The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 29p2

Chapter 29: Still Popular p2

That night.

Lin Shuang lay down, ready to sleep.

Jiang Huaizhen next to her tossed and turned, then suddenly said, “How about we hire someone to go with you tomorrow…”

Hiring someone would cost at most twenty or thirty copper coins a day. According to their income today, they could afford it.

Lin Shuang turned her head in confusion and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you tired?”

“No, I’m not tired,” Jiang Huaizhen shook her head. “I… I’m worried that if people know I’m an executioner, they won’t buy our flatbreads…”

Lin Shuang said, “But you can’t be trapped in the valley for the rest of your life, can you?”

“I can go out, I just don’t want to affect the business.”

“Then you didn’t think about this problem yesterday?”

Hearing her words, Jiang Huaizhen thought she was blaming her and felt a little sad, but she still replied, “I did think about it. But I didn’t want you to work so hard by yourself, and I was worried that someone would take advantage of you. I thought that maybe those people wouldn’t recognize me, and also…”

“And what?”

“And I also wanted to earn money together.”

Hearing this, Lin Shuang felt her grievance, and a wave of pity washed over her.

This person, who had been so strong in her heart in her past life, was now just a seventeen-year-old. She had no friends, and for all these years, she had only had a little old lady to accompany her. The two of them had conflicting personalities, and when they disagreed, they would just give each other the silent treatment.

She longed for the outside world, but now she was imprisoned by this identity as an executioner, her hands and feet tied. How could she not feel suffocated?

She just wanted to help.

Now that it was proven that this business could be done, she was reluctantly about to quit.

Lin Shuang wanted to earn money, but in all her wishes, Jiang Huaizhen came first.

If this person was unhappy, what was the point of earning more money?

She turned on her side and moved closer, wrapping her arms around the other’s waist.

Feeling the body in her arms tense up, she smiled. “What? Can’t I hug your waist?”

Jiang Huaizhen didn’t say anything.

Only then did Lin Shuang reluctantly let go of her hand and say, “I only want to work with you. I’m not used to working with others. If it’s not someone I know well, it’s a hassle to hire them.”

“If someone recognizes you, then so be it. We’re in a proper profession, with a proper identity. We’re not rats scurrying across the street.”

There was no wall in the world that didn’t have a crack. It was only a matter of time before she was recognized.

According to the popularity of the sauce flatbreads today, it would definitely arouse the jealousy of the surrounding stall owners. Envious people were the most terrifying. Even if Jiang Huaizhen didn’t go, with so many people coming in and out of the village, someone would soon dig up her relationship with her, and the result would be the same, wouldn’t it?

To take a step back, even without Jiang Huaizhen’s identity as an executioner, if people wanted to cause trouble, they could find other ways.

A good person like Doctor Xue, but in her past life, when the Qin family wanted to get him, what pretext did they need?

And only with Jiang Huaizhen by her side could she feel at ease.

“A few taels of silver can’t buy our Huaizhen’s happiness.”

These words fell into Jiang Huaizhen’s ears, and her chest thumped.

For the first time, someone had so clearly defended her self-esteem, cared about her feelings, and looked after her small selfish desires.

She lay there, letting the unknown emotions spread through her body, and said with difficulty, “But, that will lose a lot of money…”

“Why worry about something that hasn’t happened yet?”

Jiang Huaizhen fell silent.

“Since we’ve made the worst-case plan, there’s no need to worry anymore. Let’s sleep,” Lin Shuang said.

Jiang Huaizhen hummed in agreement and closed her eyes in peace.

The next day.

Lin Shuang woke up early to prepare.

Jiang Huaizhen was stronger than her, so after Lin Shuang mixed the water, she let her knead the dough while she went to pick vegetable leaves.

By the time they had loaded everything onto the cart, it was just getting light.

After arranging breakfast and medicine for the old woman, the two of them set off with the wheelbarrow.

By the time they reached the city gate, it had just opened. They lined up behind the other commoners to pay the fee and enter the city.

After walking for over a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the same spot as yesterday, set up their stall, and began to sell.

The morning market was always the noisiest place in the entire city. Vendors with their carrying poles poured into the city from all directions. Some hawked their wares along the street, while others gathered together to sell, creating a lively scene.

The servants of the wealthy households would get up early to buy a day’s worth of food. The morning market was filled with smoke, and the shouts of the vendors rose and fell.

Just like yesterday, the two of them, one kneading the dough and spreading the oil, the other lighting the fire and arranging the table and spices.

As soon as the flatbread was in the pot, people began to line up.

Some were familiar faces, while others had heard that there was a sauce flatbread stall run by two beautiful young ladies, and the flatbreads were crispy and delicious, so they came to see.

After eating the first flatbread of the morning, they couldn’t help but exclaim in satisfaction.

They had prepared enough today, and with the experience from yesterday, the flatbreads were coming out of the pot even faster.

The news of the delicious sauce flatbreads spread, and the flow of people in front of the stall did not decrease. Lin Shuang was so busy she was sweating and didn’t even have time to drink water.

It was only when Jiang Huaizhen saw that she hadn’t had a drink all morning that she brought the bamboo tube to her lips, and she gulped down several large mouthfuls.

The two of them were intimate and good-looking. The scene was very pleasing to the eye, and the customers were unwilling to leave even after getting their flatbreads, squatting by the side to eat.

By the Hour of the Monkey(3 p.m. to 5 p.m.) in the afternoon, the hundred catties of dough were all sold out. The customers who hadn’t gotten any had to leave reluctantly, asking them to bring more tomorrow.

Lin Shuang smiled and agreed. She sat down on a small stool to rest, while Jiang Huaizhen began to pack up to go back.

The stall owner next to them, seeing that there was no one around, said to the two of them, “Your business is really good. Before, everyone ate steamed buns, mantou, and porridge in the morning. Today, they all went to eat your sauce flatbreads. Sigh, I’d be lucky to sell half of my large pot of cornbread today.”

Seeing this, the other stall owners also cast various glances at them.

Various voices also came from the surroundings, “If you can’t sell your cornbread, no one is eating my noodles either,” “Our family’s mantou only sold five this morning. By this time, I’m usually already packed up,” “What can we do? We don’t have the skill. What we make isn’t as delicious as others.”

She had already prepared herself mentally last night, so Lin Shuang was not uncomfortable. She narrowed her eyes slightly and drank the water from the bamboo tube.

They were all in business. Anyone who paid a little attention would know how much money they had earned today. A different family would only earn four or five taels a year. For them to earn so much at once would definitely arouse envy.

Having lived two lives, Lin Shuang knew the dark side of human nature all too well.

If someone was sarcastic to her again, she would just smile and say, “It’s all thanks to the support of our fellow villagers. It’s just a novelty. Once the novelty wears off, it will pass.”

Someone said sourly, “That’s not necessarily true. I heard today that you can eat this flatbread every day for a year and not get tired of it.”

The corner of Lin Shuang’s mouth curled up slightly. “Do you believe that, Auntie?”

The woman who was selling cold noodles snorted and said no more.

But some were also happy. “Little lady, thanks to you selling your flatbreads, my porridge also sold very quickly today. Usually, I’m still left with some even when the city gates are about to close. But now, it’s all sold out. I’ll have to cook more tomorrow.”

The flatbreads were dry, and the more well-off customers would have a bowl of porridge or a cup of soy milk with them. With the flatbreads selling well, the flow of people came, and the business for porridge and soy milk also improved.

Business was like this. Lin Shuang didn’t want to argue with people. Seeing that Jiang Huaizhen had packed up, she stood up and put the stool she was sitting on onto the wheelbarrow. The two of them left the market and headed for the city gate.

After leaving the city, Jiang Huaizhen said, “We earned a lot of money today.”

She was the one holding the silver. It was heavy, and with every copper coin that came in, her heart grew a little happier. Her usually pale face also had a few more blushes, which was very beautiful.

Lin Shuang looked at her and smiled. “It’s as much as you’d earn for beheading two people in one day.”

Jiang Huaizhen nodded. “But each has its own difficulties. Beheading is just for a little while. After you’re done, you leave and don’t have to worry about the aftermath. You also don’t have to worry about people saying you didn’t do a good job.”

Of course, no one said she didn’t do a good job. After all, all her customers were dead.

“But with flatbreads, if you don’t make them well, people will criticize you to your face, and they won’t come back next time. If you earn a lot, you’ll also attract competition from your peers.”

Lin Shuang said, “There are envious people everywhere. If there were two executioners in your yamen, your life might not be so easy either.”

Hearing this, Jiang Huaizhen thought for a moment and realized that it was true.

Lin Shuang smiled. “Don’t be afraid. We’ll sell them as we should. But we won’t prepare so much dough tomorrow.”

Jiang Huaizhen asked, “What’s wrong?”

“We have to take Great-grandmother for her follow-up appointment and get her medicine tomorrow.”

Only then did Jiang Huaizhen remember the old woman’s follow-up appointment. She slapped her head in annoyance. “I forgot about that.”