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Entering Town

“Uncle Mai Ya, we’ve come.” Du Xiu Heng and Du Xiao Li, each carrying a wood bundle on their backs, arrived in front of a farmer family’s house in the village, and shouted towards the house.

This house was built a bit better than an ordinary farmer’s house, because his family had an ox. During the busy farming season, when people needed to plow the fields, Mai Ya would run around everywhere with his ox to plow land. He would even go to the nearby villages. That’s why, their yearly income was quite good.

Hearing Du Xiu Heng’s voice, Qiao Mai came out from the house. Seeing the siblings, he said with a smile, “You came. Come inside and wait for a while first. Once I have the goods loaded on, we can go.”

(T/N: Okay, so Mai Ya and Qiao Mai are referring to the same person, I’m a.s.suming ‘Mai Ya’ is his nickname, since it literally just means malt)

Du Xiu Heng took Du Xiao Li inside, and helped Qiao Mai have the goods that will be taken to the county seat packed onto the carriage. Afterwards, he also placed the firewood up there too. Qiao Mai then drove the ox carriage along.

Hong Shui Village was right by the county seat and wasn’t considered far away, but if going by foot, then one needed to walk two or more hours. Du Xiu Heng was afraid that Du Xiao Li wasn’t able to walk that far, and after learning that Qiao Mai was going into town on ox carriage today, thus came to get a free ride.

Qiao Mai steered the carriage in front, while Du Xiao Li sat atop the carriage board, her little legs swinging. In her hand, she waved a small blade of gra.s.s she’d plucked when they’d gone out. Her mood was very much content. The rising sun warmly shone on her body, making her mood especially good.

In her past life, she’d rode all kinds of transportation before, yet she’d never rode an ox carriage before. Now, she rather felt that riding this was better than riding airplanes and high speed rails.

“Younger sister, be careful, don’t fall down.” Du Xiu Heng was sitting next to Du Xiao Li, and seeing her restlessly swinging her feet, seriously warned her.

“I won’t.” Du Xiao Li said. Her balance was very good. There’s simply no need to worry about falling off. “Uncle Mai Ya, how much longer before we can arrive?”

“Still about another two hours.” Qiao Mai replied as he whipped the ox’s behind.

“There’s still that much longer?!” Du Xiao Li was somewhat shocked. Didn’t they already travel a good while?

“Ha ha, actually, this ox carriage’s speed isn’t much faster than a person’s. If you want fast, then you can only ride the horse carriage! However, normally, only those wealthy families in the city would have a horse carriage.” Qiao Mai replied with a laugh.

Learning that there was still this much longer, Du Xiao Li had the flat cakes she made last night taken out. She handed one to Qiao Mai and said, “Uncle Mai Ya, eat a flat cake.”

Qiao Mai had gotten up at dawn to load the goods onto the carriage and hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. Right now, he was indeed a bit hungry. He frankly accepted Du Xiao Li’s flat cake and took a bite, saying: “Xiao Li, is this flat cake you made? The taste’s not bad!”

“En en, there wasn’t husked rice at home, so I used sweet potatoes to make some flat cakes.” Du Xiao Li gave one to Du Xiu Heng and nibbled on one herself.

Two hours later, just as Du Xiao Li felt that she was about to be shaken dizzy, they finally arrived at the county seat.

“So lively!” Du Xiao Li watched the people coming and going on the streets and gasped in surprise.

The houses here were all houses made from wood, very much like the houses of those old towns she visited in her past life. The street was very wide, and aside those doing business with open shops, there were also those selling things in baskets on a carrying pole.

Arriving in town, Qiao Mai had the two of them brought down and said, “I’m going to go over to the marketplace to unload. From beginning to end, probably need about two hours. How about this, at the first quarter of noon, I’ll set out from the marketplace, and come pick you two up here. Afterwards, we can all go home together.”

After Qiao Mai finished saying this, he drove off with the ox carriage.

Du Xiao Li calculated for a moment. Right now, it should be about nine in the morning. First quarter of noon, that is 11am. They have two hours to sell the firewood and buy things.

(T/N: In the two-hour subdivision system used in ancient times, noon or Wu time, was 11am-1pm)

“Big brother, with time this tight, will we make it in time?” Du Xiao Li asked.

“Don’t worry, we firewood sellers usually all have set buyers. We can just directly go to the Li Manor.” Du Xiu Heng finished saying this, carried the firewood on his back, and pulled Du Xiao Li along turning down a street. After twisting and turning down multiple alleyways, they arrived outside a wealthy family’s rear court.

“We’re here.” Du Xiu Heng let go of Du Xiao Li’s hand and went forward to knock on the door.

A thirty some year old aunty opened the door, saw Du Xiu Heng, and said, “Why didn’t you deliver firewood in the last few days?”

It was very obvious that she recognized Du Xiu Heng.

“Aunty Cao, two days ago I accidentally injured my leg. As soon as I got better, I came to deliver wood for you.” Du Xiu Heng replied.

Aunty Cao waved her hand and said, “Why do you hurry up and carry the firewood in. This must be your younger sister right?”

Du Xiao Li sweetly smiled at aunty Cao and called out, “Aunty Cao.”

“Ei, really a good child. Carry it in and then rest a while in the courtyard.” Aunty Cao felt sweetened by Du Xiao Li’s voice, and said with a laugh.

“Thank you aunty Cao!” Du Xiao Li, with the firewood carried on her back, followed into the rear courtyard. In a corner of the rear courtyard, she saw a bucket placed there with discarded food inside, and unconsciously furrowed her brows.

As the proverb say, ‘the vermillion gates stink with rotten meat and wine, the roads have bones frozen to death.’ In this time period, how many commoners can’t afford to eat, yet these wealthy families still have lavish meals. The things they throw away were all better than what many people ate.

(T/N: The vermillion gates refer to the red gates of a wealthy family’s residence.)

After aunty Cao waited for the two to place down the firewood, she gave Du Xiu Heng ten copper coins. In this era, it was just roughly 10 RMB. Seeing Du Xiu Heng carefully put away the copper coins, Du Xiao Li couldn’t help sighing.

(T/N: RMB is the chinese currency; 10 RMB is roughly 1.5 USD)

Right now, they were really poor!

However, fortunately, the prices right now were also low. If this was in her past life, going out with a single dollar wasn’t even enough to ride the public bus!

Du Xiu Heng painstakingly chopped an entire day of wood, only to sell for this bit of copper coin. It wasn’t enough for the living expenses of the two. Furthermore, it was also under the circ.u.mstance where the other party pitied the two siblings and gave a bit extra.

Manual labor really is too cheaply priced! She narrowed her eyes. Rather than like this, might as well let him stay at home and properly study. Of course, the premise being they have a steady income.

Since she’s decided, Du Xiao Li thus began to think of a way to make money, so that the two of them can live without having to worry about food and clothing, and also be able to let Du Xiu Heng continue to study. She herself for better or worse was someone who’s at least lived in modern society before, should always be able to find a away!

While she was absentmindedly contemplating, Du Xiu Heng had already said goodbye to aunty Cao, took her hand and lead her out. Arriving at the door, she finally returned to her senses and turned around to wave her hand goodbye at aunty Cao.

“Younger sister, what are you thinking about?” Du Xiu Heng saw Du Xiao Li with her head lowered again thinking about something, and asked.

Du Xiao Li lifted her head and looked to Du Xiu Heng’s thin but firm shoulders and asked, “Big brother, do you want to continue studying?”

Du Xiu Heng’s body stiffened; his two eyes held an unconcealable yearning and sorrow. Seeing Du Xiao Li’s inquiring gaze, he said, “I won’t study anymore. I promised mother, to have younger sister you properly raised up.”

“I understand.” Du Xiao Li saw Du Xiu Heng’s gaze and thus understood his desire, saying with a smile, “Big brother, let’s go buy things then. Else, in a bit, we won’t have enough time.”

The brother and sister pair, soon after, bought some daily life necessities, bought a bag of husked rice and a bag of flour, and also bought some seasonal vegetable seeds. Although they didn’t have their fields anymore, the areas in the mountains could still be used to plant some vegetables.

“Big brother, does our county seat have a place to forge ironware?” When they’d pretty much finished buying everything, Du Xiao Li asked.

“There is, there’s one two street behind the place where uncle Mai Ya is waiting for us. What do you want to buy?” Du Xiu Heng asked.

“En, let’s move our things over, then go see.” Du Xiao Li said.

The two of them very quickly had their things moved to the place where they parted ways with Qiao Mai. And not long after, Qiao Mai arrived with the ox carriage and helped the siblings have the things moved onto the carriage.

“Uncle Mai Ya, we want to go to the blacksmith shop. Can you wait for us for a while?” Du Xiu Heng asked.

“Okay, then I’ll wait for you two at the city gates. Be quick you two!” Qiao Mai got on the carriage and urged the ox forward.

Du Xiu Heng brought Du Xiao Li to the blacksmith shop. When they entered, she didn’t see any ironware, but instead saw three familiar figures.

“How come it’s you guys?” Du Xiao Li pursed her lips and asked.

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