestation, if this continues, won't everyone starve to death!"
"I don't know what sins we've committed, but we've only encountered disasters these past few years, without a single moment of peace!"
A collective sigh rippled through the crowd, and one of the women suddenly lowered her voice.
“I have a niece who married into the prefectural city. I heard from her that the reason we’ve been plagued by disasters every year is actually related to the new emperor!”
"What? The new emperor? How could something in the fields be related to the new emperor??"
"Haven't you noticed? Since the new emperor ascended the throne three years ago, the disasters have gotten worse year by year!"
"It really is true. Could it be that, as some rumors say, the new emperor's ascension to the throne was illegitimate, and he was punished by heaven?"
Wan Shu was horrified. Was this what they meant by "not knowing one's guilt"? They dared to discuss court affairs in public and even dared to say that the new emperor's ascension to the throne was illegitimate. If someone with ulterior motives heard this, they would have several heads to chop off!
And why do these words always sound somewhat familiar to her?
The new emperor has been plagued by disasters since his ascension to the throne, and the people have questioned whether his ascension was illegitimate. This sounds so familiar, like I've heard or seen it somewhere before.
But where exactly is it?
Before I could figure it out, a mocking voice suddenly appeared.
"I knew my eyelids kept twitching when I went out today. Turns out I ran into you, you slut. What bad luck!"
Wan Shu looked up and saw Aunt Wang leading her youngest daughter onto the oxcart.
Aunt Wang has always disliked the original owner of this body, and every time she sees her, she always has to say something sarcastic. It's obvious that the words she just said were directed at her.
Yesterday, when she went up the mountain to find wild vegetables, she was also scolded by Aunt Wang.
Aunt Wang didn't say anything too offensive at the time, and since she was in a hurry to find wild vegetables, she ignored her.
But today was different; Aunt Wang directly called her a slut.
The word "slut" is extremely insulting to women in this day and age; it's like stepping directly into her face. How could she possibly tolerate it?
With so many women watching, she absolutely cannot give people the impression that she is easy to bully if she wants to make a living in the village.
Wan Shu curled her lips into a sneer and looked at her mockingly: "Who are you calling a slut?"
Aunt Wang instinctively replied, "That slut is calling you a whore!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately realized something was wrong.
"Pah! I'm not a slut, you are! You unfaithful slut! Have you abandoned your children again to meet Su Fan in secret? Qingshui Village is a disgrace to us with a woman like you!"
Wan Shu is good at business, but not good at arguing. However, she understands one principle: never fall into the self-proof trap, and it is best to lead the other party into the self-proof trap as well.
Therefore, she didn't argue, but maintained her smile and asked, "Auntie, I clearly said that I have nothing to do with the Su family from now on. Why do you still mention Su Fan every time you see me? Could it be that..."
She glanced at Aunt Wang from head to toe, her expression meaningful: "You like Su Fan? But isn't it you who actually wants to meet him in secret?"
"How could I possibly like Su Fan!"
Just as Wan Shu had expected, Aunt Wang was immediately drawn into her trap and angrily proved that she did not like Su Fan.
Wan Shu didn't say whether she believed it or not, she just watched. After Aunt Wang finished her long-winded explanation, she replied indifferently, "Oh, if it's not true, then it's not true. I was just saying it casually. I didn't expect you to get so excited, Aunt. People who don't know the situation might think there's something real."
Aunt Wang: "..."
Aunt Wang was almost driven to the point of vomiting blood by Wan Shu. She was unbeatable in the whole village when it came to arguing, but this was the first time she had been made so embarrassed. For a moment, she gritted her teeth and wanted to fight back, but she was also a little scared, so she could only sit down angrily.
The other women disliked Wan Shu, and seeing that the sharp-tongued Aunt Wang had arrived, they originally intended to join Aunt Wang in mocking her.
Unexpectedly, Wan Shu was so formidable. Seeing that even Aunt Wang had been defeated, everyone had no choice but to give up.
The group of people traveled together without incident.
An hour later, Uncle Erniu's carriage stopped in front of the city gate of Sishui County.
"I will wait for you here until noon. If you don't come by then, you'll have to go back on your own."
Wan Shu nodded and jumped off the carriage.
Grain prices best reflect the prices of goods in an era. Wan Shu recognized the prices and, relying on the original owner's memories, headed towards the grain store.
She walked into an alley, where a ragged beggar suddenly grabbed her hem and began to wail.
"Help me, sister! Please help me! Give me some food!"
Before Wan Shu could react, Aunt Wang, who was also walking in the alley, grabbed her and pulled her away.
"What are you trying to save us from? We can't even afford to eat ourselves!"
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