Cheng Hao pondered for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Su Miaomiao. They immediately decided to conceal the abilities they possessed. In this era, medical skills were highly valued, and with so many people in the city, there would surely be a great demand for physicians. While revealing their talents might lead to better treatment, it would also make it much more difficult if they ever needed to leave this place.
Su Miaomiao instantly understood the meaning in her childhood friend's eyes and spoke up, "No, we are all wealthy families traveling together. What skills could we possibly have? Is it considered a skill if the people working for us are efficient?"
Her words caused the two gatekeepers to chuckle. "This young lady jokes. Efficiency in work is indeed a good thing. Since that's the case, how do you intend to enter the city? Shall we confiscate your belongings and take thirty percent, or will you pay an entry fee per person? Choose one of the two!"
Su Miaomiao glanced at Cheng Hao, and then saw him instinctively step forward, positioning himself in front of her. It was a habitual protective gesture, though he himself seemed unaware of it. He replied, "We will pay by the person. The Cheng family has exactly one hundred people..."
Entry and exit here required household registration documents, which were crucial items and naturally held by the head of the Cheng family, so they all possessed them.
The Cheng family could only vouch for the people in their convoy, and their entry into Que Zhou City posed no problem. The Jin family head also confirmed they had theirs.
Wealthy families fleeing their homes.
These items were the most important: household registration books, land deeds, property deeds, and a large quantity of gold, silver, and jewels.
Having experienced past turmoil, using banknotes was no longer fashionable. People preferred tangible gold, silver, or jewels.
Therefore, they weren't worried about not being able to withdraw money from banks; it was all real treasure. The Jin family head was likely even wealthier and had no shortage of such items. Steward Du had also caught up and was assisting with the entry procedures.
However, there was a problem with the villagers from Shan'ao Village. A few absent-minded individuals had forgotten to bring their documents, or had lost their registration books along the way, and now they couldn't enter.
This greatly distressed them.
Gao Dashan couldn't help but scold them a few times, asking how they could forget or lose such important items. The situation quickly became chaotic.
The two gatekeepers were quite short-tempered. Hearing the commotion, they immediately banged their waist sabers on the nearby wooden table, "Clang! Clang!"
Then they yelled, "What are you all clamoring about? If you keep making noise, I'll send you all back where you came from!"
Their fierce demeanor successfully intimidated some of the villagers, who then quieted down, leaving only intermittent sobs and the sighs of the men.
Cheng Hao observed the two guards. They looked like they were living quite comfortably, likely having profited quite a bit from their gatekeeping duties.
Furthermore, their casual demeanor and the smell of alcohol suggested they weren't sticklers for rules. Cheng Hao had a hunch.
Without directly stating his intentions, he seized the opportunity to step forward. Unnoticed by others, he touched his sleeve cuff, actually retrieving two silver fragments from his spatial storage and discreetly placing them into the guards' hands. Smiling, he said, "Two elder brothers, we have one more matter to trouble you with. We left in such a hurry that we didn't have time to exchange for silver. Could you do us a favor and allow us to enter the city to pawn some of our valuables?"
Su Miaomiao mentally applauded her childhood friend.
"Excellent!"
She also wanted to see what the famously impressive Que Zhou City was like. Seeing how proud and imposing the two gatekeepers were, as if the city truly held great power, she wanted to assess if it was suitable for them to reside in. If not, she planned to leave.
Moreover, she wanted to scout the situation inside to see if they could live there safely.
What if there was some overlord inside, and once they entered, they would be like fish in a barrel, completely trapped and unable to escape?
Cheng Hao clearly intended to use this opportunity to explore.
The two guards were surprised. This young master, though not old, was quite adept at handling matters. Weighing the silver in their hands, they realized it was enough for several gambling sessions or visits to brothels. Their smiles became more genuine as they discreetly tucked the silver into small pouches within their sleeves.
"Ahem, listen to what this gentleman is saying. Of course, it's possible! As long as you pay the per-person entry fee, you can come and go as you please! One thing, though: you must pay close attention to the city rules later. If you break the law within the city and lose your life because of it, don't blame us for not warning you!"
The slightly rounder guard said this with a lascivious expression, clearly pleased with the silver. His tone of voice had changed.
The thinner one nodded and added, "Wait a moment, the city gate will open soon."
Then, as if remembering something, he changed the subject. "Never mind. Seeing as we have some affinity, I'll register you first. How many of you will be entering?"
Indeed, money was omnipotent!
Su Miaomiao immediately peeked out from behind Cheng Hao and said, "Just two from the Cheng family!"
Steward Du saw this and wondered if he should also go in to take a look. However, he glanced back at his convoy, where only the servants were looking in his direction, while their masters remained hidden inside the carriages.
He quickly considered. This resourceful young couple from the Cheng family likely had their reasons for wanting to enter. He certainly didn't want to fall behind, but he also understood that there might be dangers inside. So, he gritted his teeth and remained silent, letting the young couple go ahead to scout, prioritizing his own safety.
Cheng Hao was not surprised that Su Miaomiao wanted to accompany him. Frankly, within the entire convoy, only the two of them could extricate themselves safely if something went wrong.
They were the only ones who could go.
Besides, it was more reassuring to see for themselves. Moreover, he couldn't leave Su Miaomiao behind. During times of potential danger, he had to keep her by his side.
Therefore.
Cheng Hao nodded in agreement, signaling to the two guards that they could proceed with the registration.
Uncle Ji also ran over with the household registration book, accompanied by Laifu and Jiawang. Xiaowuzi, Xiaoliuzi, and finally Li Datou also followed to escort them.
Such an important item as the household registration book naturally required careful handling.
The two guards then began to prepare to register them, retrieving a large ledger and writing implements from behind a small door. Before leaving, they glanced at Su Miaomiao with interest, as such a prominent woman was not common.
She could often interject and make decisions when the head of the household was handling matters.
More importantly.
This young master actually doted on his wife quite a bit.
Su Miaomiao naturally noticed that when she had said two people would enter, the guards had waited for Cheng Hao's nod before preparing to register.
In this place where men were superior to women!
She angrily scratched Cheng Hao's back a couple of times, only to have him catch her hand and gently squeeze it.
This was his way of pacifying her.
Su Miaomiao then pouted, still feeling somewhat displeased.