Chapter 62 Market
With a somewhat soft tone, Chen Chunxing couldn't help but sigh in his heart - this is what a teenage girl should be like.
Perhaps because she lived at the frontier and had not yet been bound by the rules of a large mansion, the little maid looked timid but her tone was cheerful, completely different from the cautious maids in the Earl's Mansion.
"What's your name?" Chen Chunxing did not refuse and randomly chose a direction to walk forward.
"My name is..." The little maidservant seemed to have bitten her tongue and mumbled the next sentence, "Master asked the young lady to give us a name."
Chen Chunxing teased her deliberately: "Didn't you have a name before? Why did you ask me to choose one?"
The little maid thought for a while, glanced behind her, and whispered, "Actually, I do have a name. My name is Ge Baoer, but Sister Dong'er won't let me tell her. She said that if the master calls out my name, it will easily make the young lady unhappy."
"I don't want to make the young lady unhappy... Only by staying in the mansion can we have food to eat..."
Chen Chunxing was really amused this time.
In ancient times, girls would reach the age of fifteen and would usually discuss marriage. It was actually rare to find girls with a childlike nature like Ge Baoer.
A glimpse of the leopard through the cage can reveal a lot.
She must have grown up in a warm and happy family.
But this is the northern border... We are hungry and cold, and we have to be prepared to escape at any time if the city is breached.
"Then I will call you Baoer from now on."
Walking along the road for less than a kilometer, Chen Chunxing met more than a dozen beggars.
These people were either slumped on the roadside or chasing vendors to beg for money and things, all with the same numb expression on their faces.
The warmth in her expression suddenly faded.
Only until I came here did I feel firsthand that I had indeed arrived in a troubled world.
"Miss, please change my name. I don't want the master to make you angry..." Baoer was very conflicted.
"Why do you care about him? Didn't he say that he has to listen to me in the mansion from now on?"
Chen Chunxing's nonchalant words made Baoer open her mouth in shock.
Before the little head could figure out whether he should listen to Miss Shen or side with the master...he heard Chen Chunxing say again.
"Take me to the largest trading market in the city."
Baoer thought for a moment and asked cautiously, "Miss, are you referring to the market? Are you looking to buy something?"
Chen Chunxing did not hide it: "Someone at home is sick, I'm going to look for some medicine."
Baoer opened his eyes slightly, wanting to say something but stopping himself. After hesitating for a while, he pointed towards the path on the right.
"Come with me, girl."
Just as Bao'er said, she was very familiar with the city. She walked through the streets and alleys without any hesitation, and soon brought Chen Chunxing to the south city market.
"Actually, there's a market in the west of the city. Usually, only locals go there to buy things. The south side of the city is much more lively. All the merchants and passersby basically gather here... Even people from outside the city occasionally come here to exchange some things."
Chen Chunxing heard the hidden meaning in her words and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"How did you learn this?"
Baoer answered without thinking, "You figured it out yourself. My family lives in the south of the city. Kids from our area have loved going to the market since they were little. Sometimes when we meet people from outside, we can even trade our embroidered handkerchiefs for some meat."
The Southern Jin Kingdom has no shortage of textiles, so the only ones left are - the grassland tribes.
There was only a checkpoint between Honglu County and Chiling. Chen Chunxing didn't know whether to say that the other party was brave or that the defense in the city was too lax since they dared to sneak here to exchange supplies.
Fortunately, from Baoer's tone, it can be heard that those people have no ill intentions.
The two sides actually maintained a strange harmony under Xia Yuanguo's nose.
——
The streets behind me were empty, and the market in front of me was not very busy either.
From the beginning to the end, a distance of about 100 meters, there are only about ten shops open.
The rest were traveling merchants with their goods piled on wooden carts. When they saw a stranger approaching, they hurriedly put their hands on the cart, ready to leave at any time.
“I’m not an urban management officer…”
Chen Chunxing muttered something under his breath, smiled at the stall owner, and walked away.
It seems that this place is not only a mixed crowd, but also very xenophobic.
After a rough walk around, Chen Chunxing walked towards the only pharmacy in the market.
As a result, before he reached the door, Baoer pulled him back.
"Girl, don't go to his house. Boss Huang is a ruthless person. He dares to sell you a few dozen medicinal herbs for only one or two taels of silver!"
"If I don't go to his house, where can I buy it? There's no one selling medicinal herbs on this street..."
Chen Chunxing glanced casually inside the door. After seeing the shopkeeper's face clearly, he turned back and gave Baoer an embarrassed expression.
"Girl, come with me."
Baoer gritted his teeth, as if he had finally made up his mind, and led Chen Chunxing into an alley. After turning three or four corners, they arrived in front of a group of low houses.
Unlike the blue brick and tile houses near the county government office, the houses here are similar to those in the countryside. The walls are mostly made of yellow mud mixed with thatch, and only the roofs look solid.
The rooms are close to each other, and from the outside, they look smaller than the Shen family's yard in the narrow village.
"Dad, I'm here with a distinguished guest!" Bao'er knocked on one of the doors and turned to explain to Chen Chunxing, "I didn't tell you before, but my family is actually in the herbal medicine business..."
Chen Chunxing nodded in understanding, then asked in confusion, "If you're in the herbal medicine business, why would you go so far as to sell your daughter?"
"Isn't it that Boss Huang..."
Before Baoer could answer, the door was opened, revealing a yellow-faced man.
When he saw Baoer, he was surprised at first and excitedly put his arm around her shoulders. Just as he was about to speak, his expression changed again and he asked hurriedly.
"Why did you come back? Were you driven out? Or did you escape on your own?"
"That family treated you badly? Did they beat you or scold you?"
"Second Uncle said nothing would happen with him around! I'm going to settle the score with him right now..."
"Dad, I wasn't beaten or scolded." Bao'er quickly pulled the man back, winked at him, and pointed at Chen Chunxing, "This is Miss Shen from the county magistrate's family. She's here to buy herbs."
Only then did Ge Daniu see the stranger next to him. When he heard the word "county government office", his heart skipped a beat and a flattering smile appeared on his face.
"So you're the nobleman from the county magistrate's family. Please come in quickly!"
Chen Chunxing smiled politely, pretending that what had just happened had not happened. As soon as he stepped into the yard, he saw seven or eight drying racks, all of which were covered with herbs.
She narrowed her eyes immediately.
What's the most valuable thing in troubled times? Life-saving medicine! Being a pharmacist here is anything but ordinary.
"I wonder what herbs the young lady needs? Take a look, the price is negotiable. If you're willing to pay a few cents, it's fine. Anyway, it's a waste for me."
As Ge Daniu spoke, he sighed, and the sadness on his face did not seem fake.
Even Baoer looked a little nervous.
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