Dawn had barely broken, and the cold morning air on the road kept burrowing into Li Menglan's neck. Caught off guard, she shivered and muttered inwardly, "This really won't do. The weather is getting colder and colder. There's no air conditioning or anything here. I still need to earn some money to buy cotton, coarse cloth, and such to make some cold-weather clothes. Otherwise... there really will be no way to get by."
"Daughter, are you cold?" Although Li Dazhu was a simple, honest man, she was his daughter after all. He had seen that small movement of Li Menglan's just now with perfect clarity.
"Father, I'm not cold. Aren't we walking right now? We'll sweat from walking, and in a bit we'll warm up. It's fine—Father!" Li Menglan almost teared up at Li Dazhu's attentiveness, and she secretly swore in her heart: she would definitely let her family in this life live a good life with abundant food and clothing.
The father and daughter had just walked not far from the village entrance when they saw an ox cart approaching from afar within the village. "Father, do you think that ox cart is going to Qingshui Town?" Li Menglan had long since inquired about this. From Shangliang Village to Qingshui Town, even a man like Li Dazhu had to walk for over two double-hours, not to mention her own slight frame. Li Menglan's gaze toward Li Dazhu was full of anticipation.
Li Dazhu was startled by Li Menglan's words, but when he saw her bright, sparkling eyes, he couldn't help but smile slightly. "Father doesn't know either. Daughter, don't worry. Wait for Father to go ask?"
Ox carts from Shangliang Village to Qingshui Town had always been few, and each time they charged three wen per person. Although Li Dazhu hated to part with the money, he hated even more to see his own daughter suffer. Moreover, Li Menglan's health had always been weaker than ordinary people's. If it really was an ox cart to Qingshui Town... Li Dazhu was prepared to grit his teeth and ride it.
When the ox cart arrived before them, well... what a coincidence. The driver was actually that Wang Tiezhu—Uncle Wang—whom Li Menglan had met yesterday. Sitting on the cart was also a woman about his age; slightly plump in build, with fairly delicate looks. Seeing how tightly she pressed against Wang Tiezhu, uh... the two of them were probably husband and wife, right?
"Brother Dazhu, what a coincidence." Wang Tiezhu greeted Li Dazhu with a smile. "Brother Dazhu, are you heading to town so early? Get in. This big brother will give you a lift." Without waiting for Li Dazhu to speak, Wang Tiezhu was already greeting them with a beaming smile.
"Brother Wang, Sister-in-law Wang, where are you two going so early?" Li Dazhu asked.
Li Menglan also quickly showed Wang Tiezhu and his wife a sweet smile and called out in a crisp, bright voice, "Hello, Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang."
"Ah..." Wang Tiezhu's wife responded with a smile and waved at Li Menglan. "Girl Lan, come here and let Auntie take a look at you."
"Aunt Wang." Li Menglan obediently walked up to her.
"Goodness, look... poor Girl Lan, just look... after that illness, she's become so thin." Wang Tiezhu's wife reached out and hugged Li Menglan as she spoke.
"By the way, Brother Dazhu, where are you father and daughter off to so early in the morning?" Wang Tiezhu glanced at the one large and one small sack on Li Dazhu's back and asked curiously.
"Mm, I'm planning to take Girl Lan to Qingshui Town." Unwilling to say more, Li Dazhu spoke vaguely.
Before leaving home, his own daughter had instructed him that he could not tell others about the hedgehog fruit—that is, chestnuts. The same went for persimmons, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns. After all, there was only so much of these things on Crooked-Neck Mountain. Too many monks, not enough porridge!
Country folk were not very wealthy, but the villagers were much better off than his own family. Originally, Li Dazhu had not taken Li Menglan's words seriously, but upon seeing his own home's destitute state with bare walls, he finally chose to keep silent.
Worried that Wang Tiezhu would press further, Li Dazhu deliberately changed the subject. "By the way, Brother Wang, are you taking Aunt Wang back to her parents' home today?" Wang Tiezhu's wife's maiden family was in Zhou Village near Qingshui Town. If that was the case... then he and his daughter really could share part of the journey. A trace of a smile appeared on Li Dazhu's honest face.
"Hehe... Brother Dazhu, you and Girl Lan have good luck today. Your sister-in-law's family sent word yesterday asking her to return home today. I can conveniently drop you and Girl Lan off outside Qingshui Town. Get in!" Wang Tiezhu didn't think much of it and picked up the thread of conversation.
"Then we'll trouble Brother Wang and Aunt Wang. When we arrive, I'll pay the fare." Friendship was friendship, but Li Dazhu didn't want to take advantage of the other for free. He said this with a serious face.
"Since you insist, then just pay for one person. Girl Lan is so small, and besides, I'm her uncle. What's money between an uncle and his niece?" Wang Tiezhu also knew Li Dazhu's temper. Though the fellow was honest, he was also extremely stubborn. He stuck to one fixed principle in everything. Once he set his mind on something, even ten oxen couldn't pull him back.
"Hehe..." Li Dazhu scratched his head and chuckled lightly, climbing onto the ox cart by himself.
As for Li Menglan? While her father was chatting with others, this girl had already gotten on the cart by herself!
After the sun came out, they finally arrived outside Qingshui Town. Li Dazhu woke up Li Menglan, who was sleeping soundly. It turned out the girl hadn't slept well last night, so once she got on the ox cart, she had fallen into a deep sleep. Li Dazhu gave Wang Tiezhu three wen and arranged to meet him outside the town that afternoon. Then the Li father and daughter temporarily parted ways with the Wang couple at the crossroads.
Qingshui Town encompassed many surrounding villages. There was a large marketplace in town; it could be said to be the centralized trading hub for all agricultural and sideline products in the area. Don't underestimate the wisdom of ancient people—the market's layout and planning were basically no different from modern ones.
Vegetables and fruits, agricultural products, eggs and poultry, as well as fish, shrimp, and seafood all had their own trading areas. The sides of the streets were lined with shops, taverns, and the like. Early in the morning, the streets were already bustling, quite resembling the small county towns of later generations.
"Father, it's so lively here." Li Menglan looked around in all directions the whole way, almost overwhelmed by the sights.
"Daughter, do you like it here?" Li Dazhu asked with a smile, fondly rubbing Li Menglan's head.
"I don't like it." Li Menglan answered without thinking. Worried that her father would ask her why, she quickly spoke before Li Dazhu could open his mouth: "Father, do you know where the largest teahouse in Qingshui Town is?" It was Li Menglan's first time going out, so naturally she knew nothing; she had no choice but to ask her father.
"Mm... Father knows. It's a place called 'Xianke Ju.'" Originally, Li Menglan hadn't held out any hope at all; she had only asked offhandedly. Who would have thought her father would actually know? This time, it was Li Menglan who was left dumbfounded.