"You see, we run a proper establishment here, so the guests who stay with us are all respectable folk." The innkeeper didn't even raise her head, her tone perfectly calm, the tip of her brush gliding steadily across the ledger page.
"With your word on that, I'm reassured. Might I ask which room the young lady is in? I’d like to go over and have a word with her myself. I saw her this morning fretting about not having found a merchant caravan, poor thing. What a stroke of luck this is, indeed."
"That wouldn't be proper," the innkeeper said, this time lifting her head. "House rules: we don't give out guests' room numbers. We run an inn, not a matchmaking service."
"Good heavens! Now that's not a very kind thing to say," Auntie Pockmark immediately raised her voice a notch. "Matchmaking service, indeed! This isn't about business—it's about charity! Look at her, a widow with a child, all alone. Which respectable caravan would be willing to take them along? It's only because I'm soft-hearted and can't stand to see people suffer that I'd be willing to go plead with the caravan leader on her behalf, and a lot of talking it'll take too!"
Lin Wu heard enough and didn't linger. She slipped back into the corridor without a sound. Who would have thought that simply cooking a slightly more generous pot of porridge would attract such unwanted attention?
Small caravans like this one, with their motley crews and shallow roots, would never bother to check travel papers meticulously just to earn a few extra copper coins. They were more than happy to take on lone travelers—especially ones who seemed to be carrying a bit of spare cash. But... more than likely, they also had designs on her subsidizing the whole crew. Once she handed over her rations and silver and joined the group, it probably wouldn't be hers to decide anymore.
She returned to her room and waited a while, straining to hear what was happening outside. Only after Auntie Pockmark's shrill voice had faded into the distance did she leave again and walk over to the front counter.
"Greetings, innkeeper," she said in a gentle tone, getting straight to the point. "Might you know where else around here, apart from this inn, I could find news about passing merchant caravans? I'd like to explore a few options so I can make a fair comparison."
The innkeeper looked up at her and said flatly, "You should know, guest, that the merchant caravans coming through Wucang County aren't many, and most are small, humble operations. Those small caravans usually don't have much money to spare, so taking you and your daughter along isn't hard in itself—but..." She paused, then went back to clicking her abacus. "Most of these small caravans are made up of fellow villagers or relatives, or they're one big extended family traveling together."
Lin Wu understood at once and gave a slight nod. "Thank you for the warning, innkeeper."
She knew well enough that in matters of business, the small caravans that liked to flaunt their benevolence and kindness weren't necessarily the ones you could trust.
"Out the door, turn right, pass two storefronts, and at the street corner there's a notice board. Some caravans post hiring notices there. There might be one heading to Lingzhou. It's worth a try if you go and take a look," the innkeeper added, unusually chatty.
"Thank you for the guidance," Lin Wu said sincerely, then left the inn as instructed.
Following the directions, she soon found the notice board.
A few yellowed sheets of paper were scattered across it, and sure enough, there were a couple of entries about caravans heading to Lingzhou. That made sense—Lingzhou being the prefectural seat and not too far away, trade between the two places was fairly frequent. But on closer inspection, most of the postings were looking for porters to haul goods, teamsters to drive carts, or various craftsmen. And anyway, being completely unfamiliar with the local scene, she couldn't tell which caravans were decent and which weren't.
"Hey there, young miss, looking for work here too?" A tall, strapping young man nearby, noticing her standing there studying the board, asked in a booming voice that made Lin Wu, absorbed in reading, flinch slightly.
Lin Wu put on a slightly embarrassed smile. "You flatter me, brother. I was just hoping to find some odd jobs, like washing clothes or helping in the kitchen, to supplement our household income. Someone told me caravan hiring postings abound here, but... I don't read, I'm afraid. Would you be kind enough to look for me?"
"Ha! Whoever sent you here wasn't being very helpful!" The tall man laughed heartily and pointed at the board. "Nine out of ten postings here are for hard, backbreaking labor. Not the kind of thing an ordinary woman could do!"
"Don't talk nonsense," piped up a quick-witted young fellow who had just walked over. "Caravans traveling far also hire cooks and maids—they just don't always post notices for those."
"Oh, ho! What do you know? You can barely read a few characters and you think you're some expert?" The tall man, affronted, shot back.
The young fellow didn't take offense. Grinning, he thumped his chest. "I may not be literate, but I know a lot of people, and I'm well-informed about all the goings-on in and out of the city! Take, for instance, the Jincheng Caravan—the renowned Fang family outfit—that arrived just yesterday. They're looking for cooks! Word is both their original cooks came down with a cold and can't travel for now. With so many men on their crew, they can't manage without someone to man the stove, so they decided to hire a couple of locals to fill in temporarily."
"Wow, the Jincheng Caravan?" The tall man's interest was piqued. "Where are they headed this time? If it's a short trip, they could just gnaw on some dried provisions for a few days. Why bother hiring cooks specially?"
"Now that's where you're behind the times!" The quick-witted fellow raised his chin proudly. "This run's to Lingzhou, and even though it's only a week or eight days on the road, this is the Jincheng Caravan we're talking about! They've got plenty of rules, sure, but they're generous too. Settle wages promptly and never shortchange anyone. And with them, you'll eat hot meals on the journey."
"That's right," the tall man said, rubbing his hands together with eagerness. "Are they still hiring these next few days? If I could pick up some temporary work with the Jincheng Caravan, that'd be grand."
"They are, they are! I heard they're taking on temporary porters to move cargo for the next couple of days."
"In that case, I'd better go check it out!"
Lin Wu's heart lifted, and she quickly spoke up as well: "So from what you two brothers say, this sounds like an honorable caravan? How wonderful! But... that cook's position—would it require going along with the caravan on the road?"
"Ah, miss, you wouldn't know this," the quick-witted fellow explained eagerly. "They hire cooks specifically to prepare meals on the road, so naturally you'd travel with the caravan to Lingzhou for the whole trip! People like us, we're just hired for a day or two to haul freight—we don't go along."
"What a stroke of luck!" Lin Wu's face lit up with a look of relief. "I was just heading to Lingzhou myself to find my kin! Might I ask, brother, do you know where the Jincheng Caravan is doing their hiring? I'd like to go inquire about the cook position."
"The hiring spot..." The fellow scratched his head, thinking. "They've taken over the backend courtyard of the Shunlai Stables and Cart Yard on West Street to organize their goods. That's probably where they're recruiting. If you go there and ask, you can't go wrong!"
"Thank you, both of you, truly! You've been a massive help!" Lin Wu thanked them profusely, her mind already working out a plan.
"Innkeeper, I found out that the Jincheng Caravan is hiring cooks—I'm so grateful for your earlier advice," Lin Wu said as she returned to the inn, her steps brisk as she approached the counter, her voice filled with gratitude and urgency. "I'd like to go check the stables on West Street right away. It's just that my child is alone in the room, and I can't leave her without a worry. Could I trouble you to keep an eye on her in my absence?"
"Fine, go on," the innkeeper said without looking up, agreeing readily—this being a common request at such establishments. "Just have your little girl stay put in the room and not wander off. If anything comes up, she can come to the counter and find me."
"Thank you, shopkeeper!" Lin Wu expressed her heartfelt gratitude, then immediately turned and went upstairs.
Back in her room, she gave Lin Jing careful instructions, made sure the door was properly shut again, and then hurried off toward West Street.
