CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 52: FOUR HUNDRED TAELS CAN’T BUY A SHOP

After the family of three finished lunch, Yu Xiaolian tidied up the trash and set off again.

She took out two bottles of chilled mineral water and some juice, tossing them into the cart for Yu Changhe and Sun to drink on the road.

Later, she remembered there were sunflower seeds in the space, so she took out two packets, tossing one in the cart, and kept one for herself to snack on outside.

"Why do these sunflower seeds taste different from the ones we grow?" Yu Changhe asked Sun.

"Our daughter said these are spiced sunflower seeds, marinated with spices."

Sun had long been aware of the space’s existence and was always curious, asking about all sorts of things. Now, she knew the story behind most of the items in the space.

At least she knew more than Yu Changhe.

"People in the Future World truly know how to enjoy life, even marinating sunflower seeds."

"Our Kuang boy being reborn in the Future World is living the good life; I’m genuinely happy for him," Sun wholeheartedly believed Yu Xiaolian’s words.

"Is it true what Xiaolian said about you having another child?" Yu Changhe initially believed it, but after calming down and thinking it through, he realized something was off.

No one knew Sun better than he did. If Sun had a child, she would tell him immediately. Given Sun’s nature, she would happily talk about the child all day.

But ever since they left home, Sun hadn’t mentioned the child once, which raised his suspicions.

Sun stopped eating the sunflower seeds, with a puzzled expression of what should I do now.

Yu Changhe held Sun’s hand, "I know you both mean well for me, and I won’t easily think of giving up anymore."

If not to persuade him to live on, they wouldn’t have lied about the child. The two of them had space with resources, and they could live well on their own. Yet, they wanted to bring him along despite him being a burden. How could he take their kindness for granted?

Yu Xiaolian, seeing Yu Changhe’s new resolve, also smiled and said, "Dad, your leg will heal, and you and Mom will have another little brother or sister. By then, our family will be together, and we can eat what we want and go wherever we wish."

Tears welled up in Yu Changhe’s eyes, and Sun patted his hand, "Our daughter is right. Our good days are ahead of us!"

Yu Xiaolian secretly planned in her mind to find an inn to stay the night, then look for a house the next day once they entered the city.

They each needed to buy a few sets of new clothes. She was tired of wearing those patched-up clothes.

Yu Xiaolian thought of the saying, "It’s like a mole growing a face!"

Her tattered clothes were just like that, covered in patches so dense that you couldn’t see the original fabric anymore.

She wondered if the money in the space would be enough to buy a courtyard.

Yu Xiaolian’s carriage reached Yangcheng just as dusk was falling, barely making it before the city gates were about to close.

The entrance fee was two wen per person, totaling six wen for the three of them. After paying, the gatekeeper let them in.

Looking up at the tall city gate tower, Yu Xiaolian was amazed. She had traveled to ancient city tourist sites before but never felt the gates and walls were this high.

Perhaps it was because the modern skyscrapers made the city gates seem not as high then.

In recent times, all she had seen in ancient times were low mud houses and thatched cottages—brick houses were a rare sight.

So far, she’d only seen the Su Family live in a brick house.

The city gate tower astounded Yu Xiaolian, and it was not just a little impressive; it was incredibly so, higher than all the ancient city walls she’d seen.

Standing under the city gates, her ragged clothes made her appear both tiny and pitiable.

At this moment, Yu Xiaolian felt an overwhelming excitement. She sensed that Yangcheng would be a new Chapter in her ancient life journey.

Upon entering the city, Yu Xiaolian dared not choose a luxurious inn and opted for a small establishment instead, still picking a common room, which cost two wen more than the inn in the town.

After leading the horse to the back courtyard, the waiter ran over to ask her if she needed the horse to be given water and feed.

The family’s big red horse had worked hard all day, so, of course, it should be fed.

The waiter stretched his hand out, and Yu Xiaolian immediately understood the meaning—he wanted money.

In this city, everything requires money. She gave the waiter fifty wen as a tip, instructing him to take good care of the horse.

Since it had been bought, the horse shouldn’t have to suffer along with her.

Tired from the day’s journey, they hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so they ordered three bowls of hot noodle soup, costing forty-five wen.

Sun remarked while eating, "So expensive, fifteen wen per bowl, and it’s just plain noodles without any meat."

The cost of living in Yangcheng was greatly higher compared to River Bay Village.

Yangcheng was bustling; even as dusk fell, people continued to come and go on the streets.

Yu Xiaolian leaned out the window to look outside at the stalls selling peanuts and sunflower seeds, roasted sweet potatoes, dumplings, kites, sugar figurines—all sorts of small stalls staying open late.

It seemed Great Liang did not have a curfew.

Yu Xiaolian and Sun stayed at the window watching the lively scene, much to the envy of the immobile Yu Changhe.

Listening to them talk about the excitement outside, he could only lie on the bed restlessly.

Later, Yu Changhe said if they kept the window open, mosquitoes would come flooding in, prompting Yu Xiaolian and Sun to reluctantly close it to avoid being bitten at night.

Yu Xiaolian feared mosquito bites the most, quickly taking out some insect repellent spray and applying it to herself and spraying a few times on Sun and Yu Changhe.

They had sweated quite a bit along the way, which would surely attract mosquitoes.

The size of this inn room was similar to the one in the town, with only one bed.

Yu Xiaolian found that most ancient inns had a similar layout, with a common sleeping area on the first floor and divided rooms on the second floor.

So far, Yu Xiaolian had only seen two-story buildings, with nothing taller.

Once again, Yu Xiaolian had to sleep on the floor tonight.

Sun considered asking Yu Xiaolian to sleep on the bed, but remembering the need for a girl to maintain modesty around her father, she kept quiet.

The next morning, the waiter brought up three bowls of porridge. After the family of three had their porridge, Sun and Yu Xiaolian headed out, leaving Yu Changhe alone in the inn.

Finding a house was a significant affair, and Sun couldn’t let a ten-year-old child handle it alone.

The mother and daughter duo were unfamiliar with Yangcheng, so they decided to find a broker.

The broker was similar to modern real estate agents, dealing in buying and renting houses, buying and selling servants, and earning profits from such transactions.

Spending some money on broker fees was better than running around aimlessly like headless chickens.

When the broker saw Sun and her daughter, he thought they were there to sell themselves due to their shabby clothes. When Sun mentioned they were looking to buy a house, he was taken aback. In tattered clothes, they want to buy a house?

Are you kidding me?

Yu Xiaolian waved a gold ingot in front of the broker, and only then did he realize they were serious, not making fun of him.

He promptly asked Sun what kind of house they wanted to buy.

Sun and Yu Xiaolian had discussed it in advance and wanted a small shop with a courtyard that could be used to sell food.

"There is!" the broker laughed, "but how much are you planning to spend?"

Yu Xiaolian made a rough estimate. After taking out the money from selling the carriage, the ginseng, and stealing from Old Madam Yu, they had under five hundred taels.

Yu Xiaolian asked, "Can we get it for around four hundred taels?"

The broker’s expression changed, "Are you kidding? How can you buy a shop with a courtyard for four hundred taels?"

He thought it was a real deal, but it turned out they were making fun of him again.

"What about a courtyard not on the main street? How big can it be?"

The broker was about to drive Sun and Yu Xiaolian away but reconsidered upon hearing they weren’t buying a shop but a residence, patiently saying, "That can be done. If you want a good location, it won’t be too big, just a single-entry courtyard with about three rooms. If it’s in a more remote area, you can get a double-entry courtyard. Which type do you prefer?"

"We want a good location. Where are they? Are they close to the market area? We want to do some small business, so being near the market is best."