"That's true," Cai Lihua suddenly felt the man's words made sense.
"I don't know when she'll have a chance to see a doctor in the city. Sometimes she disappears, and sometimes she might be on the roof beams. Sigh... it's really worrying."
Cai Lihua said this and looked around. This time she was certain that Wang Shi was not on the roof beams.
"Right, Ah Jiu, you have household registration. Go into the city and buy some things."
The more Cai Lihua knew, the more she realized that without local household registration, one couldn't get into the city at all. Even if she wanted to accompany her daughter, she wouldn't have the chance.
She took out the handkerchief from her embrace, which was wrapped around several times, and took out some silver fragments to stuff into Ah Jiu's hand.
"Bring back some white rice. Mother wants to cook something delicious for you."
Although the technology here was not advanced, the Niu family had a stone mill. Whether it was for sticky rice cakes, white rice, or fried dough sticks with the available cooking oil, it was all possible.
"Oh, how much should I buy?" Ah Jiu looked at the silver fragments in her palm and tucked them into her embrace.
"Buy about ten jin. Mother doesn't know the price of rice in the city. If it's too expensive, buy a little less, three to five jin would be fine."
As Cai Lihua gave instructions, the sky began to turn pale like a fish's belly.
Ah Jiu responded and got up to leave.
Meng Shaode was worried and escorted his daughter all the way to the county town. He couldn't afford to be investigated, and he couldn't be lucky enough to meet a helper like Xiao Yan every time.
"Daughter, you must be careful. Never be without your ox horn knife. If you encounter refugees, try to avoid them. If you really can't avoid them, you..."
Meng Shaode's nagging stopped here.
He gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, saying, "If you really can't avoid them, use all your strength to chop at that person's neck. At worst, if you kill someone, your father will take the blame for you."
Ah Jiu looked back at the scar on her father's face and saw how gentle it was.
She actually felt as if he was standing behind her like a mountain. She smiled and said, "I remember, Father. Don't worry, your daughter will definitely be able to protect herself."
Who knew that as soon as Ah Jiu left, Meng Shaode craned his neck and watched until his daughter's figure disappeared at the end of the county town. Then, with red eyes, he paced back and forth.
This was a time of chaos. While his wife taught her knowledge, Meng Shaode now wished he could teach his daughter how to fight and shoot arrows.
Only then would he not worry so much that his daughter couldn't defend herself.
Ah Jiu touched the ox horn knife hanging at her waist from time to time. She would remember her father's words.
Willow County was no longer as bustling as it once was.
It wasn't until the sun was high that she reached the south gate of Nanming City.
There were more people coming and going here, but seeing how calm it was, the refugee issue in the city should have been resolved.
Ah Jiu reported her name, and the officials checked and knew.
As soon as she entered the city gate, Ah Jiu went to the yamen first.
There were many more guards at the entrance, but upon closer inspection from behind the stone lions, neither Brother Yun Hao nor Brother Yun Jie were inside.
Ah Jiu felt uneasy. Perhaps it was past noon, and the two brothers had changed shifts.
"Excuse me, officer, I'd like to inquire about Wang Shi. Is she still at the yamen?"
Ah Jiu couldn't come all this way for nothing. She cautiously and politely asked.
"Wang Shi? Who is that? And who are you, girl?"
The leading officer impatiently pushed Ah Jiu down the steps. "Go, go, go. The Prince is staying at the yamen today for an inspection. It's not a place for just anyone to loiter around."
Ah Jiu almost fell. "Brother, brother, I just want to ask about Wang Shi..."
"I don't know. If you don't leave, I'll have you arrested."
As soon as he said this, Ah Jiu saw the man's hand on the hilt of his knife. She flinched and quickly stepped back several paces.
Ah Jiu thought dejectedly. Grandma had told her not to say she was the one who prayed for rain. But if she didn't say it, they wouldn't know who Wang Shi was.