“Old Madam, please bear with it for today. Once we reach Lincheng, we’ll buy a few carriages,” Xie Zhiyuan said to Lu Popo.
On the rugged mountain path, a dilapidated oxcart was being escorted in the middle of a group of people, looking somewhat odd. The oxcart was the only vehicle in the village, which Xie Zhiyuan had bought for ten taels of silver. Currently seated on the oxcart were Lu Popo, Chen Shi, Liu Shi, and Lu Yunxi.
As for the three brothers—Lu Yunxiao and the others—the oxcart couldn’t fit them all, so they went to learn horseback riding. After half a day, they had already picked up the basics.
“It’s fine, I can endure it,” Lu Popo waved her hand dismissively.
“Are we going into the city? Is it safe in the city now?” Lu Yunxiao rode over on his horse, frowning as he asked.
“What exactly is the situation in the north now?” Lu Yunting also came over to ask. Their current location was north of the capital, deep within the Jin Kingdom.
“Xiao Wang has captured Jingdu and declared himself emperor first. Most of the southern territories are already ours. In the north, the Jin Emperor has surrendered and is now confined in the capital. His Majesty has dispatched three armies to attack the north, and it shouldn’t be long before the north is taken,” Xie Zhiyuan replied. Xiao Wang was Lu Tianguang’s former title.
“The north is quite vast, and the people there are fierce and tough. Can it really be taken?” Chen Shi asked.
“Definitely. The Jin Dynasty’s fate was already sealed. Now that we have the Jin Emperor in our hands, taking the north will be as easy as reaching into a bag,” Xie Heng said, sounding somewhat regretful. This was the best opportunity to achieve merit and glory. Once the army swept through, it would be like a storm clearing away the remnants.
He only hated that his seniority wasn’t enough to lead troops there. His uncle could have gone, but who would have thought His Majesty would assign him to this task instead? He felt it was a waste for his uncle. Back when they had nothing, it was his uncle who fought all the hard battles. Now that the peaches were ripe, the one picking them had changed.
Xie Zhiyuan glanced at Xie Heng, signaling him to be quiet. His Majesty had sent him because he trusted him. Moreover, he didn’t need those military achievements.
Xie Heng shrank his neck. He might not want them, but he did.
“So, the road ahead isn’t safe?” Lu Yunxiao pressed.
“We do need to be careful. We might encounter some deserters. Also, it’s best to avoid towns as much as possible. Although the Jin Kingdom is about to fall, there are still some loyalists. If our identities are exposed, it could be troublesome. Once we meet the Northern Expedition army, we should be safe,” Xie Zhiyuan explained.
“Then are we still going to Lincheng tomorrow?” Chen Shi asked.
“The journey ahead is long, and we must prepare some supplies,” Xie Zhiyuan replied.
Everyone understood and continued asking Xie Zhiyuan various questions, gradually gaining a clearer understanding of the current situation. They only hoped to reach the capital safely and quickly.
In the evening, the group decided to rest by a small stream.
Lu Popo, being old, lay down to rest on the oxcart as soon as they stopped. Chen Shi, in a good mood, watched the attendants set up pots and cook. Earlier, she had subtly inquired with Xie Zhiyuan and learned that Lu Tianguang hadn’t taken any other women all these years outside. At least he still had a conscience.
With nothing else to do, her mind wandered. She noticed Lu Yunxi looking to the left and followed her gaze. Xie Zhiyuan and Xie Heng were returning with several pheasants and rabbits in hand. Xie Zhiyuan was slightly taller, his hair tied high, wearing a dark green robe that accentuated his slender figure.
Xie Heng resembled him by about sixty to seventy percent—also a handsome young man, though younger and less steady.
Chen Shi immediately had an idea. She took a pot of water to Lu Yunxi’s side and asked in a low voice, “Yunxi, what do you think of Xie Zhiyuan?” She had long wanted to find a marriage match for Lu Yunxi. At sixteen, she was no longer young. If they waited any longer, all the good men would be taken by others.
It was just a pity that none of the men in the village appealed to her, let alone her Yunxi.
But these Xie uncle and nephew were genuinely good. Especially Xie Zhiyuan—throughout their journey, she had observed his actions and speech, and he stood out from the rest.
Lu Yunxi was thinking about something else and casually replied, “He’s quite good.”
“You think so too?” Chen Shi couldn’t contain her delight.
“Mhm.” After responding, Lu Yunxi felt something was off and looked at Chen Shi. Could she mean what she thought she meant?
“Then I’ll help you ask whether he’s married or not,” Chen Shi said. As long as he wasn’t married, he would be her son-in-law!
Lu Yunxi was shocked. She really meant it—please, no! “Mother, he’s good, but he and I aren’t suitable,” she hurriedly said.
“How are you not suitable?” Chen Shi didn’t understand.
“It’s just… it’s just…” Lu Yunxi couldn’t possibly explain the real reason. After struggling for a moment, she said, “I don’t like him. I have no feelings for him.”
“Such a good man—if you miss this chance, there won’t be another,” Chen Shi lamented.
“No feelings means no feelings,” Lu Yunxi insisted.
Seeing that Lu Yunxi didn’t seem to be lying, Chen Shi could only sigh that Lu Yunxi and Xie Zhiyuan were not meant to be. But if the older one wouldn’t do, “Then what do you think of Xie Heng?” Hope rose in her heart again. Xie Heng wasn’t actually that young either—he was the same age as Lu Yunxi, so the two might have things to talk about.
“Mother…” Lu Yunxi sighed helplessly. Could she please stop trying to push men on her? She was still young! “Second Brother hasn’t married yet!” Knowing persuasion was useless, she could only divert Chen Shi’s attention.
This struck a chord with Chen Shi. Lu Yunting’s marriage was also a major headache. He refused every match she suggested, and she had no idea what kind of woman he wanted. Right, once they reached Jingdu, there might be suitable ones.
Their voices weren’t loud, so others might not have heard, but Xie Zhiyuan and Xie Heng were both martial artists with keen senses, and they heard every word of the conversation clearly.
When they heard Chen Shi talking about Lu Yunxi and Xie Zhiyuan, neither of them reacted. But when Chen Shi asked Lu Yunxi about Xie Heng, Xie Heng’s face immediately flushed red, though it was unclear whether from anger or embarrassment.
Lu Yunxi didn’t want to listen to Chen Shi talk about such things anymore and went to the streamside.
The rabbit and pheasant were roasting, and rice was cooking in a nearby pot—this would be their dinner.
Lu Yunxi spotted the snails in the stream again and decided to add another dish for the evening.
“Lu Yunchuan, Lu Yunchuan,” she called.
Lu Yunchuan was still practicing horseback riding. For someone his age, horses were as irresistibly attractive as sports cars in modern times. Before, when the family didn’t have one, he could only imagine himself riding a horse, looking majestic. Now that he had the chance, he wished he could stay on horseback all day long.
“Call me Third Brother. What’s with ‘Lu Yunchuan’?” Lu Yunchuan rode over and snorted at Lu Yunxi.
Lu Yunxi paid him no mind. She would call him whatever she pleased—it had always been like this since they were children.
“I want to eat snails,” she said, pointing at the small green things in the stream.
“Those things? What’s so good about them?” Lu Yunchuan scoffed. In their area, there was no habit of eating snails. So tiny, all shell—were they even edible?
“I want to eat something delicious,” Lu Yunxi said softly. Actually, the stream wasn’t deep; if no one were around, Lu Yunxi would have gone in to gather the river snails herself. But now, she could only call for Lu Yunchuan.
Lu Yunchuan had no choice but to dismount and help her gather the snails. After all, Lu Yunxi was the youngest and his sister—who else would he dote on if not her?
Xie Zhiyuan, noticing the situation nearby, wanted to send someone to assist Lu Yunchuan, but Lu Yunchuan stopped him, insisting on doing it himself.
Thus, the future Third Prince, in full view of everyone, rolled up his pants and waded barefoot into the stream, picking river snails one by one for Lu Yunxi.
Lu Yunxi watched from the bank, occasionally cheering him on. The setting sun cast their long shadows across the ground.
River snails thrive in clean water, and this secluded mountain stream, with its clear, sweet water, produced the most delicious snails.
Lu Yunxi actually wanted to eat fried river snails, but without cumin or chili peppers, she had to settle for river snail soup.
Not many people might have tried river snail soup, as Luosifen (river snail rice noodles) is more commonly eaten. Luosifen uses river snails as the soup base, flavored with sour bamboo shoots, Muer (wood ear mushrooms), pickled long beans, and other seasonings, creating a tangy, spicy, and savory dish. The sour, pungent smell of Luosifen comes from ingredients like sour bamboo shoots, while the umami flavor comes from the river snails, showcasing its unique taste.
To prepare the snails, they were soaked in saltwater to purge the sand from their bodies, then their tails were removed before being used for soup.
River snail and pork bone soup is a true delicacy, so flavorful it could make one’s eyebrows dance with delight.
Without pork bones, Lu Yunxi substituted some chicken meat. Soon, the air was filled with the distinct, savory aroma of shellfish.
“It smells amazing!” Lu Yunchuan circled the pot of soup restlessly, scratching his head in anticipation. “Sis, why haven’t you made this soup before?” If he had known river snails were this delicious, he would have gathered them long ago.
Lu Yunxi had only recently regained her modern memories, but she couldn’t say that. Instead, she replied, “We had snails, but no salt. How could it taste good?” The salt they were using now had been brought by Xie Zhiyuan.
“True,” Lu Yunchuan said, easily convinced—or perhaps his mind was entirely focused on the pot of soup—and he didn’t press Lu Yunxi further.
Speaking of salt, Lu Yunting said to Xie Zhiyuan, “The north is severely lacking in salt. In some places, a dou of salt can sell for five hundred wen, and in others, even money might not guarantee a purchase. The people are suffering. Is there a solution?”
“Once the north is reclaimed, transporting salt from the south should improve the situation,” Xie Zhiyuan replied, having witnessed the hardships of salt scarcity in the north during his travels.
“Salt is still too expensive,” Chen Shi sighed. As the household manager, she remembered how painful it was to buy salt even before the war, let alone now.
Everyone fell silent, knowing there were reasons for the high price of salt.
“Where does most of the salt in the south come from now? And does the north really have no salt at all?” Lu Yunxi suddenly asked.
Only Xie Zhiyuan knew the answer. “Most of it comes from sea salt, produced by evaporating seawater. But our Yongsheng Kingdom doesn’t have much coastal territory, and suitable areas for salt evaporation are even fewer. Salt and iron are vital to the nation’s lifeline, and purchasing them from other countries is difficult.
The north isn’t entirely without salt production. According to the ‘Records of Northern Ling,’ there were once salt wells near Lingcheng where brine could be drawn and processed into salt. But over time, the brine became increasingly scarce until it dried up completely, and those salt wells were abandoned.”
Lu Yunxi’s heart stirred at this. Lingcheng—it once had well salt.
Well salt is produced by drilling a well, extracting underground brine, and boiling it into salt. The formation of underground brine occurs in two stages. First, hundreds of millions of years ago, seawater or salt-containing lake water evaporated to form brine. Second, through geological sequestration and migration, this brine was stored underground, forming brine layers.
From this, it can be seen that as long as brine layers exist, they are bound to be abundant. Just like the salt wells in Sichuan, which have been mined from the Qin dynasty to modern times without depletion, how could Lingcheng’s salt wells dry up? It might be due to inadequate mining techniques, depletion of shallow brine, or simply not mining in the right location. Both of these issues can be resolved as long as she goes to inspect them.
By then, Lingcheng will surely be able to produce large quantities of salt!
Author’s note: