The wife of two taels of silver

After taking the children to breakfast early, Lin Haitang brought them to Old Sun's place to ride in a carriage. Fortunately, today was a good day because the snow had just melted and the weather was very cold. Not many people were going to the county town, and no one said anything. The family of three arrived at the county town smoothly. The county town was called Hua'an County.

Gu Mo and Gu Zhilan were very happy and jumped around. The weather was cold and they would breathe out hot air if they talked, but this did not stop the two of them. They talked about things they had never seen before.

Lin Haitang bought the two children candied haws, and finally, everything was quiet. The two children were concentrating on eating the candied haws. Lin Haitang found a deserted alley, and after confirming that no one was there, she brought the two children into the space.

Lin Haitang said to the two children, "Mom has something to do, and it's not convenient to bring Momolanlan with me. Can you play in the space for a while? I'll take you out when I'm done."

"Okay, Mom, remember to pick us up."

"Mom, Lanlan wants to eat apples."

Gu Mo was only a few minutes older than Gu Zhilan, but he looked much more mature than her. The little girl only wanted to eat apples. Lin Haitang thought both children were very cute, especially her little daughter's foodie mentality. She washed two apples for them and said, "Don't eat too much. After eating one, you can't eat anymore, otherwise your stomach will hurt."

After settling the two children, Lin Haitang came out and went straight to the clothing store, the same one she had been to last time. The waiter was surprised to recognize Lin Haitang and asked her what she needed. Lin Haitang chose two sets of clothes of different styles for herself. One set was brightly colored, the other was plain and elegant, both made of high-quality silk. She also bought a new set of silk clothes for each of the two children. Lin Haitang also asked the waiter for a veil hat. She spent a total of three and a half taels of silver, and the owner of the veil hat said it was a gift and did not ask for money.

Lin Haitang didn't return directly to her space. She first wandered around the county town's bookstores and bookshops. Hua'an County was a small town, and the number of scholars was small. Bookshops were few and far between, only three or four. Publishing "Dream of the Red Chamber" there would have been more restrictive, with limited customer traffic and a long wait time. Lin Haitang inquired further and found the Xiannong Bookstore in Yancheng.

Yancheng, a prosperous and wealthy metropolis, encompassed Hua'an County. Xiannong Bookstores flourished, with two of them belonging to Hua'an County. The first Xiannong Bookstore opened in Yancheng was owned by Liu Shuyun, the son of the wealthiest local merchant. Later, the Liu family relocated to the capital, where they also opened several Xiannong Bookstores. Liu Shuyun was known for his literary talent, earning him the nickname "Young Master Yun" in the capital. However, Liu Shuyun chose not to enter officialdom or take the imperial examinations, instead spending his days feasting, drinking, and having fun, reciting poetry and composing fu. Whenever the emperor was in a good mood, he would summon him to the palace to compose a poem. As a result, the Xiannong Bookstore opened by Liu Shuyun became nationally renowned.

After hearing this, Lin Haitang was filled with envy. She wanted to be just like that person. A wealthy family, gifted with talent, a good businessman, and someone who yearned for freedom. She dreamed of being like that. She should have undergone a sex change and traveled through time to become Liu Shuyun. Lin Haitang sincerely thought.

Lin Haitang went back to the alley, entered the space, and put the clothes she had bought in the nameless house. Two children were sitting by the spring, looking at the water. Lin Haitang was startled. The spring water was very clear, and although it looked shallow, it was actually very deep. She had forgotten to tell the children not to go near the spiritual spring. What if they slipped? She was not in the space anymore. The two children cried out to heaven and earth, but no one answered. The more they thought about it, the more dangerous it became. Cold sweats were about to fall. Lin Haitang walked over quickly and pulled the two children away from the spiritual spring.

"From now on, no matter whether I'm here or not, don't get so close to the spiritual spring. What if you fall in? I'll be worried. If anything happens to you two, I'll be scared and cry. Don't get so close to it in the future." Lin Huatang squatted down and reasoned with the two children.

Gu Mo and Gu Zhilan were also very obedient and quickly said that they would not get so close to each other again.

"Don't worry, mom. I will take good care of my sister in the future and won't let her get so close to you. I won't do that either." Gu Mo said seriously.

Lin Haitang smiled: "We are awesome."

"Come on, Mom will take you two out. Let's go have lunch today, okay? Then we're going to stay outside today. Let's go to Yancheng tomorrow, okay?"

"Yancheng? Where is that? Is it far away?" Gu Zhilan asked in a cute voice.

"It's a bit far. We'll have to take the carriage for a whole day, but don't worry, mother will take good care of you and your brother."

"Mom, is Yancheng bigger than Hua'an County? Is it farther away than where Daddy is?"

"Well, Yancheng is bigger than Hua'an County, Momo. Hua'an County is under the jurisdiction of Yancheng. Daddy's place is farther away than Yancheng. Momo, do you miss Daddy?"

"Well, I'm thinking about Daddy. I don't know how to solve the Nine Rings. I want Daddy to teach me." Gu Mo lowered his head, a little depressed.

Lin Haitang was silent. She didn't know how to solve the Nine Rings puzzle either. She'd first seen it in junior high school, when a boy sitting next to her was playing it. He was so good at it, she thought he was amazing. She remembered there was a set formula for solving the Nine Rings puzzle, but she hadn't learned it.

Lin Haitang thought for a moment and said, "Momo, when we get to Yancheng, Mom will take you and your sister to write a letter to your father, okay? Ask your father when he can come back to teach you how to solve the Nine Links."

"Okay!" Gu Mo and Gu Zhilan were both very happy.

Lin Haitang was heartbroken. In her opinion, she would definitely divorce Gu An in the future. She felt sorry for her two little darlings.

Lin Haitang was already very hungry, having been running around all morning. The two children had probably digested most of their food, so she took them to a nicer restaurant in Hua'an County. Since they needed to stay in a hotel, in ancient times, it was necessary for Lin Haitang, a woman with two children, to stay in a nicer place, which would be safer.

Lin Haitang requested a nice room, some dishes the kids liked, and a spicy dish for herself. She really, really wanted something spicy. She wanted hot pot so badly.

It feels so good not to have to cook or wash dishes by myself that Lin Haitang almost wants to live here permanently and never go back.

It was the first time for the two children to go on a long journey. Lin Haitang was so happy that she couldn't control herself. She couldn't let them rest, so she took the two children out shopping.

They wanted to buy bamboo dragonflies, lanterns, and even the handicrafts sold by vendors. They wanted to try steamed buns, sesame cakes, wontons, and noodles. Lin Haitang bought them toys but nothing to eat. They had just finished their meal, and their little bellies couldn't eat any more. Lin Haitang wanted to wait another two hours before taking them to the night market for dinner.

After Gu Mo and Gu Zhilan had enough fun, Lin Haitang took them back to the restaurant. After bringing the children to the room, Lin Haitang asked the two children to enter the space again. She was going to find the carriage to Yancheng tomorrow. She was definitely worried about leaving the children alone in the restaurant, so she felt more at ease leaving the two children in the space.

Lin Haitang came down from the second floor and asked the waiter, "Waiter, I want to ask you something. I want to go to Yancheng tomorrow. Do you know where I can rent a carriage?"

The waiter swung his handkerchief and said to Lin Haitang, "Madam, there are many places to rent a carriage in our city, but for a woman like you with two children, renting one of them is not very safe. I recommend a place for you. Go to the Sanshun Escort Agency on West Street and ask them to take you with them when they deliver goods to Yancheng. It's safer this way."

The waiter's words were very thoughtful. Lin Haitang thanked him and gave him a tip of twenty cents.

The waiter was even happier, nodding and bowing, "Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."

Lin Haitang went to West Street. The sign for Sanshun Escort Agency was large and easy to find. Lin Haitang walked in and said, "Boss, I have to go to Yancheng tomorrow for something, and I'm taking my two children with me. Can you send me there tomorrow? What's the price?"

The shopkeeper asked, "Tomorrow we have a batch of wine to be delivered to Yancheng. I'll ask the owner of this house if I can allow you to add an extra carriage. Madam, please come here and have some tea and wait."

Escort agencies usually escort goods. Some, like Lin Haitang, have to travel long distances to come to the agency, but they usually pay to hitchhike with others, which is cheaper. If they only deliver to one household, the price is a bit high and not everyone can afford it. Hitchhiking requires the consent of the owner of the goods to be delivered.

Less than half an hour later, the errand boy returned and said, "Boss, ma'am, you can take a ride tomorrow."

I agreed on a price with the shopkeeper, and it was six hundred coins, which was not a small sum.

The shopkeeper said, "Madam, we will leave at the entrance of the escort agency at 1:00 AM tomorrow."

Lin Haitang paid a deposit of 200 wen first and asked, "Okay, thank you, shopkeeper."

It got dark quickly. Lin Haitang took the children out to the night market, let them eat their fill, and then returned to the restaurant early to rest.

The next day arrived quickly.

At the hour of Mao, just as the sun was rising, Lin Haitang boarded the carriage at the entrance of the Sanshun Escort Agency. The carriage swayed slowly as it departed, leaving behind a blanket of golden morning light.

The service at Sanshun Escort Agency was very considerate. They prepared hot water and steamed buns in the morning so that everyone would not go on the road hungry. Gu Mo and Gu Zhilan were also riding in such a formal and comfortable carriage for the first time, and they kept looking out.

Riding in a carriage is like being in a cradle. Children sleep a lot, especially after eating. There was a heater in the carriage, so it was very warm. Since they had gotten up early today, Gu Mo and Gu Zhilan slept for a long time before waking up, not even waking up for lunch. Lin Haitang didn't wake them either. She packed their meals and planned to heat them up in the space when they woke up.

The sun was about to set and we had arrived at Yancheng.

After Lin Haitang paid the balance to Sanshun Escort Agency, she planned to take the two children to find a restaurant.

There's no business to discuss today. First, find a place to eat and sleep.

Likewise, you should look for a better restaurant. Safety is more important than anything else.

Lin Haitang calculated that this trip cost a lot of money. He was not even short of money. He had already spent less than half of the twenty taels of silver in his hand. He would not be able to return from Yancheng without spending five or six taels of silver.

Making money is something that cannot be delayed and is urgent.