"Why is it so expensive!" Old Mrs. Shen calculated that they would have to pay a total of eighty coins!
The coachman, unfazed, calmly explained, "My horse is slow; it takes two hours to drive to the city, and almost a whole day for me to go back and forth. Horse feed is much more expensive, and this carriage can't hold many people at a time, so how can it not be more expensive?"
Old Mrs. Shen thought about it and realized that it was true. She had never been to the city, but her eldest son often went on escort missions and knew these things very well.
Old Master Shen whispered to Old Lady Shen, "Mother, that's true, that's the price for all of them."
Although Old Lady Shen thought it was expensive, she couldn't just not spend the money. She couldn't very well walk to the city, could she?
It takes two hours by carriage, how long would it take to get there on foot?
Besides, this horse-drawn carriage is more comfortable than an oxcart, and it also provides shelter from the wind and sun, so it's already quite good.
Seeing that Lili was just a little baby and wouldn't take up much space, the driver kindly said, "We won't charge you for this. You won't get any space if you hold her."
Seeing that the man had already said that, Old Lady Shen didn't think much of it and counted out seventy coins for him: "Thank you very much."
The carriage could only seat a few more people, so everyone had to wait for the arrival of someone to fill the carriage before setting off.
Old Mrs. Shen instructed her eldest son to put the mushrooms away properly, and then arranged for Shen Jiahao to sit in the innermost seat with Lili in his arms. Since they were waiting anyway, Old Mrs. Shen remembered what Village Chief Ma had said when they arrived by oxcart, so she tentatively brought up the topic.
The driver was a fairly young man, and his rough skin showed that he was often exposed to the wind and sun.
"Young man, this must be tiring, right? You have to get up before dawn and be on the road all day long," Old Mrs. Shen said casually.
The driver was quite talkative. When someone struck up a conversation with him, he replied, "Hey, who isn't tired? Don't let my young age fool you, I've been doing this for years, all for the sake of making a living."
Old Mrs. Shen nodded and praised, "As long as you are willing to work hard, you will never have to worry about not having a good life!"
The driver smiled and said, "Yes, I'm still saving up to get married."
After a few words, Old Mrs. Shen figured that the other person was a simple-minded person, so she pretended to be troubled: "Oh, your job is stable, unlike us farmers, who depend on the weather for our livelihood. This drought year is really terrible."
"Yes, I heard that the situation in Xixiang County is even worse than here, and there are already refugees fleeing the famine!" The coachman remembered that their baskets were filled with mushrooms, so he asked, "Auntie, are you also planning to go to the city to sell things?"
Old Mrs. Shen said without changing her expression, "Yes, if we can't sell them, let's try in the city."
The coachman was completely oblivious: "That's right. The magistrate's high-priced purchase of these agricultural products has indeed given the people a chance to catch their breath. He's a truly good official!"
Old Mrs. Shen wanted to continue asking questions, but just then a few more people came running up and asked the driver about the price to go to the city. After the driver finished answering, these people got into the carriage, which was now full.
"The carriage is full, ma'am, please get in and have a seat. We're about to set off!"
After saying that, the coachman went around to the front to prepare to drive the horses.
Old Mrs. Shen had no chance to ask any further questions, so she had to give up.
Old Mrs. Shen got back into the car, and Old Master Shen hurriedly asked, "Mother, did you find out anything?"
Old Mrs. Shen shook her head: "Forget it, no matter how things change, we can only obediently follow along. There's no point in asking so many questions."
Old Shen let out a sigh of relief. He understood perfectly well: "Ah, that's true. How those officials at the top make decisions is not something we ordinary people can decide."
"Alright, let's keep an eye on the mushrooms. We'll sell them as soon as we get to the city." Old Mrs. Shen glanced at Lili, who was sleeping in Shen Jiahao's arms, and felt a little relieved.
The carriage started moving, setting off for the city.
The carriage quieted down again. The carriage was much smoother than the oxcart. Everyone had gotten up early today. Old Mrs. Shen and Old Man Shen were only energetic for a short while before they gradually fell asleep leaning against the carriage.
Lili quietly opened her eyes, feeling uneasy.
This trip to Liucheng will likely be anything but peaceful.
The prefect was trying to raise taxes and collect more grain without authorization, but the county magistrate was using silver to buy the grain. Something seemed amiss.
Shen Jiahao noticed the little dumpling's movements and asked softly, "What's wrong, Li Bao? Are you hungry?"
Lili nodded and said to Shen Jiahao, "I want to eat candied hawthorns."
Shen Jiahao laughed and said, "I'll buy it for you when we get to the city!"
Shen Jiahao also had red envelope money, and he brought it all with him before leaving home, just in case the candied hawthorns in the city were more expensive than in the town.
"Mmm." Lili nuzzled Shen Jiahao. "Thank you, big brother."
Shen Jiahao gently patted the little dumpling's back and coaxed, "Li Bao, go to sleep. We'll wake you up when we get there."
With her family all around, Lili felt safe and secure in her brother's embrace, even though it wasn't as warm as her mother's. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she fell asleep in no time.
The carriage continued along the official road without stopping, and finally arrived at the gate of Liucheng City two hours later.
Lili was woken up by the noise around her. Shen Jiahao felt sorry for the little dumpling getting up early, so he didn't wake her. Shen Jiahao walked steadily, so Lili was only woken up when they arrived in the bustling city.
"Li Bao is awake?"
Lili rubbed her eyes and answered Shen Jiahao with a huff, "Mmm."
Old Mrs. Shen had already asked passersby about the largest clinic in the city. After crossing two streets, she arrived at a place where there were fewer people.
In a corner of a bustling street, a dark blue plaque hangs above a vermilion gate, bearing the three powerful characters "Huichuntang" (Returning Spring Hall).
As Old Mrs. Shen watched people constantly coming and going from the clinic, she felt uneasy.
Lingzhi is a rare commodity, but they weren't professionals and didn't know whether their specimen was actually worth anything.
Even if it's only ten taels of silver, it's still excellent.
Seeing that she was really nervous, Shen Laoda comforted her, "Mother, don't worry. Based on my many years of experience as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), this Lingzhi is excellent!"
Old Mrs. Shen rolled her eyes at him: "How could the one Li Bao found be bad? I'm just seeing things for the first time in the city!"
Old Master Shen laughed and said, "Why don't you bring Li Bao in with you?"
Old Mrs. Shen paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, I almost forgot about that."
Old Mrs. Shen took out the Ganoderma lucidum buried in the basket that Old Man Shen was carrying on his back. Seeing that the Ganoderma lucidum was wrapped tightly in layers of cloth and well hidden, she quietly lifted a corner to confirm that it was still Ganoderma lucidum inside before she was relieved.
Old Mrs. Shen carefully tucked the Ganoderma lucidum away and took Lili from Shen Jiahao's arms: "Lili, you come in with Grandma!"
Lili obediently hugged Old Lady Shen, and even shifted her little bottom so that Old Lady Shen could hug her more easily: "Okay."
Her granddaughter stayed obediently in her arms, with her usual sweet smile on her face, and Old Mrs. Shen felt inexplicably at ease.
"You two wait here," Old Mrs. Shen said, then carried Lili into Huichuntang.
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