While the others were discussing the matter, Sun Xi and the others carried wooden buckets through the streets, preparing to continue washing the city walls as they had the day before.
There was simply too much blood. Although many people had scrubbed the walls yesterday, they still had not managed to clean them completely.
Zhu Yan lowered her voice. “Did you hear? There was another battle last night, over in North Luo Alley. I heard several thousand soldiers from the Ji army were killed.”
Sun Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Zhu Yan lifted her chin slightly, looking rather proud. “Of course it’s true. I also heard that people have already been sent to transport the bodies.”
A smile appeared on Sun Yuan’s face. Then, as if she had remembered something, her expression grew even more animated. “I saw the Young General yesterday.”
Just then, they noticed that one of the shops along the street was being cleaned out. As luck would have it, someone they knew was working there.
The three exchanged glances before walking over to ask, “Wang Dalang, what are you doing here?”
When Wang Dalang saw them, his thin face broke into a simple, honest smile. “The Jinyang Army arranged this. They say they’re going to open a general store here.”
“A general store?” Sun Xi asked in astonishment.
Wang Dalang nodded. “Yes. They’ll sell rice, grain, oil, salt, and things like that. We registered our household records, didn’t we? Anyone with a household registration can come here to sell grain. I heard fine grain will cost only a little over two hundred copper coins per shi.”
“Two hundred…” Zhu Yan exclaimed.
She quickly covered her mouth, then asked excitedly in a hushed voice, “You mean two hundred copper coins can buy an entire shi of grain?”
Back when the Ji people were still here, there had also been grain shops, but fine grain sold for one guan and five hundred copper coins. Now the price did not even require the extra five hundred.
Wang Dalang lowered his voice as well. “I don’t know the exact details. I only overheard one of the supervisors mention it.”
As he spoke, he could not help rubbing his stomach. In all his life, he had never eaten his fill the way he had recently. It felt wonderful. His whole body was warm and brimming with strength.
Sun Yuan pointed at the other shops being cleaned nearby. “W-what are these shops going to sell?”
Wang Dalang smiled, looking inexplicably proud. “They say cloth, clothes, and things like that. There’s also something called coal, though I can’t remember everything.”
He lowered his voice again. “These shops will be hiring people. You can come and try when the time comes.”
Sun Xi and the other two brightened at once and asked in unison, “Really?”
At the moment, their work provided one meal at noon and two jin of grain each day.
But cleaning the city walls would only last a few days, and they had been worrying about what they would do afterward.
Wang Dalang smiled. “Really.”
He looked rather pleased with himself. “I asked around. I should be hired.”
After hearing that a general store was going to open here, he had boldly asked whether they needed workers.
He had once worked as a shop clerk, so he had some experience.
The supervisor had been very kind. Smiling, he had said, “We are hiring. As long as you do well, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Sun Xi and the others looked at him enviously. That fellow was truly lucky—he had already found work so early.
Seeing that it was getting late, they did not dare delay. After saying goodbye to Wang Dalang, they hurried to the city wall.
They worked until noon. As the sun climbed higher, the heat on the completely exposed wall became unbearable.
Sun Yuan swallowed with difficulty. It was not that she had been unwilling to bring water; it was simply that the three of them were too poor to own a waterskin.
Seeing her condition, Sun Xi comforted her. “It’s all right. We can rest at noon. We’ll go back and drink some water soon.”
Zhu Yan wiped the sweat from her brow. “If I’d known, we should have brought some water in our bowls.”
Just then, a soldier shouted, “Everyone who’s working, come over! There’s cool tea to drink!”
Everyone cheered. Sun Xi and the others were hardly the only ones too poor to afford a waterskin; poverty was the norm in this city.
The crowd rushed over all at once. Having learned from the orderly meal queues the day before, they did not cause a commotion this time and obediently lined up.
Before long, it was Sun Xi’s turn. The three of them filled their bowls to the brim, then hurried aside and began drinking eagerly.
Sun Yuan drank more than half a bowl before smacking her lips. “Why does it taste both sweet and salty? It’s a little strange, but it’s really good.”
The soldier distributing the tea laughed. “We put salt and sugar in the cool tea. It helps prevent heatstroke. The weather is hot, so drink as much as you like. There’s more when you finish.”
Sun Yuan had not expected the soldier to answer her. She was both excited and grateful, and said shyly, “Th-thank you.”
The soldier grinned. “No need to thank me.”
“You brat. I told you to hand out water, and you’ve already started chatting with a young lady.”
The teasing voice made Sun Yuan jump. She hurriedly looked over and saw a tall officer striding toward them. The man who had spoken was walking beside him.
She quickly lowered her head, not daring to look any longer. Then she froze.
Just now, had she seen her elder brother?
She suddenly raised her head and looked over again. The officer was staring at her in astonishment as well.
Sun Bu had never expected to encounter the younger sister he had been searching for over the past several years.
He had been assigned to patrol that day. When he had just arrived, he heard the soldier distributing tea chatting with a young woman.
He had not paid much attention at first. But the instant the young woman looked up at him, he felt that she seemed familiar. He froze for a moment, then finally realized who she was.
A surge of joy flooded his heart.
“A-Yuan?”
Before Sun Yuan could react, there was a loud clatter.
The two of them turned around at once and saw Sun Xi trembling. The bowl in her hand had slipped from her grasp and shattered across the city wall.
Sun Bu took two excited steps forward. “Elder Sister!”
“You—you’re all still alive.” His eyes reddened instantly, and he murmured, “Thank goodness. You’re still alive. That’s all that matters.”
Sun Yuan let out a cry and threw herself into his arms. “Is it really you, Brother? Brother… Waaaah…”
Tears fell from Sun Bu’s eyes as well, and he reached out to embrace her.
Sun Xi covered her mouth to keep herself from crying aloud, but tears instantly filled her eyes.
She had thought—she had thought Abu was dead.
Everyone around them was startled, then delighted on their behalf.
Many of them found their eyes growing red as well. They hoped that one day, amid this chaotic age, they too might be reunited with their own flesh and blood.
It was quite some time before Sun Bu finally calmed down. He gently patted Sun Yuan’s back. “It’s all right now. It’s all right. Your brother is here.”
Those words made Sun Yuan’s eyes redden again, and she began sobbing loudly, as if finally releasing all the misery and hopelessness she had endured during these past days.
Zhu Yan cried along with her, envy stirring in her heart.
She wondered whether her own family was still alive, and whether they still remembered her.
After a long while, Sun Yuan finally stopped crying. She wiped her tears and then grew a little embarrassed. Sniffling, she asked, “Brother, where’s Mother?”
Sun Bu explained, “Mother is in Ge Feng. What are you doing here?”
The man who had teased the soldier earlier was deeply moved as well. He suggested, “Captain, why don’t you go down below the wall and talk? It’s too hot up here.”
His name was Liu An. He had followed Sun Bu since Sun Bu was still a squad leader, so he knew very well that Sun Bu had two younger sisters who had been taken away. Now that they had finally been reunited, his excitement was only natural.
Only then did Sun Bu remember that he was still on patrol. He shook his head and asked, “Where are you staying? I’m on duty right now. I’ll come find you later.”
Sun Xi wiped away her tears. “Number Five, Zelan Alley.”
