Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 48 - 47: All an Act

Chapter 48: Chapter 47: All an Act
At the fourth watch of the night, rustling sounds came from Qin Yao’s house.
Liu Ji, yawning and bleary-eyed, groped his way to the kitchen in the dark, found the flint, lit the oil lamp on the stove, started the fire, and heated up the ten mixed grain steamed buns he had intentionally made extra last night, which would be today’s breakfast.
Qin Yao, having packed her belongings, came out of the room and knocked on the door next to hers.
"Da Lang, Second Lang! Get your younger siblings to put on their clothes and get up. It’s cool in the morning, so put on all your clothes."
A set of new cotton innerwear, a newly made thick cotton jacket in the middle, and a layer of second-hand old clothes on the outside. When the temperature rises, they can take off the outer layer.
This also serves to protect the new clothes, as there are no spare clothes to change into in the dead of winter if they get dirty.
The old hemp clothes, which Liu Ji had taken to the riverside to wash once, had fallen apart into strips of cloth.
But as long as they could be used, poor families would not throw them away. Now, they’re used as rags or foot cloths at home.
The four of them got up, full of excitement, and after a lively wash, the steamed buns were ready.
The family of six had breakfast, locked the door, and headed toward the village chief’s house with torches.
Liu Ji had already arranged to borrow an ox cart, and the village chief’s youngest son was already up, harnessed the ox cart, and handed it over to Liu Ji, giving him detailed instructions.
This cart wasn’t easy to borrow; it was all thanks to Qin Yao. If Liu Ji were the one asking, they wouldn’t even open the door for him and would have chased him away.
The ox had been well-fed by the village chief’s youngest son. While the cart wasn’t fast, it was quicker than walking. In less than two hours, they could reach Kaiyang County.
The four children held onto the cart board’s three sides, initially full of enthusiasm, but later became quite subdued from the jolting.
Liu Ji wasn’t much of a driver either, as the ox would sometimes walk quickly and then stop to nibble on some roadside grass. Thus, the family of six dragged on and finally arrived under the gates of Kaiyang County.
It was an overcast day, and though the sky was fully lit by now, it still appeared foggy.
But this couldn’t dampen people’s enthusiasm, as it was a big market day nearing the end of the year, and a lot of people came to the market to buy New Year’s goods.
Plus, the government was selling cattle, and the two events combined attracted people from all directions, forming long queues at the city entrance.
Liu Ji had thought they had come early but found many people even earlier, so they had to queue at the back of the long entrance line.
The entrance fee was still one cent per person; except for infants who couldn’t walk, everyone who was able to walk had to pay the entrance fee.
So, very few brought children; most were couples, or father and son, brothers, or adults from the same village teaming up.
The four children sat in the cart and were amazed by a city gate.
Looking around at the crowd, with various dialects mixed in, bustling vividly, they couldn’t even take it all in.
After queuing for ten minutes, it was finally Qin Yao’s family’s turn.
What Qin Yao didn’t expect was that two government officers at the city gate actually recognized Liu Ji and called out his name.
Liu Ji, looking quite chummy, exchanged a few pleasantries with them, paid six copper coins, and led the ox into the city.
Oh, and because they had the ox, they spent an additional two cents, supposedly a cart management fee.
But the money was not wasted, as paying it allowed them to leave the cart and ox in the livestock shed at the city gate under guard by specialized government officers.
Of course, they had to pay extra parking fees, usually a flat rate of five cents for as long as needed.
They hadn’t even truly entered the city yet, and they’d already spent thirteen cents.
The advantage was that they didn’t need to worry about such an important asset like the ox cart being stolen when tied outside the city gate, reducing the risk of loss.
Once the ox cart was parked, Qin Yao called the four siblings to get off.
As Da Lang and Second Lang were old enough, they could walk behind the adults. Sanlang and Si Niang were still young, so Liu Ji and Qin Yao each held one, maneuvering through the crowd.
When Da Lang and the others entered the city, their eyes were filled with curiosity but were also a bit restrained.
They noticed the city folk dressed very well, their clothes colored with elegant embroidery around the collars.
Gentlemen had servants beside them, while ladies and misses wore veils and were clothed in Brocade, accompanied by strong maids who kept the crowd away to prevent the commoners from bumping into them.
As soon as they entered the city, these ordinary people walked along the street edges, as the central commercial avenues were occupied by these privileged classes. The commoners, fearing to bump into them, naturally avoided them.
But, after passing the most bustling segment of the road, more common folk began walking in the center of the streets.
East Street and West Street felt like different places altogether.
East Street was lined with inns and shops, while West Street was full of street vendors.
There was less crowding now. Qin Yao finally had the chance to ask Liu Ji, "You seem quite familiar with the guards at the city gate?"
Liu Ji raised his eyebrows smugly, "I’ve at least studied in the county’s academy; knowing a few people isn’t surprising."
"But the academy only has two days off each month?" Qin Yao immediately caught the flaw in his words and countered, "How do you have time to mingle with these people?"
Liu Ji was instantly speechless.
Qin Yao’s gaze darkened, casting a cold, warning glance at him, and only then did Liu Ji mumble, "I helped them a few times, so I got to know them."
As for the kind of help that was, Qin Yao could easily guess. With Liu Ji’s character, it wouldn’t be anything other than being hired muscle or an accomplice.
"What kind of look is that?" Sensing Qin Yao’s look was off, Liu Ji reflexively asked.
Qin Yao gently shook her head and said no more.
Liu Ji glanced at her suspiciously. Could she be scared because he knew the officers?
Obviously, he was overthinking it. Qin Yao had merely spotted the cattle sale area and urged Da Lang and Second Lang to stay close while she carried Sanlang and Si Niang over there first.
The government was selling cattle, and everyone wanted to buy. People surrounded the open area in layers, waiting for the officials to bring out the cattle for bidding.
Even some wealthy households had sent people over, waiting to buy cattle.
Though these people were servants, they dressed better than most commoners, with rosy complexions and sturdier builds. Those who didn’t know might mistake them for rich peasants.
Liu Ji, tall and decently looking, wore a new blue cotton robe, walking with an upright scholar’s lofty posture. Some even mistook him for an academy student, making way for Qin Yao’s family of six to squeeze into the first row.
Da Lang was surprised, not expecting his father to fare so well in the city.
Qin Yao noticed Liu Ji’s pretentious demeanor, exploiting his handsome appearance to navigate these situations easily.
After all, he hadn’t claimed any identity; it was others who misunderstood.
The stewards sent by wealthy families approached Liu Ji politely, inquiring if he was also buying cattle.
This courteous yet probing gesture relieved Liu Ji’s long-held frustrations, as he boldly claimed:
"We’ll see. If they’re strong, we’ll certainly bring a few back."
Qin Yao clearly saw that several inquiring stewards regarded Liu Ji with increased caution, now perceiving him as a genuine competitor.