The mother and daughter exchanged a look and didn’t hesitate any longer. They quickly turned onto the official road.
Qin Family Village, where they lived, was only about half an hour from the nearest Yunxi Town, but neither of them dared head that way.
Cui Zhu had mentioned that she and Granny Gui had previously stayed in Yunxi Town.
Who knew if there were still people sent by the He’an County Princess lurking there? If they ran into them, it would be disastrous.
If they bypassed Yunxi Town and continued along the official road, after another hour or so they would reach Zhaohua County instead.
Zhaohua County was a large county town with developed transport and a fairly big river port. Merchants came and went in endless streams.
With more people, there would be more opportunities—and relatively speaking, it would be easier for them to blend in.
So under the cover of the dark night, the mother and daughter kept walking along the official road.
By the time they passed Yunxi Town, the sky had already begun to turn a pale gray.
“Girl, you must be tired. Let’s rest by the roadside, eat a flatbread and drink some water before we go on,” Zhou Shi said.
Both of them carried small bundles with a few clothes and a bamboo water flask.
Because of the heat, the flatbread was kept in the space. When they ate, Qin Suining would secretly take it out from the bundle as cover.
After checking that no one was around, Qin Suining quickly opened the bundle and took out two golden egg pancakes.
They were made by Zhou Shi inside the space using eggs from their own hens.
In the past, they were reluctant to eat eggs, always saving them to sell for oil, salt, and daily necessities.
But after everything that had happened, Zhou Shi’s mindset had completely changed.
All these years of tightening their belts just to support that man’s studies had ended in betrayal and a death sentence for both mother and daughter.
Just thinking about it made her teeth itch with hatred.
If Qin Shubai were in front of her right now, she would probably fight him to the death.
The two of them ate in silence, then drank some water before continuing on their journey at a faster pace.
Less than an hour later, they finally saw the city walls of Zhaohua County.
By then, it was already broad daylight. The city gate was crowded with people, bustling and lively.
Qin Suining and Zhou Shi checked themselves over carefully. Seeing nothing amiss, they boldly joined the queue at the back.
In front of them was a middle-aged man carrying a pair of baskets. The lids were slightly askew, revealing fresh, dewy fruits and vegetables inside.
Ahead of him were several others dressed similarly—peasants from nearby villages bringing produce into the city to sell.
“Mother, we should also buy some vegetable seeds,” Qin Suining whispered.
The fertile land inside the space was still empty. It would be a waste not to use it.
“Alright. We’ll take a look once we’re inside,” Zhou Shi agreed.
After a few more quiet words, they finally reached the city gate.
After paying four copper coins, they entered the city smoothly.
There were many things they needed to buy—food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.
Grain was essential, along with vegetable and fruit seeds.
They already had some grain at home, which they had also moved into the space the previous night.
“Over there is the grain shop. Let’s go buy some first,” Zhou Shi said.
The grain shop was crowded. After squeezing in, they quickly learned that grain prices had gone up.
“Prices have risen again? They only went up a few days ago!”
“Heavens, are they trying to starve us common folk to death?”
“Even old rice has gone up. What used to buy ten jin of millet now only buys five!”
The crowd erupted in anger.
The customers who had lined up since early morning were already sweating and irritable.
A group of women surrounded the shop assistants, arguing loudly.
“Take it or leave it. This is the price today,” the assistants said impatiently.
“Our boss says drought has hit several provinces. Even the new harvest won’t be much.”
“If you don’t want to buy, don’t. But let me warn you—prices will likely go up again tomorrow, and the day after too.”
The crowd slowly quieted.
Everyone understood the situation clearly.
No one was foolish enough not to rush to buy grain.
“I’ll buy! I’ll buy now!” one woman said awkwardly, rushing in with her cloth bags.
“I’ll go back and call my husband. We’ll buy more today,” another added.
Seeing this, Zhou Shi and Qin Suining also quickly stepped forward to buy grain.
They bought in large quantities and didn’t haggle, which pleased the shop assistant.
“If you live in the city, we can deliver it to your home,” he offered.
“We’re going to a quiet alley on Wutong Street. Just deliver it there. We still have other things to buy and will hire a cart later,” Zhou Shi replied.
Qin Suining also slipped a few copper coins into the assistant’s hand.
“We’d also like to buy grain seeds and vegetable seeds. Could you tell us where to find them?”
The assistant’s eyes lit up.
“You’re asking the right person. Our boss sells seeds too. There’s another shop—turn right outside and go straight to the end. The last shop on the corner.”
Qin Suining thanked him, confirming the location, and then went with Zhou Shi to settle the payment for the grain.