“Can you build a thatched hut?” Yun Yin asked, looking at the still dejected young man.
“A thatched hut? That’s easy.” The young man’s eyes lit up. “What else do you need done? I can do anything—as long as you let me go, we can talk about everything.”
Ignoring him, Yun Yin continued, “Besides farming, what other skills do you have?”
The young man scrambled to his feet eagerly. “I know a bit of bamboo weaving. I’m not very skilled, but I can handle simple things.”
He tried to scratch his head, only to realize his hands were still bound. He gave an awkward grin instead. “They might not last very long… not good enough to sell for money.”
“But don’t worry, they’re fine for daily use. You might just need to replace them often.”
The more he spoke, the more embarrassed he became, looking at Yun Yin with hopeful eyes.
Yun Yin pulled back her whip but kept his hands bound. “Come with me to the town first. Once we return, I’ll arrange work for you.”
“Letting you go is out of the question. You did intend harm—so you’ll make up for it by working.”
“What’s your name?”
The young man shook his arms a bit and said, “Miss, my name is Zhang Lin. People usually call me Linzi.”
“I’m from Wen County in Longyou…”
Yun Yin didn’t interrupt his rambling. From his chatter, she learned he was the only one left in his family, along with details about his hometown and a general sense of Long’an County.
As they drew closer to town, Zhang Lin suddenly grabbed her. “Hey, Miss Yun, I can’t go into town.”
On the road, Yun Yin had already told him her name, so he addressed her as Miss Yun.
He pulled her toward the roadside and pointed at his clothes. “Look at me—my clothes are tattered, and I’ve got whip marks. I look like a refugee. The town runners will definitely report me to the authorities. If they think I’m a fugitive, I might lose my life.”
Yun Yin glanced at him. His clothes were indeed in tatters, even worse after her whipping. The red marks beneath were clearly visible.
After scanning their surroundings and seeing no one nearby, she led him into the woods. She picked a tall tree and bound him to it with vines. Once she was sure he was secure, she said:
“Wait here. I’ll be back soon. As we agreed, you’ll work for me for a year, and I’ll provide food and lodging. If you behave well, I’ll register a temporary household record for you with the village head and formally sign a labor contract.”
“But just in case, you’ll stay tied up here for now—better than running into those yamen officers again.”
Zhang Lin looked down at her from the tree, nearly in tears. “Miss Yun, if you leave me tied up here and I run into officers, won’t I just get arrested immediately?”
Watching him squirm and shake leaves loose, Yun Yin said calmly, “As long as you don’t make a sound, they won’t notice you.”
She had deliberately chosen a large tree—no one would spot him unless they looked very closely.
Clapping her hands lightly, she picked up the basket beneath the tree. “Alright, I’ll be back soon. Stay put.”
With that, she left the woods, quickly catching up with the crowd ahead and entering the town with them. As expected, there were people inspecting at the entrance. The guard glanced at her several times, but seeing her calm demeanor and clean, unpatched clothes—far from those of an ordinary village girl—he didn’t dare question her and let her pass.
Yun Yin quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, before entering town, she had used some tricks she learned from working on film sets to tidy her appearance. Combined with her confident bearing, it kept the guards from questioning her.
Still, she knew this trick would only work once or twice. Frequent visits would eventually draw attention. After all, she had heard that both the town and the county had tightened inspections on unfamiliar faces. Even the town entrance was guarded—she had to remain cautious.
After entering, Yun Yin followed the flow of people across an arched bridge and officially stepped into Pingxi Town.
Pingxi wasn’t particularly bustling. There was only one large restaurant; most of the rest were small stalls run by farmers, selling agricultural goods. Occasionally there were food vendors selling buns or flatbread.
After a quick look around, Yun Yin headed toward the area where vegetables, eggs, and meat were sold. Along the way, she noticed a woman carrying a large wooden bucket, struggling to walk. As the woman nearly stumbled, Yun Yin quickly stepped forward to steady her, preventing a fall.
“Oh my, thank you, miss!” The woman quickly set down the bucket and expressed her gratitude. “If not for you, today’s work would’ve been wasted.”
“It’s nothing,” Yun Yin said with a shake of her head. “Just lending a hand.”
The woman glanced at Yun Yin’s basket. “Are you here to sell goods too? I’m heading that way—want to come with me?”
Yun Yin was just looking for someone to guide her, so she quickly agreed. “Let me help you carry it.”
As soon as she touched the bucket, she caught the faint fragrance of beans. “Sister-in-law, are you selling tofu?”
The woman smiled. “You’ve got a sharp nose—yes, it’s tofu.”
The two joined the crowd at a designated selling spot. After setting everything down, the woman asked, “What are you selling? I saw some bamboo shoots earlier—you’re not just selling those, are you?”
Yun Yin took out her wild vegetables and lifted out the bamboo rat she had been carrying. “Just these.”
“Oh my, that bamboo rat is quite plump.” The woman swallowed slightly. “But, little sister, are you only selling these? Even though it’s meat, most people won’t buy it.”
“If they’re buying meat, they’ll go for mutton—or pork, since it has fat. If pork is too expensive, then chicken or fish. Something like this won’t sell well—it doesn’t have much fat or meat.”
“You could try selling it to a restaurant or in the county town. Ordinary households won’t spend money on it.”
She glanced again at the basket of wild vegetables, hesitating before saying, “And these wild greens… people usually just gather them themselves. They’re bitter—no one buys them unless they’re quite wealthy.”
“Now that regular vegetables are growing, these won’t sell. Elm leaves might, but people would trade for them rather than pay.”
“These things are common in the mountains. Around here, only restaurants occasionally buy them.”
Yun Yin listened quietly. To her, this was valuable experience. When the woman looked at her with growing curiosity, Yun Yin lowered her head slightly. “I understand, sister-in-law… but you know how it is in the village—there’s nothing else to earn money with.”
“Eggs are valuable at home. I can only gather things from the mountains to exchange for a few coins. That bamboo rat took a lot of effort to catch.”
The woman nodded in agreement. “True, it’s not easy for farmers to save money. If I didn’t have this skill, I wouldn’t earn anything either.” Then she paused, eyeing Yun Yin’s clothes. “Wait—that’s not right. You’re dressed so well—why would you lack money?”
Seeing suspicion arise again, Yun Yin scratched her cheek awkwardly. “This is my only outfit. I don’t even wear it at home.”
Afraid of further questioning, she quickly changed the topic. “You’re very skilled, sister-in-law. Your tofu looks delicious.”
Just then, a regular customer approached. “Sister Fang, give me a piece of tofu—same price as before?”
“Still three coins,” Fang replied, carefully packing a large piece that filled the customer’s bowl. After the customer left, she waved modestly. “It’s just a small skill to support the household.”
“I haven’t asked where you’re from. I’ve never seen someone as fair as you,” Fang added, studying her hairstyle. “How old are you? You’re so pretty—haven’t your parents arranged a marriage yet?”
Yun Yin quickly redirected the conversation back to business.
At that moment, a carriage passed by. A breeze lifted the curtain, revealing a graceful woman inside. Her determined gaze caught Yun Yin’s attention.
Perhaps noticing Yun Yin staring, the woman glanced back. Seeing only a beautiful young woman, she smiled and nodded politely. Yun Yin returned the gesture.
After the carriage passed, Fang leaned closer and said quietly, “Lady Luo has become quite capable—she even rides in a carriage now.”
“What do you mean?” Yun Yin asked.
“They say she’s an only daughter. Her family owned a restaurant, and there was a lot of dispute over it. In the end, she persuaded her family to bring in a live-in husband to inherit the business.”
“If things had stayed that way, she’d have been secure—but less than a year after marriage, her husband died in an accident. They had no children.”
“And as if that wasn’t enough, her parents also died of illness. People started gossiping—some even said she caused their deaths.”
“Her clan had already fought over the property before—now they wouldn’t let her off.”
Yun Yin listened, intrigued. “But it seems she overcame it.”
“That’s why she’s impressive,” Fang said with admiration. “She managed to establish a female household registration. Though she only gets half the farmland, she keeps the shop—and she’s capable. Her restaurant is now quite famous in town.”
“It’s the only restaurant here—you would’ve passed it on your way in.”
Yun Yin glanced in the direction the carriage had gone and smiled. “You’re capable too, sister-in-law. Your tofu sells so well—my wild greens haven’t drawn a single customer.”
Fang chuckled. “True enough. I shouldn’t be greedy—I already have a skill to support my family. You might want to ask Lady Luo whether her restaurant buys game.”
Yun Yin packed up her basket and nodded. “Thank you. I’ll go take a look.”
With that, she lifted her things and followed the carriage toward the Luo family restaurant.