It's hard for my elder sister. I rely on the mountains to farm and pay off my debts.

Could it be that he died before he even started his mission?

Song Zhi just didn't believe it. She looked around the entire market, thinking about possible cash-in opportunities.

It is obviously not feasible to sell directly to the villagers who come to the market now, so why not change the idea and sell it to the food vendors who set up stalls here?

Once her mind was opened, Song Zhi began to look at the food stalls in the market and quickly determined her target.

She first thanked Zhao for her kindness, then took her basket and went to the stall that was crowded with people buying buns. She took the opportunity to ask a few questions, and after she had a general idea of what was going on, she walked towards another bun stall that was not doing very good business.

The bun shop owner, seeing Song Zhi coming over, greeted her with a smile on his face, "Young lady, you want to buy buns? My buns have thin wrappers and big fillings. Two vegetable buns are only three cents."

Song Zhi paused and asked with interest, "What kind of fillings are in the vegetable dumplings?"

"We have sauerkraut filling and shredded radish filling. Which one would you like, young lady?"

Song Zhi didn't answer, but asked instead: "Are there only these two kinds of fillings?"

The middle-aged man was afraid that Song Zhi would not buy it, so he hurriedly introduced it, "We also have meat ones, which are delicious. Do you want any, young lady?"

Song Zhi shook her head with a look of regret. "Uncle, to be honest, please don't be upset. Since you are a businessman, how can you only have these two choices for vegetarian buns?"

"I was going to ask if they have buns stuffed with bamboo shoots. What a pity!" After saying that, he was about to go to another bun stall.

The middle-aged man seemed to have suddenly realized something important and quickly called Song Zhi over. "Young lady, you said my shop's business is not doing well because of the lack of variety?"

Song Zhi pointed to the crowded bun shop in front and asked, "Uncle, how do you think your buns taste compared to that one?"

The middle-aged man said confidently: "Of course it's not bad!"

"Hasn't the uncle ever tried other flavors since he started selling buns?"

The middle-aged man nodded subconsciously.

Song Zhi smiled, "When it comes to making food, what matters is the newness. While maintaining the original taste, there must also be changes and innovations."

"Bamboo shoots are crisp and tender, and paired with fresh meat, you can sell a bamboo shoot and meat package for two cents, which is not a loss for you, and the customer can also try something new, don't you think? So uncle, do you want to buy some bamboo shoots to try?" After saying this, he shook the basket in his hand.

The middle-aged man couldn't help laughing, and said that he had been wanting to sell bamboo shoots to him for a long time.

He didn't mind Song Zhi's frankness and directness, but he was still a little undecided.

Seeing this, Song Zhi suggested, "Uncle, I have four catties and five ounces of bamboo shoots, and they cost two cents per catty, which makes a total of nine cents."

"How about this? I'll buy four vegetable buns from you, and you can give me three cents for the rest?"

Song Zhi's original purpose was to go to the city to sell herbs. She was content to earn two cents for the city entrance fee, so she had no hesitation in exchanging bamboo shoots for buns.

The middle-aged man selling buns was a little hesitant at first, but after hearing what Song Zhi said, he smiled and agreed, "My lady is quite flexible. Okay, I'll do as you say. What filling do you want?"

He was reluctant to pay nine cents at once.

But his business is not good today, so there will definitely be some leftover vegetable buns.

Instead of leaving it until tomorrow when it becomes stale, it’s better to change it to some bamboo shoots and try it. Maybe business will pick up.

Song Zhi ordered two of each of the last two kinds of vegetable buns, wrapped them in leaves, and put them in the basket she brought over. She carefully kept the three cents, then said goodbye to the stall owner and walked towards the corner where her grandmother was.

When Song Zhi walked out of the crowded crowd, she saw her grandmother, who was stretching her neck and looking around for her.

She couldn't help but quicken her pace. When she got closer, Wu asked anxiously, "What took you so long? Did you find a suitable place to stay?"

Song Zhi shook her head and picked up the backpack on the ground, saying, "Grandma Zhao from the clan leader's family is in there. She wanted to make room for us, but I declined."

"Grandma, let's go first."

When Mrs. Wu heard that her granddaughter was leaving, her emotions fluctuated and she couldn't help but cough again.

Seeing this, Song Zhi hurriedly patted her back to help her calm down.

After calming down, she said anxiously, "Why are you leaving? We haven't sold all the eggs yet, and we still have these two baskets of medicinal herbs..."

"Grandma, half of the stalls in this market are selling eggs, so let's not go in and join in the fun. As for these medicinal herbs, I didn't plan to sell them at the big market. Let's go to the county town."

Wu was stunned on the spot, "But...but I don't have any money!"

Song Zhi smiled and put three cents into Grandma's hand, and told her what had just happened.

She sighed regretfully, "There are so many people selling bamboo shoots at the market, and most of them are unwilling to spend money on them. Otherwise, I could have earned a few more copper coins and wouldn't have to exchange them for buns!"

Mrs. Wu also carried the basket on her back. She did not blame her granddaughter for spending money recklessly, but praised her: "You did a great job. If you exchange the buns, you can keep them for yourself!"

She had been to this market so many times. If there were bamboo shoots in the village, didn't she know that she should dig them up and sell them at the market? It was just that she couldn't sell them!

Not only did I waste my time, but I also delayed my housework!

If she were to sell it today, she might not be able to sell it even at the big market. She has experienced this before.

Once a person becomes poor, he dare not gamble even with a penny spent.

Mrs. Wu was immersed in memories of the past and was unable to come back to her senses.

It was not until Song Zhi stopped under a big tree by the roadside and pulled her sleeve that he looked at his granddaughter.

"Grandma, I'm hungry after being out for half a day. Let's sit down and rest for a while and have some buns to fill our stomachs before we go!"

There was still a distance of nearly three kilometers to go from the market to the county town. The two men had been carrying heavy loads and had been traveling for a long time since the dawn.

The wild vegetable porridge she had eaten for breakfast had already been digested. Anyway, Song Zhi didn't have the strength to walk anymore!

In fact, Mrs. Wu was also walking with all her might. Seeing that her granddaughter was tired, she did not insist. She stopped and put down the backpack on her back.

Song Zhi handed over a bun, and Wu waved her hand, "You can eat it. Here are some rice balls prepared by your aunt!"

After saying that, he rummaged in his backpack, took out two wild vegetable rice balls, and handed one to Song Zhi.

Seeing her granddaughter staring at the wild vegetable rice balls in a daze, Mrs. Wu tried to persuade her:

"What happened in the past is in the past. Our family has been very successful in recent years thanks to your aunt's efforts. Even if she has selfish motives, it's for your cousins. Don't try to compete with her on everything."

Song Zhi knew that her grandmother still didn't believe her and was worried that she was holding a grudge against her aunt.

She didn't say much, just listened carefully. She knew that no matter how many promises she made, it would be useless, so she could only prove it with her actions.