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

Song Zhi stopped in front of a stall selling pork lard.

The sharp-eyed stall owner immediately called out, "Madam, would you like some pork fat?"

Song Zhi nodded. "How much are pork belly and lard?"

"Madam, five-flowered garlic is fifteen cents a pound, and lard is twelve cents a pound."

Xu at home doesn't eat meat anymore, so Song Zhi asked for a pound each.

Seeing that the young lady was unfamiliar, the stall owner also wanted to do repeat business, so after Song Zhi paid the money, he gave her two large, cleaned bones.

Song Zhi thanked him and took it. She decided to use the big bone to make some vegetable soup when she got home. It would be more nutritious than eating vegetable porridge every day.

After buying the meat, the grandmother and grandson walked towards the vegetable market. Suddenly, Song Zhi stopped and pointed at an old woman not far ahead and said, "Grandma, that old lady is selling mung beans. Do you want to buy some?"

Mrs. Wu nodded repeatedly, "Let's go and have a look. If it's cheaper than the grocery store, we'll buy it here."

As expected, one catty cost only four cents, so Song Zhi immediately bought five catties.

Considering that she would have to make mung bean cakes with red bean paste filling later, Song Zhi asked for two more pounds of red beans, spending another twenty-four cents.

After coming out of the vegetable market, Song Zhi went to the grocery store again and spent thirty-five cents to buy half a pound of sugar.

After this trip, only 70 cents were left of the 160 cents earned.

Mrs. Wu looked at the money that had not yet warmed up. She felt heartbroken as she realized that most of it had been spent in just one hour.

Song Zhi also felt that the money was too much to spend at this moment, as she still had a huge debt to pay off. Apart from the necessities for making pastries, she didn't dare to spend any more.

The grandfather and grandson carried their things out of the county town, and Song Zhi suggested taking a ox cart back.

Without any precious pastries in her hands, Wu wanted to walk back by herself. "Azhi, if you're tired, take a car. It's such a short distance, you can just run back."

Song Zhi was not willing to let Wu go back alone, so she advised, "Grandma, let's not waste time. There are so many mung beans that need to be peeled when we get back, and there are also herbs in the mountains that need to be dug. How much money can we make by saving this time?"

Song Zhi knew best that in the minds of the older generation, even walking for an extra hour, let alone an hour, would be worth it as long as they could save a penny.

In modern times, her grandmother once went to school to bring her food, and in order to save two dollars in fare, she walked from afternoon to evening on the way back.

Song Zhi can endure hardships, but some hardships are completely unnecessary. However, she can also understand the same choice of the two "grandmothers".

For them, making money is too difficult. They can save a penny by walking a little more, but that is an egg, which they usually don't want to eat.

Song Zhi couldn't say that grandma's idea was wrong. She just wanted her to be around now so that the old lady could live a more relaxed and comfortable life in the future.

With the help of an ox cart, the grandfather and grandson returned to the village half an hour later.

On the way home, he met many villagers working in the fields. Villagers greeted Wu from time to time, and if he met someone he had a good relationship with, he would stop and talk to them.

So, when they met Granny Tian on the ridge of the field, Mrs. Wu worriedly reminded her, "You should also take care of yourself. Go back and rest when the sun gets high..."

Song Zhi stood aside and listened. She knew that her grandmother had a very good relationship with Grandma Tian. When they were young, they both married into Songjia Village in the same year and had children one after the other. If there had not been the subsequent war, perhaps they would not have had to suffer so much in their later years.

Like her own family, Grandma Tian’s only son was also drafted into the army. Last year, she received the news that he had passed away. Now, only she and her grandson, who is less than ten years old, are left at home.

She was less than fifty years old, but her temples were already gray and her body was hunched.

The war that lasted for several years made life very difficult for the people here.

Although the new emperor had concluded an alliance with the barbarians and allowed them to trade, because this place was close to the border and the barbarians were not trustworthy, they often tore up the alliance and rode south on horseback from time to time to forage for food.

Even though they were in such a difficult situation, they still helped our family when my younger brother was seriously ill.

Song Zhi felt heavy in her heart.

Mrs. Wu took a few steps and saw that her granddaughter hadn't caught up with her. She hurriedly called out, "Azhi, let's go."

Song Zhi was lost in thought and unable to come back to her senses until her grandmother called her, then she raised her feet and followed.

Song Zhi caught up with Wu and asked, "Grandma, do you think we can buy beans from our uncles and aunts in the village from now on?"

Mrs. Wu was stunned when she heard this, then rubbed her granddaughter's hair with satisfaction, "Aren't you worried that others will ask you why you need so many mung beans?"

Song Zhi smiled and shook her head, "Grandma, you can go buy it from the villagers who are on good terms with our family."

"I'll buy from anyone, why not from the villagers? Regardless of whether they ask or not, if they do, just say I cook it for food."

In fact, Wu had long wanted to buy the house from the villagers. In recent years, most of the villagers had extended a helping hand to his family when they were in trouble.

But considering that this is now the family's only source of income, Mrs. Wu is afraid that it will be known to others and cut off her livelihood.

But now seeing her granddaughter's confident look, Mrs. Wu asked uncertainly, "Then I'll buy it in the village later?"

Song Zhi nodded solemnly, "Grandma, go ahead and buy it."

Mrs. Wu's eyes narrowed in smiles. She rubbed her granddaughter's head. The child had grown up and no longer focused on the gains and losses in front of her. She also knew how to repay the neighbors who had helped her family.

Mrs. Wu was very pleased.

The grandfather and grandson walked hand in hand along the country path.

Aunt Hu, watching the grandfather and grandson approaching with baskets in the distance, shrewd little green eyes darted back and forth, and with a broad smile on her face, she said, "Aunt, are you going to the market? What good things did you buy?"

Wu said with a forced smile, "She went to the market to sell mung beans. Does her aunt want to buy some? I still have some left. If you want them, I can sell them to you at a lower price."

Mrs. Hu smiled awkwardly and took a few steps back. "Auntie, you're joking. My family doesn't lack beans either. You should go ask someone else."

Song Zhi walked behind her grandmother, covering her mouth and laughing. Her grandmother really understood Hu's temperament. With just one sentence, she scared people away.

Wu turned sideways to look back at her granddaughter, who was covering her mouth with her hands and laughing secretly, and warned her worriedly, "You should have less contact with her in the future."

She couldn't talk about Mrs. Hu behind her back, saying that she loved to make connections with others and that her granddaughter had been instigated by her into having a bad temper.

After all, the child is now clear-headed and can distinguish between good and evil. Most importantly, he can make money.

If she criticized too harshly, angered others, and became estranged from her family, she would regret it to death.

So Wu never mentioned her granddaughter's past ridiculous behavior and warned her not to have any contact with Hu again.

Seeing that her grandmother looked as if she was facing a great enemy, Song Zhi nodded obediently and made her promise, which reassured her grandmother.