Divorced woman with child travels through time

On market day, Chen Wenfang got up early, packed her herbs, and waited at home for Uncle Liu Hai and his family to arrive. Seeing that there was still time, she also made a few sugar cakes. Why sugar cakes? Because both Chen Wenfang and her son loved sweets. When Aunt Liu's family arrived, she handed each of them a sugar cake. Uncle Liu Hai took a bite and found the cake soft, sweet, and delicious. He smiled and said, "Sister Chen, your cooking skills are truly excellent! I've never eaten such delicious cakes before."

Dazhuang and Shitou chimed in, "The cakes the Empress made are so delicious, so sweet."

"Did Your Majesty put sugar in it?" Shi Tou asked, chewing the cake indistinctly.

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "Yes, would you like another one?"

"I want one! I want one! I want one too!" Chen Xuanyu looked at his brothers eating with envy and asked for another one.

After finishing the pancakes, Shi Tou secretly whispered to Aunt Liu, "Mom, please make us sweet pancakes next time!"

Aunt Liu couldn't help but laugh and said, "Okay, I'll make you sweet cookies next time, so you can eat your fill."

The group strolled briskly through the medicinal herb mountain towards the market in Lijia Town. The May weather was neither too hot nor too cold. The mountain was covered in trees, and the path, though narrow, was quite distinct after a while. It was just wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, and also just wide enough for a wheelbarrow to pass. The trees on the mountain were very tall, and a cool breeze rustled through the trees. The dim light created a somewhat gloomy atmosphere. One person wouldn't dare walk alone.

As Chen Wenfang walked, she chatted with Aunt Liu, "Aunt Liu, how big is this medicinal herb mountain? Last time I passed by, I was only thinking about selling herbs and didn't pay attention. Now that it looks like this, it's easy to get lost if you don't take the side paths."

Aunt Liu laughed and said, "Don't be fooled by the fact that it only takes half an hour to cross this Great Medicine Mountain. That's because the place we live in is shaped like a waist. The Great Medicine Mountain is nearly fifty miles in circumference. If you really go inside, you won't be able to find your way out."

Chen Wenfang added, "Aren't there any wild beasts or anything that could hurt people in there? We live right by the mountain."

Aunt Liu said, "Don't worry about that. A few years ago, there were fewer people. In recent years, Lijia Town has a market and a road has been built. When the road was built, a lot of explosives were used to blast rocks. Now that there are more people coming and going, we don't see any injuries anymore."

“So that’s how it is. I was wondering why I’ve never seen any wild animals at home,” Chen Wenfang said.

They traveled quickly, and once they left the mountains, they saw many pedestrians on the main road, all heading to the market. Soon they arrived at Lijia Town, where Chen Wenfang also saw several familiar faces from Wangjia Village. She helped Aunt Liu set up her stall and put up her signboard, and then people came up to ask about herbs.

An older woman asked, "Madam, can your herbal medicine really cure coughs?"

Before Chen Wenfang could speak, the old man selling mung beans next to her said loudly, "Of course! I personally saw the young master of the Ouyang family cured by drinking this herbal medicine." He then smiled at Chen Wenfang.

The two elderly people selling straw sandals chimed in, "Everyone on the street saw it, how could they possibly trick you?"

After that, several other women selling vegetables nearby chimed in.

The old lady then said, "Take three big bags for me." Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "Auntie, you should be careful when you take it home. This cannot be taken for a long time. If your cough doesn't get better after two days, you should see a doctor. This can also be taken if you have a sore throat. It can also prevent heatstroke."

The old lady said, "Okay." Chen Wenfang then gave her a small packet of mulberry leaf tea.

The country folk are truly simple and honest. With everyone's help in spreading the word, Chen Wenfang's herbs sold very quickly. Who doesn't have a toothache or sore throat from getting too much heat in their family? And now that it's summer, they're also great for cooling down. Plus, Chen Wenfang has excellent customer service. Whenever a customer has a question, Chen Wenfang tries her best to answer it if she knows the answer. In her previous life, when the internet was so developed, some people didn't know to add layers when it was cold, as they were prone to catching a cold. Let alone in ancient times when information was limited. Chen Wenfang had experience selling online in her previous life and was very patient in solving problems. Now, she can do it with ease. It makes one marvel at how cultured and polite people in ancient times were, and how grateful they were for others sharing their life experiences for free.

More and more people who buy herbal medicine will also ask her how to take precautions and treat the condition.

For example, a tall, simply dressed young man with a runny nose asked her, "Can this herb cure it?"

Chen Wenfang said frankly, "You should see a doctor."

The reply was, "It's too expensive. A packet of herbs costs only twenty coins and can be taken several times. Doctors charge several taels of silver per visit, which is unaffordable."

Chen Wenfang said, "But this won't cure your illness."

The young man asked, "Then what do you say can cure it?"

Chen Wenfang looked at him, as if he had caught a cold, and asked, "What happened to you?"

He replied, "I got caught in the rain while working, and I haven't felt well for several days."

Chen Wenfang then suggested, "Try making some sugar water with ginger. Drink it while it's hot, and you'll sweat it out."

The young man thanked him and left.

Chen Wenfang provided excellent service and knew some basic medical knowledge about treating illnesses, so the herbal medicine sold out quickly.