eurekapd Chapter 90 The Whole Family Goes to the County Town
Chapter 90 The Whole Family Goes to the County Town
The village chief has already started building the workshop with his team, and Song Jiaojiao has been staying at home for several days.
It's so boring. It seems like there's really nothing to do. The chickens on the mountain haven't started laying eggs yet, and there aren't many rabbits either. It's not time to eat as much as you want.
The vegetation on the barren mountain was thriving. There was chicken, duck, and rabbit droppings, and the grass under the trees grew wildly. With so much grass, there were many insects, which were then eaten by the chickens and ducks, forming a perfect food chain.
Why don't we go to the county town? It's been so long since I've seen He Fan. I didn't take the two sisters with me last time, so I can take them this time. If we have the chance, we can see if there are any suitable shops. I've always wanted to open a small shop for Mu Qing.
Without hesitation, Song Jiaojiao announced the good news that very night.
Mu Xue was so happy she almost jumped for joy. She finished her dinner in two bites and then dragged Xu An off to prepare.
This time, Song Jiaojiao plans to bring Xu Da's family along, since they haven't seen Xu Sen for so long and must miss their child very much.
Song Jiaojiao and her two companions, along with Xu Da's family, Bai Shuqin, and Meng An, made a total of eight people. It seemed they would need an oxcart, as the horse-drawn carriage wouldn't be able to accommodate them all.
The next day, as soon as the sky began to lighten, Song Jiaojiao's house was already bustling with activity. Everyone was preparing their own things. Song Jiaojiao asked Meng An and Xu Da to load the dried apricots onto the oxcart to be taken to town later. This was the last batch of dried apricots, exactly 100 jin. Song Jiaojiao kept the extra pieces at home, thinking she could keep them as snacks later.
The group set off as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon.
They first went to town to sell the dried fruit, earning 70 taels of silver. They then bought a lot of steamed buns and mantou (steamed bread), and without further delay, they set off immediately.
It was already afternoon when we arrived in Tongan County. After paying the entrance fee, we headed straight for Sifang Escort Agency.
Unfortunately, Wang Hefan had gone on a delivery mission, but Xu Sen was at the inn. Song Jiaojiao helped him get two days off and brought everyone to the Sifang Inn. They booked five rooms, had the waiter bring the oxen and horses down, and then took Mu Xue back to her room to rest. After such a long journey, even Mu Xue, who had been very excited when they set off, was now listless.
Song Jiaojiao told everyone to go and rest, and then go out for a stroll later. Tong'an County was located in the central part of the Great Jin Kingdom, so the curfew wasn't so early; it was around 11 PM.
When everyone had rested and went outside, it was already getting dark. Song Jiaojiao didn't choose to eat at the restaurant, but instead led everyone outside.
The streets were bustling with activity, and red lanterns hung high, illuminating the entire street.
The sounds of vendors along the roadside were endless: selling food, calligraphy and paintings, performing acrobatics, and even fortune tellers carrying divination sticks.
Such a scene was something that people who stayed in the village year-round had never seen before. Even Song Jiaojiao found it novel, since although she had been to some famous snack streets in her previous life, this was indeed the first time she had seen it in ancient times.
Song Jiaojiao instructed everyone to split into three groups to play. Meng An went with the two sisters and Bai Shuqin, Xu Da led his family, and Song Jiaojiao planned to play by herself. She gave each group thirty taels of silver so they could play to their heart's content.
Upon hearing this, Mu Xue became like a wild horse, and Mu Qing almost couldn't hold her back. The county town was quite safe, with constables patrolling the roads, so there was a certain level of security. Only then did Song Jiaojiao feel at ease letting them play.
Song Jiaojiao walked along with the crowd, buying whatever she wanted to eat and eating as she went. She would also stop when she saw something unusual. Before she knew it, she had arrived at the riverbank and bought a lotus lantern from a vendor.
It must be said that the ancients were truly skilled; these lanterns are so lifelike, they look just like real flowers.
Arriving at the riverbank and feeling the breeze, Song Jiaojiao placed the lotus lantern in her hand into the river and, imitating others, made a wish.
My daughter doesn't ask for great wealth or status; she only wishes to live freely and unrestrained in this era.
"thump."
"Oh no, whose child has fallen into the river?"
"Young master, young master, who can save my young master?" A well-dressed servant, clearly from a wealthy family, cried out loudly by the river, hoping that a kind person would save her young master who had fallen into the water.
Unfortunately, very few people in ancient times could float on water, and this river was so deep that it never dried up, even in the driest year. To this day, no one knows exactly how deep the river is.
Seeing that the child was gradually losing strength and about to sink, the servant thought that he would not be able to explain it when he returned, so he made up his mind to jump down after him.
"thump"
A splashing sound came from the side.
"Look! Someone has gone to rescue them!"
"Thank God, finally there's a kind person who knows how to float."
"It seems this child is destined to survive; he has met a benefactor."
When the old woman saw someone coming to her rescue, her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground. The breath she had just mustered vanished instantly. She clasped her hands together and kept chanting for the Bodhisattva's protection.
When Song Jiaojiao jumped into the water, only the child's hand was above water. There were too many onlookers on the shore, making the already dim river even darker. Song Jiaojiao could only desperately swim towards where the child had fallen in. By the time she reached the spot, the child had already sunk.
"Oh no, the child is missing! How are we supposed to find him in the middle of the night?"
"Yes, I thought there was still hope for this child, but it seems hopeless now."
"If it were daytime with good light, there might still be hope, but it's late at night, who knows..."
Ignoring the comments from the people on the shore, Song Jiaojiao plunged into the water, groping around, hoping to grab the child's hands and feet, or even just his hair.
Finally, when Song Jiaojiao dived into the water for the second time, she grabbed the child's hand and swam quickly to the shore. After being underwater for so long, the child had already stopped breathing.
Song Jiaojiao, who had just reached the shore, was pulled up by the people on the shore.
"The child is not breathing."
"He's beyond saving. His face is all white, and the corners of his mouth are turning purplish-black," said an elderly man dressed like a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
The servant stumbled over, cradling the child and shaking him, crying out in anguish, "Young master, young master, wake up! How am I supposed to explain this to the old lady and madam?!"
Song Jiaojiao pushed through the crowd, snatched the child and put him on the ground. She quickly unbuttoned her shirt, exposing her chest.
He pinched the child's cheek to check for any foreign objects in his mouth, turned the child's head to one side, pressed his chest, and said to the servant, "If you want to save your young master, drive away the people surrounding him, at least leave a meter's distance, and be quick."
After saying that, Song Jiaojiao pinched the child's nose and blew air into his mouth, performing artificial respiration.
The onlookers were utterly astonished; they had never heard of such a way of saving a life.
The servant was desperate and would do anything, even if there was only a sliver of hope. She hurriedly did as Song Jiaojiao asked, but some stubborn people wouldn't budge, so she had to kneel down and beg everyone. Seeing the pitiful person in front of her, no one caused any more trouble.
Only the doctor who had just said the child was beyond saving remained with Song Jiaojiao. Song Jiaojiao didn't say much, but simply repeated the actions of saving the child over and over again.