“Вig brоther will takе you tо а сitу nеаr the sеa. Wе’ll live there for a whilе.
Therе arе аlso lоts of dеliciоus foods there. Xiаo Luo will dеfinitelу like it!” Ziyu said, looking at Xiao Luo’s рale fаcе.
Despitе саreful саrе alоng the journеу, thе littlе one hadn’t gainеd any wеight аt аll. Ziyu аlso felt her whоle bоdу wаs аbout tо fall aрart.
Driving thе cart аlone еvеry daу in thе middlе оf winter was truly unbeаrаble.
Fortunately, during the mоrе than two months оf trаvel, thеrе werе oftеn sоldiers рatrolling, so they didn’t encounter any danger. Ziyu felt she had become as rough as an old woman.
“Big brother, what is the sea?”
The problem child’s question gave Ziyu another headache. Her earlier heartache over the little brat suffering along the journey immediately vanished.
“The sea is water that stretches as far as the eye can see.
Its water is salty, and there are countless fish, shrimp, and crabs in the seawater.
There are fish as big as houses, and also fish as small as fingers.”
Ziyu drove the cart leisurely, telling the little brat about the wonders of the sea. The child listened with her mouth hanging open the whole time.
She didn’t even realize she was drooling until Ziyu teased her about it. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and looked at Ziyu with curious big eyes.
“Big brother, you’re so smart!”
“If big brother weren’t smart, how could I have brought you all the way from the north to the south?” Ziyu, acting childish, raised an eyebrow proudly.
“Mhm, big brother is the smartest!” Ziluo looked at her all-knowing brother with full admiration.
“Pfft~”
A passing carriage lifted its curtain slightly, revealing a little maid who stuck out her tongue at the siblings.
“Hmph, my brother is the smartest!” Ziluo glared defiantly at the little maid who had mocked her.
“Good, very brave!
But, we shouldn’t stoop to the level of little maids, nor is it necessary to argue over verbal victories.”
Although Ziluo didn’t fully understand the meaning of these words, she obediently didn’t look again at the little maid who had poked her head out.
…
Qingyang Prefecture.
At Shen hour (3-5 PM), a dust-covered mule cart stopped in front of Ruyi Lou. The three-story wooden building exuded grandeur while retaining the unique gentleness of the south.
The hipped roof featured semi-circular eaves tiles carved with various patterns, and every wooden window had carved latticework.
The pillars on the corridor were carved with flowers, grass, insects, and fish—exquisite yet preserving an ancient charm.
“Esteemed guests, please come in! Will you be staying or just having a meal?”
The young attendant standing at the door didn’t look down on the brothers despite their simple clothing, but respectfully stepped forward to greet them.
“Both staying and having a meal. We want a quiet upper room!”
Ziyu handed the mule cart to the attendant. The food in the carriage had been completely consumed, leaving only some daily necessities.
She turned and took two bundles from the mule cart, throwing a handful of copper coins to the attendant waiting nearby.
“Please come in, both esteemed guests!”
The attendant bowed and extended his hand to invite them inside, tightly gripping the tip money that hadn’t missed a single coin—not everyone gave these.
Ziyu checked into an upper room at Ruyi Lou for one tael of silver per day, which didn’t include meals.
After resting properly for two days, she rented a small courtyard located on Zixiang Street through a brokerage firm for eight taels of silver per month.
…
The courtyard, quiet despite being in a bustling area, had blue bricks and dark tiles. Though it only had five rooms, it was small and exquisite, complete with pavilions, rockeries, and flowing water within the yard.
To free herself from household chores, Ziyu went back to the brokerage firm and spent twenty-eight taels of silver to purchase a landless couple who came with an eight-year-old boy.
The family of three wore clothes patched upon patches, yet they were clean and tidy. Only their young faces bore obvious distress and confusion.
Upon returning home, Ziyu bought a set of change of clothes for each of the three at a small fabric shop.
“Chen Da, Chen Wang Shi, I bought your family because I didn’t want to see you separated from your child.
The person you must focus on caring for is my younger brother, Ziluo.
Chen Xiao Shan is responsible for keeping him company and playing with him. If he does well, he can also learn to read alongside him.
Our household has three meals a day with a mix of meat and vegetables, but no wasting is allowed!
Go wash up, change into your new clothes, and leave the past behind. If you perform well, I can remove your slave status when I leave.”
Still retaining modern sensibilities, Ziyu did not treat the Chen family as true servants, nor did she oppose the practice of buying and selling people.
“Thank you for your compassion, young master. Chen Da will do his utmost to serve you.”
Having accepted reality, Chen Da only sought a place where his wife and child could settle.
“Go and prepare! Keep the meals light—there’s a child.”
Having stayed at an inn for a few days, Ziyu had gained a preliminary understanding of the local cuisine. The flavors of Qingyang Prefecture were quite similar to those of the Jiangnan region in her previous life.
Having tasted delicacies from all over, Ziyu had a great fondness for local cuisines, though she wondered how Chen Wang Shi’s cooking skills would fare.
If they weren’t up to par, she would have to buy a cook.
After observing the Chen family’s character for a few days at home, Ziyu felt temporarily reassured and went out to learn about local customs.
Of course, she took Ziluo with her when she went out. She wasn’t so careless as to leave him with a servant who had only been bought a few days earlier.
…
The prosperous Qingyang Prefecture was unmatched by most towns in the north. Occasionally, shops selling overseas goods could be found, and their business was exceptionally brisk.
Gemstones and seawater pearls, which were expensive in Yun Capital, were relatively half the price in Qingyang Prefecture.
Lower-quality pearls were sold by the liter, with one liter costing twenty taels of silver. Although these were leftovers after selection, turning them into jewelry and selling them elsewhere still yielded considerable profits.
Colorful gemstones were particularly sought after by wealthy families in the north, whose attire was often adorned with such gems.
With a plan in mind, Ziyu was in no hurry to buy jewelry. She believed trading with overseas merchants at the port of Shangdu Prefecture would be even cheaper.
…
While idly strolling through Qingyang Prefecture, Ziyu overheard people discussing the dredging of the river and was struck by an idea.
The next day, with Chen Da driving the carriage, she headed straight to the Jiangqing River outside the city.
Laborers stood in the icy river, clearing silt from the waterway. Piles of silt were dumped haphazardly along the banks, emitting a foul, rotting stench.
Ziyu narrowed her eyes slightly. For the dimensional space in the desert, this was the best fertilizer.
Two days later, Ziyu, ready to transform the dimensional space, entrusted household matters to Chen Da.
She exchanged money at a bank for four large baskets of copper coins, hauled them to Shili Village outside the city, and rented a secluded large courtyard, hanging a sign to purchase silt.
She enlisted the help of the elderly village chief who stayed behind, as she was unfamiliar with the area and the village’s able-bodied men were away dredging the river. The villagers were unlikely to readily accept an outsider.
[Ten baskets of silt for one copper coin!]
As soon as the sign was hung, clever individuals came to inquire.
“Young master, is it true that you’re buying ten baskets of silt for one copper coin?”
A thin woman wrapped in a brown headscarf tugged nervously at her slightly short sleeves. Her coarse blue cloth clothes were washed to a faded hue.
“Yes, I’ll buy it. Payment for every ten baskets. I’ll take as much as you bring.”
“The baskets are the large bamboo kind. The small ones count as two for one, with Old Village Chief as witness.”
“Qingsheng’s wife, what the young master says is true. Hurry and bring them over!” Old Village Chief stroked his graying beard and spoke up.
“Thank you, Chief and young master. We’ll go fetch them right away!”
Qingsheng’s wife, having received Old Village Chief’s confirmation, happily took two steps back before turning and running off.