Chapter 235 is filled with unfortunate women, mostly widows like myself...
(Thanks to wwxsod for casting 2 monthly tickets.)
Li Shiyue and his group thought that this was the only caravan that would arrive today, but just before midnight, someone knocked on the door of the inn, which had two lights on at the entrance.
Tian Da Nu mustered her courage and knocked on the door. When she saw an old man holding a lamp open the door, she felt a little relieved.
When Old Man Liu saw that it was a dark-skinned woman, he told Granny Liu to go forward and talk to Miss Tian.
Tian Danu had come ahead of time to scout the way, and the Tian family's caravan was still behind.
Looking at Tian Danu's appearance, Granny Liu knew she was cold. "Here, have a drink to warm yourself up."
When Tian Danu saw the hot soup bowl being handed to her, she didn't refuse and took a sip from the still steaming bowl.
As soon as she tasted it, Ms. Tian could tell it was noodle soup, and it even had a salty taste.
"Young lady, please don't be offended. This is just noodle soup, it's clean."
Li Shiliang, who was sleeping in the inn that night, heard a noise downstairs. He took a lantern and came downstairs. He saw a woman and asked her what was going on.
According to Ms. Tian, there are about forty more people on their way here, and they should arrive in about 15 minutes.
Li Shiliang quickly called Zhao Min out to help Granny Liu with Tian Danu, while he himself took a lantern and left the inn, braving the wind towards the village.
As soon as he made that move, all the dogs in the village started barking.
The dog's bark woke up everyone who was lying down asleep.
Li Shiyue fumbled to put on her clothes and was about to get out of bed.
Li Qiutian, who was sleeping next to her, also sat up and, in the darkness, felt for the clothes on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and put them on.
"Sister, you go to sleep. I'll go check on things myself."
"I'll go with you."
After Li Qiutian had put on her shoes, Li Xiatian finished putting on her clothes. She anxiously said to Li Qiutian and Li Shiyue, "Wait for me, I'm going too."
So, as soon as the three sisters stepped out, they saw Li's mother, dressed in a robe, and Zheng Meiniang, holding an oil lamp, standing at the doorway.
However, there was no movement in Stone's room; he was sleeping soundly.
“Mother, Aunt, you don’t need to come out. My sister and I will go and see if a caravan is coming.”
The rabbit-skin boots made a "crunching" sound when stepped on the ground, which was already covered with a layer of snow.
Sure enough, on the way, Li Shiyue and his group encountered Li Shiliang carrying a lantern.
"Third Brother, is a merchant caravan coming?"
"Oh dear! Isn't that right?"
Who would have thought that people would come here at night?
In October, go and see for yourself. Pockmarked and Mole have lit torches and gone to the front to meet them. The young woman says their leader is her mother.
Half an hour later, Li Shiyue met Tian Da Nu's mother, Tian Guilan, in the inn's lobby, where all the lights had been relit.
Tian Guilan was short, even shorter than Li Qiutian, and her skin was somewhat dark, making her look unlike a Han Chinese.
However, Tian Guilan speaks Mandarin very fluently.
"I'm sorry to bother you!"
I misjudged the weather on the way here; I never expected the snow to fall so suddenly.
Even after rushing, we still only arrived here at this hour!
"Luckily your inn is open, otherwise we wouldn't know what to do tonight."
Since more than half of the members of the Tian family's caravan were women, Li Shiyue, Li Qiutian, and Li Xiatian went up to Tian Guilan to talk to her and introduce the inn's accommodations and food.
Tian Guilan didn't choose the expensive ones either. Like Wan Sanbao and Xing Guangzong, she chose the large dormitory-style room with ten people per room.
And when it came to food, all we ordered was soup noodles.
Li Shiyue didn't show favoritism; she told Tian Guilan that when she visited Wan Sanbao and Xing Guangzong before, they were given tea and meat soup, and they received the same.
"...The two families already knew each other, and since they were both men, they were both assigned to the same courtyard."
"Since there are many women here, why don't you go to that side?" Li Shiyue pointed to the door, indicating to Tian Guilan to go to the inn across the street. "There are fewer people here now, only the lobby and kitchen are open. If you want to cook, you'll have to come here."
If you want to cook some hot food yourself, there's a kitchen in each of the courtyards over there, but you have to pay for firewood and water.
Before I knew it, half an hour had passed.
Li Shiyue also learned from Tian Guilan why most of the people in their caravan were women.
It turns out that Tian Guilan and the others came from the southern region, the southernmost part of the Great Long Dynasty. There is almost no winter there, and it is hot all year round, so their skin is dark.
They originally farmed in their hometown, but then war broke out, and almost all the men in the village died, leaving only some young boys.
To make a living, Tian Guilan and her three daughters became small vendors carrying loads on shoulder poles, a job they did for seven or eight years.
She went from carrying a load all by herself to leading a caravan of over forty people.
"...They are all unfortunate women, mostly widows like me...just trying to earn a living...it's not easy for any of them..."
By the time Li Shiyue lay down again, it was well past the hour of the rooster's crow.
However, once I lay down and touched the warm kang (heated brick bed), I felt so comfortable that I fell asleep in no time.
After daybreak, Li Shiyue went to the inn to check on things. Wan Sanbao, Xing Guangzong, and Tian Guilan were already sitting at a table drinking tea.
"Madam Li is here? Please sit down and have some tea with us."
Ever since Li Shiyue showed off her skills in front of Wan Sanbao yesterday, he had been very envious of Li Shiyue's small frame but great strength.
Seeing that Li Shiyue had sat down, Li Shiliang brought over a tray with four kinds of snacks.
It's basically just fermented soybeans, sugar-fried soybeans, sesame candy, and fried noodles.
If we're talking about expensive items, the only one that's a bit pricey is the sesame candy. It was bought from Sanshan County and ordered specifically from a shop there. It's not particularly delicious, but it's not bad either.
As for the remaining three items, Zhao Min made them all herself.
Frying the dough pieces takes up a bit of oil, but since the oil can be reused, it's not a waste.
The group chatted over the four snacks. That's how it is when you're doing business; no matter what you're thinking, your face will be all warm and friendly, like you've known each other for ages.
For example, right now, Xing Guangzong is praising Li Shiyue and Tian Guilan to the skies, as if they were unparalleled in the world.
"...There are quite a few women who do business. My second aunt's youngest daughter-in-law's family is run by women. She makes a living by selling tofu pudding on the streets, and she has managed to raise three sons and a daughter very well."
However, I've never seen anyone as capable as Tian Dongjia; I truly admire him!
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