Just as Meng Zhao was chatting with someone, two more people entered the shop. When Meng Zhao looked up, he saw that it was Gu Changwu and Gu Yun.
"Second Uncle, Gu Yun, you're back." Meng Zhao quickly got up and invited the two to find a place to sit down, then brought over a pot of hot water.
Gu Changwu picked up his water glass, took a sip, and said slowly, "I just arrived in Qingshi County today. This trip took a long time, and I was worried that you would be waiting anxiously, so I came directly to you."
Seeing that the two looked travel-worn and their hair was a little messy, Meng Zhao quickly said, "I'm not in such a hurry. You've had a long journey, you should go home and visit your families first."
Gu Changwu waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's alright. We'll explain the situation to you first, and then we'll go home for a bit."
Guessing that the two hadn't eaten yet, Meng Zhao first cooked noodles for them, then took a plate, sliced some braised meat, and brought it up.
Seeing that many more customers had come to the shop, Meng Zhao busied himself greeting them and told them to eat first and talk later.
After finishing her work, Meng Zhao finally had time to sit down at the table. Gu Changwu looked at Meng Zhao with admiration in his eyes and said with a smile, "Nephew's wife, your business is really booming! In such a short time, so many customers have come."
Meng Zhao smiled slightly and said modestly, "Some people who run shops or work nearby can't go back to cook, so they come here to eat. Thanks to everyone, business is doing alright."
Gu Yun's face was full of admiration. "Sister-in-law, don't be modest. There are so many food stalls, but very few have such good business. It's all thanks to your excellent skills."
After chatting about everyday things for a while, Meng Zhao began to ask the two about their experiences outside.
Where have you been these past few days?
Now that they were full and in high spirits, the two exchanged a glance and began to tell Meng Zhao about their experiences outside.
“We started from Qingshi County and went to Changfeng County first. The conditions there were worse than in Qingshi County. There was no dock, and most people were still farming. However, the county produced hemp, and there were several hemp cloth workshops. A lot of the hemp cloth that was made was transported to Qingshi County and then shipped from the dock in Qingshi County to other places for sale.”
"We didn't dare go too far, so we just took a look around the counties under Dongyang County. As you told us, Zhaozhao, we asked them what they mainly grow. Among them, Hongnong County grows potatoes the most, which is considered their staple food. The price is also lower than in Qingshi County. However, it's a bit far from us. Even by donkey cart, it would take two or three days to get there."
“Because Hongnong County is adjacent to Yuyang County, we took the opportunity to visit it as well. However, we did not stay for long. Their transportation is well-developed, and there are many salt fields in the surrounding area. The two counties we visited seemed much more prosperous than Dongyang County, and the people on the streets were dressed more exquisitely.”
Meng Zhao sat there quietly, listening intently as the two recounted their experiences and observations along the way. As they spoke, a relatively clear picture of the era slowly unfolded before Meng Zhao's eyes.
The world is too big. They have been away for half a month, but they have only just left Dongyang County. You should know that since the founding of the country by the late emperor, a total of thirty-six counties have been established, each of which governs more than a dozen counties. As for villages, they are countless. For ordinary people, it is probably impossible to travel through every county in a lifetime.
After the two finished speaking, Meng Zhao was still immersed in her own reverie, imagining that one day she would be able to travel to all these places, until the two called out to her and pulled her back from her fantasy, and she woke up as if from a dream.
The first time Gu Changwu went to a far place, he traveled with friends from the escort agency. Later, when he went out with Gu Yun, he didn't dare to go too far.
For an ordinary woman like myself, going out without sufficient self-defense capabilities would be tantamount to courting death.
Gu Yun cleared the dishes from the table, placed the bundle he had been carrying on his back on the table, and said:
"Sister-in-law, here are the things you wanted. There were some places we couldn't find, so we didn't dare to linger for too long and bought everything we could."
Upon seeing this, Meng Zhao's eyes were filled with joy. She hurriedly picked up several booklets on the table, unable to contain her eagerness, and quickly flipped through them. Yes, it was the county annals she had been longing for.
County annals are books that record relevant information about a county. They cover a wide range of topics, including geographical location, historical figures, and local resources. Some are printed by the government, while others are compiled by local scholars. In short, if you go to an unfamiliar place and know nothing about it, buying a county annals can give you a general understanding of the place.
Unfortunately, in order to maintain secrecy, many county annals in ancient society were only available to local officials or scholars, and were very difficult for ordinary people to buy. It must have taken a lot of effort for Gu Yun and his group to be able to buy these few copies along the way.
"Yes, that's all, Second Uncle, Gu Yun, thank you so much."
Gu Yun scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Sister-in-law, there's no need to thank me. Besides, these were all bought with the money you gave us; we didn't spend any money ourselves."
After saying that, Gu Yun took out a money pouch from his pocket and handed it to Meng Zhao, saying, "Sister-in-law, this is the money I didn't use up. Here you go."
Meng Zhao sensed the approximate weight and knew that the two of them must have been living frugally throughout their journey, and buying the county gazetteer was probably their biggest expense.
"You've had a long and tiring journey. Take the rest of the money back with you and use it to buy some things for your family. It's my way of showing my filial piety."
When she sent them off, she was short of money because she had just rented the shop, so she didn't give them much. Meng Zhao did this because she saw that she didn't have much money left.
Secondly, this is what they deserve. In modern times, even with convenient transportation and numerous hotels, business trips are still a chore. After all, who wants to travel all that trouble and go through all that hardship? It's much more comfortable to stay at home.
In ancient times, hardship was secondary; danger was more important. Ordinary people would not want to leave their hometown if they did not have great pressure in life. Many of those who ran ships, escorted goods, or transported goods were risking their lives, and could die far from home if they were not careful. Therefore, Meng Zhao should reward them.
Seeing that the two were about to decline, Meng Zhao quickly stopped them, "Oh dear, don't refuse. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to go out again in the future. You can keep this money for your return journey."
The two then accepted the silver, intending to let Gu Shi know they were safe when she returned.
"Second Uncle, Gu Yun, why don't you go back first? Mother probably won't be back for a while. You've been gone for so long, your eldest uncle and aunt must be worried."
Gu Changwu nodded upon hearing this. His wife was pregnant, and he was naturally eager to return home. "Then I'll trouble Zhaozhao to let my sister know I'm safe. I'll come back to the county to find you after I've settled things at home."
Meng Zhao smiled and nodded in agreement, then escorted the two of them to the outside of the shop.
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