Chapter 7, Men's Clothing

After toiling for two or three hours, Yu Zi finally succeeded in transforming himself into a slightly thin man with faded skin. Yu Zi gazed into the well water for a while and thought: Alright, this shall be my appearance from now on

After a whole day, the father and daughter finally came up with an idea

On the following day, when outsiders inquired, the old man announced that his daughter had been abducted by a strongman in the middle of the night. Then, in front of the crowd, he appeared to be mad as he grasped the hand of Yu Zi, who was disguised as a beggar, repeatedly calling her "my child" in a frenzied manner, pulling and tugging her back home.

This is her first time walking on the street without the protection of the elderly

Yu Zi was taken aback, and she suddenly looked up at the old man: Did the old man know that she was aware?

The old man turned his head, looking at her with affection, and said hoarsely: "Child, your father possesses great valor; how could the quiet footsteps of his child go unnoticed by him?"

After pondering at home without success, Yu Zi carefully adorned herself and finally stepped out of the house

After the explanation, the old man sighed: "To be the consort of a noble and to bear children for a noble is indeed a blessing for a woman. However, the father knows that the child, being of noble birth, has just returned from the brink of death, and naturally does not wish to suffer there again. Do not be afraid, child; your father will surely protect you completely"

After the ceremony, her lips moved slightly as she wanted to explain her origins. The words were on the tip of her tongue, yet she could not bring herself to speak. How could she say it? Should she tell the old man that she was a monster that had borrowed a corpse to return to life?

Before long, she arrived behind the old man

Determined to disguise herself as a man, Yu Zi first returned to her room and found the hemp clothes that the old man had woven for his son, who had been dead for many years. Then, she took some ashes from the firewood and repeatedly smeared them on her face and the skin of her hands and feet using well water.

Yu Zi smiled broadly and said happily, "Really? That's great." In the blink of an eye, she sighed and murmured, "If only I had disguised myself as a man when entering the city, oh, husband, that would have been wonderful."

Zengcheng is very prosperous. Its main streets are all paved with stone slabs. On both sides of the streets, there are stone platforms filled with goods on each platform.

Whenever she had some free time, she began to rack her brains thinking about what she could do to ensure that both she and the elderly person were better fed

As soon as he thought of this, the old man smiled: Her appearance at my son's grave is a gift from heaven. Regardless of her origins, she is ultimately my son.

The street is very quiet, and the people here do not engage in hawking. On the fluttering banners, there are inscriptions in the popular script of the region, and those characters are recognizable to Yu Zi.

Shen had been away from home for three days, and the remaining provisions at home were nearly depleted. Early in the morning, the elder went to wait on the official road, anticipating the passage of the merchant convoy

As he spoke, he noticed Yu Zi staring blankly at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. He couldn't help but smile kindly. He extended his withered, slightly trembling hand to wipe away the tears rolling down her cheeks, repeatedly comforting her: "Child, do not be afraid, do not be afraid. You are a gift from heaven to your father, and I will surely protect you, even if it costs me my life."

In a flash, she thought resentfully: Perhaps I am not worth two thousand gold pieces at all; this figure was deliberately mentioned by that man to intimidate my father.

Amidst the harsh and piercing laughter, a man shouted: "Hey! The esteemed Gong, known for his martial prowess throughout his life, has only one son, yet he is as frail as a chicken. When confronted, he instead stumbles backward?"

One flag after another flutters in the autumn breeze, and Yu Zi carefully gazes at them. Among these, there are "Qin Dan Sha", "Wu Dao", "Qi Sang Ma", "Yan Ma"...

Yu Zi was taken aback

After wandering aimlessly in the woods like a headless fly for a few circles, Yu Zi gritted her teeth and strode forward.

The old man asked in confusion, "Is the son trying to disguise himself as the husband to go out?"

The elder still said to Yu Zi: "In the future, one should be cautious in speech and action."

A dazzling array of items filled the entire street

Yu Zi then became free

Yuzi's choice of words is somewhat different from that of contemporary people. The old man listened with a smile while watching the joyful Yuzi, and a thought subtly arose in his mind: This child of mine, her language is peculiar, and her actions and expressions are unlike those of ordinary women. Could it be that she has a different background?

As she pondered, Yu Zi thought to herself: how could they set a price of two thousand gold without even seeing a person? From my father's expression, it seems that this two thousand gold is indeed an astonishing amount. Is there not a saying: to harbor a crime in one's heart? If so, in order to protect me, wouldn't my father also have to live in fear and anxiety?

As soon as this person opened their mouth, a wave of foul odor rushed forth. Not only did this individual have an unbearable bad breath, but there was also a pungent smell of sweat emanating from their body

Quietly glancing at the old man, Yu Zi was contemplating how to phrase her words when the old man, with his back to her, sighed and said: "Yu, do not be afraid"

The elderly person smiled at the visibly uncomfortable Yu Zi and picked up the broom to continue sweeping the floor

She lowered her head and respectfully replied to the elder, "What you say, Father, is indeed true"

After a few days of seclusion, when they reappeared, Yu Zi was already dressed as a man, while the old man had returned to normal, no longer acting erratically. Naturally, the clean and rather handsome beggar had transformed into the old man's son.

She immediately understood

Two thousand gold pieces, that is no small sum. Since ancient times, wealth has been the greatest source of turmoil in people's hearts, alas

Yu Zi blinked her eyes a few times with effort, and after blinking away the tears in her eyes, she lowered her head and gently said: "Father, may I disguise myself as a man?"

In fact, during these three days, she has been constantly thinking about this matter. However, as a time traveler, she knows nothing about the customs of her current environment, so what good ideas could she possibly come up with

Just as she was reading intently, suddenly, the light in front of her dimmed as a person blocked her path. At the same time, a coarse voice that sounded like a broken gong came through, "Hey! Child, is your father a palace official?"

Of course, she herself knows that such a disguise can only fool ordinary people

Neither the father nor the daughter is skilled in acting, and it is uncertain whether this display can deceive everyone. However, this is the best method they could come up with.

As soon as this thought emerged, Yu Zi shook her head repeatedly, for this idea was truly untenable.

In her state of chaotic thoughts, Yu Zi was unaware that historically, Zhao Ji, the mother of Qin Shi Huang, was purchased by Lü Buwei for three thousand gold pieces

Wherever one knows, she has just exited, and the burly man blocking the way let out a loud, piercing laugh. It was not just him laughing; on both sides of Yu Zi, five or six men joined in the uproarious laughter.

Yu Zi observed while silently noting and contemplating

In front of her, on the flag to the east, it is written "Chupi Grass", while on a stone platform to the west, there are numerous ceramic jars, on which it is inscribed "Qiyang Salt"

Overwhelmed by the foul odor, Yu Zi involuntarily took a step back.