To conceal the whereabouts of the young masters, they dared not maintain any contact with this side. Upon learning that the Shen family was arranging a marriage for their master, they believed the young masters would be cared for and did not intervene.
Who would have thought this woman would be so audacious as to treat the young masters this way!
Sensing the sharp killing intent radiating from him, Xinghe asked, "What did she do?"
Chai Yang's gaze was icy as he relayed the information he had gathered, detailing "Li Yue Shu's" year-long torment and mistreatment of the four children.
He also mentioned how Shen Wei had returned not long ago, only to become foolish.
Xinghe was filled with murderous intent, but his expression conveyed more profound sorrow. "Has our master truly..."
Chai Yang could not be certain.
If their master was faking his foolishness, why hadn't he contacted them?
Xinghe frowned. "What do we do now?"
If their master had truly lost his mind, any action they took now would alert the enemy.
Chai Yang knew this too, which was why he suppressed the urge to kill that woman.
After a long silence, he made up his mind. "We will go find the eldest young master."
...
Li Yue Shu was unaware of the danger she had narrowly avoided. She scooped a chicken foot from the pot, blew on it to cool it, and then offered it to Shen Ting Wen. "Try it."
Gazing at her gentle actions, Shen Ting Wen was momentarily stunned. He reached out and took it.
A soft, sweet aroma spread through his mouth, and even the bone exuded an enticing flavor.
Shen Ting Wen's eyes widened in surprise. "What is this dish called?"
He had eaten countless delicacies, each requiring meticulous attention to steps and proportions.
Yet, he had just witnessed Li Yue Shu haphazardly throwing all sorts of seasonings into the pot, seemingly with little regard for measurements. He hadn't expected it to be so fragrant, sweet, and tender.
Seeing his expression, Li Yue Shu knew she had succeeded.
"This is called braised food. It can be used to braise meat, as well as various vegetarian dishes. It tastes even better when cooled," she said with a faint smile. "What do you think a fair price per jin would be?"
Shen Ting Wen looked at the chicken foot in his hand and mused for a moment. "As long as we can establish a market, twenty wen per jin should be no problem."
A hint of a smile appeared in Li Yue Shu's eyes as she observed his eagerness. "Alright, you will accompany me to the town tomorrow."
Shen Wei, who had been tending the fire, immediately looked up upon hearing this. "I want to go too!"
Li Yue Shu glanced at him, a hint of helplessness in her expression. "Not just you, all of us will go."
Shen Ting Wen was slightly taken aback. "Third sister and fourth brother are going too?"
Li Yue Shu nodded. "Your eldest brother has a day off tomorrow. We'll go pick him up and bring him home."
As the last word fell, something stirred within Shen Ting Wen. He stared blankly at Li Yue Shu.
He hoped this woman would never revert to her former self.
...
Early the next morning, Li Yue Shu slipped into her space while everyone else was still asleep to check on things.
She discovered that the items she had brought from the modern era did indeed replenish automatically the next day, but anything she had placed in it afterward remained unchanged, such as the few coins on the table.
Though Li Yue Shu was somewhat disappointed, she was content with the space having gained a magical function.
Soon, Shen Wei and the children began to wake up, and Li Yue Shu led the whole family out.
Knowing they were going to town for business and to pick up the eldest, Shen Yi Min, Old Man Liu specially drove his ox cart past their house.
Because she was carrying a large woven basket, Li Yue Shu took out six wen, which was all the money she had left.
Old Man Liu knew their situation and was reluctant to accept it. "We are neighbors. It's not easy for you, a woman, to bring up four children, and now Shen Wei is here too... Consider this money waived. Keep it to nourish the children."
Li Yue Shu could feel his sincerity and kindness. Just as she was about to say something, a sarcastic voice rang out from nearby. "Oh, since when are you so rich?"
Several women approached from a distance, and the one who spoke was Aunt Zhao.
Aunt Zhao was notorious in the village for being a freeloader and having a loose tongue.
Carrying her basket, she walked over. "We're all from the same village. Since you're so fond of acting charitable, why don't you waive our fees too!"
With that, she was about to climb onto the ox cart, completely ignoring Old Man Liu's awkward expression.
Old Man Liu was the only one in the village who owned an ox cart, so everyone paid one wen to ride it to town. This was how he made a living.
Setting aside the loss from not collecting money today, if he set this precedent, everyone else would use the same excuse to avoid paying, and how would Old Man Liu and his wife live?
Thinking of this, Li Yue Shu's eyes chilled. She directly snatched the woven basket from Shen Wei and threw it onto the ox cart, hitting Aunt Zhao's hand accurately.
"Ouch!"
Aunt Zhao cried out in surprise, her attempt to climb onto the cart immediately halting.
She glared fiercely at Li Yue Shu. "What are you doing!"
Li Yue Shu didn't even spare her a glance. She directly stuffed the six wen into Old Man Liu's hand. "Uncle Liu, I appreciate your kindness. Please accept this money! The children are here, and I need to set an example for them, teaching them what it means to have dignity."
Aunt Zhao, who had always been fond of taking advantage, was quick-witted and immediately understood the meaning behind Li Yue Shu's words.
Her face flushed with anger. "You venomous woman, who are you calling names!"
Li Yue Shu ignored her, bent down, and lifted the three children onto the ox cart, acting as if Aunt Zhao didn't exist.
When had Aunt Zhao ever been so humiliated? The pain in her hand felt as if it were on her face. She immediately raised her hand to lash out.
Li Yue Shu's gaze turned cold. Before she could react, a figure suddenly stepped in front of her.
"Slap!"
A dull thud echoed as Aunt Zhao's palm landed on Shen Wei's shoulder.
Everyone froze. Shen Wei stared with wide eyes, his fierce expression making his rugged face look even more frightening.
Aunt Zhao instinctively took half a step back.
Old Man Liu frowned, his eyes filled with anger as he looked at her. "Old Zhao's wife, if you don't want to ride the ox cart, walk yourself. Don't block the people behind!"
Old Man Liu was known for his good temper in the village, but his sudden anger surprised everyone.
Aunt Zhao's expression became somewhat awkward, especially when she met Shen Wei's fierce gaze. All her anger instantly vanished.
"What are you growling for? It's not like we're short a wen from you!"
She shot Old Man Liu a glare, pulled out a wen, and threw it at him before climbing back onto the ox cart.
After this commotion, others who had hoped to get a free ride also gave up their intentions and dutifully paid to get on the cart.
Half an hour later, the ox cart arrived in town, and everyone dispersed to attend to their own matters.
Li Yue Shu led her family to the market.
She had discussed it with Shen Ting Wen the night before. Originally, she had planned to sell their goods directly to a restaurant to get money quickly to repair their house.
However, Shen Ting Wen believed that if they could successfully open up a market, they would earn far more than selling directly to a restaurant.
Li Yue Shu adopted his suggestion and found a corner spot in the market to set up.
As soon as the woven basket was opened, a rich aroma wafted through the air, instantly attracting the attention of the people around.