kvmb Chapter 107 See You Later, Yanta Town
Chapter 107 See You Later, Yanta Town
Seeing the brother and sister enter with dark faces, the young man wanted to ease the atmosphere and try to close the deal, so he used his talent to start talking.
"Don't be upset, you two. That's how it is when you buy things. If this one doesn't work, try another one. You'll always find something suitable."
"The shopkeeper next door is an honest man; his umbrellas are indeed not suitable for long journeys."
The young man led the two to a cart, opened a box, and took out several raincoats. "Look," he said, "these raincoats and straw sandals are perfect for long journeys, especially in windy and rainy weather."
"The workmanship is excellent, and the construction is so tight that it's guaranteed to stay dry the whole way."
"Gentlemen, you can try it on if you don't believe me. It's okay, trying it on is free, hehe..."
Suddenly, Wenwen noticed a few leaves in the box, which seemed to be arranged in the shape of a Chinese character.
Wen Chengjian happened to turn his head to look at the box; different perspective, same words.
A character "任" (Ren) formed by leaves suddenly appeared before the brother and sister's eyes.
The young man noticed the siblings' expressions, came over, grabbed a handful of leaves, and vigorously rubbed them, then casually flung them to the ground. "Oops, I was so careless, a few leaves fell in, but it doesn't affect the use of the raincoat."
The young man spoke very carefully, saying, "If you two don't believe me, you can look it up again more carefully."
Wenwen!
If you let me flip through it, I'll flip through it; well, then this girl won't be polite.
Wenwen approached the box, reached inside and rummaged around. Hmm, the bottom layer felt slightly different; it looked like a tent.
Wenwen blinked and glanced at the young man.
The young man understood immediately, and without any prompting, he kept talking, "What do you two think? What do you think? Are you satisfied? Let me tell you..."
Wenwen interrupted him, "Satisfied, quite satisfied. I need more, do you have any? Also, are you selling this box? And the cart? I'll buy them both."
Wow! This is a big deal!
The young man immediately beamed with joy, pointing at the box and chattering away. He then took out straw raincoats and straw sandals of different sizes from under the table, and arranged them according to the siblings' gestures, one for each of them, completing the set of straw raincoats, hats, and sandals.
They continued until the boxes and the car were full before the brother and sister stopped.
The commotion here has made nearby businesses extremely envious.
The shopkeeper next door selling umbrellas went even further, saying, "Hey you two, do you have anything else you like here? You can get a discount on those too!"
The shopkeeper seemed to have forgotten his rudeness just now, and asked the brother and sister with a smile on his face.
Wenwen knew perfectly well who had arranged things between the two of them, but she could only act according to the script.
"Shopkeeper, I'd like a dozen more umbrellas. Please pick out some that are sturdy and nice-looking, but not ones that get torn by a gust of wind or a shower."
"Hey, hey, hey, I guarantee it's sturdy."
Soon, the shopkeeper placed a basket on the cart. Inside the basket were more than a dozen colorful umbrellas, which looked quite nice and added a splash of color to the dark sky.
After paying the bill, the brother and sister squeezed out of the crowd and reunited with their family, watched by the young man and the shopkeeper.
Even with two fewer shoppers, the commercial area in the north of the city remained as bustling and crowded as ever.
Many prisoners were still buying supplies, and quite a few were comparing prices from shop to shop. In short, everyone tried to buy some urgently needed items so that they wouldn't have money but nowhere to buy them on the way.
"Clang, clang, clang..."
The constables started banging gongs, shouting, "Line up, come and line up, get ready to be checked to leave the city!"
Those whose names were called went one by one, and after the officials guarding the city gate and Lord Zhu verified their identities, they were allowed to pass.
The prisoners are no longer the same as when they first left the capital. Back then, they were tearful, crying and screaming, and in a state of utter collapse. Now, after this long journey, they have developed the ability to read people's expressions. They know that along the way, they can only follow the orders of the yamen runners, be quick and efficient, and try to keep a low profile to avoid being beaten or scolded as much as possible.
It's true that environment shapes people, and those who understand the times are the wise ones.
The long queue moved forward in an orderly fashion at a snail's pace.
Not far behind the Wen family, a row of soldiers stood in a line, maintaining order at the scene and keeping the prisoners and onlookers at a distance.
Among these soldiers were those who guarded the city gates of Yanta Town, and others who were escorting prisoners this time.
They were all soldiers, shared similar experiences, and were of similar age. As the column moved forward, the group started chatting.
"Dude, you guys have traveled nearly 360 li (120 kilometers) from Beijing to here, right? How's it going?"
"It's nothing special, just like marching, it's all about walking."
"Come on, marching is nothing compared to this. This is so much easier, all you have to do is keep moving forward."
"You make it sound so easy. It's over three thousand miles, and you've only gone this far. Who can predict what we'll encounter on the way out?"
"That's true. Don't be envious of this job. Heading north from here, it's all desolate mountains and wilderness, and natural disasters and man-made calamities are truly unpredictable."
"Well, you know what, last year my fellow villager said that their camp was in the mountains near Linfeng Town, and they wiped out a whole gang of bandits. They didn't catch the biggest leader, though. You'd better be careful when you pass through there this time."
"Oh, is that so?"
"It's true."
"Alright, don't spread rumors, or you'll get criticized."
"That's right, that's right. Let's talk about something else. By the way, the next town is more than 400 li away from here. There are many mountain roads along the way, and the weather is not good. You need to make sure you have enough supplies, understand?"
"I know, I know, thanks buddy..."
Just as the soldiers were chatting happily, an untimely and abrupt voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"My lord, my lord, please help me, please help me!"
"Who goes there? What nonsense are you spouting?"
One of the soldiers immediately reprimanded him upon seeing this.
"My lords, I'd like to deliver some steamed buns and dumplings to the Wen family. I hope you gentlemen will make an exception for me."
The Wen family!
Huh? People in this town are sending them things?
Upon hearing this, the whole family turned their heads in unison.
Wenwen turned around and immediately saw that it was the innkeeper's waiter.
He stood awkwardly among the soldiers, carrying a basket on his back and a large bundle in his hand, waving to them.
The soldier who stopped them happened to be one of the Zhao brothers.
The Zhao brothers considered for a few moments and then let them pass, saying, "Send them over quickly."
Upon receiving the order, the waiter hurriedly ran to the Wen family, carrying the food on his back and in his arms. "Old Master Wen, I've brought some food. Please take care of yourself, and everyone else too!"
The Wen family truly hadn't expected that an innkeeper would have such a heart for them; this sincerity was truly heart-wrenching.
Looking at the innkeeper who was covered in sweat, Wenwen felt a mix of emotions. "Brother waiter, thank you. What's your name? My family will repay you in the future."
"Ah, no need, no need, my name is Wang Tian."
Wenwen thanked him sincerely, "Brother Wang Tian, until we meet again!"
As Wang Tian slowly walked back to town, Wenwen took one last look at the town, thinking to herself.
"Until we meet again, the guest is here."
"Until we meet again, Yanta Town."