Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: How Much Less Suffering Have We Suffered?
Chapter 379: How Much Less Suffering Have We Suffered?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“How should I put it? If this thing is made into tobacco, people will get poisoned. They’ll be disoriented all day, and with frequent use, they might experience hallucinations and addiction. After getting addicted, they might sell their children, squander their family wealth, and even commit murder for the sake of a smoke. Over time, they become incurable, and excessive smoking can lead to convulsions and death.”
Yuan Jiaqi’s face turned pale. He immediately got out of the carriage, shouted for the convoy to stop, and inspected the fields by the roadside.
The emperor and empress also got off the carriage and joined him.
Yuan Jiaqi pulled out a poppy plant and said, “Your Majesty, this is a harmful substance.”
He repeated what Qiao Mai had said. The emperor looked at the vast fields and commented, “It seems Luzhou City is unstable.”
“We should prepare early, Your Majesty. If this flower spreads throughout the Ming Dynasty, our national strength will decline, and people will do anything for a puff.”
“I’ve brought ten Golden Dragon Guards. Once we arrive in Luzhou, I’ll send them to investigate.”
Yuan Jiaqi came to Qiao Mai holding a poppy. “Wife, people who cultivate this will surely produce tobacco and sell it discreetly, right?”
“Not necessarily. They dared to grow them so conspicuously along the official road. There must be surprises waiting for us in Luzhou City.”
It was September, and the weather was still hot.
They observed several poppy fields along the way but remained silent until they entered Luzhou City.
They stayed at the best inn in the city, settled their belongings, took a comfortable bath, and rested for the night.
In the early and bright morning of the south, Qiao Mai got up early, opened the window, and felt the warm breeze mixed with humidity.
She looked back at Yuan Jiaqi, who was still sleeping. She leaned against the window and gazed downward.
Street food stalls were starting to set up, and some shops were opening. After coming out, many people stretched their bodies and yawned.
Qiao Mai felt the scene was beautiful. However, after a short while, it was disrupted by several staggering figures.
They were yawning continuously, stumbling with every step, some falling and getting up again. This lethargic state indicated they had smoked something potent.
In Luzhou City, it seems that smoking marijuana is openly accepted, and no one pays any attention.
Just when she frowned, a woman ran from a distance and threw herself onto a man, crying.
“Husband, you smoked that thing again. Do you still want this family?”
“Get lost! I like it. What’s it got to do with you? I didn’t spend any of your money.”
“But you need to think about our child!”
The man looked around and then kicked the woman, but he had no strength. He accidentally fell to the ground instead.
However, the woman seemed resigned. She went forward to help him up. Qiao Mai shook her head at this sight.
Poor people have their shortcomings. This man will eventually deplete his family. Rather than this, it’s better to plan. If it were her, she’d possibly kick him to death.
Before long, the cries of vendors woke up the people in slumber.
Servants attended to the masters, helping them freshen up before going outside to buy breakfast. Four maids followed behind.
She had no appetite—the weather was too hot, and even breathing felt suffocating.
They only bought food for the two masters. When they returned, they arranged the food on the table.
Qiao Mai asked, “Xi Yu, haven’t you eaten?”
“It’s too hot. Didn’t feel like it.’
“Go buy a few bowls of cold noodles.” “They’re called cold noodles, but they’re not cool at all.”
“I have a way to make them cold.”
The four maids’ eyes lit up. How could they forget their mistress’s great ability? Eating anything was not a problem.
They happily went outside and bought a few bowls of noodles. Qiao Mai had prepared a large basin of ice. She poured the noodles into the ice for a while before serving them.
“Eat. When you’re away from home, you must eat even if you don’t like it. Drink more water, or you’ll get sick easily.”
Following their mistress’s example, the maids ate a bowl of ice-cold noodles, feeling refreshed.
“It’s too hot in the south. We followed them to buy food, and we’ve never seen anyone selling ice blocks. The north is better. Even if it doesn’t freeze in the capital in winter, it’s close to the north, and you can still see ice. But here, you can’t see it.”
“Who says you can’t? Just hum if you want something cold.”
“Haha, we also want something cold.”
The emperor held the empress’s hand and walked in. They had already eaten, but the weather was so hot that they couldn’t stand it.
With a wave of Qiao Mai’s hand, many bottles of drinks appeared on the table, taken from the freezer.
Each maid took a bottle and went outside. The emperor and empress sat down, opened the bottles, and started drinking.
“With you around, we’ve suffered a lot less. It’s so hot outside; I don’t want to go out.”
Qiao Mai glared at the emperor. “We came out because of you. If you find it uncomfortable, should we return?”
“Forget about it. We’re already out. Let’s finish the tour.”
“Then let’s go?”
“Yes. By the way, didn’t you say you’d get a sightseeing carriage? It’s so hot.
How about taking a carriage, huh?”
Seeing the emperor’s pitiful appearance, Qiao Mai took them to a secluded place. She waved, and a sightseeing cart with a sunshade appeared.
The car was one meter high with several seats on top. Qiao Mai asked Yuan Jiaqi to return to the inn to bring Dong Zhao and Dracaena.
They didn’t need a coachman. Dong Zhao and Dracaena could understand human language and knew when to walk or run fast, just like having a coachman guiding them.
When the old emperor and the empress entered the carriage, they immediately exclaimed.
“Wow, is there ice on this carriage? It’s so cool?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Just sit.”
Yuan Jiaqi carried Qiao Mai into the car. He said to Dong Zhao and Dracaena, “Let’s go. Slow down a bit.”
The horses started moving at a speed slightly faster than walking. The emperor was satisfied with the cool carriage as they didn’t have to walk. They could tour
Luzhou City in three days.
Overjoyed, he forgot himself and kept giving suggestions to Qiao Mai. “It would be great if there were a table. We could eat and drink on it.”
Qiao Mai rolled her eyes at him, flipped her hand, and a makeshift table appeared. The emperor widened his eyes.
“Haha, that’s great! We’ll see what’s available to eat later. After buying, we can put it on the table.”
The empress used her arm to poke the emperor, “In-law is glaring at you; stop talking.”
“Hehe.”
The carriage was novel, drawn by horses and moving slowly. It attracted many onlookers.
The emperor was in high spirits, buying rare fruits, snacks, and more. Yubao didn’t follow. All expenses were covered by Yuan Jiaqi.
Luzhou City was not inferior to Liangzhou. After all, it was the nearest city to the bustling trade fortress.
In broad daylight, the streets were lively with many tropical fruits for sale. The seafood was abundant, especially the pearls, which were remarkably inexpensive.
Many jewelers bought pearls here and then resold them at higher prices in the interior.
The empress and Qiao Mai each took a palace fan, fanning themselves while leisurely watching both sides of the street.
They observed the commoners, and the commoners observed them.
Rumbling thunder echoed, and people on the street began to run for cover from the rain.
At this moment, Dong Zhao and Dracaena had already put on transparent raincoats. A rain curtain hung over the top of the carriage. They could still see the scenery while isolating the warmth from outside, making it even cooler.
The carriage continued to move slowly, and raindrops drummed on the top. The number of pedestrians on the road decreased.
All the scenery seemed to be highlighting Qiao Mai’s carriage as it moved slowly forward.
Many people in the buildings above were watching with great interest..