Chapter 25: Sure Enough, In Every Era, It’s Easiest to Make Money Off Women and Children

Ye Muqi counted the money she had on hand, then started strolling down the street. There were quite a few shops, but most of them were already occupied. After walking down half the street, she hadn’t seen a single vacant storefront.

“If I could open a restaurant on this street, business would definitely be booming,” she muttered to herself. Even though she hadn’t found a place yet, she was still confident about her ability to make money.

“Clothing for sale! Pretty clothes! Young lady, come take a look!”

“You’re so pretty—these clothes would suit you perfectly!”

Before she had gone far, a warm and enthusiastic middle-aged woman pulled her aside.

Ye Muqi looked at the woman who was passionately promoting her shop, then glanced at the store behind her. It was filled with women’s clothing, and the styles actually looked quite nice. Even by modern standards, they were trendy for this time period.

There were places selling clothes in Bada Town too, but most were inside the market. Few had standalone shops like this one on the street.

“Come in and take a look? Everyone who’s bought our clothes says they’re great.” The woman, seeing Ye Muqi was tempted, tried to pull her into the shop. “All new styles—we didn’t bring in any from last year!”

Ye Muqi followed her inside. She looked at several items. The quality was decent, and the styles were attractive—she was genuinely tempted.

There weren’t many people in the shop. Besides the middle-aged woman who had pulled her in, there was a younger woman sitting behind the counter.

“How much is this one?” Ye Muqi asked, pointing to a particular piece.

“You’ve got a great eye! That one really suits you. Price-wise, it’s not expensive either. If you like it, I’ll give it to you for three yuan and fifty cents—normally I sell it for five,” the woman replied with a squinting smile.

Ye Muqi shook her head and didn’t buy it.

Combined, Xia Ying and Ye Zhengfeng only made about 80 yuan a month—and that was considered a good salary. Someone like Ye Huihui, who was a teacher, only made about 15 yuan a month.

Just one outfit cost 3.50 yuan, which meant Ye Huihui’s entire month’s salary could only buy three outfits here.

Big cities really were expensive.

Ye Muqi lost interest in browsing the shop and was about to leave.

“Hey, don’t go! If you’re not satisfied, we can negotiate the price,” the woman quickly called out. “You can ask around—our clothes really aren’t that expensive.”

“Young lady, I’m not just saying this. Now that private businesses are finally allowed, everyone’s jumping into it. These storefronts on this street are in high demand, and rents are going up… If you really want it, I’ll give it to you for three yuan flat. I’m really not making any profit off you!” she added.

Ye Muqi just waved her hand and left anyway.

But the woman hadn’t lied—the storefronts along the street really were all occupied. Ye Muqi walked all the way to the end of the street without seeing a single empty unit. However, she did spot a lot of people selling from street stalls there.

A long stretch of vendors lined the road, selling all sorts of things. It was basically like a little marketplace.

Most of the vendors were selling clothes, small accessories, and toys. There were also lots of shoppers—nearly every stall had someone browsing.

Ye Muqi approached out of curiosity and examined the clothing. The quality wasn’t quite as good as the shop she just left, but it was decent, and the styles were still pretty nice.

There were a lot of women stopping at the clothing stalls. Most who walked by would take a glance, and about one out of every five seemed to actually make a purchase. Business looked quite good.

Besides clothing, the best-selling items were toys—every kid who passed by was clamoring to get one.

Sure enough, in every era, it’s easiest to make money off women and children!

“Setting up a stall might actually be a good idea,” Ye Muqi thought, “but carrying goods all the way from the family housing area, then bringing them back every day—that’s a bit of a hassle.” Her brief enthusiasm cooled off.

There were plenty of people selling things from stalls, but very few selling food. After all, unlike the modern world, there weren’t any convenient street food carts.

Ye Muqi continued browsing but didn’t buy any of the affordable clothes—she didn’t really need them. Xia Ying had packed her plenty. But the little accessories caught her eye. The designs were delicate and unique, quite different from modern craftsmanship. Curious, she bought a few inexpensive ones.

“It’s already noon…” Ye Muqi looked up at the sky and rubbed her stomach.

That morning, she had only grabbed something quickly from her storage space. After walking so much, she was definitely hungry now.

There had been a few food vendors on the main street, but not many. Ye Muqi looked around and walked toward what looked like a residential area nearby.

Generally speaking, there should be more food vendors near where people live, right?

She wasn’t sure if that held true in this era, but it was worth checking out. If it turned out she was wrong, she’d just find a quiet spot and take out something to eat from her storage space instead.

…

After searching around the neighborhood, Ye Muqi spotted a breakfast shop that was still open. Her eyes lit up and she walked over.

The breakfast shop was small, and unlike the neighboring stores, it wasn’t newly renovated—it looked like it had been there for quite a while.

It was likely already past breakfast time, so the shop was empty. Still, the little space was tidy and clean. The stove near the entrance had also been wiped spotless. The dining area was actually quite pleasant. However, all the pots and bowls had been put away, suggesting they had already sold out.

Ye Muqi began to worry—maybe there wasn’t any food left.

She walked inside and saw only an elderly woman, probably in her fifties. Her hair was tied up, and strands of white could be seen.

The old woman was wiping down a table with a rag, taking her time and being very meticulous. But something seemed off—she looked unsteady on her feet, like she might fall over at any moment.

“Granny…” Ye Muqi had just opened her mouth when, to her shock, the old woman suddenly collapsed toward the ground.

“!!!”

Startled, Ye Muqi rushed over and caught her just in time. She prevented the elderly woman from hitting the ground—at that age, a fall could be dangerous.

Supporting her, Ye Muqi quickly grabbed a chair and helped the woman sit down and lean back.

The old woman’s face was pale, even her lips were white. She looked disoriented, though not completely unconscious.

This looks like low blood sugar.

Ye Muqi wasn’t a doctor, but she had encountered someone who passed out from low blood sugar before, and the symptoms looked about the same.

“Granny, are you okay?” she asked, seeing the woman still somewhat responsive. “Did you skip breakfast? If so, just nod.”