The inn where I stayed was located in a very ordinary town between Ganzhou and Liaodong Prefecture. There were many such towns between the two prefectures. They were small in size and often raided by foreign tribes because of their proximity to the border. The town actually looked a bit dilapidated, but because it was right next to the post road and there weren't many post stations on the road, this inn became the only place for traveling merchants to stay.

After the group settled in, Chen Zhaoci led Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan to the lobby of the inn.

The innkeeper was standing at the entrance of the inn. When he saw Chen Zhaoci coming, he quickly bowed. Chen Zhaoci smiled and said, "Innkeeper, has it been raining a lot here lately?"

The shopkeeper sighed and said, "To be honest, since the Dragon Boat Festival, there has been rain like this every now and then. By the time of the summer harvest, many families had not finished harvesting their wheat."

Thinking of the murky stream, Chen Zhaoci said, "I see there are many mountains around this town. With this kind of rain, have the soil and rocks on the mountains become loose?"

The shopkeeper shook his head and said, "This old man doesn't know."

Chen Zhaoci thought for a moment and asked, "Shopkeeper, how many miles is it from this town to Liaodong Prefecture?"

The shopkeeper said, "It's over 300 li away, but there's been a lot of rain lately, so the road is difficult to travel and it will probably take some time."

After thanking the innkeeper, Chen Zhaoci left the inn with Xu Bai and Chen Yuyuan.

As Chen Yuyuan left the inn, several ordinary-looking people, who would be inconspicuous in a crowd, followed far behind the three of them. These were the guards who had accompanied Chen Yuyuan all the way from Tai'an. These guards would stay with Chen Yuyuan and protect his safety.

Several shops have opened in the town, none of them are very large, including restaurants, general stores, and blacksmith shops.

Because it had just rained and it was already late, there were few people on the street, and the air was very humid. The street was paved with stone slabs, which were wet. Chen Zhaoci was wearing a pair of embroidered shoes, and after walking for a while, her shoes got wet.

Looking at the somewhat desolate streets, Chen Zhaoci sighed and said to the two children, "Let's go back."

Xu Bai said, "Mom, I see a pastry shop over there. Why don't we go over and see what they sell?"

Seeing that the pastry shop was not far from their location, Chen Zhaoci led the two people into the shop.

The shop was small, and a girl of about ten years old was tending it. When she saw Chen Zhaoci and his group arrive, she quickly stood up and asked with a smile, "What do you need, guests?"

Two ram's horn lamps were lit in the room. The lamps were not very well made and the light was not very good. Even so, Chen Zhaoci was still dazzled by the little girl's smiling face and felt that his vision suddenly became bright.

Chen Zhaoci really likes girls, especially pretty and well-behaved girls.

In the dim light, Chen Zhaoci carefully examined the little girl standing in front of him. She was about ten years old, with a round face, round eyes, and a small nose. She was smiling at Chen Zhaoci with her lips pursed, and her big eyes suddenly curved into two crescent moons.

The little girl was wearing a slightly worn dress, but it was very clean. Chen Zhaoci also looked at the counter displaying some pastries, which was wiped spotless, indicating that she was a clean person.

Xu Bai looked at the pastries, which were all very common snacks, and asked, "Are these the only pastries you have in your shop?"

The little girl nodded and said, "Yes, all the pastries in our shop are made by my grandmother. She learned to make pastries from her elders in the south a few years ago. Later, she came here, and the people in the town love to eat the pastries she makes."

The pastries of this era were simply made from glutinous rice flour or other ingredients like lotus root starch or wheat flour, shaped into various forms and steamed. Moreover, since white sugar was a luxury, most people were reluctant to use much when making pastries, so the pastries actually tasted rather bland.

Seeing the little girl's eagerness to promote her pastries, Chen Zhaoci felt a pang of sadness. It was hot, and because of the bad weather, it was already evening, yet so many pastries hadn't been sold. The little girl must be very anxious.

Chen Zhaoci looked at Xu Bai, who kept staring at the pastries. After a while, Xu Bai sighed and said to Chen Zhaoci, "Mother, these pastries don't look sweet."

Xu Bai has had a sweet tooth since childhood, so the sweeter the desserts he eats, the better.

After Xu Bai said those words, the light on the little girl's face immediately faded.

Xu Bai probably felt sorry for the little girl. After thinking for a moment, he tugged at Chen Zhaoci's sleeve and said, "Mom, why don't we buy all of these? There are many of us, so it's perfect for us to have as snacks tonight."

When the little girl heard Xu Bai say that, her face lit up again, and she stared at Chen Zhaoci expectantly.

Chen Zhaoci couldn't help but laugh and said, "Okay, we'll listen to our Abo. Little girl, could you please wrap up all these snacks for us?"

The young girl nodded quickly and said, "Madam, I'll take it to you. Are you staying at an inn?"

Chen Yuyuan asked in surprise, "How did you know we were staying at the inn?"

The little girl deftly packed the snacks into a bamboo box. When Chen Yuyuan asked her a question, she smiled and said, "There's only one inn in our town, and our place is small. Not only do we all know each other, but we also know some of our relatives."

Seeing that the little girl had accidentally broken a piece of pastry, Xu Bai quickly picked up the broken piece and said, "Let me try it."

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