Su Wenqian dared not be careless and personally led the team.
The head constable made two trips to the mass grave late at night, his legs trembling with exhaustion. If he still couldn't find any offerings this time, he would lock this charlatan in the dungeon.
Beyond the mass grave lies a low hill, at the foot of which is a mountain god temple, now completely covered by vegetation due to its age, making it virtually invisible without careful observation.
Jin Shanyao pointed to the doorway filled with withered grass and new branches, "It's inside."
The constable glanced suspiciously at Jin Shanyao, then looked at Su Wenqian.
Su Wenqian, with a stern face, waved his hand, signaling the head constable to go in and investigate. The head constable, upon receiving the order, drew his sword and led his men into the temple. Soon, a gasp of surprise came from inside.
"My lord, please come in quickly, the tribute is really here."
Upon hearing this, Su Wenqian hurried in, and what he saw was a cat and a dog lying on the offerings, staring at everyone menacingly.
There were signs of a struggle nearby, but the place was deserted. He wanted to go forward but was afraid of angering the cats and dogs, so he hurriedly called out, "Miss Jin, please come in quickly."
When Dahuang and Xiaoli saw Jin Shanyao, they lazily stood up, then went over and nudged her leg, signaling her to put the two cubs down.
The two little cubs nestled skillfully beside the cat and dog. Su Wenqian quickly examined the offerings and was so excited to see them neatly arranged in the box that his body trembled uncontrollably.
"Found it, found it!"
His eyes shone like stars, and he excitedly wanted to hug the Jin Shanyao, but after seeing that she was a girl, he forced himself to bow instead.
Su Wenqian said respectfully, "Thank you for saving me, Miss Jin. I will keep my promise to the three conditions I agreed to."
Jin Shanyao softly, not caring whether it was three conditions or thirty conditions, because she vaguely felt that her Merit had increased slightly.
Over time, she would no longer be a newly ascended novice deity, but a great goddess Merit. Thinking of the thousands of plants bowing to her, Jin Shanyao couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Meng Anci tugged at the Jin Shanyao the hem of his robe. "Auntie, Lord Su is talking to you."
Jin Shanyao quickly pulled herself out of her thoughts, a bright smile appearing on her face. "What did you just say, sir?"
Having witnessed Jin Shanyao's skill firsthand, Su Wenqian was filled with admiration. "I'd like to ask Miss Jin, what are those three conditions..."
Jin Shanyao her hand, "No rush, I'll ask you for it when I remember."
Su Wenqian's expression instantly cracked. So you still don't know what you want? You come up with three conditions right off the bat...
Jin Shanyao saw his concerns. "Don't worry, I will never let you do anything immoral or against the law."
Su Wenqian secretly wiped away his sweat, signaling his men to carefully carry the tribute back to the county government office to prevent any further accidents. As for the mole within the government office, he had plenty of time to deal with him.
After finishing her business in the prefectural city, Jin Shanyao left the government office, wanting to take her child to see the big city. Su Wenqian tried to persuade her to stay, but she refused, as no one likes living in the government office.
Jin Shanyao, with her two children, chose the largest restaurant. The waiter greeted them warmly, "Sir, would you like to eat or stay overnight?"
"How much for your best room per night?"
The waiter smiled warmly, "Room number one, five taels a night."
As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the adult and two children widened. The waiter chuckled, "A room in Qingzhou Prefecture costs five taels, but is equivalent to a room in the capital city costing ten taels. Inside, there are silk pillows to ensure you sleep comfortably."
"Excuse me, sir, how much is your cheapest room?"
The waiter chuckled, "It's inconvenient for you to stay in a shared room with a child. You can choose a smaller room; the price isn't expensive, only 300 coins a night."
Jin Shanyao silently compared prices in the county town, realizing that the money she earned in the small county town was worthless.
"Room number one, booked..." Jin Shanyao thought for a moment, then said, "Booked for three nights." With that, she pulled out a silver coin and slammed it on the table with great fanfare.
"Hey sir, I'd like to ask, what's fun to do in Qingzhou Prefecture?"
The waiter collected the money and registered the guests, then took the key and led the three to Room No. 1, the "Heavenly" suite. Seeing the cat and dog following behind them, he smiled and said, "Sirs, the Heavenly" suite is for distinguished guests; it's not appropriate to bring cats and dogs."
Jin Shanyao took out a tael of silver and stuffed it into the waiter's hand. The waiter smiled and continued his introduction.
"The night view here is especially beautiful, with pleasure boats and cruise ships. You can go to the lakeside during the day, but it's a pity it's not lotus season now. As for food?"
He opened the door. "There are snacks at the night market. If you want something good, my shop has them. No need to run around." He handed the key to Jin Shanyao and turned to leave.
"Hey buddy, don't forget to feed my cow."
"Rest assured, sir, the cattle and horses are well cared for."
After the waiter left, Jin Shanyao open the door, and the three of them couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "This room is so beautiful!"
Meng Anci's small feet stepped onto the thick, soft carpet with a light blue landscape pattern. The windows weren't covered with paper, but with transparent silk.
It glittered in the sunlight, and the edges of the tables and chairs were carved with intricate patterns. The bed curtains exuded exquisite craftsmanship and preciousness.
Meng Anzhi took two steps and then stopped, looking at the row of small footprints behind her and asking, "Auntie, what should I put on the ground?" She thought for a long time but still didn't know what it was called.
Jin Shanyao her foot twice on the carpet and laughed, "This is called a carpet. It's more commonly used in the Northwest region; we don't see it often here."
Especially in small county towns like Willow and Poplar County, there are almost none; they prefer to pave the ground with bluestone slabs because it's easier to clean.
"Auntie, look! We can see the lake!" Meng Anci stood on a chair, pointing excitedly out the window. Jin Shanyao helped him down.
"Be careful not to fall from such a height," they said. They lived on the second floor, and from the window they could see the whole street scene. The three of them looked around before fixing their gaze on the kang (a heated brick bed).
The silk pillow felt so soft and comfortable as I lay down on the kang (heated brick bed), it was like falling into a pile of cotton. Meng Anzhi sniffed the air. "Auntie, there's a scent of herbs and plants in the room."
Jin Shanyao pinched her little nose and laughed, "Your little nose is so clever."
Meng Anzhi hugged her arm and giggled. The three of them stayed in the room for a while before going out to see the world.
In the afternoon, the main street of the prefectural city was bustling with people. Meng Anci subconsciously gripped the hem of his robe, which Jin Shanyao, and stood up straight, trying his best to maintain the image of a scholar.
Meng Anzhi's eyes widened in surprise, and she muttered to herself, "There are just too many people. If I opened a clinic here, I'd definitely make a lot of money."
Jin Shanyao, holding the hands of two children, walked with the flow of people. " Qingzhou Prefecture governs eight counties, each with at least twenty villages. It is the largest political hub in the Northeast region."
Whoosh... A gasp of surprise rang out as a shirtless man in the distance was seen breathing fire, drawing cheers from the onlookers who rained down coins at his feet.
In another scene, a little girl balances a porcelain bowl on her head and nimbly moves around on a thin pole.
The two children seemed to have too many eyes to take it all in; they looked at one thing after another, unable to keep up with the sights.
"Tteok... delicious teok."
"Freshly steamed buns... big buns with delicious broth."
"The roasted lamb skewers from the Western Regions smell so good..."
Before the shout had even faded, a faint aroma of medicine had already reached her nose. Jin Shanyao looked up and saw the two-story medical clinic in front of her, which was particularly eye-catching.
The gilded plaque under the eaves gleamed in the sunlight, and people kept coming and going inside the clinic.
Meng Anzhi also noticed the clinic, her eyes sparkling as she said, "Auntie, let's go in and take a look."
"Alright," Jin Shanyao, leading the two children into the clinic.
The clinic was spacious and bright, and the staff wore uniform blue short jackets. Above the counter was a wall of small drawers, each labeled with the name of a different medicine.
A middle-aged man who looked like a shopkeeper sat behind the counter, fiddling with an abacus.
To the right of the clinic was a doctor who treated patients. This clinic was even larger than Qin Baitang's, which greatly impressed Meng Anzhi.
She wants to open a clinic this big in the future, and sit in the doctor's seat to treat patients.