Chapter 87

Zhan Peng listened to all this, and his expression trembled. He had never heard of such an idea before.

Forming a team? That was something entirely foreign to him.

A youth camp leader—that was essentially the captain of a guard unit!

He had only ever heard that noble tribes or powerful families had their own guards. They hired skilled, ability-wielding beastmen as protectors. But he was just an ordinary person, still young. Yet Madam Ye trusted him so much, appointing him as captain of the guard.

Realizing this, Zhan Peng’s heart began to race. His entire body was filled with a rush of excitement. And even more so because Madam Ye promised to provide his meals.

With a solemn and earnest tone, Zhan Peng said, “Madam Ye, I will carry out your orders to the best of my ability.”

He wasn’t afraid of hardship or exhaustion—he would never let Lady Ye down.

Ye Baizhi believed she had a keen eye for judging people. There was a certain resilience in Zhan Peng—he had the potential to be molded into something great.

“Mm, I trust you.”

Meeting Ye Baizhi’s gaze, full of trust, Zhan Peng felt an unexpected sting in his nose.

“Um, Madam Ye, one meal a day is enough for me.”

He thought he had misheard earlier—three meals a day? Even beastmen usually only ate twice a day. How could one eat three meals?

Ye Baizhi said, “If you want to grow stronger, you need a healthy body. One meal a day isn’t enough. You should eat three meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and eat until you’re full.”

“There’s no need to overthink it. You’ve already agreed, so this is how it will be arranged.”

“Don’t worry. Since you are following my orders, I can certainly afford to feed you.”

“In the future, anyone under my command will be provided meals as well.”

Once she had more spirit stones, she would also give her subordinates a monthly allowance for them. It was essentially a form of military pay. But explaining that now might be too much for Zhan Peng to grasp. For now, she’d simply ensure he was well-fed, so he could feel more at ease. With regular meals, his body would gradually recover and strengthen.

“Yes, master!” Zhan Peng had heard that once someone became a subordinate, they were required to address their superior in this manner. So, he followed suit.

Ye Baizhi did not correct him.

After eating, Ye Wulan was about to clean up the dishes, but Zhan Peng quickly stepped in to help. He believed that as a subordinate, he had to be diligent and perceptive. He feared disappointing his master and being dismissed and was determined to do his job well.

Zhan Peng gathered the dishes and went outside to wash them.

Ye Wulan watched as Zhan Peng took over his task and sighed.

Noticing his expression, Ye Baizhi couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, this will make things easier for you.”

Ye Wulan helplessly ruffled her hair and said, “Taking care of you all is actually something that brings me joy.”

To him, it was a labor of love—never a burden, but rather something he cherished.

Ye Baizhi remarked, “He won’t be staying here for too long. In a few days, he’ll head to the Rabbit Tribe and train with my brother.”

“For now, I’ll take some time to teach him a set of martial arts techniques so he can practice.”

“Last night, when I checked his pulse, I realized his ability is strength-based, which makes him well-suited for martial arts.”

Ye Baizhi wasn’t used to having others in her home. But for now, she would guide Zhan Peng.

After tidying up, Jian Ping arrived, and together, they took their supplies to set up their stall. By the time they arrived, the sky had already brightened, and people were waiting at their stall.

“Madam Ye, you’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for a while.”

“We came early today—we plan to buy plenty of scallion pancakes and offal soup to take home.”

“It’s winter now, and my father hasn’t had much of an appetite. But ever since he started eating scallion pancakes and offal soup, his appetite has improved.”

Hearing this, Ye Baizhi smiled and greeted everyone. “Thank you all for supporting my stall. It’s because of you that my business is thriving.”

As she spoke, Ye Baizhi placed malt candy on the display shelf.

Someone with sharp eyes quickly noticed it.

“Madam Ye, is this another new item you’re selling?”

Ye Baizhi explained, “Yes, this is malt candy—a sweet treat.” She had shaped the malt candy into sticks, making it easy to hold and eat.

Many of the people at her stall were regular customers who had previously bought red candied gourds, so they knew exactly what it meant when she introduced a new sweet.

“Madam Ye, how much does this malt candy cost?”

Ye Baizhi replied with a bright smile, “Five blue spirit stones per piece.”

Everyone listened and didn’t find the price too high. After all, anything rare naturally came with a price. Sweet foods were a rarity at the marketplace. Honey, for instance, was so expensive that most people couldn’t afford it. Compared to that, the sweets at Madam Ye’s stall were reasonably priced—affordable enough for them. She had sold candied hawthorns and fruit preserves before.

Still, people couldn’t resist bargaining. “Madam Ye, before, the candied hawthorns were two blue spirit stones per skewer. But this malt candy seems even smaller, yet it costs five spirit stones. Can’t you lower the price a bit?”

Ye Baizhi knew she couldn’t lower the price. Initially, she had sold the candied hawthorns at a low price to attract people to her stall. By doing so, she made her stall known, which would make it easier to introduce other foods later.

And the strategy worked.

Now, with so many customers buying from her stall, she no longer had to worry about selling out.

She understood that people were used to bargaining, but she didn’t argue—she simply needed them to see that the product was worth its price.

“To be honest, making this malt candy is extremely complex, and the cost is high.”

“I didn’t make much—this is all there is.”

“Actually, I designed this as a treat specifically for children.”

Upon hearing her explanation, the crowd accepted the price. The mention of a snack made specifically for children caught their attention.

“I’ve never heard of food made just for kids.”

“Well, since it’s a treat for children, I’ll buy two sticks to take home for mine.”

As the morning brightened, the market filled with more people. Some parents, out shopping with their children, bought a stick of malt candy upon hearing that it was meant for kids. Children immediately tasted the malt candy and happily exclaimed how delicious it was. That kind of enthusiastic reaction was convincing—more people started buying.

Soon enough, the malt candy business picked up.

With Zhan Peng helping out with the offal soup and scallion pancakes, Ye Baizhi had more time to focus on promoting her malt candy. And sure enough, plenty of customers lined up to buy it. Everyone was buying the malt candy for their children. By midmorning, all the malt candy had sold out.

Looking at the empty display shelf, Ye Baizhi felt a wave of satisfaction. Doing business in the Beast Continent was truly rewarding. The local food culture was underdeveloped, making her creations both novel and delicious to the people here.

There were plenty of buyers and little competition. Through selling malt candy, she realized that beastmen were quite willing to spend on food for their children. That meant there was a promising market for children’s snacks. With that in mind, she considered establishing a confectionery workshop in the future.

…

A few days later, once Zhan Peng had fully mastered the martial arts technique, Ye Baizhi sent him to the Rabbit Tribe to find her brother, Ye Chuan.

Thanks to days of proper meals and nourishment, Zhan Peng had grown noticeably stronger.

Meanwhile, with Ye Baizhi approaching childbirth, Ye Wulan and the others had to prepare for the upcoming event.

That day, Ye Wulan finalized an arrangement with a merchant caravan.

Now, they could follow the caravan into Huai City and explore their options there.