Chapter 63: Buy, Buy, Buy!!! Filling Up an Entire Cart!

All the vendors at the market knew that this big fair was held in cooperation with the Northwest Military District. So when they saw the unfamiliar face of Gu Jianing, dressed in a military coat, they immediately realized she was a new military wife. They greeted her warmly—after all, people are naturally drawn to beautiful things, and Gu Jianing’s pretty face made a great first impression.

“Little lady, I’ve got radishes, napa cabbage, tomatoes—all freshly picked from my own fields this morning. What would you like?”

Gu Jianing noticed that there were more vegetable stalls than anything else. She walked over to one run by an elderly couple, who quickly called out to her as she approached.

“How much are these?” she asked.

After asking about the prices, Gu Jianing bought a good amount of each kind. It was winter, after all, so they’d keep for a while.

She continued browsing, picking up several bags of dried shiitake mushrooms, some vermicelli noodles, and a sack of potatoes. When she saw someone selling large blocks of tofu, she bought several as well…

Seeing how much Gu Jianing was buying—and that she hardly bargained at all—the vendors quickly pegged her as a big spender.

Many of the farmers became especially enthusiastic, calling out to her as she passed by, hoping she’d buy from them too.

Gu Jianing did see a lot she wanted to buy, but she was worried she wouldn’t be able to carry it all back by herself.

“Don’t worry, we have people here with handcarts at the market. For just a dime, they’ll deliver everything right to the military compound for you,” someone quickly offered when they overheard her muttering to herself, even pointing her in the right direction.

Sure enough, Gu Jianing saw a group of handcarts gathered together. At first, she thought they were for sale, but it turned out they were for hauling goods.

With that, she could shop without worry.

At the fish stall, she saw fresh, lively fish flopping around. Without hesitation, she had them net several big black carp for her—buy!

At the poultry stall, she bought two chickens. As for chicks, she didn’t buy any—she didn’t know how to raise them and didn’t plan to learn.

She bought half a sack of potatoes from a big pile.

There was even a pork stall! Pork belly, ribs, lean meat—she bought it all!

Gu Jianing also spotted someone selling wild cordyceps at a very cheap price.

Cordyceps was incredibly expensive in the future, but here in the Northwest, it seemed to be a local specialty.

Without hesitation, Gu Jianing bought out their entire stock—she’d keep some for herself and send the rest to her family and her grandparents.

The cordyceps sellers were a brother and sister, about ten years old. They’d dug up the cordyceps in the mountains and brought them to the market, hoping to sell them for some rice and flour.

But up until now, no one had been interested—not even to take a look.

They never expected a fairy-like big sister to come along and buy everything. They were overjoyed.

By the time Gu Jianing finished shopping, she’d filled an entire handcart with her purchases.

“Big sister, we have other medicinal herbs at home. Would you like those too?” The little boy, Qin Tian, gathered his courage and asked, seeing how much Gu Jianing liked the cordyceps.

The siblings were from a nearby mountain village. At home, it was just the two of them and their frail grandmother. The family was either too young or too old to work the fields. Luckily, their grandmother had taught them a lot about medicinal herbs.

So, from time to time, they’d go into the mountains to gather herbs and save them up to sell at the county hospital. But the prices there were always pushed down, and it was at least a four-hour walk—too far, especially in the cold and snow.

That’s why they loved the big fair on the 10th of every month. It was closer to their village, and as long as they could sell their herbs, the prices were fair and not pressed too low.

If they could sell their herbs, they could buy rice and flour for home. Their grandmother was sick lately and needed to eat finer grains.

They also had another wish they hadn’t told anyone: to save up enough money to go to school.

“I’d love that…” Gu Jianing replied, listing off some herbs. “If you have any of these, bring them to me. And I’ll take all the cordyceps you have, too.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the siblings’ eyes lit up. “Big sister, we have those herbs at home! Could you wait for us? We’ll go get them right now!”

Qin Tian rubbed his gloved hands together—the gloves were so worn that several fingers poked through. He pressed his lips together, looking at Gu Jianing with cautious hope. Qin Qing, his sister, was the same—her eyes were full of expectation, as if Gu Jianing was their only hope.

Gu Jianing had always liked children, and seeing the siblings, she could tell their family was struggling.

“Of course. I’m not planning to leave the fair just yet. Go ahead and fetch the herbs—I’ll wait for you here. However much you have, I’ll buy it all,” Gu Jianing promised generously.

The siblings’ eyes immediately sparkled. “Thank you, fairy sister! We’ll go get them right now!”

With that, they dashed off like the wind.

Watching their retreating figures, Gu Jianing’s expression softened.

She agreed partly because she wanted to help the siblings, but also because she really needed those herbs.

Soldiers often had to go on missions or train in harsh environments. Medical care was limited, and supplies were scarce. Stomach problems, back pain, joint issues, and rheumatism were all common among the troops.

Even Sheng Zexi had them.

He’d never mentioned it, but when she’d bound him as a patient, the scan had revealed it.

When she’d asked him about it, Sheng Zexi admitted that not only him, but almost every soldier suffered from these problems.

After hearing that, Gu Jianing fell into deep thought.

These issues might be bearable when young, but they’d only get worse with age.

So, in the system’s exchange shop, she spent 10 points each to redeem the formulas for rheumatism ointment and stomach-protecting pills.

These two recipes required the most points in the shop, but they were also the most effective. According to the description, they wouldn’t even be developed for another hundred years.

There were cheaper options, but they weren’t as effective. In the end, Gu Jianing chose the best.

Now that Sheng Zexi was her husband, she had to take care of him. So, she needed to have the ointment and pills on hand.

But her points…

Looking at the pitiful four points she had left, Gu Jianing couldn’t help but wish her sister-in-law would get pregnant soon, and that she could cure Sheng Zexi’s infertility quickly—then she’d get 300 points.

Points were precious—once spent, they were gone.

The herbs she’d just listed were exactly what she needed to make the ointment and pills.

She’d been worrying about where to get the ingredients, but then she’d run into the siblings—just what she needed. It was a win-win for both sides."