Chapter 29: The Little Ancestor Witnesses Her Father's Unfulfilled Dream

"This corn looks good. Boss, how much is this corn per jin?"

"I just bought pork ribs, so I should get some white radish for soup, and maybe some potatoes too, to make shredded potatoes with hot and sour sauce."

The prices for the vegetables sold by Yu Danxue and the other guests were set only after consulting nearby vendors and the locals. They were consistent with the going rates in the area. However, the guests had several natural advantages: first, they were celebrities; second, they were filming a variety show; and third, their produce was high-quality and fresh.

In just over an hour, the guests had sold out of all their vegetables. Looking at the three hundred yuan or so in their hands, the four adult guests—Yu Zhisheng, Zhong Guoxing, Qi Kang, and Han Qian—realized for the first time just how difficult it was to earn money.

"I always thought running a vegetable stall was quite profitable," Qi Kang said, scratching his face. "Turns out, it’s not profitable at all."

Zhong Guoxing felt the same. "We only sold out so quickly because of our advantages. Other vendors don't sell out that fast, and they earn much less."

[Watching the guests sell vegetables, I’ve finally realized that selling produce isn't lucrative; the middlemen are the ones making the real money.]

[My grandfather is a farmer, and he often goes to town to sell vegetables. Honestly, the prices the guests were selling at were much higher than what my grandfather charges. He usually has to sell them for dirt cheap; if he doesn't, nobody wants to buy them.]

[I usually go to the supermarket because I don't know how to read scales and I'm worried about being cheated. I don't have to worry about that at the supermarket.]

[Me too. Even though supermarket produce is sometimes more expensive, I feel more at ease buying it. I’ve been cheated by dishonest scales when buying outside before.]

Yu Zhisheng divided the three hundred yuan equally into four shares. "This is our food budget for the time being, so let's all be frugal."

Looking at the eighty or ninety yuan in their hands, the other three guests sighed again at the difficulty of earning a living.

"It's still early, should we walk around?" Han Qian suggested. "We can also ask about how to get back to the village."

"Taking a taxi is out of the question; it costs over twenty yuan per trip."

Hearing the mention of twenty yuan, the three of them looked at the money in their hands and immediately shoved it into their pockets. A taxi was definitely not happening.

"If we aren't taking a taxi, we'll have to take the bus," Zhong Guoxing said. "There should be a bus from town to the village."

"We need to find out the schedule and where the stop is. The locals in town should know."

Following this, the guests asked the people around them about the bus schedule back to the village. Having obtained the necessary information, they decided to wander around a bit more before heading back, while also figuring out their plans for lunch.

"Should we eat in town or back in the village?" Yu Zhisheng asked.

Yu Danxue and the three other children were squatting down, rummaging through their snack bags and pulling out treats to eat. The sound of "crunch, crunch" was constant.

"Doudou, these potato chips are so delicious."

"I like milk candies. My mom doesn't let me eat too many, saying they'll ruin my teeth."

"I like spicy gluten sticks. They're so good."

"This chocolate-flavored drink is so tasty, I love it."

"Let's not eat in town," Han Qian said after thinking for a moment. "Sometimes when I perform in other cities, I eat out, so I know the prices. A bowl of plain noodles is seven yuan, and a single stir-fried dish is over twenty yuan. Our money won't go far at all."

Hearing how expensive it was, no one wanted to eat in town anymore.

"The problem is, none of us know how to cook," Yu Zhisheng sighed. "This is going to be trouble."

Zhong Guoxing smiled cheerfully. "Leave the cooking to me. I can handle basic dishes."

"We'll walk around for a bit and then head back, and we can buy some vegetables and meat from the villagers," Yu Zhisheng and the others agreed quickly.

"Then we’ll be in charge of buying the vegetables, prepping them, washing them, and helping out."

With the plan settled, the guests and children continued to stroll through the town. Yu Zhisheng noticed a small supermarket nearby and asked, "Shall we go take a look inside?"

"Just look, don't buy?" Han Qian asked.

"If kids go into a supermarket, they're bound to want to buy something."

Yu Danxue declined, saying, "We have so many good snacks already, we don't need to buy more food." Feng Doudou and the others agreed.

"Alright, let's go check it out," Zhong Guoxing said. "It'll help us get a better sense of the town. Given the director's personality, he'll definitely make us come back to town for tasks later."

The group entered the supermarket. It was Yu Danxue's first time in such a place, and she looked around with great curiosity. There were so many things she had never seen before. It was quite small, and the shelves were arranged in a strange way.

"Little Great-Aunt, let me introduce things to you." Yu Zhisheng removed their microphones and whispered, explaining everything in the supermarket to her.

When Yu Danxue heard that the supermarket had a constant supply of rice, flour, grain, and oil, her eyes lit up. "Xiao Sheng, do they not run out of food here?"

Yu Zhisheng understood what she meant. "No. Thanks to a certain great man, we don't face food shortages anymore, and crop yields have increased significantly."

"Little Great-Aunt, only a very small number of people go hungry here. Most people can eat their fill, dress warmly, and live quite well." As long as one is willing to work hard, there's no reason to go hungry.

Yu Danxue beamed. "That's wonderful. The prosperous age that Father dreamed of has been realized here."

Yu Zhisheng was surprised. "Little Great-Aunt, the era our ancestors lived in was also a prosperous one, wasn't it?"

Yu Danxue explained, "Father said it was indeed a prosperous age, but there were still many commoners who couldn't eat or dress warmly, and they had to sell their children to survive. Father also said that a true prosperous age is one where the vast majority of commoners can eat and dress well, don't have to sell their children for a living, and don't have to worry about having meat on the table."

Yu Zhisheng realized for the first time that his ancestor had such a grand vision. "Little Great-Aunt, this right here is that kind of prosperous age. You will definitely be very happy and content here."

Yu Danxue gave a sweet smile. "I will."

Yet, Yu Zhisheng caught a trace of sorrow and sadness in her smile. She must miss her family dearly. When she spoke of her father, her tone was filled with pride and longing. She should have been able to grow up freely by her family's side, but due to her destiny, she had to travel a thousand years into the future, separated from her family at such a tender age. To a child, that was incredibly cruel.

"Is there anything you'd like to buy, Little Great-Aunt? Let's make a note of it, and after the show wraps up, I'll take you to a large supermarket to buy it." He was willing to fulfill all her wishes, if only to see her happy for the rest of her life.

Yu Danxue asked in surprise, "Xiao Sheng, is that okay?"

Yu Zhisheng replied, "Why wouldn't it be?"

He reattached their microphones and took her hand to continue exploring the supermarket. "Just tell me what you like, and we'll buy it when we go back."