Chapter 147 Departure 2
The aroma of the food grew stronger, and the cooks began to call everyone to eat.
At Xie Sangning's signal, Lin Wantang and the others were led by a maid to wash their hands in preparation for dinner.
The sunlight shone on the grass, warm and cozy.
The aroma of food, the laughter of children, and the chatter of elders intertwine to create a peaceful scene.
After resting for about half an hour after the meal to digest, the convoy resumed its journey.
As evening approached and the sun began to set, the convoy arrived at its first planned campsite.
This is a flat valley near a stream, with a wide view, which is conducive to vigilance.
After parking, the younger generation, especially Lin Ziyuan and his group of teenagers, were full of energy, chasing and playing on the grass as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
The adults, however, were a bit exhausted, especially Lin Zhu and his uncles and aunts, who were getting on the carriage for a whole day and felt like their bones were about to fall apart.
Although physically exhausted, he was in good spirits and had a smile on his face.
After all, not having to worry about household chores or social obligations, such a pure journey is a rare experience for them.
Xie Sangning got out of the car to give instructions.
The guards, well-trained, began to divide the area and set up camp.
Soon, several tents of different sizes were erected.
Considering the large number of people in the Lin family, arrangements were made for the tents: the younger generation was divided into two large tents according to gender, and the elders were also separated by gender, each having their own space.
Thankfully, the weather was sunny today; if it had rained, everyone would have had to spend the night crammed into the carriage.
However, the carriage Xie Sangning prepared was spacious and comfortable enough, so it wasn't too much of a hardship.
As night fell, a cool mountain breeze blew in.
Xie Sangning had made preparations in advance, arranging for people to deliver hot milk tea to each tent.
The rich aroma of milk mixed with the fragrance of tea immediately dispelled the chill, and the warmth spread from the stomach to every part of the body, making it extremely comfortable.
Several bonfires were lit in the center of the camp, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
Everyone slept exceptionally well that night.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, the convoy set off again for Jiangnan.
The thought of seeing the legendary paradise on earth today invigorated even the adults who had complained of exhaustion yesterday, while the children chattered excitedly, discussing what Jiangnan would be like—would it be a city full of lotus flowers? Would it be pleasure boats gliding by? Or countless delicacies?
The convoy hurried along, and finally, in the afternoon, they saw the outline of the tall and majestic city gate of Jiangnan Prefecture.
Looking from afar, the city walls meander and the eaves of the gate towers are indeed less somber and more gentle and graceful than those of Nanjing.
The hearts of everyone in the Lin family were pounding with excitement.
However, this excitement was dampened when they arrived at the city gate.
The convoy lined up in front of the city gate.
When it was their turn, the city guard lazily stretched out his hand: "Entry fee, fifty coins per person."
"How much?!" Lin Ziyuan, clinging to the carriage window, was the first to exclaim in surprise, his eyes wide open. "Fifty coins?! The entrance fee to Jinling is only five coins! Is the ground in Jiangnan paved with gold or the walls built of silver? Why are you charging such an exorbitant price?!"
Not only Lin Ziyuan, but also the other people in the Lin family's cars heard it and lifted their curtains, their faces filled with shock and confusion.
Fifty coins? That's enough to buy half a bushel of grain! You have to understand, under Pei Yan's rule, grain in Daqing is now twice as expensive as it was in the previous dynasty.
Xie Sangning sat in the car, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
She knew that the cost of living in Jiangnan was high, but she was still somewhat surprised that the entrance fee was this high.
She said nothing, but gestured to the steward accompanying her to pay everyone's city entry fee in full.
After paying the fee, the convoy finally slowly drove into this famous Jiangnan city that countless people dream of visiting.
After entering the city, the best restaurants in Jiangnan were already full, so they found a larger and cleaner one to settle down in. The group got off the car and sat down in a private room on the second floor, intending to fill their stomachs before looking for an inn.
The moment his buttocks touched the stool, Lin Ziyuan couldn't hold back any longer: "Did you hear that just now? Fifty coins! Fifty coins per head! That's outrageous! In Jinling it's only five coins! Why are they charging so much in Jiangnan?"
The eldest uncle, Lin Ruhai, also frowned: "Yes, this entrance fee is ridiculously high. Even if Jiangnan is wealthy, it shouldn't be this expensive..."
"Exactly! This is highway robbery!"
Several younger people echoed this sentiment, their good mood dampened considerably by the fifty coins.
I don't know who received those fifty coins.
Xie Sangning ordered a table full of famous Jiangnan dishes, totaling ten dishes.
Although the Lin family members were annoyed by the city entrance fee, the sight of the dishes still whetted their appetites, and they wanted to try some of the Jiangnan flavors.
But when the waiter handed over the bill, Lin Ziyuan and Xie Sangning's cousin Lin Huan peeked at it and their eyes almost popped out of their sockets!
"One hundred and seventy taels?! Shopkeeper! Are your dishes made of gold or carved from silver?!"
Lin Ziyuan blurted it out, and Lin Huan gasped in shock.
One hundred and seventy taels of silver!
This is more than enough to feed several tables at one of the best restaurants in Nanjing! The key issue is the taste... to be honest, it's not as good as some of Nanjing's long-established restaurants!
Xie Sangning's brows furrowed as well.
The shopkeeper was a greasy-looking fat man. Hearing the commotion, he strolled over slowly with a fake smile on his face. His eyes swept over Xie Sangning and his group with a condescending contempt.
"Hey, gentlemen, our shop has clearly marked prices and we treat everyone fairly, young and old! Judging from your attire, you don't seem like people who can't afford this much money. Just pay up and it'll save everyone trouble."
Lin Ziyuan was so angry that his face turned red, and he rolled up his sleeves, ready to argue. Xie Sangning, however, grabbed his arm and, without even glancing at the shopkeeper, said directly to the manager behind her, "Pay the money."
The steward immediately stepped forward, counted out the full amount of silver notes, and handed them over.
The shopkeeper took the money as if it were all perfectly natural and something he had expected.
The group left the restaurant, seething with anger, their initial enthusiasm for trying the new place completely gone.
Lin Ziyuan was even more indignant, complaining in a low voice, "Cousin! You were so powerful in the capital! Who would dare to cheat you like this? Even the Emperor... How come you're so easy to talk to here? You got ripped off for nothing!"
Grandpa Lin, leaning on his cane, walked beside him. Upon hearing this, he gave a heavy "humph" and looked at Lin Ziyuan with a helpless expression of "this child is hopeless."
This child is still too naive!
Lin Zhu already knew exactly what was going on, given the outrageous city entrance fee and the blatantly exorbitantly priced meals.
This Jiangnan prefecture is rife with hidden dangers!
The fact that a restaurant can charge 50 coins for entry into the city and dare to overcharge customers like this means that the local tycoons behind it must be incredibly powerful and influential!
The emperor was far away in the capital and had no idea, or rather, even if he did know, he might not have been able to do anything about it!
This abnormal prosperity benefits local tyrants in every way! The only ones who suffer are the ordinary people who are exploited at every level!
The old man knew that if Xie Sangning came alone, given her temperament and methods, she would never swallow this insult and would definitely make this heartless shopkeeper suffer the consequences.
But now, she has the entire Lin family behind her, old and young, all of whom are her Achilles' heel.
Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. For everyone's safety, she had no choice but to endure it for the time being and spend money to avoid trouble.
As the group walked along the bustling streets of Jiangnan, their hearts grew heavy.
Upon closer observation, it was discovered that most of the locals looked worried, walked hurriedly, and had a numb expression on their faces.
The prices of items sold by street vendors are outrageously high!
A simple coarse grain steamed bun costs twenty coins! In Nanjing, you can buy one for three coins! Even the cheapest cotton cloth costs more than three times as much as in Nanjing!
Lin Ziyuan clicked his tongue in amazement and couldn't help but mutter, "These...the prices are so high, who can afford them? Won't the people here rebel? Even if they don't, shouldn't they run away as soon as possible?"
Yes, with such outrageous prices, why don't ordinary people flee?
This question weighed on everyone's mind.
Just as the Lin family members were walking down the street full of doubts, the once bustling crowd in front of them suddenly erupted as if a pot had been boiled over, and they scattered to both sides screaming!
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, a rapid and arrogant sound of horses' hooves approached from afar!
"Brother Qin! You can't catch me! Hahaha!" A woman's arrogant and triumphant laughter came from afar, clearly from a galloping horse!
"Not good!" Xie Sangning's pupils contracted, and he shouted sharply, "Protect our great-grandfather! Everyone, move to the side!"
She reacted very quickly, and the Lin family members also instinctively hid under the eaves of the shops along the roadside.
But things changed too quickly!
The tall, pure white horse, carrying a young woman in bright red riding attire, charged straight towards them like a runaway bull! Its target was the direction where the Lin family was!
It looked like it was about to crash into Old Master Lin, who was being protected in the middle! But the woman on horseback not only did not intend to rein in her horse and slow down, but also laughed even more wildly and arrogantly because she saw the panicked crowd trying to avoid her!
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