End of the World Crisis, My Husband is from Ancient Times

The carriage stopped at the city gate, and Fan Mengmeng followed Teng Junze out. The scene before her was overwhelming: bustling crowds, a dazzling array of goods, the clamor of hawkers and bargaining, the air thick with the aroma of various foods. It was completely different from a modern shopping mall, yet full of vitality. She followed Teng Junze closely, afraid of getting lost. Teng Junze walked steadily, his eyes scanning the crowd, occasionally pausing to chat with street vendors, as if observing something.

They arrived at a cloth stall, where the owner was lamenting over several rolls of unevenly colored fabric. "Oh, the dye's ruined! How can I sell them?" Curious, Fan Mengmeng approached and examined the fabric carefully, realizing it was the uneven distribution of the dye. Recalling an experiment she'd done in chemistry class, she had an idea and said to the stall owner, "Uncle, maybe I can give it a try."

The stall owner eyed her suspiciously, but seeing her well-dressed and with Master Teng by her side, he agreed, hoping for a last-ditch effort. Fan Mengmeng asked the stall owner for some common ingredients, and under everyone's gaze, she mixed them in a specific ratio and then soaked the fabric in them.

As time ticked by, more and more people gathered around, discussing the situation. Some mocked her for overestimating her abilities, while others wondered what she was up to. Teng Junze stood nearby, watching her with interest, a subtle smile in his eyes.

After a moment, Fan Mengmeng removed the fabric from the solution and gently wrung it out. A miracle occurred! The fabric, once mottled in color, now became evenly bright and rich in color, as if it had been completely reborn. The crowd of onlookers fell silent, then erupted in exclamations. "This... How is this possible!" the stall owner was so excited that she was incoherent, tightly holding Fan Mengmeng's hand. "Girl, you are truly amazing!"

Teng Junze walked over to Fan Mengmeng, his eyes full of admiration. "Miss Fan is truly exceptionally intelligent." Fan Mengmeng smiled shyly, a sense of accomplishment welling up in her heart.

However, there were also some conservative merchants in the crowd, their faces gloomy and whispering among themselves. "What kind of sorcery is this woman using? She's completely heretical!" "Exactly, she's breaking the rules passed down by our ancestors..." Fan Mengmeng felt uneasy at the unfriendly glances, but she tried to remain calm and looked up at Teng Junze, "Master, let's go..."

Teng Junze noticed Fan Mengmeng's uneasiness and patted her shoulder to comfort her. "Let's go." His tone was calm, but it carried unquestionable authority.

As they took a step forward, a short, chubby businessman with a greasy face blocked their path. "Wait!" He pointed at Fan Mengmeng and said sarcastically, "You seductress, you've deceived people with your devious ways and violated market rules. You must give us an explanation today!"

Several merchants immediately chimed in, clamoring to have Fan Mengmeng driven from the market. Though their clothing wasn't as lavish as Teng Junze's, each of them had a bulging belly, and trailed by several burly servants, they looked menacing, like they were bullying others. Xiaofu glanced worriedly at Fan Mengmeng, then at Teng Junze, and quietly took a half step back, fearing he'd be dragged into the fray.

Fan Mengmeng bit her lip, feeling a surge of resentment. She had only wanted to help, but hadn't expected to get into such trouble. She stole a glance at Teng Junze, and seeing that he looked calm, she felt a little relieved.

"Everyone," Teng Junze began slowly, his voice low and powerful, "This Miss Fan is my guest. Her actions today were not malicious; she simply used some novel methods. How can she be accused of sorcery?"

"Master Teng, we respect you, but we cannot tolerate such behavior that violates the rules!" The fat merchant stiffened his neck, refusing to budge. "This dyeing method has been in place since ancient times. How can we allow her to change it at will? If we don't kick her out today, everyone will follow suit, and the market will be in chaos!"

The vendors around her nodded and murmured, their words filled with disdain for Fan Mengmeng. Some even began to accuse Teng Junze of being bewitched by a seductress and unable to distinguish right from wrong. These words pierced Fan Mengmeng's heart like needles. She felt like a lamb straying among wolves, isolated and helpless.

Teng Junze's face darkened slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Fan Mengmeng tugged at his sleeve and gently shook her head. She took a deep breath, her eyes sweeping past the clamoring merchants until they landed on a street vendor selling candied haws. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She walked up to the vendor and softly asked, "Uncle, how's your candied haws business?"

The vendor sighed sadly, "Oh, girl, don't mention it. Business is very slow today..."

Fan Mengmeng smiled mysteriously: "Maybe, I can help you..."

Fan Mengmeng borrowed some candied haws from a candied haws vendor and spread a clean cloth on the ground. She arranged the candied haws neatly, then pulled a piece of paper from her bag and wrote in large charcoal pencil: "Buy one, get one free." She held the paper high and shouted, "Don't miss it if you're passing by! Today's candied haws sale! Buy one, get one free!"

The previously deserted stall was immediately crowded with people, all curious about this novel promotional method. Children were even more excited, pulling their parents' hands and clamoring to buy candied haws.

"Girl, won't you lose money with this buy one get one free offer?" an aunt asked curiously.

Fan Mengmeng explained with a smile, "Auntie, it's about small profits but quick turnover! There are so many people here today, so the sales are fast, so we can actually make more money!"

The vendor followed suit, and soon, all the candied haws were sold out. The vendor looked at the empty bamboo poles, his face filled with surprise, and excitedly shook Fan Mengmeng's hand, "Girl, you're truly my lucky star! I made several times more today than usual!" The surrounding vendors were stunned; they hadn't expected such a simple method to be so effective. The vendors who had previously dismissed Fan Mengmeng now had a new respect for her. Even the fat merchant was speechless, and the several strong servants behind him subsided their earlier arrogance and quietly stepped back.

"Let's go." Teng Junze's voice interrupted the discussion. He looked at Fan Mengmeng with a subtle admiration in his eyes.

Fan Mengmeng followed Teng Junze to an elegant teahouse. Xiaofu attentively poured tea for her and said with a smile, "Miss Fan, you're a celebrity at the market now! Everyone admires you so much!"

Fan Mengmeng's cheeks turned slightly red and she smiled embarrassedly.

Teng Junze took a sip of tea, his gaze fixed on Fan Mengmeng. He said meaningfully, "Miss Fan, you are indeed... different." He paused, then continued, "Tomorrow, we will set off for home."

Fan Mengmeng's heart tightened. Returning home... She subconsciously clenched the teacup in her hand, causing the tea to swirl slightly. Teng Junze's gaze seemed to see through everything in her heart, and an unpredictable smile curved the corners of his mouth...