Chapter 50 Entering the City
The number of people driving the "No. 11 bus" doubled, with a team of more than people, and more than people went up the mountain to pick acorns. The number of acorns picked up was very impressive. The ox and mule carriages were filled with acorns, and everyone had to get off the bus except for the small ones.
In addition to the family's own food, all the space in the RV was filled with acorns. The bathroom was covered with a waterproof sheet and the acorn kernels were soaked.
There were only four people in the car, Lin Zisu was driving, and three children were sitting on the passenger seat. Four-year-old Shi Tao, eight-year-old Shen Qiaoqiao, and four-year-old Shen Anda were all Lin Zisu's cousins.
All the old men and women were walking on the ground, and even her father, mother and brother were driving the "No. 11 bus" on the ground.
For those who have vehicles, the good thing is that they don’t have to carry luggage when traveling, so they can travel light.
Those who had carts also had acorns piled on them, but the quantity was not large.
The acorns were like carrots dropped in front of a mule. Everyone gritted their teeth and used all their strength to take the acorns away.
Behind the main group, there were refugees in groups of three or four, not too far away. They also picked up a lot of acorns and carried them laboriously on their backs as they continued on their journey.
Today, they rested twice as many times as usual. This was the first time that the Lin family felt so tired since they started traveling. Especially the women, since they left Nanlin Village, they had been riding in cars and never traveled on foot.
We walked and stopped along the way until a colorful sunset appeared in the sky.
The dilapidated city gate came into Lin Xianwen's sight, and looking upwards, he saw Hanguan County.
Lin Xianwen pointed at the closed city gate and shouted, "Dad, Mom, the county town!"
Lin Youcai looked at the ancient city gate with regret, "It's a pity that the city gate is closed."
Shen Xianglan frowned deeply: "It's getting dark soon, we should also rest! The city gate will be open tomorrow morning! Let's go and try tomorrow morning to see if we can enter the city!"
"That's right! Wife, you are so smart!" After saying this, Lin Youcai quickly walked towards the headman's house.
Shen Xianglan: . . . . . .
Lin Xianwen smacked his lips a few times and swallowed his saliva: "...I really want to eat, I'm so tired and hungry..."
The team passed the city gate and walked forward a few hundred meters, then they saw a big tree covered with red ribbons. Beyond the tree was a village.
The big tree at the entrance of the village was not far from the official road. The team walked forward for a short distance and found a small river running through the village. There was a wide river beach beside the river and large tracts of reeds on both sides of the river.
The Shen family was the one walking in front today and had a car. Lin Youcai walked over and told his father-in-law and mother-in-law that they would stay on the riverbank. It was the dry season, the riverbank was spacious, and water was convenient, so many people also had a place to rest.
Before it got completely dark, we finally reached the river beach.
There were already refugees resting on the riverbank, and when they saw such a large group of people coming, they all moved to the side in panic. This left a large area in the middle of the riverbank, which was convenient for them.
The vehicles formed a semicircle, blocking one side of the official road and the other side facing the river. Everyone lit a big fire in the middle and got busy.
Having water is good. We boil water, wash, do laundry, cook, peel acorns, and wash the kernels. It is a busy scene.
Other refugees nearby would crane their necks to take a peek from time to time.
Young and strong men patrolled with sticks, and when they saw people looking over here, they waved the sticks to warn them.
Lin Zisu got off the car and stretched her arms and legs, looking at the busy crowd. She thought that the working people are so hardworking!
After dinner, since the bathroom was not available, Lin Zisu took out the small tent and placed it next to the car. She pulled out the pull-out faucet on the side of the car door, opened the hole on the side above the small tent for the shower head, put the faucet in, and fixed it in place for a shower.
The pull-out faucet on the side of the car door can adjust the water flow to a water column or a shower. It has both hot and cold water and is specially designed for outdoor water use.
In the RV, all the acorns in shells were moved outside the vehicle, except for the acorn kernels soaking in the bathroom.
When Shen Xianglan and Lin Zisu lay down and prepared to sleep, there was still a constant stream of chattering by the fire outside, as everyone was peeling acorns by the firelight.
“They are too curly!”
Shen Xianglan closed her eyes, not wanting to move any more. "I can't roll anymore! I'm dying of walking today! I'm going to sleep, I'm going to sleep."
The next morning, the mother and daughter were half asleep and half awake to the sound of flowing water.
What really wakes them up is the unremitting knocking on the car door every day. "Knock, knock, knock! Knock, knock! Get up! Get up! You go to bed early and get up late!" Old Mrs. Wang mutters outside the car.
Lin Zisu packed up quickly and got out of the car. She looked around but didn't see her father and brother.
"Grandma, where's my dad?"
"Your father and others have gone into the city. Do you know if they can get in?" Old Mrs. Wang came down carrying a small wooden basin filled with grain and walked towards the big iron pot while speaking.
At daybreak, Lin Youcai drove his mule cart, taking Lin Youxiang, Tao Mingyuan, Lin Youxing, Zhao Zhuang, and Shen's servant Awang, to Hanguan County, which they had passed by yesterday.
Early in the morning, a long queue formed at the city gate.
The team included local villagers, traveling merchants from other places, and more dirty refugees.
Two teams of soldiers were guarding the city gate, and only those with certain identities were allowed in.
"Brother Youcai, what should we do? We have our household registration, but we also need a travel permit! We don't have a travel permit!" Zhao Zhuang came back from inquiring at the city gate and said to them with a worried look on his face.
"I have a pass." Tao Mingyuan patted his body.
"I brought it." Lin Youcai looked at Lin Youxing and Zhao Zhuang, "Then you two wait outside the city gate for us to come out."
"Okay then...you two just be careful." Lin Youxing said worriedly.
Zhao Zhuang frowned, "You two weak scholars are the only ones allowed in..."
"What do you mean by weak?" Tao Mingyuan showed them half of the dagger.
"I brought it too." Lin Youcai also showed them half of the dagger, "Don't worry! We are two grown men, we don't need anything, we just go in and buy some things and come out. The mule cart is left to you, please be careful. If we can buy food, we will ask the store to send it to the city gate." They were a little scared when the mule cart was driven in. To put it bluntly, animals are more valuable than human lives now.
"Don't worry! We'll be waiting for you at the city gate." Lin Youxiang raised his eyebrows and signaled to Lin Youcai that there were weapons in the car.
When it was daybreak, it was finally their turn. The soldier guarding the city gate took their household registration documents and pass and checked to see if they had any problems. After the two of them each paid 10 copper coins, they were finally allowed into the city.
This is the first time I have entered the city after fleeing for more than two months!!!
"I saw that they only gave 2 copper coins to enter the city, but we had to pay 10 copper coins each. Isn't this bullying outsiders?" When the two men walked away, Tao Mingyuan leaned over and whispered.
Lin Youcai put the household registration documents and the pass close to him, patted them, and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. It's good enough that we're allowed to enter the city."
Tao Mingyuan: "When did you prepare the pass?"
Lin Youcai: "I heard the news in the city and went to the government office to apply for a pass. It is convenient for you to do work in the government office."
Tao Mingyuan: "Well, it's convenient for me. I wanted to help the Zhu family get a pass, but it was difficult to get it done because I was insignificant. I didn't get it done, and time was running out so I hurried back to the village. I also brought the scholar's documents with me, but I was afraid they wouldn't let me in."
"Me too... We thought the same thing." Lin Youcai looked at the overly quaint street in front of him, and had to be careful not to step on any "landmines" while walking.
How could it be so dirty and messy, with stone and mud houses on both sides, but the shops on both sides were open. The two of them finished the whole city in more than ten minutes. There were only two main streets, and there was nothing to sell in the shops. There was only one grain store and salt store in the whole city, and the two of them didn't have much money. Although everyone gave money and told them what they wanted to buy, they didn't have much silver.
Finally, the two men, each carrying a bag of coarse grains and a small bag of coarse salt, left the city.
The four of them sat on the mule cart, watching the scene that would appear from time to time at the city gate. The refugees wanted to enter the city, but they had nothing here and nothing there, so they were definitely not allowed in. If they acted like scoundrels, they would be dragged away by the soldiers and thrown aside, never to block the city gate.
Seeing two people coming out, I hurried to meet them.
Lin Youcai: "Let's talk about it when we get back. Let's go."
Tao Mingyuan: "They are both county towns, why are there such big differences! I miss Nan County..."
Lin Youxiang didn't waste any time. He turned the mule cart around and drove away.
The refugees at the city gate were staring at the mule cart with eager eyes.