"Relax," Song Qingchao said, holding the reins as she soothed the nervous Lin Tingwan.
Lin Tingwan, sniffling, clutched Song Qingchao and asked with a tremor, "Where are we going?"
"Guangji Temple."
"What!" Lin Tingwan shouted, but her voice quickly weakened. "Is it too late to regret it now?"
Song Qingchao pondered for a moment. "It is."
She leaned into Lin Tingwan's ear. "You said it yourself, can I possibly let you go?"
Lin Tingwan immediately fell silent.
Song Qingchao smirked, curious as to why Lin Tingwan had suddenly changed her mind.
Before long, the temple roofs came into view.
"My lady," Lin Tingwan said weakly, "I need to go home. My equipment is all at home."
Song Qingchao replied with an "Oh," adding, "I'll get it for you."
Lin Tingwan panicked. "That's really not necessary."
"Hmm?"
Lin Tingwan deflated instantly. "What I mean is, I have to go get those things myself."
"Can't you?" Song Qingchao asked, frowning.
"No!" Lin Tingwan's voice rose again, and then she quietly explained to Song Qingchao.
Song Qingchao didn't understand what she was talking about.
But she knew the girl was likely trying to fool her. Her sudden change in attitude upon hearing the destination was Guangji Temple, and her refusal of her help. If she didn't suspect something, she'd be a complete fool. With such intelligence, she wouldn't have been able to rebel; she'd likely have been killed the moment she showed any ambition.
However, Song Qingchao eventually agreed. Her interest wasn't in Lin Tingwan's equipment, but in her family's resources. She was short on money, desperately so. Without substantial financial backing, rebellion was just empty talk. Xiyun Pavilion's income could only cover logistical supplies, but it was far from enough to support a strong army. Not to mention equipment and weapons, the most crucial thing was feeding the soldiers. If they couldn't even eat their fill, everything else was pointless. The seeds Xiaoguo provided needed testing and cultivation, and survival in winter was still a question. Without sufficient grain supplies, the army's provisions would all have to be purchased. Money, she was severely lacking.
Song Qingchao turned the horse around and headed for the county town.
Feeling Lin Tingwan's muscles relax, Song Qingchao curved her lips. "What kind of business does your family run?"
Lin Tingwan blurted out "supermarket," but then, realizing the native Song Qingchao wouldn't understand, she explained, "A general store that deals in everything."
Song Qingchao nodded in understanding. Anything that dealt in everything made things easier. She was now somewhat eager to meet Master Lin.
The streets were empty, and Song Qingchao didn't slow her pace at all, the horse kicking up waves of dust as it galloped. Suddenly, a dark silhouette appeared on the road, startling her into pulling sharply on the reins. The horse, reacting to her sudden movement, reared onto its hind legs.
After the horse stopped, she finally saw that the dark mass in front of her was a person. The man, also startled by the horse, scrambled away. Lin Tingwan in front of her, meanwhile, patted her chest and whispered, "That was scary."
As Song Qingchao calmed the horse, preparing to move on, she saw the person being kicked out again. The horse shied away, and Song Qingchao, out of curiosity, looked over. "What's going on?"
Inside, she saw a throng of people, all holding banknotes and cloth bags, arguing loudly.
"They're snatching up grain," Lin Tingwan's voice suddenly became steady. "When the epidemic started, grain and oil shops and pharmacies were the first to be targeted. Some small shops couldn't hold on and couldn't escape the Chang family's acquisitions."
Song Qingchao realized the seriousness of the situation. "So, people without grain at home would buy it at a high price on the Chang family's distribution days?"
"Yes, but not only that," Lin Tingwan pointed to the man who had been kicked out twice. "For people like this who can't get through, being thrown out is common."
"No queue?"
Lin Tingwan chuckled and lowered her head. "First come, first served, limited supply, and it gets more expensive every day."
"Are there no other merchants selling grain?"
"No one dares to sell. After all, who knows how long this epidemic will last?" Lin Tingwan's voice grew lower. "They'd rather let it rot than take it out."
Song Qingchao also fell into thought. Looking at the surging crowd, she understood. Anyone with a bit of savings wouldn't go to the temple. After all, temples were crowded and chaotic; those who weren't sick might catch the disease. Since they had to endure it somewhere, they might as well endure it at home. While this approach was understandable, Song Qingchao couldn't stand the Chang family's methods. She had initially thought it was just the monopoly of medicinal herbs, but she hadn't expected them to control the grain as well. The lesson of stuffing them into pigpens clearly wasn't enough. However, for now, sending Lin Tingwan back to Guangji Temple was the priority. After she dropped the girl off, she'd go to the Chang family to "properly" express her regards. They were living far too comfortably.
Song Qingchao lightly patted the horse's flank and then galloped towards the Lin residence. Lin Tingwan was no longer as tense. She was the one who spoke to Song Qingchao, saying, "In Feng County, only my family can contend with the Chang family, but my father, to ensure the supply to Guangji Temple, has had to cut off the civilian side."
"So that's how it is." Song Qingchao hadn't expected that Guangji Temple was being supported by the Lin family all along. "Now that we can't get in or out, even with plenty of money, the grain we can exchange is limited. What's left at home is only enough to prioritize Guangji Temple."
Song Qingchao nodded in understanding. "Master Lin is kind-hearted." Lin Tingwan didn't say anything.
They arrived at the Lin residence in silence. However, Lin Tingwan didn't ask to be taken to the main gate, merely indicating for her to stop the horse at an inconspicuous back door. Song Qingchao couldn't help but smile. "How can the dignified eldest daughter of the Lin family use the back door?"
Lin Tingwan, having dismounted, walked with a slight sway but showed no shame. "As long as it's a door, people can walk through it."
"Miss Lin, did you perhaps sneak out?"
Lin Tingwan immediately raised a finger in front of her veil and whispered, glaring at Song Qingchao, "Keep your voice down!" She crept to the door like a thief and said, "See you in an hour."
Song Qingchao nodded on her horse. Her silence didn't mean agreement. After Lin Tingwan entered, she leisurely rode to the main gate of the Lin residence. Then, with a swing of her long leg, she dismounted. Leading the horse, she tidied her clothes and then walked towards the Lin residence. They were to meet in an hour. But where they would meet was yet to be determined.