Shen Qing certainly wouldn’t reveal anything about the marketplace.

She gazed into the distance and sighed softly, “You two may not believe me, but I had a dream. In the dream, there was a flood, and we were fleeing for our lives. It was bitter and difficult—one after another, our Jiang family members died, almost to the point of extinction.

Perhaps out of pity for us, a Bodhisattva appeared in the dream and guided me, teaching me several ways to earn money. I knew from buying brushes for Xiang Zhong before that they were expensive, so I followed the guidance and made some to sell at a scholar’s shop. That’s how I earned silver.”

She reassured them, “Don’t worry, it’s not ill-gotten money.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yang and his daughter, Jiang Ying, both let out a sigh of relief.

When Jiang Ying heard that the Bodhisattva had given guidance in a dream, her first reaction was delight.

She blurted out in praise, “Sister-in-law, no wonder you’re treating Xiaoyu differently now! You’ve truly honored the Bodhisattva’s guidance!”

After speaking, she scratched her head in embarrassment.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know how to phrase things properly—it was just that her sister-in-law had never cared for Xiaoyu before, let alone gone out of her way to bring her back home from the Liu family.

Yesterday, the whole family had been puzzled over this sudden change, but today, it finally made sense.

No wonder! Receiving divine guidance could indeed make someone seem like a completely different person.

Shen Qing hadn’t expected Jiang Ying to accept her explanation so easily.

She hesitantly asked, “You’re not afraid that I’m lying to you?”

Jiang Ying cheerfully patted her shoulder and laughed, “You can’t just make brushes out of thin air, can you? Sooner or later, we’ll see them for ourselves. Even if you were lying, it wouldn’t last long.”

Besides, it was only natural for family members to be concerned about each other.

If she didn’t want to explain everything, she could simply give a reason.

If something truly went wrong, she would have to bear the consequences herself.

Shen Qing: … Shouldn’t they be asking how the brushes were made, how much money they could earn, or even whether they could join in?

Or at least question whether the Bodhisattva’s dream was real or not?

She turned to look at Jiang Er Ye(Second Uncle Jiang).

This man had traveled far and wide as an armed escort—he had seen the world.

A story about divine dreams might fool Jiang Ying, but could it deceive him?

To her surprise, Jiang Er Ye asked seriously, “Is there really going to be a flood? When? Will it be severe enough to force people to flee?”

Shen Qing hesitated before replying, “In the summer, heavy rains will break the riverbanks. Houses will collapse, farmlands will be completely stripped—not only will the crops be washed away, but even the soil will be eroded. Livestock will be lost as well.”

Jiang Yang was the village head.

If he took this seriously, could he make preparations in advance?

Especially if they could leave early!

That way, they wouldn’t have to be stuck in a mass exodus of refugees, which would be much more dangerous.

However, she cautiously added, “Uncle, this was just a dream. I don’t know if it will really come true…”

Jiang Yang nodded solemnly. “I understand. A flood is a serious matter. Even if the local officials don’t believe in omens, they’ll still accuse us of spreading panic and superstition if they catch wind of this! You can rest assured, neither Ying nor I will tell anyone else about it.”

He turned to Jiang Ying, who quickly nodded in agreement. “Sister-in-law, don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul!”

Jiang Yang was even more perceptive than Shen Qing had anticipated.

Relieved, she continued asking what she needed to know. “Uncle, if a flood really comes, could we leave early and find a safe place?”

Jiang Yang shook his head.

Shen Qing thought he was reluctant to leave his land and home, but then he explained gravely, “Our travel permits only allow us to stay within Xingcheng’s jurisdiction. If we try to leave, the guards at the checkpoints won’t let us pass.

During an actual disaster, when there are too many refugees for the officials to handle, they sometimes turn a blind eye and let people slip through. But under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t allow it.”

Shen Qing’s heart sank.

Unwilling to give up, she asked, “Can’t we forge a travel permit?”

Jiang Yang sighed. He neither confirmed nor denied it.

Shen Qing understood—if such permits could be forged, it wasn’t something commoners like them could easily obtain.

Jiang Ying grew anxious and exclaimed, “Father, if a flood is coming, we should start preparing now!”

Their village had experienced minor floods before, but those usually receded within a few days.

A disaster severe enough to force people to flee hadn’t happened in decades—not since before her father was even born.

It was said that the Great River near Xingcheng suffered a catastrophic flood once every hundred years or so. Each time, the region would have to be repopulated afterward.

The Jiang family’s ancestors had originally moved here because of one such flood.

Jiang Ying understood the severity of the situation, and Jiang Yang knew it even better.

After a moment of thought, he said, “Tomorrow, I’ll head to the city again and see if I can find work for your second brother as well.”

It was a long shot—getting a casual job for the eldest son had already been difficult.

Now, trying to find work for the second son too…

Most people wouldn’t be willing to help.

Still, he had no choice but to try.

Jiang Ying understood this and furrowed her brows in worry.

Shen Qing: … Were they seriously not paying attention to the most important thing she had said?

She had clearly mentioned that the Bodhisattva had taught her multiple ways to make money!

How could they not be curious about the others?

Seeing that they were about to leave, she had no choice but to bring it up herself. “The Bodhisattva taught me several skills. Why don’t you take up some of them?”

Jiang Yang and Jiang Ying turned to her in shock, their eyes full of disbelief.

Shen Qing smiled warmly. “We’re family. No matter how hard life gets, we should support each other to get through it. I don’t have enough hands in my household to handle everything alone. If I teach you how to make money, we can also travel together when we flee—it’ll be safer that way, won’t it?”

Since they couldn’t leave early or travel alone, wouldn’t it be best to form a trustworthy group?

After what had happened that morning, she believed Jiang Erye’s household was reliable.

But teammates who were too poor would only slow them down on the road.

Rather than just giving them food, it was better to teach them a trade!

She could continue selling brushes and soap, while they could sell tofu and malt sugar.

Jiang Ying stammered, “B-but… that was the Bodhisattva’s gift to you…”

Shen Qing interrupted, “You just said it was from the Bodhisattva, didn’t you? A Bodhisattva would want to help more people, right?”

Jiang Ying understood the logic, but still felt it was a huge favor.

A trade skill that could earn money was rare and valuable—was Shen Qing really giving it to them so easily?

Jiang Yang, on the other hand, was straightforward. “Tell us.”

Shen Qing explained, “Besides my own trades, the fastest ways to make money are brewing wine, making tofu, and producing malt sugar. Originally, one trade per household would’ve been fair, but brewing requires fermentation starters, and I don’t have time to make them. One pound of soybeans makes five to six pounds of tofu. Two pounds of wheat plus half a pound of glutinous rice makes one pound of malt sugar…”

Jiang Ying quickly calculated the profits, and Jiang Yang began considering how to divide the work among the families.