Chapter 247: New Look of Annan

Early the next morning, the aunts who had made an appointment yesterday were waiting at the gate of the Gu family on time.

Each of them carried a large backpack to carry things later.

Fortunately, Gu Jiayue's carriage was very large, otherwise it would not be able to accommodate these people and the backpacks.

The winter sun shone obliquely on the official road, and the carriage rolled over the dirt road that was compacted by the wheels, raising fine dust.

Gu Jiayue lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the gradually clear outline of the city wall, with a hint of anticipation in her heart.

She hadn't left Taohua Village for a long time. Looking at the city gate that was getting closer and closer, she felt a sense of strangeness.

It was quite unfamiliar. This city gate was completely different from the last time she came here.

The corner of the wall that was once overgrown with weeds and filled with dead branches and leaves is now brand new, with even a circle of bluestone slabs paved along the corner.

On the flat ground, stone benches were neatly arranged. The surfaces of the benches were polished smooth and round, allowing pedestrians to sit and rest on them.

Further ahead, several brand-new thatched huts stood steadfast in the cold wind. Beneath them were tethered various ox-drawn and horse-drawn carts. Several men, resembling yamen runners, patiently registered the farmers' accounts with account books. At the end, they presented a clearly written receipt stamped with the bright red seal of the county government.

This way there is no need to worry about ox carts or horse carriages getting lost.

It is clearly written on the certificate that if the ox cart is lost while parked here, you can claim compensation from the county government.

"Is this still the Annan County I know?" My aunt rubbed her eyes, her face filled with disbelief. "The sun rose from the west today?" Her voice was filled with suspicion and unconcealed surprise. She looked up at the sky uncertainly.

That's not the case. The sun is still the same as before.

The aunt in front of the line turned around when she heard this, with a smile on her face that said, "I know, I know, come on and ask me."

But my aunt didn't understand.

The auntie was not angry, but spoke in a familiar manner: "Sister, haven't you been to the county town for a long time?" As she spoke, she put the bamboo basket in her arms on the ground.

Gu Jiayue stretched her head and took a bite. Wow, the basket was slowly filled with vegetables.

Don’t underestimate these ordinary vegetables. They may not be valuable in summer or autumn, but now it’s winter and they are in great demand.

It seems that this aunt is going to the city to sell vegetables.

"Yes, yes, there are a lot of things to do at home, so I haven't been here for a long time." The aunt nodded quickly, and continued to look at all the new things around her with curiosity in her eyes.

The auntie started talking with a smile: "No wonder you didn't know. The rules have been changed since the month before last. The new county magistrate is really a rare good official. Not only does he not charge a fee to enter the city, he also opened a special market for farmers like us to sell things. Although a sanitation fee of three cents is required, it is worth it. There are people to help clean up every day, and there are yamen runners patrolling regularly. It is much better than before when we were sneaking around and selling things randomly." Her tone was full of praise, and her eyes lit up when she talked about the county magistrate.

"That's not all!" The older man standing in front couldn't help but join in the conversation, wrapping his coarse cotton jacket tightly around him and exhaling a puff of white air. "The county magistrate has even recruited many people to reclaim wasteland, saying they'll plant some high-yield crops next year. Wow, this is the first time I've heard of a county magistrate caring about what we ordinary people eat."

"Yes, I also heard that the county magistrate works in the county government office every day. As long as someone comes to file a complaint, he will definitely accept it. He is not like the previous county magistrate? I have never seen him try a case."

"Also, I heard the county magistrate..."

For a while, everyone was talking at once and the discussion was in full swing.

Gu Jiayue listened quietly, but her heart was stirred. Aren't these the plans Zheng Qinghe mentioned in the letter?

When I first read his writings, I thought he was a man of ideas. I never expected his drive for action to be so strong. In just such a short period of time, he had truly transformed the county.

"Sister, I just heard from that uncle that there is a night market in the county town at night, and there are people selling sugar figures at the night market. It sounds very interesting." Gu Zhigeng tugged at Gu Jiayue's sleeve, his eyes flashing with excitement, and his little face flushed slightly with anticipation.

"Night market?" Gu Jiayue muttered to herself, and the image of sizzling meat skewers in front of the barbecue stall involuntarily emerged in her mind.

There are food stalls filled with fragrance and bustling crowds of people.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help swallowing, as if she could already smell the tempting fragrance.

It has been a long, long time since I last had this.

"It's a pity that we have to go home soon. I really want to see what the night market looks like." Gu Zhigeng's voice was full of loss, and he hung his head like a deflated ball.

Gu Jiayue came back to her senses. Yes, this wasn't modern times after all, and it was difficult for a girl to move around. But seeing her sister's disappointment, she couldn't bear it and quickly comforted her, "Don't be sad. I just heard that auntie say that there are stalls selling small items in the West Market during the day. I'll take you there later."

Gu Zhigeng immediately raised his head, his eyes brightening again. "Really?"

"Of course, when have I ever lied to you?"

After getting a positive answer, she was so happy that she almost jumped up and chattered all the way.

The group entered the city and after agreeing on the time and place to meet, they dispersed.

The three sisters-in-law of the Gu family discussed what they needed to buy and then went their separate ways.

Li took Gu Jiayue and Gu Zhigeng straight to the dried fruit shop.

The family has all the grains and rice needed to make Laba porridge. Even if they are short of some, they can exchange them with villagers. The only thing is that Taohua Village has almost no dried fruits such as red dates and raisins, so they have to go to the city to buy them.

Li took the two sisters and walked two streets until they finally arrived at the dried fruit shop that she said was economical.

But before I even walked into the store, I heard noisy voices inside.

The shop was packed with people. The boss and his assistants were squeezed in the middle of the crowd, sweating profusely. They were busy weighing goods and calculating bills while also answering customers' questions. They had no time to properly greet customers.

"Mom, why don't we go to another restaurant?" Gu Jiayue suggested with a frown as she looked at the chaotic scene.

"No need. The boss of this shop is honest and never shortchanges customers on weights and measures. Besides, the quality of his goods is good." Li shook her head.

Although my family has no worries about food and clothing now, we still have to save money. Who knows when we will return to the old days?

Li asked the two sisters to stand where they were, and she also squeezed in like those people.

But the reality was cruel. There were too many people and she couldn't squeeze in at all. She could only stand at the door and worry.

"Jiayue, take your sister to go somewhere else first. Mom will wait here for a while to see if we can go in and buy it." Li thought for a while and spoke.

Gu Jiayue took a closer look inside the store. The situation was even worse than she'd imagined. Many people had already chosen their items but were squeezed so tightly they couldn't even get to the counter to pay. Others, trying to leave, were trapped by the crowd. If this continued, conflicts would surely escalate.

"Mom, please hold my sister's hand and stand aside." Gu Jiayue said seriously.

She was afraid that a dispute would break out in the store and hurt Li and Gu Zhigeng.

Although Mrs. Li didn't understand what her daughter was going to do, the time they had spent together made her trust her daughter. Without saying a word, she pulled Gu Zhigeng to a safe place aside.

Gu Jiayue looked around and her eyes fell on a gong on the counter of the department store next door. She immediately had an idea.

She walked over quickly and said a few words to the boss, who smiled and handed her the gong without saying a word.

Gu Jiayue returned to the door of the dried fruit shop with the gong, took a deep breath, and struck it hard.

With a loud bang, the originally noisy and chaotic store suddenly became quiet.

The two big men who were arguing were frightened by the sudden sound, and they trembled with their mouths open, forgetting what they were going to say.

"Stop pushing. It's useless to keep pushing like this. Those inside can't get out, and those outside can't get in. This will only waste everyone's time." Gu Jiayue shouted loudly, her voice crisp and firm.

Hearing this, the people on the periphery stepped back consciously.

But there are always some people who take advantage of this opportunity to squeeze forward.

They have been squeezing here for so long and don't want to give up just like that.

The people who had been trying to give in were no longer happy about this and started pushing forward as well. Some people had already given up their strength and were almost falling down due to this squeeze.

The scene suddenly became chaotic again.

"Who? Who stepped on my foot?"

"Ah? Who is that shameless guy who touched my butt? Is it you? Shame on you!"

"Bah! Don't you even look at what you look like? I wouldn't touch a dog even if I touched you."

The shouting and cursing continued one after another. The owner of the dried fruit shop was squeezed in the middle, his face flushed red and his eyes full of helplessness.