The Two Hundred and Eighty Pound Fat Girl and Her Five Husbands C.322: Barter

Dashan watched as Uncle Zhang held Lin Zaozao in his arms, his voice choked with emotion.

When they arrived at Uncle Zhang's cooking area, Lin Zaozao stared at the egg custard Uncle Zhang served her, momentarily stunned.

"Uncle Zhang, do they keep chickens in the palace?"

"Little girl, Lord Han Ye sold his mother's leftover jewelry and traded it with a traveling merchant for a rooster and five hens.

Those hens happened to lay eggs, so I made you a bowl of egg custard."

Hearing Uncle Zhang's explanation, Lin Zaozao looked at the egg custard in her bowl and suddenly found it less appetizing.

"Uncle Zhang, what kind of jewelry was traded for six chickens! Was Han Ye cheated by that merchant?"

"No, Zaozao. Han Country has been suffering from a decade-long drought, and the national treasury is already empty. We have been buying grain at high prices from Canglan and Fengshuo for years, and now, even if they have grain, they won't sell it to us to drag us down.

That merchant was able to bring so many goods to Han Country under the watchful eyes of Canglan and Fengshuo, which is already quite difficult.

Without those merchants, more people in Han Country would have starved to death. In comparison, we are the ones who benefited."

Uncle Zhang patted Lin Zaozao's fluffy head, signaling her to eat quickly.

"Uncle Zhang, has the merchant left?" 𝘧𝘳ℯ𝓮𝘸𝓮𝑏𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓁.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"No. They haven't sold all their goods yet, so they're not leaving for now."

"Really? Uncle Zhang, can I go see the merchant after I finish eating?"

"Yes. After you finish eating, I'll have Dashan take you to see the merchant. Little girl, stop talking and eat while it's hot."

"Okay, Uncle Zhang."

After giving Uncle Zhang a sweet smile, Lin Zaozao scooped up a spoonful of egg custard and put it in her mouth.

She didn't know how Uncle Zhang made the egg custard. It was just a simple dish, but he made it smell so good.

A small bowl of egg custard was finished in no time by Lin Zaozao.

"Uncle Zhang, I've finished eating. Can I go out of the palace to see the merchant?"

"Wait a moment, little girl. Let Dashan and Han Xibei finish their meals, then they can take you."

"Okay."

Lin Zaozao slowly climbed down from the couch, stepped over the screen that had been blocking her view, and walked towards the inner room.

When she got inside, she saw Han Ye and Han Xibei eating at the table. They didn't talk while eating, only the soft sound of chewing could be heard.

While they were engrossed in their meal, Lin Zaozao took a few steps forward. When she saw the food on the table, she couldn't help but choke.

On the table were some green cornbread. Accompanying the cornbread was a pot of green leafy vegetable soup.

Perhaps because the cornbread was too hard, Han Ye and the others would always break it into pieces and soak it in the vegetable soup. They would only eat it when the cornbread had softened.

Lin Zaozao moved closer, picked up a piece of green cornbread, and bit into it.

It was too hard, she couldn't bite into it at all.

"Ah, girl, are you still hungry? Uncle Zhang has made something tasty for you, let's not have steamed corn bread, have this, this is delicious."

With one hand, Uncle Zhang lifted Lin Zaozao to the dining table, took out two fluffy steamed buns from the cupboard, and placed them beside Lin Zaozao.

"Girl, you eat this. The corn bread is too hard; you can't bite it."

Lin Zaozao looked up at Uncle Zhang's cheerful smile, then glanced at the corn bread in her hand. She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

"Zaozao, eat quickly. The steamed bun smells delicious."

Little Han Xibei took a bite of the corn bread in his hand, but his eyes were fixed on the steamed bun in Lin Zaozao's hand.

As he salivated, he was nudged by Han Ye and then shyly lowered his head, gnawing on the hard corn bread in his hand.

"Uncle Zhang, didn't we harvest rice? Is it not enough? Why do you still eat this?"

"Girl, grain is too precious. We save as much as we can! We, we are scared of hunger.

After we grow the potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes you gave us, then we can think about eating better."

"Exactly, exactly. Once there's grain in the barn, we'll eat better."

Dashan echoed.

"Uncle Zhang, actually I can..."

"No, you can't."

Before Lin Zaozao could finish her sentence, Uncle Zhang immediately interjected.

"Girl, you are a female priestess. No matter what you do, it will shorten your lifespan. Although there is not much grain now, it won't starve us.

Now that it's raining heavily in Han Country, we're not worried about the crops dying of drought. As long as the crops survive, the people of Han Country won't starve.

Moreover, as the future ruler of Han Country, if Lord Han Ye and others do not lead by example, how will they win the hearts of the people and establish their own prestige in the future?"

"Zhuzhu, Uncle Zhang is right. Compared to those starving commoners, Han Xibei and I have never experienced hunger. This, already is good enough."

"Brother Han Ye, I promise, things will get better."

Lin Zaozao broke the two large steamed buns in her hand into four pieces and placed them in the bowls of Han Ye, Han Xibei, Dashan, and Uncle Zhang.

"Uncle Zhang, I've already eaten enough just now. You all can share these two steamed buns."

Han Xibei and Dashan looked at the steamed buns placed in their bowls and swallowed, but did not eat. They just looked expectantly at Han Ye and Uncle Zhang, hoping they would agree.

"Zhuzhu's kindness, let's all eat."

Han Ye picked up the half steamed bun in his bowl and said softly.

With Han Ye's approval, Han Xibei and Dashan immediately picked up the steamed buns in their bowls and wolfed them down.

Han Xibei is a prince, and Dashan is Uncle Zhang's adopted son. If they were so greedy at the sight of half a steamed bun, how about the common people outside the palace!

How hungry they must be!

Just as they finished eating, Ji Fantian walked in from outside. He respectfully bowed to Han Ye and Han Xibei, then turned and walked towards Lin Zaozao.

He placed his hand on Lin Zaozao's wrist, and after a moment, he released and only uttered two words.

"Unharmed!"

After saying this, he prepared to walk outside.

"Little Divine Doctor, Ji Fantian, we're going to see the traveling merchants outside the palace. Are you coming?"

Lin Zaozao waved at Ji Fantian.

"I'm in!"

The proud and handsome young man turned his head and coldly spat out a word.

"Little Divine Doctor, you really are a man of few words!"

Lin Zaozao pouted, took two steps forward, and shouted into the void.

"Gu Shan!"

No one.

"Young Husband!"

"I'm here!"

"I'm going!"

Lin Zaozao turned her head and saw Gu Shan standing behind her, which gave her quite a fright.

Gu Shan's appearances always caught her off guard.

"Young Husband, we're going to see the traveling merchants outside the palace. Are you coming?"

"If you're going, I'm going."

With that, Gu Shan disappeared from Lin Zaozao's sight again.

"Young Husband's martial arts skills are really impressive!"

Lin Zaozao said admiringly.

After bidding farewell to Uncle Zhang, Lin Zaozao was carried by Dashan. Led by Han Ye, they quickly left the palace.

Ten days later, when Lin Zaozao appeared in front of the people again, they all knelt down and sincerely thanked her.

This time, they were genuinely grateful to this little priestess who was nurtured from the Holy Tree.

If it weren't for her, how many more people would have starved to death during this time!

"Han Ye, should we ask them to get up?"

Lin Zaozao quietly tugged at Han Ye's sleeve and asked in a low voice.

"No need, Zhuzhu. You've given so much for them, it's only right that they worship you."

Han Ye took Lin Zaozao from Dashan's arms and walked forward with her.

Following the direction of Han Ye's finger, amidst a large area of gray buildings, Lin Zaozao saw a large group of colorful tents. Those bright tents were particularly conspicuous among the dilapidated buildings.

Outside the tents, many people from Han Country had already gathered. They were orderly lining up, waiting to trade with the traveling merchants.

"Han Ye, put me down, I'll walk over there myself."

Lin Zaozao looked at the merchants coming in and out, excitedly.

Getting down from Han Ye's arms, Lin Zaozao, with her short legs, excitedly walked towards the tents.

Although she had nothing to trade, it didn't stop her from enjoying the bustling scene!

Holding Han Ye's hand, when they reached the tents, Lin Zaozao craned her neck, eagerly observing the transactions between the people and the merchants.

But when Lin Zaozao saw what the people were trading with the merchants, she was stunned.

If the people were trading valuable items with the merchants for some food or items she had never seen before, she wouldn't find it strange.

But what the people were trading with the merchants were children.

Those emaciated children, like soulless puppets, were pushed in front of the merchants by their parents, in exchange for chickens, ducks, pigs, and other livestock.

After the parents pushed their children in front of the merchants and received what they needed, they coldly turned around and left.

As if what they had pushed out were not their children, but some insignificant objects.

"Brother Han Ye, this... what's this?"

Looking at these transactions, Lin Zaozao raised her head, asking in confusion.

"Zhuzhu, come in with me."

Han Ye lowered his head, took Lin Zaozao's hand, and headed towards the largest tent.

As soon as they entered the tent, Lin Zaozao felt like her jaw was about to drop in astonishment at the luxurious decorations inside.

If the exterior of the tent was merely vibrant, the interior was truly stunningly opulent.

Placing such a lavish tent in the midst of refugees, the owner of this tent was not afraid of being robbed by the refugees.

Just as Lin Zaozao was surveying the tent with a shocked expression, a slightly mocking voice reached her ears.

"Lord Han Ye, what is it? Having second thoughts? Want to take back your mother's memento?"

Following the voice, Lin Zaozao saw a boy with fox-like eyes, lounging on a couch covered with white fox fur. He held a red fruit in his hand, slowly bringing it to his mouth.

The bright red fruit, the moist lips, the enticing fox-like eyes. All these added up, giving the boy, who was not even ten, a hint of seductiveness.

When this boy grows up, he will definitely be a spellbinding enchantress.