The two of them rode directly out of the manor through the south gate, with Tong Xiangbei and Cheng Mo riding side by side. Seeing quite a number of semi-subterranean grass sheds in the fields, she inquired about the produce.
"I don't understand what you mean by greenhouses, but those you're pointing at are dwellings for the tenant farmers on these fields."
Tong Xiangbei remained silent, gazing at the scattered turf sheds in the fields, pondering whether the relay road could bring some changes for them or, in other words, for the farmers of this era.
Arriving at a long pavilion, ten miles from the city, the land was flat and spacious. To the east, it faced the river, and to the west, a large area of slopes with terraced fields near the foot of the mountain. Nearby, the land was covered with purple cloudweed.
Cheng Mo dismounted and pointed at the rocky beach with a touch of regret, "This is nearly thirty acres of land. Despite being so close to the river, it can't retain water. The ground is filled with rocks of various sizes tumbling down from the mountains. Even this long pavilion, originally meant for lively send-offs and welcomes, feels ominous due to this desolate scenery. No one lingers, and people would rather travel a few more miles to the thatched sheds of the farmers to drink and bid farewell."
"Slow down. Did you say there's a grass shed three miles away for a rest? Let's go there."
Shortly after riding for less than a quarter of an hour, they spotted a roughly constructed thatched shed up ahead. With bamboo curtains half-drawn, the pavilion featured stone tables and stools, and a rough brown earthenware jar containing some unidentified mountain flowers.
A hunched elderly man tended to three or five charcoal stoves, adding water to boil tea. Next to him was a young man, around twenty, of medium height, wearing a clean and neat indigo cloth shirt.
As travelers bid each other farewell, the young man swiftly scooped out a bunch of wildflowers from the earthenware jar, handed them to another young man, and whispered something before turning away gently, saying, "The road is long, and the fragrance of mountain flowers can relieve weariness." The young man suddenly felt a sense of spiritual elevation, stopped the departing woman, handed her the mountain flowers, and as the carriage set in motion, he caught a glimpse of a bright smiling face amid the hanging blossoms.
"Talent, Cheng Mo. I want him."
"What? What nonsense are you talking about? How can you just claim him? You haven't even met him."
"No, I mean, I want him to be the manager of our first city relay inn. Let's quickly go over and ask."
"Cheng Tian." Cheng Mo slightly raised his chin, and Cheng Tian dismounted and approached, sitting on a wooden stake outside the shed. The young man and the old man stood up, nervously and humbly answering Cheng Tian's questions.
"Your Grace, the old man's surname is Yu, and people around here call him Luo Guo. He's from a wandering family. The elderly couple only had a son, named Leizi, when they were over fifty.
During the last big storm, the small boat they relied on for survival was completely destroyed. They had no choice but to come ashore and set up this tea and water shed to make a living," Cheng Tian quickly reported the information he had just gathered.
Xiangbei approached Leizi, "Hello, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course, noble sir, feel free to ask, and I will answer truthfully."
"How do you usually get your clothes so neatly washed and ironed?"
"Oh, about that. It's like this. Usually, my father and I come here to make a living by selling tea and water. My mother cooks rice for the boat guests, and instead of pouring away the water used to wash the rice, she keeps it to wash clothes. Surprisingly, it's more effective and leaves the clothes crisp and neat. So, I always ask my mother to save rice washing water for laundry."
"Alright. And the wildflowers on the stone platform, did your mother bring them for you?"
"Oh, that one. Hehe, after the storm at the beginning of the year, when our boat was gone, my whole family received kindness from the lord of the King's Mansion. He allowed us to come ashore and set up a temporary shelter on this stone beach. Every day, I wake up and see these mountain flowers on this land, and it makes me happy. I thought it would be great if everyone passing by could be as happy as me every day. So, I've been picking a bunch of flowers on my way here."
"That's wonderful. If this tea and water shed can't continue, do you have any plans?"