He started by killing his abusive father, and from then on, he embarked on the road to wealth.

Chapter 24 Another Trouble Encountered While Shopping

Meng Fuqing handed over another steamed bun, and Shan Qiyu accepted it without hesitation, looking somewhat dazed.

When she came to her senses, the first thing Shan Qiyu thought of was that Meng Shaoyuan wouldn't have to worry about the money he got from the Lin family!

What she didn't know was that Meng Fuqing was thinking about how to get back a hundredfold or a thousandfold of the silver she was about to give away.

That old rich man was still thinking about taking a concubine; he was used to being domineering and arrogant, so how could he let her go so easily?

After finishing their steamed buns, the mother and daughter first went to a pawnshop to exchange some loose silver and copper coins, then rented a donkey cart before heading to the grain and oil shop they had originally planned to visit.

In the past, his family was a merchant, and Shan Qiyu also learned to drive livestock. However, he hadn't done it for a long time and was a little rusty. He drove it carefully for a while and gradually became more skilled. Before long, the donkey cart carrying the two of them arrived at the grain shop.

During famine years, grain prices soared. In grain shops, the price of coarse flour had risen from thirty or forty coins per dou to sixty or seventy coins per dou. As for refined rice and flour, they were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Having grown tired of the sorghum cakes they had eaten before, Meng Fuqing stubbornly stopped Shan Qiyu from buying any this time.

Shili Town mainly grows sorghum, wheat, and soybeans. Compared to rice, dark flour is cheaper. In the end, they decided to buy two shi of dark flour, two dou of refined rice, and two dou of white flour. Shan Qiyu also bought some cheap beans, planning to grind them at home to eat.

The shopkeeper gave us a discount because we bought a lot of grain.

When they came out of the grain shop, the shopkeeper was all smiles; they had lost three or four taels of silver from their pockets.

This grain, plus the compensation from the Sun family, is enough to feed a family of four for a long time.

After leaving the grain shop, the two drove their donkey cart straight to the general store and bought salt, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and other items.

These things aren't cheap, but salt and sugar are rationed, so I might as well buy as much as I can. Who knows how long the famine will last? If I don't buy everything now, prices might go up later. Thinking about it this way makes me feel much better.

Seeing that seeds were being sold here, Meng Fuqing casually bought some vegetable seeds.

Time stands still in this space; whatever you take in, it comes out exactly the same.

Although she could accelerate plant growth, in this post-apocalyptic world, she couldn't find a place where her pursuers couldn't find her to leisurely develop her agricultural industry. Now that she had the time, she wanted to try out her growth-accelerating ability.

Speaking of which, to prevent plant mutations, those people collected various plant seeds and stored them in their space. They can try planting them all later.

The two then went to the butcher shop and bought ten catties of pork fat, five catties of mutton, two catties of lamb bones, and two catties of pork.

Along the way, they came across a skinner, and Meng Fuqing took out the rabbit skin he had peeled off and asked the seller if he would buy it.

The furs weren't tanned, so the price wasn't very high. Since the seller had clearly explained the quality of the furs, she simply sold them to him for fifty coins for the two pelts.

After preparing the food, Shan Qiyu said she would go to the clothing shop to buy some cotton and cloth for the winter.

She had spent most of the money she had hidden away on food, and couldn't afford to spend any more. Now that she had the means, she didn't want her child to suffer.

Meng Fuqing shared the same thought. The linen clothes she was wearing were indeed rough, with patches on them, but they still looked clean and tidy.

After wandering around for a while and buying some vegetables and eggs, they arrived at the fabric shop.

The cloth shop in town was where Shan Qiyu sold his handkerchiefs. The shop's female owner was also from town and was Shan Qiyu's childhood friend.

The female shopkeeper first saw the donkey cart and the grain piled on it, and then she saw Shan Qiyu driving the cart. Her eyes widened involuntarily.

The woman who was just haggling with her over pennies turned around and had a donkey cart, and even bought a cart full of things. Who wouldn't be shocked?

She rarely stood up to greet Shan Qiyu, and couldn't help but crane her neck to look into the car. "Sister Shan, did you find some silver or what? How come you've become so wealthy in just a short while?"

The female shopkeeper's surname was Zhang. She had known Shan Qiyu since childhood. At that time, Shan Qiyu was not only pampered by her parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law, but she was also literate. Every girl who saw her would envy her.

Later, they each got married. She married a man from the town, but she still envied Shan Qiyu. She thought that this man might become an official's wife in the future, and she would have to kneel down when she saw him again. She was afraid she would envy him for the rest of her life.

Unexpectedly, year after year, the clothes Shan Qiyu wore when she came to town became more and more tattered, while her business became more and more successful. This reversal made her feel happy and she looked down on the person she once admired even more.

I was just asking about her husband's death, and she even offered a few words of comfort, thinking that her life would end like this forever. But then…

Dan Qiyu laughed and said, "How could I be so lucky? My Qingqing just sold some things for a good price, so she went to buy some grain."

Zhang's gaze shifted from the car to Meng Fuqing. "This must be your eldest daughter. She's so beautiful!"

She wondered if the snacks she had just eaten were a bit dry, because she felt a tightness in her throat, and her usually fluent speech became dry and slurred.

She asked, "Why are you back again?"

"Buy some cotton and cloth, winter is coming soon, it'll be good to get through the winter."

"The shop has them all. What kind of fabric do you want to buy?"

Shan Qiyu originally thought that she would just buy some coarse linen for herself, and buy some fine linen for the three children, and then buy some fine cotton cloth to make a nice outfit for each of the three children.

Just as she was about to speak, she heard Meng Fuqing behind her say, "Mother, let's buy cotton cloth. It'll keep us warm in the cold winter."

Zhang secretly curled her lip.

Are you exaggerating? You bought so much food, how much fine cotton cloth could you buy?

Those from the countryside have limited knowledge, and this isn't ginseng for sale; how can they afford to squander it like this!

"Qing girl, aren't you afraid of your tongue slipping out? With no one left in the family, you can't even afford a feast. Where would you get the money to buy cotton cloth?"

A mocking voice sounded from behind, and in a daze, Zhang thought she had spoken her mind.

Turning around, she instantly broke into a smile. "Isn't this Aunt Shan? What brings you here?"

The person who came was none other than Shan Wushi, whose arm was still not very mobile.

Seeing Zhang's unusually enthusiastic demeanor, Meng Fuqing raised an eyebrow and asked her mother softly, "Mother, is this aunt really your close friend?"

Shan Qiyu understood the meaning behind her daughter's words, patted her hand and smiled, "Mother received her care in the past, it's time to repay her."

Worried that her daughter wouldn't be able to bear the cold treatment, she said, "Go outside and wait for me. I'll go out in a little while."

Before Meng Fuqing could speak, another female voice said, seemingly jokingly, "What are you going out for? Are you just trying to lose face and run away?"

This woman was a few years younger than Shan Qiyu, but much plumper. She was the eldest daughter-in-law of Shan Wushi, and her maid was Rongshi.

"Sister-in-law, you're joking. We're here to buy things properly."

"It's been a long time. My cousin is still as serious as ever. I was just joking. But dressed like that, no one would really tell you're here to buy things. It's good that Manager Zhang is kind-hearted. In other shops, they would have kicked you out long ago. Don't you think so, Mother?"