Chapter 24: A Gloomy Expression
Qingshi Town wasn’t particularly close nor far from the Baijia village. If walking, it would take about half an hour, but riding a bullock cart would cut that time by half.
However, bullock carts weren’t cheap; it cost one coin per person to ride into town.
Given the family’s tight finances, Su Mulan hesitated to spend on a bullock cart. Instead, she and Bai Shuiliu briskly walked towards the town.
Bai Shuiliu understood Su Mulan’s decision and remained silent, carrying her small bamboo basket, keeping pace with Su Mulan.
On the third, sixth, and ninth day of each month, there was a market in town. During market days, people from nearby villages would come to buy things or sell their own goods. If someone saw something they needed being sold by others, they would bring their own items for exchange, and many people participated in this.
Generally, the market was always bustling. Therefore, at this time, many people walked to the town, almost everyone carrying various sizes of bamboo baskets or baskets.
Along the way, Su Mulan and Bai Shuiliu met several people from their own and neighboring villages.
“Shuiliu, heading to town?” It was Feng from the Bai Tudun family in the village speaking. As she talked, her eyes kept glancing at Su Mulan and even shifted over to Bai Shuiliu.
Su Mulan had already changed her temperament, treating her children with leniency, a change that had swept through the entire Baijia village like a gust of wind. Feng had heard about it too, but seeing such a transformation in a person who used to be tough, she still had some doubts.
“Yeah, going to town to sell some dried sweet potatoes,” Su Mulan replied, accustomed to such interactions over the past few days, ignoring Feng Shi’s probing gaze.
Then she tightened her arm around the bamboo basket and added, “When you’re selling things, you have to go early. If you go late, there might not be any place left in town to set up a stall.”
The Bai Tudun family was well-off with plenty of land and siblings. Besides farming, they often did odd jobs outside. Seeing Feng heading to town empty-handed suggested she was going to buy things.
Time was precious, and Su Mulan didn’t want to waste it on unproductive social interactions at this moment.
“Alright, let’s go,” Feng replied, watching Su Mulan and Bai Shuiliu hurry away. Her lips curled into a smile, “They’re practically walking instead of running.”
“The sweet potato flour might still find buyers, but selling dried sweet potatoes will require even more effort to grind into flour. It’s not easy to sell them in the first place, and if they go late, they might not sell at all,” Liu, who followed Feng, remarked. “Their family’s food supply isn’t abundant to begin with. Selling dried sweet potatoes again—aren’t they setting themselves up to starve later?”
“They say Su’s temper has softened, not scolding Shuiliu and the others anymore, but I think she’s become a bit foolish,” Feng sighed.
“Why bother so much? If they end up with nothing to eat later, that’s their problem,” Liu shrugged.
“I’m afraid that when their food jar is empty, they’ll have to shamelessly ask their fellow villagers for help,” Feng scoffed.
Their family is considered upper-middle class in the village. If something like this happens, they won’t be able to escape it. Thinking about this, Feng felt somewhat unhappy, looking resentfully at Su Mulan and Bai Shuiliu who were hurrying ahead.
Though Feng and Liu spoke quietly, being close enough, Su Mulan and Bai Shuiliu heard them clearly.
Su Mulan didn’t show any expression, continuing to walk briskly. Bai Shuiliu’s face looked somewhat unpleasant.
By the time they reached the town, Bai Shuiliu still had her lips pursed, her eyes veiled with a layer of gloom.”