Fan Changyu spent the next several days working herself to the bone slaughtering pigs, preparing braised meats, and selling pork.

The braised offal from her stall had excellent color, aroma, and taste. Since she had once given it away as free extras, no other butcher shop on the street could compete with her business anymore.

Some customers who failed to buy meat from her stall one day would rather wait until the next day than purchase elsewhere. For several days straight, even two whole pigs slaughtered at her stall sold out completely.

Naturally, such booming business made every butcher on the street green with envy.

Seeing nearly all the customers flock to Fan Changyu’s stall, Butcher Guo became dissatisfied once more. Shamelessly, he loudly declared that giving away free extras only increased burdens on butcher shops and proposed that everyone stop doing it altogether.

Though the others disliked Guo’s behavior, it was also true that Fan Changyu had pulled away most of the customers using those free extras. While no one openly stated their support, they more or less silently agreed with Guo’s proposal.

Fan Changyu good-naturedly agreed that nobody would continue giving free extras.

Not because she was easy to bully.

Rather, the reputation of “Fan Family Braised Meat” had already spread. She no longer needed free extras to attract customers. The painstakingly cleaned pig offal sold for twenty copper coins per jin once braised—why would she give it away for free?

Better to sell everyone a favor. After all, they all worked on the same street and would see each other constantly.

All the butcher shops eagerly awaited the return of business to normal.

Unexpectedly, after the free extras stopped, although Fan Changyu’s business was no longer as explosively busy as before, it still remained the best on the entire street.

In fact, because the fame of her braised meats had spread so widely, townspeople stopped buying braised foods from the cooked-food street entirely and instead specifically came to her stall.

There were so many people buying braised meat that her stock constantly ran short.

Eventually, Fan Changyu simply set up a large pot outside the butcher stall. Yesterday’s finished braised meats were sold from the chopping block, while new meats simmered directly in the pot on-site.

This unintentional decision elevated her business yet another level.

The aroma was simply irresistible.

The braising broth bubbled vigorously in the pot while thoroughly cleaned pig heads and offal slowly turned a beautiful glossy brown. The star anise, bay leaves, citrus peel, and other spices floating within could all be seen clearly.

No one passing through the marketplace could resist being lured over by the fragrance to ask prices.

Because the meats were braised fresh right before their eyes, customers could see the genuine ingredients simmering inside. Even bargaining became far less aggressive than before when she sold only pre-cooked meats.

Sometimes after her own pig heads sold out, Fan Changyu would buy additional pig heads from neighboring butcher stalls, clean them, and braise them directly on-site so the pot of broth wouldn’t go to waste.

On her busiest days, she could sell seven or eight braised pig heads in a single day.

Fresh pig heads cost twenty copper coins per jin at the market. Once turned into braised delicacies, the pig heads and ears together sold for roughly fifty copper coins per jin.

A single pig head weighed six or seven jin.

Calculating it out, she earned at least one hundred eighty copper coins profit from every braised pig head.

Selling seven or eight meant profits of around one string and five hundred copper coins.

Combined with another string earned from fresh pork sales, her daily income steadily stabilized around two strings of coins.

As her money pouch grew fuller day by day, Fan Changyu finally felt rich enough to confidently plan new clothes for everyone in the household.

She first headed to the pawnshop to redeem the hairpin she had pawned earlier.

Yet when the shopkeeper saw her, he smiled awkwardly and said, “That hairpin has already been sold…”

Fan Changyu instantly became anxious.

“But you promised to keep it for me!”

The shopkeeper spread his hands helplessly.

“Miss, everyone who pawns something says the same thing. How could I possibly hold items for all of them? I also need to support my family.”

Fan Changyu pressed her lips together and muttered an apology before asking, “Do you remember who bought it?”

The shopkeeper thought for a moment.

“It was purchased the very day you pawned it. A young lady bought it—she was dressed very elegantly, looked like someone from the county city.”

Fan Changyu’s heart sank completely.

Qingping County was neither especially large nor especially small, but finding a complete stranger within it would be nearly impossible.

Recovering the hairpin was probably hopeless now.

The shopkeeper glanced at her expression and hurriedly tried promoting other jewelry from his display case.

“How about this silver hairpin instead? The style is even prettier than your old one!”

Without saying a word, Fan Changyu left the pawnshop.

Heavy snow drifted outside.

She sat on the steps at the entrance for a while, yet still could not suppress the ache in her chest.

When she decided to pawn the silver hairpin, she had already prepared herself mentally for the possibility she might never get it back.

But when it truly became reality, she still could not stop herself from feeling heartbroken.

The coming-of-age hairpin her parents had bought for her…

was gone.

Fan Changyu wiped at her eyes awkwardly and trudged home in low spirits.

—

Meanwhile, West Alley was unusually lively that day.

The reason was simple:

the Song family was moving away.

Among everyone in Qingping County who sat for the examinations this year, only Song Yan had successfully become a juren.

Even the county magistrate had personally invited him to dine at his residence. Wealthy merchants and local gentry all rushed to curry favor with him.

The magistrate had even gifted Song Yan a residence in the county city, publicly stating it was to provide him with a better environment to study and eventually bring glory to Qingping County by passing the imperial examinations.

Apparently the house had already been prepared, so Song Yan and his mother had chosen today to move.

Since someone from their alley had become a juren, the neighbors—regardless of how badly relations between the Fan and Song families had soured—still didn’t wish to offend the Songs. Nearly everyone came out to see them off.

As Fan Changyu reached the alley entrance, she saw two rather impressive green-canopied carriages parked by the roadside.

Walking farther in, she spotted the Song mother and son standing before their house bidding farewell to the neighbors.

Song Yan wore a dark blue robe. Tall and refined, he bowed courteously to the townsfolk with scholarly elegance evident in every movement.

Madam Song was also dressed splendidly. Her hair was glossy with oil and adorned with gold hairpins. Even while basking in endless compliments, she still managed to squeeze out a few tears and put on a show of reluctance about leaving.

Already in poor spirits today, Fan Changyu pretended not to notice the mother and son and simply tried to walk around the crowd toward her own home.

Yet behind her came a gentle male voice:

“Miss Fan, please wait.”

The crowd’s expressions instantly became complicated.

After the broken engagement between the Fan and Song families, the two households had practically severed all ties. Fan Changyu had already taken in a live-in husband, and Song Yan was rumored to be on the verge of becoming the magistrate’s son-in-law.

What connection could possibly remain between them?

Curiosity, gossip, eagerness for scandal—all kinds of thoughts filled the crowd.

Turning around, Fan Changyu saw Song Yan walking toward her carrying an elegant square brocade box.

He stopped three steps away.

Song Yan possessed a gentle scholarly appearance, his every gesture filled with literary refinement.

“My mother and I lived here many years and received much care from your honored father. I have always remembered the kindness of providing my late father’s coffin. As we move today, please accept this small token of gratitude from us.”

The brocade box was beautifully crafted and fairly large. No one knew what it contained.

Fan Changyu nearly laughed from anger.

Ever since the Song family broke the engagement, they had distanced themselves from every trouble the Fan family faced. Yet now, in front of all the neighbors, Song Yan suddenly produced this gift box.

Wasn’t this obviously just for appearances?

A mocking smile appeared on her face.

“What is this?”

Song Yan replied, “A small token of goodwill from my mother and me.”

Fan Changyu swung her arm.

The brocade box crashed onto the ground.

Silver ingots rolled out across the earth.

The surrounding crowd immediately gasped.

Most families in this alley were poor enough that they had never seen actual silver ingots in their entire lives. Now they finally witnessed them firsthand.

Madam Song instantly shrieked, “What are you doing?!”

Usually she worked hard to maintain the image of a refined official’s wife. Having basked in compliments for so long recently, she simply could not endure Fan Changyu humiliating her publicly like this.

Though dressed in fine silk now, years of hardship had left her thin and gaunt. The luxurious clothing failed to suit her at all, and her sharp cheekbones only accentuated her naturally mean appearance.

Fan Changyu sneered.

“Such a generous gift from Scholar Song is something I absolutely dare not accept. When your family brought fortune-teller predictions to break off our engagement, my family never took a single coin from you. Instead, it was my father who bought Old Scholar Song’s coffin and paid Song Yan’s school tuition for years.”

She let out a cold laugh.

“And yet some black-hearted gossipers still twisted it into my father using small favors to force Scholar Song to marry a butcher’s daughter.”

“My parents’ bodies aren’t even cold yet. They can’t bear such slander.”

Madam Song immediately snapped, trying to appear fierce despite her panic.

“What outsiders say has nothing to do with our family!”

Fan Changyu lowered her eyes to the silver ingots on the ground and smiled slightly.

“I never said you instructed them to say those things. Why are you so anxious?”

Madam Song nearly exploded under the provocation.

Feeling the neighbors’ hidden contemptuous gazes upon her, her face burned with humiliation.

Fan Changyu’s words practically pointed directly at the Song family and called them ungrateful.

Her son was destined to become a top scholar!

If this crude butcher girl damaged his reputation and affected his future, it would destroy her entire life!

Trembling with rage, Madam Song was just about to speak when Song Yan, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly said to Fan Changyu:

“If you had come to seek me out, I would not have ignored you.”

“Yan’er!” Madam Song nearly fainted on the spot.

Even Fan Changyu frowned, wondering what madness had possessed Song Yan to say such things publicly.

Before she could respond, however, a soft childish voice suddenly came from outside the crowd.

“Brother-in-law, there are so many people!”

A man’s cool voice followed:

“Don’t wander too far.”

Turning around, Fan Changyu saw her younger sister standing at their doorway on tiptoe trying to peer over at the commotion.

The man had likely followed her out because he worried the child might get lost while watching the excitement.

His beautiful brows remained faintly furrowed, as though he found children troublesome.

He wore the same dark red robes from their wedding day. His long hair was simply tied back, while the wide sleeve concealed most of the crutch beneath it.

His features remained cold and elegant, his complexion pale as snow.

Leaning lazily against the doorway, he gave off an air of detached indifference.

No one knew how long he had been standing there.

Nor how much of the conversation between her and the Song family he had overheard.

When Fan Changyu’s gaze met his, his face revealed no clear emotion.

Only the corner of his lips seemed slightly curved—

though not quite enough to count as a smile.