Chapter 126: Chapter 126 Various Guesses_1 Chapter 126: Chapter 126 Various Guesses_1 Upon entering the store, Lin Yue saw that all kinds of seeds were available: eggplant, celery, cucumber, pumpkin, winter melon, sweet potato, potato, and other commonly seen vegetable seeds, almost a complete assortment. Lin Yue hadn’t anticipated that the variety of species would be so rich during this period. She had even thought that if she couldn’t find the seeds, she might have to ask someone to buy them from the traders of barbaric countries. It turned out she was overthinking it. However, considering the Great Zhou Dynasty had lifted the maritime ban many years ago and trade with neighboring countries was frequent, it no longer seemed surprising.
However, when Lin Yue inquired about the prices of the seeds, she found them quite expensive indeed. No wonder only the large households with their own estates could afford to grow them. She bought a modest quantity of each type of seed and spent three taels of silver. The common peasant families couldn’t afford them; they relied on the heavens for their food. With such a high cost for seeds, whether they could recoup the investment was uncertain, and nobody was willing to take that risk.
After leaving the Seed Store, Lin Yue made a trip to the bookstore. She had intended to buy a few books to take back for the children, but dear lord, they were expensive as well. The Great Zhou Dynasty really was a pleasant place to live for the wealthy. Items with even a slight technical content were pricey. In the end, Lin Yue could only spend half a tael of silver on a basic primer, the “Thousand Character Classic.” As for other books and writing materials, she would have to wait until she had earned more money.
Lin Yue had no choice; of course, she could recite the “Thousand Character Classic,” but the script of the Great Zhou Dynasty was different from what she had learned before. It was somewhat like the traditional characters she was familiar with, yet not exactly the same. It was only during a previous teaching session with the children that Dalang and Erhu pointed out that the characters Lin Yue taught were different from what they had learned before. Only then did Lin Yue realize the difference and decided to buy the books from a bookstore.
The Zhao Family village was only so big, and something as noticeable as an ox cart couldn’t be concealed even if she wanted to. Besides, since she would need to frequently take it to the city to sell goods, Lin Yue could only resign herself to a high-profile return. It didn’t take long after she got back for the news that she had bought an ox cart to spread throughout the entire village.
The villagers’ reactions to this news varied, with envy and gossip prevailing. Especially now with Zhao Erhu still unconscious in bed, the speculations about Lin Yue increased. Some thought that Lin Yue had found some treasure and sold it to afford the ox cart. Others suspected Lin Yue was unchaste and had done something to betray Zhao Erhu; otherwise, where would the Zhao Family get the money? Various kinds of rumors spread throughout the village, mostly with malicious conjecture. Only a few families who were on good terms with Lin Yue, knowing that she had worked from dawn till dusk, hard laboring to make and sell food, thus saving enough money to buy the ox cart, truly admired and respected her.
Due to Lin Yue’s purchase of the ox cart, which caused quite a stir, some developed ill intentions. For instance, the elder members of the Zhao Family and the aunt had their eyes on Zhao Erhu’s inheritance, thinking that if Lin Yue indeed committed a wrong against Zhao Erhu, they would have a reason to drive her out of the house. With only a few children left in Zhao Erhu’s house, they would be easy to manipulate, and the inheritance would fall into their hands. After all, Zhao Jingen was Zhao Erhu’s father, and it was only natural for a father to intervene in his son’s affairs; nobody could say anything against it.
Furthermore, the notorious rascal of the village, Zhao Er Gou, not only coveted Zhao Erhu’s property but also had designs on Lin Yue’s beauty. He figured if he could manage to take Zhao Erhu’s wife, the Zhao Family’s assets would sooner or later fall into his hands. The thought of obtaining both the beauty and the wealth delighted him, and a sinister, vulgar smile spread across his ordinary, pockmarked face.