A Cannon Fodder Who Became The Future Queen - Chapter 19.1

For the next few days, Ji Ping’an continued to hunt on the outskirts of the forest. Each time, she would get two to three hundred copper coins, which would add up to about one tael of silver. Including the venomous snake and fox she had sold, she now had a total of four taels of silver.

Shen Zhiyu’s leg had also healed a lot, and her lifespan on the system panel had increased to 43. Ji Ping’an decided to take Shen Zhiyu and Suisui to the county town that day. Before leaving, Shen Zhiyu changed into her most worn-out clothes and smeared some ash on her face. Without a mirror, she could only look at Ji Ping’an and ask, “Is this okay?”

Ji Ping’an looked at her and said, “Put a little more.” Even with the ash on her face, Shen Zhiyu’s noble aura was still noticeable.

Suisui, standing beside her, curiously asked, “Sister, do I need to put some on, too?”

Ji Ping’an smiled, dipped her finger in some wood ash, and gently drew a line on her face. “There you go.” The child had been malnourished before, but she had gained some weight these past few days, and her cheeks now had a subtle plumpness. After touching her, Ji Ping’an couldn’t help but pinch Suisui’s little face again and again, unable to stop.

Suisui pouted, not knowing what Ji Ping’an was doing. Her voice was muffled as she said, “Mmm… Sister…”

“Do you want to come and pinch her, too?” Ji Ping’an looked at Shen Zhiyu.

Shen Zhiyu: “…” She wasn’t as childish as the Qianyuan.

Ji Ping’an caught her gaze and coughed a couple of times, letting go of her “evil” hand.

Suisui immediately ran to Shen Zhiyu’s side and held onto her clothes. Ah-Jiu was better.

It was getting warmer these past few days, and they had changed into single-layer clothes. As they walked on the road, the fields that were barren in the winter had now been tilled and planted with crops. In a few days, light green sprouts would emerge.

The villagers had been busy for more than ten days, and now they had some free time. They gathered in small groups to chat. Some were carrying baskets, ready to cut wild grass to feed their chickens and ducks.

“Ping’an, you’re not going up the mountain today?”

“Are you going to the county town, Ping’an? You’re even taking your family with you?”

“The fields have all been planted these past few days, so many people are going to the county town. It’s definitely going to be livelier than the past couple of days.”

Fugui’s mother was a talkative person. Ever since Ji Ping’an saved Fugui, she would say good things about Ji Ping’an to everyone she met. She even said that Ji Ping’an had inherited her mother’s skills and was definitely a great hunter in the village. The villagers knew how much Fugui’s mother used to dislike Ji Ping’an, but now that she was saying good things about her, the villagers believed her even more and were much warmer towards Ji Ping’an than before.

Ji Ping’an replied, “Yes, I’m taking them to the county town to buy some clothes.”

As she spoke, the villagers also noticed that Suisui’s and Shen Zhiyu’s clothes either had ripped seams on the sleeves or were torn, so it made sense for them to buy new clothes.

“It’s getting hot, so it’s time to make some new clothes. I’ll go to the county town the next day to get some cloth.”

“Then you should hurry, so you don’t get back too late. It’s not easy to walk on the road when it’s dark.” Some villagers had also seen Ji Ping’an selling her prey in the county town, but they weren’t jealous. They had also gone up the mountain, but most of the time, they would go empty-handed and come back empty-handed. Being a hunter was not easy. There were a few people in the next village who got injured and came back with bl00d on their clothes. It was very scary.

Ji Ping’an also said, “Aunties, you all should get busy, too. We’ll get going now.” With Ji Ping’an around, the villagers wouldn’t take the initiative to talk to Shen Zhiyu, so she took this opportunity to memorize the way to the county town.

******

When they arrived at the county town, it was much more bustling. The vendors on the street and the shops that had just opened were all calling out to people to come inside.

“Li’s Eatery is newly opened! Every customer who comes today will get a free pot of tea!”

“Glutinous rice cakes, soft glutinous rice cakes, fresh out of the oven, sweet and hot!”

“Rattles, kites, and nine-linked rings! Buy one for the children at home. It’s a great deal!”

“…”

Suisui had never been to the county town before. The unfamiliar place made her nervous, especially with so many people on the street. She was clinging to Ji Ping’an’s leg but was also curiously peeking her head out to look at the stalls around them. Fearing that she would get lost, Ji Ping’an held her hand the whole time. When she turned to talk to Shen Zhiyu, she saw that the other person’s gaze was on something to the side.

She followed her gaze and saw a traveling circus performing on the street, surrounded by a crowd of people. They were currently performing fire breathing.

“Do you want to watch?” Ji Ping’an also stood next to her and picked up Suisui so she could get a clear view.

The fire that was being breathed out was reflected in Shen Zhiyu’s eyes. She said, “I’ve never seen it before.” It should be said that both the circus performance and the street stalls were new to Shen Zhiyu, as if they were completely unfamiliar things to her.

“Then we’ll watch for a bit before we go buy clothes.” Ji Ping’an quickly realized why Shen Zhiyu liked to watch these things. She was a princess, and as a Kunze, she probably had never left the palace. It was also unlikely that these kinds of common street performances would be allowed in the palace. It was normal that Shen Zhiyu had never seen them before.

After a while, Suisui, who was being held, wanted to get down. She said, “Sister, I’m heavy.”

“You’re not heavy. You won’t be able to see if I put you down.” After getting the [Stamina Supplement], Ji Ping’an had no problem holding a child. “Sister is strong now. I can even carry Ah-Jiu.”

Shen Zhiyu heard Ji Ping’an’s mischievous words and shot her a look. “Be careful not to get a cramp.”

Ji Ping’an ignored the coldness in her tone and deliberately smiled. “I won’t get a cramp. Ah-Jiu, you really care about me.”

Shen Zhiyu turned her head and ignored her.

“The fire breathing and sword swallowing performances are over. Ladies and gentlemen, don’t blink now, because next is the juggling act with swords and balls.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the performer on stage threw several sharpened swords and round balls into the air at the same time, making everyone look up, wondering where these things would land. Suisui was also watching intently. Her eyes followed the balls in the air, and her heart was in her throat until she saw the performer catch every single sword and the balls land steadily on his feet, back, and shoulders. She let out a small gasp. The passersby had similar reactions. They all clapped and cheered. The circus took this opportunity to hold out a small bowl to the crowd. They could give a tip if they thought the performance was good.

Ji Ping’an was about to take out three copper coins when she saw Shen Zhiyu take out a piece of broken silver from her sleeve. It made a “ding” sound as it fell into the bowl. The circus performers said, “Thank you, miss! Thank you, miss!”

Seeing the person walk away, Ji Ping’an smiled and looked at her. “You’re so generous?” She truly was a princess. Even though the clothes she was wearing were tattered, it didn’t stop her from making an elegant and graceful gesture when she gave out money.

“Did I gave a lot?” Shen Zhiyu asked her. She really didn’t know how much a piece of broken silver was worth. When the person came over, she just took a piece out of her sleeve.

Ji Ping’an explained to her, “That’s enough to buy a dozen plain steamed buns.”

Shen Zhiyu inferred that she had given too much. “Does it matter?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ji Ping’an said. “This money is for you to spend. Just do as you please. If you need more money, just tell me.”

Shen Zhiyu looked at her and asked, “Then you’ll give me all the money?” Even though she wasn’t very clear about basic prices, she knew that if she had enough money, she could leave Ji Ping’an.

Ji Ping’an was especially sharp at that moment and coughed. “…That, we can discuss later.”

Shen Zhiyu had a look of understanding on her face and turned to walk toward the cloth shop. Ji Ping’an hurriedly followed her. Even while carrying Suisui, she caught up in a couple of steps and went into the cloth shop with them.

The shop had a lot of people inside. When they entered, the owner said, “These are our new cloths. We have many colors. Coarse linen is seventy-five coins per bolt, and fine linen is ninety-five coins per bolt. You can take a look.”

Fine linen was the best-selling cloth in the shop. On one hand, the price was cheap, and on the other hand, it was more comfortable to wear than coarse linen, so the villagers loved to buy it.

Ji Ping’an didn’t look at the cloths the owner mentioned. She asked directly, “Boss, do you have cotton cloth? Ready-made clothes are best.”

“We have cotton cloth, too. They’re all new cloths made from new cotton.” The shop owner was much more enthusiastic now. “Who are you buying for? How many sets of ready-made clothes do you want?”

“We’re buying for all three of us. We’ll each get three sets,” Ji Ping’an said.

A big business deal! The shop owner’s smile became more sincere. “Alright! Then I’ll measure you first. The child can go first.”

Since they were for daily wear, the measurements didn’t have to be too precise. It was enough to get a rough measurement over their clothes. So the owner didn’t set up a separate room and measured them right in the shop. Suisui could see Ji Ping’an with a glance and didn’t feel scared.

While they were waiting, many people in the shop were looking at the cloths. There were also many people in front of the silk cloths. Ji Ping’an found a place to sit and waved at Shen Zhiyu. “You can go after Suisui. If three sets aren’t enough, we can buy more.”

Shen Zhiyu hummed and listened to what the people in the shop were saying.

“By the way, did you see the county magistrate’s wife the day before yesterday? Why was she wearing linen?”

“Didn’t you hear? The Seventh Princess passed away. There’s a month-long mourning period, and the county magistrate and his wife have to wear linen.” Donghe County wasn’t too far from the capital, but it was still a few hundred miles away. It took half a month for the news to travel from the capital, which was why the people in Donghe County had only just heard about it.

“How did you get such good news? You even know about the capital and the Seventh Princess?”

“My great-aunt’s niece’s in-laws have a cousin’s brother who works as a servant for a wealthy family in the capital. He also said that the emperor ordered thousands of lamps to be lit for the princess in the Hall of Eternal Life.”

“You even know about the lamps being lit in the Hall of Eternal Life?”

“Of course! Her brother is a servant for a wealthy family, so how could the news be fake?”

“…”

But no matter how strange the stories from the capital were, their interest only lasted for a couple of sentences. Less than a quarter of an hour later, their conversation turned to the price of grain. “The price of grain has gone up by ten coins since last month. If it goes up any more, we won’t be able to afford to eat.”

“That’s right. It’s better to stock up on more grain at home. I told my husband to buy another ten shi. It won’t go bad in a dry room.”

When Suisui was done, Ji Ping’an called Shen Zhiyu twice before she reacted. “Suisui is done?”

Ji Ping’an said, “Yes. The owner is waiting for you.” After that, she curiously asked, “What were you thinking about?” After all, Shen Zhiyu had amnesia, so she shouldn’t remember anything about the palace.

“I was thinking about the relationship between the great-aunt’s niece’s in-laws’ cousin’s brother.” After saying that, Shen Zhiyu went to get measured, leaving Ji Ping’an to contemplate the complicated family tree. She was silent for two seconds and then looked at Suisui. “Suisui, your sister has a question for you…”

She hadn’t even finished speaking when Suisui said in a childish voice, “Sister, I don’t know either.”

Ji Ping’an: “…I haven’t even asked yet.” She felt that Suisui had become a little smarter after spending so much time with Shen Zhiyu.