When she had dreamed in the modern world, Xu Qinghe had visited the county town several times.
But no matter how many times she had seen it in her dreams, it couldn’t compare to seeing it with her own eyes.
A low earthen wall, only about half a person’s height, marked the boundaries of the county town.
Looking into the distance, she saw the same muted yellow-brown buildings clustered together, much like the village.
However, it was obvious that conditions here were somewhat better.
Some shops were already open for business.
Pedestrians moved through the streets.
And from afar, she could even spot several two-story buildings.
A crowd had gathered outside the county gate.
Most were villagers from nearby settlements, just like them, coming to buy and sell goods.
At the front of the group, the village chief shouted:
“Hurry up! Let’s get a good spot at the market!”
Everyone hoped to earn a little more money today so they could save enough for the summer taxes due in a few months.
At the chief’s urging, the entire group quickened their pace.
Xu Qinghe felt excited as well.
She had many things to buy.
Most importantly, window paper.
She was completely fed up with grass curtains that leaked cold air and provided no privacy whatsoever.
The group of more than thirty villagers jogged to the county entrance and lined up.
Once the constables finished their inspection, they were allowed inside.
As soon as she entered, Xu Qinghe curiously observed everything around her.
Most houses in the county lacked private courtyards.
Many more households used paper-covered windows compared to the village.
Several narrow roads divided the residential areas into distinct blocks.
Across the street, she noticed two or three men pushing handcarts loaded with large clay barrels.
They stopped at houses one after another and knocked on doors.
The homeowners would come out, exchange a few words, then return carrying small buckets.
The workers emptied the contents into their large barrels and handed the buckets back.
Xu Qinghe immediately knew what was inside.
Unlike villagers, who generally used pit latrines, many county residents collected their waste in buckets.
Every morning, workers came to gather it.
Not only did they do it for free, but sometimes they even paid the homeowners.
Afterward, the waste was transported to nearby villages, where farmers purchased it as fertilizer.
She remembered reading about this in modern educational articles.
There had even been a special term for these workers.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t recall what it was.
At the time, she had been impressed by the practicality of the system.
The job wasn’t glamorous or hygienic, but it provided income.
More importantly, it prevented towns and cities from becoming buried in human waste, reduced disease, and recycled valuable fertilizer.
A single system accomplishing four different purposes.
Unlike her, the other villagers barely glanced at the scene.
They were already accustomed to it.
Upon entering the county, they headed straight for the market.
Brother Liu and Aunt Liu took over carrying the goods from her and Uncle Liu’s baskets.
“You two go take care of the land transfer first.”
“We’ll meet at the market afterward.”
Xu Qinghe nodded and followed Uncle Liu in another direction.
The county government office was the most impressive building she had seen since arriving in this world.
It was a large compound with four courtyards.
An outer wall more than two meters high separated it from the bustling streets.
Inside, everything was quiet.
The main gate was made of dark, imposing wood.
Unfortunately, commoners like them weren’t allowed to enter through it.
Uncle Liu led her through a winding route until they reached a small side entrance.
After paying the gatekeeper two copper coins, they were allowed inside.
Land transactions could be handled in the first courtyard.
The deeper courtyards were restricted.
As they passed, Xu Qinghe secretly stole a few glances.
Unlike the mud houses outside and in the first courtyard, the inner buildings were constructed of brick and tile.
The windows were covered with silk rather than paper.
The structures looked sturdy, elegant, and distinctly “ancient” in the way she had always imagined.
A servant guided them to the appropriate office and left.
After waiting outside for a while, they were finally summoned inside.
The price for the land had already been negotiated.
Following the current market rate, Uncle Liu agreed to pay three taels of silver per mu.
It wasn’t low enough to exploit her.
Nor was it excessively generous.
Xu Qinghe was satisfied.
She didn’t like taking advantage of others.
Nor did she like being taken advantage of.
Even though she was close to the Liu family, clear accounts preserved good relationships.
The government clerk drafted the contract, guaranteed the transaction, and stamped it with an official seal.
Both Xu Qinghe and Uncle Liu received their own copy of the deed.
The land registry and tax records were updated to transfer ownership to the Liu family.
Finally, Xu Qinghe paid one tael of silver in taxes.
The sale was complete.
Uncle Liu gained eight mu of farmland.
Xu Qinghe received twenty-three taels of silver.
Combined with the silver she already had in her storage space, she now possessed over one hundred taels.
For an ordinary family, accumulating that much wealth would require five or six years of savings under favorable harvest conditions.
By that standard—
she was practically a rich woman now.
After completing the transaction, they didn’t linger.
They quickly left the government office.
The county didn’t require travel permits for entry and exit.
However, there was still a curfew after dark.
Uncle Liu wanted to finish selling his goods before nightfall.
Otherwise, he’d have to stay overnight in town.
The moment they left the government compound, he hurried toward the market.
Xu Qinghe, however, only had two pieces of hemp cloth to sell.
Whether they sold or not didn’t matter.
So she didn’t rush to the market.
Instead, she parted ways with Uncle Liu and headed down a side street in the opposite direction.
The county wasn’t large, but there were plenty of vendors.
Just along this road alone, she spotted three food stalls.
The dishes were simple, but there were already many laborers eating breakfast.
Occasionally, pedestrians passed by with hands tucked into sleeves and shoulders hunched against the cold, each focused on their own destination.
The little county town was far from bustling or prosperous.
Yet compared to her village, it felt full of life.
Xu Qinghe watched with fascination.
Unfortunately, her toes were beginning to go numb from the cold.
The chilblains she had worked so hard to heal had started itching again.
Stamping her feet, she turned into a clothing shop.
There she spent fifty copper coins on a pair of cotton-padded shoes.
Sitting right outside the shop, she kicked off her reed shoes, shook out the debris inside, and changed into the new footwear.
The old shoes went into the basket on her back.
The moment the cotton wrapped around her feet, warmth was trapped inside.
The cold wind could no longer sneak through the gaps and make her feet itch painfully.
The shoes couldn’t compare to the modern insulated footwear in her storage space.
But now she had a legitimate reason to wear better shoes.
In the future, she could freely switch to the ones from her space without attracting suspicion.
After wandering around a bit longer, she stopped at a salt merchant’s stall.
She bought a small jar of salt.
The crystals were coarse and yellowish, far from pure.
Fortunately, it was mostly for appearances.
For daily use, she would continue using the high-quality salt stored in her space.
Afterward, she headed toward the market.
Along the way, she passed a so-called “Chicken Feather House.”
The building was another mud-and-thatch structure.
The paper covering the windows was full of holes.
Even from outside, she could smell chicken droppings and livestock.
Several men who had spent the night there emerged from the building, a few chicken feathers still stuck in their hair.
Through the open doorway, she peeked inside.
The floor was covered with straw bedding.
People slept directly on top of it.
Nearby shelves held numerous chickens.
She remembered reading about these places before.
Chicken Feather Houses were essentially charitable hostels.
For only two copper coins, travelers could stay overnight.
Because the owners raised chickens, insulation was surprisingly good.
Combined with dozens of chickens producing body heat, the buildings were actually warmer than many ordinary homes during winter.
Cheap and warm.
As a result, many day laborers staying in the county chose to sleep there.
The downside, of course, was the smell and poor sanitation.
Most people simply accepted it.
Xu Qinghe glanced inside a few more times before continuing on.
By now it was approaching noon.
The market had become truly lively.