Shu Shouyi was caught off guard when Xun Yi lifted him up.

This was the first time the little boy had been held by someone so tall. Usually, Uncle Xun seemed incredibly tall and robust, but now, seated in the crook of his arm, Shu Shouyi felt as if he had transformed from a short radish into a towering tree.

Amazing!

Xun Yi carried Shu Shouyi all the way to the entrance of Five Li Village without even switching arms. Setting the boy down beneath a tree at the village entrance, he looked at Shu Wanxiu and said, “I won’t go in.”

His eyes were clear and bright, full of vitality.

Meeting his gaze, Shu Wanxiu suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

“Auntie.”

Finally set down after his bottom had gone numb from sitting, Shu Shouyi’s first action was to grab Shu Wanxiu’s hand. Standing beside her, he mustered enough courage to look up at Xun Yi and say, “Thank you, Uncle Xun.”

The boy’s actions and words snapped Shu Wanxiu out of her daze. She quickly averted her gaze, feeling momentarily flustered before steadying her voice to extend an invitation. “Since you’re already here, Brother Xun, why not join us at my paternal uncle’s house for some tea? My uncle and aunt are always warm hosts, and both my cousins should be home too. With so many people around, you needn’t feel uncomfortable.”

Her sincere invitation carried a hint of guilt. She had assumed Xun Yi would only carry Shu Shouyi intermittently during parts of their journey, never expecting he would carry the boy for the entire remaining distance without setting him down once. It was only now that she noticed the sweat beading at Xun Yi’s temples.

“No need.”

Few people ventured out in the snow, but if they were seen together, it might spark gossip detrimental to a woman’s reputation. This was precisely why Xun Yi had only accompanied them to the village entrance. Without explaining further, he glanced at them both, turned, and waved.

“Take care.”

A gust of wind shook the tree, sending snow tumbling into Shu Wanxiu’s collar. She shivered involuntarily, and when she looked up again, Xun Yi had already rounded the corner and disappeared from view.

“Let’s go too.”

The path from the village entrance to her paternal uncle’s house was quite long, but Shu Shouyi trudged through the snow cheerfully, never once asking to be carried.

They arrived at Shu Yanrong’s doorstep still one or two hours before noon.

“Aunt? Uncle?” Shu Wanxiu called out as she entered the courtyard.

Soon, someone opened the main hall door. It wasn’t Shu Yanrong or Xu Zhen, but Shu Tingyi.

She stared at Shu Wanxiu in astonishment, her mouth slightly agape.

“Wanxiu? But… didn’t Father say he’d fetch you all this afternoon?”

After they went inside and compared notes, Shu Wanxiu deduced that the person who had informed her uncle in the snow must have been Xun Yi. But that wasn’t particularly important. The fact that her uncle had learned the news earlier than she had was a genuine relief.

…

Shu Yanrong’s household was bustling with activity. Even if there weren’t many adults home, there were still four or five children. Shu Shouyi played with them, completely forgetting any thoughts of returning home.

Shu Wanxiu watched them play with a smile. Not long after, Xu Zhen returned with her two daughters-in-law from visiting neighbors to borrow grain sacks. She asked Shu Wanxiu with concern how they had managed the journey, then sat down and chatted with her for a long while about everyday matters.

By noon, the children had grown tired of their wild play, and the adults had run out of conversation topics. The entire household sat listlessly around the fire pit, finally awaiting the return of Shu Yanrong and his son.

Having trudged through the icy snow, their lips were purpled from the cold. Upon entering, no one asked them about the grain distribution. Instead, everyone scrambled to offer them the prime spots by the fire.

After a long while, having warmed themselves and drunk hot water, the two regained their body heat and voluntarily shared what they had learned.

“The news is true.”

“We heard the county office specially sent people to spread the word to every village. By this afternoon at the latest, all refugees in the villages will receive this news.”

“It’s over!”

Xu Zhen clapped her hands together and collapsed into a chair.

“If the county office handles it this way, wasn’t our early knowledge of this news completely wasted?”

Indeed it was.

They had originally hoped to seize the initiative and make more preparations than other families.

But now… everyone would know this news today.

Everyone fell silent.

Only Shu Yanrong, who had already accepted reality, offered some consolation: “It’s only to be expected. Try to take it in stride.”

Since the Magistrate could stand from the refugees’ perspective and help them request three consecutive months of relief grain from higher authorities, naturally informing all refugees of this news was to be expected.

As for how all refugees would subsequently obtain good grain, that would depend on each person’s capabilities.

Shu Wanxiu reiterated Xun Yi’s suggestion about staying at an inn, clearly analyzing the pros and cons, and asked them to choose between spending money on grain or lodging.

Shu Yanrong silently poked at the ashes in the fire pit. Only after Shu Wanxiu had finished speaking did he sigh and say,

“Grain prices… have risen.”

This was undoubtedly more bad news.

The hearts of the adults who hadn’t gone to the county town immediately sank.

Shu Wanxiu’s face turned pale. After hesitating for a while, she finally managed to speak.

“How much has it increased?”

“One dan of rice now sells for two hundred wen.”

Shu Chenglin’s wife shrilly exclaimed, “How could it increase by fifty wen in less than a month?!”

Shu Yanrong wiped his face. “With the warfare and disasters this year, grain prices were already unstable. They only dropped recently because of the harvest. Since the cold weather set in, prices have been continuously rising. With this recent snowfall – they say such heavy snow hasn’t been seen in Fang Yuan County for decades – grain prices have skyrocketed beyond reason.”

Calculating with these grain prices, the money saved from not staying at inns wouldn’t buy much grain anymore.

Even Shu Yanrong became despondent talking about this.

Shu Wanxiu was similarly discouraged for a moment, but soon realized this couldn’t continue.

Her mind raced, and suddenly she came up with a compromise.

“Listen to me again.”

After speaking clearly and seeing everyone’s attention, she said, “We can accomplish great things with little money.”

What did this mean? As everyone exchanged puzzled looks, she continued, elaborating her specific plan in detail.

First, they needed to split into two groups. Today, send two or three people to stay in the county town first, spending just over ten or twenty wen total for one night at an inn.

Tomorrow before the city gates open, those staying at the inn should go queue at the county office entrance. The second group should leave home early tomorrow morning, arriving before the county town gates open.

Once the gates open, the second group should charge straight in, rushing to join those already queuing at the county office entrance.

The advantage was that, if everything went smoothly, they could indeed receive good grain, and everyone wouldn’t have to wait in the snow for hours, freezing.

The downside was that this approach would inevitably lead to arguments with others.

Shu Yanrong’s temples throbbed visibly. After a long pause, he said, “Not a bad idea. Let’s proceed this way.”

Next, they needed to decide who would go to the county town first.

“I’d like to take Shouyi with me today,” Shu Wanxiu stated.

No one objected, as they had already confirmed that the information from both sides came from Xun Yi.

To save money at the inn, they would need to mention Xun Yi’s name.

Only two people in their family had ever met Xun Yi briefly how could they casually drop his name at the inn?

Shu Yanrong simply suggested, “How about having your eldest cousin accompany you?”

Between his two sons, he felt the elder was older but lacked steadiness.

He hadn’t wanted to entrust Shu Chenglin with escorting Shu Wanxiu and the others to the county town, but he and his second son had already made one trip there today, suffering through it. Making two trips in a row might risk catching a cold.

Shu Wanxiu replied readily, “That’s fine.”

However, winter days were short, and Shu Chenglin’s leg hadn’t fully healed. To reach the county town before the gates closed, they needed to set off immediately.

Shu Wanxiu had brought money and grain bags when she left home, so she could depart right away.

While waiting for Shu Chenglin to gather his things, she reminded Shu Yanrong and the others that it would be best to drink a strong bowl of Hundred Spice Cloud Soup before heading out the next morning.

The hardship of the journey to the county town needs little elaboration.

By the time the county gates were in sight, Shu Wanxiu felt her ears were nearly frozen off. As soon as the guards checked their identities and let them pass, she immediately asked for directions to Good Fortune Inn.

None of the three could read, so even if there were signs hanging at the shop front, they wouldn’t recognize them.

Following the directions given, they arrived at a place that looked like an inn. Standing at the entrance, they steeled themselves before lifting the door curtain and stepping inside one by one.

“Good day, innkeeper. Is this Good Fortune Inn?”

Behind the counter, tapping an abacus, was a middle-aged woman with her hair styled in a spiral bun. Shu Wanxiu found her face kindly, so she spoke without hesitation.

“Yes,” the innkeeper, who was slightly taller than Shu Wanxiu, replied with a smile, looking up. After observing the three of them, she asked, “Are you here for a meal or lodging?”

“We’d like to stay. Do you still have space in the common sleeping platform that accommodates twelve people?”

“Yes, ten coins per person, same price for children.”

“But…” The female innkeeper turned her gaze to Shu Wanxiu, kindly reminding her, “The common sleeping platform is mixed gender. You should consider carefully.”

Reputation, chastity these abstract notions could indeed constrain people.

But for Shu Wanxiu, whether to care or not depended on the situation.

Normally, she avoided getting too close to men, both due to her upbringing and because it was unnecessary.

But now, they faced the issue of securing grain early.

Why did she want to secure grain?

Simply put, good grain nourished people better.

If they obtained good grain, she and Shu Shouyi would have a much easier time in the coming months.

They might even recover all the losses from their famine escape during this winter.

Having endured the famine, in her heart, aside from life and death, grain was the most important thing.

Although sharing a room with unfamiliar men in mixed-gender accommodation posed risks, she had her elder brother’s protection and didn’t perceive any real danger.

As for the concern about damaging her reputation

Wouldn’t someone need to recognize her sharing a room with strange men before gossip could spread?

Here, nobody knew her at all. How could such rumors possibly circulate? There was truly no need to worry about these matters.

Shu Wanxiu thanked the innkeeper for her kindness. Ultimately, to secure food supplies and save money, she was willing to gamble with her reputation.

Now that everything in the inn matched Xun Yi’s descriptions, she felt much more at ease. Turning to survey the establishment and finding no other patrons present, she approached the counter and lowered her voice: “We were referred by Xun Yi. Regarding the price…”

The innkeeper showed slight surprise before her expression shifted to understanding. She confirmed: “Yes.”

“After you pay for the rooms, I’ll have an attendant show you to your quarters.”

Shu Wanxiu produced twenty-four copper coins she had counted out earlier, verified the amount before the innkeeper, then placed them on the counter.

She expected the innkeeper to recount them, but the woman simply used her writing brush to sweep the coins closer before calling for a long-legged attendant.

“Take these three guests to Room D-2.”

Shu Wanxiu led the somewhat timid Shu Shouyi as they followed the long-legged attendant, with Shu Chenglin bringing up the rear.

Guided by the attendant, they passed through the front hall and crossed a courtyard before entering the rear building.

“Honored guests, your room is the farthest one on the right side.”

After opening the door, he informed them: “Three guests have already settled in the front areas these are the spots they’ve chosen. The remaining spaces are yours to select as you wish.”

Surveying the room, Shu Wanxiu found it much better than she had anticipated.

Though it was a twelve-person common sleeping platform, the room wasn’t cramped or confined.

The space was quite generous, with bright windows and clean surfaces even more spacious than her hillside home.

Low wooden partitions stood between each sleeping space along the common sleeping platform. While they couldn’t guarantee complete privacy, they at least prevented sleepers from rolling into each other’s bedding during the night.

Shu Wanxiu chose the empty sleeping space against the left wall, with Shu Shouyi and Shu Chenglin settling beside her in turn.

While the attendant remained, the three maintained composed demeanors. Only after he departed and they were temporarily alone did they begin exploring their surroundings.

Shu Wanxiu unfolded the three quilts assigned to them, finding no fleas or other insects. She ran her hands over the fabric, confirming they were cotton quilts with cotton padding beneath though relatively thin.

Beneath the padding lay thick layers of straw that felt soft and springy when pressed through the bedding.

These conditions were genuinely more comfortable than her current home arrangements.