Chapter 17: Advance Preparations

"Brother Jin Xiao, don't you worry," he chimed in, "If any danger truly comes, your second brother will be the one standing at the front. You just hide safely behind my back, and I guarantee you won't suffer even a scratch!"

Since they had to buy grain in the afternoon, the family's wicker baskets were insufficient. Li Yongzhi and his son, Li Tianhe, began cutting bamboo to weave new ones themselves.

"Grandfather, Uncle, I never realized you were so skilled at weaving baskets!" Su Jinyu remarked as she observed their work. The baskets were woven tightly and seamlessly inside and out, making them look like pieces of art.

"When your grandfather was young, his family was poor. When I married him, he made all our furniture himself. He’s more dexterous than many women! Your uncle learned quite a few crafts from his father since he was a boy, too," Wang Qiaohui said. Though she spoke with a tone of feigned disdain, she clearly admired their handiwork.

Many villagers were also heading to town to purchase grain. Su Jinyu and the Li father-and-son duo saw a crowd waiting at the village entrance and climbed onto Old Man Zhao’s ox cart.

"Little Jinyu, I won’t take your money today. Consider it my small way of helping our fellow villagers," Old Man Zhao said.

Su Jinyu thanked him and did not insist on paying; there were other villagers on the cart, and she didn't want to ruin the old man's kind gesture.

By the time they reached the town, it was already the middle of the afternoon. Old Man Zhao urged everyone to hurry and gather back at the city gate as soon as possible. Upon arriving at the gate, they noticed a fresh contingent of guards inspecting everyone with extreme scrutiny, as if searching for someone specific. Even the two tattered rags Su Jinyu had placed at the bottom of her basket were flipped over and shaken out several times by the guards.

Compounded by the fear of an enemy invasion, the atmosphere was thick with anxiety. Every villager promised to return to the rendezvous point quickly.

Beyond these troubles, there was something else causing them a headache.

"Shopkeeper, I came to buy white rice yesterday, and it was only twenty wen a catty. Why has the price doubled today?" Su Jinyu asked, puzzled.

Wang Qiaohui had given them 500 wen. With the price of white rice now at 40 wen, and even coarse rice and flour at 25 wen, the situation was dire. They had brought three baskets to fill with grain, but with the current prices, they would be lucky to fill even one after spending the 500 wen.

The grain shopkeeper’s face darkened, and he said testily, "Everyone pays this price today. If you don't want to buy it, go elsewhere. But let me warn you, grain prices have risen everywhere in the city; it will be the same no matter which shop you visit!"

Li Tianhe stepped in front of his niece. "If you won't sell, then don't! Why are you shouting at a little girl? Jinyu, let's go to another shop. The owner here has a heart of coal; if we eat his rice, we’ll turn black-hearted too!"

Su Jinyu suppressed a laugh; her uncle certainly had a sense of humor.

They checked three more shops, but the prices were all double. Li Tianhe was furious but helpless. "They’re all black-hearted!"

"Uncle, let's just use what Grandmother gave us to buy some coarse flour. We should be able to get 20 catties. We can't afford the white rice and flour now, but I'll think of a way later."

Li Tianhe didn't take her words to heart. "You little girl, what way could you possibly find? Fine, coarse flour it is. As long as the family can fill their bellies, that's enough. It’s just a pity that you and Jin Xiao won't have fine rice and flour."

"Uncle, you're too kind. We're a family, so we should eat the same; as long as there is food, I won't feel bitter."

Su Jinyu found an excuse to head to another street to buy miscellaneous goods. Finding a deserted alley, she pulled fifty catties of white rice and fifty catties of white flour from her hidden space, along with various seasonings she tucked at the bottom of the basket. If they lacked seasoning while fleeing, it would be her stomach that suffered.

She could only carry so much for now; she would figure out the rest later. When she returned to meet the Li men, Li Tianhe took the basket and exclaimed, "Jinyu, where did you get all this white rice and flour? This must be seventy or eighty catties!"

"More than that," she replied honestly, "One hundred catties in total—fifty of rice and fifty of flour. I bought some other small things at the bottom, too."

"What? One hundred catties? Good heavens, Jinyu, you have quite a bit of strength! You should have called me to help carry it. If you hurt yourself, your grandfather would never forgive me!"

Su Jinyu feigned embarrassment. "I ran into a small vendor on the next street who didn't know the market rates and was selling it for half the price of the shops. I spent two taels of silver to buy it all, fearing someone else would snatch it up."

Li Zhe'an took out a handkerchief embroidered by his mother and wiped the sweat from his sister's forehead. His refined features were filled with tenderness. "Our Jinyu is so smart and clever to get so much grain for so little money. You’re our little lucky star, and we’re all benefiting because of you. But next time, call your elder brother for the heavy lifting."

"Thank you, Brother!" Su Jinyu smiled at him, accepting the peach-blossom handkerchief. Her aunt’s embroidery was exquisite—the flowers looked lifelike.

Though her physical condition had improved significantly from drinking "nutritional water," carrying a hundred catties across two streets had still left the petite girl drenched in sweat.

"Sister Jinyu, drink some mung bean water to cool down!" Li Chuxiu appeared with a bamboo tube of sweet water he had bought from a nearby stall.

Su Jinyu looked at her second brother—swarthy and dripping with sweat—and then back at her elder brother, whose skin was as fair as mutton-fat jade. She couldn't help but wonder how two brothers could look so different. She suppressed a grin. "Thank you, Second Brother!"

She hadn't had a drop of water since entering the city. The mung bean drink was homemade, rich and sweet. She noted that the local vendors were quite clever; bamboo tubes were abundant and free, making for perfect disposable cups.

Considering the cold nights in the mountains, Su Jinyu bought five quilts and three bolts of coarse cloth for making clothes. A bolt was about thirty meters long, enough to make ten sets for adults and eight for children. With eight people in the family, everyone needed two or three sets to rotate. Any extra would be used for cloth shoes; nothing would go to waste.