Divorced woman with child travels through time

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "This is already good; he's very careful."

“That’s right, the general is very strong, so he must love his wife very much,” Fangmei agreed with a smile.

"Is the food ready? I'm starving!"

Chen Wenfang changed the subject. She never discussed her private matters with others, and she wouldn't want anyone to serve her unless she was extremely tired. "It's all set up in the hall!" Fangcao helped her tie her sash, and Fangmei had already put away the sheets to wash.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work!" Chen Wenfang smiled slightly and went to wash up. When she came to the hall, she found that Sister-in-law Nie was already waiting for her.

"Have you eaten yet, sister? Would you like some more?" Chen Wenfang smiled as she sat down and picked up some meat for herself.

"I'm not hungry, I'm just worried about you. You came back so late yesterday, I didn't even see you!" Sister-in-law Nie ladled out a bowl of chicken soup for her and placed it in front of her.

"What could possibly happen to me, Sister? You're too kind to worry. The General said the shop will open in a few days, and you'll have to help me then!" Chen Wenfang said with a playful smile as she sipped her soup. "But I don't understand all this stuff," Sister-in-law Nie said, somewhat troubled. She knew how to manage a workshop, but a shop? She'd heard there were hundreds of people working there in the south. She was the one doing the work; she had no idea how to do all this!

"Don't worry! I'll teach you, sister!" Chen Wenfang felt that she herself was more reliable. The way the two maids were huddled together in the carriage made her a little unhappy. Although they hadn't done anything wrong, they didn't seem to be able to confide in her.

“Okay! As long as you teach me, I will definitely learn well!” Sister-in-law Nie readily agreed. She thought of Aunt Liu, who, like herself, knew nothing but worked her way up little by little and is now the head manager of a neighborhood.

“Yes, we women should naturally have the ability to learn on our own.” Chen Wenfang was very happy and decided to go to the street with her to look at shops after dinner.

"Mom, we want to go too!" The children, who had already seen their mother three times, finally saw her awake. As soon as they heard that they were going out, they rushed over.

"Alright, I should take you to the school to have a look! Don't let it interfere with your studies!"

"Ah~~~" The children's faces immediately fell.

Old Fang hitched up the carriage, and Chen Xuanyu happily climbed on, only to see a small head peeking out from the corner of the wall, looking at him pitifully. Just as he was about to say something, Fifteen said, "Go back!"

Zhou Yu shrank back, feeling wronged.

Chen Xuanyu felt a pang of pity. "Why were you so harsh on him? He's still so young!"

"Then you can't speak up for him! He's trying to take you from me!" Fifteen snorted, glaring at him.

Chen Xuanyu was immediately overwhelmed. "Okay, okay, I understand. I won't get so close to him anymore."

"That's more like it!" Fifteen calmed down, turned her face away from him, stuffed a piece of jerky into her mouth, looked at them, and Xiao Hao chuckled but didn't say anything.

"What's wrong? Did you have a fight?" Chen Wenfang asked when she got on the bus and saw that the children's expressions were not right.

"No," Chen Xuanyu stubbornly replied.

"Hehe!" Chen Wenfang saw through it but didn't say anything.

Two carriages set off, and once they left the mansion, dozens of mounted guards quietly joined them.

Zhengqi Street is the main street of Youzhou City. It is said that it was named by a very upright official and has been used ever since. The street, which should be bustling with activity, is now mostly closed, and there are hardly any pedestrians. It seems that the crackdown has begun and everyone is staying at home.

"What do you think of that three-compartment shop? It's listed for sale." Chen Wenfang pointed to the shop near the city gate, which was a corner shop with streets on both sides, right at the intersection. It was an excellent location.

"This shop is indeed quite good. Has Madam decided what to sell?" Sister-in-law Nie changed her tone. When it came to serious matters, she was the head of the household, and she should be respected.

"How about we sell snacks again? I don't go out much, so I'm not sure. Do you have any good suggestions, big sister?" Since the beginning of their journey, Chen Wenfang and Sister-in-law Nie have become much closer, often addressing each other as sisters.

"Madam, why don't you open a grain shop? Rice and flour are really too expensive in Youzhou, and..." Sister-in-law Nie hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should say it or not.

"Big sister, just say what you're thinking. Don't you trust me?" Chen Wenfang looked at her sincerely.

Sister-in-law Nie gritted her teeth and whispered, "In Youzhou, rice costs fifty coins a pound, fine noodles cost forty coins, and coarse noodles cost thirty coins. In the south, a pound costs less than ten coins, and coarse noodles are even cheaper, some can be bought for eight coins. I often come out to buy vegetables, and outside this market, there are mostly people who are pale and thin, and dressed in tattered clothes. They are suffering so much!"

"This..." Chen Wenfang looked ashamed. She had never left her home and knew nothing about people's lives. Now that she was sitting in the position of a general's wife, she had forgotten her original intentions.

“I didn’t think it through. Don’t worry, elder sister. Come out with me more often these next few days. The Liao spies have been severely weakened, so they should be much safer now. Let’s see if we can help the people below.” Chen Wenfang took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Yes, I will definitely protect you." Sister-in-law Nie straightened her chest, suddenly feeling that the burden on her shoulders had become heavier.

The street wasn't very long, about two miles long, plus the side street that branched off from the crossroads. In the past, it would have been the size of a county town. There weren't many people around, and many shops weren't open, so there wasn't much to see. Chen Wenfang took the children to see the academy and arranged for the three of them to start school the day after tomorrow, so they wouldn't be idle all day.

These words were met with a chorus of groans, but no one dared to object. The three little ones had only been home for two days and were already going back to school, which was quite amusing, at least Wang Feng and the others laughed at him.

Having been able to leave safely for the past two days, Chen Wenfang felt relieved. With Sister-in-law Nie by her side, she figured there wouldn't be any more trouble. So she asked Wang Erniu to withdraw his accompanying guards. Wang Erniu refused, but Chen Wenfang pretended to be angry. Wang Erniu had no choice but to back down and arranged for four personal guards to follow them in and out.

For four consecutive days, the children went to school and the investigation was almost over. Chen Wenfang disappeared without a trace, spending every day outside. He would leave early in the morning, stay until noon to eat, and then go out again in the afternoon, just like going to work. He managed to cover the entire Youzhou City.

That evening, after being refused by his sleeping wife for several days, Wang Erniu returned home early for the first time and found her and Sister-in-law Nie covered in dust, hunched over the table writing something.

Upon seeing him enter, Sister-in-law Nie made an excuse and left.

"Wife! What is this? What's the use of registering these people?" Wang Erniu looked at the register. Tuanjia Village had a total of 56 households and about 300 people.

"Oh, I've done a rough survey. I want to see if I, as the general's wife, can lead them out of poverty and into prosperity?" Chen Wenfang wrote without even looking up.

Wang Erniu looked at a few more pictures, and finally focused on a picture with round circles.

"What is this?"