Ch 15: My Multiverse Supermarket

“Chang Qiniang?” When Xian Sanniang saw Zhao Changyan appear at her door, she was surprised. “Are you looking for Dalang?”

“No, I’m here for you,” Zhao Changyan said.

Xian Sanniang invited her into the hut.

Zhao Changyan handed over The Illustrated Guide to the World’s Precious Woods.

“This is…”

“A book that teaches people how to recognize valuable wood species. I asked the divine lady for it.”

In truth, it had cost her ninety yuan.

But since she had requested it from the divine lady, it could still be said she had “obtained it through prayer.”

Zhao Changyan said, “The divine lady accepts valuable woods such as nanmu, rosewood, and huanghuali. If one can find even a single tree of such kinds, they would have enough wealth to live comfortably for years.”

Xian Sanniang’s hands trembled slightly. The book suddenly seemed even more precious in her eyes.

“Why… why would you give me such an important book?” she asked. She and Zhao Changyan were not particularly close.

Zhao Changyan said, “Because I already recognize most of the valuable woods. This book is of little use to me.”

Xian Sanniang didn’t refuse it. She said, “Thank you. We’ll remember your kindness. If you ever need help, just ask.”

Zhao Changyan said, “I’ll be heading south soon, to Prince Xing’s Palace. If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

With that, she left.

Xian Sanniang watched Zhao Changyan’s back as she departed, deep in thought.

When Dou Dalang returned, Xian Sanniang told him what had happened and said, “When you head to Yizhang County, escort her part of the way. Even if she claims the book is of no use to her, the gesture is real. We should respond with gratitude.”

“Alright,” Dou Dalang said. He understood perfectly—Zhao Changyan wanted them to owe her a favor. But as Xian Sanniang said, the book was truly valuable, and returning it wasn’t an option.

Dou Dalang drew a map, marking which paths were safe and which places to be wary of.

Then he went to invite Zhao Changyan to travel with them.

“I heard from Sanniang that you’re heading to Prince Xing’s Palace. Why not come with us for a while? It’ll be safer together.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

“Here’s the route we took on our way here. If we get separated, you’ll know which way to go. Along the way, I’ll tell you about Great Yue’s customs—and how to deal with its officials.”

Thus, Zhao Changyan’s real goal in giving away the book was achieved.

*

The three major distributors’ trading journeys took away nearly one-third of the refugees.

On the Yue side, Dou Dalang took over twenty laborers and four ox carts.

On the Chu side, because Linwu County was farther away, Chen Wulang took more than thirty people, three ox carts, and three donkey carts.

Four Yue refugees and seven Chu refugees were also hired by Qiao Sinang, with Qiao Erlang accompanying her.

Yin Jiao, Qiao Wulang, and Qiao Jiuniang stayed behind to guard the remaining goods.

At the mountain’s foot, the refugees followed a stream through the ravine and built a two-meter-wide road.

Though it required a detour to reach the main road, it was still far easier than climbing over mountains.

Before leaving, Dou Dalang met with Old Chen.

He said, “We’re taking a lot of goods this time, which will make us targets. Most of our strong men are leaving, and only the old, weak, and women are staying behind. We’ll have to work together—send patrols along the road. If enemies come, retreat behind the gates and defend the village.”

Though they often clashed, Old Chen remained clear-headed at such times.

“When you’re gone,” he asked, “who will take charge?”

“I will,” said Xian Sanniang.

Old Chen looked at her, then at Dou Dalang. Seeing no objection, he nodded.

Once the weather cleared, the merchants departed.

Qiao Sinang had no ox carts or donkey carts, but she had bought many folding carts from the supermarket.

She fixed large planks of wood atop the carts to expand storage space.

On rough terrain, they carried the goods by hand; on smooth roads, they tied the carts together and pulled them forward.

Qiao Sinang also placed the grain and oil—items that were most likely to be looted—on the inside, while stacking pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and corn on the outside.

She had once asked Zhou Li about those things: “This looks like a cold-season melon, that one’s like cassava but isn’t—what are they?”

Zhou Li only told her the names and ways to cook them, without bragging about yields. Without modern agricultural methods, such talk would have been meaningless.

Hearing they were edible, Qiao Sinang bought some to try. Later she realized most people didn’t know these crops or that they could be eaten.

So if robbers appeared, these items might go unnoticed.

She bought more of them and loaded them onto her carts.

After over two hours of walking, they finally reached the main road.

Qiao Sinang was heading north, while Dou Dalang and Chen Wulang were heading south, so they parted ways.

Before leaving, Qiao Sinang said to Zhao Changyan, “You’re going your own way now. I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again. Take this money—you’ll need it someday.”

The money came from Qiao Sinang’s trade with merchants of Great Yue.

Zhao Changyan accepted it without hesitation, then glanced at the sickle hanging from Qiao Sinang’s belt.

She said, “When you’re traveling, keep your blade close. Don’t count on anyone else—no one but yourself is reliable. And don’t fear blood. Anyone who tries to harm you is better off dead than alive.”

Qiao Sinang froze, then silently drew the sickle and gripped it firmly.

“I understand.”

Dou Dalang called for Zhao Changyan to move.

She grabbed the handle of her small cart, loaded with all her belongings, and climbed onto the Yue people’s ox cart as it rolled away.

*

Though there were fewer refugees left in the mountains, the place remained lively.

Xian Sanniang gathered the Yue people and taught them to recognize trees, so that when they found similar ones in the mountains, they could cut them down and bring them back.

The Yue people murmured among themselves:

“So this is nanmu! I’ve heard only the emperor can use it—so that’s what it looks like!”

“No, the emperor uses gold-thread nanmu. It shines when the sun hits it.”

“Why would the divine lady collect this kind of wood?”

“Fool! Such expensive wood is fit for an emperor—surely the divine lady is even more exalted than him!”

“Sanniang, how much is a tree like this worth?”

Xian Sanniang wasn’t sure, but she remembered hearing that a hundred-year-old tree could fetch several hundred strings of cash.

Everyone gasped. “That much!?”

They suddenly realized how many fortunes they’d missed in their lives.

From that day on, whenever they passed a tree, they would look up and examine it carefully, wondering if it might be a valuable species.

The news soon reached the Chu people.

Old Chen went to confirm it with Xian Sanniang, but she was evasive.

When the Chu realized the Yue wouldn’t share how to identify valuable wood, they began tailing them. Whenever a Yue person showed interest in a tree, the Chu would quietly note its characteristics.

And so, during this “Everyone Find a Tree” craze, a few genuinely valuable trees were indeed discovered.

[Author’s Note]

Event: Everyone Find a Tree.
Initiator: Zhou Li.
Zhou Li: “???”

☢️☢️☢️