A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

During dinner, Liu Yan mentioned that she was going to set up a food stall. Liu Xiong was very pleased to hear that his sister was going to leave the village and go to the county to set up a food stall to earn money.

The Liu family has been rural people for generations, working hard in the fields. They have always believed that cheating others will not make you rich, and laziness will keep you poor, putting into practice the most simple truths.

But at the same time, I couldn't help but worry.

Liu Xiong looked at his younger sister, "It's a good thing, but I'm worried you'll be bullied..."

What kind of personality does Liu Yan have? She is simple and weak, and has never seen much of the world, otherwise she wouldn't have let the Nie family torment her for so many years.

Nie Qianqian pondered for a moment. Liu Yan would need her help with setting up the stall, but Jishetang also had important matters to attend to and couldn't always accompany Liu Yan. Liu Yan, a woman on her own, would inevitably face many inconveniences and would need someone she could trust to assist her. Liu Xiong was the best choice.

Nie Qianqian poured Liu Xiong a glass of wine and said with a smile, "I have a suggestion. Mother, you have a skill, but you can't run a stall by yourself alone. You need help. Why don't you and your uncle open this food stall together?"

Liu Xiong and Huang Zhenzhu said in unison, "Open?"

Nie Qianqian: "That's right, let's open it together. We'll each contribute our capital and invest in this food stall."

Liu Xiong and Huang Zhenzhu had tasted Liu Yan's cooking quite a bit during this period and were already impressed by the endless stream of delicious dishes she and Nie Qianqian made. They believed that setting up a food stall, even if it didn't make them a lot of money, would be a viable business, given the taste of the food.

Liu Xiong was strong and usually worked odd jobs around the county. He had suffered a lot of scorn and neglect because of this. His work was unstable; once he finished one job, he had to look for the next. If he could set up a food stall and not have to depend on others, he could run his own business. That would be wonderful.

Huang Zhenzhu felt a little apprehensive. "Qianqian, are you really willing to do this business with your uncle?"

When her family made a mistake during the last house construction, she thought Nie Qianqian would keep her distance from them in the future.

Nie Qianqian is not a kind-hearted or forgetful person; this was simply a choice made after careful consideration.

In reality, there are no perfect relatives. Liu Xiong and Liu Yan are blood relatives, and Liu Xiong is genuinely good to Liu Yan and Nie Qianqian. Although Huang Zhenzhu has relatives who like to take advantage of others, her aunt herself is clear-headed and has her heart set on Liu Xiong. Having learned from her previous experience, she will not make the same mistake again.

Nie Qianqian said seriously, "Aunt, after the unpleasant incident last time, I'll be upfront this time and let's be frank. This business was proposed by my mother, it's based on her skills, and my uncle is my mother's own brother and one of the people she trusts most. Therefore, we are willing to cooperate on this matter."

"But let's make it clear beforehand that no matter whether this business makes money or how much money it makes, it's a matter between our two families, and we can't let outsiders get involved. My aunt knows my personality; I'm thick-skinned and won't show any leniency to distant relatives. I'm afraid it will end up looking ugly and hurting our relationship."

I'd rather hire complete strangers than have a distant relative supported.

Nie Qianqian spoke bluntly, but Liu Yan did not object. No matter what, her daughter's interests always came first.

Huang Zhenzhu immediately assured, "What happened last time was all my fault for being too soft-hearted at first. If I had been more careful, none of this would have happened. Because of this, your uncle was angry with me and ignored me for many days. I truly know I was wrong and will never do it again."

She knew that if she softened her heart and did something foolish again, it would damage her relationship with her husband.

Liu Xiong downed his drink in one gulp. "Although your uncle isn't the smartest, he's not stupid. I will work hard to repay the debt I owe the Huang family, and I won't let them get involved in this food stall business in the slightest. Qianqian, your uncle knows you've grown up now, you have a good mind and ideas. If you think this food stall business can work, then it definitely can. Pull your uncle along, and your uncle will do his best."

Liu Xiong had long held his niece in high regard. He knew that Nie Qianqian didn't necessarily have to bring him along; she was only doing so out of consideration for their kinship and to lend him a hand. As a grown man and an elder, he couldn't express his gratitude in many sentimental words, but he appreciated Qianqian's kindness.

Nie Qianqian poured a glass of wine for Liu Yan, Liu Xiong, and Huang Zhenzhu, saying, "Then I'll raise a glass to celebrate the official opening of Liu Family Restaurant."

The four men raised their glasses and clinked them together, each drinking it down in one gulp.

Liu Yan and Huang Zhenzhu's eyes welled up with tears from the spiciness. Liu Yan's eyebrows and eyes were all scrunched up. "It's so spicy!" The wine felt like a warm current slowly flowing from her mouth to her stomach, warm and cozy. Liu Yan's heart felt warm too.

Nie Qianqian put down her cup. "Then let's discuss serious matters. Uncle, how much of the capital can you contribute for this small food stall?"

Liu Xiong was somewhat embarrassed. Although he had been working here for the past few years, he had also been building his own house and raising his children, so he hadn't really saved any money. A major source of his savings was the two taels of silver he received for building a house for Liu Yan's family.

Liu Xiong thought for a moment, "My uncle can contribute four taels of silver, is that alright with you?"

Nie Qianqian: "Okay, then we'll contribute 6 taels of silver to make 10 taels. After deducting costs, we'll split the profits 40/60."

Liu Xiong nodded, "I'll listen to Qianqian!"

Nie Qianqian: "In addition, I will provide the ingredients. I have cheap connections and they are 2% cheaper than what is sold in the county market."

Selling food involves significant costs, excluding initial material investment. The biggest expense is the ingredients. Nie Qianqian has connections to get ingredients at a 2% discount, which increases her profit margin by nearly 2%.

Liu Xiong and Huang Zhenzhu were all smiles, feeling even more confident about the matter.

Liu Xiong laughed: "That's great! With my sister and I working together and Qianqian's help, we're sure to succeed."

Nie Qianqian was more confident in making money from this than anyone else present. She owned a supermarket that could automatically replenish its stock, reducing the cost of ingredients to zero. It would be strange if she didn't make money.

Huang Zhenzhu raised her glass and said with a smile, "I can't help with the food stall, but I'll take care of Tiedan and Tuantuan during the day. They're close in age and can play together."

The two children played wildly together all evening, and after dinner, they're now lying in the inner room taking a nap.

Liu Xiong picked up the wine glass, downed it in one gulp, smacked his lips after drinking, and exclaimed that Qianqian's wine was really delicious. It was mellow and sweet on the palate, with a clean and refreshing aftertaste. He even broke out in a sweat after drinking it. He had never tasted such delicious wine before.

The liquor was Luzhou Laojiao, which Nie Qianqian got from the supermarket; it had a strong, spicy taste.

Nie Qianqian then took out a whole bottle of wine, "Uncle, drink as much as you like today."

Liu Xiong drank one cup after another, and Liu Yan, feeling happy, followed suit with a few more cups. Gradually, she became a little tipsy.

Huang Zhenzhu's voice seemed to come from near and far, "Qianqian, you're amazing! Gu Xiao's hand injury is healed again. Your good days are finally here."

In previous years, the Nie family would also bring a few ounces of baijiu (Chinese liquor) for the New Year's Eve dinner. The whole family would gather around to eat the baijiu and drink it. Old Mrs. Nie would sit at the head of the table, constantly serving food to Nie Wenye. Nie Daqiang and Nie Erzhuang would get completely drunk, making a mess of the food on the table.

At this time, Liu Yan and Nie Qianqian would continue cooking in the kitchen, squatting by the stove and eating a mouthful of rice as their New Year's Eve dinner.

Liu Yan's mind was in a daze, and she felt as if the past was flashing before her eyes like a revolving lantern.

She thought her life would just pass by like this, but thankfully, she had Nie Qianqian, and she found a new way to live.

Liu Xiong's face was flushed, and his tongue was so thick he could barely speak. He tried to speak but could only make muffled noises that were impossible to understand.

His mind was a jumbled mess, filled with random, uncontrollable thoughts.

One moment he was thinking about the disdainful looks Huang's family gave him when he proposed to Huang Zhenzhu; the next he was thinking about how he went to work in the county in the winter and missed his meal because he offended someone, so he could only scrape a little bit of cold gruel from the pot to fill his stomach; and then he was thinking about how he heard that Liu Yan was having a hard time, so he skipped lunch for seven days in a row to save some money to send to Liu Yan.

Some people are born into a life of luxury, while others are born knowing that life is bitter.

With a thud, Liu Yan's head slammed onto the table.

Nie Qianqian: "Mother!"

With another thud, Liu Xiong's head slammed onto the table.

Huang Zhenzhu: "Brother Xiong!"

Nie Qianqian and Huang Zhenzhu looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. These two siblings were also very united when it came to getting drunk.