Chapter 16

It was not until the evening of the next day that the two finally waited for the person they were waiting for. It turned out to be a familiar face, the vendor who passed by last before the accident.

Their vehicles were not moving very fast, but they had no intention of stopping. I guess they already knew what was happening here - they were much more informed than the average person.

When Shu and Zhongji emerged from the grass, several vendors were startled and subconsciously thought that they were refugees who were going to rob them of their food and money. They were relieved only after seeing how they were dressed and the wicker baskets they were carrying. They had encountered too many refugees during this period and were beginning to be paranoid.

You know, one of the guys' arm was still injured. He was holding a wooden stick in his hand and looking at the newcomer with great vigilance.

Fortunately, traveling merchants have always been good at observing people's words and expressions, and there is no reason for them to refuse to do business. Seeing that Shu and Zhongji had no ill intentions, they took Shu and others to the woods on the side. It would be too conspicuous to stay on the road and it would easily attract bad things.

"If you're exchanging things, will you accept dry goods and these?"

Shu took out a few pottery pieces without any drops of wood ash water, which were more exquisite than the usual ones. On the other side were dried mushrooms and the like.

"This..." One of the vendors was very hesitant. Seeing his expression, he nodded to Zhong Ji. He put the things away and took out the bag.

Untying the hemp rope, he found yellow, finely processed millet inside. Shuze took out a bag of unprocessed, high-quality new grain from his backpack.

Sure enough, the vendors who were originally reluctant suddenly became excited.

Traveling around naturally requires a keen eye. They usually accept copper coins for transactions because they are easy to carry and less likely to be counterfeited. But now that war is raging, the prices of various foods are also rising.

After exchanging pottery and some dry goods for linen, several people agreed to come here tomorrow to exchange grain for iron farm tools and other items.

Several merchants pondered the matter. While copper and iron products were difficult to obtain and expensive, exchanging them for rice and other grain shipped to the surrounding areas of Pingyi would yield immeasurable profits. They naturally wouldn't miss out on the opportunity to venture out at this time. Even if the exchange rate was low, the profit from the new grain was substantial.

The rise in food prices is different from other things. It will not just increase by a few percent, but will soar without limit.

A one-tenth food shortage wouldn't cause prices to rise by 10% or 20%; instead, it would increase prices until one-tenth of the population couldn't afford to buy food. Large traders would also buy up grain from individual farmers early on, ultimately leaving those farmers with less than a third of the weight of grain they'd previously sold.

Shu and Zhongji immediately turned back, and after making sure that no one was following them, they returned to the mountains through a small path.

After discussion, except for Shan who stayed behind to look after the children, the rest of the people went out of the woods in batches, carrying wicker baskets on their backs. They did not take the road outside, as pushing carts would be too conspicuous.

Shan looked at Yao Wenjun, and after everyone left, he asked:

"If you want to leave, come with me." As he said this, he opened the wooden box next to him. Inside was a pile of clean and carefully packed armor, the same ones she had on in the past, and on top of them was the dagger.

Yao Wenjun was silent for a long while, but then she suddenly felt an impulse, thinking that living here was really good. She had already prepared herself to be left here, but she didn't expect that this seemingly kind but actually cruel old man would let her go at this time.

That night, this man calmly said that if she had the thought of leaving, he would personally take care of the danger that night.

Shan Ye recalled what he had said before and sighed.

He had seen Yao Wenjun's actions during this period, and she had helped him without hesitation in several dangerous situations. He had seen countless people in his life, so he naturally understood that Yao Wenjun had some intentions of exploiting him at first, but later he gradually understood why everyone chose not to ask.

In this world, being able to survive is the best thing. Even Yao Wenjun, who has spent half her life learning martial arts, couldn't help but be attracted by this peaceful life. If she didn't carry those grudges on her body, she would be willing to give up everything and live here.

Apart from anything else, the parts she had crafted eventually formed a host of tools she had never seen before. This feeling was different from the one she had felt when she led her men to suppress a rebellion. The former made her feel calmer, while the latter made her blood boil, but it was difficult to fall asleep.

Yao Wenjun picked up the dagger and handed it to Shan, then picked up the clothes and told Shan her decision.

When she turned around and went into the house to change clothes, Shan heard her deliberately lowered voice:

"I owe you my life. I am willing to swear on my own name and life that I will never do anything to repay kindness with enmity."

She kept everything she had experienced in this short time deep in her heart. If she could still survive after putting her worries to rest, she would definitely come back.

Before they set off, everyone heard that Yao Wenjun was leaving, so they packed a lot of things for her to take with her. Even Amu gave her a few small water wheels that he had put together himself, and the other two children also gave her small toys that they had made.

After spending time together, the grudges in their hearts finally disappeared, and even Amu and the others were reluctant to leave their older sister who would tell them many interesting stories.

Yao Wenjun glanced at Wen Yi, who nodded and turned his gaze to the enlarged versions of the equipment in the yard.

She naturally knew what she could get by disassembling these items and reproducing them to scale, but Wen Yi didn't mind Yao Wenjun taking them out. With her status and position, she could promote these things without harming them, which was actually the best option.

Yao Wenjun subconsciously glanced at Shan, and suddenly understood why this man chose to let her go in the end. Without saying anything else, she just lowered her head and put all these things into the rattan basket, and wrapped them up with cloth very carefully.

Shan watched the group of people leave, sent the three children to play with Yuwan, and closed his eyes.

He doesn't know if what he did is right.

I can spend the rest of my life here, but Amu and the others can't, and neither can Wen Yi.

I always told myself before that their meeting and getting along with Wen Yi was fate, but when Yao Wenjun was about to leave, the thought that had been suppressed reappeared.

In a sense, Wen Yi and Yao Wenjun are the same kind of people. Even though Wen Yi seems to have no desires and just wants a peaceful life, those trivial things shouldn't be done by these people. They have the ability not to do those repetitive and physically exhausting labor. There are more things that need to be done.

This year felt like a stolen gift. He would give these young people a ride, hoping Yao Wenjun wouldn't let him down.

Of course, he also had his own selfish motives, so he only let that person out and waited until the overall situation was established and safety was ensured before taking Wen Yi away. Troubled times are hardship for the common people, but they are fertile ground for those with skills.

"I hope the old man's decision this time is right..." Shan muttered to himself, turned around and went back to the yard, preparing to cook more food. They will definitely be tired and hungry when they come back in the evening.

Four or five people bargained together, with the distinguished-looking Yao Wenjun standing nearby. Wen Yi and the others brought back not only metal products but also seeds and other odds and ends. Because they were restless, the toys for children were selling very well, and they were given to a few people as bonuses after some bargaining.

After exchanging things, they walked around the woods outside for a few rounds, but perhaps because there were many refugees nearby, most of the edible things had been looted, and even some leaves had been torn off and made into leaf soup.

It was still early, so after some discussion, they decided to circle the area again. The place where Yao Wenjun had originally entered was sealed with stone and lime, with no other entrance or exit from the inside. However, the vegetation inside was lush, which wasn't necessarily the case from the outside.

There are some strange things near the cliff, and there are also many stones of special colors.

Although there were no conditions for smelting metals, and according to regulations private individuals were not allowed to do this, they were all savages now, so they simply collected a small half basket.

After making a small circle, they returned to the entrance, carefully moving the rocks over after confirming that no one was there, and then filling them with gravel. The lush vegetation outside was able to cover the gaps.

"I'm back."

Wen Yi stretched his muscles, and together with Shu, moved the things to the wheelbarrow in the cave, and then pushed it back. His tense nerves finally relaxed.

Even though they had some fighting power and were not worried about being robbed by a few refugees, the gazes hidden in the dark still made them uncomfortable.

After circling a few times, those gazes finally disappeared, and the few people came back, not wanting to go out again in the short term.

Shan had already prepared a meat porridge with mushrooms and vegetables, and the aroma filled his nose. Although he nibbled on some dry bread, it was nothing compared to the hot soup.

Yuwan was licking his paws and wiping his face, looking very full, while Amu helped to put the ceramic bowls in place.

Life returned to normal.

Ever since Wen Yi used the wooden press he had made earlier to squeeze soybean oil, although everyone was forced to eat broken beans for a long time, Wen Yi, who had finally unlocked his cooking skills, performed exceptionally well, and even the mushrooms that people were tired of eating became different in flavor.

Although they are not near the sea and have no sea salt or salt wells, they can still find cliff salt, which is much better than other places, so they don't have to get a piece of salty cloth.

By then, there were already natural condiments like Sichuan peppercorns and cinnamon, as well as processed condiments like vinegar and sauce, but they were all relatively expensive, and the most common were things like scallions and ginger. This time, being able to exchange for half a jar of vinegar was a pleasant surprise.

Yeast is needed to make sauces, vinegar and other things. Now that food is a little more abundant, Wen Yi has also put this on the agenda.

Most bacteria won't survive in spicy environments, ensuring that the fermented fungi are yeast. Mix chopped red pepper flowers with ground glutinous rice, add bran, and knead into a ball. Place in a warm place to ferment, and once white hairs grow on the surface, dry and store.

Wen Yi tried several times, but always failed, perhaps due to the environment or the temperature. After adjusting the variables numerous times, he realized that perhaps, like the sauerkraut, it had something to do with the bacterial flora on his hands. He asked everyone to make some, and finally, he achieved a white, dry dough, which allowed him to move on to the next step.

After the steamed grains are cooled, koji is added to break down the starch. After saccharification is completed, clean water is added and fermented for half a month until the smell of wine is emitted. Then a small amount of the obtained old vinegar is added as a seed. It also needs to be ventilated and wait for several months to complete the fermentation. During this period, the fermentation products need to be continuously filtered out.

Wen Yi looked at the grain and the yeast mixed in it that had just been put into the small ceramic jar. After carrying the jar into the house, he went to do other things. He calculated that if everything went well, it would take half a year to get the vinegar.

Compared to the expensive meat sauce, soybean paste seems to be quite good. This thing is something that most people can make, but usually you can just take it to other people's houses to exchange for it, and there is no need for salt, so you eat less.

Hearing Yi's request, Shu put down his knitting needles and began to work. He sprinkled crushed wheat on the cooked beans, placed them on the kang in the house, and covered them with a thick straw cloth. He waited for yellow-green mold to grow on the surface, then dried them in the sun. He then added water, salt, and dried them in the sun. This took more than a month.

Wen Yi chose to add the previously made koji, pressed the mixture of beans, koji and flour into a mold and sliced ​​it, then fermented it layer by layer with straws between them. The color of the resulting mold was much lighter than that of the one made by Zhu, but as long as it was not black and rotten, there should be no problem with anything else.