Chapter 31: Yingjing County Town
The next day, Mei Li woke up early. She was looking forward to finally visiting Yingjing County town today!
As agreed beforehand, Mingyu and Shufen would accompany her.
They had an early breakfast and set out when it got bright outside. They headed out early as it would actually take hours to reach the county town!
The rest of the family saw them off at the main gate with constant reminders of being careful on their way.
Mei Li then learned that there were two ways for them to reach the county town. One was to take the ox cart through winding mountain roads, which would take 3-4 hours.
The alternative was to take a sampan, which was a small traditional wooden boat with a canopy constructed at its center to serve as shelter for passengers. This will take around 2 hours.
Both options would cost a few copper coins per person. There was actually a third and free option, which was to walk all the way there, but considering Mei Li's weak body - everyone vetoed that idea.
The three decided to take the wooden boat after discussion. Even if they spent more coppers, they could save time and come back earlier.
Mei Li walked with Mingyu and Shufen to the village entrance, which was south of the village. A few meters from the entrance, she could already see a mid-sized wooden boat tied to a small wooden dock by the Clearstone River.
The boat could accommodate up to ten people and was manned by a father and son pair who were from Shenghuo Village.
Mingyu greeted Boatman Xiong and his son with a good morning.
"Oh aren't these First Jin and Fourth Jin? Visiting the town, are we? And who is this? Is this your new wife from the capital?" The chatty Boatman Xiong fired a series of questions.
The three smiled and Shufen said yes to all his questions.
They got on the boat and Mei Li enjoyed this local and traditional mode of transportation. If they took the ox cart, they would only pay 3 coppers for one way. With a boat, however, they had to shell out 5 copper coins per person.
Mei Li sat on the boat with nothing to do for the next two hours. They floated on the Clearstone River that flowed through Shenghuo Village and then later, they entered the main county river, which was wider and had more wooden boats passing through.
Mei Li took in all the beautiful and interesting scenery around her and listened in on the conversation of fellow passengers.
She noticed some of the younger village women, who were with them on the boat, secretly glancing at her two husbands from time to time. She didn't say anything. Who told her men to be so good-looking.
Around two hours later, they finally got off the dock that connected to the county town. They had to walk a few more minutes to the town entrance, but it wasn't too tiring for Mei Li.
Shufen carried their bamboo basket containing the Lingzhi mushrooms and the two tea boxes. Mingyu paid the boatmen 15 copper coins for the three of them.
Entering the county town was straightforward, with the guards merely doing a cursory check.
Mei Li's eyes feasted on everything she saw. She was actually visiting a living and breathing town from the Tang Dynasty. Words cannot describe the emotions she was feeling at that moment. She didn't know if she wanted to look through the lens of a tourist or archaeologist!
Strictly speaking, the town wasn't that much. The Yingjing county town wasn't super-rich nor was it a poor area. The architecture was composed mainly of one or two-story brick buildings with tiled roofs.
There were all kinds of people on the main street, from the poorly-dressed villagers to the relatively well-dressed townsfolk.
The main thoroughfare was crowded in the early morning, so Shufen grabbed his wife's hand and didn't let go until they found their destination, for fear that she would get lost.
Mei Li wanted to shake off his hand, but thought about it again and eventually let herself be held.
Mingyu led them to the largest medical hall in town, which was located by the side of the stone-paved main commercial street. They wove through people, ox carts, and hawkers on the way.
The three of them stopped at a big two-story shop with a plaque that says Xintang Medicine Hall.
Mei Li and her husbands were dressed well in Shenghuo Village standards. However, they looked down and out when compared to the middle class and rich people in town.
So when they entered Xintang Medicine Hall, the shop assistant who saw them immediately had his hackles raised.
What were these beggars doing here so early in the morning? What if they scare the other customers away? How unlucky!
Their young master from the capital was also here to check the accounts. What if he was blamed for letting these poor people enter? He didn't want to get fired!
"Get out, you have no business here!" The shop assistant immediately shouted at them, which made the three frown in unison.
Were Mei Li's plans of earning her first pot of silver going to be stopped by a mere judgmental shop assistant?
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Sintera
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