Chapter 53
"How were the tolls?"
It was already half an hour later by the time Huo Shu returned. Originally, they had agreed to wait for him so everyone could eat together, but he had been delayed for so long that there was no sign of him coming back.
Considering that everyone had been on the road all day and were surely starving by this hour, once the inn’s kitchen finished preparing the dishes, Ji Taoyu told everyone to go ahead and eat.
After the meal, those who needed to wash up did so, and those who wanted to rest retired early. This way, everyone could recover properly without delaying the next day’s journey.
Waiting for one person would only drag out everyone else’s rest time.
He set aside some dishes for Huo Shu, keeping them warm in the pot.
Now that the man had finally returned, Ji Taoyu quickly called for the waiter to bring the food to their room.
"It shouldn’t have taken much trouble, just paying the fee and getting the travel documents cleared. But this year, the transit tolls suddenly rose sharply. Many merchants were protesting at the post station, causing a bit of a disturbance, which delayed things."
Ji Taoyu’s eyes widened. "It went up again? How much?"
Huo Shu replied, "Twelve hundred copper coins per laborer."
That meant their group of over ten people had to pay more than ten taels of silver.
"Last year, the tolls in Tongzhou Prefecture was only eight hundred copper coins! It’s only been a year...how could it rise this much?"
No wonder the merchants were making a fuss. Even Ji Taoyu felt like protesting when he heard this.
"With such high tolls, even lone peddlers probably won’t bother coming to do business anymore!"
Huo Shu said, "Tolls vary by prefecture, higher in some places, lower in others. Lianping Prefecture borders the prosperous Tongzhou City, and several southern prefectures must pass through here to reach the capital or travel north. Since Lianping itself doesn’t have any renowned local industries, they have no choice but to squeeze money from travelers instead."
The waiter brought in the food, and Ji Taoyu arranged the dishes for Huo Shu.
He then took out his small ledger and recorded today’s expenses.
"According to our route, we still have to pass through Yuchang Prefecture, Baiyunjian, and finally reach Beiyu Prefecture. This is already the path with the fewest prefectures to cross, yet it still involves four in total."
"And we don’t even know how much the tolls will be in the remaining prefectures."
Every additional cost meant less profit in the end.
Huo Shu ate as he replied, "Yuchang Prefecture is still unknown, but Baiyunjian and Beiyu’s tolls aren’t high. Both are remote regions, with few merchant caravans coming from the south or central plains. Since scarcity increases value, they don’t impose heavy taxes to discourage trade."
Hearing this, Ji Taoyu felt slightly relieved.
The next day, the caravan set off later than before, waiting until the sky was fully bright before departing.
Lianping Prefecture covered a larger area than Tongzhou, but while Tongzhou was roughly circular, Lianping was more horizontally elongated.
Traveling northward along its length, they should be able to pass through in about ten days if nothing went wrong.
The journey went smoothly. Most of the route was populated, with plenty of villages and towns along the way, all relatively peaceful.
Unconsciously, they had already entered the third month. Along the road, the withered grass and trees began showing signs of life, with green sprouts peeking out.
Though the wind still carried a lingering chill from the tail end of winter, the clear skies and approaching spring lifted everyone’s spirits far more than the endless overcast days of rain.
Having spent nearly half a month in the carriage either sitting or lying down, Ji Taoyu couldn’t bear to stay inside any longer when he saw how fine the weather was outside.
On a smooth stretch of the official road, Huo Shu lifted him onto the horse.
After more than ten days together, the group had long since grown familiar with each other.
Seeing the two riding together, the men—all rough and straightforward, couldn’t resist teasing.
"Does the horse’s back hurt your delicate bones, Ji fulang? Even Wenliang’s ox cart would be steadier!"
Ji Wenliang, driving the cart, shot back, "But no cart is as steady as Brother-in-law’s arms, right?"
The group burst into laughter.
Ji Taoyu’s face flushed slightly as he threw a fresh twig plucked by Huo Shu at Ji Wenliang.
"You’ve learned to be mischievous too! When we get back and your mother starts arranging a marriage for you, don’t come asking me to vet the candidates first."
The laughter grew even louder.
"Speaking of which, it’s already the third month. Time flies. Back home, they should be sowing seeds, raising seedlings, and planting beans by now. Soon, it’ll be time to transplant rice shoots."
Someone’s wistful remark stirred a wave of homesickness.
Life in the village was good. During this season, everyone would be busy with spring planting, the fields lively with activity.
Familiar faces everywhere, chatting and joking—a whole day’s work wouldn’t feel tiring.
What’s more, young men might even catch sight of the girl or ger they fancied working in the fields. A single glance or exchanged word could fuel their energy for the entire day.
The thought of home warmed their hearts.
But homesickness aside, none regretted making this arduous journey.
Home was comfortable, but life was hard. If they could earn some money on this trip, their circumstances would improve.
With that thought, everyone’s spirits lifted.
Noticing that everyone was already wearing light clothing in early March, Ji Taoyu reminded them, "The temperature difference between morning and evening is still big, and the lingering winter chill is harsh. If you’re not careful, the wind could make you sick. You should all dress warmer."
"We’re tough men, it’s fine. You’re the one who needs to take care of yourself, Ji fulang."
Ge Liang scolded jokingly, "Just put on more layers when you’re told. If anyone catches a cold, don’t expect the rest of us to take care of you!"
"But now that you mention it, it's strange. Lianping had plenty of people all the way through, but after passing Liujia Village, we’ve hardly seen anyone today."
"We’re nearing Lianping’s border. In two days, we’ll enter Yuchang Prefecture. The map shows no towns in this area, so it’s normal for it to be sparsely populated."
Listening to the chatter, Ji Taoyu craned his neck to look around.
He said to Huo Shu behind him, "There really aren’t many people in the distant fields either."
"When there’s a banquet or event in the village, the fields are usually empty too."
Ji Taoyu thought about it and realized it was the same back home, so he didn’t dwell on it further.
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