On the wedding day, I was broken off, so I remarried his uncle

Early that morning, after finishing breakfast, Song Xile walked out of the house with the cook and went to the market to buy ingredients needed for the day.

Now that the weather is getting hotter, Song Xile would rather go to the market every day to buy fresh food than buy a lot at one time.

After all, there are two students at home who are preparing for exams, and we can’t let them get sick.

The streets of the city are already full of vitality in the early morning. Steam is rising from the street stalls, and many people carrying baskets and livestock are walking through the newly awakened streets.

If it weren't for their sad faces and hurried steps, Song Xile would have doubted that the people here were not affected by the drought.

Just as he was heading towards the meat market, suddenly a group of officers came over with gongs and drums.

The officers were dressed in official uniforms, holding gongs and drumsticks. They beat the gongs and shouted, "The prefect has ordered that the dragon boat race will continue this year..."

The officer's voice disappeared at the corner of the street, and the people standing on the street listening couldn't help but follow him.

Song Xile looked at the direction the officer was going, which happened to be the direction of the meat market. Without thinking, she followed him.

As soon as she arrived at the entrance of the market, she saw a group of people surrounding the officers inside and asking about the contents of the notice.

The officers shouted all the way until their mouths were almost smoking, but the prefect had already ordered that if the people had any doubts, they must answer them wholeheartedly and not be perfunctory!

Another citizen asked, "Can I really participate in this dragon boat race under my own name?"

Although the officer was helpless, he still nodded vigorously, "Sure! Not only can you participate in the competition under your own name, but you can also participate in the competition with the participation of your village or neighborhood. The more participants, the better."

"The prefect also said that Buddhist monks will be invited to set up a prayer area for this dragon boat race. If you are interested, please help spread the word."

After saying that, he pushed through the crowd, holding the gong in his hand, and continued to promote his work in the next crowded place.

After the officers left, the crowd immediately went wild. Some shook their heads and sighed, saying, "It's already this late, and the prefect is busy having fun instead of trying to alleviate the drought. Sigh..."

Some people disagreed, saying, "What's the big deal? The competition is a tradition of our Muzhou Prefecture. Besides, this time the Lord has delegated the selection of the competition to an individual. It's not like he's spending the government's money to let those masters compete. Maybe we'll have something exciting to watch!"

When the onlookers heard this, they thought it was indeed true. It didn't cost them any money, and there would be monks from the temples to pray for rain and blessings. This was in line with the expectations of ordinary people.

As they were discussing this, a dark-skinned man suddenly came running from a distance, shouting as he ran, "Brother Shan, brother Shan, good news."

The man in gray linen clothes was running and waving at a man in the crowd.

The man obviously heard the other party's call, and hurriedly stood up and asked, "Brother Cheng, aren't you selling chickens on the street? Why are you here?"

The man grabbed the man's hand and was about to leave. "Uncle Shan, come with me quickly. The Wang family ahead is recruiting strong men who can row boats. There are 30 cents a day, and meals are provided. Let's go quickly, let's go quickly, or we'll be robbed if we're late!"

When the man heard this, his eyes lit up and he immediately followed the man.

Some of the people who had just heard the news, who felt they were strong and healthy, followed suit, and some who had strong sons at home followed without saying a word.

The drought is severe and there are few job opportunities. Business in the city is also poor, so shops have tried to reduce the number of staff as much as possible.

Now that they hear about such a high-paying job, how can they not be tempted?

Song Xile was standing on the outskirts of the crowd. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but smile knowingly. This was just the beginning.

She turned to the cook and said, "Let's go buy some meat." Then she led the cook to the meat market.

The bustle in front of the market soon reached the ears of the butchers, but the stall owners were not very interested in holding the dragon boat race.

What they care more about is whether they can sell their meat today.

The drought situation is getting worse day by day and is certainly not comparable to before.

Not only are there fewer customers coming to the meat market to buy meat, but even the number of customers purchasing in restaurants and food outlets cannot be compared with the past.

As for ordinary people, they were reluctant to spend money to buy meat. They would rather buy food and store it to prevent the disaster from further expanding.

When Song Xile approached with the cook carrying a basket, the stall owner immediately stopped gossiping and greeted Song Xile enthusiastically.

"My lady, look at my pork belly, it's fat and lean, and very fresh."

"My dear, look at my pork. I just slaughtered the pig today and the meat is still hot!"

"..."

Song Xile walked along the way and received constant greetings, but she always refused with a smile.

Her goal today is very clear, she wants to buy mutton. Now that the dragon boat race is on the agenda, she has to prepare to sell grilled mutton skewers.

The stalls here seem even quieter than the pork stalls, with only a few customers picking their food.

Her eyes moved between the stalls, finally settling on a stall with fresh lamb hanging on it.

There were a few sheep tied next to it, and a half-grown boy was feeding them with grass.

When the stall owner saw Song Xile coming up, he immediately greeted her warmly, "Madam, do you want to buy mutton? This meat was just slaughtered today, it's very fresh!"

Song Xile walked up and asked, "How do you sell this lamb chops and this lamb meat? How much is one pound?"

The stall owner quickly introduced: "This lamb chop is nine cents a pound, and this mutton is ten cents a pound. I wonder how much you want, madam?"

"Give me five lamb chops, and weigh me three pounds of tenderloin suitable for the barbecue."

When the stall owner heard this, his eyes lit up and he immediately started cutting the meat skillfully. During the weighing process, he hit the scale high and deliberately signaled to Song Xile to see.

The meaning is very clear: when you buy mutton from me, there will be no shortage of weight.

Song Xile smiled and nodded, counted out the corresponding copper coins from his purse, paid them to the stall owner, and signaled the cook to put the meat in the basket.

The stall owner happily took the money and said warmly, "My lady, if you like it, come again next time!"

Song Xile did not respond, but looked at the sheep tied next to the stall and asked, "Stall owner, are you selling this sheep too?"