CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 50: BUYING A HORSE

There’s no other choice; I can’t just sit here and wait to be beaten.

Yu Xiaolian packed everything into the hidden space, and finally, with a flash of inspiration, she decided to put Yu Changhe inside too.

This way, she and Mrs. Sun could leave smoothly.

Luckily, she had this hidden space; otherwise, it would have been really difficult to manage.

Rushing out through the back door of the medicine hall, Yu Xiaolian and Mrs. Sun were momentarily at a loss as to where to go.

It was already getting dark, so they could only find an inn nearby to stay for the night.

Large shared rooms, common rooms, superior rooms.

Yu Xiaolian decisively chose a common room and spent half a tael of silver.

Mrs. Sun clicked her tongue in distress beside her; how expensive!

This half a tael of silver was just for lodging, not even including meals!

Yu Xiaolian, however, was okay with it and could accept this price.

On the surface, it was two people, but in fact, three people stayed in the inn’s common room.

The room only had one bed, suitable for two people, but three people would be cramped.

Yu Xiaolian released Yu Changhe, letting him and Mrs. Sun sleep on the bed while she prepared to sleep on the floor. Fortunately, they stayed on the second floor of the inn, and the floor was wooden, so it wouldn’t be too cold.

She took out a blanket, laid it on the floor, and lay down comfortably.

The room was a standard room with no extra decoration, but it had a window. Hearing the noise from the street outside, Yu Xiaolian got up and opened the window.

Outside, a group of young men in identical servant uniforms, holding wooden sticks, were rushing fiercely in the direction of Huichun Hall.

When the group reached downstairs of the inn, Yu Xiaolian realized that Zhao Kuo was among them. When did Zhao Kuo become a lapdog of the Pan Family?

She hoped that doctor Zheng and his son had already hidden; otherwise, judging by the Pan Family’s menacing demeanor, it might not end well.

Yu Xiaolian didn’t have much combat ability and couldn’t help the Zheng Family. Besides, she didn’t want to invite trouble.

Mrs. Sun also leaned at the window, immediately noticing a familiar figure, and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn’t that Zhao Kuo?"

Yu Xiaolian pulled Mrs. Sun back and closed the window.

Mrs. Sun puzzledly said, "Isn’t Zhao Kuo supposed to be a government official now? Why is he with the Pan Family people?"

Yu Changhe answered, "The Pan Family has connections; even the government officer has to act according to the Pan Family’s will. I didn’t expect Zhao Kuo to really be involved with them!"

The Pan Family once broke Yu Changhe’s leg and robbed him of that Moonlight Jade Pendant. Yu Changhe considered asking the county magistrate to stand up for him.

Zhao Kuo told Yu Changhe that the Pan Family and the county magistrate were in cahoots. If he went to report them, it wouldn’t just be about a lame leg; he might end up mysteriously dead in jail.

Yu Changhe, having lingering fear, dared not sue the Pan Family.

"Father, it was Zhao Kuo who informed the Pan Family about your Jade Pendant," Yu Xiaolian said.

Yu Changhe frowned deeply, "I suspected it after visiting the Jiang Family last time, but I just didn’t want to admit it.

I grew up with Zhao Kuo, we were the best of friends, doing everything together except eating and sleeping, spending almost every day together, hunting birds in the mountains, catching fish in the rivers..."

Yu Changhe never imagined Zhao Kuo would stab him in the back.

People in the village even gave gifts to Yu Changhe to arrange official positions for them, but Yu Changhe refused. He only wanted to help his good brother Zhao Kuo.

Yu Changfu and Mrs. Cao have always resented Yu Changhe for this matter.

Yu Changfu was illiterate and couldn’t become a government official, but Mrs. Cao’s brother knew some characters, so they hoped Yu Changhe could help arrange it. Eventually, Yu Changhe still chose to give the position to Zhao Kuo.

Yu Changhe sighed, realizing now that he had been a poor judge of character.

When Zhao’s grandmother demanded those four silver taels, although Zhao Kuo didn’t intervene, he certainly knew afterward but never came to explain to Yu Changhe, leaving early and returning late every day to avoid him.

"What? Zhao Kuo betrayed us?" Mrs. Sun was unaware of any of this until hearing the father and son speak of it now.

Mrs. Sun cursed Zhao Kuo relentlessly for an entire evening.

The next morning, Yu Xiaolian, under the pretense of going out to buy food, went to check on Huichun Hall. She found it tightly closed and not in business.

She grabbed a passerby to inquire, learning that overnight everything had changed, and the shop no longer bore the Zheng Family name.

"So, the pharmacy was extorted by the Pan Family?"

"I wouldn’t dare say that," the passerby quickly waved his hand, fearing being overheard speaking ill of the Pan Family.

Yu Xiaolian further asked, "What about the Zheng doctor’s family?"

The passerby whispered, "It’s said they couldn’t stay in town and returned to their hometown. Sigh, exchanging a shop for the family’s peace is considered worthwhile."

"Where is the Zheng doctor’s hometown?"

"I wouldn’t know. I have something to do, so I’ll leave first," the passerby quickly left, fearful of getting involved in trouble.

Yu Xiaolian bought four buns and three donkey meat sandwiches, then returned to the inn.

Upon seeing her, the innkeeper’s assistant cheerfully asked if they were staying another night. If they were, they needed to pay; if not, they had to leave by noon.

Yu Xiaolian said they weren’t staying and would definitely leave by noon.

A half tael of silver a day was not worth it. Moreover, since doctor Zheng was no longer in town, Yu Changhe’s leg still needed to be treated by another doctor. She thought it might better to head north directly to Yangcheng.

However, if she left just like that, Jiang Lin might worry about them. How should she leave a message for Jiang Lin?

Remembering the pastry shop Jiang Lin frequently visited, Yu Xiaolian decided to write a letter and leave it there. When Jiang Lin goes to buy pastries, who knows?

Let things take their course!

Yu Xiaolian wrote the letter and gave the pastry shop owner ten copper coins, as thanks for helping to deliver the letter.

The lady was warm-hearted and initially refused the ten coins, but Yu Xiaolian insisted, so she finally accepted.

She assured Yu Xiaolian that she would certainly deliver the letter to Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin often bought pastries there and always in large quantities. The pastry shop’s lady had long recognized him and even considered introducing her niece to Jiang Lin. But after learning that Jiang Lin’s family had no mother, just a bachelor father, and two bachelors in the family, her niece wasn’t willing, so the idea was dropped.

Having arranged the letter, Yu Xiaolian also went to the embroidery house where Mrs. Sun worked and returned the unfinished embroidery work.

The embroiderer asked if something happened at home. Yu Xiaolian said there were some changes, but without explaining further, she left.

After leaving the embroiderer, Yu Xiaolian went directly to the cattle market to buy a carriage.

In ancient times, there were no other vehicles; horses were the most convenient and fast means of transport. Yu Xiaolian didn’t want to walk everywhere.

She was startled upon inquiring about prices. Yu Xiaolian thought a horse would only cost thirty to forty taels of silver, at most fifty taels.

The horse trader explained that cattle and horses were precious in ancient times; good horses were rare.

In ancient times, owning a good horse was akin to having a supercar in modern day.

An older horse cost fifty taels, a middle-aged horse seventy taels, and a robust, prime horse a hundred taels.

Carriages were separate, costing ten taels. Adding a canopy to the carriage would cost thirty taels, and a more luxurious one cost fifty taels.

Goodness, it’s really expensive!

Yu Xiaolian naturally wanted to buy a strong, young horse, and the carriage needed a canopy to avoid exposure to the sun and wind when traveling.

She selected a bay horse with not a single stray hair, its coat a striking red like a ripe date.

Yu Xiaolian knew she wanted it immediately and haggled for a long time, finally closing the deal for both the horse and the carriage at a hundred and twenty-five taels.