Chapter 22: Glimpsing the County Town
This task proved relatively simple for Man Bao. While her little hands lacked sufficient strength, her legs remained sturdy – being careful not to inadvertently trample the delicate flora, she first plucked several blossoms to hand over to the system. Then she flattened the remaining stems against the ground before firmly stomping down, snapping the cuttings clean with just a few forceful foot presses.
Bouncing triumphantly after severing the stem sections this way, Man Bao scooped them up regardless of any adhered dirt and deposited the samples into the system’s cache.
The system merely observed in silence: …….
It quietly recorded the leaf sprigs and flower cuttings separately. So be it – the host was still just a young child after all, unrealistic to demand perfection at this age.
Turning her attentions to the purplish vine creeper next, enraptured by its vivid blooms, Man Bao inadvertently gathered an excessive bundle before separating it into two portions – presenting one bundle to the system while gleefully retaining the other for herself.
Having already plucked a selection of visually striking local wildflowers and grasses, stashing them within their carry baskets, Da Ya and Er Ya returned searching for their little niece. Upon finding her clutching the trailing vines, Da Ya remarked, “Little Niece, we’ve gathered plenty of those purple flowery vines already. We have more than enough now.”
But Man Bao declared resolutely, “I want to weave them into a crown for my hair – it will look so beautiful adorning me!”
Utterly entranced by the prospect, her cousins hastened to join in plucking more trailing vine segments.
Rising to stretch his legs in preparation for resuming their journey, Zhou Dalang couldn’t resist shaking his head indulgently upon spotting the trio of girls huddled together enraptured by their simple floral endeavors.
Children would forever remain children – able to amuse themselves endlessly even with the most rudimentary pleasures like wildflowers.
Glancing over to find Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang slumped drowsily with drooping heads, Zhou Dalang playfully nudged their rear ends with the toe of his boot. “Instead of dozing, why aren’t you wrangling our little sister over there?”
Too lethargic to rouse themselves, they grumbled dismissively, “But Da Ya and Er Ya are already with her.”
“They’re just children themselves though,” Zhou Dalang chided. “What if they stumble across a bee’s nest or something? Go corral her properly!”
Left with no choice, Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang begrudgingly tightened their belt knots before trudging over.
Having spent the entire night traveling, their evening meal had long since metabolized, leaving the two young men ravenously famished and utterly perplexed by their baby sister’s boundless effervescent energy reserves.
As Zhou Wulang assisted in untangling the vine segments, the three little girls relentlessly chirped reminders not to damage or shred any of the precious blooms, further souring his mood.
Oblivious to their grumblings, Man Bao fished around within her tunic pockets, retrieving the small handkerchief bundle she had tucked away the previous night containing eight hard candies.
Distributing one apiece to Zhou Wulang, Zhou Liulang, Da Ya and Er Ya, she popped one into her own mouth before offering the remaining two pieces to Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang.
Though equally peckish, the elder brothers waved the handkerchief away with indulgent smiles. “You keep those for yourself, Little Bao.”
“But I have plenty more,” Man Bao insisted adamantly, practically clambering atop them. “Quick, take them, Elder and Second Brothers!”
Left with no recourse, Zhou Dalang finally acquiesced, though he couldn’t resist a hushed aside, “Don’t make a habit of always giving away Master Zhuang’s gifted candies though. As his disciple, you must show proper respect and filial piety, understood?”
Nodding vigorously, Man Bao refrained from clarifying that these candies were actually provided by Ke Ke, not Master Zhuang.
Reinvigorated by the sugary treats, Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang diligently assisted in carefully gathering more of the trailing vines. In fact, they even discovered some visually striking azure blossoms entwined amongst the greenery that also caught Man Bao’s unrestrained delight, prompting her to eagerly harvest a generous segment for the system while retaining the bulk of the azure strands for herself.
Having remained utterly silent until now, the system suddenly spoke up, “Host, turn and look at that tree to your left. Do you notice it appears laden with clusters of ripe fruits?”
Swiveling her head towards the indicated direction, Man Bao immediately spotted a tree heavily burdened with countless small purplish-black berries, her eyes lighting up greedily as she exclaimed, “Fruity fruits!”
Glancing over, Zhou Wulang dismissively waved it off. “Those aren’t edible, don’t even think about eating any.”
But the system instructed, “Host, move a bit closer so I can scan them properly.”
Eagerly complying, Man Bao scampered right beneath the drooping branches, craning her neck upwards while barely restraining her drool as she eyed the tempting fruiting clusters. “They look so deliciously yummy though!”
After thoroughly scanning the specimens, the system found no record of any preserved physical samples within the Encyclopedia’s databases. However, it did locate some ancient pictorial references along with a notation indicating the species qualified for a substantial point bounty if successfully recorded and submitted.
“Host,” the system revealed excitedly, “those appear to be Ligustrum fruits, a variety commonly known as ‘Privet Berries’. If you log those specimens, you’ll have nearly enough points to finally unlock Commerce Terminal access privileges…”
But before the system could finish explaining, Zhou Erlang swiftly scooped Man Bao up into his arms with a stern rebuke, “Those berries are inedible, Man Bao. You mustn’t rashly consume any unfamiliar plants or fruits found in the wild, understood?”
“But Second Broth-”
Not allowing her to protest further, Zhou Erlang deposited her into one of the trays before signaling for everyone to resume their journey. “We’ve lingered long enough – if we dawdle further, prime vending spaces may be occupied by the time we finally reach the county town markets. Let’s get moving!”
Zhou Wulang and the others hastily bundled their freshly foraged flowering vines into baskets and trays before hoisting their laden burdens, falling into step behind the handcart.
Recognizing her brothers’ obvious fatigue from such physically taxing travel, Man Bao obediently sealed her lips, resigning herself as the ever-obliging child. Surely repeatedly unloading everything just to retrieve one tempting-yet-forbidden fruit cluster would be an utterly unreasonable imposition after they had already endured so much?
The system, while highly advanced artificial intelligence software, lacked human social cognition – it couldn’t truly empathize with such familial dynamics. It simply registered a detached sense of pity at the missed opportunity to accumulate points, yet refrained from demanding the impractical.
But young children possess no such concept of regretful fixations. Man Bao swiftly banished the berry tree from her wandering thoughts, enraptured instead by the ever-changing scenery – even the simplest sights like a flitting songbird could captivate her endlessly.
Observing her flushed rosy cheeks brimming with uninhibited glee, Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang concluded that regularly providing such enriching outdoor excursions could only benefit the indulged youngest child. While undoubtedly gentle-natured staying perpetually nestled within the village, they still harbored concerns about her overly sheltered existence.
But witnessing her present vibrant vitality reassured them of the wisdom in occasionally broadening her horizons.
Before long, Man Bao’s eagle eyes glimpsed the imposing town walls and gates looming ahead in the distance.
Plastering wide grins across everyone’s faces, she goggled in awed fascination – never before had she witnessed such staggeringly immense fortifications, those towering parapets and gaping arched entrances transfixing her unblinking stare.
Pointing towards the ornate calligraphic inscription emblazoned above the gatehouse entrance, she proclaimed proudly, “Luojiang County!”
Turning to her with a look of elated surprise, Zhou Dalang wondered, “Man Bao, you recognize those characters?”
Chin raised haughtily, she replied, “I know many characters now.”
Though admittedly still unable to compose them herself through writing.
Beaming, Zhou Dalang ruffled her hair affectionately while they queued for the gates. “Once the grain gets sold, Elder Brother will buy you some writing paper straightaway.”
Overhearing this exchange, a nearby trader in the queue line twisted around to smile at them inquiringly, “My, aren’t you quite the precocious young scholar already grasping literacy at such a tender age?”
Flustered, Zhou Dalang hurriedly corrected, “No, no – this is actually my younger sister, not a young master.”
Audible gasps of surprise rippled through those close enough to overhear before one merchant appraised Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang approvingly, “Ah I see, so yours is a household balancing agricultural toils with scholarly pursuits then. Might I inquire as to which village you hail from originally?”
Feeling rather self-conscious, Zhou Dalang stammered awkwardly, “There are no academicians in our family, just a misunderstanding really.”
Both he and Zhou Erlang felt their faces reddening as they hastily inched the cart forwards, attempting to extricate themselves from any further probing questions. But undeterred, Man Bao’s eyes glittered as she cheerily proclaimed, “But I do study texts, Elder Brother! One day Da Tou, Da Ya and the others will join me too.”
Chuckling, Zhou Dalang tried steering their notions away from academic scholarly assumptions. “Studying isn’t quite the same as true academic pursuits requiring authorized enrollment and examinations, Little Bao.”
Opting not to delve deeper into explanations, they soon reached the front gates where Zhou Dalang fished out a single copper fen to present the guard. But after surveying their modest handcart and burdens, the guard demanded curtly, “Two fen.”
Startled, Zhou Dalang blurted out in dismay, “Two fen? But when did the entry toll increase?”
“You’re transporting commercial wares, so the revised fee is two fen,” the guard stated flatly. “Pay it promptly or turn around and leave.”
Hesitating, Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang realized their combined funds only amounted to that sole remaining fen coin.
Peeking over the cart’s edge, Man Bao gazed at the guard beseechingly. Catching her plaintive expression, the guard’s gruff demeanor softened slightly as he deigned to further explain with uncharacteristic forbearance, “This new policy stems from the magistrate’s recently enacted ordinances. Starting from this year, anyone entering while transporting baskets, trays or other cargo containers must pay one fen per person. For a handcart like yours, the toll is two fen total. I’m only charging for the cart itself – those shoulder packs you’re also carrying would typically incur separate additional fees.”
