They had spent some time at the apothecary, and by then the sun was already high overhead.
Suppressing the anxiety in her heart, she led Lin Jing through the bustling food-stall district. Her eyes swept quickly over several stalls before she finally headed toward one with a good number of customers.
At the table nearest the edge of the stall sat several men wearing square caps and fine-linen robes. Unlike the villagers around them, who wore short tunics and went barefoot, these men were neatly dressed, with satchels resting beside them. One glance was enough to tell that they were traveling merchants from far and wide.
She chose a corner seat as far inside as possible. The blue-gray rough-cloth clothes she and Lin Jing wore had picked up quite a bit of dust after their trek through the mountains. Now, mingling with the crowd, they looked drab and utterly inconspicuous—which suited her perfectly.
She ordered only two bowls of the cheapest plain noodles. As they ate, she listened to the conversations drifting around them.
At the neighboring table, several traveling merchants were drinking until their faces were flushed, their conversation reaching her in snatches.
“Inspections on the roads have grown stricter these days. Crossing from one prefecture to another is especially troublesome. Without that travel permit, you can hardly take a single step.”
“That depends on who you travel with! Those of us who frequently run routes to Lingzhou have to pass two checkpoints along the way. The big merchant houses have their own connections and know how to grease the right palms. Once the guards see a familiar banner, they just wave us through. Who has the patience to inspect every bit of cargo?”
“That may be true, but it also depends on whether you fall in with a crooked caravan. Forget protecting you—if they take a dislike to you halfway there, dumping you and your goods in some barren wilderness would be getting off lightly.”
“In the end, we’re forced to rely on them! Small-time traders like us would rather pay a few extra coins than travel under a caravan with a shady background or a dishonest leader. If we didn’t need this wretched travel permit, I could hire a donkey cart and make the journey myself in seven or eight days. Who knows how much money I’d save?”
“If you’ve got that much backbone, then go on and walk there yourself. Otherwise, spend a month or so returning to your registered home, meekly petitioning the village head and running back and forth to the county office to get a proper permit issued. The time spent on that round trip would be enough to make several journeys to Lingzhou. Would your business still be there when you got back? Or you could grit your teeth and try to force your way through a checkpoint, only to be seized by the soldiers as a vagrant and treated to a few days of government lodging. Wouldn’t that save you the cost of meals?”
The speaker was clearly affiliated with one of the larger caravans.
Lin Wu ate her noodles slowly, understanding dawning in her mind.
Travel permits were strictly regulated, specifying the place of departure, the destination, and the period of validity. The slightest discrepancy rendered one void. But small merchants traveled frequently, and returning home to apply for a new permit every time would cost them their livelihood. As a result, many who lacked official permits chose to join a large caravan and rely on its influence to get through the checkpoints.
Naturally, they would not stay at inns where permits were inspected rigorously. Instead, they lodged at rough roadside inns—places where all sorts of people came and went and regulations were more lax. As far as travel permits were concerned, the proprietors generally turned a blind eye.
With a clearer plan taking shape, she finished the last mouthful of broth, called the young server over, carefully counted out the copper coins, and set them on the table. Then she took Lin Jing by the hand and left.
They wandered inconspicuously through the county town’s streets for another two rounds before finally stopping in front of a roadside inn with a moderate stream of customers.
Outside the inn, several boys and girls ran about laughing and playing, lending the place the lively air of an ordinary household.
From the doorway, one could see a female innkeeper of about forty seated behind the counter. Neat and brisk in appearance, she wore a dark blue, narrow-sleeved long jacket trimmed with floral edging, her hair wrapped in a cloth headscarf. Her expression was stern as she worked the abacus.
“Looking for a room?” Hearing their footsteps, the innkeeper raised her head and let her gaze sweep over Lin Wu and the child.
“Yes,” Lin Wu replied softly, instinctively drawing the child behind her. Lin Jing understood at once and pressed close to her, hiding half his face behind her arm.
“Where are you from? What sort of work do you do?” The innkeeper opened a register with curled edges and dipped her brush in ink.
“I’m a local woman. My home is in a village ten li south of the county seat.” Her voice was gentle, with the natural local accent. She had carefully studied the way people spoke while weaving through the food stalls earlier. Perhaps because the area was not far from the capital, the local dialect differed little from standard speech, save for a few more rustic turns of phrase.
“My husband passed away young, and my mother-in-law would not tolerate me. We truly had no way to go on…” Her voice grew sorrowful. “So I had no choice but to bring my child to the county seat. I’m hoping to find a reliable merchant caravan willing to take us to Lingzhou, where I can seek refuge with my elder brother and find some way to survive.”
At this, the innkeeper’s brush paused. She glanced once more at the timid child beside Lin Wu, then asked no further questions. “Do you have travel papers?”
At those words, Lin Wu’s eyes reddened at once. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, though there were no tears there. “After my husband died, my mother-in-law kept the household registers and other documents from me. She refused to let a helpless widow and child have them, so I couldn’t obtain the proper papers. If it’s inconvenient for you, then we—we’ll leave right away.” She turned slightly, making as if to go.
“Forget it.” The innkeeper waved a hand and made a few hurried entries in the register. “A bed in the common room, a shared room, or a private room?”
“A private room… How much does it cost?” Lin Wu asked, a little embarrassed.
“Thirty copper coins a day. Guests in private rooms may heat up food at the large stove in the back courtyard.”
“Then we’ll stay for two days. Thank you for your trouble.” She took out sixty copper coins and placed them on the counter.
The innkeeper put the money away, then reached beneath the counter and slid over a wooden room token carved with the characters “Human Six.” Without looking up, she pointed with one hand. “Human Room Six. Go through the main hall; it’s the sixth room on the right. Find it yourself.”
Lin Wu thanked her, tightened her grip on the wooden token, and turned toward the passage leading to the rear of the inn. She held Lin Jing’s hand with one hand and carried the cloth bundle with the other.
The moment she crossed the threshold, the light grew abruptly dim. The air reeked of cheap grain liquor mixed with sweat, the stench pressing against her temples.
The corridor was so narrow that only one person could pass at a time. From the rooms on either side came occasional shouts and snores. Lin Wu tightened her hold on Lin Jing’s small hand and quickened her pace toward the end of the passage.
Once inside the room, Lin Wu immediately turned around and fastened the door securely. Only then did she let out a breath of relief.
Lin Jing, meanwhile, silently surveyed their new place of shelter.
This was a room more humble than one could imagine. Its four walls were mottled earthen plaster, and a wooden bed covered with a straw mat stood against one wall. A quilt—neither new nor entirely worn-out—was folded on top. Though crude, everything was fairly clean, and there was no overpowering smell. Apart from the bed, a table, and a stool, the room contained nothing else.
Lin Wu carefully inspected the bed, then bent down to look beneath it. Only after making sure there was nothing amiss did she place her bundle on the table. She had brought very little luggage, so as not to attract attention; the bundle contained only a few odds and ends.
Once she had put it away, she said softly to Lin Jing, “I’ll be downstairs for a moment. Stay in the room, don’t make a sound, and don’t open the door for anyone.”
Lin Jing nodded vigorously and obediently sat down on the stool.
Lin Wu went downstairs to the counter and asked the innkeeper in a quiet voice, “Sir, do you have any hot water? I’ve brought my child a long way today and would like some hot water to wash the child’s face and help ease the fatigue.”
“One bucket costs three wen. I’ll have a server deliver it to your room.”
“Thank you.” Lin Wu counted out three coins and placed them on the counter, but did not leave at once. A hesitant, troubled look appeared on her face. After a moment, as though she had finally summoned her courage, she asked in a low voice, “Sir, you’ve seen and heard a great deal, and all sorts of merchants pass before you… Do you happen to know whether any of the caravans heading to Lingzhou lately have a good reputation? We’re a widow and child, weak and without support. We don’t ask to travel quickly—only to arrive safely.”
“Since you’ve also got a little girl with you, the caravans may find her crying and making a fuss along the way troublesome and refuse to take you,” the innkeeper warned.
