The next day, the weather was sunny and perfect for traveling.
"Jiang Shuyun, take this. If you find any suitable books, buy them. Also, buy some soft pastries for the child, and some fruit if you find any. I don't know how prices are calculated at this time, so please use this money for now."
Jiang Shuyun took the money pouch, oh dear, she'd become a kept woman from now on. Who would have thought!
"I understand. Besides books, what else do you need? Don't just think about the children."
"There's nothing I want anymore. I looked around and found that my home is quite well-equipped; I don't need anything."
Mu Yi'an never imagined that one day she would live such a life, revolving around a man, children, and the stove!
"Alright, I'm off. I still need to catch a ride. Actually, the county town isn't far from here, only about 20 li. If there's a chance, I'll take you out for a walk."
"At twenty, I'm no longer on the ground. What's restricting my movement now isn't distance, it's the rules. You should leave now, it's upsetting to see you like this."
Mu Yi'an waved her hand, signaling Jiang Shuyun to leave. She didn't want her carefully constructed mental defenses to crumble again.
Jiang Shuyun blinked, belatedly realizing she had said the wrong thing, and silently left the inner room.
"Shuyun, I heard from your father that you're not planning to go to the county school anymore?"
"Yes, Mother. The teacher said that I can study at home just as well, and I can just go to the teacher for quizzes regularly. Mother, I'm going to the bookstore in the county town. Do you have anything you want to buy?"
"No, do you have money to buy books?"
"Yes, Yi'an gave it to me."
Jiang Shuyun had to hurry to catch her ride, so she bowed to her mother and left.
Jiang Da Sao and Jiang Lao San's wife both heard the noise in the courtyard.
Jiang Shuyun no longer needed to attend the county school, which saved the family some money, making them naturally happy. Moreover, they all knew that Mu Yi'an had a large dowry and plenty of spare money, so it was better for him to pay for the books himself, since books weren't cheap these days.
The two sisters-in-law each had their own agendas and kept track of things in their hearts.
Mu Yi'an was unaware of these things. She had her own spending habits and wouldn't argue with them over the meager savings at home.
Not to mention that the original owner's dowry was quite substantial, almost matching the assets of the entire government. With her indomitable spirit, in this era that restricted her freedom, she might not be able to earn a lot of money, but achieving a comfortable life shouldn't be difficult.
Jiang Shuyun, who had just left home, sat on a mule cart to the county town at the village entrance and breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, she made it in time; otherwise, just thinking about walking there would have made her feet ache.
"Young scholar Jiang, are you heading to the county town?"
"Uncle Jiang, we're going to the county town. Luckily you didn't leave, otherwise I would have had to go to town to find a car and walk an extra five miles."
Jiang Shuyun got into the car and took a breather. The original owner's body was really not very good; after walking briskly for a while, he was already out of breath, even after half a month of training. He didn't know if it was because he was originally weak, or if he hadn't fully mastered this body yet.
"Uncle Jiang, are you coming back at the same time as before?"
"Yes, the same time and the same place. You can check the time yourself, no need to rush."
Uncle Jiang cracked his whip, but missed the mule. At that time, animals were worth more than people. A mule cost more than ten taels of silver. A person only cost a few taels of silver.
"Young scholar Jiang, are you going to the county school to study?"
There were also two elderly women from the village on the bus; they were going to town to sell their wares. The eggs they had saved and the embroidery they had done were their family's main source of income.
In the village, families don't own much land, and it's common for a family to have more than ten members. In ancient times, people believed that the family wouldn't separate while the parents were alive, so the whole family lived together in one big house. Also, nowadays, corvée labor and taxes are mostly calculated based on household registration.
"No, I'm going to the county town on business."
Jiang Shuyun replied once and then fell silent. He was always a quiet person, as everyone knew, so it wasn't surprising.
Upon arriving in town, several older women went downstairs, and some middle-aged men in short jackets came up. These men were going to work at the county dock; a cargo ship would arrive at noon, and they would be carrying large sacks.
"The ship that came yesterday had a generous young master who tipped everyone. It's a pity I missed it, but Big Liu did, he gave each person five coins."
"I heard about it too. I missed it too. I was unlucky. I had an upset stomach and went to the outhouse, so I missed it."
The burly man with a dark face looked like he had just missed out on 500 million.
Jiang Shuyun had already done some research. This dynasty was called the Dali Dynasty, which had been established for less than a hundred years and had gone through six emperors. The current emperor was relatively young, seemingly not yet thirty, and had only been on the throne for five or six years.
The previous emperor was quite capable, expanding the territory and creating a favorable situation. There were several small vassal states around, as well as two equally powerful states. However, the wars of the previous decades had severely weakened them. In the last twenty years or so, there have been no large-scale battles, which can be considered a period of peace and prosperity.
Moreover, the current emperor is said to be very capable and a man of action, with few exorbitant taxes. But no matter what, it's not easy for farmers who rely on the weather for their livelihood, nor is it easy for laborers who do odd jobs.
Twenty li is a distance that a mule can cover in less than half an hour.
"Uncle Jiang, I'm leaving now."
"Alright, I'll wait here. Don't forget the time."
"knew."
Jiang Shuyun walked toward the bookstore she remembered. It was the largest bookstore in the county. She didn't know who the owner was, but the manager was a nice person.
Jiang Shuyun stood on the street, looking at the two-story building across the street. The exterior was clean and tidy, and a plaque with the words "Jixian Pavilion" hung between the two floors. The wooden plaque was light brown with black lettering, and it looked very grand.
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