Chapter 28

Qin Fangniang was both nervous and excited, her constant stream of farming chatter finally falling silent.

This was Sang Luo’s first time seeing an ancient city wall and gate with her own eyes. As she drew closer, she realized it bore no resemblance to the grand structures she had imagined. It was truly primitive—a wall rammed from plain earth. Sang Luo looked up, estimating its height to be no more than five meters.

The three large characters for "Qiyang County" above the gate were not the simplified script used in the later era of her original life, but rather resembled ancient traditional characters. Fortunately, the original owner of her body had been literate to some extent. Although she hadn't studied the classics like her brothers, she had learned to manage household affairs and needlework alongside her mother, picking up enough common characters that Sang Luo did not become a semi-illiterate upon crossing over.

By now, the sky was bright, and a long queue had already formed for entry. Sang Luo and Qin Fangniang quickly joined the back of the line, shuffling forward behind commoners pushing carts, carrying shoulder poles, or holding baskets. Three guards armed with spears stood by the gate, two managing entry and one handling exits.

"What is your business? Show your travel permits!"

Sang Luo quickly pulled her permit from her sleeve and handed it over. Perhaps for the sake of preservation, or because paper was too expensive, the permits used by local villagers to enter the county were not made of paper, but were rectangular wooden tablets inscribed with her name, place of origin, and household details. The guard checked it, found it in order, and returned it to her.

Having observed how those in front of her entered, Sang Luo promptly fished two copper coins from her sleeve and handed them over: "The entry fee for me and my aunt." She gestured toward Qin Fangniang, who was standing behind her.

Qin Fangniang was a bit flustered. She handed her own permit to the guard, and once cleared, she hurriedly tried to give Sang Luo the single copper coin she had prepared: "My mother told me that if we can't sell our goods, the entry fee is a waste. But I believe we will sell them, so we should pay for ourselves."

Sang Luo found this somewhat amusing but did not push the matter. Since Qin Fangniang insisted, she smiled and accepted it. She knew her own products well; they would certainly not go unsold. Seeing her accept the coin, Qin Fangniang finally let out a sigh of relief.

Once inside the county seat, Qin Fangniang found her eyes could hardly take it all in. At this hour, the city was bustling with people pushing carts and carrying loads of all kinds. But what caught the eye most was the grandeur of the city's architecture. Qin Fangniang murmured, "The houses in this county are so fine. Back in our area, only the Wang family has these blue-brick tiled houses, but here, every home has them. It's so grand."

Sang Luo nodded. To her, the county could hardly be called grand, but compared to Shili Village, it was indeed impressive.

After walking a few steps, Qin Fangniang’s gaze shifted to the paved stone road. Her coarse cloth shoes felt flat, comfortable, and smooth on the surface. "This road is so clean, and it's all paved with stone slabs. How many slabs must this have taken?" She thought to herself that on a rainy day, one’s shoes wouldn't get ruined by mud—it was clean and easy to walk on.

Wait—clean? Qin Fangniang stopped, gripping the hemp ropes tied to her shoulder pole, and stared at the remarkably clean street before her, completely stunned.

She swallowed a phantom lump in her throat and looked instinctively at Sang Luo: "Ah Lie's wife, where are we setting up our stall?" This was nothing like the rural markets; there wasn't a single stall along the roadside.

Sang Luo watched the other commoners who had entered with their goods, just as they had. She was about to suggest following them when three drumbeats sounded, followed by a loud, singing shout: "The market is open!"

As soon as the drums echoed, the pace of the people carrying their goods quickened, all surging in one direction. It turned out there was a designated market. Sang Luo quickly called out to Qin Fangniang, "Aunt, let's follow them."

The crowd poured into an open space surrounded by buildings not far from the city gate. This was the market specifically established for Qiyang County. The drum that had just sounded was placed on a high platform on the second floor of a building at the market entrance.

Looking into the market, a variety of small stalls were already set up, and a few local residents were already walking through with empty baskets. As people who had come from afar, they were considered late.

Entering the market also required queuing. Sang Luo stretched her neck to look ahead. At the front, an old man with a wheelbarrow stopped at the market gate, fished a copper coin from his sleeve, and bowed as he handed it to the bailiff wielding a whip. The bailiff checked the cloth bags on the man's cart before accepting the money. He tossed the coin into a bronze basin behind him and handed the old man a rectangular wooden tablet the size of a child's palm. The man tucked the tablet into his sleeve and pushed his cart inside.

Qin Fangniang’s lips trembled as she watched, and she whispered to Sang Luo, "Why do we have to pay money for this too?"

A middle-aged man standing in front of them turned around and looked at the two of them: "Haven't been to the county to sell things in a while, have you?" He clearly knew the ropes.

Sang Luo quickly asked for advice: "Big brother, this is our first time here. We already paid the entry fee to get into the city; why do they charge us again to enter the market?"

The man looked at the bailiff at the gate and replied, "It's a new rule from three months ago. You have to pay a market tax to enter the market. It depends on what you're selling. For daily items and vegetables, it's one coin per person." He glanced at their cargo and lowered his voice to offer a tip: "If you have a lot of goods, paying the coin is worth it because the market is crowded and things sell fast. If you don't have much, just wander the alleys and hawk your wares. You can save a coin. But be careful—don't set up stalls on the main street. If the street bailiffs catch you, the fine is five coins, which is even worse."

Sang Luo understood; the government had created another excuse to levy a tax.

Qin Fangniang was panicked. They hadn't sold a single item yet, and they had already spent two coins to enter the city. If they had to pay another two to enter the market, that was four coins—a significant sum for a farming household. It felt like throwing money into the water. "Ah Lie's wife, let's split up and hawk our goods separately."

"No rush," Sang Luo comforted her, then asked the man, "Big brother, is the market tax charged per person, regardless of the amount of goods?"

The man nodded. "Per person."

"How many markets like this are there in the county? Do they all collect the tax?"

Seeing that she wasn't agonizing over the money but instead asking about the layout, the man smiled. "Two. This is the East Market. If you go further in and to the other side of the county, there is a West Market. The tax is the same."

"If we hawk our goods, as long as we don't block the main paved streets and just keep moving, the bailiffs won't bother us, right?"

"That's right. If you want to be safe, just hawk your wares in the residential alleys."

Sang Luo had a plan now. She turned to Qin Fangniang: "People in the county don't know about 'Immortal Tofu' yet. We really need the crowd in the market to sell it. Since this is our first time doing business, we want a good start. I suggest you go into the market, and I'll pay your tax."

Selling while walking outside wasn't impossible, but it required a silver tongue. Qin Fangniang was introverted and shy; she would likely be too embarrassed to shout her wares, making it hard to sell the two buckets of tofu.

Qin Fangniang opened her mouth, "How can I let you pay for me?"

The middle-aged man nearby, curious about this 'Immortal Tofu,' glanced at their buckets and baskets, but with the wooden lids and lotus leaves covering them, he couldn't see a thing. Hearing Qin Fangniang fret over a single copper coin, he said, "It doesn't matter if you don't have the money now. When you enter, just tell them you'll pay later. The bailiff will give you a green tablet. People will check for it inside, and once you've sold your goods and have the money, you can pay the tax and exchange it for a red tablet."

Relieved to know the tax could be paid later, Qin Fangniang felt better, though she was still reluctant to part with the money.

Sang Luo had already deftly placed a copper coin into Qin Fangniang's hand and smiled: "Aunt, this is your first time doing business; you need the bustle and the energy. Take the two buckets of Immortal Tofu into the market. I'll cover your tax. I have less inventory, and since it’s the same product, I'll just wander the alleys and hawk mine—it'll be a good way to get to know the county."

Qin Fangniang was stunned: "You're letting me sell both buckets?" She was confused. Was Ah Lie’s wife bad at math? If she gave her the extra share, she would be losing half a copper for every piece sold. They had spent a coin to enter the city, and now she was paying her market tax and giving her the larger share of the goods to sell in the market while taking the smaller share for herself. Why would she do that?

As an honest person who had never taken advantage of anyone, having such a clear benefit thrust upon her made her feel uneasy. "How about I take your basket and go hawking, and you go into the market?" Her anxiety was written all over her face.

Sang Luo smiled: "Aunt, you stay there and sell. These things are heavy, and you carried them for ten miles—I couldn't possibly take advantage of you. Besides, this isn't the only time we'll cooperate; we have a long road ahead. I'm only paying your tax this once to encourage you to give it a try. Once we have a good start, we can split everything evenly next time. I also want to walk around and see the West Market."

She patted Qin Fangniang: "It's settled. Go line up and get in. I packed these two buckets full—there are forty pieces in each. It's hard to say who will sell out first, but whoever finishes first, let's meet back at the entrance of the East Market."

Without waiting for Qin Fangniang to hesitate, she transferred most of the lotus leaves and tasting supplies to her. There was only one bamboo knife, but since she had less, she cut the samples, put them in a bowl, and gave the knife to Qin Fangniang. She thanked the middle-aged man for his help, picked up her own basket, and left the queue to head into the city.

In that moment of hesitation, bewildered, Qin Fangniang found the copper coin clutched in her hand. After Sang Luo had left, she could have bitten her own tongue in regret. Why was she so stingy over a single coin? If she had no money, couldn't she have just taken the green tablet? She had taken such an obvious advantage of someone else, and she lightly slapped her own face, muttering, "Why am I so stupid? Why am I so slow to react!"

In the blink of an eye, the people in front of her entered the East Market. Soon, it was Qin Fangniang's turn. She paid the coin Sang Luo had given her, received a red tablet inscribed with two characters she couldn't read, and looked out, but Sang Luo's shadow was already gone.