She couldn’t possibly forget their preferences. Since crossing over to this time period, she had only shared coffee with Edward and his wife once, and hadn’t touched a coffee cup since. Forgetting their tastes was simply out of the question.

Edward and kelly, unaware of these details, were stunned as Anxin accurately ordered their coffees and recited their preferences with practiced ease. Their mutual surprise was evident, and Edward didn’t hesitate to praise her.

“Oh, Anxin, you’re so thoughtful!”

While inwardly rolling her eyes, Anxin outwardly responded modestly, “Not at all! I don’t have many friends in this city, so of course, I remember your preferences.”

Edward chuckled in agreement. “Is that so? I’ve always thought of us as friends.”

“Haha!”

The three of them burst into laughter, and the atmosphere grew more relaxed.

From there, the conversation flowed smoothly. Without much effort, Anxin learned that Edward and kelly were both visiting professors at a university in Yuncheng, teaching English. They also ran a small import business on the side, specializing in bringing discarded items from abroad to sell domestically.

At the time, the standard of living in China was still relatively low. Items like used tape recorders, projectors, washing machines, and even second-hand clothing could fetch a good price in the local market.

As someone who had crossed over from the 21st century, Anxin knew all too well that Edward and kelly weren’t alone in this line of work. Many foreigners came to China during this period under the guise of being “friendly international allies” to engage in similar trade. The profits were immense, and many local merchants also discreetly participated in these activities, earning substantial wealth.

But none of this was Anxin’s concern. She wasn’t in a position to worry about anyone else’s business ventures. Her immediate priority was to leverage her connection with Edward and kelly to expand the reach of her warehouse inventory and, of course, make money off them.

Beyond that, she discovered that Yuncheng was home to many foreigners involved in various trades. These individuals often held informal gatherings, such as afternoon teas or evening soirees, to stay connected.

When the topic of these gatherings came up, Anxin feigned interest.

“Oh? You regularly host afternoon teas and evening parties? That’s quite refined!”

“Of course,” Edward said, shrugging lightly. “You Chinese have a saying: ‘When in a foreign land, one misses home even more during festive times.’ We foreigners in China sometimes gather to celebrate and feel the charm of our homeland.”

Edward’s tone was light, but his words conveyed a sense of camaraderie.

“By the way,” he added, “the goods you sold us last time were excellent. Many of our friends from back home who attended our gatherings were very impressed with the coffee and wanted to purchase some. I called the number you left me, but a man answered and said you’d gotten married and were no longer living in the village.”

Hearing this, kelly looked at Anxin with a hint of regret. “So, Anxin, is it true you got married?”

Though kelly’s tone was casual, Anxin could sense a trace of disappointment in her gaze.

Anxin chose to ignore it. Regret from others meant nothing to her. After all, before meeting Edward and kelly, she had already gone through the chaos of being forced to marry shortly after her transmigration.

At the time, she had no choice but to marry.

Still, marrying Bai Yichen hadn’t been entirely unfortunate. He didn’t look down on her, didn’t mistreat her, and even handed her the household finances. It was a small blessing amidst her misfortunes.

As for the phone call, the number she had left was the village’s shared line. Most likely, the man who answered was the village chief. She had been so preoccupied with the wedding and her mother’s treatment in the provincial city that she had completely forgotten about it.

Apologizing to Kelly, Anxin explained, “Yes, I got married and moved to another place. But don’t worry—here’s my new number. You can reach me there anytime.”

She quickly grabbed a pen and paper from a nearby waiter, scribbled down Bai Yichen’s workplace number, and handed it to Sarah.

“Just call this number if you need anything. I’ll deliver the goods to you as quickly as possible.”

Anxin then opened her small sack and began pulling out items: coffee, cigarettes, gum, and a variety of other goods, placing them neatly on the table.

Despite the sack’s modest size, Anxin continued to retrieve item after item until the table was piled high with an assortment of goods, leaving Edward and Kelly visibly astonished.

Kelly stared at the growing collection, her eyes fixed on the items as she spoke. “Actually, a lot of my girlfriends would love these things—coffee, gum, lipstick, cosmetics. It’s just that they’re not here right now.”

Edward nodded in agreement. “Exactly. If my old friends were around, they’d be thrilled with this lighter, that belt, and even that beer. It’s a shame they aren’t here.”

Their words struck Anxin like a bolt of lightning, jolting her into clarity. The business opportunity she had been waiting for had just presented itself!

Seizing the moment, Anxin suggested, “Here’s an idea. Today, the two of you can pick out whatever you like. Once you’ve paid, I’ll have everything delivered to your home via taxi. That way, I can also note your address for future deliveries.”

Noticing Edward’s slight hesitation, Anxin leaned in with a persuasive smile. “And of course, I’ll sell everything to you at half the original price. You can then resell these items to your friends at a 60% or 70% markup…”

She stopped there, letting her words linger in the air. As expected, she saw sparks of interest light up in Edward and Kelly’s eyes.

Profit was the ultimate motivator. No matter who the person was, the promise of financial gain was often irresistible.