Chapter 28 Shopkeeper, I'm not a female ghost!
Just then, the mess hall soldier brought in dinner, which was another big pot of rice, the kind where meat and vegetables were cooked together.
It's all mixed together like this, and it doesn't look any better than what pigs would eat.
Cheng Fang tried to eat several times, but still couldn't swallow.
When will the food in the army be improved?
After Zhao Jingxing finished taking stock, he came over. He was used to this pampered young marquis.
"What, more than a year has passed, and you, Young Master Cheng, still haven't adapted?"
Cheng Fang ignored it, his heart itching to eat the half-eaten instant noodles he had this morning!
Why didn't you finish it before you left?!
What a waste!
And that half-bottle of soda!
These two are a perfect match!
Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
The sweltering summer heat felt even more intense.
Unable to suppress his craving, his eyes lit up: "We have nothing to do right now, why don't we go to Jixiang General Store? It'll only take half an hour to get there on horseback."
Zhao Jingxing said, "Although the food in the army is hard to swallow, you can't just rely on snacks and pastries to fill your stomach."
"You don't know, Miss Jiang doesn't just have snacks and pastries. This morning she cooked me a bowl of noodles called instant noodles, and the taste was simply indescribable! In the entire Great Yu Dynasty, I'm afraid only she has it; you can't buy it even if you have money. If you don't try it, you'll really miss out on this trip!"
"Especially instant noodles paired with soda, it's like being in heaven!"
Hearing him describe how delicious it was, Zhao Jingxing became eager to try it too.
The biscuit milk I had last time was so delicious that I've been dreaming about it for days.
Previously, the food in the army was barely acceptable, but since the arrival of these five thousand more disaster victims, they have had to divide one person's portion into two.
To ensure everyone had enough to eat, the cook added something to it, and it looked sticky and tasted like snot!
Even though Zhao Jingxing was usually patient, he was starting to lose patience!
————
"Knock-knock-"
"Shopkeeper? Is anyone there?"
A knock sounded at the door, waking Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling was admiring the sunset, but she was so sleepy that she accidentally fell asleep on the counter.
When I opened my eyes, I realized that the sun had already completely set outside.
Jiang Ling walked to the wall and found the light switch.
"despair--"
"ah--!"
A startled face stood in the doorway!
She was dressed in red and looked to be a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old.
She stared in disbelief at the glowing object above her!
Jiang Ling momentarily forgot that this was ancient times, and electric lights didn't exist yet!
Jiang Ling spoke first, before the girl could shout "There's a ghost!" and run away.
"Miss, please don't misunderstand, this is just a... candle!"
The girl stared intently, her eyes no longer filled with fear, but rather with curiosity.
"Wow! What amazing candles! And they're so bright! One is enough to light up the whole house!"
He found that the girl seemed easier to accept than he had imagined.
Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief.
"Welcome to Jixiang General Store. May I ask what you would like to order, sir?"
Jiang Ling struggled to her feet, only to realize that her head felt a little heavy.
The girl then began to look around the shop. The decor and furnishings were so strange!
Although it was clean and tidy, this environment was far from the one she lived under the peonies.
But now, she has no choice at all...
The only saving grace was that the shop owner was a young woman.
The girl stood there, her eyes darting around, scanning the shop from top to bottom. Then she scanned Jiang Ling from top to bottom as well.
Only then did he awkwardly prepare to speak.
"Shopkeeper, I went to Bailong Temple on the mountain to pray for blessings today, but I got lost on my way down and was delayed for a while. It's already dark, and my home is quite far away. Could you please let me stay here for the night? I won't stay for free, I'll pay you!"
As she spoke, she took out a small piece of silver from her pocket and placed it on the counter to show her sincerity.
Jiang Ling was completely baffled.
Let's just treat this place like a restaurant!
I'll just tolerate her pawnshop business!
How come people still treat this place like an inn?
Looking at her shop from all angles, it doesn't seem like an inn at all.
This girl is quite pretty, did she forget her brain when she went out?
Is this all in red? Or is this girl some kind of ghost story?
Jiang Ling subconsciously glanced at the girl's feet, but unfortunately, the ancient costume was too long to see the shoes.
Jiang Ling hesitated before speaking, "Miss, perhaps you've come to the wrong shop? I remember there's a shop at the village entrance, and I heard the shop assistant there is quite handsome, looking like a refined scholar!"
The girl was completely confused. When she finally understood, she stomped her foot playfully.
"Shopkeeper, I...I'm not a female ghost!"
Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this shop not only led to ancient times, but also to another world!
But......
Jiang Ling spoke again: "This young lady..."
"My name is Hongxiu."
“Miss Hongxiu, this is not an inn, so it is not convenient for you to stay overnight.”
Once that wooden door is closed, time in this shop seems to flow at ten times the speed.
If I sleep here, three or four days will have passed outside.
Wouldn't this little girl's family be frantically searching for her?
How will she explain it then?
Upon hearing the rejection, Hongxiu instantly felt dejected, lowered her head, and stood there in place.
Jiang Ling spoke softly, "If you live not far away, I can borrow your flashlight, no, your lantern."
"My home is far away, and besides, my parents and all my relatives are no longer here..."
Hongxiu's voice was very low, her head was completely buried, and she stood there at a loss, feeling like she was about to cry at any moment.
Jiang Ling sighed. This was troublesome.
"But I really can't let you stay at the hotel."
Hongxiu looked up and said, "Shopkeeper, I still have money! I'll give you all the money I have! I can even give you my hairpins and bracelets!"
As he spoke, he took out several silver ingots and some copper coins from his pocket.
She then took off all the jewelry from her head and hands.
Jiang Ling stopped her, "This isn't about money. This place...this place is just a general store, there's no place for a girl to sleep."
"I'll just sleep on the floor! It's okay if I don't have a blanket! I'm only staying one night, just one night is enough! I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning!"
Jiang Ling noticed the panic in her eyes and sensed that it wasn't just a matter of not wanting to go home because it was getting dark.
“You must be tired from your journey, young lady. Please sit down and rest for a while,” Jiang Ling said gently, leading her to a seat next to her.
Hongxiu did not refuse and sat down in a seat near the outside.
At the age of fifteen or sixteen, one would still be studying in modern times.
In ancient times, however, this would have been considered an age for marriage and childbirth.
Jiang Ling looked at her youthful face and felt a pang of heartache.
"Are you hungry, young lady? Would you like something to eat?"
Hongxiu then raised her head and pursed her lips.
She hasn't eaten anything since this morning, except for a little thin porridge.
After walking so many mountain paths, I was starving.
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