Si Jin said:
"Eldest Girl, the White Dragon Horse is white. Our Horse is gray."
Qin Sang patted the two children's heads:
"But our Horse is also very handsome, right?"
The two girls nodded eagerly.
Looking at their bright, sparkling eyes, Qin Sang comforted them:
"Things in town aren't safe right now, so I can't take you to play. But if you want to buy anything, you can tell Grandma, and she'll bring it back for you."
Eldest Girl hugged Qin Sang's leg, looking up with her little face:
"Eldest Girl doesn't want Grandma to buy things. Eldest Girl just wants Grandma and you all to come back safely."
Si Jin, being a bit older, couldn't bring herself to hug a leg like a little child:
"Yes, Mother, come back early."
Qin Sang nodded repeatedly:
"Okay, okay. Wen Mo, you're a young man. You must guard the house and take good care of them, understand?"
Tian Wenmo, suddenly given this instruction, opened his little mouth.
Huh?
He was only eight years old, and Mother actually said he was a young man who had to take care of his sister and sister-in-law?
When there's something good, why doesn't Mother ever think of him?
Though dissatisfied in his heart, he answered honestly with his mouth:
"Mhm."
Breakfast was flatbreads made by Eldest Brother's Wife. Qin Sang had her make an extra two jin of dough, which she wrapped in cloth.
When hiring people for work, they must be full to have the strength to wield their tools.
Additionally, she brewed a pot of herbal tea and filled the purchased water skins. The weather was too hot; some herbal tea would cool the body and relieve the heat.
By the time this was done, the sky was still dark. The agreed time arrived, and Hunter Xu and his son, Xu You Di, and Da Hua's Father had all arrived.
All four men had wood-cutting knives and bamboo tube hats at their waists. Hunter Xu and his son also carried water skins and bows and arrows on their backs. After a brief greeting, Qin Sang said:
"The cart is full of goods, so I'm afraid we'll have to trouble everyone to walk."
The four men all smiled:
"What's that? We always walk when going to town."
"It's just an hour or two's journey. Let's set off. It's cooler earlier."
"Yes, yes, let's go. Leaving early means it's cooler."
The cart was piled high with goods. Neither Qin Sang nor Tian Dazhuang rode on the cart; instead, they pulled it forward.
The pace wasn't fast. The four hired escorts split into two groups: You Di and Da Hua's Father in front, Hunter Xu and his son behind.
Along the way, all four praised Qin Sang's mule and Horse incessantly. With someone talking, the morning wasn't too hot yet, and the journey didn't feel tiring.
When they were halfway there, the sky was about to brighten. Qin Sang had the mule stop and said:
"Let's rest here for a bit. Have something to eat and drink some water. Da Zhuang, go distribute the water. There's some in the water skins."
Qin Sang then took out the cloth bag and pulled out the flatbreads. She had added four eggs to the dough, and before frying, she wrapped them with stir-fried dried vegetables. When taken out, the flatbreads were still soft and emitted a savory aroma.
Qin Sang took three flatbreads and handed them to Hu Zi:
"Eat. If it's not enough, Auntie has more here."
Hunter Xu hurriedly declined:
"Da Zhuang's Mother, we brought our own food."
Qin Sang insisted on stuffing them into the honest child Hu Zi's hands:
"There's no reason to ask you to work and bring your own food. Hu Zi, hold them tight; don't drop them."
Seeing they couldn't refuse, all four accepted. Holding the soft wheat flatbreads in their hands, they couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
They couldn't remember the last time they had eaten flatbreads. At home, whatever grain they had was used to make porridge for a watery fullness. Such substantial and delicious flatbreads were something they could only afford to eat once in a harvest year after back-breaking labor.
And today, Qin Sang not only prepared flatbreads but also herbal tea.
Nowadays, no family had enough water to drink freely; everyone conserved it. Although they had brought their own bamboo tubes, they only contained a few sips, to be taken only when unbearably thirsty.
When Da Zhuang poured the herbal tea for everyone, it was a large half-potful, more than enough for the better part of the day.
Though the herbal tea had a slight bitter taste, it also had a sweet aftertaste. One sip made the scorching heat in their lungs feel several degrees cooler.
The four men felt that just for these flatbreads and this herbal tea, it would be too shameful to still ask for the fifty wen wages.
They each resolved in their hearts that when they returned, they absolutely could not accept the wages.
Qin Sang also prepared food and drink for the mule. After finishing breakfast, they set off again.
The sun rose, and the heat immediately intensified. Everyone wore hats, but sweat still flowed incessantly.
Gradually, the closer they got to town, the more they noticed refugees gathering on the road. Some large groups, likely entire villages, had two to three hundred people. Smaller groups, probably extended families, had several dozen.
Groups of just over ten people were rare. Qin Sang thought it made sense; in ancient times, without sticking together, encountering any trouble on the road of flight meant certain death.
Hearing the sound of the mule, many people looked towards Qin Sang and the others, their eyes filled with scrutiny and desire.
Without needing Qin Sang's reminder, the hands of the men in the group gripped the axes at their waists, and their expressions turned serious and solemn.
Hunter Xu and his son, As expected often walking in the mountains, had a bloodthirsty, fierce glint in their eyes.
Qin Sang felt she had made the right decision hiring escorts. She dared not imagine what might happen if she and Da Zhuang alone delivered the goods and were surrounded.
Finally, they arrived in town without major incident and drove straight to Tongfu Inn.
Before arriving, they saw from afar Steward Huang's carriage parked outside the inn. This time, there were also four Guards outside the carriage, standing imposingly with long swords at their waists.
The shopkeeper had the Shop Assistant open the back door, and Qin Sang pulled both carts inside.
Hunter Xu and the others knew Qin Sang was going in to discuss business, so they didn't enter. Instead, they found a shady spot outside the courtyard to rest.
"Steward Huang, Shopkeeper, the mosquito coils are all here. Please inspect them." Qin Sang took off her hat, wiped her sweat with a cloth towel, and said to the two men on the steps.
Tian Dazhuang lifted the oilcloth, revealing the mosquito coils on the mule cart to everyone.
Steward Huang stepped forward, inspected them, nodded, and smiled:
"Not bad, Doctor Qin. I was worried you wouldn't be able to make a hundred tubes in two days. Not only did you manage it, but it seems there are extras, right?"
Qin Sang had to admire Steward Huang's sharpness. With just a glance, he knew there were more than a hundred and fifty tubes on the mule cart.
No wonder he could be a steward:
"I was afraid of delaying your money-making, Steward. So I hired villagers to help, paying them wages. Relying on just my family, we definitely couldn't have completed it."
"Is this another cart of herbs? Doctor Qin, did you dig all these?" Steward Huang asked curiously.
Qin Sang waved her hand:
"How could I? These were also dug by villagers. I just collected the herbs they dug and brought them together to sell. Selling in bulk gets a slightly better price than selling piecemeal."
Steward Huang was somewhat surprised. This woman looked like an utterly ordinary farm wife, even handling business trips herself—likely a widow. Yet she knew medicine and understood business.
She could even mobilize the whole village to help her work and earn money. Truly remarkable.