Chapter 9: Bringing the Whole Family into the City for the First Time!

Brother, long time no see.... Eh, brother, what are you eating? It smells so good!

That young lady over there sells, they say it's some kind of jelly, the taste is indeed not bad... Well, it's that shop under the old locust tree!

Yo! So many people——!

Early the next morning, Cangnan County City.

Under the old willow tree at the west end of the street, the cart and the two wet‑cloth‑covered large vats were already surrounded so tightly that not even wind could get through.

Drawn by the fragrance and the bustle, the customers packed this small stall tight.

The noisy crowd surged toward the center of the cart.

A sixteen‑ or seventeen‑year‑old lovely young woman stood behind the vat, sweat already visible at her temples, yet her hands never stopped.

The gleaming blade skimmed just above the water, slicing the jelly into neat pieces that were scooped up steadily by the long‑handled wooden spoon and dropped accurately into the rough porcelain bowl the nearby scholar promptly handed over.

Garlic water, rice vinegar, and chili oil—with a few precise flicks of her wrist, they were already drizzled on.

The scholar took it, handed it to the outstretched customer, and with his other hand simultaneously caught the incoming copper coins, without looking he flung them backward into the wooden box tightly held by the blind scholar wearing an eye shield, producing a clear "ding" followed by another.

The dim‑witted A Chou raised his hand to grab the half‑empty seasoning jar; the young woman turned sideways to pass him the jar, then bent down to take a full one from his hand and swap it in, her motions smooth and unhindered.

"Make way! Make way! Hurry up ahead!", the people behind urged anxiously.

Hearing the urging, the young woman quickened her blade; sweat slid down her cheeks from her forehead, and she merely brushed it off with her shoulder before handing over the seasoned jelly in her hand:

"Next."

The sound of copper coins falling into the wooden box was as dense as raindrops.

Those who got theirs couldn't wait, standing at the edge of the crowd, dragging their wooden bowls, they lowered their heads and gulped a mouthful—the cool, smooth jelly slipped down their throats with a "slurp", the scorching autumn heat seemingly cut off in an instant, leaving only the sweat on their brows and the refreshing aftertaste of sour, spicy, garlicky flavor in their mouths.

Others carefully held their bowls, pushed through the crowd, found a shady spot by a wall, and savored the jelly's unique smooth‑chewy texture.

The water level dropped rapidly, revealing more of the jelly's fat‑like surface.

The first vat finally showed its bottom, leaving only clear, bright well water.

The watching crowd stirred a little, afraid they'd miss their turn. Men and women worked together to move the empty vat aside, revealing the full one behind. The wet cloth was lifted, showing again a soothing, trembling pale‑brown expanse.

The sun grew fiercer, then began to sink, and the willow shade shifted.

Until even the water in the last vat was scooped out, we barely scraped together a few odd bowls and handed them to the last few reluctant customers who kept asking when we'd sell jelly again.

Around the cart, the crowd that had just been crowded and noisy slowly dispersed, still reluctant to leave, leaving behind messy footprints...

And, piles of empty bowls stacked up like a mountain.

The sun slanted westward; the pile of empty bowls beside the cart had almost become a small hill.

Du Shanü rubbed her sore waist, glanced at Yu Hen still clutching the heavy money box, standing ramrod straight, his mouth unconsciously pursed slightly, as if he were competing with something invisible.

She moved close and lightly bumped him with her elbow:

"Hey, Yu Baobao, are you holding the box so tight because you're afraid the money will grow wings and fly away, or because you're afraid I'll snatch it from you?"

The beauty wearing an eye shield stood tall and graceful; though her brows and eyes were indistinct, a silver trace on her lips shone brightly.

"No, no…… it's just…… a bit heavy."

His voice carried an effort to maintain the composure of a former wealthy family, but his trembling arms clutching the money box gave him away.

After all, he had never imagined that making money could be so easy.

Last night the household worked through the night and made plenty of jelly.

This morning, Du Shanü, him, Liu Wenyuan, and A Chou rose early, took two vats of jelly out to sell; at noon, the few who stayed home to work sent another two vats, making four in total.

Roughly, one vat equals about two hundred bowls; the money box in his arms now holds at least four taels of silver.

He had brought A Chou with him from north to south, enduring wind and rain, sleeping out in the open, wandering destitute, even having begged on the streets, yet he never imagined that for a capable person, earning silver could be as simple as a single thought of hers...

Du Shanü held back her laughter and deliberately drew out her voice:

"Oh——it is a bit heavy. Let me guess—is our household's chief steward now calculating whether, when we go back tonight, it's safer to hide the box under the pillow or to bury a pit beside the stove for security?"

The more she spoke, the stiffer Yu Hen's body became; his lips twitched as if he wanted to protest that he hadn't thought of all that, yet he didn't know where to begin—

After all, he was indeed rapidly calculating in his mind these trivial yet crucial matters.

Before, he had seen mountains of gold and seas of silver slip through his fingertips without blinking; now, the few taels of scrap silver he had painstakingly obtained had become the sole focus of his heart and mind.

Beside him, Liu Wenyuan had silently turned away, his shoulders suspiciously trembling.

Even A Chou tilted his head, looking at Yu Hen then at Du Shanü, uttering an "a‑ba", as if wondering whether this "heavy" game was fun or not.

Du Shanü finally couldn't hold back, letting out a "pfft" laugh, she reached out to ruffle Yu Hen's head, but fearing to mess up his neatly tied hair, she instead patted his shoulder:

"Just teasing you! Good kid."

"Money earned is for spending, saving, and letting you sleep peacefully. From now on I'll earn you even more silver—spend it however you like, with nothing to worry about!"

Yu Hen felt his ears warm at her frank yet teasing comfort; the tight tension eased a little, and the arms clutching the box finally relaxed somewhat.

He finally reclaimed a bit of his old temperament, slightly lifting his chin, and said proudly:

"Then I'll spend the money to buy fish… and eat only the belly!"

Du Shanü felt an itch in her heart at his pose, even more aloof and coquettish than a wildcat; the laugh lines at the corners of her eyes deepened a bit, and she was about to say something more.

But just as the faint afterglow of their lighthearted laughter had not yet faded, a sudden unusual commotion came from the east end of the long street.

First came the crisp clatter of horse hooves on the blue‑stone road, dense and orderly—certainly not the casual trot of donkeys or horses. Then followed the rumble of wheels, heavy and steady, rolling over the dust.

The crowd parted as if shoved by an invisible hand; whispers and exclamations spread quickly, and murmurs blended into a buzzing hum.

"Make way! Make way quickly!"

"It's a carriage! What a splendid carriage!"

"Hiss… this spectacle, even the county magistrate's outing wouldn't have such grandeur..."

Du Shanü heard the sound and lifted her gaze.

All she saw was the far end of the blue‑stone long street, dyed in the sunset's afterglow, where several riders in black tight‑fitting uniforms led the way, waist‑sleeved with long blades, expressions cold and solemn, eyes flashing like lightning across the street; wherever they passed, the crowd fell silent and stepped back.

After the guards came a carriage that could be called luxurious, slowly approaching.

The carriage body was made of dark, heavy wood, polished to a mirror shine, its edges inlaid with gold‑colored dark patterns that glimmered subtly yet unmistakably in the slanting sunlight.

Fine bamboo blinds hung from the carriage windows; behind them a light gauze seemed to linger, casting hazy shadows that hid the interior.

Pulling the carriage were four pure‑black, extraordinarily spirited tall horses, their steps uniform and synchronized; their horseshoes struck the stone pavement, producing a clear, rhythmic "ka‑ka" sound that conveyed an air of lofty composure.

Ahead of and behind the carriage, several attendants in servant's garb followed; though their clothing was not as sharp as the guards', their deportment was proper and their eyes watchful.

This procession of carriages and horses was utterly out of place in the slightly rundown, dust‑filled side street of the border town's minor county seat.

Du Shanü narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the splendid carriage, over the stern guards, and finally settling on the faint dust kicked up by the horses' hooves and the occasional glimmer of light slipping through the carriage curtain's gap.

Amid the familiar clatter of hooves, she suddenly saw the ever‑silent A Chou, who was thought to be mute, become restless beside the cart, his face twisted with extreme fright as he hoarsely shouted in a frenzy:

"Chinu is coming…"

"Chinu is coming!!!"

?? Hooray! Once again it's a brand‑new day! Good morning, babies! (^_^)／