When Shen Qing heard the message Jiang Xiangxi had brought back, she didn’t say much.

The next day, she borrowed a cart and took Jiang Xiangxi straight to the city.

What she said didn’t matter anymore, what mattered was what she did.

The in-laws were reasonable people, and she couldn’t let anyone be the subject of ridicule by ill-intentioned people.

She had to make sure she properly supported Guan Li and the Guan family.

Ah Li loves walnut pies, right?

Alright, let’s pack ten servings!

She loves walnut pies, not other pastries, so let’s get one of each other pastry as well!

Can’t finish them?

No problem, there are always family members and close friends who can share and spread the joy.

Cloth is essential.

How could there be no bright red at a wedding?

Let’s get six feet of it, one set for each of the newlyweds.

They’ll need new clothes for the return wedding visit too, right?

Let’s get three feet each of peach red and pomegranate red fabric.

Jiang Xiangxi didn’t need to buy them, as she had already prepared two new sets for him when she bought clothes for the whole family earlier.

She also made a couple of embroidered jackets later.

Too much would just be a burden when fleeing, anyway.

Nuts are essential for good fortune, so let’s get two pounds each of peanuts, red dates, and lotus seeds.

Candied fruits are sweet snacks, beloved by girls. Let’s get a pack each of dried apricots, dried peaches, and dried plums.

Little girls love to dress up, and while they may not always think about it, they can’t miss out on dressing up during their best years.

So, let’s get a few red strings and silk flowers!

“Mother, do we need to buy anything else?” Jiang Xiangxi, who was trailing behind with the cart that was gradually piled high, asked uneasily.

His mother’s shopping like this wouldn’t leave them with nothing, would it?

The family earned silver, but how much could they earn?

Especially since only a month had passed—if they had twenty taels, that was probably the maximum!

Shen Qing thought for a moment and then said, “No need for sugar. I made arrangements with your aunt Ying last night for ten pounds.”

Malt sugar helps with lung health, coughs, and promotes digestion. For people who have little to eat, it’s very nutritious.

Since it’s connected to her own business, she should naturally consider it.

Jiang Xiangxi breathed a sigh of relief, though he was still shocked by the ten pounds of malt sugar.

Malt sugar is cheaper than brown sugar, but only by half. Most families buy just one pound of brown sugar to show off, and two pounds is considered a sign of great respect. But his mother chose malt sugar and bought a full ten pounds!

Shen Qing was mentally calculating their savings.

Including the first purchase, they had sold five times already.

The first time was for necessities, so there was little left.

The next four times, after deducting small amounts for stocking up and deposits, along with the dividends from tofu and malt sugar, they had saved ninety-six taels of silver.

Though it wasn’t quite a hundred taels, buying big livestock was not a problem.

She decided to buy the livestock today and raise them for a couple of months to get familiar with their feeding and habits.

Eleven taels for one donkey, and ten for the second, making a total of twenty-one taels for two donkeys. Plus the donkey for Guan’s family, that makes four donkeys, totaling forty-two taels.

Then, she needed to buy one cow, which costs eighteen taels.

Altogether, that’s sixty taels, which used up most of the savings, but Shen Qing thought it was worth it.

This expense was unavoidable.

She had thought this over several times.

The two little granddaughters didn’t need mentioning, and Huo Bing had a baby to care for.

Xiao Yu had injured her leg, and when she was healed, it would still be tough for a young girl to travel long distances by foot.

Jiang Shui was the same.

Two donkeys with a big cart could carry five or six hundred pounds.

The cart would hold lightweight, comfortable, and safe bedding and clothes.

Three girls could take turns in the cart to care for the two children, giving them at least two hours each day without needing to walk.

She had the market, and she worked so hard so that she wouldn’t have to suffer, so she would prepare a donkey cart for herself.

She would also pack a hundred pounds of food.

After she boarded the cart, she would store the food in a storage compartment, lightening the donkey’s load.

The ox cart would be used for carrying household food, barrels, pots, pans, and other belongings, so the five men of the family could travel light.

The eldest son could protect his wife and children.

The second son could help the Guan family.

The third, fourth, and sixth sons would look after the belongings on the ox cart.

With the donkey cart, Guan Xiaoshan wouldn’t need anyone to pull it, and he could reduce the weight of two hundred pounds of belongings.

Guan the carpenter and the second son would take turns pulling the cart.

Even if it was tiring, it would be much easier than the dream she had.

Today, the pastries, cloth, head ornaments, and the ten pounds of malt sugar she had already ordered cost about three taels of silver.

After buying the livestock for sixty taels, they still had thirty-three taels left.

Thirty-three taels could do a lot.

Jiang Xiangxi only saw his mother entering a jewelry shop, but this time she wasn’t looking at headpieces or red strings.

She was looking at silver jewelry!

Silver bangles and silver hairpins, two taels for a pair.

He watched as his mother, with a wave of her hand, bought four pairs!

“Mother?”

“Your eldest sister-in-law came to our house when she was ten years old. She was meant to be a child bride, but no wedding gifts were prepared. These years she has suffered, and now that our family is doing well, I thought I’d make up for what she missed out on.”

“Your second aunt… the wedding gifts she received came from our family. She’s suffered a lot, and she doesn’t have any personal savings. Silver bangles and hairpins are jewelry in peaceful times, but in troubled times, they’re life-saving money!”

“As for your younger sister, she can’t be the only one without them, right?”

Jiang Xiangxi silently listened.

Then, he looked up and asked, “But what about your own share, mother?”

She had considered everyone else but didn’t think of herself!

Shen Qing smiled dismissively. “I don’t like wearing them.”

All the silver in the family was in her hands, and she had the storage compartment to keep it. Buying jewelry wasn’t a big deal.

Wearing it would only be a burden.

But Jiang Xiangxi interpreted it as her saying, “You all can have it, but I won’t.”

She was giving them the best!

He solemnly promised, “Mother, I’ll buy you gold jewelry in the future!”

Shen Qing: Why are we talking about buying gold jewelry for me?

“Just buy it for Ah Li. As for me, I can buy it for myself!”

And she would buy it quicker and in heavier quantities—gold, silver, crystal, agate, jade, and Hetian jade…

Even though today she bought livestock and only had twenty-five taels left, it didn’t matter.

She was still earning money and had the ability to make more.

Jiang Xiangxi, though a little moved, was even more determined: “Ah Li has it, so you must have it too!”

Without her, there would be no him or Ah Li.

Shen Qing thought it was good for him to have filial piety, so she didn’t want to discourage him. She nodded, “Alright, work hard!”

Jiang Xiangxi immediately felt encouraged, thinking about how much he could earn in a day and how long it would take to buy jewelry for Ah Li and his mother.

Then, he was completely stunned when Shen Qing bought four donkeys and a cow without blinking an eye.

His mother was so extravagant?

He had thought that the four sets of jewelry costing eight taels was a lot, and the family was almost drained, but then his mother casually spent sixty taels?

He was in disbelief.