With virtue

As the group left the porcelain shop, Chen Wanchuan glanced back at the shop door, muttering to himself, "Are there really monks in this world who don't charge money? I've been traveling the world for over ten years, and I've seen plenty of people begging for alms, but this is the first time I've encountered someone who does things without paying."

"What if they're in a good mood today?" Zhao Yunshu tucked the letter into his pocket, then patted the hard, yellowed book to make sure it was all there before walking forward. "Anyway, we still have to go to the kiln. If we don't go, the little money we have won't be enough for a few days' worth of food. Let's find a place to rest for half a day first, and then go to the kiln."

Chen Wanchuan didn't hesitate and nodded: "I know a cheap one."

After speaking, he led the group into a small alley, and after several twists and turns, they arrived at the door of a teahouse.

The storefront was small, with only a blackened wooden signboard hanging above it that simply read "Tea," omitting the store name altogether. Two large earthenware urns stood at the entrance, one boiling water and the other simmering tea leaves, steaming hot as they rose from them.

There were four or five low tables under the eaves, and about a dozen long benches scattered around the tables, where most of the people sitting were peddlers, laborers pushing carts and carrying loads.

Some people ate dry biscuits with a bowl of hot tea, some people dozed off against the wall after unloading their loads, and a few old soldiers gathered together to chat, laughing loudly as they slapped the table when they got excited.

Chen Wanchuan greeted the shopkeeper with practiced ease and ordered five bowls of tea, several flatbreads, and a plate of pickled vegetables.

The shopkeeper was a thin, frail old man in his fifties with a few goatees on his chin. He responded with a word and went to get things ready, moving quickly and efficiently. In a short while, the tea and cakes were served. The tea was made from coarse tea leaves, and the broth was a murky yellow, indicating that several batches had been brewed.

The flatbread was baked in the morning, and although it was cold, it was still crispy, and the aroma of wheat was irresistible when you tore it open.

The three children were starving, so they grabbed the bread and started eating.

Wang Haiting was a little better; he knew to break off half and hand it to Zhao Yunshu first. The two children, however, didn't care that it was hot—actually, it wasn't—and wolfed it down, choking and rolling their eyes back. Chen Wanchuan had to pour half a bowl of tea down their throats before they could swallow it.

Zhao Yunshu slowly tore at the pancake, listening to the old soldiers chatting at the next table. One of the old soldiers was talking animatedly: "...I'm not bragging, but back when I was with the commander, I single-handedly killed three bandits and captured two warhorses. The commander personally toasted me! Unfortunately, I was later shot in the leg with an arrow and couldn't ride a horse anymore, so I retired from the army."

A younger man nearby sneered, "Come on, old Zhang, you said last time you killed five." The old soldier remained unfazed: "That was a different battle." Everyone laughed.

At another table, two men who looked like merchants were speaking in hushed tones. Zhao Yunshu, with his keen ears, vaguely heard a few words: "...They've expanded their army again. I heard they're going to attack."

"We don't care whether they attack or not, as long as it doesn't delay the tea collection."

"Buy tea? Do you think you can even get that batch of tea? The roads are full of refugees, and you can't even hire porters."

"I don't have the money to hire porters, I'll do it myself."

Chen Wanchuan overheard this and said to Zhao Yunshu, "In Dingzhou, with the military governor in charge, at least we can have some peace and quiet. But outside this area, to the south is Xuanwu, to the north is Hedong, and to the west is Fengxiang—none of them are easy to deal with. As for taxes, don't even mention them. The imperial court says it will collect taxes, the military governor says it will collect military pay, and the county magistrate says it will collect miscellaneous taxes. Layer upon layer, it's so heavy that farmers can't even keep their seeds, and those who don't farm can't survive at all."

He counted on his fingers, "Besides the regular taxes, there are salt taxes, tea taxes, wine taxes, commercial taxes, and maritime taxes. Even carrying loads across a bridge requires paying. A few years ago, the court introduced a 'house frame tax,' which was levied based on the number of houses, scaring the people so much that they demolished their houses and moved into shacks. And that's not all. I heard they're going to introduce some kind of 'street clearing fee,' which will deduct 10% even from buying vegetables."

Zhao Yunshu took a sip of tea and remained silent.

Chen Wanchuan continued rambling, "These days, we use copper coins less often and barter more often. We buy a cow with silk, exchange it for a few bushels of rice with salt, and in some places, they even use iron as currency. I've heard that the coins minted by the imperial court aren't enough, and privately minted inferior coins are flying everywhere, as thin as paper, and they break with a single snap. Silver is valuable, but who has silver? For merchants like us, carrying a few strings of copper coins makes us seem like big shots. And even those few strings have to be hidden carefully. If we run into fleeing soldiers or bandits on the road, we might lose our lives and all our money."

Zhao Yunshu asked, "So... there's a refugee crisis in Dingzhou?"

"Absolutely!" Chen Wanchuan slapped his thigh. "Isn't it impossible to survive? If there's grain in the fields and food in the pot, who would want to drag their family out to run away? Dingzhou City isn't exactly wealthy, but at least the military governor doesn't let his troops plunder, and the city gates are open to let people in. It's already one of the best places in Hebei. Those who flee are lucky if they can get into the city. Those who can't can only stay outside the city, build a shack, and dig up some wild vegetables. If they're lucky, they can survive until spring. If they're unlucky, a snowfall will wipe them out."

At this moment, Wang Haiting suddenly looked up, crumbs still clinging to his lips, and asked, "Uncle Chen, you've traveled to so many places, which one is the best?"

Chen Wanchuan paused for a moment, and after thinking for a while, he said, "Neither is much better. Jiangnan is slightly better, as the fighting wasn't as fierce, but the taxes are even heavier than here. Farmers can't even feed themselves after paying the rent. Shu is alright too, because farming there doesn't depend on the weather, and there's water all year round. But the road into Shu is too difficult to travel."

He finished the tea in his bowl in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and concluded, "So let's just stay in Dingzhou. At least it's a peaceful place, and we can do some small business. If you guys can learn a skill at the kiln, that would be a blessing. No matter how the world changes in the future, a skill is still a skill, and you can earn a living wherever you go."

While eating, they chatted about world affairs. Before long, they felt much better. Although they hadn't slept much the night before, their top priority was to go to Ding kiln.

Chen Wanchuan asked the shopkeeper to settle the bill. The tea and cakes for the five people cost a total of eight copper coins, which was not expensive.

When he paid, he asked the shopkeeper a few more questions. The shopkeeper said that Quyang was relatively peaceful recently and the roads were open, but some sections of the mountain road had been damaged by rain, so he should be careful when walking.

Chen Wanchuan thanked them and then led his men out of the teahouse and toward the city gate on the west side of the city.

It takes about half a day to walk from Dingzhou City to Quyang.

After leaving the city, the number of pedestrians on the road gradually decreased. Looking around, the fields were still desolate, but compared to the gloomy wind on the mountain last night, the daytime made people feel much more at ease.

Daytime is always more reassuring than nighttime.

At least, there are no ghosts during the day.