TFWYH – Chapter 339 Grain Price Increase

Ling Yu lowered his head obediently. “Your son didn’t!”

“Still saying you didn’t?” Jiang-shi snapped angrily. “I’m not blind. These past few days you’ve been ignoring Wan-niang. Where did she offend you? Why are you always picking on her?”

Ling Yu: …

Seeing his reaction only made Jiang-shi angrier, and she started bringing up old matters again. “Do you not like Wan-niang?”

“Your son does!”

“Then have you consummated the marriage with Wan-niang?”

“…”

“You haven’t, have you? Come here right now!”

…

Tang Wan was really troubled!

Her husband had told her to stockpile five thousand jin of grain, but she had already bought more than two thousand jin. Buying more all at once might draw unnecessary attention!

So Tang Wan could only buy a little from each shop, so as not to arouse suspicion.

After paying, she had the shop assistants deliver everything directly to the estate.

In the end, she thought about it and went to look for Gesang again.

But Gesang wasn’t home, so Tang Wan went to the cattle and horse market.

It had been some time since she last saw Yang San. He had gotten a bit darker, but his spirits were still good. What happened with Ling Xiaofang hadn’t affected him at all.

Yang San was very happy to see Tang Wan. “Third Sister, what are you buying this time?”

Tang Wan said, “I want to buy more live cattle to raise at the estate, but there’s no one at Gesang’s house.”

“Gesang’s in Old Village. Come, I’ll take you there,” Yang San said as he began packing up his stall, locking the cattle and horses he had brought out into the pens.

Tang Wan felt a little embarrassed. “How about I come back later? You can keep doing business first.”

“It’s fine!” Yang San said with an honest grin. “If I take you there, I can earn a broker’s fee too. Thanks to you these past days, I’ve made quite a lot!”

Hearing this, Tang Wan finally felt at ease. “Sorry to trouble you!”

“Why be so polite with me, Third Sister? Your business is my business!” Yang San finished packing up, hitched his ox cart, and took Tang Wan out of the city.

On the way, he said to her, “Third Sister, things haven’t been very peaceful lately. You’d better stockpile more grain.”

“Huh?” Tang Wan was puzzled and looked at him in surprise.

Yang San glanced around and lowered his voice. “I heard it from Gesang. He said Wutong Town is having a locust plague. Wutong Town isn’t far from Xiangxi Town. I’m worried those pests might fly over here.”

Tang Wan’s eyes flickered. “Really?”

“Of course. Gesang said it himself. Besides, haven’t grain prices gone up? Most of the grain in Xiangxi Town is transported from Lin’an Town, passing through Wutong Town. With a locust plague there, transport becomes difficult, so prices went up. Hey, Third Sister, just listen and keep it to yourself—don’t go spreading it.”

“Mm, I know,” Tang Wan thought to herself. No wonder her beautiful husband told her to stockpile grain.

Her husband worked at the yamen—he must have known about this long ago.

They chatted as they went, and soon arrived at their destination.

Old Village was a very poor village, even poorer than Huanshan Village. Most of the people living here were elderly folk with no children and no family, which was why it was called Old Village.

Gesang’s mother was from the northern frontier, and his father was from Old Village. In order to improve the living conditions of the elderly in the village, he had taken up smuggling beef.

Because of this, almost every household in the village kept cattle.

Yang San was quite familiar with the elders of the village—clearly he came often. As soon as they entered, many old people greeted him.

Yang San cheerfully responded and asked where Gesang was.

The elders said he had gone to the cowshed.

So Yang San drove the cart and took Tang Wan to the cowshed.