Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Going to Furong Town_1
Translator: 549690339
“Sister Yu is right, we’re all family here, no need for excessive politeness, it feels distant.
Su Hu glanced at the girl’s warm gazes, took out a small bottle of white wine from the kang, opened the cap, and sipped it.
As the fragrant wine entered his throat, he was delighted, swaying the bottle and humming a little tune.
“Hehe.”
Upon hearing the light-hearted tune, the sisters Su Ziqin and Su Qingluo exchanged glances and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Li Xiu’e missed her daughter deeply and resolved to buy a house in the county town. Su Hu, in high spirits due to the wine, agreed. They decided that once Sister Qiao and Doudou were on their summer break, the family would travel to the county town to sell pearls and buy a house with the silver coins they made.
Excited upon getting the news, Su Qingluo had a restless night. She counted the days on her fingers, calculating when the Academy would be on holiday and how many days left before they could start their journey.
To get from Woniu Village to the county town, they had to transfer at Furong Town. On sunny days, taking a donkey cart to Furong Town and then a horse carriage to the county town would take ten hours. If they left at dawn, they would arrive in the evening.
If the weather was bad, with wind and rain making the mountain path difficult, it would take even more time. If they couldn’t make it before the city gates closed, they would have to sleep outside, making do in the carriage, and enter the city the following day once the gates opened.
It was no easy task to go to the county town with the whole family. Li Xiu’e prepared well in advance. Water for the kids to drink during the trip, food for when they were hungry, umbrellas for rain, spare clothes for when their clothes got wet, and ointment for wounds.
All in all, they collected a huge amount, filling their back baskets, and still there was not enough room.
By the time they were about to leave, Sister Qiao and Doudou also had to carry a basket each, and even Sister Yu carried a small basket with some small items that she thought would be needed.
The day after the Academy’s summer break began, Su Hu’s family got up early, locked the doors and windows, and said goodbye to the Village Chief. They crossed the river by boat and went to the neighboring village to take a donkey cart, embarking on their journey to Mingshui County.
The three children, who had never traveled far before, were excited, laughing happily on the donkey cart. Their cheerful faces were like the rising sun at dawn, brimming with youthful vitality.
The adults, hearing the children’s laughter, couldn’t help but smile, their moods immediately lifted, and they seemed more energetic.
Upon arriving at Furong Town, Su Hu’s family didn’t linger, and without resting, they transferred to a horse carriage bound for Mingshui County.
The horse carriage was much bigger than the donkey cart and could seat ten people in one compartment. Each passenger had to pay fifteen copper coins for the fare, with children paying the same amount as adults.
Even a five-year-old girl like Sister Yu had to pay the same fare since she occupied a seat.
Su Hu counted seventy-five copper coins, handed them to the carriage owner, got on the carriage with his wife and children, and once ten passengers were aboard, the coachman skillfully swung the whip to start the journey.
In the scorching summer noon, the horse carriage rattled on, and the air in the back compartment was stuffy and hot, even with the curtains open, it was still stifling and unbearable.
Su Qingluo pouted, and after much pleading, she finally got Li Xiu’e’s approval to move to the front of the carriage. There, she enjoyed the breeze brought by the moving carriage, which dispersed the stuffiness that had accumulated on the way.
The five-year-old girl dangled her short legs, admiring the beautiful scenery of the lush mountains and clear waters along the way, and laughed cheerfully.
“Swoosh.”
From the trees ahead, startled birds suddenly scattered into the air, circling and calling non-stop.
Su Qingluo’s nerves instantly tensed, her ears pricked as she faintly heard the sound of clashing swords, the painful neighing of horses, and the terrified cries of women and children..
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