Farming Family's Pocket Dimension: A Charmed Little Lady Comes to Farm

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Too Expensive

There was no moon or stars in the sky.

Every household had lit their lanterns, but the horse-drawn carts could only illuminate a small area around them. The surrounding darkness was so thick you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

The occasional howl of an animal echoed through the night, frightening Little Cao so much that she burrowed deeper into the old woman’s arms inside the cart.

Uncle Ma got off his cart and quickly rearranged the positions of several vehicles in the convoy.

The cart he and Gu Zhang were driving took the lead, while the one driven by Gu Sanlang and the great-aunt’s husband brought up the rear.

The great-aunt’s husband was a mountain man who often went hunting in the mountains. Although he was a bit older, in his fifties, he was courageous and experienced. By staying at the back, he could respond quickly to any unexpected situations.

Once the adjustments were made, they continued forward.

The people walking on foot now clung tightly to the sides of the carts. The unknown darkness was simply too terrifying.

A ten-li journey would take thirty minutes if one moved quickly.

But this group had been walking all day and was utterly exhausted; it took them almost a full hour to reach the inn Uncle Ma had mentioned.

Seeing the lights of the inn, everyone was overjoyed.

The inn was surrounded by a low, earthen wall, which served merely to mark its boundary.

The group drove their carts inside. A young waiter at the entrance shouted, "We’ve got guests!"

None of them had much experience with traveling. Without even unloading the carts, they all rushed into the inn in a great throng.

Ms. Qian found a long bench and collapsed onto it.

Ms. Li, who was already frail, was in no better shape than Ms. Qian, even though she had rested in the cart several times along the way. She leaned against a chair, gasping for breath.

Li Chunhua and Mrs. Chen were in better condition. The two of them hurriedly untied their bundles to get some water to drink.

The men all gathered around the counter. Uncle Ma was asking the Shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, what are the arrangements for staying the night?"

The Shopkeeper glanced at the group’s attire, saw they were all country folk, and slowly said, "The superior rooms are one tael of silver, and we provide four buckets of hot water. The other rooms are five hundred cents a night, with only one bucket of hot water provided. A spot on the common sleeping platform is twenty cents per person per night, and it comes with nothing. You have to use your own bedding. If you need bedding from us, that’s an extra charge."

"As for the livestock, fodder is five cents a bundle. If you want some, go find the waiter and buy it yourselves."

The village chief frowned. "Shopkeeper, twenty cents for the common platform isn’t cheap. Can’t you at least provide a bowl of water to drink?"

The Shopkeeper barely raised his eyelids. "For twenty cents, you should be grateful just to have a roof over your head. And you still want water?"

"If you want water to drink, you can buy it separately. One hundred cents a bucket. If you want it hot, you’ll have to gather your own firewood and boil it yourselves."

Boss Zhang was the first to cry out, "Isn’t that outrageously expensive for water?"

The Shopkeeper shook his head. "Do you have any idea where this water comes from? The wells here are all dry! I have to hire people to fetch it from the Yangshizi River, which is over ten li away. I have to pay them several dozen cents in wages for each bucket. If you think it’s too expensive, you can go fetch it from the river yourselves."

Everyone fell silent. The drought was getting worse and worse.

When they left home this morning, they had only managed to draw up half a bucket of muddy water from their own well.

Uncle Ma remained silent, watching the crowd. His responsibility was to guide them on the road; as for how each family decided to spend the night, that was their own business. He couldn’t control it.

The village chief spoke up first. "My family will take the common platform. We still have a long journey ahead of us, and silver doesn’t grow on trees."

"We’ll also buy one bucket of water. We can boil it ourselves."

The others all calculated in their heads and agreed that the common platform was the most cost-effective option.

The village chief’s family had eight members: the old couple, their two sons and two daughters-in-law, a grandson of about ten, and a nine-year-old granddaughter.

The village chief took a money pouch from his robes and, while counting out copper coins, said to the Shopkeeper, "My two little ones don’t need to be paid for, do they?"

The Shopkeeper rolled his eyes. "Why not? Don’t your kids take up space when they sleep?"