novelhk Chapter 39 Encounter
Chapter 39 Encounter
Early in the morning, Xiao Siyue and her family of three, with the reluctance of the Xiao family members, boarded a carriage and embarked on their journey to Qinzhou Prefecture.
The carriage was rented from a brokerage firm.
Xiao Siyue only realized after arriving that renting a carriage in ancient times was quite humane. There were two options: one was to rent only a horse-drawn carriage and drive it yourself, calculated by the day, which was slightly cheaper; the other was to have a driver, meaning a person would drive the carriage for you.
For convenience, they rented a vehicle with a driver, which was more expensive, but it would reduce Xiao Qinian's financial burden.
The driver was a middle-aged man surnamed Wu, with a kind face. The carriage wasn't very big, but it was enough for three people.
They set off just as dawn was breaking, and the carriage didn't leave Anyuan County until noon.
"Yue'er, are you tired?" Lin Qin asked, looking at Xiao Siyue, who was huddled in the carriage looking listless.
"Mother, I'm not tired, just a little bored." Xiao Siyue thought about how she had been sitting in the carriage for several hours, feeling suffocated in the small space. She really wanted to go out for some fresh air.
"Husband, why don't we stop and rest for a while? It's too hot today, and it's really stuffy sitting in the carriage." Lin Qin was also feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"Old Wu, let's rest for a while up ahead," Xiao Qinian said, lifting the curtain to Uncle Wu who was driving.
Uncle Wu parked the carriage next to a big tree, and Xiao Qinian picked up Xiao Siyue.
Xiao Siyue stood on the lush grass beside the tree and took a deep breath. The air outside was so much better. The air inside the carriage was a bit stuffy, and she felt like she was about to get carsick. It would be several more days before they arrived. Traveling in ancient times was so inconvenient.
"Yue'er, come and eat something," Lin Qin said, taking the dry rations they had brought from the carriage. These rations were made by Old Lady Xiao, including scallion pancakes and snacks bought in town.
"Mother, I'm here." Xiao Siyue took the pancake that Lin Qin handed her and ate it with water.
Just then, a rather ornate carriage came galloping towards them from afar. Xiao Siyue didn't pay much attention to it, only glancing at it briefly. However, to her surprise, the carriage came to a steady stop right in front of them.
A young man of about twenty years old stepped out of the carriage. He wore a magnificent long robe, his black hair was tied back with a crown, and he had a handsome face and gentle eyes. A young servant followed behind him.
"Young master, are we really going to rest here?" The servant glanced around, seemingly disgusted, before fixing his gaze on Xiao Siyue and her group, giving them only a brief look.
“Of course, Minglu, go down to the carriage and get our rations,” the young master ordered.
The man then walked towards Xiao Qinian and said, "Brother, may I rest here for a moment?"
Xiao Qinian stood up and returned the greeting: "Of course, please!" This place isn't his own home, so what right does he have? However, this person seemed to be a very cultured person, which made Xiao Qinian feel a little goodwill towards him.
Looking at this person, Xiao Siyue was equally impressed; he was truly polite.
The servant brought a blanket from the carriage and spread it on the ground. He then took a lot of food from the carriage and placed it on the blanket, which made Xiao Siyue click her tongue in amazement. It was quite a feast. Not only were there many kinds of snacks and meat products, but there was even fruit. It didn't look like a journey; it looked like an outing.
Xiao Qinian and the others didn't stay long. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they got up and continued on their way. If they couldn't reach the inn before dark, they would have to camp in the wild.
As evening approached, the carriage finally arrived at the inn. These inns were specially prepared for travelers and were very safe.
Xiao Siyue looked around at the inn in front of her. It was quite luxurious, with three floors. But that was normal, since they were traveling on the official road and travelers often stayed here.
"Manager, give us a room." After entering, Xiao Qinian went straight to the counter, asked for a room, and then led Xiao Siyue and the other person to the second-floor room.
After traveling all day, the group just wanted to rest. Half an hour later, they finally felt a bit more energetic and prepared to go downstairs for dinner.
Upon arriving at the hall, they found it quite crowded with diners. Unexpectedly, they ran into the young man they had met at lunchtime, who was also eating. Before they could even greet him, the young man noticed them, stood up, and walked towards them.
"Brother, it's a pleasure to meet you again. I am Han Zhiyan. May I ask your honorable name?" The young man greeted Xiao Qinian warmly as soon as he came over.
"Young Master Han, my name is Xiao Qinian." After exchanging names, the young master invited Xiao Qinian to sit with him.
Unable to refuse, Xiao Qinian sat down.
"Brother Xiao, are you going to the prefectural city to participate in the autumn imperial examination?" Han Zhiyan asked.
"Could it be that Brother Han is also taking the exam?" Xiao Qinian was pleasantly surprised to meet someone taking the same exam as him.
The two then chatted even more enthusiastically.
During their pleasantries, Xiao Siyue learned that Han Zhiyan was from Huayang County, a neighboring county. His family was a well-known wealthy merchant family in the county, with generations of business dealings. It wasn't until this generation that a scholar like Han Zhiyan was produced, so his family had high hopes for him, hoping to improve their social standing.
Unfortunately, in ancient times, the social hierarchy was very strict, with scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Although merchants were wealthy, their social status was not high. Fortunately, there were no laws in this era that prohibited merchants from taking the imperial examinations.
Han Zhiyan has only just come of age this year, yet he is already a scholar, which shows his exceptional talent. Xiao Siyue couldn't help but admire him.
"Brother Xiao, are these your wife and niece?" After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Han Zhiyan turned his gaze to Lin Qin and Xiao Siyue.
"Brother Han, this is my wife and daughter, Yue'er. Greetings, Uncle Han." Xiao Qinian looked at the two of them with gentle eyes.
"Yue'er greets Uncle Han." Xiao Siyue thought to herself, "They're already calling each other brothers. They really are all from the same community."
"My little niece, you don't need to be so polite." Han Zhiyan looked at the beautiful little girl in front of him, who was about the same age as his older brother's daughter, and a feeling of affection welled up in his heart.
"This is a gift for my niece," Han Zhiyan said, handing a jade pendant from his person to Xiao Siyue.
"This is too much, it's too valuable," Lin Qin hurriedly declined.
"Take it, it's nothing valuable, just a token of my appreciation," Han Zhiyan said with a smile.
Xiao Siyue took the jade pendant and examined it carefully. The jade pendant was exquisite and translucent, and felt smooth and warm to the touch. Although Xiao Siyue didn't know much about jade, she could tell that it was of good quality and not cheap.
"Thank you, Uncle Han," Xiao Siyue said sincerely.
After getting to know each other, the two agreed to travel to Qinzhou Prefecture together the next day, so they could have company.
Two days later, they finally arrived at Qin Prefecture.