Ordinary observers in fast time travel

Chapter 1240 Settling down
The rich aroma once again filled the woods.

The five people, who had been starving for a long time, looked at the earthenware pot on the makeshift stove with shining eyes, wishing they could drink the soup inside in one gulp.

"Hmm, it's ready to eat!" Shi Jia scooped out a piece of meat and a little soup to taste. It tasted very good, and the soup was even more delicious because of the mushrooms.

"Young heroes, bring me a bowl, I'll serve you."

"I'll go first!" Wan Anshou shoved the bowl in front of Shi Jia. The latter paused for a moment, resisted the urge to lean back, took the bowl from him, filled it to the brim, and handed him two sweet potatoes.

"No rush, everyone can have two bowls of soup." Shi Jia had deliberately cooked extra.

"okay."

Before long, only the slurping sounds of eating filled the forest.

Having filled their stomachs, the group continued their journey together. Yes, Shi Jia and his three companions were traveling with Wan Anfu and his group. The sturdy horses carried the four of them at a brisk pace along the official road, covering a journey that would normally take a day in just half an afternoon.

Jingzhou Prefecture is located in the south, with a suitable climate, and both agriculture and economy are highly developed. The prefectural city is particularly bustling and prosperous.

The street in front of us was paved with bluestone slabs and swept very clean, without a speck of dirt. Shops lined both sides of the street, with colorful flags fluttering in the breeze. The street was bustling with people, dressed in either fine silks and satins or coarse linen.

But whether they were wealthy or common people, everyone's faces showed joy, without a trace of the ravages of famine and war.

The Wang siblings, seeing such a bustling city for the first time, stared wide-eyed at the crowds of people coming and going, not even hearing Wan Anfu and the others say goodbye.

"Until we meet again." Shi Jia followed Wan Anfu and the others in bowing, watching their backs disappear into the distance before turning his gaze away. "Tieshan, Tiehua, while there's still time, let's hurry to the government office to inquire about the household registration."

"Oh, oh." The two siblings turned around. "Sister-in-law, we don't know where the government office is."

"I'll just ask someone if I have nothing else to do." Shi Jia looked at the unfamiliar streets and the passersby, feeling a bit of a headache.

“Okay, I’ll go ask.” Wang Tieshan volunteered and dashed out. A little while later, he returned. “Sister-in-law, I found out. The government office is on Zhengxing Street. Just walk straight to the end of the street.”

Upon hearing this, Shi Jia looked in the direction Wang Tieshan pointed and saw only a dark mass of people and colorful flags fluttering in the wind.

A group of three children, one adult and three children, carrying baskets on their backs and carrying hampers, quickly blended into the crowd. Despite their drab, dusty clothes and disheveled appearance, they surprisingly blended in with the bustling street.

This is perhaps the inclusiveness of such big cities, which can accommodate fine clothes but also do not look down on coarse clothes and tattered garments.

However, walking on such a crowded street was no more comfortable than walking in the mountains and forests. By the time Shi Jia and the other two arrived at the government office, they were already covered in sweat and complaining bitterly.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" When the yamen runners saw Shi Jia and his group approaching, they immediately held their long swords horizontally in front of them.

"We are refugees from Feng County in the north, and we wish to settle in Jingzhou Prefecture. We would be grateful if you could grant us this favor, sir." Shi Jia took out the document written by the general earlier and handed it to the yamen runner.

The bailiff, who knew a few characters, quickly recognized the guarantor's name on the document. It was the handwriting of General Pingnan!

He dared not delay and hurriedly said, "Please wait a moment, I will go and report to the Revenue Minister right away!"

"Thank you for your help, sir!" Shi Jia bowed to him. The yamen runner was quick, and Shi Jia and his companions were summoned inside shortly afterward.

The Registrar of Jingzhou Prefecture was a robust man with a beard, whose age Shi Jia couldn't discern. Upon seeing the three of them, the man looked surprised and then asked how Shi Jia had obtained the handwritten document from General Pingnan.

Shi Jia, of course, did not hide anything and honestly explained what had happened.

Upon hearing this, Lord Lu Yang, the Registrar of Household Affairs, nodded and, confirming that Shi Jia was not lying, said, "Alright, I understand your situation. Li, would you like to settle down in the prefectural city or in a nearby village?"

Shi Jia was taken aback. There was still a choice?
"Sir, how much silver is needed to settle down in the city?" Shi Jia thought that it must be expensive in the city. They didn't have much silver and didn't have the ability to make a living. It was really not appropriate for them to settle down in the city.

It would be better to find a village near the mountains, buy a few acres of land, and raise several children by relying on her ability to find wild vegetables in the mountains.

Lu Yang said, "To register a household in the city, you need to pay one tael of silver. In addition, you also need to rent or buy a house."

"Wow~" So much! Shi Jia felt his pocket; inside were fifteen taels of silver given to him by Wan Anfu and others. "How much would it cost to settle down in a nearby village?"

"Two coins per person, plus the cost of purchasing a plot of land or an old house, ranging from one to four taels. If you need to buy land, there are different prices: three taels for good land and one tael for bad land."

Upon hearing these prices, Shi Jia felt that the fifteen taels in his pocket were simply not enough.

However, she took a deep breath and said, "Please, sir, recommend a village that is nestled against the mountains and overlooks the water."

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow and unfolded the map. "Dashan Village is located northwest of the prefectural city, eighteen miles away. It is backed by a mountain and has a small river flowing through it. There is little fertile land and much inferior land."

"Dahe Village is located southeast of the prefectural city, about 20 li away. The Songzi River flows through this area. The land is fertile and there are many good fields, making it the main grain-producing area of ​​Jingzhou Prefecture."

Shi Jia was conflicted upon hearing this. It sounded like the latter environment was better, but for the four of them, weak women and children, going to such a large village would probably be a blessing if they weren't bullied.

Shi Jia took a deep breath and mustered his courage to ask, "Sir, what is the local custom like?"

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow and said, "The people here are naturally simple and honest. Dashan Village has a small population, about thirty households, because there is little fertile land. Dahe Village, on the other hand, is a large village with about a hundred households. However, if you want to choose Dahe Village, you probably can't buy land there."

After careful consideration, Shi Jia decided on Dashan Village as the location.

After paying the registration fee, I was given a plot of land to build a house for free. I spent five taels of silver to buy one mu of fertile farmland and two mu of dry land.

Since they were newcomers, the government officials would usually take them to the village. Shi Jia thought it was getting late, so he asked the officials to take them there tomorrow.

After leaving the government office, Shi Jia first took the three children to eat noodles before buying various daily necessities.

After Shi Jia and the others left, Lu Yang took the document handwritten by General Pingnan to see the prefect of Jingzhou.

"My lord!" Prefect Wan was reviewing official documents. This year, Jingzhou Prefecture had indeed had a bumper harvest, but the imperial court was at war with the barbarians, and all provisions and supplies were to be prepared by the rear. Jingzhou Prefecture was responsible for the provisions. So, although the figures on the books looked plentiful, it was actually uncertain whether they could last until next spring.

Alas, I wonder how the battle is going at the front? When will the imperial army be able to drive the northern barbarians back to the north?

"What is it?" Prefect Wan frowned.