Chapter 10 Chen Xin’s Changes

In about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Chen Xin arrived at her destination. It was quite spacious, with thatched sheds, and the door was wide open. From the outside, there were about seven or eight ordinary carriages.

It’s not surprising that there aren’t many people using carriages in this small town, so it’s no wonder the business isn’t booming. Even if they expand, they might still end up losing money.

It seemed that the servant inside had also noticed Chen Xin standing at the door and hurriedly came out to greet her, bowing and smiling obsequiously, “What kind of carriage does the guest need?”

Pointing to the carriages in the stable, he added, “We have eight ordinary ones, and there are some more expensive ones at the back. The horses and carriages are better than these.”

Chen Xin didn’t think it was necessary to buy a more expensive one. It wouldn’t be much better, and now she needed to save some money to return to her old profession. She would buy a better one when she earned enough money. She didn’t want to compromise, and certainly not at the expense of Fang Ziyu.

Approaching and carefully observing the horses, she finally chose a relatively gentle white horse. Its body was in good condition, the carriage was not large but not small either, and it could comfortably seat two people. Its appearance was also quite ordinary and inconspicuous.

After asking about the price, which was twenty taels of silver, within Chen Xin’s acceptable range, it seemed that the merchant didn’t make much profit either. They probably just wanted to sell it without losing money.

Turning her head, she asked, “Xiao Yu’er, how about that white horse?”

Fang Ziyu, who was lost in thought, suddenly heard Chen Xin asking him, but he didn’t hear clearly. He raised his head and looked at which one she was referring to, feeling a bit embarrassed, and said, “I don’t know. As long as you like it, Xin.”

Hearing this, Chen Xin decisively bought the white horse she had chosen and paid the money. She asked Fang Ziyu to get into the carriage while she sat on the coachman’s seat, slowly adapting to how to drive the carriage.

Her horse riding skills were good, but she had never ridden in a carriage, let alone driven one. She had to rely on her own exploration to master the techniques.

She reminded, “Xiao Yu’er, sit tight.”

“Snap!”

The whip was raised and lightly landed on the horse’s hindquarters. The horse started moving, slowly stepping towards the door.

The owner who received the money also appeared from somewhere, smiling and shouting at the gradually departing carriage, “Guest, please come again next time.”

Hearing the call from behind, Chen Xin thought, who knows what will happen next time, and raised her lips again before snapping the whip once more.

—

“Clip-clop, clip-clop.”

After some effort, Chen Xin finally found a place specializing in selling vegetables. Instantly, waves of shouting and bargaining hit her face.

Seeing this, Chen Xin got off the carriage, holding the horse’s reins as she went from stall to stall, picking up vegetables. Gradually, her hands became full, and she finally arrived at the stall selling little chicks. There were two large chicken coops on the ground, and following Fang Ziyu’s earlier instructions, she bought two fluffy yellow chicks.

At this moment, Fang Ziyu in the carriage also heard the chicken’s cries. His eyes rolled around, and after a moment’s thought, he moved to the door of the carriage and said to Chen Xin outside, “Xin, buy one male and one female.”

Hearing this, Chen Xin nodded and asked the chicken vendor with some embarrassment as she held the newly purchased chicks, “Excuse me, are these two chicks male or female?”

The chicken vendor, looking at the person rushing to buy chickens with a strange expression, still warmly smiled and said, “They’re all male, miss. Would you like to choose another one from this cage?”

Chen Xin nodded, handed one of the chicks to the chicken vendor, and randomly grabbed one from the cage containing the hens nearby, putting it in the chick basket she got when buying the chicks. The chicks chirped softly, perhaps because they were hungry.

Turning around and bending down to tidy up the carriage, moving the rice sack slightly, and arranging the purchased vegetables, Fang Ziyu took the chicken coop away, looking like a curious child. Chen Xin couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Having finished organizing everything and seeing that it was getting late, the sun was gradually setting, and the market was no longer as bustling as before. The stalls were closing one by one, and the town suddenly returned to its usual appearance, as everyone wanted to hurry home before dark.

Thinking that the things she bought today should have been delivered home by now, she got on the carriage and drove the horse steadily towards home.

Half an hour later, Chen Xin returned to Linjia Village. She saw groups of villagers gathering under a century-old banyan tree, chatting away. Occasionally, children’s laughter could be heard, creating a harmonious scene that pierced deep into Chen Xin’s heart. This was something she had never experienced, or rather, she had briefly experienced a happy family life in her childhood, but it was forcibly destroyed by someone. Her family was even more like a battlefield without gunpowder, a place where strength spoke.

At this moment, a carriage appeared in the village, and everyone looked curiously at Chen Xin, because in their eyes, only the wealthy and powerful could afford a carriage. Moreover, why would someone unfamiliar come to the village? However, some people recognized Chen Xin from this morning.

Chen Xin thought that if she was going to live in Linjia Village and interact with the villagers, she couldn’t be too unfamiliar. At least she couldn’t make enemies. Moreover, she and Fang Ziyu were newcomers to the village, so she felt it necessary to greet them and introduce herself, even though she had always been indifferent, she still knew how to handle people and things. It’s just that she didn’t want to do some boring things before, but for Fang Ziyu and the future, she was willing to change.

“Knock, knock.”

She knocked on the carriage door and said to Fang Ziyu, who was peeking outside the curtain, “Xiao Yu’er, let’s get off and meet those villagers.”

Fang Ziyu, who was peeking outside the curtain, was slightly startled when he heard this, then smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll listen to you, Xin.”

He could feel that Xin wasn’t someone who would do this kind of thing easily, but Xin must have her reasons.

In the future, his reliance would be on Xin. With Xin, it’s a home, the only place that would make him feel at ease.