The grain team did not go directly to Linjia Village. When they arrived at the foot of the barren mountain, they saw a familiar figure standing at the front.
"Brother Zhong, you've finally arrived!" Old Madam Gongsun had been quite worried lately, fearing that something might have happened to this grain merchant on the way, leaving the entire Lin Family Village without a home.
Although grain prices in the county town have come down, there's only so much grain in total, and with so many dangers ahead, it's always good to stock up on more grain.
"Grandma, I brought this grain all the way here precisely because you are here."
Zhongheng rubbed his hands together. He had originally wanted to ask about the Mountain Goddess, but he felt it was inappropriate to ask such questions upon meeting her, so he kept it to himself.
"Grandma, where is this batch of grain being transported?" He noticed that there weren't any strong men beside the old lady, and he was slightly puzzled.
He quickly realized something and his whole body trembled.
Is the entire Lin Family Village as powerful as those two women?
“Brother Zhong, let’s make a deal first, cash on delivery, and then I’ll have the villagers take it away.”
As for where it was being transported, the old lady naturally wouldn't say so clearly.
Zhongheng expressed his understanding and asked all the men to get off the vehicle, making room for the villagers of Linjia Village.
The old lady also took out a small box containing five hundred taels of silver notes.
"As agreed, you'll get 500 taels of silver if you bring 2,500 shi of grain."
The price was agreed upon when they first made the deal. The old lady had made up her mind that if the villagers couldn't come up with the money, she would pay it in advance.
As a former princess of the previous dynasty, she could still afford to spend that much money.
But reality was much better than she had imagined. The villagers of Linjia Village were very enthusiastic about buying grain and had already taken out the money.
Even the county government reserved a portion, which meant that all the grain was divided up.
A family of ten, including children, can eat for a year with just seventy shi of grain if they are frugal. The grain that has been transported this time is estimated to feed Linjia Village for a whole year.
As for what to do next? Of course, they will continue to plant on the barren mountains. These farmers make a living by farming, and they can't just stop doing nothing.
"Brother Zhong, let's go to Linjia Village. The old house has already prepared a meal and is just waiting for you."
Grandma Gongsun walked at the front, while the group of men transporting grain behind her looked at each other in bewilderment.
With so much grain, don't they need to help transport it to the destination?
"Let's go, let's follow the old lady!" Zhongheng wisely refrained from asking any further questions.
This might involve the power that the Mountain Goddess bestowed upon Linjia Village. The old lady took them away and left the group behind because she didn't want them to see clearly what they were doing standing there. Wasn't that just annoying?
When Zhongheng followed the old lady to this side of the path, he cautiously turned his head and glanced behind him.
There were many trees and bushes along the roadside, which blocked most of the view, but Zhongheng could still see that more than half of the grain was missing.
Holy crap, how long has it been and most of the grain is gone? How did they manage to get it out? And I haven't seen anyone else come over.
That mountain goddess was indeed mysterious and unpredictable. Otherwise, how could the truly clever and cunning Old Lady Gongsun have taken the initiative to lead Linjia Village to believe in her?
"Grandma, are you sure about your previous guesses?" Zhongheng asked cautiously.
Before coming here, he naturally discussed it with Old Madam Gongsun, but the old lady was very firm and told him to take a look at the changes along the way when he brought the grain.
Looking back on the journey, Zhongheng was indeed deeply moved. This year seemed particularly turbulent. Qingzhou was colder than in previous years, and many people were shivering from the cold along the way. Some people were also displaced.
"Did you store up a batch of grain for yourself?" Old Madam Gongsun asked in a low voice.
Zhongheng nodded repeatedly. Although he didn't quite believe that the world would soon descend into chaos, out of a businessman's caution, he still left 500 shi of grain for his own family.
Money can be earned again, but life is only once!
"That's good. You all need to be vigilant and make sure the grain isn't leaked. If someone finds out, we'll be in big trouble."
When others are starving and barely clothed, your family can produce food every day—that's the real disaster.
"If you have the means, choose a remote mountain area in Chongzhou and live there."
Although conditions in the mountains are rudimentary, it's still much better than living in constant fear of bandits and rebel armies.
"Grandma, thank you for reminding me. I will consider it." Zhongheng seemed to be deep in thought.
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