On the Difficulties of Escape in Ancient Times

Chapter 8 Mule Cart
  When encountering such a major incident, Xiao Youfu couldn't lie still and immediately went out to inquire about the situation.

Xiao Xiao quickly took the oil-paper umbrella and followed: "Dad, shall I go with you?"

"No..." He swallowed his refusal. He didn't have a son to stand in front of him. If something happened to him, it would be bad if his daughters didn't have any opinions.

He simply said: "You sisters, go borrow Xiao Yuan's clothes and change into them, and go out with me."

Xiao Zhengyuan is sixteen years old this year, and his height has grown rapidly like a bamboo. Last year, Xia Shan was already a lot shorter.

But the three sisters should be able to wear it.

Xiao Lian responded quickly, took her cousin and went to look for his clothes.

Xiao Youfu also took the opportunity to greet Mr. Liu back to the room, touched his nose, and asked a little embarrassedly: "Do you have any money left? I want to buy a mule!"

If the government really forced conscription, it would be to arrest a man on sight. He would not want to be a soldier. In all likelihood, he would never come back.

Then we can only leave Yuzhang. If the whole family wants to run away, the mule is indispensable.

It's a pity that he only has more than ten taels of silver left in his pocket. If he wants to buy something as big as a mule, he can only ask her for the silver.

Ten days ago, Mrs. Liu would never have given him the money she had saved, but now he saved the lives of the mother and daughter.

It also made her understand that although this man was not a good person, he was willing to risk his life for her and her daughters.

So in front of him, he took out a locked jewelry box from the box, and took out the key from his purse to open the jewelry box: "We only have more than seventy taels of silver at home, of which eight taels were given to us by the He family. betrothal gift."

"You can stop by He's house later! Ask them what their plans are."

The He family also lived in the town and opened a bamboo tapestry shop, selling various bamboo tapestry utensils.

The year before last, my sister-in-law acted as a matchmaker, helping her eldest daughter to connect He Yanbin, the eldest son of the family.

He Yanbin is nineteen years old this year. He has studied for a few years. After he was fifteen, he followed his father to manage the business of the shop.

The two families had originally agreed to get married this winter.

Xiao Youfu hesitated for a moment, then took fifty taels of silver and put it in his pocket: "Okay, then if there is a suitable mule, I will buy it?"

Mrs. Liu endured her heartache and replied, "I'll listen to you!"

Xiao Youfu went out with his daughters dressed as boys.

Although he spent a lot of time in the county town, he was also very familiar with the town. When he went out, he went to find the gambling shop in the town. When he saw the door was closed, his heart skipped a beat.

He whispered: "The gambling house will not close day and night!"

Xiao Xiao immediately responded: "The gambling houses are well-informed. If they close their doors, then something really happened, right? Then where should we go to find out the news?"

Xiao Youfu took them to Yahang and told the boy inside that he was looking for a Yaxian who was selling the house.

As soon as he heard that he was going to sell the house, Ya Zhi clasped his fists and smiled bitterly: "Master, I'm not just throwing cold water on you. It's not difficult for you to buy a house at this time of year, but it's not easy to sell it."

Xiao Youfu took out an ingot and a tael of silver and gave it to him: "What's going on outside now? Please tell me carefully."

Yaren accepted the money and was willing to sell the news: "King Annan has rebelled and is recruiting troops. They will probably come to our side soon. It is better for a brave man like me to avoid him."

He leaned closer to him and whispered: "Our boss is also preparing to go to Jiangsu and Zhejiang."

Xiao Xiao, who had been staying close to Xiao Youfu, no longer took any chances. After going out, he said to Xiao Youfu: "Dad, they say Jiangnan is a land of plenty, let's go to Jiangsu and Zhejiang too?"

Xiao Youfu sighed: "Jiangsu and Zhejiang are good, but they are too good. They have always been a battleground for military strategists!"

Xiao Lian, who was following behind, asked worriedly: "Then where can we go?"

Xiao Youfu was also confused, but he didn't dare to show it, lest his daughters would be even more frightened. He pretended to be calm and said: "Let's buy some salt first, and then buy mules."

Xiao Xiao quickly responded: "You can buy some bacon. You can save the salt and still eat the meat. It's also durable."

The most important thing was that she remembered that there were only two shops selling bacon in the town, one of which was right next door to Hejiamei's shop.

Xiao Lian looked at her with disgust: "You're a foodie, you just know how to eat, it's important to buy a mule first!"

Xiao Xiao also rolled his eyes at Xiao Lian: "You are the fool. Don't you know that I am a drunkard and don't care about drinking?"

After Xiao Xiu followed him out, he just watched and said in a low voice: "Let's just go with dad."

When he came to the street, Xiao Youfu found that many stores were closed.

There are only two main streets in the town. Down one street, three grain shops are closed.

The faces of the father and daughter were even more ugly.

When I came across a grocery store or a spice shop, I went in. When I asked about the price, I found that the price had increased horribly.

The price of salt that originally cost sixty cents per catty has now increased to five hundred cents per catty.

Even eggs that originally cost two cents each now cost eight cents each.

The price of pickled eggs and duck eggs has also increased from four or five cents each to twenty cents each.

Xiao Youfu gritted his teeth and bought two kilograms of salt.

Xiao Xiao also bought ten pickled duck eggs and two kilograms of pickled vegetables.

After that, the father and daughter hurried to another street.

There is also a market selling vegetables and meat on this street. It is very deserted in the afternoon. There are only two vendors selling pork and a few selling clay pots, dustpans, bamboo baskets and the like.

Xiao Youfu said to his younger brother who was guarding the stall, "There is something going on at home. Can you close the stall and go back early?"

Xiao Yougui was dozing off leisurely, but when he heard his elder brother's words, he could only smile bitterly: "The superiors stipulate that we must sell one pig every day, but there are still about twenty kilograms of meat that have not been sold out?"

Originally, they collected their own pigs to sell, but now that the martial law has been enforced, they can't get out. At first, there was not enough meat to sell. Yesterday, the meat was brought to them from above, but the meat, which originally cost about 20 yuan per kilogram, sold for 2 yuan. One hundred words per pound.

This suddenly increased tenfold, and even the landlords in the town were reluctant to buy too much.

What's more, many wealthy people in the town have now escaped secretly, which makes people even more panicked.

Mr. Xiao, who had gone out to inquire about the news, strode back. When he heard that the boss was going to buy mules, he simply led them there: "Just in time, I'll be back from the mule and horse shop."

There was only one shop in the town that rented mules and carriages, and also sold mules, horses, cattle, and donkeys.

The shopkeeper saw Mr. Xiao and received them personally: "These days, the most people are buying mule carts and ox carts. We are really not stable here."

"The boss also said that we will leave tomorrow night. Brother Xiao, if you want to buy it, buy it as soon as possible? Don't think it is expensive. Wait until the day after tomorrow. Even if you want to buy it, there is no place to buy it."

"I can give you the best price, one hundred taels for a horse-drawn carriage, sixty taels for a mule-cart, and forty taels for an ox-cart!"

After Xiao Xiao listened on the side, he could only think: From now on, whether it is a house or a car, it is an expensive thing that ordinary people love and hate.

They hadn't thought about the carriage at all, and it would have been in vain anyway.

The only things they could afford were mule carts or ox carts.

(End of this chapter)