Chapter 3

    After leaving her father's main house, the young woman returned to her own. After bathing and dressing in a practical outfit, she didn't plan to enter the forest today but to go into town instead. She wanted to see what the shops or community centers of this era were like and if there was anything she could do to survive here.

    The Yue Region was considered a lower-tier region, ranking low in the number of people with spiritual power among all the regions. Life for its inhabitants was harsh and challenging, not to mention the arts and sciences. Just surviving each day was difficult enough. Inside the city walls,      Ruo Lan hardly saw any beggars or homeless people because they were kept outside the city walls. In winter, they were left to freeze outside, and in drought, they were left to starve outside. This way, the government didn't have to spend money on disposing of bodies.

    She looked around the city with surprise. If outside the city walls was a battlefield of life, inside was like a campsite for that battlefield. Although the city lacked abundant spiritual power like the forest, it was made comfortable and pleasant with large trees planted along the roads, presumably nourished by human spiritual power, showing that the government had spent no small amount on environmental adjustments.

    Commerce in the city wasn't bustling, but there was a significant number of people.

    However, what      Ruo Lan noticed most was the scarcity of food establishments. There were only a few large eateries serving the upper class or nobility, with no street food stalls for the common people.

    Yet, the city had a reasonable number of meat and vegetable shops.      Ruo Lan was puzzled; Yue Region     had limited spiritual power and agricultural land, but why were there meat and vegetable shops? However, upon inquiring about the prices, she found them to be exorbitantly high, so much so that ordinary people would have to work hard all month just to afford a couple of pounds of meat.

    The reason for the high prices of meat and vegetables was that these were imported goods, requiring preservation with cold storage, and transported by merchant ships or demonic     beasts to the region    . Thus, the cost of imported goods, along with taxes and transportation fees, made them so expensive. Nonetheless, Yue Region     was fortunate to have mineral and gem mines, which helped the region to survive.

        Ruo Lan arrived at a port, bustling with more activity than usual. Workers hurriedly unloaded a large quantity of goods from the ships, mostly fresh food, dried food, and plant seeds, along with fabrics and some household items, all of which were very expensive in the market.

    "Send the corn seeds to the Lin family, the red beans to the Song family, and the cucumber seeds to the Li family. Hurry up, they are waiting to plant the new crops. We can't be late," the overseer's voice caught      Ruo Lan's attention.

    These families were powerful groups with their own agricultural lands, the last link in the food chain. Some of them infiltrated the nobility, using their power to strengthen their families.

        Ruo Lan sighed, whether in the old world or this new one, inequality seemed always to exist.

    Turning back as the sun was setting, it was time to return. She didn't forget to pick up a few fallen beans and cucumber seeds along the way back.

        Ruo Lan woke up early the next morning, enjoying the cool air. Dressed in practical clothes, she walked from her house to the backyard garden. The area could no longer be called a mere dirt plot as it had transformed into a small fruit and vegetable garden.

    In the past month,      Ruo Lan alternated between entering the forest and practicing her spiritual power at home. Now, her vegetable garden contained over ten spirit pearls buried within, and the pearl in her spirit realm had grown to the size of a child's fist. The family's diet had improved thanks to the ingredients she brought back from the forest.

    In the pond next to the garden, plump fish leisurely showed off their appetizing looks, with many fries swimming in groups.      Ruo Lan thought     that in another two months, she might     need to dig a new pond or waterhole to expand the breeding of these fish.

    Arriving at the garden, she finds Yu Chang already there with a water bucket, insisting, "Lan'er, how many times have I told you that you don't need to wake up to water the vegetables? From now on, I will take care of it every morning. You should go back to sleep." The wet soil indicated that the vegetables had already been thoroughly watered.

    Currently, Yu Chang had     recovered from his injuries, and it'd     been months since the Hu Li harassed them. His once emaciated frame was     beginning to fill out.

    "But, Brother, you're still not well. What are you doing in the garden so early? You might catch a cold from the dew."

    "Am I that frail?" Yu Chang asked, raising an eyebrow. Although he no longer possessed     spiritual power, he's a full-grown, robust man who refused     to let his younger sister do all the work. She's already taxed with using her spiritual power to nourish the plants; he could     at least water and till the soil.

    "Thank you, Brother    ."

    "Why thank me?" Yu Chang shook his head.

    "Brother    , I'm thinking of selling some grapes, sweet potatoes, and taros    . What do you think?" She seeked     his advice, knowing that as a former noble, he's familiar with the city's complex social dynamics and might know how to navigate the market.

        Ruo Lan planned     to sell some of the garden's produce and later venture into the forest to gather and sell more, using the money for house repairs and to replace worn household items.

    The home's wall was the first critical concern because the current wall was dilapidated and could not provide adequate protection. While it might not keep out the Hu Li, it could at least deter ordinary thieves. Essentially,      Ruo Lan wanted to keep the vegetable garden a secret for a while. The cultivation was a significant matter, and if word got out, the Shen family would be under scrutiny, potentially bringing danger home.

    "Trading... Hmm, this is a delicate matter. Your     vegetables have circulating spiritual energy, making them unsuitable for sale at ordinary stalls. High-quality products like these usually come from the large families' cultivation areas, which have specific stores for such items," Yu Chang pondered, his brows furrowing. His sister was indeed talented. Despite her short training in spiritual power, she managed to cultivate high-quality plants. However, her talent brought complications because those without power could be swallowed by those who do.

    So, in the end, the talented still had to submit to the powerful.

    "There might be a way. We could sell these products to the Fu Lu Hall    ," Yu Chang suggested. The Fu Lu Hall    , a large trading institution spread across nearly every region, operated independently of any royal authority, and stood as an influential group above regional power, known for its fairness and honesty. However, selling to them meant a commission fee different from direct market sales, but it also allowed the seller to maintain secrecy.

    "So, let's go together tomorrow to sell them."

    "Okay, there should be an old cart in the storage that we can use. I'll check it out." Grapes, sweet potatoes, and yams were heavy, and if they were carried in a backpack, only a little could be transported. But with a cart, they could take more with less effort.

    "Alright."

    The next morning, the siblings loaded the cart with their goods and pushed it into the city, struggling. When they reached the city gate's inspection area, the guards raised their eyebrows in surprise.

    "Where did these products come from?" Typically, produce from large families would be transported in horse-drawn carriages or ox-drawn carts in much larger quantities than what was presented. It was unlikely these were from a large family.

    It wasn't that ordinary people couldn't grow vegetables, and some well-off citizens were granted cultivation areas by the government. These people were familiar to the gate guards because they regularly sold their produce. However, these two were unknown.

    "We're from the Shen family, bringing these goods to sell for the first time. My father was fortunate enough to awaken his spiritual power, allowing us to cultivate these, would you like to inspect them first?"      Ruo Lan sweetly explained to the guards, offering to let them inspect the goods. Seeing nothing amiss, the guards waved them through.

    "Just pay the tax over there and you can go." It was rare but not unheard of for citizens to spontaneously awaken spiritual power. It was a good sign, beneficial for the region if its citizens increased their spiritual power levels.

        Ruo Lan and Yu Chang quickly paid the tax, grateful that Yu Chang still had some money.

    The siblings headed straight for the Fu Lu Hall    .

    The Fu Lu Hall was a large red-brick building with five floors. The first three floors were made of red brick, while the upper two were constructed from premium hardwood, and the outside was decorated with marble and fine tiles. The Hall    's sign was a large jade-engraved plank, luxurious and ostentatious.

    "Brother, they deal in large-scale trade. Will they be interested in our small goods?"      Ruo Lan began to doubt, feeling like they were trying to sell ordinary goods in a high-end brand shop in her previous world.

    "Don't underestimate yourself like that. The products you've cultivated may be few, but the spiritual energy within them is substantial for their quantity. These are high-quality goods. If you don't believe me, just follow me." With confidence, Yu Chang pushed the cart into the building ahead.

    Moments later, the siblings emerged from the building, smiles wide, with      Ruo Lan carrying a heavy purse of money in her sleeve.

    "Brother, how many mantou     can we buy with this money?" the young woman nudged her brother's sleeve. Having not been here long, her memories from her previous life were fragmented. She wanted to understand the value of the money they had earned to plan their spending properly.

    Yu Chang chuckled before playfully tapping his sister's forehead. "Hmm... about 1,600    , I'd say." In other regions, this amount could buy up to 4,800 mantou    , but in the Yue Region, food was almost three times more expensive. Yet, the amount      Ruo Lan held was significantly above average, as typical vegetables would only fetch enough money for about 300 mantou    . The Fu Lu Hall     offered five times the market price for their high-quality goods, guessing they would be used as ingredients for high-class dining.

    Before they left, the Hall    's manager emphasized that if they had more such quality products, they should bring them to sell at the Fu Lu Hall     for a fair price.

    "1,600 mantou    ..." Hmm, the price seemed reasonable. She needed to see if the cost of basic necessities here was expensive.

    Seeing his sister puzzled over the money, Yu Chang still smiled amusedly. Previously, only servants handled money, and spending was done without directly paying. So, it was no wonder his sister was unfamiliar with the value of money.

    "Don't think the money you have is too little. This amount might not buy much rice or meat, but it's quite enough for general purchases." Although other items in the Yue Region were reasonably priced, food was indeed expensive.

    "Brother, is this money enough to hire workers and buy bricks for the fence?" Other things could still be used, but the fence needed immediate attention. The house had only     the disabled and women, with no men possessing spiritual power. Security was crucial.

    Yu Chang raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You don't want to save it? For jewelry, beautiful fabrics?" Women usually liked beautiful things, and this money came from selling the crops      Ruo Lan had grown.

    "Our house isn't in a position to be extravagant yet." She liked beautiful things too, but the current situation didn't permit frivolous spending.

    "You've really grown up," her brother said fondly, ruffling her hair.

    The siblings agreed to use their first earnings to repair the house's wall. Fortunately, Yue Region was rich in mineral resources, so after paying for the bricks and labor, there was still some money left.

    After arranging for a contractor to fix the wall,      Ruo Lan went to a herbal shop to buy some tonic herbs for General Shen and then to a seasoning shop. "Brother, is this all the seasoning they have?" she whispered.

    The seasoning shop had little to offer: only salt and a few spices, no sugar, oil, sauces, or chili.      Ruo Lan couldn't imagine the taste of food made with so few ingredients.

    "These are the common seasonings. What else do you need?"

    "Things like chili, sugar, oil, seasoning sauces, or various spices to eliminate odors, spicy spices, five-spice powder, curry powders, aren't there any here?" she wondered if people in this region    don't enjoy delicious food at all.

    "Um, most people here only season with salt and a few spices. Salt is already quite expensive. If you want more than these seasonings, you would have to contact merchants who travel to other regions and ask them to buy them for you. Merchants rarely bring in spices because they can't sell them here. Cooks don't know how to use them, and most people don't need to enhance flavors that much. Just having rice to fill the stomach is considered very good already," Yu Chang explained, surprised at his sister's knowledge of various exotic spices and seasonings.

    The more      Ruo Lan listened, the more she wanted to cry. How could this be possible?    

    Ultimately, Yu Chang had to take his sister to the docks to arrange for a merchant to bring in spices for them.

    "Uncle, here's a deposit. I'll be back here on the 19th of next month to meet you," she lamented that a single trip by boat took 1-2 months, which was incredibly long. She wanted the spices sooner.

    "Alright, alright. I'll grab all sorts of spices for you. You can trust me," the middleman merchant eagerly took the deposit, promising enthusiastically. Spices from other regions were cheap, but upon entering the      Yue Region, their price could increase by 3-5 times, though they didn't sell well because the people of the      Yue Region didn't commonly use spices. In other words, chefs rarely used spices, making the region    's cuisine bland and tasteless. Only occasionally would a palace chef or a restaurant chef use spices when hosting foreign guests.

    He only needed to allocate a small space on his ship for spices and seasonings, then sell them at a price five times higher than the cost. This was already a significant profit, posing no issue at all, even in the slightest.