Chapter 64 Miss Jiang, may I get some salt instead?
After finishing dinner, Jiang Ling, as usual, moved a chair out and sat by the door, enjoying the cool air while counting the stars.
Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from the wall.
A figure walked in from the shadows.
Jiang Ling wondered: Who is this so late at night?
What happened today still left her with lingering fears, and she couldn't help but be more vigilant.
Who's there?
The shout startled the person who had come, and they immediately stopped in their tracks.
“Miss Jiang, don’t be afraid, it’s me, from Zhao Yin’s family in the back alley,” the man hurriedly explained, his voice filled with anxiety.
Before long, Zhao Yin's wife walked into the light. She looked like she had just come back from the fields, carrying a large pile of fruits and vegetables in her arms, her face showing the fatigue of labor.
Only after recognizing the villagers from the neighborhood did Jiang Ling's alarm subside.
She smiled slightly, "So it's Sister-in-law Zhao. I'm sorry, I startled you."
Sister-in-law Zhao smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm sorry for scaring Miss Jiang."
People in rural areas rarely wander around outside at this time of day; it's pitch black, and they're easily mistaken for thieves.
"Has Sister-in-law Zhao been busy in the fields all this time?"
Sister-in-law Zhao sighed softly, "Zhao Yin broke his leg, and there's no one to do the work in the fields. I'm slow and clumsy, so it's been dragging on until now."
Jiang Ling had already heard from the villagers that Zhao Yin had injured his leg while hunting.
"Is Brother Zhao's foot injury any better?"
"He can get out of bed now, but he's still tied to a wooden board, so he can't exert any strength and can't do any work."
“Brother Zhao’s parents passed away early, and now the family relies entirely on you, sister-in-law. You’ve really worked hard.”
I thought it would just be a few pleasantries, but Sister-in-law Zhao stood there motionless, as if there was something she couldn't bring herself to say.
She hesitated for a while, then handed over the fruits and vegetables in her hand.
"Miss Jiang, these are freshly picked melons and vegetables from our field. Please have a taste, don't be picky."
Jiang Ling quickly waved her hand, "How can that be? Your family is going through a tough time right now, you should keep it for your own consumption."
Jiang Ling wasn't short of food, but Zhao Yin's family might not be. Their two sons were growing rapidly, and they had a sick family member needing medical expenses. Even if they couldn't finish it all, they could exchange it for a few copper coins in town.
Seeing that Jiang Ling refused to accept the vegetables, Zhao Da Sao became even more flustered, unsure whether to put them down or not.
"Miss Jiang, actually I..."
Jiang Ling said frankly, "If Sister-in-law Zhao needs any help, please just say so."
The Zhao family are all good people. Before, Brother Zhao Yin caught a wild rabbit and brought it to the shop, saying he wanted to give it to her to eat.
Jiang Ling looked at the blood-soaked rabbit and hesitated for a long time before finally refusing.
She seemed to take a deep breath and raised her head with difficulty. "Miss Jiang... I... could I trade this little bit of food for some salt? It's not much, just enough for one meal."
It turns out they wanted to exchange some salt.
"...We've spent all our money on medicine to treat my husband's injuries. Now...we can't even afford to buy salt." Zhao's voice trailed off.
Jiang Ling forgot that this was ancient times, and salt was controlled by the government, so it wasn't cheap.
Besides, it's late summer now, and rural people are sweating profusely every day. If they don't replenish their salt, they won't have the energy to work in the fields.
Jiang Ling's general store sells salt, but because of its unusual packaging, no one has ever noticed it.
Fortunately, she didn't sell it, because in ancient times, selling salt privately could result in imprisonment.
"So that's what it is. Sister-in-law, wait here for a moment, I'll go get it for you."
Sister-in-law Zhao stood awkwardly at the door, carrying the heavy bundle of melons and vegetables.
Everyone in the village knew that her shop sold extraordinary things, and ladies, young ladies, and young masters often came to patronize it in carriages.
She knew that Miss Jiang was kind-hearted and would definitely agree, but the more she did so, the more guilty she felt.
Her family had been without salt for several days, and they wouldn't have bothered Miss Jiang unless they were really struggling to survive.
She made sure to wait until it was completely dark before coming over, so that the villagers wouldn't see her.
Jiang Ling found bags of salt on the shelf. Zhao Da Sao had brought five or six pounds of vegetables, and a bag of salt only cost two yuan at the market, so she could exchange it for several bags.
But in this day and age, the price of salt is different.
Jiang Ling hesitated for a moment, then gave her a 250-gram packet of salt.
She walked up to Sister-in-law Zhao, took the vegetables she handed over, and stuffed the bag of salt into Sister-in-law Zhao's hand.
"Here you go, Sister-in-law Zhao."
Sister-in-law Zhao felt that the small bag in her hand was heavy, far exceeding the amount she could exchange for the few kilograms of vegetables.
Although the packaging was unusual, the smooth texture made her realize it wasn't ordinary coarse salt. She hurriedly said:
"Miss Jiang, this...this is too much! No, this is not right! My dishes are not worth this much..."
Salt is currently priced at about 50 coins per pound, so her five or six pounds of vegetables would only fetch five or six coins at most.
"I've been craving some fresh fruits and vegetables lately, so this little bit of salt is nothing. Your family, both adults and children, needs to nourish themselves, and the work in the fields is heavy, so salt is essential. Here, sister-in-law."
Looking at the salt packet in her hand, and then at Jiang Ling's sincere face, Zhao's eyes suddenly reddened.
Her lips trembled as she tried to say something to express her gratitude, but her throat felt blocked, and she could only utter a few choked syllables.
Jiang Ling said softly, "Sister-in-law Zhao, don't be like this. We are relatives and neighbors, and it's only right that we help each other. It's getting late, you should go back quickly. Brother Zhao and the child must be getting impatient."
"Thank you, Miss Jiang!" Sister-in-law Zhao clutched the bag of salt tightly to her chest, turned around, and hurriedly walked into the night.
The chirping of insects in the summer night became clear again, and the evening breeze brought a slight chill.
Jiang Ling sighed as she watched her departing figure.
Throughout history, the lives of ordinary people have always been difficult.
Farmers have toiled in the fields for generations, working from sunrise to sunset.
Even so, they couldn't even guarantee their most basic survival.
Looking at the muddy path overgrown with weeds, Jiang Ling felt that this place was a paradise, because she had no worries about food and drink and always had the means to survive.
But the villagers here don't seem to think that way...
————
After leaving the grocery store, Lu Qian rode his horse back to the house he had just bought in Ping'an County.
Lu Yu and the housekeeper Afu were already waiting.
When Lu Yu saw the palm-sized white medicine bottle, he felt a sense of déjà vu.
"I think I've seen this on the Crown Prince before. So it's actually a medicine for treating external injuries? And it even comes from that Lucky General Store?"
He knew that the Crown Prince had brought back many medicines to the palace, but apart from one miraculous medicine that could quickly reduce fever, the rest were all external medicines, so he didn't pay much attention to them.
The eldest prince, Lu Qian, rubbed his wrist, with the imperial physician standing beside him treating him.
The imperial physician Wang examined his wound and was amazed by the efficacy of the medicine.
"Your Highness, this medicine is indeed extremely effective for sprains and bruises. Its speed in reducing swelling and relieving pain far surpasses that of ordinary plasters."
"Indeed, according to the villagers' recollections, among the medicines given by the goddess were two kinds of external wound medicines, one white and one red. They were in the form of aerosols, and when sprayed on the wounds, they felt cool and had excellent effects. After spraying this medicine, there was no need to bandage it, and it would not get infected or inflamed even if it was exposed to the air. This external wound medicine, combined with the elixir that could reduce fever, was simply miraculous."
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