Chapter 80: On the Road

Here, let’s continue with the story of Qingxue giving instructions to the servant at the second gate, sending them to the Lu family’s fabric shop to deliver a message.

This shop was managed by Yan Mama’s husband, Zhao Rui. Yan Mama often played with her little grandson in the backyard.

When she heard that Wen Ruyu wanted to speak with her, whether it was something big or small, Yan Mama always took it seriously.

She handed her grandson over to her daughter-in-law, and then followed the Lu family servant to Wen Ruyu’s place.

Meanwhile, Wen Ruyu had already gotten dressed and was waiting in the house, sipping tea.

Yan Mama was quick, and within half an hour, she had already arrived in front of Wen Ruyu.

Once the others arrived, Wen Ruyu dismissed them, leaving only Yan Mama to talk with her.

After Yan Mama sat down, Wen Ruyu relaxed and said, “Songnian has passed the imperial exam and became a jinshi. Bainian went to join the army, and the third son has earned the title of juren. I’ve raised the kids well. The fourth one is a student, and Mingzhu has grown up healthy, reading and understanding things. I guess I’ve fulfilled my duties to the old master.”

Yan Mama’s eyes reddened as she was happy for her mistress.

When the old master of the Lu family passed away, and her mistress lost her father within a few years, with the children still growing up and the capable elder uncle turning to business, Yan Mama never expected the Lu family to have come this far.

“I’ve always said, you are a blessed person,” Yan Mama said sincerely. Though she had comforted Wen Ruyu in the past with those words, she truly hoped for her happiness.

After chatting for a while, Wen Ruyu began to get to the point.

“The eldest son has passed the exam, but I don’t know if he’ll go to the provinces or stay in the capital. I’m thinking, the third son will probably need to take the exam again. It would be troublesome if he’s going back and forth every three years.

Why not buy a second or third entrance house in the capital? If the eldest son stays in the capital, they can have a place to live.”

“The houses in the capital are probably not cheap. A second-entrance house in a good area could easily cost around a hundred or so taels of silver, right?” Yan Mama had been living outside for the past two years. Though her husband only worked as a shop manager, she had met many people and had some knowledge of the world.

Wen Ruyu’s talk about the capital was probably more helpful than discussing it with her sons.

Wen Ruyu thought for a moment and said, “The children’s futures are important. Renting outside is never as comfortable as living in our own home. With a little effort, it should be enough.”

She wasn’t talking about a few hundred taels; even a thousand taels could be raised by the family now.

During this period, the family had been renovating, and Wen Ruyu had saved over a thousand taels of silver, knowing the food situation would be tight.

This year, the shop’s earnings would be reduced due to the locust disaster, possibly halved, but there would still be a few hundred taels of profit.

Wen Ruyu decided to leave the thousand taels untouched for now, as insurance.

This autumn or next year, when the shop’s goods were sold again, she would let Lu Ke buy a second or third entrance house in the capital.

“Do you want to buy such a large house, thinking of moving there later?” Yan Mama asked.

Wen Ruyu noticed her emotions had been read, and she stopped hiding them.

“People from the village came today and said that due to the locust disaster, many families can’t afford food and are selling their children. The village chief and clan chief brought a few children to me. They were all so thin and pitiful. They begged me to take in a few, just to feed them.”

“…” Yan Mama was at a loss for words.

Wen Ruyu sighed, saying, “A few years ago, when Songnian was doing business outside, people from the village came to ask for money under various pretexts. After I took over the shop, they came asking for money from time to time.

They were all relatives, and the village chief and clan chief came each time asking for ten or twenty taels. At first, I thought that a child’s expenses for three or four months wouldn’t be more than this. I didn’t want to refuse them. So I gave them the money.”

“But after doing this time and again, a lot of money was spent. In the past two years, they took several dozen taels of silver. Over these years, I’ve given them at least two to three hundred taels. The money I’ve used to help my relatives is more than what I’ve spent on my own children.”

Wen Ruyu furrowed her brows and said, “Now, everyone is poor. If I ask the tenants in the fields for money, they’ll starve. People don’t dare to spend money anymore. You know how the shop’s business is. These past two months, no one’s been buying fabric. Even the common folk are keeping their money tight.”

“Only some of the local gentry come here every year for new clothes. After deducting the costs for labor and materials, and giving some allowance to the family members, I’m not even sure if we can afford to buy a house for Songnian and the others in the capital.”

Yan Mama, always thinking for Wen Ruyu, nodded. “If the income and expenses were more stable, it would be fine. But these two years have been unstable, with natural and man-made disasters. Who knows when it will end?”

Wen Ruyu nodded. “Right now, the bandits are rampant in the south. Even in Lu family’s village, people have reached the point of selling their sons and daughters. This is after I’ve been helping every year. If things get even worse, it might be better to sell some of the family’s property and go to the capital with the sons.”

When Yan Mama heard that Wen Ruyu was thinking of leaving, though her expression was complex, she still said, “Yes, that makes sense.”

If her mistress was leaving, she should go with her.

However, the Lu family’s shop was here, and her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson all lived here.

As they grew older, they might not be able to travel easily.

She had followed Wen Ruyu for many years, but she couldn’t bear to part with her.

Wen Ruyu saw she understood, so she continued, “But if we move to the capital, we’ll need someone trustworthy to handle things in Qinghe County. Do you have anyone you can recommend?”

Among the Lu family’s servants, Yan Mama was the one with the most experience and would wholeheartedly serve Wen Ruyu.

After thinking for a while, Yan Mama said, “The Tiechui family is trustworthy. Fen’er’s parents and Chun Tao’s parents are all honest and hardworking. They’ve been around for a long time, especially Chun Tao’s parents. They’re not clumsy, and they have management experience.”

“As for the shop…” Yan Mama hesitated for a moment and then said, “If the old lady trusts me, I’ll recommend myself.”

Wen Ruyu raised an eyebrow, surprised that Yan Mama preferred to stay in Qinghe County.

After all, once Wen Ruyu moved to the capital, the shop would probably follow her there.

Wen Ruyu had thought that Yan Mama would want to move to the capital, but she realized not everyone was looking for a flourishing future.

Though Wen Ruyu was getting older, her inner drive still looked forward to bigger and better things.

Yan Mama, on the other hand, seemed to prefer a more peaceful life.

This was a difference in their outlooks on life.

Since Yan Mama wanted to stay, Wen Ruyu naturally wouldn’t force her to go.

“Alright, I understand,” Wen Ruyu smiled lightly. “These things are still far off. We’ll discuss them when Songnian and the others come back. Qinghe County isn’t as prosperous as the capital, but the houses here are bigger, and there aren’t as many people. If things settle down, I might not leave after all.”

The spring breeze outside the window brought warmth, and Yan Mama looked at her mistress, who had been by her side for decades. Suddenly, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity and familiarity.

Though Wen Ruyu hadn’t yet made up her mind to leave Qinghe County, Yan Mama already felt as if the separation was imminent.

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“Woo—!” Lu Bainian gently tugged on the reins and stopped the horse outside the inn.

There were relay stations in the suburbs, but they were for officials. For people like them, without any official position, finding a place to stay was already a good deal.

“Bai Nian, after tonight, we’ll only need half a day’s journey tomorrow, and we’ll reach Jingzhou city,” said a young man behind him.

The young man, Feng Yue, was in his twenties. He was tall, with slightly darker skin. He came from a rich farming family, being the third son. He was two years older than Lu Bai Nian.

Feng Yue was strong, even more so than Lu Bainian, as he had been trained in martial arts since childhood. He was also more skilled in fighting.

Not long ago, Lu Bainian had been ambushed by a group of bandits in the mountains.

At that time, he could only take down seven or eight of them. With a dozen bandits, he had no confidence.

Just when he was about to risk his life, he happened to run into this brother.

They quickly became blood brothers, admiring each other’s bravery.

During their conversation, Lu Bainian learned that Feng Yue was also heading to Jingzhou to join the army.

Their shared ambitions led them to pledge brotherhood, and now they referred to each other as brothers.

After dismounting, Lu Bainian handed the horse over to the innkeeper and paid extra to make sure it was well-fed.

He ordered two rooms, and since only pork and chicken were available, they ordered two bowls of noodles with pork and went upstairs together.

This place was close to a relay station, and usually, the innkeeper’s family lived here. When there were guests, they rented out rooms.

The cost was only around twenty coins per day, which was just enough for two or three pounds of rice nowadays.

The room was simple, with only a bed and a table and chairs. There was an oil lamp on the table, and a blanket and quilt were provided, though they weren’t very clean.

Most regular guests brought their own bedding.

If they wanted food, the prices were low, excluding labor costs.

Feng Yue’s family owned some land, renting it out while keeping one or two acres for their own use.

Though their family didn’t have the wealth of the Lu family, Feng Yue didn’t mind the environment. He thought it was good enough considering the price. A warm meal was all that mattered.

For Lu Bainian, this was a hardship he had never endured before.

But his character wasn’t bad, and he had already prepared himself for hardship in the military. He gritted his teeth and managed to endure the situation.

At this point, there were no servants to attend to them. There was a ten-year-old girl downstairs, but he didn’t feel right asking her to clean.

He had to clean up himself, quickly tidying things up, putting down his luggage, and heading downstairs for the noodles.

Once the oil lamp was lit, it immediately got dark outside.

Feng Yue, feeling lonely after eating alone, came over to join Lu Bainian for the meal.

He ate the same pork noodles, and the flavor seemed to trigger something. After a few bites, Feng Yue stared at the noodles in his bowl, lost in thought for a long time.

Lu Bainian noticed and asked, “Brother, are you thinking of your family?”

Feng Yue snapped back to reality, smiled, and replied, “This noodle tastes just like what my wife makes. Our family’s pickled vegetables have the same flavor.”