Chapter 71

Ye Baizhi nodded and said, “Not just yet—we’ll start the meat soup business in a few days once we’re fully prepared.”

“Right now, it would be too exhausting—cleaning bowls, washing dishes, setting up tables and chairs.”

She actually had plans for many different food stalls. She even wished she could open them all immediately, to display a whole spread of delicious foods right in front of the stall.

But for now, she had to face reality. They were short on hands, and costs had to be considered.

“Look at those selling wild game—even the cheaper cuts are ten blue spirit stones per jin.”

“But they toss away the offal.”

“We can buy that discarded offal, clean it thoroughly, and make offal stew.”

“I don’t plan on washing bowls and utensils. We’ll ask people to bring their own—they’ll pay a bit less, and it won’t cost us anything.”

“If they don’t bring their own, we can use ladles—like scoops made from gourds—as disposable bowls.”

“After they’re used, they can even be burned as firewood. Nothing goes to waste.”

“We can also sell flatbreads—like scallion pancakes.”

“Those can be made at home ahead of time and brought out to sell fresh.”

After all, she grew plenty of wheat in her spatial field, where growth was fast and yields were high. And with her wood-type abilities speeding up ripening, she never had to worry about dough shortages.

“At the same time, we can promote our red fruit preserves and canned goods.”

All she had to do was set up a small shelf next to the food stall, neatly display the goods, and people could pick them up while ordering their meal.

This was her initial plan.

If she continued selling Tanghulu the traditional way, the pace would be far too slow. What she truly wanted was to establish her own shops across the entire Beast Continent—using them as hubs to build an intelligence network that would eventually span the whole land. She would also need substantial funds to cultivate her own power.

There was no time to waste.

She needed to uncover the true force behind the destruction of the Enchanter Demon tribe. And above all, she had to protect her and Ye Wulan’s child. This body of hers also carried unresolved grudges in the Imperial City of the Central Region.

If she had an intelligence network under her control, she wouldn’t be so passive—she would’ve already known Xue Youchen’s current situation.

Traveling to the Snow Wolf Tribe’s city would be a long and expensive journey. Xue Youchen could pass freely through their skies, but without a travel token, they themselves wouldn’t be allowed to fly there.

Ye Wulan said, “Alright. If that’s your decision, we’ll go with that plan.”

At that moment, Da Bao’s stomach growled loudly.

Ye Baizhi said, “Let’s go—time to head home and make lunch.”

She couldn’t let Da Bao go hungry.

Since they lived near the market anyway, they could always stroll around more when time allowed.

As Ye Wulan and the others were returning, Hei Ze (black panther) happened to be out shopping. He turned his head—and suddenly spotted them.

Hei Ze froze in surprise, then quickly followed after them. He saw the shaman heading into a stone house on one of the nearby streets. He watched them go in and stood there, stunned.

“No way—the benefactor lives here too?”

Their home was in the alley just next door—very close to the healer’s place.

Hei Ze was the same black panther beast who had been crying in the market earlier.

Overcome with excitement, Hei Ze rushed home. “Wife—guess who I just saw!”

Suni was sitting by the bed, her hand resting on her belly, still soaking in the joy and wonder of it all.

Hearing Hei Ze’s voice, she asked, “It couldn’t be someone from the Su family, could it? They wouldn’t come in a place like this.”

Back then, Suni had been betrayed by her beast husband and her own younger sister and cast out from the tribe.

The Su family was a noble clan. She had barely survived and escaped—until Heize rescued her, and the two had stayed together ever since.

“It wasn’t anyone from the Su family—it was that female shaman, the one who saved us!”

“She lives just around the corner from us—right next door!”

Hearing those words, Suni’s eyes lit up. “If that’s the case, that’s wonderful. Let’s prepare a proper thank-you gift and visit them later to show our gratitude.”

Hei Ze nodded. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

“If it weren’t for our benefactor… I wouldn’t want to live.”

Hei Ze was a wandering black panther beastman. As a child, he was too weak—his parents and tribe had abandoned him. He had survived on his own, learning to hunt and grow strong through sheer will. It was a few years ago, in a snowy wilderness, that he had found Suni—bleeding, barely alive. He had cared for her through that entire winter, and she didn’t wake until spring. Since then, they had lived side by side, relying on each other, forming an unbreakable bond. Because of him, Suni had refused to take any other beastman as a mate—she simply didn’t trust anyone else.

“Don’t say things like that,” she chided gently.

But she knew the truth: if she had died, Hei Ze wouldn’t have lived on. They had been through too much together—endless danger and pursuit.

Hei Ze had hunted like a madman to make a living, often risking death at the claws of wild beasts. His injuries were severe, and every winter, pain surged through his body. He endured it all, but she saw it clearly.

They had worked so hard only to settle here and finally find some peace. They weren’t just husband and wife—they were each other’s emotional anchor. Though stone houses in this area were expensive, even the assassins from the Su family didn’t dare pursue them here.

“What makes me happiest,” Suni said, “is that I’m having a child—our child.”

Back in her Su clan, during her coming-of-age ceremony, she had tested as having low fertility. Her status in the family plummeted after that. She endured endless slander and humiliation. But now she was pregnant—and that fact alone would be enough to shut their mouths. Still, she had no interest in seeing any of them again.

“Mhm. You don’t need to do anything,” Hei Ze said gently. “Just tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll get it for you.”

He was just as thrilled. Having been abandoned by his parents as a child, the loneliness had been crushing. Now he had a home—and a child on the way. He couldn’t be happier. No matter how tired he was, coming home to his wife always brought peace.

The feeling of being waited for… was the best feeling in the world.

“I’m not that delicate,” Suni replied, “but I really am happy today.”

“The fabrics you bought me before—and the furs we’ve been saving—I haven’t touched them.”

“We should find time to visit and bring a proper gift. We need to show our gratitude.”

“Our benefactor clearly has a kind heart. Otherwise, why would she save me right there in the street?”

“Most shamans are eccentric and proud—they’d never save someone with a crowd watching.”

“Besides, I wasn’t even breathing at the time—if something had gone wrong, she would’ve been scolded and had her reputation ruined.”

“This act of kindness is something we can never forget.”

“If our benefactor’s family ever needs help, we’ll be the first to offer it.”

Hei Ze nodded. “Absolutely. She saved our whole family.”

Even now, he still shuddered at the thought.

“You don’t know how thrilled I was when I saw she lived nearby.”

“And that old woman who treated your cold—she’s moved away. I think she did it on purpose, trying to harm you.”

“You were already pregnant, and she didn’t even notice.”

“I heard people caused a stir at her place after we got back from the market. Maybe she expected that—left early to avoid the fallout.”

“You don’t think she was sent by the Su family?”

Suni shook her head. “No—that much I can tell.”

“It’s just that not all healers are the same. She wasn’t a true shaman at all—just someone who happened to know a few herbs.”

But they hadn’t had a choice—there were no real healers nearby, and her cold had been serious. Winter colds were no small matter—left untreated, they could be fatal.

Hei Ze added, “But our benefactor is different.”

“Just one look at her methods, and you can tell—she’s the real deal.”