Chapter 203

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Accompanied by the fragrant lamb soup from the small shop, holding steamed buns stuffed full of pork filling, the family of six ate and drank their fill.

She also packed a few more wrapped in oiled paper to take along, and Shen Yao went to the medical hall to rendezvous with Zhou Shi and Shen Fugui.

"Father, Mother, eat something to tide you over first; we have no small amount of business to attend to today."

She shoved the steamed buns in her hand over without a word of refusal, and the family of eight walked out in a vast mighty procession.

Sometimes, when people get busy they overlook how swiftly time flies.

Shen Yao led Shen Fugui and Zhou Shi and the five children, looking around as they went, and finally rented three carriages from a tooth firm to return.

"That's too many; you still have to look after several children, you should be frugal."

Zhou Shi couldn't help nagging; the simple mindset of common folk is thrift — no matter how bitter or exhausting, they don't feel it's unbearable.

Shen Yao, on the other hand, couldn't stand it — mainly because she had ample confidence.

Smiling, she soothed Zhou Shi not to worry; the trip to the county city would take several days, hiring an extra carriage meant they could sleep soundly at night.

"Mother, when the time comes you and Father both go over there — how can our whole family travel squeezed together?"

Besides, Wei Cheng and the others are no longer young; even the youngest, Wei Zhen, is five years old — they can't all sleep piled together, can they?

Zhou Shi: …

Zhou Shi couldn't out-argue Shen Yao; she always felt her own daughter's personality had changed. The face was still that face, but her words and actions were more resolute than before.

"Hmph, isn't it because these past few years were too stifling? Clearly the Wei family wronged us, yet it was made to seem like we took advantage of the Wei family.

Mother, this time your daughter goes out, she intends to take a step forward whenever she meets a suitable man.

It was that Wei Second Son who wronged your daughter; your daughter is unwilling to have any further entanglement with the Wei family."

These words, spoken by Shen Yao, carried some weight, yet they perfectly matched her current state of mind.

Zhou Shi let out an "aiyo" and took Shen Yao's hand, showing she was worthy of being her daughter.

"Should have done this long ago; the past two years you kept saying Zhen'er was too young and you couldn't bear it.

Now that you've been delayed all these years, it's only right you consider things more for yourself."

Grandsons and granddaughters, no matter how close, are not as close as one's own daughter; Zhou Shi was still more willing to see her daughter live well.

Her eyes full of relief, Zhou Shi felt Shen Yao thinking this way was a great awakening.

"Good, good; when there's time another day I'll go find the town's matchmaker to make the rounds — if I spot a fine young man, I'll keep an extra eye out for my daughter."

That very evening, Shen Danian and the other brothers also learned that Shen Yao was taking her own children to the county city.

"Mother, did the Wei family bully Third Sister again? I'm going to settle accounts with them right now!"

Shen Er You, furious, stood up to walk out, but was stopped by Shen Fugui speaking up.

"Come back! Your third sister is fine; it's just that going to the county city will be more beneficial for the children.

Telling you this is just to give you a heads-up; tomorrow morning we leave at dawn.

If anyone from the Wei family comes to the door then, just send them packing directly."

Shen Si Yu called out "Father" and said, "Third Sister going to the county city — one person looking after several children is too hard."

Years ago when he escorted convoys he had been to the county city; it was nice enough, but expenses of every kind were higher than in town.

Third Sister did have some private funds from leaving the Wei family, but raising five children — it wouldn't be enough.

Shen Dayou nudged his wife He Shi; "Father, we still have some silver here — let's take it out and give it to Third Sister together."

Hearing this, He Shi hurried back to the room to fetch the silver, but was stopped by Zhou Shi.

"No need, Eldest Brother's wife, you sit down too; your third sister has enough silver on hand for the time being.

Enough; this matter has me and your father — it's not your turn to worry."

Zhou Shi also feared this might spark some internal family conflicts.

Originally Shen Yao moving back in was already awkward to speak of; if not for the fact that the several daughters-in-law married in were all decent, and the household had been harmonious for years, there might well have been a huge row long ago — after all, every family has little spare money.

The topic came to a close; that night everyone muttered in their sleep, but it had nothing to do with Shen Yao.

Shen Yao had already organized clothes, bedding, and everything with the several children; just waiting for the carriages to arrive tomorrow, load everything on, and they could depart directly.

The System marveled at the Host's high efficiency; it hadn't expected the Host to act this swiftly.

"If I weren't swift it wouldn't do; in this world, there are even more crises ahead.

If I don't seize the chance to leave the familiar environment of the town, how can I complete the original accumulation?"

It's not that Zhou Shi and Shen Fugui are bad; it's just that the original owner was too familiar with them.

After living together long, all sorts of contradictions inevitably arise; Shen Yao is not the original owner, she cannot be like the original owner.

"Host, but why not go directly to the more prosperous prefecture city?"

The System felt that with the Host's abilities, even going to the capital where the Emperor resides she could thrive like a fish in water; there was no need to choose a remote corner.

Shen Yao: …

Shen Yao hadn't expected the System to think her this strong; "It's different — going to the county city gives a pretext to go to the prefecture city later; if I go straight to the prefecture city, the Shen family side won't accept it."

Shen Yao merely doesn't want to maintain the persona excessively in front of the original owner's relatives; it doesn't mean she wants to expose her identity.

Since she occupies the other's body, there's no need to make things too ugly.

Moreover, this ancient world has a background of frequent natural disasters.

"Droughts, floods, insect plagues, banditry… do you think going to the prefecture city would bring salvation?

Often the places with the most people are the least safe; when the time comes we might still have to flee outward."

At least Qinghe Town, where they were, was not a place suitable for survival.

Qinghe Town was located in the south of Qi State, and the Qing River flooded almost every year; by then, the fertile fields would yield nothing, and all they could do was migrate away.

The several prefecture cities around Qinghe Town were basically located further south.

Going there would only be delivering food to others, and in places with many people, once chaos broke out, it would be hard to escape even if they wanted to.

Having been here for only two days, Shen Yao had already thought through the matters that followed.

She hadn't spoken too much to the system, anyway it would be exposed later.

Closing her eyes to sleep, it was a new day again.

Wei Ying got up early in the morning and did not forget to pull Wei Yun and Wei Zhen to wash up and tidy themselves.

Eldest Aunt He Shi and Second Aunt Zhao Shi had already prepared breakfast.

Because Shen Yao and the others were leaving today, He Shi and Zhao Shi made some durable steamed buns, flower rolls, and pan-fried pancakes.

The weather in February was not so cold anymore, and even some willow trees had sprouted.

"Third sister, this is something Eldest Sister-in-law and I prepared for you; it's not worth much money, but it's convenient to take and use."

"I heard people in the city are very particular; our town can't compare."

Zhao Shi stuffed a package into Shen Yao's hands; inside were handkerchiefs, purses, and such, all made at home, not worth much money.

"Thank you, Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law, I won't stand on ceremony then. I don't know when I'll be able to return after this trip, so I'll trouble you two sisters-in-law with matters at home."

As for Younger Sister-in-law Little Zhou Shi, she had taken the children back to her ancestral home a few days ago and still hadn't returned.

He Shi and Zhao Shi took the opportunity to exchange courtesies with Shen Yao; after the family sat down together and finished breakfast, at the doorway, the people from the Tooth Firm had also brought three carriages.

One carriage driver was hired, and Shen Fugui and Zhou Shi's couple both knew how to drive a carriage, saving a few coins for the driver.

Shen Yao didn't insist on this matter, thinking that when she got tired she would take a turn driving with the two of them; this body could also drive a carriage, and even her eldest son Wei Cheng could get the hang of it.

The whole family was going to the county city, at least ten days or so; matters at home, especially the Pork Shop and the Medical Hall, needed to be explained.

"Father, Mother, rest assured, we will definitely guard the home well."

Shen Dayou and the others patted their chests to guarantee and repeated what they had said several times before Shen Fugui and Zhou Shi felt assured enough to drive the carriage away.

The carriage moved along the paved bluestone road making creaking sounds; Shen Yao lifted the curtain and looked outside with an indifferent expression.

Today was only the third day Shen Yao had come here; regarding this small town bathed in morning light before her eyes, Shen Yao knew little.

However, observing the antique courtyards and old-fashioned tools around her, sigh, having long been accustomed to the development of modern society, it was indeed difficult to adapt.

"Daughter, if it's hot, lower the curtain; outside is all dust."

Shen Fugui, who was driving the carriage, said a few words in a low voice, then followed by speeding up the carriage.

Shen Yao made an acknowledging sound and nodded, then asked Shen Fugui how the family business had been recently.

"Sigh, just so-so; recently pigs are hard to sell, last year the harvest in the fields was poor, people couldn't even eat their fill, where would they find grain to feed those livestock."

Shen Fugui frowned, and along the topic reminded Shen Yao that when they reached the county city, don't forget to stock up on more grain to take back.

"Just afraid that there will be disasters this year too; who can fathom the temper of the Heavenly Lord."

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao raised her head to look at the clear and bright sky, thinking that in this world, the Heavenly Lord indeed had quite an unpredictable temper.

"Father, our family is also like that; store more grain; as the proverb says, with grain in hand, there is no panic in the heart."

"Sigh, that's the reasoning; your mother and I both remember it; as for you, after you go to the county city with no relatives around, in the future..."

Shen Fugui got more and more carried away as he spoke, his mouth never idle along the way.

Shen Yao was very patient; sitting with her were her three daughters.

The four of them just listened to Shen Fugui speaking, occasionally cooperating to interject a few words, until it was noon, everyone stopped the carriage to rest; Shen Fugui was only quiet for a while after being earnestly instructed by Zhou Shi, who was driving in front.

"If we walk forward for two more days, we will be able to smoothly reach Linshan County;" the carriage driver was not young, looking about the same age as Shen Fugui.

"There used to be many people going to Linshan County, but in these past two years, those who moved have moved and those who left have left; the road is much quieter."

Shen Fugui took up the conversation, sighing again; after eating pan-fried pancakes and drinking water on the way back, they hurried back on the road.

This route was safe with no bandits, but the road to the Prefecture City could not be guaranteed.

Especially the further south, the less safe; conversely, the North had the Army guarding it, so there weren't so many troubles.

Shen Yao's ex-husband in this body was currently serving as a soldier in the North.

"There is a Yi Zhan ahead; we can stay there, but we cannot stay overnight."

Shen Fugui told Shen Yao, because the Yi Zhan belonged to the government; only Court Officials could stay there; commoners should be grateful just to have a place to stay; who made these the rules since ancient times.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao did not think the rules were reasonable; she only felt stifled; indeed, identity was the standard for living well in ancient times.

It seemed going to the county city was not the goal; she had to complete the mission as soon as possible.

While completing the mission, it would be best to secure a decent identity for herself.

She had to go take a look at the several prefecture cities around Linshan County.