Chapter 13: Departure

Chapter 13: Going Out

Qin Chi naturally reported to his parents before leaving the house.

He didn't say he was accompanying Song Jin to the county town, but instead used the excuse that he wanted to visit the academy and would take Song Jin along to buy some daily necessities while he was at it.

Qin the Eldest had already hitched the carriage.

He waited outside the gate.

When Song Jin went to board the carriage, Qin Chi reached out to stop her.

"What is it?" Song Jin worried that he was changing his mind.

Qin Chi took out a *mili* (a veil hat): "This is my mother's; you should use it for now."

Song Jin’s phoenix eyes flickered: "Did you guess something?"

"Not at all. I only know that a beauty can provide comfort, but can also be a source of disaster."

Qin Chi was just that calm.

Song Jin’s appearance was outstanding, and her grace was extraordinary.

Staying in the village was fine, but once in the county town, it was hard to say. There was no shortage of wicked people anywhere who would be moved by lust and commit evil deeds. Without some ability, one might not be able to protect her.

As Song Jin boarded the carriage, she saw a girl of fifteen or sixteen hovering in front of the Qin family gate.

Song Jin recognized this person.

Chen Dong'er, the eldest daughter of the village head, had long set her sights on Qin Mingsong. In her previous life, when Song Jin married Qin Mingsong, this person would occasionally cause trouble for her. Later, realizing she couldn't become his wife, she tried every possible means to become his concubine.

She was one of Qin Mingsong’s "rotten peach blossoms."

In this life, let Song Xiu deal with her; it would surely be quite lively.

Song Xiu knew about Chen Dong'er.

Qin Mingsong didn't fancy Chen Dong'er, but he didn't dare offend the village head too much.

The village head’s family was one of the few families in Qinjiagou with a different surname. It was also the case that the local government intentionally allowed outsiders to serve as village heads to prevent any single clan from becoming too powerful and disregarding the laws of the Great Xia.

Song Jin sat in the carriage, and before long, Qin Chi lifted the curtain and entered.

The carriage had just left the village entrance.

"Big Brother!"

"Big Brother, wait!"

Qin the Second’s voice came from behind the carriage. "Little Four says he wants to return to the academy; let Big Brother take him."

"No time, I’m taking Dalang."

Qin the Eldest refused without a second thought.

How could a younger brother compare to a son? If Old Man Qin asked, he wouldn't be afraid.

Qin the Second said, "Aren't you afraid Mother will scold you?"

"Let her scold. Is there a day Mother doesn't scold someone? I haven't seen anyone lose a piece of flesh from it." Qin the Eldest was honest, but not stupid.

Inside the carriage, Song Jin heard this and subconsciously looked at Qin Chi.

Qin Chi smiled but said nothing.

The carriage continued forward. On the road, they encountered some villagers leading mules laden with goods or riding in ox carts.

Everyone knew each other, and upon seeing Qin the Eldest, they would greet him.

"Mingzhong, I heard Dalang got married?" the old man driving the ox cart shouted loudly.

"That’s right," Qin the Eldest replied with a smile.

"I heard about that; they say Dalang’s wife is exceptionally beautiful..."

The sound of gossip drifted in from outside.

Gossip is human nature, regardless of the dynasty, poverty, or wealth.

They chatted about the excitement at the Old Qin house that morning. There wasn't much malice; everyone was just looking for a bit of fun.

Later, the voices grew faint.

The carriage must have moved further away.

Song Jin sighed inwardly.

With Song Xiu being reborn, Song Jin had initially thought she might learn to behave—being arrogant in front of her, but pretending to be gentle and lovely in front of others.

If she could keep up the act, life might have been decent.

In reality, a fake is a fake; one poke and the true colors are easily revealed.

Qin Chi explained, "There is a market in the township this morning. Everyone in the village went to the market, which is why there are so many people on the road."

"So that’s how it is."

Song Jin had guessed as much, but she expressed appropriate surprise.

In impoverished mountainous areas, farming alone was not enough to survive.

Most of the commoners here had one or two trades to fall back on. For instance, the mountain folk of Qinjiagou often took things they made themselves to the township market to sell, earning a little money to supplement their household expenses.

Life wasn't necessarily great, but it was manageable.

Here, one must mention the Huizhou merchants.

The Huizhou merchants, commonly known as the "Hui Gang," were a collective term for merchants from Huizhou Prefecture. They were very famous in history and were one of the three major merchant groups in the country.

The *Huizhou Prefecture Gazetteer* records: "Huizhou is bounded by mountains and valleys; the land is rocky and barren. The produce is meager, and for the most part, the annual income cannot support one-tenth of the needs. The common people mostly practice crafts, or carry goods to trade in other counties; this is true for nine out of ten."

The people of Hui were inclined toward trade; such was the situation.

In short, for the people living in this region, if they didn't become merchants or learn a trade, many would not be able to survive.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, in addition to the transport and sale of local products like bamboo, wood, porcelain clay, and raw lacquer, the emergence of tea, She inkstones, Huizhou ink, and Chengxin Hall paper further promoted the development of Huizhou merchants.

When Qin Chi had presented his self-made "Four Treasures of the Study" as a betrothal gift, Song Jin had been surprised, but she hadn't found it too outrageous.

Song Jin’s father, Song Kuan, was also a Huizhou merchant.

In her previous life, Song Jin had also become a member of the Hui Gang, but due to her status, she had never shown her face.

Before she started doing business in her previous life, Song Jin had inquired about the whereabouts of her family. The government officials said they had been escorted to the capital that very night.

Then, Song Jin hired people to inquire in the capital.

Several of the people she sent were lost, and those who returned alive said that the capital’s prisons had not received any prisoners from Huizhou Prefecture that year.

After the Song family was arrested, they seemed to have vanished into thin air. For the next dozen years, Song Jin spent her time making money and spending it on searching for her family, but until the day she died, she never found any news of them!

The carriage passed the township market, and the cries of peddlers could be heard.

Qin Chi got out and bought ten steamed buns.

The three of them shared the meal.

After more than an hour, they finally arrived at the county town.

Song Jin opened her mouth to speak several times but stopped.

Regarding Qin Chi, Song Jin felt pity, sympathy, and respect, but the only thing missing was trust.

It wasn't just toward Qin Chi.

Song Jin was like this with everyone. In her previous life, she had been on guard even against Song Xiu and Old Man Qin. Not to mention, her acquaintance with Qin Chi only spanned three or four days.

"I need to go to the Tachuan Academy," Qin Chi said at the right moment.

Song Jin thought for a moment and said, "I want to go to East Street to buy some things."

Both of them were smart enough not to ask for details.

They agreed to meet at the entrance of East Street in an hour.

Song Jin adjusted her *mili* and stepped off the carriage.

Watching Song Jin’s retreating figure, Qin the Eldest asked, "Dalang, is it okay to let her go alone?"

"It’s fine. The security in the county town is decent."

Qin Chi could see that Song Jin was a person with her own ideas, and there were secrets hidden within her. "Father, before going to the academy, I’ll go to the bookstore ahead to buy some paper."

"Alright."

Qin the Eldest parked the carriage on the side of the road.

Qin Chi walked to the bookstore.

Stepping into the bookstore, Qin Chi headed straight for the backyard.

The shop assistant, seeing it was Qin Chi, did not stop him.

In a room in the backyard.

The middle-aged shopkeeper, who was hunched over his desk writing furiously, immediately stood up respectfully to welcome him the moment he saw Qin Chi enter. "Young Master, you’ve come? Let me have someone brew some tea for you."

The shopkeeper was about to call out.

"No need, I won't be staying long."

Qin Chi waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for tea, and went straight to the point: "The matter I asked you to investigate, how did it go?"

"It’s been found out. The person in the painting is the eldest daughter of the Song family, medicine merchants in She County. She had a reputation for beauty since she was young. It’s a pity—heaven is jealous of beautiful women. Five days ago, the Song family committed a crime and was raided and prosecuted. The eldest Miss Song and her younger half-sister perished in a sea of flames."

The middle-aged shopkeeper took a small painting from a hidden spot on the shelf. It was a portrait of Song Jin, along with the investigation results sent from She County.

(End of chapter)