Chapter 005: Mountain High, Emperor Far Away

Mr. Yang seemed to have noticed that the crowd had no ill intentions, so he vaguely said a few words.

"My young master felt the house was stuffy, so he took us out for a trip. On the way, we coincidentally ran into Gao Ren who was on business, and as a result, he got injured by a group of bandits. Now, unable to return in this cold weather, we have to trouble the villagers."

The crowd had previously heard that the Feng family's servants were injured while saving Lao San, and now, after hearing these words, their minds automatically filled in countless scenarios. For example, the stepmother mistreating the stepson, or the legitimate son being harassed by the stepmother, making it unbearable to stay at home, so they brought the servants out, only to get injured while acting chivalrously.

No matter how one thought about it, this story carried a few elements of tragedy and pity. Women's hearts are naturally soft, so the crowd reassured Mr. Yang in unison, "You can rest assured staying in the village! Not to mention that you saved someone from our Lao Xiong Ridge, even if you just stopped by on your journey, you would still be our guests at Lao Xiong Ridge. Within a hundred miles, no one dares to mistreat anyone from our Lao Xiong Ridge!"

"That's right, Lao San said that Mr. Feng's leg injury is not light. My family still has a bottle of tiger bone ointment. Although we hunted an old tiger today, the tiger bone ointment cannot be made immediately. Let Xiao Mi sell the whole tiger, and we can make a few more taels of silver. We'll use the tiger bone ointment for Mr. Feng!"

"Oh, Sister-in-law is kind and generous. Here, let's have a drink together!"

The women's doubts were dispelled, and they no longer pestered Mr. Yang. Instead, they discussed sending over some dried vegetables or saved eggs from their homes to help Mr. Feng recover.

Mr. Yang stood outside the door, listening to the lively conversation inside, and couldn't help but smile.

People often say that hunters are rough and uncouth, and often lack manners. However, they do not know that the more courteous someone is, the more likely they are to be ruthless. In contrast, the people in this remote and impoverished mountain village are simple and kind-hearted, making people feel at ease...

It took a full hour to finish the meal, and the men, women, and children were finally full and satisfied, returning home contentedly.

The women were all efficient and capable, helping to wash the dishes and carrying their own tables and chairs, heading home under the slightly pale western sun.

Lu Xiao Mi made a long shopping list and eagerly planned to start a big purchase in the city the next day after selling the game.

She also didn't have the mind to carefully consider dinner. Now that they had slaughtered a pig, they had plenty of meat, so she made a pot of hot buckwheat noodles.

Naturally, Feng Jian's bowl was made with fine wheat noodles.

In the past, buckwheat was considered a healthy grain, and many people liked to eat it.

But in Anzhou, buckwheat was the staple food of poor families. If they didn't want to starve, they had to eat it every meal.

The reason was simple. Anzhou was cold and the growing season for crops was short. Many times, before the crops matured, they would be withered by early frosts, making it impossible to survive.

Buckwheat had the shortest growing period, so as long as it was planted, it could be harvested in a short time, and there was no need to worry about crop failure. Therefore, most families planted it as a hope for survival.

But pork was definitely a good thing, and people would even stir-fry pork with leaves to make a delicious dish.

Although the Lu family was tired of eating buckwheat, the soup was filled with plenty of meat, so they were quite happy.

At night, the north wind seemed to blow stronger and stronger, and the restless snowflakes were blown against the window frames, making a rustling sound, adding to the peaceful and quiet atmosphere of the mountain village...

If there's one thing that women all have in common in this world, it's not shopping, there's no other answer.

Although almost every household in Lao Xiong Ridge had already prepared their New Year's goods, early the next morning, the women still put on their best coats and urged their men to prepare the horse-drawn plows, and hurried to gather at the gate of the Lu family's mansion.

For women, the act of shopping was never about what to buy, but about the process of shopping.

The Lu family originally had a yellow steed and a birch wood plow, and with the addition of Feng Jian's servants' chestnut horse, as well as borrowing a plow from the neighboring neighbor, they managed to fit the game to be taken into the city, along with Lu Wu, Lu Xiao Mi, Lao Yang, and others.

Lu Lao Dad, with Lu Lao Da and Lao San, looked eagerly at the little girl in the early morning, but they didn't get permission to go to the city together, looking somewhat aggrieved.

Lu Xiao Mi resisted the urge to nod, not because she was heartless, but because her father and brothers were too unreliable.

If they took Lu Lao Dad to the city, they might end up buying several ancient books that were not meant for consumption.

Not to mention Lu Lao Da, who might give away the game to some "poor person" halfway there.

"Dad, Big Brother, don't worry, we'll be back soon. I've prepared lunch and left it warm in the pot. Big Brother, remember to take it to Mr. Feng at noon, and also bring a bowl of bone soup."

Lu Xiao Mi gave a few careful instructions before leaving under the urging of the women.

With six horse-drawn plows from the village, they made their way along the snow-covered mountain road, appearing quite grand.

Although the heavy snow from the previous days had been mostly swept away by the north wind, there was still enough to cover the fields and plains.

Occasionally, some fields stubbornly raised their black spines, showing a sense of resilience.

Compared to a carriage, the plow was indeed a good tool for traveling on snow, fast and stable.

It was Mr. Yang's first time riding, and he found it quite novel, not feeling the biting cold of the north wind on his face.

Lu Xiaomi was wearing her father's fur coat and a fur hat on her head, making her already petite face look even smaller. Her two black braids swayed as she blinked her big eyes. Occasionally, snowflakes kicked up by the horse's hooves fell onto her eyelashes, melting into mist. This appearance was quite different from her usual clever and spirited self, adding a touch of delicacy and charm.

Although Lu Wu was usually playful and rough, he was very protective of his little sister.

On the way, he constantly shifted his body to block the north wind from blowing towards his sister.

Lu Xiaomi was thinking about how to sell the game for a good price when she finally noticed her brother's "protection," and a smile appeared on her face.

Even though she was often infuriated by the young masters of the Lu family, she never truly felt annoyed by them. It was all to repay their love. Perhaps for others, these things were nothing special, but for her, who had been an orphan for over twenty years in her previous life, they were truly precious...

This incident took place in the tenth month of the lunar calendar, less than two months away from the New Year.

Anzhou was known for its snowy beauty, and although the previous snowfall was not heavy, it was possible that one morning they would wake up to find the world covered in snow, making travel difficult.

Therefore, at this time of year, the fur traders would have already left.

The tigers and black bears caught by the Lu family had not been skinned or cut by the family, in order to maintain their freshness. If they were sold to a fur dealer, they might not fetch a good price, and they might even have to include several hundred pounds of tiger and bear meat. No matter how she thought about it last night, it was best to bring the whole catch into the city. Of course, to sell at a good price, she would need to come up with another plan...

Laoxiong Ridge was only a few dozen miles from Anzhou Prefecture, and with the horse pulling the sled, they would arrive in just an hour.

When they saw the city gate from a distance, Lu Xiaomi asked Lu Wu to stop the carriage, and the villagers caught up. She casually made up an excuse for them to go ahead without her.

The villagers guessed that the Feng family's servants had something to do, so they didn't say much and happily entered the city.

Lu Wu, impatient as always, urged, "Little sister, why aren't we entering the city? In the morning, it's Zhou the furrier at the gate, and in the afternoon, it's Liu the gatekeeper. We might have to pay double if we wait!"

Before Lu Xiaomi could respond, Lao Yang asked, "How is the entrance fee collected in Anzhou?"

"The officials say it's five wen per person and ten wen for a carriage, but it also depends on Zhou and Liu's mood. Sometimes they might charge double!"

Lu Wu was clearly unhappy with the entrance fee, and he spoke without any politeness, "If those two animals want to eat and drink well, they might even demand silver!"

Lao Yang's eyes showed a hint of surprise as he asked, "This is really too expensive. Even in the capital, it's not this high..."

Before Lao Yang could finish, Lu Wu waved his hand disdainfully, "Lao Yang, I'm afraid you don't often travel outside, do you? Who dares to do anything under the emperor's nose? Here, the emperor is far away, and even if the emperor knew about this unfairness, would he bother to come and check how much money Anzhou is collecting for entering the city?

Besides, we can still afford these few dozen wen, but look over there, some people can't even enter the city!"

His words were extremely disrespectful, and Lao Yang's expression worsened, but when he followed the direction of his finger, he couldn't bring himself to argue.

Laoxiong Ridge was located to the south of Anzhou, so they naturally entered the city from the south gate. In winter, the north wind often blew, making this area the most sheltered place near the city gate.

Now, someone had built a shelter with branches and straw under the city wall. Occasionally, children with runny noses and women with numb expressions came in and out, creating a desolate and cold scene.

"These are..."

"Refugees!" Lu Wu remembered what had happened a few days ago and quickly used this opportunity to defend himself to his little sister.

"Little sister, you see how pitiful they are. Don't be mad at big brother anymore. At worst, we'll come back next year to sell the grain, and I'll come with big brother."

Lu Xiaomi was not a heartless person, and at this point, she not only stopped blaming her big brother, but also decided to send the dry rations from the sled to the people in the shelter.

But considering that there were probably hundreds of people living in this shelter, a few steamed buns and cakes would be just a drop in the bucket.

"I know, second brother, stop talking. I'm also angry that big brother only pities others and forgets how difficult our family's situation is. Forget it, next year when the farm work at home gets busy, we can hire a couple of honest people to come over."

"Haha, I knew it. My little sister is the kindest."

Seeing his sister no longer angry, Lu Wu immediately smiled.

"Second brother, you stay and watch the sled, and I'll go into the city with Lao Yang to find a buyer. If it goes well, we can sell a few taels of silver and get our master on the mountain a new coat."

Lu Wu had been practicing martial arts with a hermit in the deep mountains since he was young. Although the Lu family had never seen this hermit, they could tell from his treatment of Lu Wu over the years that he was good to him, so they always prepared a set of clothes for him throughout the year.

"Haha, a new coat is unnecessary. Master has been talking about the rabbit meat you made recently, so I'll just stew a pot for him."