A Maiden's Strange Voyage 18 第18章:The First Stop

"We're here." She gave Chaoyun a nice smile. Looking up against the gates, where there was a sign. She did almost think that it will have taken a long while, but she was finally seeing a town. She was eating a simple biscuit, which was something that Feiyu stocked up for such occasions. They had to go slow because she was not able to ride, though she was used to walking

"Finally."

"Now we have to look for an inn." If anything, she was still full of energy while Chaoyun is almost out of energy. In a way that did make her know that Feiyu was a seasoned traveler by all means, able to weather the less glamorous sides of it. "And then we get some rest."

Now she knew why sojourns took so long, as towns were not always within a day's reach. Even with horses, it was not always so. And that it was exhausting to be traveling for such a long time, while sleeping on the ground. Far from the most comfortable of existence, and that it was tough for anyone to even withstand it.

"I really admire you."

"It's something you get used to." Feiyu stepped forward before her. This town was rather different from hers, many of them sold charms to ward off evil spirits. Curious as she looked at them close up.

"This is suitable for a maiden like you." He gave her a small paper charm.

"I'm just looking around." She was never an ardent believer of such matters, although she respected those who bought it even if it was not for her.

"Times have been hard, and this town is not a nice place."

"Is it so?"

Feiyu had simply stopped as well, patiently waiting for her.

"I'm sorry that I went there."

"It's not an issue, besides it's nice to remain curious. After all, we aren't in a hurry of any sort."

"That is most certainly true." She was in another town, and even under a different name. "Although I shouldn't have get carried away."

"Well it isn't, there are many many towns which sell this because they are superst.i.tious and at the same time because strange things have most certainly happened." Before she took the horses and left, with Dianyu trailing behind her.

As they looked for an inn, which she knew was lengthy. Some refused to let women in, others simply looked at them with wary eyes. As such, it was going to take time. And Dianyu merely looked around, tacking care of the horses while waiting for Feiyu to finish. Looking around had reduced the fatigue, or at least made it less noticeable. As much as she looked many shops often selling auspicious items, things that brought luck with some offering their services to cleanse houses.

She was bewildered by the way temples were always filled with those who prayed, either for safe return or safety. The temple in their town was rather empty, with only a few each day with prayers meant for prosperity and wealth. It was such a different change.

Guess there were things that she did not know, even when she felt that it was not common. Travelers told her that towns were mostly like theirs, quiet, peaceful and close, not like this, where many were fervent in their offerings. Even more so than zhongyuan in its entirety for her town. That for a town to be so focused on charms and spirits, it was not common.

"I found an inn." Feiyu came outside with a smile. Even as Dianyu remained a little more pensive.

One which will allow them to ledge their horses. As much as she was full of question just how was the woman able to afford one in the first place, but exhaustion had made her unlikely to question or resist. If anything, she did wish she could sleep despite it was early in the day.

Although her room could never be said to be the most comfortable or big. But now, she did cherish that small s.p.a.ce that she had. A place where she could run to when it got tough, as much as she could look outside the window if she felt like it. There was nothing like it, just the hard ground and the need to take s.h.i.+fts to guard the horse. Precious as they were, due to the money spent on them.

Inside the inn, as Feiyu settled the rooms. She took the horses— neither of which really liked her — and brought them to the stables. A small stable boy took over for her, seemingly knowing that she was rather inept in handling horses. But a little too tired to even think of striking up a conversation, as he merely gave a nice smile. She returned it, and kept a hand on her pouch to see if anything was gone. Nothing yet, so she took a few coins and threw it to him.

She joined Feiyu in the main entrance, who was either arguing or negotiating with the owner. At least by the time if the keys were not in her hands. Before the woman grumbled and handed over the keys to her, and she paid for a two nights stay.

"Here." Pa.s.sing her the keys to her room. They were going to have separate ones, which she doubted was common. But she was too tired to care. "Take a good rest, we begin tonight."

Chaoyun knew what she meant, since that was the only time they were really allowed to work. But she went up the stairs, thralled by the idea of a warm bed. Then, she could think of a shower. Never even caring to ask what was she intending to do, perhaps in the room taking a rest.

The moment she got to the room, she closed it and laid down on the bed. Too tired to care otherwise. Even with her own observations which she seen today, but she thought that it could wait for a while longer. Nothing could go wrong.

—————————————————————

When she got up, which was around late afternoon by the looks of it. She got up and went to find Feiyu whose room was next to hers as she could see from the key itself. Opening the door, all she could find was a small letter on the table alongside she could see a fresh set of clothes laid out for her. Blue which reminded her of the sky, and a suggestion as to what she should pair with it. Mostly leaving her to make the choice, rather than choosing it for her.

"I have some matters to attend to, but I will be back before the evening." Taking a bath was something which took a lot of time, as well as dressing up. And she did not have one for many days while she slept on the cold hard ground, and acc.u.mulated a lot of dirt on her dress. Which she knew will be hard to wash off.

She had turned the tub to the end, eager to soak and clean herself. Her hair was dry, and rather itchy. Days of not was.h.i.+ng and sleeping on the ground made it almost unbearable for her. If it wasn't for her being too tired to really care, she will have washed herself first before sleeping.

When it was filled with water, not caring whether it was cold or hot as she never did have a hot bath in her life. She mostly had lake water which she carried from the lake early in the morning, and if she was preparing for an important customer, she will get it in the afternoon to bathe in. That was enough for her, as hair was hard to dry. While her mother warned her that leaving it wet was an overall bad idea.

Once she was done soaking in water, she got out and dried herself. Putting on the clothes Feiyu had kept for her, including of the hairstyle she will have to choose. Feiyu chose a simple one for her, which was easy enough and included braids. Once she was done, she went out to get herself a meal.

She went down the steps, and looked for food. Many did look at her, possibly that she was wearing something that did catch their eyes. But she was hungry, not having ate much in the morning and skipping her midday meal entirely. And so she was in desperate need of something to fill her stomach to say the least.

In a fast moment, she had seen a lot of food on the table. Which she happily chose to dig in, since she was starving and for most part had not eaten well for many days straight. When she was done, she paid for it and went up again. At least to wait for Feiyu to return. At the door, she found herself staring at the woman.

"I'm done. I finished all that I need to." It could be seen, since she was dressed and finished. While she had came from the stairs, which was possible that she had ate beforehand.

"Good before we are going to leave now." Feiyu had said that they will be having a long day ahead of them, regardless of the fact that it was ending for many at this point. Her dress was fresh and clean, possibly that she took a bath as well.

"Once tonight is over, we'll begin the lessons to improve you writing." It was easy to guess that her education was not extensive, and if she could read it was something that was rather rare for her. As such, she did expect that Feiyu will deem it necessary. "Although what do you know?"

"I can write numbers and basic sentences. I can mostly read merchant doc.u.ments."

"It's a start. Words can be used to form a poem, which is an art all upon itself." Art that both of them had acknowledged existed at the end of the day. She knew that it was something that she needed to have.

"Besides, you will have to pick up an instrument even if I don't know what it is for now."

"I don't have any wish to pick up the guqin." She had touched it before, where Qingshuang mentioned that if there was anything it was a painful instrument to learn. The strings were often hard, and practicing on it could be rather daunting. As sometimes it could even cause fingers to bleed, but in most cases it was red.

But he said that it was only that way that it could be strong enough to withstand the force used to move them, and to be used in the long term. And a reason why many were taught it from a young age as compared to this.

"I doubt that really suited you either." She gave a small smile, almost as though this was something she had expected at the end of the day. "If anything, I do think that it might be more of the dizi."

"What makes you think so?"

She gave a shrug. "But it is for later, since there are many many instruments which I can get you to try to figure out which is your best."

"Then what am I going to do tonight?"

"A little of what I do for a living, which you will follow." She knew that it was bound to happen. She expected that it will have been so.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"I ate on the way there, come on we have to begin as soon as possible." She followed her to the end where they headed to a district which was always off limits to her. As a man, it was a place of pleasure, as a woman, it could be a cage, a chance to break free or both.