Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

Yu Man didn't bring much. Five or six catties of wild mushrooms were sold out in an hour.

This kind of thing is plentiful at the market and not worth much; it sold for nearly sixty coins at ten coins a pound. If you take it to the city, the price might be higher, but after adding transportation and market management fees, it's about the same.

So villagers usually choose to sell their goods at the market, hoping to earn some money.

Yu Man was in a good mood after selling his stock. He got up and packed his things, saying, "Ranran, come on, Dad will take you to buy some cloth to make new clothes."

After checking that the straw hats on his and his daughter's heads were not crooked, he pressed them down again before leading people to stroll leisurely through the market.

Shixi Village is closest to Tongcheng, and a gleaming official road leads all the way to the village center. Early in the morning, people would open small inns and tea shops on both sides of the road. Over time, a market street developed here.

On market days, villagers from several surrounding villages would come carrying loads of fresh fruits and vegetables, handmade crafts, and wild mushrooms they had gathered. They would also buy other things they wanted.

Bartering with money or bartering with goods are both acceptable. You can also listen to stories from all around and experience the vibrant atmosphere of ordinary life in the bustling market.

Of course, what everyone has been talking about lately is the legend of the Duke's mansion's real and fake daughters being switched.

The father and daughter felt a pang of sadness.

The misfortunes they suffered were merely topics of gossip and amusement for others.

Fortunately, they didn't run into anyone they knew. Yu Man, with her daughter, looked at the fabrics displayed at several stalls.

These are all items that have been stored away for who knows how many years, mostly linen, with a small amount of coarse cotton. They're completely faded; you could feel you could easily pierce them with your hand. And the worst part is, they're not cheap!

Yu Man shook his head.

Given the same price, it's better to buy new items directly from the store than secondhand. After wandering around for a while, he finally made up his mind and led Yu Wanran into the only fabric shop in the market.

This place not only sells fabric, but also ready-made clothing. They even take back the clothes that wealthy people in the city throw away, clean and tidy them up, and sell them as high-quality goods.

The villagers didn't care how many times the goods had been sold; on the contrary, they believed that buying things that had been used and worn by noble people would bring them good fortune.

Yu Man didn't look at the ready-made clothes. Since someone in his family knew how to make them, he naturally wanted to save money wherever possible. When he asked the shopkeeper the price, undyed linen was 150 wen a bolt, while dyed linen ranged from 200 to 300 wen depending on the color.

Thinking of her daughter returning home penniless, Yu Man gritted her teeth and prepared to buy two bolts of brightly colored linen.

Yu Wanran tugged at his sleeve.

"Dad, there's no need to buy such nice clothes for the outside. One hundred and fifty coins will suffice. With the remaining money, it's more worthwhile to buy softer fabric for the clothes you wear next to your body."

The shopkeeper next door grinned.

"Father-in-law, your daughter knows how to manage a household!"

Yu Man was only forty-two, but because he worked in the fields every day under the wind and sun, his skin was dark and rough, making him look much older than fifty. He didn't mind the shopkeeper's address; instead, he was happy that his daughter had been praised.

If it weren't for Ji Chunhua's repeated instructions before departure that the two men should keep a low profile and at least bring out their talented new daughter to say a few words in support, it would have been difficult to change the subject.

So, in the end, at the cloth shop, Yu Man bought two bolts of linen for 300 coins and half a bolt of cotton for 250 coins. The shopkeeper gave him some needles and thread, and he happily wrapped them up and put them into a basket.

Afterwards, he also bought a set of daily toiletries, two pairs of straw sandals, a peach wood hairpin, two hairbands, and several headscarves. All in all, it cost less than an ounce of silver.

Thinking that she might be mistreating her daughter, Yu Man gritted her teeth, spent another three coins to buy a large steamed bun with meat filling, and stuffed it into Yu Wanran's hand while it was still hot, urging her to eat it quickly!

Yu Wanran didn't eat it. Instead, she asked the vendor selling steamed buns for two clean leaves, carefully wrapped the bun in her hand, and put it in her small handbag.

“Dad, Mom is injured and has bled a lot; Xiao Xiang is six years old, but she is so thin and small, like a three-year-old child. If we take this bun back, we can give half to each of them to help them recover.”

Yu was deeply moved.

The children raised in the Duke's mansion are truly well-mannered! He stopped fumbling for money in his pocket, took out eighteen coins, and bought six large steamed buns.

"Eat up, eat up! Let's celebrate the New Year today, everyone take a big steamed bun home for them!"

Money is something you can always earn back once you run out; the most important thing is that your family is happy!

The father and daughter bought a lot more coarse salt, which cost them exactly one tael of silver, and returned home laden with their purchases.

On the way back, Yu Wanran's stamina wasn't as good. After all, her body hadn't experienced any hardships in this life; she had just been kicked out of the Duke's mansion and hadn't been tempered.

We traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping frequently, and it took us twice as long as the journey there. We didn't get back to the house until it was dark.

The family members, except for Ji Chunhua who was unable to get out of bed, all craned their necks anxiously to look out in the yard. When they saw the father and daughter coming from the field path in the distance, they cheered and rushed out to greet them.

The Yu brothers helped carry the things, and Yu Xiaoxiang held Yu Wanran's hand tightly. Even without saying a word, her rosy cheeks and the enthusiasm in her eyes showed how happy she was to see her third aunt return.

Yu Wanran didn't have the strength to carry her. She took her hand and, step by step, managed to maintain a relaxed expression as they entered the house.

Zhu Xiaozhen was busy setting the table with bowls and chopsticks.

In order to wait for the father and daughter to return late, everyone except Ji Chunhua, who had eaten on time, waited on an empty stomach.

Yu Manxian took out the wrapped fabric and handed it to Zhu Xiaozhen: "Eldest daughter-in-law, you'll have to work hard these next few days. Try to make a couple of outfits for your third sister-in-law when you have some free time."

Zhu Xiaozhen's handiwork skills were just average. But farmers don't have many fuss over things; as long as the clothes are wearable, that's fine—at least they're new clothes!

"Father, don't worry, I will make it for Third Sister as soon as possible."

Zhu Xiaozhen nodded and put the two and a half bolts of cloth into her room.

Yu Man then took out the other things she had bought and distributed them. The wooden hairpin and a set of toiletries went to Yu Wanran, Yu Xiaoxiang got two cloth headscarves, and the others each received a headscarf.

After all, she needed to work, and keeping her hair wrapped up would prevent it from getting dirty. Bathing and washing her hair was troublesome and would waste firewood. The family was actually subtly taking care of Yu Wanran in the details, worried that she wouldn't be used to it.

When the last few plump, white steamed buns were revealed, Yu Wenrong couldn't help but cheer!

"Father, it's not a holiday or festival, why are you being so generous today?"

Yu Man glared at him: "Thank you, Third Sister. It was her suggestion, otherwise..."

Yu Wenrong looked at Yu Wanran with bright eyes. Yu Wanran was a little embarrassed by his gaze: "My parents are paying for it, and I'm just providing food... Eat up, while it's fresh, one for each of us."

Pick one up and take it to Ji Chunhua inside the house.

Upon seeing the steamed buns, Ji Chunhua felt so much pain in her wounds that the pain disappeared.

"Your dad is really..."

When facing his daughter, he simply couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.

Yu Wanran smiled and helped her up, took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands, and handed her the steamed bun.

"Mom, eat up. I promise I'll earn lots of money in the future and give you a good life."

As her family cheered and greeted her at the door, taking her things from her hands and surrounding her, she experienced a sense of satisfaction she had never felt before.

No matter how wealthy she was, she returned home to a cold and desolate place. No one offered her a word of comfort, no one lit a lamp to welcome her home after her long journey and the dead of night.

That feeling of satisfaction, could it be called happiness?