Chapter 40

Early the next morning, before the sun had fully risen, Wu Xiaoxiao was already awake. She quietly washed up and went downstairs to start training her abilities. Although there weren’t as many plants here as in the countryside, the factory area had quite a few trees, which were still very helpful in strengthening her powers.

She focused her mind, carefully sensing the presence of the trees. With each breath, she gradually immersed herself in a state of resonance with them. In this world, she rarely had opportunities to use the offensive aspect of her ability. Instead, she needed to enhance her affinity with plants, which in turn strengthened her wood-element healing abilities.

Although she couldn’t meditate in the traditional way, standing beneath the trees and synchronizing with them proved to be just as effective. After completing a cycle of her ability, she felt her strength slightly replenished and finally opened her eyes—only to see Chen Si waiting nearby.

“Good morning, Dr. Chen. Did Grandpa Lu send you to find me?”

Chen Si looked a bit embarrassed. “No, not really. Grandpa Lu didn’t have anything urgent. He just assigned me a task—to accompany you around the county today.”

Wu Xiaoxiao found this a bit strange, but after thinking it over, she realized Grandpa Lu was probably just worried about her—a young girl, unfamiliar with the area—having trouble getting around. It was a kind gesture. Over the past two weeks, she and Grandpa Lu had been busy working, so she hadn’t had a chance to explore the county or look into her business plans. Besides, she really did need a guide.

“Well, thanks in advance, Dr. Chen.”

Her relaxed attitude made Chen Si feel even more awkward. “You don’t have to call me Dr. Chen—just call me Chen Si.”

“Alright then, Chen Si, have you been to Beixian County before?”

Chen Si nodded. “Yeah, I’ve stayed here for a while. When I first came to find someone to help take care of my grandpa, I had to stop in Beixian County. Later, when I trained as a barefoot doctor, I also spent some time in the county. So, I’m fairly familiar with it.”

“That’s perfect! I need a good guide today. Hope you don’t mind showing me around,” Wu Xiaoxiao said, smiling brightly.

Chen Si nodded quickly. “No problem! Are you looking to buy something? Food, clothes? Or maybe some interesting little trinkets? There’s a lot more variety here than in town. It’s not quite as developed as Su City, but it’s close enough.”

Indeed, Beixian County was a major transportation hub connecting the north and south of the province. In fact, when the city government was being established, there had been discussions about setting it up in Beishan. However, since Su City had a longer history and better infrastructure at the time, it was chosen instead. Still, thanks to several large state-owned enterprises and convenient transportation, Beishan had developed quite well over the years. Naturally, this meant more shops and wealthier residents.

Wu Xiaoxiao chuckled. “I’m not here to buy anything—I want to see what people are selling, where they’re selling it, and how transactions are happening.”

She wasn’t too worried about Chen Si’s reaction. The fact that he had managed to arrange for his grandfather’s care showed he wasn’t overly rigid. From their interactions, she could tell he was reliable. Even if he disapproved of her plans, at most, he’d just warn her about the risks—he wouldn’t report her for engaging in small-scale trade. Besides, if even small towns had semi-public markets, there was no way a county wouldn’t have them.

Sure enough, Chen Si thought for a moment and said, “There are a few trading markets here. Let’s check them out first. But most of what’s sold here is just eggs and vegetables from nearby farmers or handmade clothes from those with sewing skills. This place is a bit far from where you live—it wouldn’t be practical for you to travel back and forth for business.”

That was pretty much what Wu Xiaoxiao had expected. Although small businesses were allowed again, options were still quite limited. Unfortunately, given her location, she couldn’t participate in most of them. If only she could sell some vegetables enhanced by her ability—they’d be exceptionally fresh and tender.

Sigh. Who would have thought that one day, a high-level ability user like her would be trying to make a living selling vegetables—and not even succeeding at that?

Still, she needed to explore more and figure out another plan.

“Let’s check it out first—who knows, we might find a way. Also, do you know where I can get small bottles? Ceramic or glass ones, preferably with a nice design?”

Chen Si thought for a moment. “What kind of bottles do you need? How big? And for what?”

Wu Xiaoxiao didn’t hide her intentions. “Hold on a second.”

She went upstairs and brought down a glass jar. “This is a face cream I made based on some methods I read about, plus my own experiments. It works pretty well. If possible, I’d like to sell it. But the packaging is an issue.”

Chen Si opened the jar and sniffed it. The light green cream had a fresh, elegant fragrance—just smelling it felt pleasant. He didn’t know much about skincare, but he did know that his sister’s face creams had always been expensive, and some were even bought with overseas remittance coupons. If this one worked well, it might sell for a good price.

Wu Xiaoxiao smiled. “I’m confident in its effectiveness, but pricing for skincare products is all about perception. A useless cream in a fancy bottle, with a nice name, displayed in a department store can sell for a fortune. But even the best cream, if it’s packed in a reused fruit jar and sold on the street, won’t attract any buyers.”

Only then did Chen Si realize the jar was actually a repurposed fruit preserve container. The cream inside smelled so good and looked so appealing with its light green color that he hadn’t even noticed.

Wu Xiaoxiao continued, “That’s why I want to find some proper small bottles to improve the packaging. Ideally, they should be palm-sized, holding around 30 to 50 milliliters.”

Chen Si thought for a moment and said, “I actually know someone who might be able to make those. We can check it out later, but we’ll have to wait until evening to find him.”

Wu Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s great! If I can get the right bottles, we’ll be halfway to success. I really owe you one!”