In the shabby main room, the male host sat restlessly on a long wooden bench, as if he had hemorrhoids, his eyes filled not only with fear but also with curiosity.
With so many people here, he hadn't expected the leader to be a young lady, and such a young one at that, looking only slightly older than his own daughter.
"Noble guests, where have you come from, and where are you heading?"
Ordinary merchants wouldn't travel with so many women, and their attire was entirely different. At first glance, it was obvious they were young masters and misses from wealthy, prominent families.
Song Jinzhao replied, "We came from the capital and are heading to the prefectural city."
The host's eyes widened in surprise. He turned his head to glance outside at the row of handcarts covered with tarpaulins, which were clearly loaded with a substantial amount of goods.
Judging by their direction, they must have come from Songzhou City and were heading to the prefectural city of Suining Prefecture.
"This is your first time here, isn't it?"
Song Qiming nodded. "How did you guess?"
The host smiled and answered, "I've seen many merchants over the years, and you clearly look like newcomers."
Hearing this, Song Qiming asked with interest, "I heard that bandits and robbers often appear in Suining Prefecture. Are there still many merchants traveling through?"
Logically, chaotic places would have fewer merchants. Suining Prefecture had a terrible reputation, so very few merchants should be willing to come.
The host explained, "There are still quite a few merchants going to Suining City. There are robbers on the road, but they generally don't kill. As long as you pay a toll when you meet them, they'll let you pass. It's not like Qingxia and Yanshan, where they want both your money and your life. Wealthy merchants aren't willing to go there."
Song Jinzhao remarked, "These bandits are quite smart. They know that if they push things to the extreme, they won't be able to rob anything in the future."
The host nodded. "They can't completely stop goods from being sold in Suining. If they make too much trouble, the government will still intervene on the road from Songzhou City to Suining City."
Half an hour passed, and the rain outside grew heavier, showing no signs of stopping.
Looking up, the entire sky was filled with moisture and covered in a misty haze.
"It's always like this during the rainy season. It won't stop anytime soon."
Seeing that the rain was relentless, when it was time to eat, Song Jinzhao had the servants borrow the villager's stove to heat up their food.
Looking at a table full of meat and vegetable dishes, along with white steamed buns larger than a fist, the family of three who hadn't tasted meat in months and had never eaten their fill couldn't help but swallow their saliva. The sound of their gulping was so loud that everyone in the room could hear it.
Song Qiming didn't hesitate to pick up a steamed bun and place it in the host's bowl.
"We burned quite a lot of your firewood. Consider this meal our treat. Please, eat more."
The host hastily tried to put the bun back.
"I can't possibly accept this, I can't. These are all very expensive."
How much could firewood be worth? Not to mention, Song Jinzhao and her group had already paid them in silver.
Song Jinzhao pushed a dish of spicy pork toward the hostess, and Song Shixue helped move it closer as well.
"It's fine, we brought plenty. If we don't eat it, it will just spoil."
Seeing that the servants around them were all eating, and under the warm invitation of the three Song family members, the host finally picked up the steamed bun. A simple, honest smile of a poor farmer appeared on his face. "Thank you, noble guests."
Seeing the head of the household start to eat, the woman and the young man sitting nearby finally began to dig in.
"Brother Chai, who are these people?" Five men wearing straw rain capes walked up to the door and stopped in their tracks when they saw the room full of people.
The host stood up, holding half a steamed bun; this was already the second bun he was eating.
"Village Chief, they are passing merchants taking shelter from the heavy rain."
Rainwater slid down his face. Seeing that everything was fine inside, the white-haired old man felt half his worries dissipate.
The other four men looked at the lavish spread on the table and the steamed buns the three members of the Chai family were eating, their eyes brimming with so much envy it practically spilled over.
They had originally thought the Chai family might be in danger from these strangers, but they never expected them to be eating so well. This meal was worth at least a few hundred copper coins.
"Noble guests, this is the Village Chief of our Baijia Village."
Song Jinzhao nodded slightly in acknowledgment, a polite smile on her face.
All five men were carrying hoes; the vigilance of the commoners here was truly strong.
Seeing that Brother Chai's family was in no danger, the Village Chief took his leave. "Since everything is fine, we will be going now."
After saying that, he turned to leave. When the other four turned around, their gazes still hadn't left the food. If only they could stay and eat together.
Call us back, call us back to stay.
To their disappointment, even after walking a dozen steps, no voice called out for them to stay for a meal. Helpless, the four men had no choice but to follow the Village Chief away.
Worried that Song Jinzhao might misunderstand, the host immediately explained.
"During the harsh winter, bandits occasionally come to the village to steal grain, so whenever strangers enter the village, every household is on high alert."
Seeing this situation, Song Qiming's heart sank to the bottom. Such deeply ingrained, subconscious reactions were definitely not formed in a day or two.
The common people's lives were already difficult enough; with bandits coming to rob them from time to time, how could they possibly survive?
