There is a god in the sky

Chapter 67 Xikou Post Station 1

"Is this... really an official post station?"

It looked old from the outside, but once you went inside the courtyard, it was completely bare. Half of the roof was missing, and there was no gate.

The two turned their gazes toward Xiao Ji.

This was Xiao Ji's first time staying here, and he hadn't expected the Xikou Post Station to be in this state. However, the government had never received any reports from the postmaster of this place.

The officers and soldiers went in to look for the postmaster, and after a while they brought out a thin man.

The man ran over timidly and knelt before Xiao Ji. "This humble servant greets Your Excellency. May I ask if Your Excellency wishes to stay the night or have a meal?"

Xiao Ji walked past him and said, "You want it all? Are you the only one at this post station?"

The postmaster got up and chased after him, "No, no, there's also a cook and a groom. Please come in, sir."

Upon entering the lobby, Shen Lan looked up and discovered that the missing half of the roof was not on this side.

The first floor is for dining and rest, and the second floor is for guest rooms, so it doesn't seem to affect anything.

However... when she wiped her hand on the table, she touched a layer of dust.

No one has been here for at least ten days to two weeks.

An old servant came over carrying a bucket of water to wipe the table. Shen Lan asked, "Old man, can you boil water tonight?"

It's too hot, she hopes to take a shower tonight.

"Girl, he's mute. You can have as much hot water as you want, and we'll bring it to your room in a bit."

"Okay, I'll take two buckets of hot water, thank you."

Shen Lan didn't want them to work for nothing, so she gave them an extra ten coins.

Everyone ate dry rations while traveling, but when they arrived at the post station, all they wanted was something hot to eat.

Worried that the ingredients here were limited, Sui Feng went to the car and took two dried chickens and two preserved ducks to add to the meal.

Shen Lan was worried about the hygiene conditions in the kitchen, so she carried the ingredients to the kitchen herself to cook.

The kitchen was spacious, with two large pots on an earthen stove. The walls were covered with soot from years of cooking, and soup was bubbling in the pots, emitting a meaty aroma.

Sui Feng followed in and asked, "What's cooking in this pot? It smells so good."

An old woman lifted the curtain and came out, carrying a basin of washed rice. Judging by the amount, it was prepared for the guests.

She was blind in one eye, and when she looked at people, she squinted, which was a bit frightening.

"A large meat broth."

Just as Sui Feng was about to lift the pot lid, his wife stopped him.

"Don't move! It's not cooked yet."

"I only take a look. My family members are picky eaters and won't eat many foods."

Sui Feng lifted the pot lid and saw several large bones and whole pieces of pork simmering inside.

Shen Lan also glanced at it. It looked quite fresh, but there was a lot of it, not enough for three people to eat.

However, there were no refrigerators in this era, so meat was usually cooked and stored so it could be eaten for several days.

"You all go out and don't get in my way."

Shen Lan put the ingredients down and checked the tableware again. Apart from some chips, it looked clean.

She walked out of the kitchen and saw the postmaster carrying out a wine jar to reward the officials.

There was also a jar of wine on Xiao Ji's table, and Fu Qingyan couldn't wait to pour himself a bowl.

He invited Shen Lan to sit down and then handed her the wine.

"Would you like some, Miss Shen?"

Shen Lan still remembered how she had been knocked out by a bowl of wine last time, and firmly shook her head, "No need."

The postmaster even brought some fried soybeans as a snack to accompany the wine, providing attentive and thoughtful service.

Shen Lan ate two soybeans, which were as hard as iron beans, but Xuan'er ate them one after another, crunching them with delight.

"Be careful with your teeth," Shen Lan warned.

Xuan'er said happily, "It's okay, my teeth are fine, I can even bite bones."

Shen Lan felt a pang of sadness.

Girls from poor families rarely get to eat meat all year round. They're lucky if they can even smell meat; most of the time, they're gnawing on leftover cartilage.

She grabbed a handful of soybeans and went out to feed Baiyu, but even the horse found them too hard to chew and refused to eat more after only two.

Shen Lan looked around.

This huge yard doesn't even have a stable, only wooden stakes for tethering horses.

The mute uncle I just saw came to feed the horses with hay.

Shen Lan walked over, took some fodder and fed it to Bai Yu, while also talking to the uncle.

"Can you hear me, sir?"

The other person did not respond, and Shen Lan guessed that he was deaf and mute.

So she switched to sign language and asked again.

The other person looked at it, but seemed completely bewildered, clearly unable to understand sign language.

Shen Lan had no choice but to give up, wash her hands, and return to the main hall.

The food was ready, and the old woman came out carrying a large wooden bucket, still steaming.

The postmaster behind them also brought out a large pot, which contained not only meat soup but also steamed chicken and duck.

"Aren't there any green vegetables?" Shen Lan originally thought that in this wilderness, green vegetables would be the least of their problems.

Even if they don't grow their own, they should still have some wild vegetables.

During this season, there are plenty of edible wild vegetables in the mountains of Jianzhou.

The old woman shook her head and coldly went back to the kitchen.

The postmaster said with a smile, "Miss, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to eat vegetables. I'll have someone pick them for you in a bit."

Shen Lan was just asking casually; it didn't matter whether she asked or not.

"No need to trouble yourself, this is fine."

Everyone clearly thought it was good, and once Xiao Ji picked up his chopsticks, they all eagerly began to eat.

Shen Lan picked up a piece of roast duck and, seeing everyone serving soup, asked the postmaster, "Are there any families raising pigs around here?"

"No, this is a wild boar hunted from the mountains. Xikou Post Station is located in a remote area, and there are not many houses nearby."

"Where do you usually buy your food and daily necessities?"

“The government sends a batch of goods every month, which is almost enough. If there is anything else, you can walk for half a day to the town to buy it.”

Shen Lan sighed, "Being a postmaster is really tough. Where is your hometown?"

The other person smiled sincerely, revealing a set of yellow teeth. "I'm from this town. People who live far away don't want to come here to suffer."

"That's true, then you must have been doing this for many years, right?"

"Of course, it's been almost ten years."

Seeing that everyone had eaten and drunk well, the postmaster withdrew.

Fu Qingyan looked up and asked Shen Lan with a puzzled expression, "Miss Shen, are you very curious about this postmaster?"

"No, I was just asking." Shen Lan took a bite of rice.

The rice was a little undercooked and not husked cleanly enough, but it had a strong aroma of rice.

She only ate the chicken and duck she brought herself, but seeing that others were eating meat soup without any problems, she guessed she was being overly cautious.

After dinner, it got dark. Since everyone had to travel the next day, they went to rest in their assigned rooms.

Shen Lan and Xuan'er share a room.

Xuan'er was very hardworking. She not only changed the straw mats they slept on, but also took over Guan Shu's role in serving Fu Qingyan.

She originally wanted to serve Lord Xiao, but he wouldn't let her into his room.

After she finished her work, Shen Lan also finished her bath and told her to go take a bath quickly, because if she didn't come across an inn or post station on the road, it would be difficult to take a bath.

At night, the inn was quiet, with the occasional roar of wild animals nearby.

Shen Lan is a light sleeper and always feels the sound of sawing wood.

Click, click, click...

Disturbing my peaceful sleep.