Before leaving, Xu Mo pulled Zheng Ruqian aside and said a few words to him.
Zheng Ruqian's expression changed, but he did not speak.
Soon, the carriage set off, bumping along the road.
Jiang Sheng asked worriedly, "Is it really okay to leave Second Brother to harvest the vegetables? Won't we run into those scarred guys again?"
Xu Mo glanced at Fang Heng, who was groaning in the carriage, and said, "Don't worry."
After being sprinkled with a handful of croton powder, Fang Heng, who only took two puffs, suffered from diarrhea for three whole days and couldn't get out of bed.
It's really an unknown how the man in black will pull it out.
Changyan wrapped his coat tighter around himself, still shaken. "Fourth Brother, where did you get this croton powder? It's incredibly potent."
Wen Zhiyun scratched his head; he didn't know either.
However, when Dr. Wu took out croton seeds for him to grind, he kindly reminded him to wrap his mouth and nose with a long towel so that he would not inhale even a drop, otherwise he would not be responsible.
“Speaking of which, Dr. Wu is really kind.” Jiang Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Wen Zhiyun. “Fourth Brother works sporadically, but Dr. Wu not only doesn’t get angry, he also pays him his wages as usual. He’s a really good boss.”
Wen Zhiyun's lips moved for a moment, hesitating several times as if he wanted to say something.
What a terrible boss! Wu Suowei himself only works sporadically, occasionally sneaking off to some mountain to gather herbs, leaving Xiao Wenzhiyun to silently prepare the medicine alone. Sometimes, Xiao Wenzhiyun is even forced to grit her teeth and treat patients for him.
Holding the medicine dispenser's allowance, she took on all the work.
Fortunately, Wu Suowei was a carefree and lawless person, and he always let Wen Zhiyun go whenever she asked for leave.
When he learned that Wen Zhiyun had gone to the prefectural city, he even grinned widely, saying, "Good lad, maybe we'll run into each other in the prefectural city."
Wen Zhiyun shuddered.
It's better to avoid meeting them.
The Great Yu Dynasty was a vast and resource-rich land, with extremely long distances between counties, let alone between prefectural cities and county towns.
Jiang Sheng and Xu Mo took turns riding horses, and it took them four whole days to finally see the city gate.
Fang Heng had been taking medicine these past few days and had finally recovered from the lingering effects of the croton powder. He took the riding whip and looked at his older brother and younger sister, whose mouths were covered in ash, saying, "You've had a hard time driving the carriage these past few days."
At first, no one knew how to control a donkey cart or horse-drawn carriage, but now almost everyone can, which is a huge improvement.
But the best technology still belongs to the old third party, Heng.
All the donkeys and horses in his hands became much more obedient for no apparent reason. He could even control their speed without whips or bits, let alone start or stop them.
If Zheng Ruqian were here, he would probably be shouting defiantly with red eyes.
Jiang Sheng sighed; she missed her second brother a little.
In the past, Zheng Ruqian would go out for seven or eight days to harvest vegetables, and I never thought much of it. But today, it's the first time I've been to a new place without him, and it feels strange.
"Don't worry, the second brother will come and meet us after he finishes delivering the groceries." Xu Mo patted her little head. "We promised we'd never be apart."
Jiang Sheng managed a weak smile, her gaze falling on the city gate of Anshui County.
Then she was taken aback.
Having seen the dilapidated temple in Shilipu Village, the streets of the town, and the city gate of Xieyang County, Jiang Sheng always thought that his horizons had broadened.
But at this moment, the majestic and imposing city gate of Anshui County still intimidated her.
This is not a carved beam and painted rafter, nor is it a man-made city wall; rather, it is a city gate carved directly into the mountainside.
Even the four characters "Anshui County City" are carved directly into the mountainside. Without any red paint or gold paint, they simply display the natural color of the mountain stone, exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring presence, no less impressive than any other.
Sixteen soldiers stood guard on either side of the city gate, each holding a long spear, looking imposing and awe-inspiring.
The vehicles and people were divided into two lanes: the faster vehicles were on the left, and ordinary people carrying baskets on their backs were on the right.
Jiang Sheng was somewhat surprised when she saw this, "There are also poor people in the prefectural city."
In such a magnificent and wealthy place, even the streets are twice as wide. Shouldn't the people there also be twice as rich?
"Silly child," Xu Mo chuckled. "Where are there no poor people? In the prefectural city, the county town, and the town, there are poor and rich people everywhere, it's just a matter of how many there are."
"Let alone just the prefectural city, even the capital of the Dayu Dynasty, Fengjing, has poor people."
Jiang Sheng seemed to be deep in thought.
Therefore, there are also poor people in the prefectural city, but they are not that poor, or their numbers are small.
There are also wealthy people in Shili Town, but there are too few of them, or they are not that wealthy.
So, are the steamed buns in the prefectural city twice as delicious as those in the county town?
Jiang Sheng stared expectantly at the plump, white steamed buns fresh from the pot, the meat pies just scooped out of the hot oil, and the crispy fried dough sticks with their fragrant wings sticking out of the pot on both sides of the road.
The brothers couldn't help but laugh.
Fang Heng glanced at Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan, "Little Four and Little Five, do you want steamed buns or meat pies?"
Wen Zhiyun was an honest child, and he shook his head shyly, "Third brother, fourth brother isn't hungry."
He received a killer look from Jiang Sheng.
Wen Zhiyun shuddered and quickly changed his mind, "Eat, have a meat bun."
Chang Yan was much more sensible, saying, "Chang Yan will eat anything that Third Brother buys."
Fang Heng laughed heartily and stopped the carriage, buying one pack of each item.
Before long, the squeaking of a mouse stealing food came from inside the carriage, accompanied by Jiang Sheng's modest words, "Fourth Brother, have some. Fifth Brother, have some too. Just a couple of bites."
The older brothers couldn't help but laugh.
Only Jiang Sheng, who had been a homeless person, had such a persistent and intense craving for food, because it was something she had once longed for but could never obtain, even while peering at the corner of a wall.
But after they finished eating, they had to discuss something else.
The city is so big, where should I stay?
Xu Mo frowned in thought, "It would be feasible to stay at an inn for a while, but we're going to be here for more than half a month. Wouldn't staying at an inn be too expensive? If all else fails, let's rent a room for a month."
"You also have to pay the broker's fee when renting a room." Fang Heng stopped the carriage. "Let's ask about the inn's prices first."
The six of them could ask for two rooms, one for Jiang Sheng and one for the other five, all with the goal of saving money.
But to my surprise, the prices in the provincial capital were extraordinary.
A lower-class room at the inn costs 100 coins a day, so renting it for half a month would cost three taels of silver.
Fang Heng turned around with a dark face, intending to go to the brokerage to inquire about rental prices.
"Hey, kid." The cashier called out to him, "Want a cheap room? We have a newly renovated woodshed here, quite large, only fifty coins a day, how about that?"
Fang Heng turned around and glanced at Xu Mo.
The two decided to go and take a look first.
The accountant was not lying; the woodshed was large and bright, but the facilities were old, like a clean mud house in the village.
Jiang Sheng and his sister didn't mind at all; they had even lived in a dilapidated temple, so what was a mud house to them?
They immediately signed the agreement, paid the money, and rented the place for half a month.
They didn't bring much with them on this trip. Apart from two changes of clothes, they brought only the books, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones that Xu Mo needed for his exams.
After learning about the prices in the prefectural city, Jiang Sheng was glad that she had bought a lot of writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones for her elder brother in the county, so he wouldn't have to be ripped off in the prefectural city.
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