Several months passed in a flash.
Life in the village had improved somewhat.
Yet Pei Qiang's furrowed brow never relaxed.
There was still not enough refined food.
There were many people in the village, especially half-grown boys. Every one of them was at the age when they could eat like horses. No matter how hard the hunting party worked, it could not feed dozens of mouths.
He calculated that he still had those two Spirit Stones tucked against his chest.
One Spirit Stone could be exchanged for more than ten thousand taels of silver on the Black Market.
With silver, they could buy grain, refined food, and medicinal herbs.
"We need to make a trip to the county town." That evening, he said this to Pei Yunyang.
Pei Yunyang was silent for a long while before finally nodding.
"Be careful on the road. Go and return quickly."
Early the next morning, Pei Qiang took two villagers with him, drove a donkey cart, and headed down the mountain.
By the time they reached Xiaoxuan County, the sky had darkened. They hurried into the city amid the evening twilight.
The county town was not large, but it was far more prosperous than Pei Family Village.
Shops stood shoulder to shoulder along both sides of the streets, and hawkers' cries rose and fell without end.
Pei Qiang found a secluded alley and had the villagers watch the donkey cart while he headed onto the street alone.
He remembered hearing someone say before that Spirit Stones had to be exchanged at a money shop.
After searching around, he finally stopped before a place called Great Circulation Bank.
He pushed the door open and entered. Behind the counter, a plump middle-aged shopkeeper was working an abacus without even raising his head.
"What business can I