Unlimited Resources: Raising a Minister with a Space Supermarket-Chapter 501 - 446: Trouble at the Posthouse

Sun Manhong walked into the mountain cave with a lantern, with Yu Xiaolian following closely behind.

Yu Xiaolian’s sister was amazed to see this small cave arranged like a home.

Under the dim light of the lantern, Yu Xiaolian saw thick straw laid out in the cave, with some tattered clothes on top acting as bedding. There were also several chipped pottery jars and cracked ceramic bowls in the corner, which seemed to be what her mother and sisters used for meals.

Apart from these, they had also dug out several holes in the cave walls for storing things.

"Mom, you’re finally back!" Zhang Jinhua hugged Sun Manhong tightly, almost bursting into tears. During the days her mother was away, she and her sister dared not sleep at night, afraid they would be kidnapped in their dreams.

Their mother and the three of them lived here, and although not many people knew, there were still some nearby hunters who did. When their mother wasn’t around, they would start to worry, always thinking that those hunters might take advantage of the situation to bully them.

Fortunately, Sun Manhong was finally back, and Zhang Jinhua cried out, "Mom, can you stop going to that place to work? My sister and I are afraid to stay home alone!"

Sun Manhong pointed to Yu Xiaolian, "Look who this is? This is your Aunt Yu. From now on, the three of us won’t have to live in the cave anymore. I came back to pick you up. Hurry and put on your clothes, we’re getting in the carriage."

Zhang Jinhua and Zhang Yinhua didn’t even take off their clothes to sleep out of fear, so there was no need to get dressed. They adjusted their collars and followed Sun Manhong out.

"Mom, is she our relative?" Zhang Jinhua asked softly.

Did her mother get deceived? How could they have such wealthy relatives?

But they had no money to swindle from them. Could this person be a trafficker?

"She’s my aunt’s daughter. You’re too young, so you haven’t met your Aunt Chunfang. When there’s a chance, your mom will introduce you."

As she spoke, Sun Manhong lifted the curtain of the carriage, allowing her two daughters to get in.

Zhang Jinhua felt relieved upon hearing she was indeed a genuine relative of their mother.

"Madam, which way should we go?" Cao Gen asked Yu Xiaolian.

By the light of the lantern, Yu Xiaolian glanced at her watch. It was twelve thirty.

If they returned to Yangcheng now, they would arrive by five in the morning, but considering how tired both people and horses were, Yu Xiaolian decided to head to the nearest town.

"Where’s the nearest town from here?" Yu Xiaolian asked Cao Gen.

"It’s Deyang Town, the one we just passed by!" When they passed by Deyang Town, it was already silent, and it seemed everyone had gone to bed.

"Let’s go to Deyang Town then, and find an inn to stay for the night!" Yu Xiaolian said.

"Madam, there’s an Official Post House in Deyang Town. Should we go there?" At this hour, an inn might be closed.

"Then we’ll go to the post house!" After all, she herself was a seventh-rank official, so using the post house wouldn’t raise any questions.

"Giddyup!" Cao Gen drove the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the Zhang sisters nestled close to Sun Manhong, unsure of what to say to their aunt, Yu Xiaolian.

Sun Manhong patted her daughters’ hands, "Your grandfather asked your aunt to find us. Your aunt is a County Magistrate’s Wife in our county town. We will follow her for help from now on."

County Magistrate’s Wife?

In the darkness, the Zhang sisters gasped in surprise.

They actually had an aunt who was a County Magistrate’s Wife?

"Mom, where is Grandpa? Why didn’t he come to find us himself?" Zhang Jinhua asked.

Sun Manhong was somewhat unsure about their father’s whereabouts in the Yu State, but it didn’t stop her from explaining to her daughters.

Knowing their grandfather’s family was far away, Zhang Jinhua felt a bit lost. If they relied on their grandfather’s family, they would have some confidence, but at this aunt’s house, she felt like they were freeloading.

Although Zhang Jinhua didn’t want to rely on others, she was fed up with days of eating wild vegetables in the summer and dried wild vegetables in the winter. Her mother and sisters had lived in the cave for nearly four years, and aside from occasional generosity from a hunter with some meat, they hadn’t eaten anything else.

Without salt, one would feel weak and grow white hair. During these four years, they only tasted a bit of salt when begging from other villages. Thinking about her young age yet having graying hair, Zhang Jinhua felt upset.

Zhang Jinhua was anxious about her future life, while Zhang Yinhua was not. She thought her good days would soon come. So what if they lived on others’ kindness? It was still better than staying in a cave and begging.

After about half an hour, Cao Gen drove the carriage to the post house in Deyang Town.

The post house in Deyang Town was easy to find. According to Great Liang’s regulations, a post house must be at the village entrance or the village end, not in the middle of the town.

Cao Gen checked the signboard with his lantern to confirm it was indeed the post house, then began knocking on the door.

"Coming, coming! Who’s there in the middle of the night?" The Posthouse Officer, woken up, was quite displeased.

Their Deyang Town was remote, not on a proper official road, so rarely did anyone stay at their post house.

The Posthouse Officer opened the door, "Who are you?"

Yu Xiaolian handed over the badge she was holding tightly, "I’m a seventh-rank academy official, passing through tonight, wanting to stay overnight."

The Posthouse Officer initially feared it might be an important official and held back his temper to ask, but now seeing Yu Xiaolian, a woman claiming to be a seventh-rank official, he directly threw the badge back at Yu Xiaolian’s face.

At one thirty in the morning, Yu Xiaolian was exhausted. She hadn’t expected anyone to throw something at her, and her head was hit by the copper badge.

"How dare you!"

"How dare you!"

Yu Xiaolian and the Posthouse Officer shouted in unison.

"How dare you impersonate a seventh-rank official!" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"How dare you assault a court official! I am an academy official appointed by the Emperor!"

Yu Xiaolian covered her forehead, fuming.

"Ridiculous, I’ve never heard of women being officials! If you want to freeload, you should find a man to impersonate instead. Your trick is too crude. Hmph! You’d better leave, or I’ll have you arrested and thrown in jail!" The Posthouse Officer said as he moved to close the door of the post house.

Cao Gen forcibly pushed the door open, kicking the Posthouse Officer away.

Why hadn’t he caught the badge earlier? If the master knew the madam was injured, he would be skinned even if not dead.

The master assigned him to accompany the madam to protect her!

Things had turned to this, and he had failed in protecting the madam.

Damn it, he might as well kick him to death!

"Help, there’s trouble!" The Posthouse Officer shouted, calling an old man over.

Indeed, there were only the two of them at the post house during the night.