Chapter 98: His Composure

In the kitchen, Shen Lie's ears twitched. Turning towards the door, he saw Sang Luo standing briefly before heading towards another gate.

He asked Shen An, "How much tax did our family pay this year?"

Shen An knew exactly, "Four shi four (bushels). Grain is so expensive. We didn't have that much at home. Sister-in-law borrowed money from the shopkeeper who buys our goods to pay the tax. Then came the labor levy, and with no able-bodied men at home, Sister-in-law paid a shi of grain to hire someone from Uncle Zhou's family to take our place."

Five shi four.

Shen Lie felt a pang of guilt. The responsibility for the family's taxes fell on her, and even he unknowingly added a burden of two shi for her.

"Do you guys know the current price of grain here?"

Sang Luo never kept secrets from the kids about household matters. Shen An and Shen Ning were aware of the grain prices.

"It's 350 wen per dou (unit of volume), and Sister-in-law has been slowly stockpiling, but it's too expensive."

Shen Lie nodded and asked if the piles on the shelves in the main house were all grains.

The two children nodded in unison: "Mostly millet, and a few bags of flour."

Shen Lie silently estimated. The grains that would have lasted over a year would now barely last until late next summer with him added.

After quickly finishing his meal, he washed the dishes and then headed to the main house, where Sang Luo was sitting at the table with a bundle of reed poles and three rolls of hemp twine.

Shen Lie knocked on the open door, and upon seeing Sang Luo look up, he entered the room.

His gaze fell on the reed poles, slightly puzzled, but he first went to his large bag on the floor beside the table.

Sang Luo thought he was getting clothes for bathing and didn't say much, focusing on twisting the three strands of hemp twine into a thinner rope.

However, Shen Lie wasn't taking out clothes but a cloth package, which he placed in front of Sang Luo, revealing a wooden box that wasn't finely crafted.

Sang Luo looked puzzled at Shen Lie: "What's this?"

He opened the box, revealing an aged ginseng root inside.

Sang Luo was startled.

Shen Lie explained, “Most of the past eight or nine months, I was in the deep mountains. I was lu