The town closest to Qi Shan Village was called Ling Town. It wasn’t very big, and the flow of people coming and going wasn’t particularly heavy. Aside from the town’s residents, most of the visitors were from nearby villages. Outsiders rarely came here, mostly merchants coming to do business.

However, for the ordinary villagers, this small town already felt quite bustling, and coming here was a rare treat.

Zhou Song drove the ox cart to a designated parking area near the town gate, paid two copper coins to the guard, found a spot to park, and told the others to meet back here before sunset. The mother and daughter, along with the man who had come with them, thanked him and then went their separate ways to buy their goods, leaving only Lin Erzhu to accompany him.

The two of them put on their backpacks for carrying goods and walked along the main street.

The layout of the town wasn’t complicated. Most of the shops and street vendors were concentrated in the west, while the east side was mostly residential homes. The government office was in the north, and aside from that, there were many large houses where the wealthy families lived. The southern part of the town had inns and restaurants, where most of the traveling merchants gathered. It was said that the two streets in the south were the wealthiest areas in town.

Though the town seemed divided into east, west, north, and south, in reality, since the town was small, all these places were close together, and the residents could easily access whatever they needed.

Today, Zhou Song and Lin Erzhu mainly headed to the western part of the town. First, they took the wheat they brought to a mill to be ground into flour, planning to pick it up on their way back. Then, they headed to the fabric store.

The fabric store frequented by the villagers was known for its fair prices. Most of the fabrics sold were coarse cotton cloth, not the finest quality, but affordable, sturdy, and practical.

When they entered, there were already a few customers inside. Judging by their clothes, they were mostly from the countryside. Townspeople rarely came to this store; they usually went to slightly better ones.

“Brother Song, I told you at the beginning of the year to buy some fabric and make yourself a couple of new outfits, but you didn’t listen. How come you’ve suddenly come around?” Lin Erzhu teased as he watched Zhou Song choose materials.

Zhou Song didn’t even look up. “Two of my outfits are worn out and can’t be worn anymore.”

“Oh, I see…” Lin Erzhu dragged out the last word but didn’t argue further.

Zhou Song ignored what Lin Erzhu might be implying and picked out some dark-colored fabric that he usually wore, intending to have it cut by the shop assistant.

“Hey, Brother Song!” Lin Erzhu called out. “Now that you’re buying fabric, why not choose something brighter?”

Zhou Song looked at the fabric in his hand. He thought the color was quite good—dark, easy to keep clean, and practical for working.

Seeing that Zhou Song didn’t get his point, Lin Erzhu sighed dramatically. “I was just thinking, Shen Qingzhu wears light-colored clothes every day, and he always looks really nice. I thought that with your good looks, if you wore something brighter, you wouldn’t look any worse. But if you don’t like it…”

Zhou Song glanced at the fabric in his hands and, after a moment’s hesitation, silently put it back.

Seeing that Zhou Song was convinced, Lin Erzhu almost laughed. He cleared his throat and picked up a piece of light blue cotton fabric, holding it up to Zhou Song. “I think this one would suit you well. You don’t have to wear coarse fabrics all the time. This cotton is comfortable and looks good. With an outfit like this, you’ll look impressive even at a banquet.”

Zhou Song, still uncertain, held the fabric in his hands. He usually wore black and gray clothes and had never worn something like this before. Would it really look good?

“Brother Song, trust me. Would I ever lead you wrong?” Lin Erzhu patted his shoulder.

Zhou Song figured that Lin Erzhu wouldn’t dare trick him, so he reluctantly believed him and had the fabric cut. Then, he turned to pay.

Lin Erzhu also picked out some softer fabric to make clothes for his unborn child and bought some for his mother and wife as well.

After buying fabric, they still had some other small household items to get, but there was no rush. By the time they arrived in town, it was almost noon, and being two grown men, they were starting to feel hungry. So, they decided to find a noodle stall to eat at.

“The food here in town is really expensive. Six copper coins for a plain bowl of noodles without a trace of meat!” Lin Erzhu complained after taking a bite.

Still, at least the noodles were made from pure white flour and handmade by the shopkeeper, so he couldn’t complain too much.

Zhou Song wasn’t picky about food and quickly finished his bowl of noodles, though he only felt about 60% full.

Farmers like him ate a lot, and the portion size of these noodles wasn’t big. Most people from the countryside just ate enough to fill their stomachs a bit so they wouldn’t feel faint from hunger. To eat their fill, they’d wait until they got home since town food was too expensive.

“Let’s check out the street next door afterward. With all the farm work recently, my mother’s hands have cracked. I want to buy her some hand cream.” After finishing his last bite and drinking a bit of soup, Lin Erzhu wiped the sweat from his brow.

The weather had cooled a bit lately, but it was still hot. A bowl of hot soup noodles made him break out in a sweat, which he quickly wiped away.

Zhou Song didn’t have any objections. They had plenty of time in the afternoon, so they could take their time shopping and head back before sunset.

The street that Lin Erzhu mentioned was filled with jewelry stores and cosmetics shops, mostly frequented by women.

Zhou Song had never been on this street before. If not for following Lin Erzhu, he wouldn’t have come here at all.

To avoid any awkward situations, the two of them walked along the edge of the street, trying to avoid bumping into anyone.

Zhou Song’s clothes were simple, and he had a basket on his back, making it obvious that he was from the countryside. But he was tall, with a well-built, sturdy frame, and had handsome features. Many of the young women passing by stole glances at him. Some of the bolder ones even whispered about him once they were farther away.

Although the town was more prosperous than the village, Qian Yuan and Kun Ze were still rare. Most of the time, they belonged to wealthy families, and ordinary women didn’t dare act frivolously around them.

However, these girls were only looking. The town’s customs were still quite conservative, and no one would dare approach a strange man and strike up a conversation.

Zhou Song pretended not to notice these stares and kept his head down as he walked.

They passed by the more lavishly decorated stores, which Lin Erzhu ignored. The items sold in those shops often cost several taels of silver, and common folk like them couldn’t afford to be that extravagant.

Lin Erzhu found a more modest store, where the prices were more reasonable, ranging from ten to several dozen copper coins, affordable for most people. Of course, there were more expensive items in the back, but that was just to maintain the store’s reputation.

The store was filled with young women shopping in pairs or small groups, so Zhou Song decided not to go in. He planned to walk around nearby and come back later to meet Lin Erzhu.

If he remembered correctly, he had seen a small stall selling locks earlier. The lock on his door at home was old and rusty, making it hard to open lately. He had been meaning to replace it.

The stall wasn’t far, and when he arrived, there weren’t many people there. The stall owner enthusiastically greeted him, inviting him to take a look.

Zhou Song carefully selected a sturdy-looking lock, paid for it, and put it in his basket.

He was about to head back, but as he passed by a jewelry store, something caught his eye, and he stopped in his tracks.

The shop assistant, seeing him pause outside, didn’t mind that his clothes were plain. Following the usual practice, he called out, “Young master, would you like to come in and have a look?”

Zhou Song hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.

The store was elegantly decorated, and the items were displayed with care, clearly a cut above the cosmetic shops they had passed earlier. Since the items were valuable, there weren’t many customers. There were only two guests browsing farther inside.

“Our store has jewelry for both young ladies and young masters. Feel free to browse,” the assistant said, his tone neither overly enthusiastic nor indifferent, treating Zhou Song like a regular customer.

Zhou Song walked straight to a counter near the entrance. On the velvet-covered display, there were several pieces of jewelry, and his eyes fell on a green jade hairpin.

The hairpin’s head was carved into a blooming orchid, with every petal and stamen intricately detailed. It was even more exquisite up close than it had appeared from a distance.

The assistant, seeing his interest, didn’t wait for Zhou Song to ask before introducing it. “This jade orchid hairpin was handcrafted by our in-house jade carver. It took quite some effort and is rather intricate. However, the material isn’t top-grade, so it’s priced reasonably at only eight taels of silver.”

For this store, eight taels of silver was considered quite cheap, especially since there were plenty of jade pieces worth dozens of taels. The shop usually catered to wealthy clients.

But for farmers who made a living from the land, eight taels was an astronomical sum. Even a high-quality plot of farmland cost only five taels. Who would be willing to spend eight taels on a hairpin that was purely ornamental? For them, even a silver hairpin costing one or two taels was more practical.

The assistant didn’t expect Zhou Song to buy it. His introduction was simply out of courtesy, as per the store’s policy of treating all customers with respect.

After listening to the assistant, Zhou Song silently stared at the hairpin for a while before looking up and saying, “Please wrap it up for me.”

“Huh?” The assistant was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered and nodded. “Of course, sir. Please wait a moment.”

Although the hairpin wasn’t one of the store’s more expensive items, it was still a sale, and the assistant was pleased.

He crouched down and took out a carved wooden box from a lower cabinet, opened it, and placed it to the side. Then, he carefully wiped the hairpin with a silk cloth before laying it on the counter and gesturing for Zhou Song to examine it. “Would you like to inspect it first, sir?”

Zhou Song didn’t know much about jade. He gingerly picked up the hairpin, afraid of breaking the fragile “stone,” and after a quick look to ensure there were no visible flaws or damage, he set it back down. “Wrap it up.”

The assistant placed the hairpin in the wooden box, handed it to Zhou Song, and led him to the back of the shop to settle the bill. Afterward, he walked him to the door, saying, “Please come again.”

Holding the box in his hands, Zhou Song felt a bit dazed.

He wasn’t entirely sure why he had bought the hairpin. When he saw it earlier, he had suddenly thought of Shen Qingzhu and the scent of orchids in his incense.

Looking down at the wooden box in his hands, Zhou Song sighed softly. He had spent eight taels on this jade hairpin, and it might not even be something he could give away.

“Brother Song!”

Lin Erzhu called to him from a distance. Zhou Song looked up, then quickly took off his backpack, stuffed the wooden box at the bottom, and covered it with the fabric he had bought earlier.

“What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for you after I finished shopping,” Lin Erzhu said as he approached, not seeing what Zhou Song had just put away.

Zhou Song stood up and slung the backpack over his shoulder, his expression unchanged. “I bought a lock.”

Lin Erzhu glanced over at the nearby lock stall and nodded knowingly. “Alright, since you’ve got what you need, let’s head out. My mother asked me to bring back some vinegar.”

“Let’s go.” Zhou Song tightened the straps on his backpack and walked ahead.