Chapter 15: Arrival at Tianyang Mansion

Before nightfall, Lin Luoluo and her group arrived outside the city of Tianyang Mansion.

“Master, should we enter the city, or bypass it?” Lin Zhong asked as he approached.

Luoluo thought for a moment. “Let’s enter the city, rest for a day in Tianyang Mansion, and then leave via another route.”

Following the command, Lin Zhong paid the entry fee and, after entering the city, found a larger inn where they checked in.

After a full day’s journey, everyone was a little tired. After dinner, they retired for the night.

After her bath, Lin Luoluo noticed her stomach had slightly begun to show. She subconsciously placed her hand on her belly, her lips curving into a small smile.

“Hello, my little darling!”

As if in response to her greeting, she felt a slight movement in her stomach. Excited, she spoke again.

“Little darling, can you hear mommy?”

Just after speaking, she felt another distinct movement in her belly.

“You really heard mommy! Thank you for coming, and I will try my best to be a good mom.”

After getting dressed, she lay on her bed, continuing to chat with the baby. The baby responded now and then, and the sensation felt wonderful. Eventually, her eyes grew too heavy, and she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, as Lin Luoluo descended the stairs, she saw Chun Tao carrying a food box.

“Miss, you’re awake,” Chun Tao said, speeding up to reach her, raising the food box. “I brought breakfast for you.”

“Let’s go eat in the room,” Lin Luoluo said.

In the room, Chun Tao unpacked the breakfast, and the smell made Lin Luoluo’s stomach growl. Though she hadn’t had much appetite recently, the food smelled especially good today, likely due to her good sleep or the pleasant mood.

“Have you eaten yet?” Lin Luoluo asked.

“Miss, we’ve all eaten already. These are some of the most delicious items, so I brought them back for you. The others are still out shopping.”

Lin Luoluo, hearing that they had already eaten, didn’t hesitate to dig in. She took a bite of a bun and immediately brightened up.

“Mmm, so good! Chun Tao, this bun is delicious! Let’s buy more later and store them.”

She quickly finished the meal, and when she let out a satisfied burp, she saw Chun Tao standing there with her mouth agape in disbelief. Chun Tao took a moment to recover before closing her mouth.

“Miss… do you feel unwell? Should we go for a walk?”

Lin Luoluo rubbed her now-rounded belly, feeling a little full after eating so much, and nodded.

“Let’s go out and buy some more food for the journey.”

At the mention of food for the road, Chun Tao’s eyes lit up.

Lin Luoluo changed into men’s clothes, and together with Chun Tao, they went out. First, they finished buying all the breakfast items, then continued exploring the city, gaining a sense of the local situation before returning to the inn.

By the time Lin Luoluo returned to the inn, everyone else had also come back.

Lin Luoluo asked Chun Tao to bring Lin Zhong and Lin Da to her room for a meeting.

“Lin Zhong, Lin Da, you’ve been out all morning. Did you find anything useful?” Lin Luoluo asked, motioning for them to sit.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Zhong began, “Tianyang Mansion seems peaceful on the surface, unaffected by the refugees outside, but this kind of tranquility won’t last long. The grain in the city’s shops is more expensive than in Yancheng, but it’s still affordable for now. However, this can’t last, and many shops have already hung signs saying their grain is sold out. I heard the outside’s twice-daily porridge has been reduced to one meal, and it’s becoming rarer.”

Lin Luoluo nodded and looked at Lin Da.

Lin Da, understanding, spoke up. “There are many beggars on the streets, and the City God Temple has become crowded. Many of the refugees who paid for entry are staying there.”

Lin Luoluo pondered for a while before speaking.

“Lin Zhong, go find the governor of Tianyang Mansion and tell him we have a batch of grain, but we need jade and jadeware in exchange.”

“Lin Da, send people to the City God Temple to distribute some food. Also, try to find some well-behaved children or young people willing to follow us. Of course, we only want the loyal ones.”

“Alright, that’s all. You can go now. Oh, Lin Da, leave Lin Er to Lin Shi behind. I’ll take them to transport a batch of grain this afternoon.”

After lunch, everyone went off to their respective tasks.

Lin Zhong arrived at the governor’s office, had the bailiff notify the governor, and soon after, was ushered in. The bailiff hastily went to inform the governor.

The governor, worried about the grain shortage, couldn’t believe someone was offering a large batch of grain. Regardless of its authenticity, he agreed to meet.

Lin Zhong waited in the main hall, and soon a well-dressed middle-aged man, looking scholarly, entered, followed by a younger aide.

Lin Zhong greeted him, “Greetings, Governor.”

The governor looked him over and asked, “Who are you? I heard you have grain?”

“I’m Lin Zhong, a servant of my master. We have a batch of grain. Hearing that several tens of thousands of refugees are gathered outside Tianyang Mansion, we intend to sell the grain to the government, or exchange it for jade or other valuables.”

The governor paused, then asked, “How much do you want for the grain?”

“Rest assured, my master is kind, and the price will be very fair.”

“The grain will be delivered this afternoon. Please come to Yue Lai Inn for further discussion.”

The governor nodded, signaling his agreement, and Lin Zhong took his leave to return to the inn.

Lin Da’s side was also progressing smoothly. He distributed the food and then asked if any of the young ones wanted to come with him.

“Big Brother, do you have enough food? Are girls allowed?” a young girl, who had lost her parents during the famine and was now living with her younger brother in the City God Temple, asked. They had entered the city with the little money they had and were surviving by begging.

“Of course, both boys and girls can come. This is an opportunity to change your fate. As long as you’re loyal, you’ll have a good future.”

“Can I bring my brother? He’s only five, and he can’t survive without me.”

“Yes, you can. But we need your loyalty. If you betray us, your life will be worse than death. We’ll never force you into anything unlawful. Can you do this? If so, come with us.”

“I can do it,” the girl replied.

Her little brother, though not fully understanding, echoed, “I can too.”

With that, more people began to step forward. After they signed up, Lin Da told them to wait at the temple and come back tomorrow. He then returned to the inn.

Chapter 15: Arrival at Tianyang Mansion

Before nightfall, Lin Luoluo and her group arrived outside the city of Tianyang Mansion.

“Master, should we enter the city, or bypass it?” Lin Zhong asked as he approached.

Luoluo thought for a moment. “Let’s enter the city, rest for a day in Tianyang Mansion, and then leave via another route.”

Following the command, Lin Zhong paid the entry fee and, after entering the city, found a larger inn where they checked in.

After a full day’s journey, everyone was a little tired. After dinner, they retired for the night.

After her bath, Lin Luoluo noticed her stomach had slightly begun to show. She subconsciously placed her hand on her belly, her lips curving into a small smile.

“Hello, my little darling!”

As if in response to her greeting, she felt a slight movement in her stomach. Excited, she spoke again.

“Little darling, can you hear mommy?”

Just after speaking, she felt another distinct movement in her belly.

“You really heard mommy! Thank you for coming, and I will try my best to be a good mom.”

After getting dressed, she lay on her bed, continuing to chat with the baby. The baby responded now and then, and the sensation felt wonderful. Eventually, her eyes grew too heavy, and she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, as Lin Luoluo descended the stairs, she saw Chun Tao carrying a food box.

“Miss, you’re awake,” Chun Tao said, speeding up to reach her, raising the food box. “I brought breakfast for you.”

“Let’s go eat in the room,” Lin Luoluo said.

In the room, Chun Tao unpacked the breakfast, and the smell made Lin Luoluo’s stomach growl. Though she hadn’t had much appetite recently, the food smelled especially good today, likely due to her good sleep or the pleasant mood.

“Have you eaten yet?” Lin Luoluo asked.

“Miss, we’ve all eaten already. These are some of the most delicious items, so I brought them back for you. The others are still out shopping.”

Lin Luoluo, hearing that they had already eaten, didn’t hesitate to dig in. She took a bite of a bun and immediately brightened up.

“Mmm, so good! Chun Tao, this bun is delicious! Let’s buy more later and store them.”

She quickly finished the meal, and when she let out a satisfied burp, she saw Chun Tao standing there with her mouth agape in disbelief. Chun Tao took a moment to recover before closing her mouth.

“Miss… do you feel unwell? Should we go for a walk?”

Lin Luoluo rubbed her now-rounded belly, feeling a little full after eating so much, and nodded.

“Let’s go out and buy some more food for the journey.”

At the mention of food for the road, Chun Tao’s eyes lit up.

Lin Luoluo changed into men’s clothes, and together with Chun Tao, they went out. First, they finished buying all the breakfast items, then continued exploring the city, gaining a sense of the local situation before returning to the inn.

By the time Lin Luoluo returned to the inn, everyone else had also come back.

Lin Luoluo asked Chun Tao to bring Lin Zhong and Lin Da to her room for a meeting.

“Lin Zhong, Lin Da, you’ve been out all morning. Did you find anything useful?” Lin Luoluo asked, motioning for them to sit.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Zhong began, “Tianyang Mansion seems peaceful on the surface, unaffected by the refugees outside, but this kind of tranquility won’t last long. The grain in the city’s shops is more expensive than in Yancheng, but it’s still affordable for now. However, this can’t last, and many shops have already hung signs saying their grain is sold out. I heard the outside’s twice-daily porridge has been reduced to one meal, and it’s becoming rarer.”

Lin Luoluo nodded and looked at Lin Da.

Lin Da, understanding, spoke up. “There are many beggars on the streets, and the City God Temple has become crowded. Many of the refugees who paid for entry are staying there.”

Lin Luoluo pondered for a while before speaking.

“Lin Zhong, go find the governor of Tianyang Mansion and tell him we have a batch of grain, but we need jade and jadeware in exchange.”

“Lin Da, send people to the City God Temple to distribute some food. Also, try to find some well-behaved children or young people willing to follow us. Of course, we only want the loyal ones.”

“Alright, that’s all. You can go now. Oh, Lin Da, leave Lin Er to Lin Shi behind. I’ll take them to transport a batch of grain this afternoon.”

After lunch, everyone went off to their respective tasks.

Lin Zhong arrived at the governor’s office, had the bailiff notify the governor, and soon after, was ushered in. The bailiff hastily went to inform the governor.

The governor, worried about the grain shortage, couldn’t believe someone was offering a large batch of grain. Regardless of its authenticity, he agreed to meet.

Lin Zhong waited in the main hall, and soon a well-dressed middle-aged man, looking scholarly, entered, followed by a younger aide.

Lin Zhong greeted him, “Greetings, Governor.”

The governor looked him over and asked, “Who are you? I heard you have grain?”

“I’m Lin Zhong, a servant of my master. We have a batch of grain. Hearing that several tens of thousands of refugees are gathered outside Tianyang Mansion, we intend to sell the grain to the government, or exchange it for jade or other valuables.”

The governor paused, then asked, “How much do you want for the grain?”

“Rest assured, my master is kind, and the price will be very fair.”

“The grain will be delivered this afternoon. Please come to Yue Lai Inn for further discussion.”

The governor nodded, signaling his agreement, and Lin Zhong took his leave to return to the inn.

Lin Da’s side was also progressing smoothly. He distributed the food and then asked if any of the young ones wanted to come with him.

“Big Brother, do you have enough food? Are girls allowed?” a young girl, who had lost her parents during the famine and was now living with her younger brother in the City God Temple, asked. They had entered the city with the little money they had and were surviving by begging.

“Of course, both boys and girls can come. This is an opportunity to change your fate. As long as you’re loyal, you’ll have a good future.”

“Can I bring my brother? He’s only five, and he can’t survive without me.”

“Yes, you can. But we need your loyalty. If you betray us, your life will be worse than death. We’ll never force you into anything unlawful. Can you do this? If so, come with us.”

“I can do it,” the girl replied.

Her little brother, though not fully understanding, echoed, “I can too.”

With that, more people began to step forward. After they signed up, Lin Da told them to wait at the temple and come back tomorrow. He then returned to the inn.