We had finished all the preparations and the enticing aroma of the braised meat filled the air. I surveyed the kitchen with a sense of accomplishment, pleased to see the neatly wrapped portions of braised meat ready for sale. Counting them, I realized we had managed to wrap at least 85 portions, each nestled inside a fragrant lotus leaf.As I glanced at the pot of boiling cassava, I decided that since fufu was relatively unknown in this era, we would prepare a more modest quantity. I portioned out only 30 servings, knowing that it would be an intriguing addition to our offerings.Just as I finished packing the fufu into small containers, ready to be sold, Cree, big brother Allardy, and Uncle Jiang approached me. They wore determined expressions on their faces, clearly ready for the next step.Cree crossed his arms and exclaimed, "Eldest sister, I think the three of us can handle the market just fine. We don't need to bring everyone along."Big brother Allardy nodded in agreement. "Don
Cree's eyes sparkled with excitement as he eagerly asked, "Elder sister, how much money did we make? Did we sell a lot?"I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. "Yes, Cree, we had an amazing day! We sold 60 packets of braised meat, which means we earned 180 liang. And guess what? The fufu was a hit too, and we sold out, bringing in an additional 30 liang!"Cree's face lit up with joy. "That's fantastic! So, how much profit did we make?"I chuckled, appreciating his business-minded curiosity. "Well, Cree, after subtracting the cost of the supplies, which amounted to 72 coins, we have double the profit! We made a total of 138 liang!"His eyes widened in awe. "Wow, Elder sister, that's a lot of money! We can buy so many things with that!"I nodded, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Indeed, Cree. This is just the beginning. With our hard work and dedication, we can continue to grow our business and earn even more in the future."Cree's excitement was contagious, and we both exchang
Since we manage to sell everything, we encounter several curious villagers on their way home for lunch. They cast furtive glances in our direction, clearly intrigued by our presence. I smiled and nodded in response to the friendly greetings thrown our way.Amidst the crowd, I caught sight of the girl who had pushed Cree earlier. She shot me a venomous glare, clearly holding a grudge from our previous encounter. I couldn't help but stifle a chuckle, finding her reaction somewhat amusing.Unfazed by her disdain, I continued on my way. A middle aged lady approaches me, her expression filled with curiosity and a hint of smugness.“Oh you’re the children who recently move in Old Wang’s house right? I hear that you went to the docks to sell food, so how was it?Before I could utter a word, she preemptively spoke, trying to offer some consolation."Dear, don't worry if your venture doesn't turn out as successful as you hoped," she said, her tone laced with a thinly veiled gloat. "Running a b
CHAPTER 1“Little sister” I heard voices, but wait, how come I can only hear one? I did die, didn’t I?“Euno,” I exclaimed, feeling trapped by those delicate arms.“Huh? I can hear three distinct voices, they are wailing, to be precise. I don't know what's happening around me.” I tried to open my eyes slowly.“Eldest Brother, look!” a young lad's tiny voice came from beside me, and then I noticed he was the one shaking my body.“She’s awake! Elder sister is awake!” followed by the wee voice of a child.“Ouch!” A sharp pain assaulted my head, and fragments of memories came rushing in. I took deep breaths to steady myself. After a while, I slowly opened my eyes and looked around, feeling confused. There I saw three pairs of eyes eagerly staring at me.“Ugh,” I whimpered.“Sister, it's okay, it's okay,” the oldest one, wearing a faded blue loose-fitting robe, said as he held my shoulder, trying to support my body. Ah! This must be my oldest brother.“Euno, don't sit, don't sit,” the
"Lil sis," I heard voices, but wait, how come I can only hear one? Did I die? "Euno," I exclaimed, feeling trapped by those delicate arms. "HUH? I can hear three distinct voices, they are wailing, to be precise. I don't know what's happening around me." I tried to open my eyes slowly. "Eldest Brother, look!" a young lad's tiny voice came from beside me, and then I noticed he was the one shaking my body. "She's awake! Elder sister is awake!" followed by the wee voice of a child. "OUCH!" A sharp pain assaulted my head, and fragments of memories came rushing in. I took deep breaths to steady myself. After a while, I slowly opened my eyes and looked around, feeling confused. There I saw three pairs of eyes eagerly staring at me. "Ugh," I whimpered. "Sis, it's okay, it's okay," the oldest one, wearing a faded blue loose-fitting robe, said as he held my shoulder, trying to support my body. Ah! This must be my oldest brother. "Euno, don't sit, don't sit," the one holding my hand kept sh
I woke up to find Cree by my side, his grip on my hand tight. Helplessly, I sighed, imagining how he must have felt when he saw me lying motionless, lifeless. Yet, his tight grip also warmed my heart, a testament to his fear of losing me. I decided to wait patiently for him to wake up on his own, scanning my surroundings as I did so. The room was simple and plain, with a mud bed and a clay pot of water nearby. I quietly searched for the quilt, intending to tuck Cree into bed. However, my emotions wavered as I came across a ragged piece of coarse cloth with numerous patches, clearly showing signs of long-term use. Closing the door quietly behind me, I headed out for a walk, where I encountered Uncle Jiang. "I will go out for a walk, Uncle Jiang," I informed him. He nodded, arranging the stacked wood beside the kitchen made of stones. "Be careful, Bellona. I'll have your older brother call you when I finish cooking," he cautioned. As I walked, I observed my surroundings. It truly fel
We shared a silent meal, and once we finished eating, Seeley and I immediately began cleaning the table. "Uncle Jiang, how is our household fund at the moment?" I inquired, taking a sip of tea. I surveyed our new home. It had been a day since we settled here, and we were fortunate to have acquired this land and courtyard for a mere 30 silver coins. According to the Village Chief's account, the previous owners of this house were an elderly couple who recently passed away. Their child now lived comfortably in the county city and wanted to sell the house, leaving behind all the household tools. "We only have 1 silver coin and 2 strings of copper coins," Uncle Jiang informed us. We had nearly depleted all our resources during the month we spent on the run. Moreover, we hadn't been able to secure any money during our escape. "Hmm," I pondered. I needed to find ways to earn money, or we might not survive the upcoming winter. "Big Brother Allardy, let's go to the mountains," I suggested.
We strolled past a few households, and thankfully, our living area had only a small number of residents. This meant we didn't have to endure the curious stares of a crowded place. “ Little Sister, it's so quiet here. It's incredibly peaceful,” he remarked as we made our way up the mountain. The previous owner of the house was a hunter, so he had left behind quite a collection of tools. Eldest Brother carried a bow and arrow with him. Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks and picked up some dried branches. I played with them for a moment and then came to a halt. “ Big Brother, stop,” I said. “ Eh? Why?” he asked, observing the thick pile of dried leaves. “ This is a trap. See these dried leaves?” I poked at them, causing a few leaves to fall and reveal a tiny hole. “ It's a hunter's pitfall, so we need to be careful of our surroundings.” He nodded in understanding and continued walking, now sidestepping the trap. “ We could also set up a trap... OLDER BROTHER! OVER HERE!” I imme