However, Liucheng is situated at a high elevation, so ordinary floods are unlikely to reach here. Additionally, it has been mentioned that Liucheng currently poses a lower risk and is one of the safest places.
What he ought to be worried about is not himself, but rather, he should leave that to the male protagonist and his group. After all, the southern region has almost been completely occupied by them.
With this thought in mind, he lifted his gaze and inadvertently glanced at a few people across from him. Before they noticed, he quickly averted his eyes and secretly sighed at the unfortunate fate of their encounter.
But why are Chu Ying and the others here? Are they also heading back to Liucheng, or are they coming from the north?
At least it’s good that they didn’t recognize him — that saves him from trouble.
By the afternoon, the heavy rain gradually lightened and slowly came to a stop.
Once the group next door mounted their horses and left, Lin Ya and Xu Jin re-harnessed their carriage.
To make a living, he took out the essential soap for crossing over and started a business with Xu Jin. Occasionally, they would receive large orders from neighboring towns and even deliver goods to the doorsteps.
Although money is hard to earn in this impoverished world, wealthy families have plenty of silver as long as there are novelty items they want to buy.
He even sold the formula to other traveling merchants, increasing their earnings.
Anyway, as long as the price is right, he welcomed anyone interested in buying the formula, as he wanted to avoid attracting attention.
So far, they had managed to save over two hundred taels.
Throughout the past year, Lin Ya had also stored a considerable amount of grain in their cellar, so even if floods occurred later and they couldn’t buy food, their family could last for quite a while.
After returning to Liucheng, Lin Ya and Xu Jin didn’t go out for the next few months; instead, they rented a small shop and opened a general store, mainly selling soap, candles, matches, and similar items. Not that they made a fortune daily, but it covered their basic expenses.
By late May, while he didn’t know how other towns were faring, Liucheng was mostly under rain every day. Fortunately, with its high elevation, though some water had collected, it was not submerged.
Many farmers were lamenting as they saw their rice almost ready to harvest but the heavy rain delayed the timing, causing much of the rice to rot.
Consequently, the price of grain in Liucheng had to rise.
“Fortunately, Zi Xiu bought grain in advance. If we had waited until now, I’m afraid we would have to queue for several days to buy it,” Zhang said, recalling the line at the general store that day with a hint of regret.
“Not only grain, but matches and candles have also been selling over twice as much as before recently,” Xu Jin commented while setting a candle on the table for light.
It was clearly noon, yet the room was dark; outside the window looked like the twilight after sunset.
Ren Lin was now about the height of Lin Ya’s waist. Daily, she and Xu Yue took care of the cooking, while Ren Zhao was responsible for setting the bowls and chopsticks.
After eating, Xu Yue and Zhang returned to the kitchen with the dishes.
“Father, this is the character I learned today! Grandfather praised my writing! Look!” Ren Lin shyly handed him a paper she had hidden behind her back.
After looking, Lin Ya praised her for a bit and gently ruffled her hair.
He had always been unsure whether sending her to the girls’ school was right or wrong.
Studying helps one understand the world, but being overly clear-headed could also be painful. This era restricts so many things for women; it’s regrettable to have ambitions yet be confined to the household.
Perhaps being illiterate and ignorant might be a simpler life, one that flows along without complications.
Thus, Lin Ya left the choice to her, regardless of whether she would eventually regret it.
When the grain shop closed for the day, their general store also ceased operations.
The outside commotion no longer concerned them.
By July, they finally saw the sun for the first time after two months.
The weather began to heat up.
Taking advantage of the bright sun, every household brought out clothes and other items that were about to mold or had already begun to mold for drying.
Xu’s father was airing out the few books he had brought from his hometown, while Xu Yue and Zhang were drying damp bedding and freshly washed clothes.
Lin Ya and Xu Jin were responsible for bringing out other wooden items like cabinets and beds to dry in the sun.
Ren Lin and Ren Zhao were in charge of cooking.
After several busy days, when they stepped outside, they unexpectedly heard some bad news.
There seemed to be a city under Nanyang Prefecture where people had died from an epidemic….
That city is located at the juncture between Qingzhou and Nanyang Prefectures, where many traveling merchants pass through frequently.
Just as they began to feel relaxed after several peaceful days, Liucheng started to impose martial law again, and entry and exit through the city gates were prohibited.
However, it seemed of little use, as cases of the disease began to appear in Liucheng, and by the time it was discovered, those infected numbered more than just a few.
Fortunately, Lin Ya had already stopped Ren Lin from attending girls’ school and instead let her stay home with Ren Zhao. Occasionally, when Xu’s father was feeling better, he would teach them some basics, and on days he lacked energy, he allowed them to practice writing characters on wooden boards with water-dipped brushes.
Thus, they stayed at home for several months, without seeing anyone, and when the epidemic in Liucheng was finally brought under control, the season had already turned to autumn.
In roughly six more months, Lin Ya would have to leave.
He had grown accustomed to farewells, so he waited day after day for that day to arrive, just as usual.
Even faster than his departure, Xu Yue’s wedding approached.
As Liucheng’s daily life gradually returned to normal, Zhang began to worry about the marriage prospects of Xu Yue and Xu Jin.
At eighteen, Xu Yue could not afford any more delay. Originally, Zhang and Xu’s father considered having Xu Yue marry Lin Ya, avoiding separation.
While it is common for sisters to share a husband, Lin Ya, however, turned down the idea.
Thus, they had to find a matchmaker. Coincidentally, the match introduced was the brother of Ren Lin’s teacher from the girls’ school. Lin Ya had met him when he visited and found him upright and candid, despite their family’s decline he could still be considered of a literary background.
And so, before the new year, Xu Yue got married.