Chapter 2: Don’t Scare Me-Part 1

Li Hehua lowered her head, arranged the letters, and walked in to whisper to Mrs. Wang, “Mother, I need to go to the county town. Today, I’ll first head to the town and stay overnight.”

Mrs. Wang looked at her with a somewhat unpleasant expression and asked with concern, “Hehua, what’s wrong? What can I do for you?”

Li Hehua shook her head and said, “No need, mother. Wait for me at home. If those ruffians start making noise outside the window, you can either ask Aunt Lian to accompany you for the night or go to Mrs. Lin’s place. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

This was how she usually arranged things when leaving the village.

Mrs. Wang nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll call you Aunt Lian then. I’ll wait for you at home.”

Mrs. Wang was not a domineering person by nature. In the past, she listened to what Hehua’s father and grandmother said, and later she listened to Hehua. Except for not believing that Hehua’s father was dead and insisting on waiting for him at the Li family’s village, she basically obeyed Hehua in everything else.

Li Hehua patted Mrs. Wang’s arm, smiled, and then went into the house to pack two sets of clothes, grabbed a kitchen knife, and left home. She traveled quickly and finally arrived in Liuhe Town before dark.

Looking at the large sign in front of her, with the words “Liuhe Inn” written on it, she adjusted the bundle on her back, took a deep breath, and walked in. Liuhe Town only had this one inn. Even if it was dirty and messy, she had to endure it.

As she was about to go to the counter to ask the shopkeeper for a room, she heard a panicked voice say, “Li, Li Hehua, why are you here? I said one wrong thing, and you’ve been chasing after me?”

Li Hehua turned her head and saw it was Li Mazi. She was stunned for a moment, then remembered that she hadn’t seen him in the village since he cursed at her a few days ago. He had apparently fled.

She raised an eyebrow and pretended to reach for her waist.

Li Mazi was immediately frightened and darted behind a table in the corner, stuttering, “I was talking nonsense, please don’t come any closer.” He wished he had kept running.

Li Hehua chuckled at his cowardly appearance, couldn’t be bothered with him anymore, and walked towards the counter. The shopkeeper immediately greeted her with a smile, “Hehua, are you here for business in town or going to the county?”

Li Hehua smiled and said, “I’m going to the county. Uncle Wang, please give me a room. I’m a bit tired.”

Mr. Wang glanced at the ledger and kindly smiled, “Sure, third room on the second floor. Go ahead, Hehua.”

Li Hehua glanced at Li mazi, who had fled the inn as soon as she entered, shook her head with a smile, and went upstairs without paying him any more attention. As long as she was stronger than them, they wouldn’t dare to touch her and her mother. So she absolutely couldn’t afford to be careless about tomorrow’s matters in the county.

The carriage to Wangshan County would depart at five in the morning. She got up early and left the inn, finding a secluded place to change into men’s clothing. In an instant, the delicate and charming girl turned into a handsome young scholar.

Although ancient society demanded “three obediences and four virtues” from women, in times of hardship, no one cared about such principles. Moreover, many men wished their women could help support the family.

After years of war due to the rebellion of King Huai, which swept through half of the territory of Great Qi and lasted for ten years, the population of Great Qi had plummeted sharply. At this time, the border areas were also becoming unstable, with frequent raids and looting.

In order to stabilize the border, the emperor conscripted soldiers nationwide, even reportedly not sparing sixty-year-old men in areas with a shortage of troops. With men going off to war, who would farm the fields? Without food, both soldiers and horses couldn’t survive. Therefore, the court tacitly allows women to step forward and take on some responsibilities.

In Liangzhou, far from the court, nobody cared even more. This relieved Hehua, and besides, as a peasant girl responsible for supporting her family, she wasn’t a wealthy daughter confined to the inner chambers, so no one would demand such high standards of her.

But just in case, as soon as she left the familiar Liuhe Town, she transformed into Master Li He.

Thus, she had taken the carriage many times, and the old coachman had already recognized her. He called out from afar, “Master Li, are you going to buy books again?”

Li Hehua smiled and exchanged greetings with him. Once everyone was ready, the carriage creaked and headed towards the county town. Although the fare for the carriage was a bit expensive, it was much faster than walking, and they reached their destination after most of the day had passed.

Looking at the towering city gate, she slowly entered and first filled her stomach before heading to the Ink Fragrance Academy, where her pamphlets were published and sold.

The shopkeeper of the Moxiang Academy, Mr. Lin, was busy reading something, but the servant who was welcoming guests noticed her and hurriedly came forward, smiling, “Master Li, you’re here? What do you need this time?”

Li Hehua smiled and nodded.

Mr. Lin only raised his head when he heard the words, left the counter, and waved to the servant, saying, “You go busy yourself. I’ll personally attend to Master Li. Master Li, you’ve been traveling for quite some time. Are you tired? Why don’t you rest inside first?”

Another servant smartly stepped forward to open the door to the private room, thinking to himself: Although this Master Li buys things often, he doesn’t spend much money. I wonder how he became the esteemed guest of the shopkeeper? Oh well, it’s not something a mere helper like me should consider. But it’s really lucky for Master Li to receive such attention from the shopkeeper.