Chapter 138: Entering the City
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“We will, eventually,” Jiang Chuan said solemnly in the dark.
“Yes, we definitely will.”
“Absolutely, Xiao Gu, don’t worry.”
With Jiang Chuan’s assurance, Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan comforted Jiang Gu.
Feeling the warmth of her family once again, Xiao Jiang Gu turned and snuggled into his sister’s arms.
“Alright, time to sleep. We need to rest up and think about what to do tomorrow.”
Seeing this, Jiang Chuan rose and extinguished the kerosene lamp.
As darkness descended, Jiang Xia’s mind became clearer.
Jiang Gu, and that elder sister whom she had never met before, who she didn’t know if she was dead or alive. All of this left her mind in a turmoil.
What should they do tomorrow? And in the future? How can they find their sister? What about Jiang Gu’s schooling? If they earn money, will they have to go back? Has the problem in the village been resolved? And… how is that person doing?
With such chaotic thoughts, Jiang Xia drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Zhou Juan’s father knocked on the door of the Jiang family.
They immediately got up, packed their belongings, and prepared to go to the city with Zhou Juan’s father.
The journey from the town to the county town took at least half a day, but luckily Zhou Juan’s father had arranged a donkey cart in advance. Thus, they reached the city with a leisurely journey.
In the afternoon, the city was still bustling with traffic. People were coming and going on bicycles, wearing clothes that symbolized the era.
“I’ll leave you here, the rest is up to you. If it gets too difficult, you can send me a message in the family area of the sugar factory,” Zhou Juan’s father said to the Jiang family, standing on the road.
“Thank you, big brother Zhou!”
After expressing his gratitude, Jiang Chuan said goodbye to Zhou Juan’s father.
Jiang Chuan, Jiang Xia, and Zhou Lan weren’t surprised by the sight of the city. On the contrary, it was Jiang Gu who was amazed by the rows of brick houses, exclaiming, “Sister, these houses are so grand! There’s nothing like this in the village!”
“And what’s this, sister?” Jiang Gu asked Jiang Xia, pointing curiously at a glass window.
“That’s a glass window.”
“Glass! It looks so beautiful!”
Jiang Gu’s astonishment stirred feelings of tenderness in both Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan.
“Don’t worry, Gu. One day, your father will ensure you live in a house like this,” Jiang Chuan said softly, patting Jiang Gu’s shoulder.
“Really?” Jiang Gu blinked up at Jiang Chuan, her eyes filled with anticipation. “Of course. Just believe in your father. And your sister, too!” Zhou Lan confidently reassured Xiao Gu, while roping her elder daughter into the conversation.
Jiang Xia rolled her eyes. Her mother’s undying love for her was simply too much sometimes.
“We should focus on what’s important now,” Jiang Xia quickly redirected her mother’s attention back to the task at hand.
Reminded by Jiang Xia, Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan snapped out of their daydreaming.
Then, their family began to search for prospective buyers on the bustling street.
However, it was not easy to find such a person. Not to mention that it was illegal to buy and sell privately, even if they dared to take this risk, how could they guarantee that they would not be reported and arrested in this unfamiliar place?
Just like that, the family carefully observed the pedestrians on the road until the sun was about to set, but they still did not sell a single wild vegetable.
“Sigh, I didn’t expect to not sell a single wild vegetable.” Zhou Lan looked at the wild vegetables in her basket and felt a little discouraged.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Gu lightly patted Zhou Lan as a form of comfort. Meanwhile, Jiang Xia stared at the sunset, lost in thought.
Although she had a tent in her interspace, they were in the county town where they were unfamiliar with the area and where the locals were nosy. If they were not careful and someone saw them, they might end up in trouble.
The family, following Jiang Chuan’s lead, headed towards a hotel in the city.
It was just getting dark when the family finally found a hotel that didn’t look too expensive.
“We’d like a room, please,” they requested.
“Do you have a reference letter?” a short, plump woman at the front desk asked while cracking sunflower seeds.
Luckily, with their prior travel experience, Jiang Chuan had already prepared a reference letter from the village chief before their journey.
Jiang Chuan handed over the prepared letter to the woman. She gave it a quick glance, stood up, brushed off the sunflower seed shells from her clothes, and went inside to arrange their room.
“It’s on the second floor, the first room on the left.”
Just as the family was about to go upstairs with their key, the woman suddenly stopped them.
“Are those wild vegetables you’re carrying in your baskets?” she asked..
