The Marquis looked the woman in front of him up and down.
He was clearly from a farming family; a few strands of hair slipped down his blue cloth headscarf, and his sun-darkened, honey-brown neck was glistening with fine beads of sweat.
The ramie shirt had three or four diamond-shaped patches at the elbows, faded to a moon white color, while the collar was embroidered with honeysuckle patterns in indigo thread.
Although somewhat worn, it was clean, and this was probably the most presentable outfit she ever wore.
He dared not look directly at her when speaking, and stood slightly bowed to the side, as if protecting a basket slung over his arm.
When their household registration and purpose of visit were checked, the woman said she was visiting relatives and registered her name and place of stay.
The Marquis Wu frowned. "Are you referring to the Sang family woman, the fifth family west of the South Gate in the southeast corner?"
He remembered this family because the Sang family rented a house and found a broker through their neighborhood head.
They've only been here for ten days, and already relatives are coming to stay with them?
"Let me tell you, sir, we are sisters from the same family."
The situation outside is not good right now. I heard there are jobs in Bailu County that can make money, so my sister came to check it out first.
A few days ago, she messaged me saying she'd found a way and asked me to come help her.
"I see! I can't say for sure about other places, but we can rest assured in Bailu County."
The Marquis of Wu said with a proud look, "As long as you have a skill, you can make money by working hard."
"I've seen the umbrellas made by Madam Sang; they're sturdy and durable. Our neighborhood head even found the connections for her."
The woman quickly bowed and thanked him. Wu Hou waved his hand repeatedly. Seeing that she was sweating a lot, he took a ceramic bowl from the guard table, poured a bowl of water and handed it to her.
"This...this is too much trouble."
"It's nothing, just a bowl of water. We'll be neighbors from now on."
The woman thanked him repeatedly before accepting the gift, and, apparently very thirsty, gulped it down.
"Hey, drink slowly, no rush, no rush."
After finishing her water, the woman quickly wiped the rim of the bowl with her sleeve before handing it back.
"Young Lady Sang, according to our rules, the contents of the basket must be inspected on the first visit..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the other person turn to the side, looking nervous. Wu Hou smiled and quickly reassured him.
"Don't worry, it's just a check, there will be no trouble."
The woman hesitated for a moment, then handed over the basket.
There were two old clothes, a few scraps of cloth, a dozen or so eggs, and one and a half pancakes underneath.
As expected, the Marquis of Wu only inspected the item, and after looking at it, he put it back and returned it.
"Since we're both free, I'll take you there."
"This...how could I trouble you, sir..."
Wuhou waved his hand, "It's alright, you don't know the way either. Besides, please don't call me 'sir.' I'm just a commoner, a low-ranking official. Just call me Ji Liulang."
Without giving her a chance to refuse, he stepped forward and led the way.
They chatted casually along the way and soon arrived at the house.
The front was a small storefront, about 15 feet long and 10 feet wide, with only a few umbrellas hanging on the wall besides the counter.
The door was open but no one was there. Ji Liulang knocked on the door and heard a response from behind.
"They're here, they're here."
“Lady Sang,” Ji Liulang bowed respectfully, “and this is…”
"younger sister!"
Sang Niangzi had some bamboo shavings on her clothes, so she must have been making umbrellas in the backyard. When she saw the woman at the door, she quickly went to greet her.
Upon seeing this, Ji Liulang's smile became even more sincere. "In that case, I shall take my leave."
"Thank you Mukuro!"
"It's alright, it's alright..."
After he left, the two sisters held hands and hurried to the backyard.
After the rain stopped, the scorching sun baked the stone slabs until they turned white.
Newly cut light bamboo was piled up against the east wall, and the green bamboo strips gradually changed color under the scorching sun.
A bedroom was wide open, with a canopy inside, from which hung half-dry cotton paper umbrellas.
Apart from that, there was only half a kitchen in the courtyard.
"I didn't expect you to arrive today. Have you had lunch yet, since it's past noon?"
"I've eaten, I've made these pancakes before I left home."
...
They exchanged pleasantries on the surface, but were actually using their inner energy to transmit their voices.
The woman who arrived earlier was none other than Zheyu, a centurion of the Xuanji Guard, while Canglan had just come to seek refuge with her relatives.
Both of them had disguised themselves, yet their faces bore a striking resemblance.
Partridge insisted on getting a bowl of noodles and pulled the person into the kitchen.
He asked in secret, "How do you feel after entering the city?"
Canglan lowered his eyes. "Strange, is there anything special about this place?"
"No, it's no different from any other neighborhood in the city."
Bailu Prefecture is relatively remote, yet the people in this county town possess the pride of those from Fengjing.
Canglan had been to several states on official business, but had not seen it in other places.
Besides, the bureau's routine inquiries and registrations seem a bit excessive.
The fact that they were being escorted to each other's doorsteps, and the ease on Ji Liulang's face as the sisters recognized each other, was clearly seen by the two of them.
Why would an ordinary farm girl have to go to such lengths?
Since Fenglefang was nothing special, it was clear that the way the Marquis of Wu acted was the norm throughout the entire county.
Partridge nodded, "It's strange that you noticed it after only an hour in the city."
She had been there for almost ten days. After entering the city, she originally planned to reveal her identity and go to the Fifth Prince's side to protect him, but she soon realized that it was not necessary.
The Fifth Prince lived a good life in Bailu County, without suffering much hardship. Apart from occasionally going to the prefectural government office, he spent almost all his time at his estate, which was thirty miles away.
The manor was heavily guarded and was the territory of Prince Rui. Partridge was alone and worried that she would be discovered and ruin her plan if she sneaked in. So she created the identity of a lady from the Sang family and temporarily lived in the city.
"The prefectural government had an unimaginable grasp of the entire county and vigorously recruited officials."
Through these clerks and officials in the markets and villages, every person moving about could be strictly monitored.
My shop has been open for less than ten days, and I've already been investigated three times, both openly and covertly.
Confirm household registration and local accent, who else is in the family, umbrella-making skills...
I sneaked into the home of the Marquis of Wu and went through the files; all of this was recorded there.
Canglan narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong; this was really not right.
The vast majority of people never leave their own prefecture or county in their entire lives. Even so, some go on to trade, some go to live with relatives, and some study for the imperial examinations...
There are definitely a lot of migrant workers in a county, so why bother doing something so troublesome?
If you put that into the forty-nine wards and all the surrounding villages, how many unofficial clerks would that be?
These clerks' salaries weren't paid by the imperial court, so where did the state government get its income to sustain itself?
Judging from the attitude of the person in charge of the military affairs office, the salary will definitely not be a pittance.
Soon, a bowl of plain noodles was ready, topped with sesame oil and chopped green onions.
While handing over the bowl, Partridge Feather placed three copper coins on the bottom of the bowl.
The two sat side by side in the cramped space of the kitchen, and Canglan took the opportunity to touch the copper coins while eating noodles.
His expression changed drastically in an instant; those three copper coins…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
