"Of course," Lan Yan said softly, clutching her money pouch. "This is money we earned together." She then began packing up her stall, ready to head home.
Jun Yelan's eyes flickered, and he looked down at his sleeve, where a pouch was hidden. It contained the money he had earned from hauling goods at the docks. He placed it on the table. "This is for you too."
Lan Yan opened it with a hint of confusion. Seeing it was copper coins, she quickly tucked it away, unseen by anyone as the table obscured it. Thinking of Jun Yelan's hard-earned money, she said, "You should keep it."
"Didn't you just say we were husband and wife?" Jun Yelan stared at Lan Yan.
Lan Yan froze; she had only said that to convince the older woman to buy their goods. Seeing Jun Yelan's insistence, she relented, "Then I'll keep it for now. If you need it later, just ask me."
Jun Yelan let out a soft hum and began moving the table onto a cart.
Lan Yan helped him, and then they went to the market and bought a donkey cart. She felt a pang of regret as she paid, but for future convenience, this investment was necessary. Otherwise, Jun Yelan would be exhausted from pushing their wares all the way to town every time.
Jun Yelan watched Lan Yan hand over a large sum of money. In the past, he would have considered her wasteful. Now, he trusted her. Lan Yan had her own ideas and knew what she was doing.
The journey home was much lighter with the donkey cart; both of them felt invigorated. Lan Yan placed their goods in the back and sat beside Jun Yelan in the front, driving the cart together. She took out a bun from her pocket, broke it in half, and offered a piece to Jun Yelan, "Open wide."
Jun Yelan, holding the reins, had no choice but to bite down and swallow. He then looked at Lan Yan, her mouth stuffed with the bun, her cheeks puffed out, and her dangling legs still swaying. This person seemed to find joy very easily. Compared to the Lan Yan he knew, she was a completely new person. He turned his head to continue driving, a faint smile playing on his lips.
After Lan Yan finished her bun, they had arrived at their doorstep. With the donkey cart, the journey had been swift.
Lan Chuo had already discarded his crutches and was busy with household chores. He herded the chickens into their coop and was astonished to see a cart parked in the yard.
"Sister, is this ours?"
Lan Yan patted the donkey's head and smiled. "Brother, of course. We bought it with the money we earned today. I told you before, your sister will ensure our family lives a good life." She surveyed the yard, thinking about where to house the donkey.
Lan Chuo, still in disbelief, touched the donkey. Their family truly had a donkey cart! "Sister, I'll take care of this donkey. I promise to raise it well for you." His eyes gleamed with surprise as he led the donkey away, placing it beside the chicken coop, and then went to get food.
Jun Yelan, meanwhile, began building a donkey shed nearby, providing shelter from the elements.
Watching the two men busy in the yard, Lan Yan smiled and headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal. At the table, she announced, "To celebrate our success today, let's redouble our efforts tomorrow."
"Alright," Lan Chuo was the first to applaud, now fully supportive of his sister.
Jun Yelan remained silent but picked up a slice of meat and placed it on Lan Yan's plate. Lan Yan's smile deepened. She felt she was doing a great job, at least making the two men around her feel at ease. At this moment, she felt more than just a transmigrator; she felt like Lan Yan, living here.
After a day of work, the three of them retired for the night, only to resume their tasks the next day.
Lan Yan arrived at the alley this time by donkey cart and discovered her usual spot had been taken by a pancake stall. She prepared to move to the side.
The proprietress of the pancake stall smirked smugly. "Someone has lost their lucky spot. The things they sell don't seem particularly good either. Once the novelty wears off, no one will buy them." The owner chimed in agreement, both of them sporting provocative smiles.
Lan Yan, disinclined to engage with strangers, sneered, "Unfortunately, this luck follows me. As for you two, I can only wish you good luck, for you have nothing." She pushed her stall further inside.
The proprietress was about to say more but, upon seeing Jun Yelan's icy expression, involuntarily flinched. The man seemed to radiate a chilling aura. Jun Yelan coldly withdrew his gaze and stayed by Lan Yan's side, helping her push.
Lan Yan set up her goods as she had yesterday, adding a new item today. She also spotted the woman from yesterday and called out warmly, "Big sister, we meet again."
The woman smiled. "The gift boxes yesterday were excellent. I'm thinking of letting my family try them too. Please give me three boxes."
"Coming right up. We have a new item today, would you like to try it?"
The woman didn't hesitate. "I'll take them all." She placed the pastries in her basket, a look of satisfaction on her face. She had never tasted such delicious pastries before. Lan Yan saw her off, and the woman enthusiastically promoted the pastries to her neighbors, attracting more customers.
Even with her stall situated at the very back, Lan Yan's business was booming. The couple at the pancake stall grew envious, seeing customers passing by their stall to go to Lan Yan's. They seethed with anger. "That damned woman, she's clearly stealing our business." They resentfully said to the customers, "What kind of pastries are these? They must be unappetizing and dirty." But no one believed them, and they could only glare with reddened eyes.
Jun Yelan, while helping Lan Yan, noticed someone staring at her. His eyes darkened. He glanced towards some pebbles in the corner and, seeing fewer customers, said, "I'll be right back."
Lan Yan nodded, and he went to the corner, subtly tossing a pebble under the pancake stall. Simultaneously, he noticed a closed cabinet door at the pancake stall and flicked a pebble at it. The cabinet door burst open, revealing moldy and rotten pancakes within.
The pancake stall couple immediately panicked, trying to close it. However, they slipped on the ground and fell clumsily. The pancakes spilled out, landing on their heads and bodies, emitting a foul odor. Nearby customers, disgusted, covered their noses and walked around to Lan Yan's stall.
The couple tried to get up but stepped on the pebbles on the ground, falling on their bottoms again. "Ouch," they cried, feeling pain all over. "Which scoundrel threw stones here?"
Jun Yelan, having finished his task, returned to the stall and continued packaging pastries. Lan Yan heard the commotion and burst into laughter. "It seems even your luck is bad." She felt a surge of relief. She had initially planned to teach them a lesson after finishing her business, but they had already met their own misfortune.
Just then, an old man approached and, seeing Lan Yan, exclaimed, "Girl, it's you!" He had heard many people praising the pastries while taking a walk outside and had come to see for himself.
Lan Yan was also surprised and smiled. "Elder Hu, it's been a while. By the way, these are new pastries I've made. Please try them." Elder Hu was a discerning critic, and gaining his approval would significantly boost her business.
Elder Hu tasted them and nodded, musing, "Not bad. I'll take fifty portions delivered to my home." Lan Yan's eyes lit up, and she looked at Jun Yelan with surprise. Their first major order had arrived!