latelenovela Chapter 140 Xieqiao Town, There Really is a Divine Tortoise
Chapter 140 Xieqiao Town, There Really is a Divine Tortoise
Xieqiao Town!
On the city wall, three large gilded characters gleamed in the sunlight, showcasing the town's unique character!
After admiring the large characters, Wenwen turned to look around.
Outside the city gate of Xieqiao Town, the two sides are clearly defined, one on the left and one on the right.
At this time, the prisoners were in an open space to the left of the city gate. This open space was bare, with no trees to provide shade, and the ground was covered with pebbles.
But for prisoners, it doesn't matter what kind of ground it is, being able to sit down and rest is happiness.
Besides, in this kind of weather, basking in the sun on a cold day is a happy thing.
From the moment they started walking down the mountain along the official road, the prisoners had already accepted the fact that winter had arrived here.
The people on the road were all wearing thick cotton-padded coats and fur coats, and the soldiers at the city gate were also wearing the uniform winter clothes that had been issued to them.
In contrast, the prisoners, when a gust of wind blew, grimaced and shivered, hugging their arms.
The Wen family was alright; they wore several layers under their prison clothes, which helped them ward off some of the cold.
To the right of the city gate, there is a special checkpoint for entering the town.
It was guarded by a garrison of soldiers.
At this moment, a long queue had formed at the checkpoint, including ordinary villagers, wealthy people in horse-drawn carriages, peddlers, and scholars.
Regardless of their identity, everyone entering the town needs to be checked.
The inspection team was moving forward slowly.
At the back of the line, a few people dressed as scholars seemed to be having a heated discussion.
When he got excited, he even gesticulated wildly.
Wenwen was turning around to look at her surroundings when she happened to see this scene.
She couldn't help but think, since she was bored anyway, she might as well listen to what they were talking about.
"Brother Xu, is this the Xieqiao Town you mentioned, the town guarded by the divine tortoise?"
"This...wasn't this called Shengui Town before? When was it renamed?"
"That's right, it used to be called Shengui Town, and it wasn't that long ago that it was changed."
"Oh, tell us about it, and give us a little lesson."
"Hey, it's because of the heavy rain a while ago that the stone turtle statue loosened and was washed downstream. Luckily, a small bridge stopped it. In gratitude for that small bridge, the town was renamed Xieqiao Town."
"This...that's the reason?"
"Yes, that's the reason stated in the official announcement."
“I must write this down, so that I can add it in if the teacher asks about the history of this town.”
“Brother Li is right, I will write that down.”
Wenwen: ......
A little speechless.
The reason for renaming a town is so casual; no wonder the three large gilded characters on the city wall are so new and dazzling.
clang!clang!clang!
"All prisoners, come forward and line up to enter the town!"
The familiar sound of the gong instantly brought everyone back to their senses.
Upon hearing the yamen runners' shouts, the prisoners quickly stood up and lined up to enter the town.
Lord Zhu's carriage was at the very front, and the Wen family members were still ahead of all the prisoners.
It was already late at night, and the streets of the city were packed with people.
The yamen runners clearing the way shouted, "Make way, make way!"
When people on the street saw a large number of prisoners passing by, they all stepped aside to the side of the road, making way for the middle of the road.
Seeing the large number of prisoners passing through, the onlookers were bound to have their own discussions.
"So many people have been exiled to the northern deserts, just like the notice said!"
"Hey, look at that one, isn't that the thief we had a warrant for before?"
"Which one? Are you sure?"
"Unsure, but it looks like it."
Being pointed at and watched by others is a situation the Wen family has become accustomed to.
The routes taken by the large number of prisoners entering the town were all predetermined.
After parading through several bustling streets, the constables led the group into a slightly quieter street.
It's only slightly deserted compared to the bustling streets it used to be.
The street is lined with pharmacies and clinics, and you can tell by the smell of medicine wafting from them.
Just as the Wen family passed the third shop, a shop assistant who was watching suddenly shouted to Ye Jingchuan at the front of the line, "Doctor Ye, what's wrong with you?"
These words were a wake-up call; Ye Jingchuan was still in the group.
Lord Zhu then remembered and hurriedly ordered Yang, the constable, to negotiate.
"Doctor Ye, you can, you can leave first."
Ye Jingchuan had his own ideas; he didn't want all his efforts to be in vain. "It's alright, I can go with you to the post station and then return."
He also greeted the pharmacy clerk, saying, "Li Zi, I'll be back at the shop in a bit."
After Ye Jingchuan finished speaking, he suddenly turned his gaze to one spot and nodded slightly.
His subtle actions were unintentionally caught by Wenwen.
Wenwen followed her uncle's gaze.
Several people in the crowd looked in their direction, and an elderly couple among them were saying something.
Wenwen can read lips. She looked closely and analyzed the words "Jingyi".
Oh, could these be my second aunt's parents, my second brother's maternal grandparents?
My memories of my maternal grandfather and grandmother.
Wenwen hurriedly reminded her second brother beside her, "Second brother, look to the right!"
Wen Chengbin trusted Wenwen completely. When she told him to look to the right, he looked to the right, his eyes searching through the crowd.
"Little sister, what are you looking at?"
Wenwen couldn't detect anything unusual from his expression.
However, Wenwen noticed that the two elderly people's eyes lit up when they saw Wen Chengbin.
When they saw their second aunt in the group, tears instantly streamed down their faces, especially the old lady, who was sobbing uncontrollably.
The procession continued forward, quickly passing all the shops on the street before turning at the end of the street.
After turning the corner, a spacious open space comes into view.
Not far in front of the open space is the location of the post station of Xieqiao Town.
The yamen runners led everyone straight into the backyard of the post station.
"Wait here."
After a while, the constable returned and announced, "Listen up, everyone. We'll stay here tonight and depart promptly at the beginning of Yin hour tomorrow morning. There will be a curfew in Xieqiao Town at Hai hour. If you need to buy anything, hurry up and do so."
"Also, lodging here at the post station costs 10 taels of silver per room, 1 tael of silver per bed in a shared dormitory, 10 copper coins per person for the woodshed, and the cowshed and stable are free. Limited availability, first come, first served."
Lord Zhu's prediction was correct; there were too many wealthy people among those exiled.
Those with money who wanted to stay at the inn crowded around the yamen runners to register and pay.
Soon, the inn was fully booked, with demand exceeding supply.
Left with no other choice, the constables could only recommend the Penglai Inn, an inn across from the post station, to families who still wanted to stay.
"A room at the inn across the street costs 50 taels, and a larger room costs 100 taels."
The inns outside were more expensive, but they were also the most lucrative way for the yamen runners to earn extra money.
The Wen family never intended to compete with others for rooms at the inn. They had already discussed it and decided to stay at inns whenever possible. It wasn't like they were short of money, so there was no need to make their own family members suffer.
Therefore, the Wen family must be staying at an inn outside this time.
After the constables had finished negotiating with the innkeeper and confirmed the location of the Wen family's room, Ye Jingchuan spoke up, saying, "Cheng Jian, you brothers help me push the cart to the clinic."