After leaving Manager Li's office, Song Nianchu headed straight to the county's supply and marketing cooperative.
Manager Li had been right about one thing—her household was indeed running low on seasonings.
Once she had restocked the necessary spices, she made another trip to the larger market, where the produce was fresher.
Song Nianchu bought some sea fish to make fish chunks and, noticing squid for sale nearby, picked up a few as well.
She also purchased a pound of meat. Until now, for convenience, she had been curing meat into salted pork, so it had been a long time since she'd had fresh meat.
Next, she bought ten eggs and ten duck eggs. Lately, their egg consumption had been high, and she wanted to make some preserved eggs and salted duck eggs.
By the time she finished, there wasn’t much money left in her pocket.
Song Nianchu sighed. Money really didn’t go far these days.
She pulled out the cloth bag she had prepared earlier from her pocket, packed everything inside, and carried it back to Qinghe Fishing Village.
At this hour, most villagers were busy working, so no one paid her any attention.
Once home, she closed the courtyard gate behind her.
Mu Shi'an was still in the yard, hammering away at something. Hearing the noise, he instinctively looked up and, recognizing Song Nianchu, set down his tools.
"You're back."
"Yeah."
Mu Shi'an noticed the large cloth bag slung over her shoulder and stood up to approach her.
"Let me take that."
"No need, I'm stronger than you." Song Nianchu grinned as she set the bag down.
Only then did Mu Shi'an remember her extraordinary strength—she truly didn’t need his help.
"Look what I bought today." Smiling, she pulled out the slab of meat from the bag.
"You bought so much meat?" Mu Shi'an was taken aback.
These days, every household was tightening their belts, and meat was a rare luxury.
Even when people did buy it, they usually only got a small piece for a taste. Yet Song Nianchu had bought an entire cut—that must have cost several yuan.
"We haven’t had fresh meat in so long. I can’t let you keep eating nothing but greens and radishes," Song Nianchu said with a laugh.
"I’m fine with anything," Mu Shi'an quickly replied.
She had already given him 200 yuan as a betrothal gift, and he knew that was likely all she had.
He couldn’t possibly let her spend more on meat for him.
"Don’t worry, I earned a good amount today. I bought a lot of other things too." As she spoke, she carried the bag toward the kitchen.
"Earned money? How?" Mu Shi'an followed her, curious.
Song Nianchu didn’t hide anything and explained everything to him. After all, she’d be working from home, so he’d find out sooner or later.
"That Manager Li is just trying to trick you. If you trade with him, it counts as speculation, and you can’t trust his word," Mu Shi'an said, his brow furrowing.
"I know," Song Nianchu replied with a nod.
"If you know, why agree? Getting caught for speculation carries heavy penalties these days," Mu Shi'an pressed, puzzled.
"It’s simple—I’ll just trade under Qinghe Fishing Village’s name," Song Nianchu said cheerfully.
"You mean you’re going to tell the whole village about this?" Mu Shi'an was stunned.
"That was always my plan. I didn’t tell Manager Li because I wanted him to raise his offer," she explained.
Mu Shi'an fell silent.
Song Nianchu turned to store the eggs and duck eggs in a jar, placed the fish in a bucket, and set the meat on the cutting board.
She decided to cook a third of the meat today. The rest could go into a basin placed inside a wooden bucket filled with cool water—a makeshift refrigerator that would keep it fresh for a day.
Tomorrow, she’d cook another third, and the remainder would have to be cured into salted meat to prevent spoilage.
As she picked up the kitchen knife to slice the meat, she noticed Mu Shi'an still watching her.
"Why are you staring? Is there something on my face?" she asked, puzzled.
"No," Mu Shi'an shook his head.
"Then start the fire to steam the rice. Once I finish cutting the meat, we can start cooking," she instructed gently.
"Alright." Mu Shi'an turned to the stove.
But his gaze kept drifting back to Song Nianchu.
He knew human nature was inherently selfish. After his family’s misfortune, even close relatives and friends had distanced themselves.
He didn’t resent them—self-preservation was only natural.
Yet Song Nianchu had found a way to earn money and, instead of keeping it to herself, was willing to share it with the entire village.
Was she afraid of punishment if caught?
But if she were that cautious, how could she have dared to negotiate with Manager Li alone?
And even managed to secure such favorable terms from him.
His wife truly didn’t seem like someone who’d grown up in this remote fishing village.
Unaware of Mu Shi'an’s scrutiny, Song Nianchu sliced the meat into thin pieces.
Fresh pork like this didn’t need much preparation—just some green peppers for a stir-fry would make a delicious dish.
"Is the pan hot enough?" She set down the knife and glanced at Mu Shi'an.
"It’s ready." He quickly refocused.
Song Nianchu held her hand over the pan to test the heat, then added a bit of fatty meat.
Once the oil rendered, she tossed in the lean meat, stir-fried it until it changed color, and added the green peppers.
Just before serving, she sprinkled in some seasonings, filling the kitchen with a rich, savory aroma.
Fortunately, her house was at the edge of the village, with neighbors far enough away to avoid drawing too much attention.
"Done. Check if the rice is ready—we can eat now." She deftly plated the dish and set it on the table.
"Okay." Mu Shi'an checked the rice.
Perfectly steamed.
He served a bowl for each of them.
"Try this—today’s stir-fried pork with peppers is going to be amazing." Song Nianchu took her bowl and eagerly took a bite.
Her almond-shaped eyes instantly crinkled with satisfaction.
Ingredients in this era were all natural. The pigs at the market were raised on grass and grain, their meat far more flavorful than the feed-raised pork of later times. Even a simple stir-fry tasted incredible.
Seeing her enjoyment, Mu Shi'an’s appetite surged. He picked up a piece of well-marbled meat and popped it into his mouth.
His taste buds were instantly captivated. Song Nianchu’s cooking was as excellent as ever—no wonder Manager Li had been willing to offer such generous terms to work with her.
For the rest of the meal, neither spoke, too busy devouring the food.
Even the last bit of sauce was divided between them to mix with their rice.
Mu Shi'an rubbed his stomach lightly. Ever since coming to Song Nianchu’s home, every meal left him pleasantly full.
"I need to go see the village chief. You clean up the kitchen." Wiping her mouth, Song Nianchu stood and headed out.
