Step Down, Let Me Come!

Chapter 27: Entering City

The road to Xiao City was far from smooth.

Not to mention dangerous animals, poisonous insects, and fierce beasts, just the bandits who blocked the road to rob were enough to frighten people. The two of them, in order to lessen unneeded troubles, did their utmost not to spend the night outdoors.

However, their top priority was to buy new clothes for young master Shen, because they were already running out of Qi Shan’s clothes for him to wear.

Qi Shan came out of the cloth shop with a cloth bag in his hand.

They didn’t have time to take the measurements, so he could only choose the male clothes that were similar in size to young master Shen from ready-made ones.

There were inner and outer clothes, in addition to the one he lent to young master Shen before. Three sets should be enough to wear.

“Young master Shen, we should move…” 

Qi Shan just wanted to call Shen Tang to start the journey to another village before it got dark, but Shen Tang that should be waiting at the entrance was nowhere to be seen.

He? 

He dared to run around in an unfamiliar place? 

Qi Shan wanted to look for Shen Tang, but he didn’t even take a step, when from the corner of his eyes he glimpsed a somewhat familiar pure white thing on the opposite side of the street – the lofty snow-white mule obediently lay on the ground. Even if the passers-by surrounded him, they still couldn't block its swaying tail.

Qi Shan: “…”

“Fellow countrymen, take a look, take a look, fresh green plums! Just picked! Three pennies a catty. Buy now while stocks last…”

When he approached the crowd, he heard a familiar voice.

To his surprise, he saw the familiar-looking young master Shen, carelessly sitting on the ground with his hair tied up in a bun with a straw rope. A piece of cloth was spread out in front of him, on which there were green plums piled up like hills, besides it was a big basket full of green plums.

He didn’t seem the least bit bashful, enthusiastically peddling green plums.

If there were buyers, he would passionately call them masters, ladies, brothers, or sisters. His mouth was smeared with honey.

He didn’t even forget to advertise.

It’s a bargain. Thin-skinned big green plums, that could not only quench thirst and reduce body heat, but also beautify the skin. It was a must-have fruit in midsummer.

Qi Shan stood in the crowd for a while and discovered that most of the buyers were girls, that bought around 3 to 5 catty of fruits. Not to mention the low price of the green plums, merely the voice of this young master yelling “sister”, and “lady” was enough for them to buy everything.

Were it not for him being too young and his attitude enthusiastic, in addition to being beautiful with pure eyes and no dirty thoughts, the men on this street would probably drag him to the alley and beat him up – you have spare time to tease these wives and little ladies, what do you want?

It was frivolous to call everyone a lady or sister.

A moment later, Shen Tang’s green plums were completely sold out. She put a few copper coins in her purse. She got up and dusted off the dirt on her buttocks. She had already predicted that Qi Shan was standing at the side.

She asked smilingly: “Yuanshan, are you done?”

Qi Shan wasn’t happy, he endured the urge to roll his eyes.

“Done, what are you doing here?”

Others were selling wine, while young master Shen was selling plums on the street? 

Shen Tang shook the money bag, which made a clanging sound.

“I was penniless, Yuanliang you asked, because…”

Were you not aware of how poor she was?

She couldn’t always take the money from Qi Shan, right?

They were neither relatives nor friends. They used each other, so no one owned the other. Shen Tang couldn’t be so shameless as to take him as an ATM as well.

Under the complicated gaze of Qi Shan, Shen Tang returned the frame to another stall owner, redeemed the mortgaged wenxin seal from him, and put it back on her waist. With the newly earned money, she bought some salt, wine, and pickled side dishes.

“Why did you give the money to master Tian, even though you knew you’re so short on money?” Qi Shan, packed the cloths to the bag on the mule. Ever since they discovered Shen Tang could keep the mule for the whole day without getting tired, they utilized it for more purposes. 

They put the baggage on the mule to save the efforts. 

Two days before, day made a farewell with Tian Zhong. Shen Tang gave them a few silver coins, in addition to a few pancakes.

“On the one hand, these silver coins weren’t earned by me”. They were taken from the body of her first killed officer. She didn’t regret taking other's money. “On the other hand, they were injured and penniless. Even if they knew of a place where they could get help, they didn’t have anything on them, and it is unknown if they can reach their destination”. 

If she didn’t have money, she wouldn’t die.

After consideration, she just gave them some money.

Shen Tang was a female nerd painter that grew up in peaceful times. She couldn’t bear to see unfortunate people, so if she could help, she would choose to do that. 

Qi Shan found it unbelievable, so he asked again: “Only because of that?”

Shen Tang didn’t understand and tiled her head.

“If it’s not this, then what? What? In this period, good people doing good deeds are always questioned?” 

Qi Shan: “…” 

After perceiving from Shen Tang’s expression that she seemed to be speaking the truth, he didn’t know what to think, his expression kept changing, making others confused.

Shen Tang failed to understand, so she had no other way but to cautiously ask him: “Yuanliang?”

Qi Shan gazed at her deeply. He sighed: “Nothing”.

Then he stumbled and appeared a few feet away.

Shen Tang, who was left on the ground: “…no!”

Since it was nothing, why are you running away using magic words?

Even if you bullied her, she still wouldn’t know how to ride a motorcycle while using ‘chase the wind’ magic sentence!

Because she was poor, Shen Tang could only walk while selling self-made pancakes, green plums and maltose.

The price for the green plums and maltose fluctuated according to the dresses of the local people. The price for the people with a dignified and clean appearance was a bit higher than for the people with messy appearance whose clothes were covered in patches. The price for the pancakes depended on local street vendors. Since it was a no-cost transaction for her, she tried to not disrupt the market.

Qi Shan declined to comment on her serious considerations.

Of course, it was unknown how he ridiculed her in his heart. 

Young master Shen was the worst user of wenxin he had ever seen in his life, even compared to the moment when he was at his worst.

However, Shen Tang enjoyed it, so he didn’t say much. 

The two of them hurried and finally approached the territory of Sibao County.

After calculating the time they spend on the road, it was estimated that they were even slower than the second batch of the Gong clan’s exiled criminals. 

“Yuanliang, not long ago I heard the folk on the market saying that Sibao County has four treasures, and the people have ample food and clothing… But why?”

Shen Tang led the motorcycle, while following Qi Shan. She kept looking around.

The street was empty. The surroundings that they could see were wrecked. Occasionally, they could see the malnourished passersby, that clothes looked like the worn-out bags that were covering only the bones. They looked as if a gust of wind could make them wobble.

These people were also really timid. If they accidentally met the eyes of Qi Shan or Shen Tang, they would shrink back similar to a frightened rabbit and disappear quickly.

Qi Shan sighed: “Sibao County was one of the first counties that Geng Kingdom conquered. Three of the six nearby counties were looted, and the situation in Sibao County was particularly serious. If they wanted to restore the prosperity of the past, it would be difficult…”

Each and every family wore white mourning dresses and made funeral arrangements. The wailing and sobbing never ended.

This sour sight, wasn’t unexpected to Qi Shan.

Who let the war be led in Xin Kingdom?

The folk of this land were destined to suffer. 

When the two people merely arrived to Xiao city, they had already discovered that outside and inside the city were two different worlds.

Corpses littered the fields outside the city, and the barren land was thousands of miles away. The whining sound of the night wind was like thousands of lonely souls and wild ghosts crying together in mourning.

And in the city - 

The crowd was surging like a tide to celebrate peace with dance and songs.