The Family Had Split, Why Should I Care if They Go Broke? - Chapter 3

Xu Zhichun arrived at the port warehouse site and didn’t hesitate to push open another warehouse door. Inside, rows of cardboard boxes were stacked to the ceiling. Reading the labels, she saw each box held barrels of peanut oil, rapeseed oil, and sesame oil.

Good stuff—by a rough estimate, there must be forty to fifty thousand barrels. Xu Zhichun’s eyes sparkled. With these endless rows of warehouses, there were surely even more barrels tucked away elsewhere.

From now on, all of this would be her stockpile.

In other words… money, everywhere.

Thrilled, Xu Zhichun went off to check the other warehouses.

And oh, was she satisfied. Food supplies were stacked neatly: salt, white sugar, rock sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce, ham sausages, salted duck eggs, biscuits, chocolate, candy, coffee—every kind of seasoning, side dish, confection, and beverage imaginable. Clothing and fabrics, shoes and socks, bedding sets, quilts, carpets—all kinds of household goods. Cosmetics, toys, luggage, medicine, health supplements, books, stationery, daily necessities… basically everything under the sun.

This—this was what mountains of gold and silver really looked like! 

After wandering for a while, she was so tired she slumped against the outer wall of a warehouse, catching her breath. There was simply too much to see; she hadn’t even glimpsed one percent of it yet.

Huh… for the rest of her life, all she’d need was a way to transport these goods to sell, and she’d never have to worry about food or clothing again.

Her heart practically danced with joy. 

After all, it’s an unshakable truth of the world: if you have grain in your hands, your mind need not panic.

Still catching her breath, Xu Zhichun suddenly remembered her excessive bl00d loss. Why not find some tonics or health supplements to help her recover faster? 

And while she was at it, she might as well locate the medicine warehouses in advance—who knew when she might need them.

No need to waste time thinking—she got to work, using her memory to hunt down the health and medicine supplies.

The warehouses were laid out in a dense maze. 

Even roughly knowing the locations, it still took her nearly twenty minutes to find the right one.

Finally, she remembered the spot, opened a box of ejiao bl00d tonic, read the instructions, and drank a bottle immediately.

One bottle in the morning, one at night—got it memorized.

She also found two boxes of ginseng and placed them where they were visible. These were top-quality roots, each thicker than a thumb and with a faint, fragrant bitterness. If she ever needed cash, selling one at the pharmacy would earn her pure profit.

Of course… she couldn’t just take whatever she wanted—not yet. Anything she removed would need a safe way past the “bright road” to the outside world.

By the time she emerged from the docks, her legs were sore and her body weary. The sun was already dipping toward evening.

Suddenly, she remembered: she had to make dinner. She could get food from the port herself, but what about her little brother-in-law?

Jumping out of bed, she hurried to get started.

From behind the curtain, Liang Mingxuan called out, “Sister-in-law, you’re up?”

Xu Zhichun slipped on her shoes as she answered, “Yes, yes! Sister-in-law is making dinner!”

Hearing her footsteps, Mingxuan quickly drew back the curtain and came in to support her. “No need, Sister-in-law. I’ve already scooped two bowls of rice, grabbed six eggs, and a basket of vegetables to Aunt Zhu’er’s house. I asked her to help cook for a couple of days. I’ll handle the rest of the chores—you rest.”

Still a little dizzy and weak from her injuries, Xu Zhichun didn’t insist. She smiled at him, praising him gently, “Good, our Mingxuan is really capable.”

He helped her to a bench along the wall in the main room and poured her some warm water. “Drink, Sister-in-law.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Taking the ceramic bowl, Xu Zhichun thought: This boy is truly well-behaved. She would take care of him properly—having a child like this in this era was almost another kind of lifelong security. Perfect.

When he grew up and got married, she could live her own life, but as long as the uncle-nephew and sister-in-law ties remained, she wouldn’t be entirely alone in the world. In this era, that was enough to keep her from being bullied.

Ahem… drifting off-topic.

For now, the priority was healing.

Aunt Zhu’er soon brought dinner.

“I made you some egg-drop congee—it’s easy to digest. You eat, and I’ll take Mingxuan to my house for dinner.”

Xu Zhichun smiled gratefully. “Aunt Zhu’er, thank you! You’ll be troubled by me these next few days!”

“We’re neighbors, no need for formalities.”

Aunt Zhu’er settled her, then led Mingxuan away.

The steaming egg-drop congee was dotted with minced green onions, thick and fragrant. One taste, and Xu Zhichun was blown away.

Aunt Zhu’er really was talented! With all the recipes, ingredients, and spices in the warehouses, Xu Zhichun knew her taste buds were in for a real treat someday.

Following a familiar path, Xu Zhichun found a warehouse and unpacked a vacuum-sealed roast chicken. She ate the congee while tearing into the chicken.

Though the family had five acres of rice fields and Liang Minglang had earned some money as an escort, sending Mingxuan to school was still expensive. Life was tight, and her body was weak.

With her bl00d loss, proper nourishment was critical.

So Xu Zhichun drank her bl00d tonic, consumed ginseng and yu-zhu supplements, gnawed on roast chicken, drank milk, and ate eggs.

In the cold storage, she even found bananas, apples, and watermelon for vitamins.

Since she couldn’t transport any of this yet, she had to eat alone.

The night passed quietly.

The next morning, Xu Zhichun again drank her tonic and supplements, tore into a vacuum-sealed chicken drumstick, ate a slice of cake, and bit into a red apple.

Not bad—her dizziness faded, and her strength returned a bit.

By noon, she decided to slaughter a chicken for stew.

She needed to recover, and Mingxuan needed nourishment too.

The original household had seven laying hens, five roosters, and a flock of chicks weighing two or three taels each, plus two pigs in the pen.

Killing one chicken today wasn’t a big deal.

Later, she would have plenty—more than enough, whatever she wanted.

Agreeing, Mingxuan nodded. With her bl00d loss, she needed to replenish.

As they had just killed a rooster, its feathers still intact, Lady Zhang’s loud voice rang from outside the courtyard wall.

Xu Zhichun hurriedly shoved the chicken into a bucket, covered it with a basin, and pulled Mingxuan toward the kitchen. “Don’t let Lady Zhang know we killed a chicken.”

“Got it.”

“She’s here, quickly, sit.”

Xu Zhichun greeted her politely, and Mingxuan obediently said, “Eldest Aunt.”

Lady Zhang plopped herself into a chair without the slightest courtesy, legs sprawled wide. She rolled her dull, fish-like eyes at Xu Zhichun, then waved a hand grandly. “Your health’s still not up to par—just focus on resting. Those five acres of your family’s fields? I can see you won’t be able to tend them properly. It’d be a shame to let them go to waste, so we’ll take care of them. Don’t worry—once the harvest comes in, we’ll share a portion with you!”

T/N: