Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

When I came out of the county government office, the sun wasn't high yet, but the streets were already bustling.

The official stamping went smoothly, and it only cost a little money.

Tao'er handed the silver pouch to Old Master Liu, "Grandpa, here are twenty-three taels of silver. This means we've officially separated our family."

Liu Laogen took the silver bag but didn't open it to check. He knew the girl couldn't possibly be faking it.

"Peach girl, even though we've separated from the family, you're still my granddaughter. Come visit us often when you have time."

Grandpa Liu's eyebrows and eyes were filled with barely suppressed joy.

Tao nodded perfunctorily, "Okay, let's talk about it another time!"

But in my heart I was thinking: Go back and sit down? What a load of rubbish!

That's a family of wolves and tigers; only a fool would sit there.

Once he got the money, the old man started acting like a kind grandfather; he was quite the actor.

Liu Laogen could easily tell that the girl was just giving him the runaround, but he didn't mind, since he had already gotten the money.

With the silver in his pocket, he found an oxcart to go back to the village, and along the way, he bought two pounds of pork belly and hitched a ride.

Tao watched the old man walk away, and she was still self-aware enough to know that she and her brother didn't like him.

"Grandpa Chen, brother, I'm hungry, let's go get some wontons!"

Tao patted her belly and sat down happily at the wonton stall at the street corner.

He shouted, "Boss, three bowls of wontons, two large ones, one medium one, and an extra poached egg for each person."

Chen Shuigen wanted to refuse, but seeing that Tao'er had already ordered, he had no choice but to sit down opposite Tao'er with Liu Tiezhu.

The stall wasn't big; a large pot was bubbling and steaming. The proprietress worked quickly, bringing out bowls of hot wontons, sprinkling them with chopped green onions and dried shrimp, the aroma filling the air.

Liu Tiezhu quickly finished a bowl, looking like he still wanted more.

Tao'er could tell that her older brother hadn't eaten enough; after all, he did manual labor all year round, so he must have a big appetite.

"Boss, another large bowl of wontons, please!"

Liu Tiezhu smiled sheepishly and continued eating.

He was really hungry; he got up and started working before dawn, and his stomach was already empty.

Tao'er asked the village head, who was eating wontons, "Grandpa Chen, would you like to order another bowl?"

Village head Chen Shuigen shook his head, "No need, Tao girl, I'm full!"

Tao'er had finished eating. She put down her chopsticks and rubbed her slightly full stomach.

This medium-sized wonton is really generous!

Chen Shuigen hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "Tao Yatou, what are your plans next?"

Now that you've separated, you'll have to take care of your own daily needs from now on.

And your whole family, eight people in total, I'm afraid you'll have a hard time even feeding yourselves.

Tao'er smiled and said, "Grandpa Chen, don't worry about that. My eldest and second eldest brothers can work. My second eldest brother can even hunt. My parents have recovered and can also do the housework."

As for me, I knew some characters from my previous master, and later I learned some basics from an old doctor, including some herbs and a little medical knowledge.

"From now on, I'll go up the mountain with my older brothers to collect some medicinal herbs, process them, and sell them. That way, we can earn some extra income for the family."

"Oh, Peach Girl, you can read, you know herbs, and you even know medicine! That's wonderful!"

This way, your family's life will really get better and better.

The medicine in the pharmacy is very valuable!

You could definitely get some and sell them!

However, this village is quite far from the town and county seat, so it's not very convenient to sell or buy things!

Having a donkey cart or oxcart would make things much more convenient.

Chen Shuigen was very happy; his initial worries had completely disappeared.

With this girl selling medicine, Tiezhu doing odd jobs selling firewood, and Tiechui hunting, it's impossible for this family not to get rich.

"Grandpa Chen, I was just about to ask you where the livestock market is in this county."

I want to buy a mule; donkeys are too slow and not strong enough.

Chen Shuigen almost choked on the last mouthful of soup and looked up to examine Tao'er.

He just mentioned it casually, but he didn't expect the girl to actually want to buy a mule.

He quickly calculated in his mind: the house cost thirty taels.

Liu Laogen was given twenty-three taels of silver when the family divided their property.

Then he asked to buy a mule, a decent, strong mule, which would cost at least twenty taels.

All in all, this girl must have at least seventy or eighty taels of silver in her hands.

If this were in the village, it would be enough for a family to live on for eight to ten years.

Chen Shuigen couldn't help but glance at Tao'er a few more times. He was surprised, but he didn't ask any questions.

He's been in charge of this area for over twenty years; what kind of people hasn't he seen?

Some people who have saved up money can't wait to shout it from the rooftops, while others make a fortune in silence.

Peach Girl belongs to the latter type; asking too many questions is actually detrimental to her beauty.

This girl must have had a great time outside; her master rewarded her with a lot of silver.

"Okay, I'll take you there."

I know an acquaintance named Old Zhao.

Old Zhao has been in the livestock business over there for decades. He's a decent guy, and he doesn't cheat people.

The livestock market is located on the west side of the county town, and you can smell the stench of livestock manure from afar.

Tao'er didn't mind at all and followed Chen Shuigen very quickly.

Liu Tiezhu, a tall and strong man, stood protectively beside his sister, his eyes warily fixed on the traffickers around them.

Old Zhao was a thin, gaunt old man with a tanned, dark red face. He greeted Chen Shuigen as soon as he saw him, showing that the two were quite familiar with each other.

When Chen Shuigen explained his purpose, Old Zhao patted his chest and said he would take care of it.

He led the three men to the back of the shed, where a row of mules were tied to stakes, some pawing restlessly, others chewing hay quietly.

Tao'er may not be good at judging livestock, but she is good at judging people. This old man doesn't seem like a shrewd businessman.

Old Zhao pointed to a bluish-gray mule and said, "Girl, this mule is six years old this year, in its prime. It has a gentle temperament and great strength, and can pull carts and plow fields."

Look at how shiny and healthy this mule's fur is; it means it's very strong.

Tao'er didn't nod immediately, but turned to look at her older brother.

Liu Tiezhu had driven an oxcart for his master for a few years before, so he knew a little about it. He went up and pried open the mule's mouth to check its teeth, then patted the mule's back and leg bones, and finally led it around twice.

"Good, glossy fur, straight hooves, powerful, straight back, and not fierce temperament."

Liu Tiezhu nodded to Tao'er.

Tao'er then asked the price, "Boss, how much is this mule?"

Old Zhao held up two fingers and said, "This mule costs twenty taels, plus a cart shed, so it's twenty-two taels for you."

"If you'd like, I'll put a canopy on the mule."

"Boss Zhao, I was introduced by Grandpa Chen, so we're practically friends. How about a discount? Round it up to twenty, okay?"

Old Zhao waved his hand and said, "Girl, this price is no good. For twenty taels, I'll have to add a shed and this mule."

There's no profit to be made.

He spent seventeen taels to buy it and fed it for almost half a year; he had to earn some hard-earned money.

The two haggled back and forth for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and finally settled on a deal for twenty taels and five mace, including the mule and cart, plus a new set of reins and bridles.

Tao'er took out the silver from her purse, counted it out clearly, and handed it over.

Old Zhao accepted the silver, grinning from ear to ear. He also gave him a bundle of hay, saying he would come back to him if he needed anything in the future.

Chen Shuigen watched from the sidelines, secretly marveling.