Chapter 644

Chapter 644: Stealing Azure and Reed Ash

The sound of gongs echoed as the group of traveling merchants set down their goods and then erected about ten large tents to protect the items from the rain.

After arranging everything, one of them wearing a black short robe pulled open the fence and shouted, “Market opens!”

The villagers who had been waiting for a long time rushed in, entering each tent to carefully look at what goods were available. Lolan Hill was dragged by Bai Zao into one of the tents.

Inside the tent, wooden racks hung with various sized ornaments made of five-colored silk threads. The styles varied greatly, and the materials included copper, porcelain, wood carvings, shells, jade, and more.

The colorful pendants, earrings, bracelets, and bells jingled melodiously as they collided with each other. The merchant members, listening to the villagers’ instructions, took down each item for them to inspect. Chatter filled the tent.

“Oh, that bracelet is so beautiful, it’s a rare peacock blue jade,” a girl around 16 years old exclaimed.

“The price for this pair of bracelets is 20 silver coins. Would you like to take a closer look?” the merchant smiled.

“It’s so expensive~” the girl waved her hand slightly.

“If it’s you, we could offer a slight discount. After all, we are acquaintances,” the merchant said.

“Really? Then I’ll take another look,” the girl cheered up.

“No problem. Why don’t you try it on? It suits your figure and wrist perfectly,” the merchant removed the bracelets, placing them on the dark brown table and pushed them towards her.

“Mm-hm,” the girl excitedly put on the peacock blue jade bracelet.

Watching the unfamiliar yet familiar scene, Lolan Hill couldn’t help but worry about the girl’s wallet for some reason.

She shook her head slightly, thinking to herself not to be swayed by the shopkeeper’s sweet talk.

“There are no clothes here; we might have to go to the next tent. But if you want to look, the jewelry here is also quite nice,” Bai Zao said beside her.

“Nah, it’s better not to. Once you see something, you get tempted, and I don’t have money to waste,” the young lady was used to being frugal. Her previous life had been ordinary after all.

“Oh, Lanxi really isn’t like most girls; she can resist temptation,” Bai Zao laughed. She didn’t force the young lady but listened to her thoughts. They left the tent together.

After looking around a bit more, they entered the tent selling clothes.

Various colored clothes hung on the racks, including some fabric that could be bought to make clothes at home.

The Ye family lived deep in the mountains, rarely having mulberry trees nearby, and the environment wasn’t suitable for growing cotton. Thus, most of the cloth came from traveling merchants. The local production was limited to a small amount of hemp, used for making coarse clothing.

“Can I try on this dress inside?”

After entering the tent, Bai Zao led the young lady to look around for a while before speaking to the shopkeeper.

“Yes, you mean this water-red dress?” the shopkeeper asked.

“Yes.” Bai Zao nodded. The shopkeeper then carefully took the dress off the rack and placed it on the table, warning not to dirty it.

“I naturally know that,” Bai Zao examined the stitching closely, checking if it was even and neat.

Lolan Hill, however, was curious about the color of the dress. Water red was a deeper shade than pink, more vibrant and tinged with a hint of purple.

She touched the corner of the dress with her finger—it felt soft and smooth, like cotton.

“It seems a bit too dark,” Bai Zao lifted Lolan’s wrist, comparing it with the dress. The pale wrist contrasted sharply with the fabric, giving it a dull appearance.

“How about trying this azure (88abda) silk skirt?” the shopkeeper smoothly introduced, then took down a long silk dress. Its color resembled the blue feathers of autumn birds, light blue like the sky with a touch of vitality.

“This dress would suit Miss very well,” the shopkeeper gently placed the dress on the table. Lolan’s eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to its color.

“This dress would suit Xiao Lanxi very well, but it’s a bit cold-toned,” Bai Zao seemed to have specific thoughts.

“Lanxi is usually too obedient and calm. If she wears this, though it has a transcendent feeling, it makes her seem even further from the world. So I want to choose a red or purple dress for her.”

Ah, there are so many considerations. The young lady widened her eyes, looking at Bai Zao beside her.

Bai Zao held Lolan Hill’s hand and said.

In these few days of companionship, she had grown increasingly fond of this obedient younger sister, though occasionally she also wished for her to be more lively.

As a girl who grew up in the mountain area, Bai Zao did not believe that maintaining a delicate and pitiful appearance was healthy. Like the red flowers blooming in the mountains, vibrant and colorful was what she considered the ideal appearance.

If she encountered a likeable person, even if it was a girl, she should take the initiative instead of waiting idly, leaving only regrets behind.

After hearing Bai Zao’s words, the shopkeeper thought for a moment before speaking.

“We do have some high-quality fabric stored away. I wonder if you two need it.”

Upon hearing the words “stored away” and “high-quality,” Lolan Hill knew that the price would not be cheap. Since she currently had no means of earning money, spending too much on Bai Zao would not be good.

“Let’s look at other options for now.” After all, clothes didn’t necessarily need to be exceptionally good; she could pursue better quality later when she had more resources.

“Let’s see.” Bai Zao immediately became interested, her eyes shining.

Unlike what Lolan Hill imagined, Bai Zao felt as if she held the most beautiful doll in the world. Naturally, she had a strong desire to dress this doll in the best clothes possible to fully indulge herself.

“Hold on.” Lolan Hill pressed down on Bai Zao’s hand, shaking her head helplessly. Whose clothes were they buying?

She couldn’t look; once she looked, it would be hard to refuse. She recalled the losses she had endured in her previous life.

“I’ll buy that one.” She slightly raised her hand, pointing to a graceful gray dress.

When traveling, it was better to keep a low profile, Lolan Hill thought.

Seeing her firm stance, Bai Zao knew further persuasion would be futile, so she nodded in agreement.

“That one, but also wrap up that dark blue gauze skirt.”

“Alright.” The shopkeeper responded cheerfully and then took down the grayish-green dress.

[Reed Ash: Ash from reed membrane. In ancient times, people burned reed membranes to create ash, which was placed in a musical pipe and kept in a sealed room to predict weather changes. When a certain season arrived, the ash in the corresponding pipe would fly out, indicating the arrival of that season.]

It wasn’t as eye-catching as pure white, nor as somber as jet black. Reed ash suited the young lady’s current needs well.

—

After purchasing the two dresses, the two walked out of the tent. At that moment, they heard a commotion coming from another tent nearby, so they curiously went over to investigate.

“I never expected to see the Silver Seedling Village’s knives here. But aren’t these usually under the jurisdiction of the Winter Work Office? Why are they casually circulating?” A group of people discussed.

Seeing that Lolan Hill was confused, Bai Zao briefly explained.

“The dynasty doesn’t manage ordinary weapons like swords and knives. However, extraordinary weapons with charms are overseen by the Winter Work Office.”

“The Silver Seedling Village is a medium-sized faction on the north side of the Thunder Marsh, known for their skill in crafting swords and being fiercely competitive. Some of their disciples become guards, while others open silver and iron shops to make tools for a living.”

“These people can’t stand any loss; although the items they sell are good, the prices are extremely high.”

“Please quiet down. Recently, various regions and counties have been unstable, with bandits appearing frequently. We have obtained special permission from the Winter Work Office to hold and sell a small number of charmed swords and knives for defense against attacks.”

“Please take a look.” The merchant unfolded a yellow book, where green sand wrote the permit and the number of items allowed to be held and sold. Below were several red checkmarks.

‘The world is murky, the hidden snake rises in mist. Special permission granted to the Five Lakes Merchant to personally hold 20 Silver Seedling Village knives and sell 30. Each sale must be registered below with a red note. If there is any negligence leading to the leakage of knives and swords, severe punishment will follow!’

Lolan Hill shifted her gaze from the book to the long knife the merchant was holding.

[Silver Seedling Village Standard Long Knife] (Bronze Grade, Excellent): Made using a secret method with white-forged iron mixed with old silver, jointly supervised by the Silver Seedling Village and the Winter Work Office. It is standard equipment for local soldiers and officers.

The blade of the long knife was not particularly bright, straight, with grooves, and had a slightly dull silver-gray color, as if oxidized. However, during the merchant’s demonstration, the blade easily cut through tough leather and effortlessly sliced through the head of an ordinary iron axe, showing its exceptional sharpness.

“Due to the Winter Work Office’s restrictions, we can only sell three of these to local villagers and cannot exceed this limit.”

After the merchant finished speaking, the villagers below quickly began asking about the prices.

“Starting price is two gold finches per

“The highest bidder gets it.” After saying this, discussions started below.

…

“Although the item is good, the price is not low either.”

“Yes, it would probably empty out the savings of an ordinary household.”

“But these days are getting more and more unstable. Buying one for self-defense or hunting is beneficial.”

“Are the bandits so powerful recently that even the Winter Work Office is starting to release such things?”

“It’s probably to enhance local defense capabilities. Also, they might be preparing some military pay. It’s said that the governor has contacted several major factions nearby to prepare to eliminate the bandits hiding in the Five Lakes.”

“Sister Bai, doesn’t the Winter Work Office worry about these weapons falling into the wrong hands?”

Despite the official notice, Lolan Hill still found this decision hard to understand because, in her past understanding, martial artists often disrupted prohibitions, and the authorities usually confiscated local weapons.

“Perhaps it was strict before, but the situation is different now,” Bai Zao seemed to recall something with a slight sigh.

“After the shocking changes in the world, the strength of the holy dragons and celestial beings in the dynasty fell, and their control weakened. The central plains are still fine, but we in these remote areas are less stable, so this is a necessary measure.”

“In fact, the Winter Work Office hasn’t completely relaxed. Have you seen their requirements?” Bai Zao further explained.

“By ‘good citizens,’ they mean those who have lived in the area for three generations or more and whose families have no bad records. This way, stability can still be maintained.”

Hearing Bai Zao say this, Lolan Hill thought of the collective punishment system in history. In this way, large clans would actively maintain stability, and since they live together daily, it’s difficult for any single person to do something bad.

However, this system also has its drawbacks, but it’s suitable for the current era.

Just as the two were watching the villagers bidding excitedly, Yu Baichou also came over.

“Miss Lan, have you bought your clothes? In two days, we’ll have to leave with this merchant group.”

“Yes, I’ve bought them. Uncle Yu, what did you say you needed to prepare?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve already prepared everything: raincoats, blankets, dry rations, water, and mounts.”

“Mounts?” Lolan Hill felt something was off.

“That’s right, for Miss Lan. We can’t have you trekking through mountains and rivers like us roughnecks.”

“Oh, what kind of mount is it?” The young lady had an uneasy feeling.

“It’s a very gentle donkey. I bought it from a household north of the village,” Yu Baichou said proudly, as if he had done something thoughtful.

“Oh,” Lolan Hill opened her mouth, unsure how to respond.

—

The next evening, the young lady and Bai Zao sat by the fire in the room.

Bai Zao was sewing shoes with needle and thread, while Lolan Hill had various colored threads on her knees and skirt, weaving intricate knots.

In the large red knot, there were several emerald green threads outlining the patterns, making them stand out and unique. With the dexterous movement of her slender fingers, a beautiful tassel gradually took shape.

“Lan Xi, your hands are so skillful. Did you learn this before?” Bai Zao lowered her head slightly, biting off the thread end and tying a knot, completing the pair of shoes.

“I don’t think I specifically learned it, but suddenly remembered it,” Lolan Hill recalled the dreams of the past few days.

She seemed to have lived in a technologically advanced world for over twenty years, and those memories were so clear and vivid that even a TV show she watched during winter break when she was little was still fresh in her mind, as if it were yesterday.

And she relied on the techniques demonstrated in the show to weave the knots and tassels.

“How nice. Don’t rush. You’ll remember sooner or later. Try these shoes. If they don’t fit, I’ll adjust them for you.”

“Thank you, Sister Bai,” Lolan Hill sincerely thanked her. In these few days, Bai Zao had been like a sister, caring for every aspect of her life, which was a new experience for her.

She took the shoes, still warm from the fire, and slipped her delicate feet into them, then tied the laces securely. Standing up, she tried walking around the room.

Watching the graceful figure of the young lady, her smooth hair swaying, and her hazy face illuminated by the firelight, Bai Zao was momentarily lost in thought.

“How nice.”

(End of Chapter)