"Among these boys who are four to eight years older, the ox and the rooster, or the snake, are considered a compatible match. If their birth dates and times match without any issues, then their union would be the best match."

"There are also young men born in the Year of the Monkey. These young men are generally mischievous like monkeys. They are not very obedient to teaching or advice and tend to be stubborn. If they want to find a good marriage, they should marry late so that they can be more obedient. They are compatible with snakes and their best match is a snake woman who is three years older than them."

"And then there are dogs and rabbits, sheep and horses. The combinations in these pairings have to be calculated based on one's own destiny and astrology. It's not something that can be decided in a single sentence."

Old Lady Yun sighed, looked at Yun Ruoxia, and said meaningfully:

"The things left by our ancestors are all wisdom."

Yun Ruoxia was still not convinced. She thought that if Yun Ling were here, she would definitely stand on the same side as her to refute her mother.

Unfortunately, Yunling was not there, but the letter she wrote arrived two days later.

Yun Shenghua received a letter from the Shucheng Grain Shop. At first, he was a little surprised, but then he thought of Yun Ling and was eager to open the letter to see what was written inside. But then he thought of Zhang Shi. If Zhang Shi knew that Yun Ling had written to him, she would be very happy. So he put the letter in his pocket. This was the first time he had ever looked forward to finishing work like this.

Back at Granny Fan's house, upon hearing that Yunling had sent a letter, Zhang jumped up excitedly. Granny Yun and Granny Yun also rushed over. Yun Ruoxia craned her neck to look forward, and the letter fell from Yun Shenghua's arms into Yun Chu's hands.

"Chu-jie, you read it."

"Um!"

Yun Chu carefully opened the envelope, took out the letter, and read the letter written on it:

“Mother, by the time you receive this letter, I will have already left Shucheng… I am doing well, and Uncle Cheng is very friendly and easy to get along with. Mother, don’t worry. That’s all for now, Yunling.”

"No, Chu-jie, did you miss anything? Why did you only mention Chun-niang and her mother? What about me? What about her father? Why wasn't he mentioned at all?"

"That's right, hey, she hasn't even finished writing this letter yet, and she didn't even ask me about it. She doesn't care about the cotton or the dyeing of the fabric either."

"Yes, Grandpa doesn't care, but he cares about her grandma, you brat."

Those not mentioned in the letter all expressed their dissatisfaction verbally, but their faces still wore happy smiles. They were very happy that Yunling had sent a letter.

Zhang put the letter away and took it out from under her pillow before going to sleep. She couldn't read, but since marrying Yun Shenghua, he would teach her to read from time to time, so she knew a thing or two. Looking at Yun Ling's handwriting, she thought that this person must have written the letter unwillingly, muttering to herself, and she immediately felt a little amused and exasperated.

I wonder where this person will stop next after leaving Shucheng, and whether they will write to me again. I'm also worried about whether the thousand strings of cash I brought will be enough, since I'll need to spend money on wool as well.

I should have let her take the two thousand strings of cash with her back then. After all, the whole family has royal jelly to tide them over, but she's all alone. I don't know what she would do if she ran out of money.

Zhang became increasingly panicked. She thought of asking Yun Shenghua if there was any way to send the money to Yunling, but she didn't know where Yunling would be staying. Besides, the merchant ship's stay was too short. There was no way, no way.

The thought of Yunling being troubled by money made Zhang restless at night. She tiptoed out of the room and prayed to the full moon hanging in the sky, wishing Yunling a journey free from illness and pain, and that she would be blessed with good fortune and protection from disaster.

**

After sailing on the river for several days, the merchant ship was finally ready to dock.

As usual, Chengbo told Yunling about the accommodation and meals. Yunling also asked him if he wanted to go with them to get a hot pot to warm up. The question was the same, and the answer was the same.

This time, Yunling didn't choose to wander around the town. She directly hired a donkey cart to take them to the city, where it was much more lively and offered more opportunities than the town.

After the three of them put down their bags at the inn, they took their valuables and went for a stroll in the street. Along the way, Yunling didn't think about food at all, but looked around and was looking for something to do.

Gangzi noticed that something was wrong with Yunling and asked:

"Boss, you're not thinking of stealing anything, are you?"

"Get lost, do I look like a thief?"

"It does look quite like it. You're sneaky, looking around, and squinting. You know what, even the constables who pass by pay special attention to you."

Yunling immediately straightened her back and tugged at her robe.

“I only brought 1,000 strings of cash with me before I left home. I don’t know if that’s enough to buy wool. I also have expenses living in Bianjing, so I wanted to find some work that could earn me quick money and make a little money.”

Tang Ling pursed her lips and said:

"Brother, when we get back, let's cancel my room reservation. I'll share a room with you, and we can save some money. Or, we can go back to the ship and have a hot meal there."

Yunling didn't think twice and refused outright.

"No, we're here to have fun, so the most important thing is to have fun. Besides, this money isn't saved, it's earned, so relax."

Gangzi felt extremely relieved. He looked at Yunling and said:

"Hey, boss, why don't we go carry the coffin?"

"What???"

"Carrying a coffin? Didn't you just say you wanted to make quick money? This is a business with high profits but low costs."

Yunling's right eyelid twitched violently a few times, and she blurted out instinctively,

"No way, how can we take something that belongs to someone else?"

"Hey, you don't know this, do you? This thing has to be done by someone else, you can't even do it yourself."

Yunling shook her head again.

"There are many taboos for those who carry the coffin. First, they must be married; second, they must be men; and third, their birth date and time must not clash with the deceased's. Moreover, they must carry the coffin steadily without touching the ground, so as not to disturb the deceased."

“Then I’ll go. There are eight people carrying the coffin, but actually, we don’t need eight people. I can just fill in at the back.”

"No, you are not married yet, and your virginity is extremely strong. If you clash with the deceased and disturb his peace, it will be particularly easy... you know... you know."

Yunling's hesitant manner, coupled with her subtle expressions, instantly sent chills down Gangzi's spine, who had been calm all along. He quickly pressed himself against Yunling's shoulder, his heart pounding.

"Then what can we do? Besides this, can we also make a living by performing arts on the streets?"

"Street performers..."

"Boss, you're not really thinking about this, are you? That's like breaking rocks on your chest, swallowing knives and spears, and breathing fire! Just this... just this..."

"That's it!"