The benefit of following the caravan is this.
There is no need to do everything yourself. After the caravan arrived at the city gate of Quezhou.
Li Datou and Wang Daming, who were at the forefront, went to negotiate. There were still guards on duty behind the city gate. Hearing that someone wanted to enter the city, they opened the gate and peeked out, then yawned lazily, exhaling a breath of alcohol, and asked, "Where are you from? Do you have money? Caravan members entering the city must hand over thirty percent of their belongings, and it's ten taels per person! Or if you have any talented individuals, you can report them, and you can also enter the city based on your abilities!"
Li Datou and Wang Daming, who could drink, were forced to take a step back by the alcoholic breath of the gatekeeper. They then informed them of their origin. Upon hearing that they had come from so far away, the other party was not surprised. He merely grumbled that it was another unknown small household, and then asked them to wait before closing the small window.
Only the two of them were left looking at each other.
Wang Daming said to Li Datou, "You go back and report to the family head and the young master first. I'll handle this here and ask the family head for their decision."
This request was similar to what Patriarch Yu and Patriarch Xue had said.
It was about seeing which method of entry would be more cost-effective. Moreover, their caravan had talented people, which should exempt them from the per-person fee, but ten taels per person was truly outrageous, directly blocking the poor from entering the city.
One must know.
For ordinary people, saving a few hundred copper coins a year was a great feat.
Some farmers worked hard all year round, and it was considered great if the whole family could eat their fill without starving to death.
Ten taels of silver per person, how long would it take to earn that? No wonder there were so many people at the city gate. Looking at the people working there, they were probably earning money through labor, but it was unknown when they would finally achieve it.
Wang Daming thought of this, turned around and looked at the densely packed makeshift shelters. This group of people lived crammed by the city gate. Looking at these shelters, some were made of branches and dry grass, while better ones were covered with cloth. In short, it was chaotic, and the conditions inside were certainly not good.
The poor people who heard the news had probably all gathered here.
Li Datou looked at the wretched people, still emaciated, and could not bear to look any longer. He quickly agreed and rode away to deliver the message.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao received the news not slowly. After all, nowadays, besides informing the Cheng family head, the subordinates would also specifically come to inform them, so both of them knew everything.
Su Miaomiao did some calculations, "If a hundred people from our side each pay ten taels of silver, it would be over a thousand taels. What about the people from Shana Village? How could they afford this money? Can your father really bear to part with it?"
Cheng Hao pondered, "If we really want to enter, it's actually more cost-effective to pay with money. However, my father probably doesn't have that much cash. His treasures are valuable, and if he sells a cherished item, he can exchange it for our entry fees."
Su Miaomiao said, "It's the same sentence, it depends on whether he is willing to part with it!"
Cheng Hao was already putting on his clothes and replied, "He will definitely be willing. The situation here is unknown, and it would be too dangerous for just a few people to go in. He definitely wouldn't dare. Between safety and money, he will naturally choose safety. It shouldn't be difficult for us to get in."
But he also analyzed.
Entering the city already costs such a sum of money, so the expenses after entering the city are likely to be considerable.
After all, the intention was already very clear.
Only the rich and capable were accepted, and the city's resources were also limited.
If they wanted to obtain resources, such as housing, food, and lodging, they would have to spend money. It was just unknown how much money it would cost.
But their approach was understandable. They could probably guess the situation inside to some extent. It could only be said that those with money and talent would never fare poorly, while the bottom layer would always suffer.
Su Miaomiao lifted the curtain and looked at the thin children on the side, gazing eagerly. Their hair was messy, and the adults' clothes looked unusually large on them. It really made one feel uneasy.
In fact, it had been like this all the way.
It was just that there were too many people.
This was the way of the world. Even if she wanted to help, she couldn't.
She could only take care of the people in her own caravan, which was already quite good.
Cheng Hao also told her to look less at them.
It was not something they could manage. They could see what happened later.
First, they had to solve their own problems.
"If we can get in, perhaps we can find someone to repair the carriages. Our journey has been bumpy, and the carriages are worn out. We need to repair them again."
If possible, they also wanted to renovate them, in case they had to continue their journey.
Su Miaomiao also nodded, returning her thoughts to the issues of her own caravan.
As they spoke, they put on their clothes and tidied themselves up. As the saying goes, clothes make the man and a good saddle makes a good horse. Sometimes, one had to dress up to be presentable. Both of them had excellent appearances, and after a little tidying up, they became dazzling. They got out of the carriage, and the shouting gatekeepers were stunned.
After a while, they came back to their senses and shouted at Wang Daming and Li Datu, "That's right! Let your masters come and talk to me. You can't make decisions. Talking to you is a waste of effort! Why didn't you come sooner!"
After the guards were sure that there was no danger, they opened the heavy small door.
Another guard, full of alcohol, shouted, "Alright, why bother with them? We haven't reached the time to open the city gates yet. It's useless whatever you say, just wait! Let me make it clear first, entering the city requires money! Our Quezhou City only accepts refugees with official household registration. If you lose the proof of your household registration, we won't accept you!"
This requirement immediately caused dissatisfaction among the people on the side. There were already a few small caravans that had arrived earlier and were resting by the wall.
Seeing the guards come out, they all ran over and shouted, wanting to enter.
Li Datou and Wang Daming, sandwiched in the crowd, felt extremely helpless. They were innocently sprayed by the guards along with the crowd. In the early morning, they were covered in spit, which disgusted them greatly. They quickly retreated.
Cheng Hao, with Su Miaomiao, arrived first. Li Datou and Wang Daming finally found their backbone, squeezed out of the excited crowd, stood behind their masters, and wiped their faces again with annoyance.
But they felt at ease.
The other party did not dare to underestimate them when they saw a young couple. The world was chaotic these days. They also heard that they came from afar. Such a long distance, most people would already be in a sorry state, but these two young people could still be so radiant. If they didn't have some skills, who would believe it?
Therefore.
The attitudes of the two city guards obviously became much more respectful.
They asked them a few questions and then asked about their numbers, what method they would use to enter the city, and if there were any talented people in the caravan.
Those who knew martial arts, or were scholars, or knew medicine, blacksmithing, or even how to make tofu, as long as they had a skill.