Chapter 19: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 19: Not Enough Money to Spend
The towering city walls, about six zhang tall, were imposing. From afar, the words "Chu Capital" on the city gate were clearly visible. The thick walls, solemn colors, and grandeur conveyed an aura of invincibility.
After involuntarily looking up for a while, Mo Yan felt her neck becoming sore and quickly withdrew her gaze. She noticed that even the youngest Zhen'er was awestruck by the imposing city walls.
"We've finally arrived!" exclaimed Mo Qingze, coming back to his senses.
"It's really great! If we kept walking, Zhen'er's feet would have worn out!" commented Zhen'er, looking at the bustling crowds with unusual excitement. His childish words made people laugh and cry.
"Hmph, always saying silly things. Wasn't Daddy carrying you all the way?" retorted Xin'er, who loved to tease her little brother. Seeing him being silly again, she couldn't help but make fun of him.
Zhen'er wanted to retort but didn't know what to say. His face turned red, and he pouted, muttering, "Sister is mean, Sister is the meanest."
The family couldn't help but laugh at the siblings' banter.
As it was getting late, and they still needed to find a place to rest after entering the city, Mo Yan didn't delay. She took out the travel permit given by Xiao Shiyi from her bag and handed it to Mo Qingze.
The drought and chaos in the south had affected the north, and many people had fled from the south to seek refuge in the north, with many arriving in the capital. To avoid chaos within the city, the court strictly managed the entry and exit of refugees into the capital. Each of the four city gates was guarded by hundreds of soldiers who checked the identities of passersby. Unless they were taken in by relatives or friends or had a travel permit, they would have to stay at the refugee camp near the north gate.
Grandpa Li, also known as Li Zhong, had been worrying about how to enter the city when he saw soldiers guarding the gate. Now, he saw Mo Yan take out a travel permit, although he was very curious, he cleverly didn't ask.
With the travel permit, the group passed the inspection smoothly and entered the capital.
The capital lived up to its name, with clean and tidy streets lined with rows of houses and shops. The crowds flowed like rivers, and the carriages and horses were like dragons. Everything was orderly and prosperous, with hardly any signs of chaos. Even the clothes worn by ordinary people didn't show many patches, indicating the level of prosperity. While the Li family and Mo Yan's family were fine, Mo Yan's family's clothes were patched up, and combined with the dust from their journey, they looked out of place, attracting the attention of many passersby.
Mo Yan didn't mind, and Mo Qingze, with the dignity of an educated man, didn't feel embarrassed. Zhen'er was too young to understand those gazes, while Xin'er felt a bit embarrassed and instinctively lowered her head, hiding behind Mo Yan.
Having entered the city earlier, they hadn't had lunch yet, so Mo Yan strongly suggested finding a clean noodle stall to fill their stomachs.
Prices in the capital were high. While a bowl of shredded pork noodles elsewhere cost only three wen, here it was doubled to six wen. Mo Yan ordered six bowls of shredded pork noodles, spending more than thirty wen in one go. She felt a bit heartbroken, especially since she didn't have much silver coins on her. Just arriving in the capital, there were so many places to spend money!
Grandpa Li and his granddaughter felt embarrassed. They had relied on the Mo family for food and drink all the way. Otherwise, without money or provisions, they wouldn't have been able to make it to the capital.
Li Zhong had always remembered the Mo family's kindness. Thinking that they would soon part ways and might never see each other again, unable to repay their kindness, he couldn't help but say:
"Mr. Mo, it's not easy to find a place to stay in the capital. If you don't mind, follow me to my son-in-law's house and stay there for a while. It will be a mutual care."
Li Yan's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly. During this period, she had already regarded the Mo family as the closest people to her after her grandfather.
Mo Qingze, upon hearing this, shook his head repeatedly. "Uncle Li's kindness is appreciated, but I'm afraid I can't agree to this!"
Mo Yan saw that Li Zhong wanted to repay their kindness and knew he would try to persuade them again. She couldn't help but say, "Grandpa Li, when we helped you, we didn't expect you to repay us. We are outsiders after all. How can we trouble you? Besides, we have hands and feet. Once we enter the city, we'll find a place to stay on our own."
Li Zhong saw their firm attitude and felt hesitant. His son-in-law was good, and he and his granddaughter could live with him without any idle talk, but bringing the Mo family would probably upset his daughter, who was quite formidable. His daughter and son-in-law would be caught in the middle. Moreover, he owed them a favor, so he felt embarrassed to let his son-in-law's family repay it. He was afraid that if the favor remained unpaid, the benefactor would suffer, turning his good intentions into bad ones.
Mo Yan and her father had also considered this point, so they firmly refused to avoid causing trouble for the Li family, especially since it wasn't easy for them to stay as guests.
At this moment, the noodles were ready and served by the boss's wife, interrupting their conversation.
After finishing their noodles, the two families were about to part ways. Li Zhong tried to persuade them again, but Mo Qingze still didn't agree.
Helpless, Li Zhong said, "I once lived in the capital for a while and am somewhat familiar with it. If you're looking for a place to stay, it's best to go to the West Market. People who live there are from slightly better-off families, making it easier to get along with them. There are also patrols by constables at night, making it safer to live there."
Mo Yan and her father were grateful for this information, as finding a suitable place to stay in such a big city was challenging without knowing where to look.
Finally, Li Zhong told Mo Qingze where his son-in-law lived, saying that once they found a place to stay, they could inform him, hoping the two families could stay in touch. Mo Qingze smiled and noted it down, and after bidding a reluctant farewell, the two families parted ways, heading in opposite directions.
...
By the time Mo Yan and her family arrived at the West Market and found a place to stay, the sun had already set.
After bidding farewell to the elderly couple who rented them the house, Mo Yan happily surveyed their new home. The location was a bit remote, at the end of the street, with a long alley outside the courtyard gate. It might be a bit scary to come out at night.
The house was made of blue bricks and tiles, somewhat old-fashioned, and not very spacious, with only three small rooms: a main hall and two bedrooms. One of the rooms was divided into a bedroom and a kitchen.
What pleased Mo Yan was that the house also had a courtyard, albeit small, with an area of only about twenty square meters. There was a vegetable patch against the wall, a chicken coop in the corner, perfect for raising chickens. In addition, there was a well in the corner, making it convenient to fetch water.
Although the rent was not cheap, costing one or two silver coins a month, finding such a small courtyard in the coveted city was already satisfying enough for Mo Yan.
The family spent an hour cleaning the house inside and out, and Mo Yan realized that they needed to buy many things. Although the old furniture left by the landlord could be used, they still needed to buy quilts, pots, bowls, and other necessities.
Calculating the things they needed to buy, Mo Yan was distressed to find that the few taels of silver coins left on her body were simply not enough to spend...
