Shen Linchuan’s roasted pig’s head and offal smelled delicious, but no one wanted it. When they heard it was free to try, people actually came forward to taste it. Shen Linchuan was quick with his words and wore a smile on his face, so most of those who stopped were willing to sample what this was.

One man took a bite, smacking his lips in delight. “Mmm! Delicious! Brother, this meat is flavorful. Give me some more.”

“Brother, this is pig offal. I seasoned it—perfect for drinking.”

“Offal? That stuff reeks! How can it smell so good?”

Others who had just tasted it also found it quite tasty. Upon hearing it was offal, their expressions shifted slightly—they hadn’t expected it to be that stuff. Yet it truly was delicious.

Shen Linchuan continued, “Don’t underestimate the pig’s head—the cheek meat is the most flavorful. Try a slice and see for yourself.”

Shen Linchuan hurried back to his stall, sliced some more pork cheek, and offered, “Try this.”

The man nodded with satisfaction after tasting it. “Give me a pound of this pork cheek, and slice me a piece of liver too.”

“Sure thing. Pork cheek is twenty wen per pound, and the offal is ten wen per pound.”

“That’s expensive.”

“My family has a special marinade recipe. It’s unique—even the pork intestines taste exceptionally flavorful.”

Thanks to Shen Linchuan’s silver tongue, he successfully sold some pork head meat and cold-marinated offal. Even the man bought some of the universally disliked pork intestines. “I’ll prepare the marinade for you— even the marinade is a secret recipe—this is on the house.”

Hearing it was free, the man grew even happier. After seeing him off, Shen Linchuan placed the forty copper coins into his money box. The clinking sound was truly delightful.

Shen Linchuan felt pleased inside—his business had officially opened.

The offal was quite tasty once prepared, though the locals didn’t know how to remove the gamey taste or enhance the flavor.

After hesitating, someone else said, “Give me a pound of offal.”

Shen Linchuan deftly scooped some onto the cutting board. “Coming right up.”

The customer paid first with copper coins, muttering, “These offal are a bit pricey—costing as much as two eggs.”

Shen Linchuan explained with a smile, “But it’s different. Look, I first simmered them at home with secret seasonings, then mixed them for you free of charge. That takes extra time and effort—selling them cheaply wouldn’t cover my costs.”

Shen Linchuan busied himself while hawking his wares. When no one was around, he’d dash into the street to offer samples. The pork head meat sold quite well—nearly everyone who tasted it ended up buying some. He sold out of that first, leaving the offal to sell slowly.

Zhou Ning watched Shen Linchuan’s stall gradually draw a crowd and felt pleased. His husband was certainly more business-savvy than his own father. As an educated man, his silver tongue was sharp indeed.

After helping his father through the morning market, Zhou Ning moved over to assist Shen Linchuan. While Shen Linchuan handed out samples up front, Zhou Ning sliced the offal. With both of them working, the stall became much busier than when Shen Linchuan was alone.

“Hot offal, folks! If it’s not tasty, you don’t pay!”

Shen Linchuan actually drew quite a crowd. Offal was generally disliked by wives and fulangs, so most buyers were men. Some who tried it liked it enough to take some home.

By the end of the morning, they’d given away and sold everything. The money box was filled with quite a few copper coins. Though he didn’t know the exact amount, it was definitely more than the hundred or so coins they’d earned before.

Shen Linchuan gave his money box a shake. Though the first day’s business had been bumpy, they’d made a profit—his very first earnings together with Ning-ger. He felt genuinely pleased.

At lunchtime, he pulled out his coins and bought some fried dough twists from the snack stall across the street. Then he went to the shop behind them and ordered three bowls of shredded chicken with rice noodles. The food from that stall smelled incredibly good—Shen Linchuan had been sniffing the aroma all morning. As soon as he earned the coins, he rushed over to buy some.

The three sat down at the shop across the street. Shen Linchuan pushed the first bowl he’d mixed over to Zhou Ning. “Eat up. You must be hungry.”

Zhou Ning paused, startled. All three bowls of rice noodles arrived, but Shen Linchuan had mixed his own bowl and swapped it with Zhou Ning’s. A wave of warmth washed over Zhou Ning—no one had ever shown him such care before.

Zhou Da hadn’t expected Shen Linchuan to actually earn coins. He chuckled cheerfully, “Not bad, Linchuan. I saw you sell quite a few this morning.”

“Not bad, not bad. Half of it’s still at home. I’ll bring it over tomorrow to sell.” Shen Linchuan’s face was also full of smiles. After all, this was the first money he’d ever earned himself. He didn’t know exactly how much it was, but the cost was low. He’d find out once he got home and counted it.

After working all morning, Shen Linchuan was famished. He dug into the rice noodles. This place made the best chicken shredded rice noodles—the noodles were smooth and slippery, the seasoning fragrant, and paired with crispy fried dough twists, it was utterly satisfying.

Shen Linchuan knew his Fulang and father had hearty appetites. One bowl of rice noodles wouldn’t be enough to fill them. He’d just asked for extra fried dough twists at the door—two wen each, not expensive.

Shen Linchuan was stuffed when he heard Zhou Ning burp contentedly. A smile touched his lips as he counted out coins from his waistband to pay. The noodle shop was run by a young couple who operated a modest stall. An older couple, likely their parents, also helped out, clearing tables.

The wife, preparing the toppings, laughed heartily. “Twenty wen is plenty! Zhou Da mentioned Ning-ger got married. This is my first time seeing you today. Congratulations, congratulations!”

“Thank you.”

Shen Linchuan didn’t hesitate. For the eight-wen bowl of shredded chicken rice noodles, he cheerfully handed over twenty wen, considering it a congratulatory gift for their marriage. This rice noodle shop was right across from his family’s meat stall; they were all familiar faces.

After eating, the three headed back. Shen Linchuan felt a bit stuffed. The midday market wasn’t crowded anymore. “Father, Ning-ger, and I are going to buy some vegetable seeds.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

Shen Linchuan strolled through the market with Zhou Ning. The morning market had been bustling, and he’d been busy, but now he finally had time to wander.

Qinghe Town was vast. Even though it was past noon, the market remained bustling. Snack stalls were particularly lively now. A shop assistant nearby held an iron ladle high, pouring milky-white mutton soup into bowls like a small river. “Mutton soup! Hot mutton soup~.”

“Golden-threaded steamed buns! Fresh-out-of-the-oven golden-threaded steamed buns!”

“Sir, care for some bean paste balls or sesame balls?”

“Apricots! Apricots! Fresh-picked apricots!”

Shen Linchuan watched with amusement. This snack-selling area was truly bustling. Some stalls even pulled tricks to attract customers—noodle makers twirling dough in circles, tea vendors flipping long-spouted teapots behind their backs…

Shen Linchuan turned his head and whispered to Zhou Ning, “Any snacks you fancy? How about those bean paste balls? They look pretty good.”

Zhou Ning shook his head. “I can’t eat anymore. I’m a bit full.”

Those bean balls were made by boiling red beans until soft, grinding them into paste, mixing in sugar and flour to form dough balls, then deep-frying them. Having eaten his fill, Zhou Ning now found the fried texture rather cloying.

“Then let’s walk ahead first and see if there are any stalls selling vegetable seeds.”

The two walked side by side forward. After a short distance, the crowd thinned out. Over there were small stalls selling needlework, silk flowers, and the like. There weren’t many people around now. Shen Linchuan even spotted chicks and ducklings crammed together in cages.

“Why not buy some chicks and ducklings? We don’t have many chickens at home, and the eggs they lay aren’t enough to feed us. If we raise these, they’ll be laying eggs by next year.”

The old woman selling the chicks and ducklings overheard and called out, “Come take a look! I’ve warmed them all by the fire. It’s still early—these chicks and ducklings aren’t brooding yet.”

Shen Linchuan felt tempted. More chickens and ducks would liven up the house.

Zhou Ning tugged his sleeve. “They’re too expensive. We already have chickens—maybe they can hatch chicks? I don’t know, but last year Auntie Wang’s hen hatched two broods. Why not give Auntie Wang some eggs this year and let her chickens hatch them for us?”

The old woman countered, “Expensive? These chicks are only seven wen each! If you want them for meat, raise them until year-end. But if you wait for the hens to brood and hatch them in May or June, they’ll still only be half-grown by year-end.”

Shen Linchuan realized he was right—an egg cost just four wen now. “Then we’ll see if our hens hatch chicks.”

Zhou Ning nodded, and the two walked on. After a few steps, they spotted a small stall selling vegetable seeds. An old man sat beside a patch of torn cloth spread on the ground, selling seeds.

Shen Linchuan pulled Zhou Ning down to crouch beside him. “Any vegetables you particularly like?”

“It’s hot in summer—let’s plant some cucumbers. Eggplants are tasty too, though I can’t fry them as well as they do at banquets.”

“Then get some cucumber and eggplant seeds. Also chili peppers, spinach, coriander, and sword beans—a little of each.”

They’d already gotten some seedlings from Auntie Wang, so they didn’t need to buy pumpkins, winter melons, or gourds. They wouldn’t need to set up trellises either—just let them climb the mud walls. With today’s purchases, they wouldn’t just have plenty of vegetables through summer and fall; they’d even have some to eat in winter.

The old man deftly picked out the seeds Shen Linchuan requested, wrapped them in sunflower leaves, and then tied them up with grass stems—simple and convenient.

Thirty wen later, Shen Linchuan’s purse felt lighter. “Take these to the stall first. We’ll head to the schoolhouse.”

Zhou Ning nodded, making Shen Linchuan’s heart flutter once more. How obedient she was!

Shen Linchuan asked with a smile, “You like eggplant, huh? Once ours start bearing fruit, I’ll cook them for you. I know how to make stir-fried eggplant with three vegetables, stuffed eggplant, braised eggplant, and minced pork with eggplant.”

“I do, but I can’t cook them well. They turn mushy and don’t taste good.”

Some of the dishes Shen Linchuan mentioned were unfamiliar to Zhou Ning, but knowing Shen Linchuan’s skill, they would surely be delicious.

“Eggplant soaks up oil. You probably skimp on it when you cook. I’ll make it for you.”

“Okay.”

Shen Linchuan particularly enjoyed teasing Zhou Ning. He was so dazed and clueless, so rigidly by-the-book, like an emotionally stable little capybara—perfectly entertaining to poke fun at.

On their way back, they spotted a vendor selling candied hawthorn on sticks. Shen Linchuan picked the largest one and held it out to Zhou Ning before he could react. “That’s for kids. Why buy it?”

“Who says? You just mentioned feeling greasy. A hawthorn berry will cut through it.”

Shen Linchuan pressed it into Zhou Ning’s hand. A nearby fulang teased, “Your man’s being so thoughtful.”