A peasant girl with a special ability uses herself and two wolves to escape famine!

Xia Ning didn't understand why there was a food shortage when there was no disaster here.

"Sir, you may not know this, but most of our area is mountainous, with few plains and limited arable land."

Yes, one after another, with no roads, she was almost exhausted by the time she got here.

"Moreover, there is currently a nationwide famine. I heard that the imperial court has increased taxes on the border areas this year, so grain will only become more expensive."

"There's nothing we can do about it; life is even harder for ordinary people outside."

Who is this guest?

"They came from famine."

"Is it really that difficult outside?" They all thought that the court was exaggerating and just using it as an excuse to exploit them.

"Yes, the rivers have dried up, there is no water, tree bark and grass roots have all been eaten, and countless people have starved to death."

The waiter patted his chest, "Thank goodness it wasn't them."

"Sir, you must have had a long and arduous journey," the waiter said ingratiatingly. To have money in your pocket and such well-maintained mules after fleeing famine—you must be no ordinary person.

"Indeed. What's the situation in Haicheng right now?"

"A few years ago, things weren't peaceful. The neighboring Yue Kingdom kept invading. After their old emperor died, his sons fought like chickens for the throne, so no one bothered our Great Xia Dynasty anymore. I heard they're still fighting now, and a lot of people have died in the fighting."

So the enemy killed themselves; that saves them a lot of trouble.

"Who is in charge of Haicheng now?"

"General Zhao! The Zhao family has guarded the border for generations, dedicating themselves to the cause of Haicheng."

As you've likely seen along the way, the people of Haicheng live in peace and prosperity. These past years, thanks to the Zhao family army, we've been able to enjoy a stable life.

Xia Ning nodded in agreement. The public security here was indeed quite good, except for a minor accident on the road, which was unavoidable. The people were simple and honest, and quite content with their lives.

"Why haven't I seen any entertainment venues outside the city?"

"We've always been short of supplies here. The general forbids extravagance and waste, and forbids everyone from indulging in pleasure. So, those shops are not allowed to open. Use the money to reinforce the city walls and buy weapons."

Therefore, Haicheng is actually a one-man show by the Zhao family. They can manage it however they want! Although they are indeed well-managed, they are also very domineering.

Too much rigidity leads to breakage; officials and common people alike, under his leadership, became like ascetics, devoid of desire and ambition.

It is terrible for a person to have no desires. Cutting off a person's desires may bring peace, but it will lead to stagnation and prevent development.

For example, in Haicheng, the people were so poor, but they didn't realize it and thought they were doing quite well.

If we don't move forward, we'll fall behind. If Haicheng continues like this, it will be very dangerous.

Pleasure fuels greed and drives people to constantly strive for their desires.

Healthy competition is essential; it's much better than the current stagnant situation.

I don't know who came up with this terrible idea, making everyone live like this.

Having learned what she wanted to know, Xiao Er went downstairs, and Xia Ning looked at Jiang Yi: "How about we settle down here for the time being?"

The journey back was too long, and her legs felt weak. Here, she felt quite comfortable, and it wasn't far from the sea.

"Are we going to buy a house?"

"I'll rent it out. I don't know how long I'll live there. Buying it isn't worth it."

She bought a house in Ningzhou Prefecture because she was going to undertake a major construction project; renting was definitely not an option.

"to make."

I asked the waiter and found out that there weren't even any middlemen here. Outsiders certainly wouldn't settle in such a dangerous place. The locals don't buy or sell houses either. If you have a household registration, you can apply for a homestead. Who would buy a ready-made house? All the shops belong to the government. They're not for sale, only for rent. You can rent from the government. There's no use for human brokers here.

So, besides the inn, she had nowhere else to stay?

Xia Ning felt that the authorities must have been from another time, as it had a distinctly communist-like feel to it.

"If you don't mind, sir, my house can be rented to you?"

"Your home? Living with your whole family?" No way, absolutely not!

"No, it's vacant. It used to be where my parents lived, but they're getting old now and live with my older brother, so the house has been empty."

It's fine as long as no one lives there.

"How do you rent it?"

"One hundred coins a month is enough, but it's a bit of a problem. My parents' home is in a remote area, a bit far from the city center, and they don't have many neighbors around them."

We were worried about leaving them alone, so we brought them to live with us.

That's fairly honest.

"Take us to see it!"

"Excuse me, please wait a moment while I ask the manager for leave!"

"Sir, this is the place."

It was a small courtyard with three stone houses. The courtyard wall was about waist-high. The furniture inside was almost completely empty, and the stove was also empty. There weren't many houses around, probably because people thought it was too remote. It was a place to stay, and it could fit a mule cart. At least it was more convenient than staying in a guesthouse.

Can I rent it for a month first?

"Ok, Ok!"

The waiter was overjoyed; one hundred coins could buy several kilograms of grain. Renting out any amount of the vacant house would be pure profit.

After Xia Ning gave him one hundred coins, she followed him back to the inn. They also needed to bring their luggage and drive a mule cart over.

The waiter diligently helped them, seeing them off from the inn until they were out of sight before returning to his work. He checked the hundred coins in his pocket; his mother and father would surely be very happy to be home!

Upon entering, Jiang Yi immediately began sweeping and dusting. After cleaning, he took out the bed, table, chairs, pots, and other necessities.

"Xiao Ning, why do you want to live here?"

Doesn't she love the sea? Why did she search for so long only to stay for a few days?

"We need to buy more things here, take our time, there's no rush, we don't have anything to do back home anyway." She was determined to get two boats back from the prefectural city.

"Listen to you!"

Xia Ning didn't actually not want to sell grain; everyone else was short of it, except her. Grain matured in batches quickly in her space, and the yield was high.

But she couldn't explain where the food came from; how much could the two of them have carried?

This is a place where General Zhao holds absolute power. He can investigate anything he wants, and if he investigates too closely, she will be exposed. Therefore, this grain cannot be sold.

She felt terrible; it was a business with no initial investment, yet she couldn't do it.

She stayed to see if there was any way to earn some money.

"Boss, are you taking jobs?"

"doing what?"

"Two fishing boats that come out to fish, the biggest kind."

The carpenter, who had been nonchalant, stopped what he was doing and stood up straight.

"really?"

"Of course, how much silver for two ships? And when will delivery take?"

"One boat costs 6 taels of silver, two boats cost 12 taels. Don't think it's expensive. I'll need at least a month and a half to work on two boats, and I'll also have to go up the mountain to cut timber."

It's tiring, but the profits are also extremely considerable. He looked at Xia Ning, "If you want to do it, you'll have to pay half the money as a deposit."

"Ten taels for two boats. If you're willing, I'll make them."

Now she only spends and doesn't earn, saving every penny she can.

"Okay, but you'll need to pay a deposit of six taels."

"Okay, write me a note."

The carpenter was overjoyed; he hadn't expected to receive such a big business deal so early in the morning!

The two ships will be there for a month and a half, meaning they'll be staying here for at least a month and a half!

"Let's go buy fishing nets!"