I traveled back to ancient times, but I was able to lie down and relax.

Liu Nanjia hasn't been idle these past few days either; first, she took stock of her current assets:

“In early August, we started building the house after we had saved up 1,000 taels. At that time, we gave Uncle Wang and carpenter Fang a total of 200 taels. The iced drinks sold very well in August, and we made another 300 taels later.”

"Iced drinks started selling poorly in September. I stopped making milk tea for a few days in between, and the business recovered a bit by selling milk tea, but overall it was still not as good as the previous two months. I earned 350 taels."

"Another milk tea shop opened in October, which affected us a bit. It's almost the end of the month now, a few days before it's been a full month, and we have 320 liang (a unit of weight)."

“After deducting some usual expenses, we still have about 1700 taels of silver.”

This amount is enough for an ordinary family to live on for several lifetimes, so even if they have to compensate the villagers for their chickens, they don't need to worry about the money.

But one must always be aware of potential crises. Liu Yanxi was determined to take the imperial examination route, and the amount of money required for this alone was considerable.

Losing the shop made Liu Nanjia realize that in this era, those without power or influence are destined to be oppressed and exploited.

This amount of money may seem like a lot, but it won't be enough if something happens in the future.

She was even less likely to retreat to her small village and never venture out again because of this one setback.

However, the most urgent task is to solve the immediate problem—the chicken.

Fortunately, the enclosure was large enough that there was more than enough space outside the main yard to house the chickens.

Since it was definitely impossible to go to town in the short term, Liu Nanjia planned to make some things that could be preserved for a long time.

For example, pork floss.

She also remembered a snack she used to love: chicken jerky.

It has a softer texture than beef jerky or pork jerky, so even people with weak teeth can chew it.

It's actually quite similar to pork floss, except it's not as crumbly. You can use similar seasonings, and you don't need to shred the meat as finely, so it should be easier to make.

This dish wasn't difficult to make. Liu Nanjia had studied the recipe for so long that her cooking skills had greatly improved, and she finished it in no time.

It also received unanimous praise.

These little snacks are perfect for passing the time when you're not doing anything, like chatting or watching a show.

Liu Nanjia also made some large pieces, because they were made of pure meat, which were very filling and could even be used as dry rations during long journeys.

Then hand it over to the bodyguard Cao Wanying left behind, and have him take it to town.

The Cao family's status was quite useful among the lowly soldiers like yamen runners and guards, ensuring they wouldn't be stopped at the city gates.

When the bodyguard arrived in town, as Liu Nanjia had instructed, he first delivered a gift to Cao Wanying and let her know that he was safe and sound, so she didn't need to worry.

Then I went to Uncle Zhou and Aunt Feng's restaurant. When the accident happened, they were very anxious, but they were unable to help and felt very guilty.

Therefore, Liu Nanjia decided to try selling the newly made dried meat in their shop.

If sales are good, it will temporarily solve part of the chicken problem and bring some income to both parties.

After reading the letter written by Liu Nanjia himself, Aunt Feng immediately accepted the gifts and sent a message to Liu Nanjia: "Don't worry, we couldn't help before, so leave this little thing to us. If you don't use all the chickens, our shop can take some."

The business model remains the same: buy from Liu Nanjia at wholesale prices and then resell at retail prices.

Two days later, Liu Nanjia received news that her dried meat was selling well and that she should make another batch.

Their "Jin Liu Ji" products had built a reputation in the town over a long period of time, and their sudden disappearance left their long-time customers feeling very disoriented.

Although the dried meat wasn't branded with their name this time, regular customers were aware of the relationship between the two shops.

In addition, the taste was indeed good, so many people were willing to support them and buy some, and the ones brought over were quickly sold out.

Liu Nanjia was also deeply moved after hearing this.

There are many bad people in this world, but there are also many kind-hearted people, which helped to dispel some of her recent frustration.

"Humans are such complex creatures," he muttered to himself, then turned and went back into the kitchen to get busy.

However, a few days later, they welcomed another guest.

"Du Wen," Liu Nanjia said coldly, "you still dare to come here?"

Du Wen's injuries from being beaten by Song Chen have healed, and he looks exactly the same as before, speaking in his usual calm and even-tempered manner.

"I'm here to deliver a message."

"A letter? If it's from that old man, I have no interest in reading it. Just tell me what he's up to this time, don't waste my time."

Liu Nanjia's first thought was that Zheng Zhubu had come up with some new trick to threaten them, and her tone became even more disgusted.

“It wasn’t him. I told you, I was the only one who did it when you were looking for the shop.”

Liu Nanjia didn't quite believe it and didn't want to pay attention to the person who had betrayed them, but she was very curious about who else could have sent the letter.

At this moment, Song Chen took it first, checked it, and then handed it to Liu Nanjia.

When Liu Nanjia opened it, a look of surprise and delight instantly spread across her face.

Then, suspiciously, he asked Du Wen, "How did this letter end up with you?"

“After you left, they didn’t take care of that shop. The messenger couldn’t find anyone, but I happened to see it and brought it to you.”

Du Wen has been in the shop for so long that he knows their basic information, so it's not surprising that he came here.

Liu Nanjia realized that she had misunderstood him this time, but she still felt strange around this person.

Du Wen seemed to know this as well. "The letter has been delivered, so I'll take my leave now." With that, he turned and left.

Liu Nanjia and Song Chen watched him leave without trying to stop him; they wouldn't forgive him so easily.

"Who sent the letter? You seemed quite happy just now?"

Song Chen changed the subject, also expressing his curiosity about the letter.

Liu Nanjia then smiled again, "It's Brother Bai! He replied to us!"

When Bai Yichen left, he didn't leave an address because he wasn't sure where he would go. He only said that if he needed anything, he could send a letter to the place in Changning County where he had last written.

The people there will receive it and pass it on to him.

When Liu Nanjia moved her shop, she wrote a letter to them, telling them the address of their new shop.

To my surprise, the store was already gone when I received my first reply.

"What did the letter say?" Song Chen felt a little jealous seeing Liu Nanjia so happy.

"I haven't looked at it carefully yet. That annoying person was here, so I only glanced at it. Come and look together."

Song Chen was instantly healed by Liu Nanjia's frank attitude, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.

The two huddled together to read the letter.