Chapter 26: Shopping in the City

Ye Xin Ran shrugged. “I really have only read a little.”

Liu Zhen Yan snorted but was about to argue further when Xiao Huai’an stepped forward and blocked Ye Xin Ran. “Doctor Liu, are you asking too many questions? Even if she has studied medicine, what’s it to you?”

Liu Zhen Yan, furious, retorted, “I just wanted to ask where she learned it. I don’t care about anything else. You two are really petty. If you don’t want to talk about it, fine, I won’t ask!”

At this moment, the attendant wrapped up the medicine and brought it to Xiao Huai’an. “Young Master Xiao, the total is 2 taels and 8 Qian.”

Xiao Huai’an nodded, taking the medicine with one hand while pulling out a handful of loose silver from his waist pouch with the other.

Ye Xin Ran glanced over and noticed that the silver in his pouch was mostly small denominations, with a few copper coins mixed in.

It seemed that the income from selling game wasn’t much.

After Xiao Huai’an paid, he noticed Ye Xin Ran’s gaze. He didn’t say anything but, after leaving the clinic, took off the pouch from his waist and handed it to Ye Xin Ran. “Today, I earned 4 taels and 1 Qian from selling game. After buying the medicine, there’s 1 tael and 3 Qian left. It’s all here.”

Ye Xin Ran didn’t take it and instead looked at Xiao Huai’an. “Why are you giving this to me?”

Xiao Huai’an maintained his calm demeanor. “I don’t understand household matters. You can keep this money and decide what to buy.”

“All of it?” Ye Xin Ran was a bit surprised.

Xiao Huai’an had previously insisted that she leave, so why was he now entrusting her with all his remaining money?

“Yes,” Xiao Huai’an answered shortly.

Ye Xin Ran raised an eyebrow. “Alright, I’ll go buy some things and spend all of it. You can’t object.”

Xiao Huai’an nodded. “That’s fine, but we need to keep some money for Aunt Zhang’s wages.”

Ye Xin Ran hadn’t thought of Aunt Zhang at first when Xiao Huai’an mentioned her. “You’re still thinking about that old woman? Do you even know what she’s been doing at your house?”

Ye Xin Ran sneered.

Xiao Huai’an frowned. “What has she done?”

He turned to Chang An.

Chang An, who respected Xiao Huai’an deeply, was too scared to bring it up on his own.

Seeing Xiao Huai’an looking at him, Chang An quickly told him everything that had happened, embellishing the details of Aunt Zhang’s fall.

“Aunt is really amazing, it’s all thanks to her!”

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” Xiao Huai’an’s expression darkened.

Chang An, frightened, quickly hid behind Ye Xin Ran, only daring to show half his face, and whispered, “We were afraid you’d be angry, so we didn’t dare to tell you.”

Seeing that Xiao Huai’an’s face was still cold, Ye Xin Ran defended Chang An. “You’re so fierce, of course the child is afraid of you. You always have that icy expression on your face, people might think you’re paralyzed.”

Xiao Huai’an suppressed his anger and placed a large hand on Chang An’s head, speaking gently, “Did you ever think, if you don’t tell me, I’d be even angrier?”

Chang An lowered his head, afraid his tears would be seen. He pressed his face into Ye Xin Ran’s clothes and whispered, “Second Uncle, we were wrong. I’ll tell you everything from now on.”

“This time, I’ll let it go. I don’t want this to happen again.”

Chang An raised his head, his eyelashes still glistening with tears. “There won’t be a next time. We have Aunt now, and Aunt won’t let anyone bully us.”

Xiao Huai’an’s expression became a little awkward.

The three children had been with him for much longer, yet why did they so easily trust Ye Xin Ran and get along with her so well?

Could it be that she has some unique quality that others don’t have?

Xiao Huai’an once again examined Ye Xin Ran.

He couldn’t see anything unusual!

“Alright, the child knows he was wrong. Let’s consider this matter settled. But I suspect there’s something wrong with Chang An’s medicine, and it’s that old woman, Aunt Zhang, who’s been causing trouble. When we get back, we need to investigate properly. If she dares to do something so immoral, she will not get away with it.”

Xiao Huai’an nodded. “I’ll settle the score with her family.”

“Then let’s go to the market and buy things,” Ye Xin Ran suggested happily.

This time, what she looked forward to the most was going to the market to buy things.

Crystal pig knuckles, braised beef, spicy rabbit meat, roasted chickens, each item was a great temptation to her.

However, she couldn’t spend all the money at once, she had to plan for the long term.

She couldn’t buy too much meat at once, but she could buy a few chickens and ducks to raise. When they grew up, they could lay eggs, and when she craved it, she could eat their meat.

As for piglets, she’d pass on those. Pigs ate too much, and their manure had a strong smell. Their little courtyard couldn’t accommodate them.

Also, she planned to buy some rice, flour, oil, and seasonings, she wanted a little bit of everything.

As she looked at the street vendors, Ye Xin Ran was also planning in her mind.

Finally, she bought oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, eight porcelain bowls, two large pots, a bag of rice, a bag of flour, five pounds of mixed fatty and lean pork, and a set of pig offal. Then, she went to the farthest end of the market and bought three hens and two goslings.

Ye Xin Ran handled the shopping, while Xiao Huai’an took care of hauling everything to the cart.

When Ye Xin Ran had spent all the silver, every last bit of the one tael and one Qian, and even started using other money from her pockets, Xiao Huai’an had no choice but to stop her. “You can buy things for the house gradually, but keep some money for emergencies.”

When they bought the flour, all the money Xiao Huai’an had given her was gone.

But buying these household items was so addictive, once she bought one thing, she wanted another. She kept thinking she should buy everything for the house all at once.

It wasn’t until Xiao Huai’an spoke up that she finally stopped.

There were still many things left to buy.

Osmanthus cakes, walnut cakes, freshly made sticky rice dumplings, new quilts for the house, new clothes and shoes for the children, and other items…

When she thought about it, Ye Xin Ran felt that the hundred taels of silver in her pocket wasn’t going to be enough.

“Let’s stop here for now. We can buy the rest next time,” Xiao Huai’an urged again.

Ye Xin Ran reluctantly said, “Alright, let’s head back then.”

The cart, which had been empty, was now completely filled.

Xiao Huai’an placed the pot on top of the rice bag and finally cleared the space where Ye Xin Ran and Chang An were sitting.

Around them were the newly purchased hens and goslings.

The hens stared at them with wide, fearful eyes, while the goslings looked dazed, their yellow down feathers still intact, even their beaks tinged with yellow.

Chang An looked delighted. “Aunt, are we going to raise chickens at home?”

“Yes! From now on, you’ll need to cut grass every day to feed the chickens and goslings. Won’t that be tiring?”

Chang An quickly shook his head. “I’m not afraid! Yu Feng’s family raises chickens too. I’ll go with her every day.”

“Take your second brother with you,” Ye Xin Ran reminded him.

“Right, and second brother!” Chang An’s face lit up with hope. “I’ll feed the chickens until they’re fat, then we’ll have eggs to eat!”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but smirk.