Kapitel 18: Chapter 18 Arriving at Jing City_1
In the back yard of Xiangmanlou, Manager Wang watched as his workers hauled in baskets of large radishes with great pleasure. He immediately had a chef cut open a radish the size of a mixing bowl, and with a crisp sound, the radish was easily split in half. Transparent juice slid down the knife edge, and a faint sweet aroma wafted out.
Manager Wang couldn't help but take a bite of the radish. It was crisp and sweet, surprisingly more delicious than those that had endured frost and snow in winter. After a few more bites, he looked meaningfully at Mo Yan and said,
"I thought that radishes this time of year, even if they could grow so big, would not taste good. I didn't expect that the young lady's home could grow such delicious radishes during this season,"
Confronted with the implication of his words, Mo Yan pretended to be oblivious and played dumb, "It's just my family's luck! We've tried in previous years, but no matter how carefully we tended to them, they wouldn't grow. This year, we barely took care of them, yet we ended up with all these. It's strange to me too!"
Manager Wang had intended to probe whether she had a secret technique; if possible, he was willing to pay a large sum to acquire it, so his own people could grow radishes, and in summer, he could offer his guests radishes, a unique treat in Longshi Town.
Seeing that he wanted to ask more, Mo Yan put on a hopeful expression and said, "How about I write down the process of growing these radishes? If Manager Wang wants it, I'll sell it to you for fifty taels of silver."
Manager Wang choked at her words, looking speechless at her greedy little appearance, and immediately lost all such thoughts.
Mo Yan bowed her head, laughing like a sly fox.
Manager Wang was very satisfied with this batch of vegetables, especially the radishes, and gave a high price of ten wen per pound. Mo Yan was quite pleased with this price. You should know that in winter, one wen could buy two pounds of radishes, and ten wen was a substantial amount!
After weighing the radishes, there was a total of 420 jin, just for this, she earned a total of four thousand two hundred wen. Add to that the over five hundred wen from cabbage, tomatoes, and corn, Mo Yan suddenly had over three thousand seven hundred wen.
One thousand wen is equivalent to one or two pieces of silver. In the end, Mo Yan left Xiangmanlou with a cheerful heart, carrying four taels of silver and over seven hundred wen.
When she came to the dilapidated house at the end of the street, Mo Yan released another batch of vegetables. To avoid Manager Wang's suspicion and potential trouble, she decided not to release any more radishes. After all, there weren't many left in the Space, and it wouldn't be bad to keep them for herself to eat.
After completing all this, Mo Yan went to the seed shop on the street, spending over ten wen to buy more than a dozen types of seeds, such as cucumbers, eggplants, and green beans, which she didn't have in the Space. She then went to the market to buy ten jin each of potatoes and sweet potatoes to keep as seed. Lastly, she spent over one hundred wen at the butcher's for six jin of good fatty pork. She asked the butcher to divide it into two halves; she planned to give half to Grandma and keep the other half to have a feast with her own family.
It was still early, and there were quite a few people trading in the market. As soon as Mo Yan found Grandma, she helped her sell pears. Grandma's pears were juicy and sweet, gradually gaining a lot of regular customers, so the two baskets of pears she brought each day were often sold out quickly.
After selling the pears, the two happily left the town together. When they parted, Mo Yan quickly slipped the meat into Grandma's basket. Without waiting for Grandma to react, she grabbed her stuff and ran off, regardless of Grandma shouting loudly behind her.
In the past few trips to town when there were many things she needed to buy, the money Mo Yan made from selling vegetables was almost entirely spent, and there was no silver to improve their living conditions. This time, having made some money and bought meat, she finally let her family enjoy some meat.
Guts unused to meat can easily get upset and cause diarrhea, so Mo Yan cut some lean meat and made a pot of tomato and lean meat soup. Paired with fragrant white rice, even though there was only one soup and the taste wasn't too good, the family ate with exceptional satisfaction.
After the meal, Liyan volunteered to clean up the bowls and chopsticks. The longer she stayed with the Mo Family, the deeper her gratitude towards them grew. She and her grandfather were on their way to Jing City to seek relatives, and without someone to take care of them on the road, they feared they might starve to death. Although she knew the kind-hearted Mo Family wouldn't abandon them, she felt ashamed to eat and drink without contributing anything in return.
Grandfather Li's illness had mostly recovered over these past days, but due to his age, in order to avoid a relapse, they needed to wait for him to fully recover before continuing their journey.
Meanwhile, Mo Qingze had the idea to settle down in Longshi Town. There were no droughts here, people lived and worked in peace and contentment; the environment was utterly different from the war-torn South, almost like another world. He discussed it with Mo Yan, and after several days of careful consideration, she ultimately decided against it.
Although Longshi Town was small, it was geographically well-situated on the main road, making it a necessary stop for merchants and travelers from the South to the North. This also made Longshi Town much wealthier than other nearby towns. To bypass it and head to Jing City would mean several extra days of travel. Hence, the government officials would set up checkpoints at the town's entrance and collect a crossing fee of ten wen money from outsiders. Ten wen might not seem like much, but it added up to a considerable income over time.
Because of this, Longshi Town was quite xenophobic. To settle in Longshi Town or the surrounding villages, one must first spend money to smooth things over with local interests and bring wealth to Longshi Town; otherwise, settling there was out of the question.
Mo Yan had her Space and could indeed grow vegetables and grain to accumulate capital, but that was a lengthy process. Without the cover of farmlands, her secret could very likely be exposed over time. She didn't want to take the risk. She didn't share these concerns with her father explicitly, preferring to make the point that they didn't have enough silver to consider his idea further.
In the following days, Mo Yan's business dealings with Xiangmanlou went very smoothly. Earning more than five hundred wen a day rapidly filled her purse. However, she did not tell Mo Qingze about her dealings with Xiangmanlou because it was difficult to explain. Sometimes, when she caught her father's worried gaze, she could only silently apologize in her heart.
After seven days, Mo Yan's cooperation with Xiangmanlou came to an end. When settling the last of the payments for the vegetables, Manager Wang gave her an extra five hundred wen. Thanks to Mo Yan's supply of Space Vegetables, Xiangmanlou's business had improved considerably, earning far more than just the additional five hundred wen.
Unable to refuse, Mo Yan accepted the money and, under Manager Wang's expression of deep regret, left Xiangmanlou.
After returning the rental on the dilapidated room, Mo Yan went to see the kind-hearted doctor who had treated Grandfather Li and settled the outstanding medical bills. He was a good doctor, with high moral standards. When Mo Yan had no money, she had no choice, but now that she did, she didn't want to owe him any longer.
She then made another trip to the market and bought more than twenty chicks and two old hens. In a secluded place, she dropped the chicks into her Space, then with the old hens in tow, found the old woman and forced the hens on her to repay the kindness she had shown her.
When the old woman learned that Mo Yan was leaving with her family and would not return, she was very reluctant to say goodbye. Unable to refuse the old hens, she gave Mo Yan the remaining half basket of pears, basket and all, for the journey.
Mo Yan didn't refuse and, holding the basket, tearfully bid farewell to the old woman.
Back at the dilapidated temple, Mo Yan had Mo Qingze slaughter the old hens to make a pot of delicious chicken soup. With the soup, the six of them enjoyed one last hearty lunch at the temple.
After half a month of rough living and arduous travel, the six of them finally arrived in Jing City without mishap…
Kapitel 19: Chapter 19 Not Enough Money to Spend_1
The towering city wall, approximating six zhang in height, stood majestically in the distance. Upon the city gate, the words "Chudu" were clearly distinguishable, and the thickness of the wall along with its solemn colors proclaimed its inviolable authority to the world.
Unconsciously, Mo Yan looked up for a while, feeling a soreness in her neck. As she shifted her gaze, she realized that even the youngest, Zhenzhen, was awestruck by the grandeur of the city tower.
"We've finally arrived!"
Mo Qingze, coming back to his senses, exclaimed.
"It's wonderful we're here; any further and Zhenzhen's feet would have fallen off!"
Zhenzhen, watching the passing crowd, was excited, but his childlike words were unintentionally amusing.
"Hmph, talking nonsense again. Weren't you carried by father all along the way?"
Xin Er loved to bicker with her brother, and seizing the opportunity to tease him for his foolish remark, she couldn't help but chide.
With his shortcoming pointed out, Zhenzhen wanted to retort but couldn't think of a comeback, his little face turning red as he pouted and muttered, "Bad second sister, the worst second sister."
The others were amused by the siblings' antics and couldn't help but laugh.
It was getting late, and they needed to find a place to rest upon entering the city. Mo Yan wasted no time, took out the Passage Order Xiao Eleven had given them from the bundle, and handed it to Mo Qingze.
The drought and turmoil in the South had spread to the North, causing many people to flee from the South to seek refuge in the North, and many of them ended up in Jing City. To avoid chaos within the city, the Court managed the refugees' entry into Jing City strictly. Hundreds of soldiers guarded each of the four city gates, inspecting passersby. Unless one had relatives willing to take them in or possessed a Passage Order, they could only stay in the refugee camp by the North gate.
Grandfather Li, that is, Lizhong, was worried about how to enter the city when he saw the troops guarding the gate. But upon noticing Mo Yan produce a Passage Order, he curiously refrained from asking about it.
With the Passage Order, the group smoothly passed the inspection and stepped into the Imperial Capital.
The Imperial Capital was truly deserving of its name, with clean, neat streets flanked by densely arranged houses and shops, bustling crowds, and busy traffic—all orderly and without a hint of chaos. Ordinary citizens wore clothes that rarely showed patches, indicating a glimpse of the city's prosperity. Grandfather and grandson of the Li family were somewhat accustomed to this, but Mo Yan's group, with their clothes covered in patches and layered with the dust of travel, looked distinctly out of place, drawing many curious glances from onlookers.
Mo Yan didn't mind, Mo Qingze, being a scholar, didn't feel ashamed, Zhenzhen was too young to understand the stares, but Xin Er felt somewhat embarrassed and instinctively ducked her head, hiding behind Mo Yan.
Having entered the city earlier than planned and skipped lunch, the group was famished. At Mo Yan's insistence, they found a clean noodle stall to satisfy their hunger first.
In Jing City, prices were high. A bowl of shredded pork noodles that cost three wen elsewhere was double the price here, at six wen. Mo Yan ordered six bowls of noodles, spending over thirty wen in one go, which pained her as she didn't have much silver, and there would be many expenses on her initial arrival to Jing City!
Grandfather and grandson of the Li family felt very sorry. All along the journey, everything they ate and drank was provided by the Mo Family; without them, with neither money nor food, they wouldn't have made it to Jing City.
The gratitude to the Mo Family was deeply etched in Lizhong's heart. As he thought of the families parting ways soon, perhaps never to meet again, and with no chance to repay their kindness, he couldn't help but speak:
"Mr. Mo, it's not easy to find a place to stay in Jing City. If you don't mind, you could come and live with my son-in-law's family for a while, so we can look after each other,"
Upon hearing this, Liyan's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly. During this time, she had come to think of the Mo Family as her nearest and dearest, aside from Grandfather.
Mo Qingze immediately shook his head: "Uncle Li, I appreciate your kindness, but I must decline your offer!"
Mo Yan, noticing Lizhong's intent to express his gratitude, spoke up before he could persist, "Grandfather Li, when we helped you, we didn't expect anything in return. After all, we are outsiders; it wouldn't be right for us to impose. Besides, we are capable of finding our own place in the city."
Seeing their firm stance, Lizhong felt hesitant. It would be acceptable for him and his granddaughter to stay with his son-in-law without stirring gossip, but bringing the Mo Family along might displease his daughter's stern mother-in-law, causing difficulty for both his daughter and son-in-law. Moreover, the debt of gratitude was his to repay; he couldn't in good conscience let his son-in-law's family bear it. His greatest fear was that, in trying to repay the kindness, he might cause discomfort to his benefactors, turning his good intention into a misdeed.
The father and daughter of the Mo Family had also considered this, which is why they firmly declined, to avoid putting the Li Family in an awkward situation. Besides, living under someone else's roof is never ideal.
At that moment, the noodles were ready and brought to the table by the landlady, temporarily suspending the conversation.
After sharing a bowl of noodles, the two families were about to part ways, and although Lizhong tried to persuade them one more time, Mo Qingze still did not agree.
Lizhong, having no other choice, said, "I stayed in Jing City for a while and am quite familiar with it. If you're looking for a place to stay, it's best to head to West Market. The commoners there are better off and easier to deal with. Plus, there are night patrols that make the area safer to live in."
Mo Yan and her father expressed their gratitude, finding this information extremely valuable. Otherwise, with their lack of knowledge about the vast city, they wouldn't even know where to begin looking for a suitable place.
Finally, Lizhong gave Mo Qingze the address of his son-in-law's residence, asking him to let him know once they found a place to settle down, wishing for the two families to keep in touch. With a smile, Mo Qingze took note of the details, and after an affectionate farewell, they parted ways, heading in opposite directions, one to the east and the other to the west.
...
By the time Mo Yan and her group arrived in West Market and found a place to rest, the sun had already set.
After seeing off the elderly couple who had rented the house to them, Mo Yan joyfully surveyed their new home. The location was somewhat remote, situated at the very end of the street, with a long alley outside the courtyard door that truly was frightening at night.
The house, made of blue bricks and grey tiles, appeared a bit worn and wasn't large, consisting of a small main hall and two rooms. One of the rooms had been partitioned to create a separate living space and kitchen.
What satisfied Mo Yan was the courtyard—though not large, about twenty pings in size—it had a small vegetable patch against the wall, a chicken coop in the corner perfect for raising chickens, and beyond that, a well, which made fetching water quite convenient.
Though the rent wasn't cheap, costing one or two pieces of silver a month, Mo Yan was quite content to find such a quaint courtyard in Jing City, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.
It took the family two hours to clean the house inside and out, and Mo Yan realized there was too much they needed to buy. The old furniture left by the landlord was serviceable enough, but they still needed to purchase bedding, pots, pans, and the like.
After tallying up the necessities, Mo Yan dismally found that the few pieces of silver she had left were nowhere near enough to cover the expenses...
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