Chapter 30 Buying Water
Although the entrance fee to the city is ridiculously high, the accommodation fee at the inn is not high, and can even be said to be very affordable.
The shopkeeper collected the accommodation fee Zhou Yunshu had paid and said with a smile, "It's been a long time since we had so many customers in our store."
"How could that be? Isn't Anshan County the largest city nearby?" Zhou Yunshu asked the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper sighed deeply upon hearing this and said, "But not everyone can afford such a high entrance fee. Most of those who can afford it stay at the Fulu Inn in the county town, or to save on overnight expenses, they send people in in the morning to do the shopping and leave in the afternoon."
"Even the people of our Anshan County will not leave Anshan County easily." Although they live in Anshan County and do not go out, they also know that the world outside has become a cannibalistic society.
They just hope that no matter how chaotic the world outside is, it will not involve their county. They all want to live in peace and stability.
Zhou Yunshu sighed in agreement and said, "It's not easy."
"That's right!"
"Boss, you also know that we are from outside."
"We want to buy some water. I wonder if the innkeeper has any connections." Zhou Yunshu said as she pushed two taels of silver in front of the innkeeper. "That's a bit much. This is for your hard work."
The shopkeeper looked at the two taels of silver and smiled. It had been a while since he had made any extra money.
"Young Master, you've come to the right person. My Liang family has lived in Anshan County for generations. No one is more familiar with Anshan County than us."
"I wonder how much water you would like, sir?"
"We brought ten vehicles, each with eight buckets."
The shopkeeper pondered for a moment and said, "Of course it is possible, but you also know that our Luzhou area has been experiencing drought for quite some time. This water is only slightly cheaper than gold."
Zhou Yunshu knew it was a good idea after hearing what the shopkeeper said. "About how much is it?"
The shopkeeper paused fiddling with his abacus and said, "Two taels of silver a barrel. That's the cheapest price."
After the shopkeeper finished speaking, Zhou Yunshu fell silent.
"You know how precious water is these days. People can't survive without it." The shopkeeper looked at the silent Zhou Yunshu and continued, "I think Anshan County is the only place with water within a hundred miles."
"There are some in the deep mountains, but the water sources there are occupied by ferocious beasts. People may not be able to find the way in, and even if they do find the way, they will have to fight the beasts for their lives to get water."
"Why risk your life for something that can be solved with a little money?"
"Alas~" Zhou Yunshu sighed deeply, "The shopkeeper is right. Anshan County is truly a place of great feng shui. I just don't know where this feng shui comes from."
"Of course it's from us..." The shopkeeper said halfway before reacting.
He looked at Zhou Yunshu's innocent and simple expression, not knowing whether what she had just said was unintentional or a deliberate question.
"Don't worry about that. If you really want it, I can find someone to get you some water right now."
Zhou Yunshu glanced at the cloth bag in Wei Zhong's hand, which contained the money collected by everyone in their team, a total of two hundred and sixty taels.
The entrance fee was two taels per person, and the twenty of them spent forty taels; the kickback fee for the shopkeeper was two taels; and the accommodation they reported was three large bunk beds, which cost half a tael of silver.
Zhou Yunshu and Wei Zhong paid for their own room.
As for buying water, if ten carts and eight buckets are filled at two taels per bucket, that would be one hundred and sixty taels.
That leaves fifty-seven and a half taels. The remaining money has to be put somewhere, as they still have to buy food and salt, so there is not much left.
Zhou Yunshu looked at the shopkeeper and said, "Can't it be any cheaper?"
The shopkeeper shook his head, "You can buy less."
When Zhou Yunshu heard the shopkeeper say this, her eyes involuntarily fell on the two taels of silver that she had given to the shopkeeper before.
A bucket of water.
The shopkeeper noticed Zhou Yunshu's gaze and put the two taels of silver into his sleeve.
"However, we can give you a few water bags filled with water." The shopkeeper emphasized.
Zhou Yunshu sighed deeply and said, "Okay, let's buy it."
"I'll give you five more taels of silver. Can you fill our water bags?"
The shopkeeper looked at the five taels of silver Zhou Yunshu took out and said with a smile, "Okay!"
Seeing the shopkeeper's agreement, Zhou Yunshu calmly showed the more than 200 empty water bags behind her. She looked at the shopkeeper's sudden change of expression and said with gratitude, "Thank you very much, shopkeeper."
"I am a scholar, and I see you are studying. If you don't mind, I have an annotated copy of the Three Character Classic as a gift for you."
As soon as Zhou Yunshu said this, the shopkeeper's dissatisfaction was immediately soothed.
Money can be earned again, but annotated books are not available at any time. For ordinary families, they can be regarded as heirlooms.
"Thank you, sir. Although the price of this water can't be lowered any further, I, Old Liang, have this water bag with me, and I will definitely fill it up for you!"
Zhou Yunshu also smiled and said, "Thank you, shopkeeper."
"You see, it's still early, why not do it now?"
"No problem, there's a sweet water well behind our inn, but there's not much water. I'll ask the waiter to take you to the south of the city to fetch some water!"
"good."
The shopkeeper called out to the back door, "Xiao Miao'er, water for sale!"
“Here I come!”
There were ten cars. Wei Zhong took six cars and followed Xiao Miaoer away. Zhou Yunshu took Du Laoer and the remaining four cars, all the water bags, and Manager Liang away.
When they saw someone wearing a red robe on the road, Manager Liang and Zhou Yunshu and others took the initiative to avoid him.
Zhou Yunshu looked at the shopkeeper's secretive expression and asked, "Who are these people in red robes..."
Before Zhou Yunshu could finish her words, she saw the shopkeeper was so scared that he stretched out his hand to tell her not to say anything more.
Seeing that Zhou Yunshu didn't say anything else, Shopkeeper Liang said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "This is the Red Lotus Envoy. Young Master, remember to stay away from them if you see them next time."
Zhou Yunshu nodded and shifted her gaze away from the so-called Red Lotus Envoy not far away.
Although the entrance fee to Anshan County is expensive, there is no curfew in the city, only the city gates will be closed on time.
The place where Manager Liang took Zhou Yunshu to fetch water was a small courtyard near Anshan. There were many identical courtyards nearby, and there were people guarding outside each courtyard with weapons.
Zhou Yunshu learned from the conversation between Shopkeeper Liang and the people in the courtyard that this courtyard was bought by Shopkeeper Liang's father and is now inherited by Shopkeeper Liang and his three brothers. It is the main place where they sell water.
When Du Laoer took people to fill the water, Zhou Yunshu looked up at Anshan in the distance, which was about to disappear in the night.
There is said to be water there.
After the four vehicles and more than 200 water bags were filled, Manager Liang, Zhou Yunshu and others walked towards the inn together.
Zhou Yunshu calmly asked Manager Liang about Anshan County. "It seems that not many people have left Anshan County."
Shopkeeper Liang said proudly, "That's because our Anshan County has good feng shui. Regardless of droughts or floods in previous years, our Anshan County has always been peaceful under the protection of the mountain god. Although we can't say we are rich, we can live and work in peace and contentment."
"Those damn red lotuses..." Shopkeeper Liang shut up instantly when he saw the people holding torches opposite him.
Zhou Yunshu looked up and saw that the person who came was not the mysterious Red Lotus Envoy that Manager Liang had mentioned, but a few men wearing official uniforms and servants' clothes. The two groups of people obviously should not be together, but they seemed to be very familiar with each other.
They walked straight up to Zhou Yunshu and Manager Liang and looked at the waterway behind them. "We've requisitioned your water!"
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