Chapter 173

Chapter 173: How Could We Wait

Jiang Mang had lost his military merit for delivering a letter for Meng Yang. Now Jiang Mang stayed by Qi Shu Xian’s side, doing errands. This time, Jiang Mang was responsible for transporting cotton.

But the real section chief was a middle-aged man named Lin Yi.

Since arriving in Ji Zhou yesterday, Master Lin had sent them out three times a day to gather news. Cotton in Ji Zhou had already risen to four hundred and fifty wen.

Jiang Mang had even seen corpses being carried out, frozen stiff.

Hadn’t the Heir Apparent said he hoarded cotton only so the commoner would not have silver in hand and still be unable to buy cotton? Then why was the cotton not being released now?

Jiang Mang wanted to ask Master Lin, but Master Lin was not like the Heir Apparent. Master Lin did not have the patience to explain things to a rough man like Jiang Mang, so Jiang Mang could only bury those thoughts.

At the Du Family, Du Cheng fell ill.

After seeing his beloved horse beheaded, after being chilled by the snow and frightened by Du Yi Zhi, Du Cheng returned home and immediately burned with fever. Du Cheng lay in bed, babbling nonsense.

One moment, Du Cheng gritted his teeth and demanded that Du Yi Zhi kneel down and lick his boots. The next moment, Du Cheng waved his hands in terror, begging Du Yi Zhi not to come closer and not to cut off Du Cheng’s head.

The women of the third branch cried until their eyes swelled.

Old Madam Du heard the news and personally braved the snow to visit Du Cheng once. Old Madam Du said a few light, perfunctory words and then left.

Third Madam Du hated the first branch for coaxing her son into being a spear. Third Madam Du hated Du Yi Zhi even more.

That little bastard should have died long ago. Why did Du Yi Zhi have to come back and harm Young Master Cheng? Du Yi Zhi even wanted to open a shop in Ji Zhou.

After thinking it over, Third Madam Du decided that tomorrow she would send word to her natal brother. He held a post at the prefecture yamen. Dealing with a merchant would be effortless.

Yet early the next morning, before the message could be sent, Ji Zhou’s sky changed again.

The snow outside froze solid overnight. The Ji Zhou waterway froze three chi thick. The commoner freezing to death were no longer just a few.

When an old servant woman of the Du Family opened the door, she saw a beggar slumped by the gate, stiff as wood.

Outside the city gate, a man with cracked, frostbitten cheeks trudged forward step by step. He wore a cotton coat patched all over. In his arms he held the silver he had taken from home.

Three taels of silver was not much, but he had saved it only after hunting for months.

His daughter-in-law had just given birth, and she could not endure the cold. Who could have imagined this year’s winter would turn so brutal? Their home had only one cotton coat. He wore it out, and his wife and child could only rely on quilts and firewood to hold on.

At least… at least the money he saved from hunting should be enough to buy a lot of cotton. Enough to make cotton coats for his wife and child, and to make a quilt too.

Then the whole family could get through the winter in warmth.

When the man reached the city gate, he saw many people like himself. They had all come to buy cotton.

“It’s too cold…” someone said. “Yesterday Old Li’s child went out to take a piss and never came back.”

“Even the waterway froze!”

The city gate opened. Everyone surged inside, rushing to buy cotton.

But when the shops finally opened and saw the crowd outside, people packed tight and clutching silver, the clerk only curled his lip. The clerk wrote up today’s price and hung it out.

The man could not read. The man asked, “This… how much is that? Two hundred and fifty wen? I can’t read, but the number of characters looks wrong…” Then the man asked the person behind him.

Behind him, a boss lady stared at the sign and cried, “Two taels?!”

The clerk shouted, “Cotton is two taels a jin today! If you’re buying, line up. If you’re not buying, don’t block the way!”

The commoner outside froze. The man froze too.

Two taels of silver for one jin of cotton? His daughter-in-law had clearly said it was two hundred and fifty wen a jin!

The man opened his mouth, wanting to ask the clerk, but the clerk sneered and said, “If you want to blame someone, blame this year’s weather! Mo Bei is under a great freeze. It’s not just our Ji Zhou. Yi Zhou, Sheng Zhou Prefecture, Lang Zhou, all of them. Every waterway is frozen solid. If you won’t buy, there are plenty of people who will!”

The clerk shouted again, “Two taels a jin! If you’re buying, line up. If you’re not buying, don’t block the way!”

The man stood there, stunned.

Then there was a thump behind him.

The man turned and saw an auntie fall onto the hard snow. Her lips trembled as she said, “Two taels of silver… even if you break down the bones of the whole family, it still wouldn’t be enough!”

The man wanted to comfort her. The man wanted to help her up.

But the man thought of the daughter-in-law and the child waiting at home.

The man’s face stung. The tears that had just slipped out froze on his eyelashes.

Two taels… the man still had to buy it.

The man drew in a deep breath and lined up.

There were too many people ahead. Then a plump middle-aged man in thick clothes ran over from the distance, shouting, “Not two taels! They’re not selling for two taels anymore!”

The auntie’s eyes lit up.

The man ran closer, grinning, and said, “Three taels a jin! Right now, the whole city of Ji Zhou is selling for three taels a jin!”

“What?” The hunter’s money pouch slipped in his hand. If he had reacted a moment slower, it would have fallen to the ground.

Three taels a jin!

Just a moment ago it was two taels. The silver he had saved through months of labor could now only buy a single jin of cotton.

Scenes like this were unfolding across all four prefectures of Mo Bei, in every prefectural city and every county.

Jiang Mang watched, and his chest ached.

Jiang Mang had also lived through a flood disaster. Back then, one tael of silver bought only one jin of unshelled corn. Jiang Mang’s mother had used that one tael to trade for Jiang Mang’s life, and then she starved to death on the road while fleeing.

Now Jiang Mang watched the same kind of scene happen again.

Jiang Mang could not stop himself. Jiang Mang wanted to hurry and tell Master Lin that the cotton they brought was needed. They did not have to sell at such a high price. As long as they earned something, it was enough.

Jiang Mang believed Qi Shi Zi would think the same.

Jiang Mang took a few steps, gritted his teeth, then stopped. Jiang Mang returned to the boss lady and helped her up. While she stared in shock, Jiang Mang pressed a few taels of broken silver into her palm.

The boss lady stared blankly at the silver. She tried to find him, but Jiang Mang’s figure had already vanished.

Jiang Mang had never moved this fast before.

Jiang Mang rushed back to the residence, stormed into Master Lin’s room, and did not even have time to knock before barging in.

Lin Yi looked up in annoyance. When Lin Yi saw it was Jiang Mang, Lin Yi snorted.

Jiang Mang knew Lin Yi looked down on rough men like him, and Jiang Mang did not care. Jiang Mang said, “Master Lin, the cotton outside has already risen to three taels of silver per jin! The commoner don’t have that kind of money. Luckily we brought so much cotton, Master Lin…”

Lin Yi cut him off. Lin Yi said, “No rush.”

Jiang Mang froze. Jiang Mang asked, “What?”

Lin Yi said, “I said no rush. Wait.”

“How could we wait?” Jiang Mang grew even more anxious and pointed outside. Jiang Mang said, “Those are lives! The Heir Apparent sent us here for these commoner. If we release the cotton, we can save them. If we don’t, after one night, how many people will die?”

Lin Yi frowned at him and did not want to explain.

Jiang Mang was so angry that Jiang Mang kept nodding. Jiang Mang said, “Fine. If Master Lin is willing to wait, I, Jiang Mang, am not willing to wait. I’ll go release the cotton right now-”

Jiang Mang turned to leave.

Lin Yi called after him, “Stop!”

Jiang Mang turned back and met Lin Yi’s eyes.

Lin Yi pressed his lips together and said coldly, “Do you know the Heir Apparent gave me two tasks when he came?”