He walked into Baishan District.
Most of the pedestrians were shabbily dressed and emaciated.
Songyi City was relatively stable, but most commoners were not well-off, barely able to survive.
Lin Zheyu, dressed in a clean long robe, seemed somewhat out of place here.
As evening approached, many people returned from work.
Lin Zheyu could see groups of two or three pedestrians, and their gazes towards Lin Zheyu were somewhat unusual.
“I’ve been watching this kid for a few days; his complexion is getting better and better. He probably found some good fortune in the city,” a man as thin as a monkey said to his companion not far away.
The four of them sat on rocks by the roadside, chatting and observing passersby.
“I know him; he’s a refugee who arrived a while ago. He’s a scholar, so he was allowed to work in the city.”
“I heard this kid came from a wealthy family in Jiunan City, but unfortunately, Jiunan City was occupied by rebels, and he became a refugee.”
“What money could a refugee have? I went into his rented place a few days ago and felt around; there was nothing. He must have been robbed of everything on the road,” another companion said, pouting.
They were often very bold with individuals like him, who had no companions and were alone.
As long as no one died, the authorities generally didn’t pursue the matter much.
Even if someone died, if no one stood up for you, it’s possible no one would even know, and you’d die silently.
“Ugh, how unlucky.”
From a distance, Lin Zheyu saw the four of them and cursed his bad luck.
These guys were local ruffians, idling all day, constantly engaging in petty theft, and bullying the weak.
Lin Zheyu quickly changed his path from afar, avoiding them.
His small physique couldn’t withstand any trouble.
“Oh ho!”
“That kid feels guilty and is avoiding us; he probably has something good on him!”
Seeing this, their eyes lit up.
“Let’s go, let’s check it out,” said the largest man.
His name was Gao Yu; he was six feet tall and twice as bulky as Lin Zheyu.
They loved bullying timid cowards like him, who had no one to back them up.
“Hey kid, stop! Why are you hiding?” Gao Yu shouted at Lin Zheyu from afar.
Lin Zheyu reluctantly stopped. Couldn’t he even avoid them?
“I’ve seen you going into the city every day recently. Did you come across some good fortune? How about you help us brothers out too?”
Gao Yu chuckled, his eyes scanning Lin Zheyu up and down.
“How could there be such a good thing?”
“You all know how hard it is to find work now. I thought since I learned some knowledge, I could try storytelling in the city to make a living. But my skills aren’t good enough, and it’s been very quiet.”
Lin Zheyu forced a bitter smile.
“You, storytelling?”
“Hahaha!”
The few couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Skinny Monkey, meanwhile, kept scrutinizing Lin Zheyu, then snatched the bag from Lin Zheyu’s hand.
“Tsk tsk, looks like you did earn some money; you even splurged on meat.”
Skinny Monkey chuckled with a tsk tsk sound.
The meat wasn’t big, just a small piece, with a good mix of fat and lean.
“I’ve been feeling weak recently, so I gritted my teeth and bought this small piece of meat. This is already all my worldly possessions,” Lin Zheyu said, patting his empty pockets.
Having been robbed before, he had divided his money into several portions and hidden them in concealed spots along the way.
Like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, even if one place was found, there were still other places with silver hidden.
The few looked at the skinny Lin Zheyu and felt he indeed didn’t look like he had money.
“Alright, you can go. Next time you see us, come over and say hello, understand?” Gao Yu waved his hand.
“Yes, yes, I understand,” Lin Zheyu said, not mentioning the meat.
Circumstances were stronger than him; without relatives or companions, being beaten would be in vain.
“Whew…”
Lin Zheyu let out a long breath, swallowing the bitterness in his heart.
It’s easier to meet the King of Hell than to deal with imps.
When circumstances are unfavorable, developing discreetly is the absolute truth.
“I’ll move tomorrow morning. Rent in the city is a bit expensive, but the Public Security is better there.”
Lin Zheyu mused.
The inner city’s order was much better than the outer city’s slums; there were large and small gangs, and the government yamen’s constables maintained order.
Those ruffians wouldn’t dare to cause trouble; if caught, they would easily suffer a severe beating.
Back home.
Lin Zheyu’s stomach rumbled.
Tonight’s meat dish was robbed, so he could only drink thin porridge.
…
After asking for some pickles from the neighboring aunt, Lin Zheyu drank five large bowls of thin porridge in a row.
Now was the time to recover his body, so he needed to maintain sufficient nutrition.
The next day, Lin Zheyu woke up early.
He explained the situation to the landlord, picked up his small bundle, and left; he didn’t have much to pack.
“Good morning, Manager Wu!”
Lin Zheyu arrived at Bidan Teahouse.
Early in the morning, the teahouse was very quiet.
“Oh, why are you here so early today?” Wu Yinghe asked curiously.
“Well, I plan to move to a different place. The outer city is too chaotic, and living in Baishan District is too unbearable,” Lin Zheyu said, pointing to his bundle, and asked, “Does Manager Wu have any recommendations?”
“Baishan District is indeed not suitable for living.”
Manager Wu nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, “I know a few real estate agents who handle house rentals, and the prices are cheap.”
“Then I’ll trouble Manager Wu,” Lin Zheyu said with a smile.
“What are we being polite about between us?”
Manager Wu said with a smile.
Lin Zheyu was his cash cow now.
He gave some instructions and personally took Lin Zheyu to look for a house.
With Manager Wu’s help, Lin Zheyu moved to a quiet place, three streets away from Baiwei Street.
It was a small courtyard, 500 copper coins a month, quite affordable.
If it were a single room, it would be even cheaper, only 200 copper coins.
The small courtyard’s location was relatively secluded, with few households around.
But this was exactly what he wanted.
He would definitely practice martial arts in the future, so a secluded location was perfect; it wouldn’t disturb the residents.
Baiwei Street.
Qingsu Building, Manager Wu was the host.
Qingsu Building was a famous restaurant on Baiwei Street, not only affordable but also delicious.
Originally, Lin Zheyu planned to treat Manager Wu to a meal as thanks, but Manager Wu absolutely refused, and it ended up with him hosting.
“Does Young Master still plan to take the imperial examination in the future?”
Manager Wu asked, his eyes fixed on him.
This Young Master was the teahouse’s cash cow; whether the teahouse could continue to prosper like this depended on him.
If Lin Zheyu really intended to continue taking the imperial examination, then he wouldn’t be able to tell stories in their teahouse.
“No.”
“Given my current situation, it’s not easy to regain a recommendation and qualify for the examination.”
“Moreover, taking the imperial examination is too difficult.”
Lin Zheyu shook his head.
After arriving in Songyi City, he had re-applied for a temporary identity card and was registered under a temporary household management.
With this temporary household registration, it was very troublesome to obtain the qualification to take the imperial examination; he would need to find a clan to take him in, re-establish his academic status, or gain the appreciation of an important figure.
Whew…
Manager Wu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Young Master’s stories are so wonderful, I believe it won’t be long before you become a household name as a storyteller in Songyi City.”
Manager Wu complimented.
“I’ll take your auspicious words!”
Lin Zheyu said with a smile.
The two ate and chatted. After a few bites of food to fill their stomachs, Lin Zheyu brought up the main topic.
“Does Manager Wu know any old masters who teach martial arts?”
“Young Master wants to practice martial arts?” Manager Wu asked in surprise.
“Yes, I want to learn some martial arts for self-defense.”
“You know, I’m alone in Songyi City, with no relatives to accompany me, so it’s easy to be bullied by petty scoundrels.”
“I figured learning some martial arts for self-defense would be better,” Lin Zheyu said.
“Indeed.”
Manager Wu nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
The legal system in this world was not as complete as in his previous life; the government’s role was not strong, and many matters in the civilian sector were handled by gentry and clans themselves.
Someone like Lin Zheyu, who was alone with no relatives as a backing, often became a target for bullying.
“If you want to learn martial arts, I do know someone, and you’ve met this person before.”
Manager Wu said with a smile.