Enter the town

As Xiangbei followed Uncle Zhong into the horse carriage , he noticed the puzzled and slightly flustered expression on Chengmo's face. Xiangbei shrugged, suppressed his curiosity, and settled in a corner near the carriage door. Grabbing a straw basket from the carriage, he took out a half piece of pine stick and started carving grooves along the ink lines with a small file given by his master. The soft pine wood allowed him to quickly create grooves of suitable thickness for the lead core. When the carriage finally started moving, Xiangbei had the lead core fitted between two halves of a thin wooden stick. He applied a layer of fish glue, tightly wound it with a cotton strip in a spiral shape, and slowly sharpened the pen tip from the end reserved for writing.

He then cut three pieces of rice paper, layered them with two pieces of carbon paper of the same size, and used a small blackboard as a base on his knee. With a bit of force, he wrote several large characters: "泽被镇, 我来了!1,2,3,Fighting." The writing, whether in Chinese characters, numerical digits, or English letters, flowed smoothly. Turning to the next pages, the deep blue ink was clear and clean. "Thanks God, maybe the three-part form that can change ancient accounting habits is a success! Now, let's see which business I can approach to promote it in the town." Taking a piece of chalk, he drew a few patterns on the small blackboard, featuring words like "同城" (Same City), "福家" (Fu Family), and "爱家" (Love Home). Not entirely satisfied, he decided to skip drawing more, as the practical success of writing was already evident.

As the ancient carriage swayed along the road, it would take another two or three hours to reach the town. Chengmo, who was previously embarrassed by his own feelings of admiration for Xiangbei's skills, was now curious about the purpose of these items.

"Are these things you're making meant for writing? What about the blue paper?" Chengmo, now settled and intrigued, observed Xiangbei, who remained focused on her tasks.

"Don't bother asking. It has nothing to do with you. I'm going to the town to exchange for silver," Xiangbei replied, not bothering to make eye contact.

Leaning back against the carriage, Xiangbei closed her eyes, feigning sleep. It didn't take long before she actually fell asleep, with a soft, rhythmic snoring sound emanating from the corner.

Chengmo, frustrated and concerned, approached and gently picked her up. He carefully laid her on the luxurious couch he occupied, covering her with a fur cloak. Sighing deeply, he couldn't help but reflect on Xiangbei's apparent disdain for him. He contemplated her need for silver and the hardships she endured, realizing the regrets and compassion he felt for her.

Unnoticed by Chengmo, he spent more than an hour observing her sleeping face until the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Fuhai Building. Uncle Zhong lightly knocked on the carriage door.

Looking at the still-sleeping girl, her face peeking out from the furry collar, Chengmo, wrapped her in his cloak. He quickly got off the carriage, and a shadow flashed, disappearing at the end of the second floor.

Xiangbei opened her eyes and gazed at the open window. A tall figure, draped in the orange glow of the setting sun, stood against the window. They looked out at the clouds, the sky, and the setting sun. This figure, forever imprinted in her heart, was now a permanent part of her memories. The lonely geese returning to the north had awakened the silence in the room. The person who turned around didn't speak but beckoned with their eyes, guiding Xiangbei as they walked together, side by side, looking towards the horizon. From this highest point in the town, they overlooked the small town, shaped like a semi-circle facing northwest, bordered by mountains to the east and water to the west.

Three main streets and two side alleys radiated outward from this point, extending about a hundred meters until the three-meter-high city wall. Beyond the wall lay a hundred-meter square plaza built along the water. Eight or nine wooden walkways extended into the water, where boats of various sizes were docked. This room occupied the entire third floor of the Fuhai Building, providing a panoramic view of the town. To the east were lofty mountains, to the south, the majestic Zebei Manor faced across the street, and to the west, an independent walkway connected to the Ribow Bay, Fuhai Building, and the road from the south. Laborers transporting goods shuttled between moored boats, carriages, and Fuhai Building.

"The southern street downstairs leads into the mountains. Anyone can check out the scenery from the plaza in front of Fuhai Building, but it's unexpected to see the gate of Zebei Manor when you come out to the south. This is truly the imperial manor." Xiangbei looked down at the small town, and her view aligned with the remembered image, with only a different perspective.

"Your family probably enters the town directly from the east gate and turns directly into the north square. If you're delivering mountain goods or game, you might directly deliver them to the east warehouse of the inn. It's normal not to have come here, but now you are the owner here. You can walk however you like." Uncle Zhong explained.

"You don't need to mention being the owner. You're not going to get away with just one or two silvers without showing me some useful formulas. Forget it, I won't talk to you. I'll go to the town first to sell the herbs and exchange them for some silver," Xiangbei replied dismissively.

"Do you need silver urgently?"

Xiangbei rolled her eyes and didn't bother to reply, turning away to leave.