Zhao Xiaobao completely did not notice her brothers’ nervous and timid thoughts. She only felt that her eyes were not enough to take everything in. Everything she saw felt new.
A little girl riding on her father’s shoulders passed by her. The girl was wearing a pink cotton jacket, with a pretty hair ribbon tied on her head, and she was holding a small rattle drum that made a “bang bang” sound as she shook it.
Zhao Xiaobao looked at her with bright eyes and said familiarly, “Little sister, your hair ribbon is so pretty.”
The little girl probably did not expect her to speak. She hugged her father’s head with one hand, turned her small body, and looked at her curiously. Then she softly said, “I am the older sister. You are the younger one.”
“How old are you?” Zhao Xiaobao said, her legs wrapped around her second brother’s neck. Zhao Ertian rolled his eyes and was almost unable to breathe.
“Zhao Xiaobao, loosen your legs! Are you trying to strangle your second brother?!”
“I am six years old,” the little girl said. Then she shook her rattle drum at her and slowly moved away with her father through the crowd.
“I am only four years old,” Zhao Xiaobao sighed. So she really was the younger one. She loosened her legs, rested her chin on her second brother’s head, and tightly grabbed his hair with both hands while continuing to look around curiously.
They were very unfamiliar with the capital city, so they simply followed the crowd. Wherever it was lively, they would go. Wherever most people went, it should not be wrong.
As they walked and stopped along the way, the liveliness of the capital far exceeded their imagination. They even encountered street performance groups—people breaking stones on their chests, breathing fire, walking barefoot on blades, monkey performances… The siblings were stunned.
Zhao Dashan was shocked that someone could smash stones on their chest and still move around normally. In their village, a man once had his chest hit by a stone and died that same night. The capital truly had many capable people.
Zhao Xiaobao, on the other hand, was amazed by the monkeys. “What kind of monkey is this? It is so obedient! It can even bow!”
She could not resist taking out her small money pouch and proudly threw out a copper coin. That was supposed to be her snack money.
“Xiaobao, why do you have pocket money?” Zhao Ertian asked in shock. He did not even have private money. Why did she?
“Mother gave it to me,” Zhao Xiaobao said proudly.
Zhao Ertian was extremely envious and even thought about going home to complain that their parents were unfair.
After watching the fun, they continued walking and then saw a girl about fifteen or sixteen years old selling herself to bury her father.
The girl cried bitterly and told a tragic story: her mother died when she was five, her brother died at seven, her grandparents died at nine, and yesterday her father also died. Her whole family was gone. She was so poor she could not even afford food and was willing to sell herself to bury her father, only asking for a simple coffin.
Zhao Xiaobao’s eyes filled with tears. She was almost five years old and could not imagine what she would do if her mother died.
Just as she was about to take out a copper coin, a scholar-looking man stepped ahead and threw a few taels of broken silver onto the ground. He said loudly, “Such a filial girl! Come with me then.”
The girl secretly observed him. Her pale and delicate face slowly showed tears. She bowed gracefully like a willow branch, as if about to speak.
But suddenly, a sharp-tongued woman pushed through the crowd. She first grabbed the broken silver from the ground, then pulled the scholar’s ear and scolded him loudly while hitting him.
The scholar covered his face with his sleeve, his face red with embarrassment, begging for mercy again and again.
Zhao Xiaobao was stunned.
The crowd burst into laughter. Some of the woman’s scolding words were not suitable for children. Zhao Dashan quickly took his sister away with a red face.
“I feel like that girl doesn’t look like a farm girl. Is she lying?” Zhao Ertian scratched his head.
“In our village, girls work every day, feeding chickens, cutting grass, working in the fields. That girl said she has done hard work since young, but her hands are soft and without calluses,” he added.
“I also think so,” Zhao Dashan said. “But it has nothing to do with us. Just watch the show.”
“People say scholars are smarter than us farmers. Why did that scholar still fall for it?” Zhao Ertian was confused.
“He looked pretty foolish,” Zhao Ertian agreed.
Zhao Dashan ignored them and turned to warn Zhao Xiaobao, “Xiaobao, there are many bad people outside. Just watch, but do not take out money.”
Zhao Xiaobao nodded and tightly held her money pouch. She had almost been tricked out of a copper coin.
After saying they would eat noodles, they spent half a day watching street scenes. Zhao Dashan finally found a noodle stall nearby and decided to eat first.
They had to hurry. The escort leader had told them at the city gate that they would return to the county in two days. If they missed it, they would have to stay behind.
After eating, they realized the capital was very expensive. A bowl of plain noodles cost eight coins and was not filling at all. Only Zhao Xiaobao was full.
They then bought coarse steamed buns, which were even more expensive than in their town and smaller too. Each one was just a bite, and without filling.
For their usual appetite, they would need ten buns to feel full.
Zhao Dashan’s hands were shaking when he paid. He decided that in the capital they would only eat food brought from home and never eat outside again.
After wandering around, they finally decided to find medical clinics to sell the ginseng first.
They had learned from a beggar that the capital had many pharmacies, but the most famous were four: Ping’an Medical Clinic, Baohe Hall, Miaoshou Hall, and Xinglin Medical Clinic.
After considering everything, Zhao Dashan decided to go to Xinglin Medical Clinic first. It sounded the most reputable.
After asking for directions, they found the place—but it looked nothing like a famous clinic.
It was at the end of a quiet street, with a crooked signboard that looked like a child’s handwriting. The entrance was quiet and empty.
“It’s here,” said a woman who had guided them. “But today the little divine doctor is not here. He goes out for free medical treatment on certain days.”
After thanking her, the four siblings stood in front of the door hesitantly. Finally, Zhao Xiaobao pushed it open and walked in first.
Inside was not a shop, but a small courtyard. Herbs were drying in the yard, and a young boy was sorting them.
A white-haired old man with a long beard stood nearby, watching them.
He did not expect that the first person to step through the gate would be a soft-looking little girl. The old man paused while stroking his beard and asked, “Are you here to see a doctor?”
“Old sir, sorry for disturbing you,” Zhao Dashan quickly said, cupping his hands politely. He smiled honestly. “We siblings are not here to see a doctor. We are here to sell medicinal herbs.”
“Oh?” The old man looked them up and down. Each one looked healthy—very healthy. Even the little girl had a strong, healthy complexion. It had been a long time since he saw a farm child so well cared for.
They were indeed not here to see a doctor.
“You have ginseng?” the old man asked. “Take it out and let me see. Don’t worry—if it is real ginseng, our Xinglin Medical Clinic will buy it.”
He said this because he had seen many similar cases before. Ordinary villagers often did not recognize herbs and mistook things like codonopsis for ginseng, causing many jokes.
Some even argued stubbornly, claiming the clinic had stolen their ginseng. It became a mess that was impossible to explain.
Even worse, some people tried to sell toxic herbs like pokeweed, which was dangerous.
The old man was slightly worried. These siblings clearly came from farming families—they might have misidentified the herb.
After all, ginseng was not easy to find, especially wild mountain ginseng.
He thought this inwardly but showed nothing on his face.
Zhao Dashan carefully took out a ginseng wrapped in cotton cloth from his chest. It had been hidden by Xiaobao before entering the city and stored safely in the wooden “fairy land,” so it was well preserved. At most, the soil had dried a little on purpose so it would not look suspicious.
“It really is wild ginseng,” the old man said as soon as he saw it.
His interest deepened. He stepped forward and examined it closely. Even though he had seen many good items, this one was excellent in shape—like a baby with complete limbs. Even the “face” area had natural bumps and curves, making it look almost human.
He took it and inspected it carefully, stroking his beard. “About twenty to forty years old. Not bad.”
Then he sighed with regret. “What a pity. Who was so careless? If it had been dug more carefully and the roots preserved better, it would be worth even more.”
The ginseng had many roots, but some were broken, ruining its completeness.
In his eyes, it was already above average. If the age was older and the digging more careful, it could have been worth a fortune—even attracting nobles in the capital.
What a pity. Truly a pity.
Hearing this, Zhao Dashan instinctively stepped in front of Zhao Xiaobao. He did not dare say that his little sister had dug it up like a weed.
“Old sir, does your clinic buy this ginseng?” he asked nervously.
The old man thought for a moment.
Then he said, “I will offer you eighty taels of silver. Will you sell it?”
Eighty taels?
Zhao Dashan’s eyes flashed with excitement.
It was not that he was greedy. He originally thought it might sell for twenty taels, maybe even twenty-five at best. Anything above that was already good.
But eighty taels was far beyond expectations.
“Sell! We sell it to Xinglin Medical Clinic!” Zhao Dashan’s voice even trembled, loud enough for people outside to hear.
The old man smiled gently. “Follow me.”
They went inside.
Zhao Dashan quickly led his siblings after him. They did not pay attention to the room’s decorations. Instead, they followed the old man to the counter. The old man lifted a curtain and went inside. They stood neatly outside waiting.
The air smelled strongly of Chinese herbs. Zhao Xiaobao pinched her nose—she did not like the smell.
Soon, the old man came out holding a small cloth bag.
Eighty taels of silver was heavy. He handed it to Zhao Dashan.
“Count it,” he said.
Then he glanced at their baskets. “You probably came from far away. If you are worried about safety, I can send someone to take you to the money house. You can exchange this into smaller silver notes.”
“Thank you, old sir. We don’t need bank notes. This is fine,” Zhao Dashan replied.
He and his brothers had already counted it—sixteen small silver ingots, five taels each. Total: eighty taels. Not one missing.
The old man paid cleanly without delay. Zhao Dashan immediately liked the Xinglin Medical Clinic even more. Compared to the county clinics, this place felt much better.
They had sold the ginseng, completing more than half of their mission. He finally felt relieved.
They did not dare disturb him further and quickly left after thanking him.
In a hidden alley, Zhao Ertian and Zhao Sandi stood guard. Zhao Xiaobao reached into the silver bag. With a thought, the weight in Zhao Dashan’s hand suddenly disappeared.
“Xiaobao, did you store it properly?” he asked.
“Yes, yes,” she nodded.
Then she stuffed a few steamed buns into the bag. The originally flat bag immediately bulged. Even if the old man came out again, he would not notice anything strange.
“Xiaobao is really smart,” Zhao Dashan said, patting her head.
Earlier she had only been a small child thinking about candied hawthorn and sweets. But now she seemed to understand more and more.
Just then—
“Big brother, Xiaobao wants candied hawthorn,” she said.
Zhao Dashan sighed but smiled. “Buy it. Whatever Xiaobao wants, we’ll buy it.”
With eighty taels in hand, they felt much lighter walking around the city.
They passed a teahouse and stopped to listen to a storyteller. The story was about a general betrayed in battle, fighting bravely, and finally entrusting his child before dying tragically.
They followed the crowd—clapping when others clapped, crying when others cried, staying silent when others were quiet.
They wandered, ate, and shopped.
Mostly, it was Xiaobao who bought things—and ate them. Her brothers’ arms were full of snacks: candied fruits, sugar figures, dried winter melon, red bean cakes, malt candy… anything she looked at for a moment, they bought.
They even bought her a rattle drum.
They also checked grain shops and cloth shops. Cloth prices were similar to their town, though some discounted fabrics were cheaper. Zhao Dashan planned to come again tomorrow morning to buy colorful cloth.
He also wanted to buy ready-made clothes for Xiaobao. She had liked a little girl’s outfit earlier. Though a bit expensive, they had just sold ginseng and could afford it.
He also planned to buy coarse grain and rice. Rice was cheap in the capital—five coins per dou (about twelve jin). But even so, their family would finish it in a day if they ate freely.
So they would still mix grains with vegetables like wild greens and beans, just like rural families usually did.
After wandering for half a day, they had only explored a few streets in the southern part of the city.
While asking about cheap lodging, a passing woman overheard them and offered her house for rent.
“Don’t worry, I’m honest,” she said proudly.
“Two hundred coins per night,” she said first.
“Too expensive,” Zhao Ertian said flatly.
“Wait—one hundred eighty!”
“One hundred sixty!”
“Fine! One hundred forty! That’s the lowest! You won’t find cheaper!”
They agreed to see the house first.
The place turned out decent—seven or eight rooms, two available for rent. Clean, furnished, and clearly used for short-term tenants.
After bargaining again, they settled at one hundred twenty coins per day.
After sending away the complaining woman, Zhao Dashan finally breathed out deeply.
At last, they had found a place to stay.