Uncle De smiled and said, "It's nothing. Thanks to the medicine you sent us a few days ago, we were able to make it through."

Fortunately, Min Zhi had recognized the boss before, otherwise, when the epidemic came, they might have been wiped out, and how could they have taken over the nearby villages and expanded them!

Entering the lobby of the inn, there were more than ten tables filled with people of all kinds. In the corner, a few bodyguards took off their swords and leaned against the wall to pick their teeth. Tong Wen Yao glanced over and followed Uncle De to the backyard.

Seeing so many new faces in the kitchen, Tong Wenyao asked, "It seems like you've hired a lot of people recently!" Uncle De grinned and said, "Thanks to the medicine given by the boss, we robbed the nearby bandit camps and took advantage of their illness to get their money!"

Uncle De continued, "Now, there are more than 300 people in our village. Boss, do you think we should arrange for them to work in Changzhen Village?"

Tong Wenyao thought for a moment and said, "Some of them will do the escort work, let them gather information on the road, and if there is any food, buy it for me and store it back. The other part will brew wine and send it to Cangzhou to sell when the time comes!"

Uncle De immediately responded after hearing this: "Yes, Boss, I'll arrange it right away."

After dinner, they returned to the room. Worried that Xiaoxue would scare the guests, Tong Wenyao brought Xiaoxue into the room and let it sleep there.

Early the next morning, we set off again and headed towards Cangzhou.

When they arrived at Huichun Hall, Tong Wen Yao also bought some medicinal herbs. Yan Zhi knew that he could not stop his disciple from going to the south, so he gave her a more detailed map of the country, with the mountain ranges marked on it. Those places where bandits or pirates might appear were marked with crosses, indicating that the place was dangerous and she should try to take a detour.

Yan Zhi said, "It's hot and humid in the south. Bring some heat relief with you. Last year was flooded, so the temperature might be hotter this year. It's better to be prepared."

Maidong listened to her master and prepared the herbs one by one. Finally, Yan Zhi said, "Wait a minute." After that, he walked out of the shop. When she chased him out, the master was nowhere to be seen. Since the master asked her to wait for a while, she would wait, anyway, her senior brother had not caught all the herbs yet.

Xiaoxue was restrained and unable to get off the car, so she didn't scare others.

After a while, Yan Zhi came with a yellow paper in his hand. Tong Wenyao couldn't make out anything. When the master came closer, she could smell the aroma of chestnuts. Yan Zhi said, "Their sugar-roasted chestnuts are the most authentic. I bought some for you. You can use them as snacks to kill time on the way."

After Maidong handed the herbs to Dongzi, Tong Wenyao asked, "Brother, how much is it? I'll give it to you."

As soon as these words came out, Yan Zhi stroked the lines on the front desk, and suddenly looked up at her. A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, with a hint of indulgence, but he deliberately kept a straight face. His beard trembled with his voice as he spoke, "Girl, it's been so long since we last saw each other, and you've learned to be mercenary! If these really count as medicinal herbs, then shouldn't we also pay for the accommodation we stayed at your house some time ago?"

Tong Wenyao immediately replied, "Master, that's not the case..." Under the pressure of the master, Tong Wenyao changed her words and said, "Master, then I will accept it without hesitation!"

After hearing this, Yan Zhi stroked his beard and said, "That's more like it! Go soon and come back soon. Maidong is still waiting for you to teach him the art of disguise! Last time, he kept complaining but still didn't dare to ask. Now I'm taking charge of it. When you come back, you can teach your brother."

Tong Wenyao agreed after hearing this and said, "Okay, then I'll teach you how to disguise yourself when I come back! I'm sure no one will recognize you when you're dressed as a woman."

"Master, do you know which escort agency in Cangzhou has a good reputation? I'd like to hire a team to go south!" Yan Zhi hummed and said, "There's a Xinyi Escort Agency on the main street. They're pretty good. You can go find them."

"Okay, thank you, Master!"

Huichuntang was also separated from the main street by a street. Tong Wenyao could walk there in about ten minutes. Before she arrived, she could see from a distance the large plaque on the door with the words "Sihai Escort Agency" written on it. There were many merchants and scholars at the door. It was spring now, and they needed to go to Beijing to take the imperial examinations, so it was the peak season.

On the other hand, the Xinyi Escort Agency looked rather desolate. Not only was the threshold tattered, but there was also a tattered sign next to it that read "Xinyi Escort Agency." Tong Wenyao frowned. If her master hadn't said their family was nice, she would have gone to the Sihai Escort Agency.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally stepped into this shabby escort agency. As soon as she entered the door, there was a yard. There were many people practicing martial arts inside. There were a few people who were obviously scholars waiting nearby. The gatekeeper was a man who was missing a leg. He was about forty years old. His fingers were rough and big, and there were some calluses on his hands. He was leaning on a crutch. Even though he was missing a leg, he still walked briskly. His left trouser leg was tied in a knot, and as he walked over, the trouser leg swung with him.

Tong Wen Yao knew at first glance that this person had practiced martial arts!

After a while, he came up to her and asked in a loud voice, "Miss, are you delivering goods or sending people?"

Tong Wenyao said, "This time, escort us to Luzhou!"

Seeing that they were escorting people to Luzhou, he lowered his head and fiddled with his abacus, and asked loudly: "How many people? Is there any cargo to be transported?"

As she spoke one by one, the uncle's abacus began to move. When she finished speaking, the uncle's abacus also stopped.

"This trip is quite expensive, are you hiring me?"

She nodded and asked, "How much is the hire price?" The uncle glanced at her clothes and said, "You'll need our escort there and back. We'll also go with you to find the black python and the dragon fruit. This trip is very dangerous. I'll send you fifteen people. The total price is two hundred and sixty taels. This price is for the round trip. I wonder if you are willing to accept it?"

After hearing this, she stepped forward, tapped the price list on the counter and said, "I want someone who can get things done. If you can lead me to the black python and the dragon fruit, I'll give you three hundred taels!"

He squinted his eyes after hearing this. In the smoke, she couldn't see the expression on the uncle's face.

"Three hundred taels, what a generous customer! However, let me be frank. If you encounter robbers on the road, I, with my old bones, will not take the knife for you, but I will ensure that those ignorant grandsons cannot even touch the corner of your clothes."

After hearing this, the corners of her mouth curled up, and she slapped the 150-liang silver note on the counter and said, "This is half the price. I'll give you the other half when you come back."

The uncle picked up the banknote, squinted at the light to check it, and suddenly knocked on the counter with his pipe. A few hoarse responses came from the back hall.

The two agreed to meet at the dock at noon and then board the ship to the south.