Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Wang Sanhu rushed off to do other work, and since Shen Yuan had no more tasks for the time being, the two agreed on a time to meet at the grain shop so they could head back together after buying provisions.

Otherwise, one might encounter robbers on the road after leaving the county seat; walking alone would surely make one a prime target, picked clean like a fat sheep.

Although traveling in a pair was still somewhat dangerous, it was much better than being alone. If they were lucky, they might even join a larger group for a stretch of the road to increase their safety.

Shen Yuan's straw sandals were ruined, so he could only drag them along, the soles slapping against the ground as he ran toward the sesame toasted cake stall that had been tempting him all day.

"Mister, how much for the toasted cakes?"

The vendor looked at him strangely. "Kid, you got the wrong guy. I ain't no 'boss'—name's Fang Laoqi. The cakes are two wen each."

Shen Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry and didn't know how to explain, so he just smiled and accepted it. "I did get the name wrong then. I'll take two sesame toasted cakes. Wrap them separately."

The cakes were quite large and thick; two wen was a steal. They were wrapped in several large tree leaves pinned together. Fresh from the oven, they were scorching hot and smelled incredibly fragrant.

Shen Yuan's mouth watered uncontrollably. He stashed one cake in his shirt for safekeeping and held the other as he walked back.

"Brother, you've worked hard all afternoon. I just happened to buy a toasted cake; eat it to take the edge off your hunger."

Earlier, when the wages were being settled, Shen Yuan had heard the clerk's stomach growling.

Although this official kept telling him to quit acting like they were buddies, he was actually quite a decent person. He’d been decent to Shen Yuan and hadn't docked any of his pay.

The steam from the sesame-scented cake rose, carrying a hint of fresh leaf fragrance; the smell was indeed quite enticing.

"You worked yourself to death today for those seven wen just to buy a toasted cake to suck up to me?" The official looked at Shen Yuan with disapproval.

"I heard your stomach growling, brother. It’s been putting on a concert for ages, so hurry up and have a bite." Shen Yuan stuffed the cake directly into the man's arms. "I'm off now, brother. See you around."

The official watched him leave, holding the steaming cake in his hands. His servants hadn't brought enough food today, so he wasn't full at all and was indeed very hungry. He had planned to buy a cake to suppress his hunger after finishing the payroll, but he hadn't expected this kid to be faster than him. In the end, he didn't return the cake, muttering, "I told you not to act so familiar."

As he spoke, he unwrapped the leaves and took a bite of the crispy, soft, toasted cake. There go two wen, right down the hatch.

Shen Yuan was in no hurry to get to the grain shop. Wang Sanhu wouldn't finish his work for another hour; he was helping a family move bricks to build a courtyard wall.

He wandered around the county seat.

Pingshui County had many rivers and frequent merchant ships. Among the many counties in Wu Country, it was one of the biggest and best.

However, aside from the merchants, nobles, and military households who could benefit from the county's prosperity, the common folk were the same everywhere.

They were all so poor they couldn't fill their bellies or afford proper clothes.

The county was fairly bustling. It hadn't rained lately, so the dirt roads beneath his feet were dry and dusty.

Occasionally, oxen or horses passed by, and any manure dropped on the ground was quickly cleared away.

Many people raced to grab it, as it could be used as fertilizer if taken back.

There were many stalls and shops in the county, with plenty of food for sale, the most common being fish stalls.

These were fresh fish, caught and slaughtered on the spot. They were used to make thinly sliced raw fish; the meat was sliced as thin as a cicada's wing and dipped in the shop's special sauce—both cheap and delicious.

A jin of fish could be bought for six wen. Compared to twenty-five wen for chicken or duck, or at least twenty wen for pork, it was dirt cheap.

Shen Yuan thought that since he couldn't afford other meat, he could splurge on fish. He would buy one fish to take back and make soup to share with his younger brother and sister to give them a boost.

By adding more water and boiling it again, they could make it last for several meals.

He squatted by an old fisherman's bucket and carefully selected the fish he thought looked the most beautiful and delicious.

It weighed two jin; that was twelve wen gone, just like that.

He now had thirty-one wen left in his hand.

The wheat bran flour at the grain shop was divided into coarse and fine grades.

The coarse bran flour had more husk and less flour, while the fine grade had a bit less husk and more flour.

The former was five wen per jin, and the latter was seven wen per jin.

If the millet or brown rice was from previous years, it cost ten wen per jin; fresh harvest rice required an extra three wen. Processed white rice, even if old, was seventeen wen per jin, and new rice was even more expensive at twenty-five wen.

Generally speaking, new rice rarely entered the market for sale. Part of it went to noble households, and the rest was mostly transported to granaries to replace the old stock.

Grain was scarce and expensive, yet the wages for labor were pitifully low.

Shen Yuan felt the copper coins in his pocket, feeling a deep sense of admiration for the common people living here.

Life was truly not easy.

Shen Yuan looked for any work he could do as he wandered, while still calculating grain prices and planning how to spend those thirty-one wen.

Regardless, he couldn't eat coarse bran anymore; eating too much of that stuff was bad for one's health.

He planned to first buy two jin of fine bran flour, which had more flour in it. It would be slightly better for the body, and his stomach and throat would feel much more comfortable.

Then he would buy a jin of new millet for Beibei to eat, leaving four wen to save for now.

The money was easy to allocate, but work was hard to find.

Jobs available in the county were usually reserved for the local residents.

Those coming from the villages to find work were basically limited to heavy physical labor.

Shen Yuan stared at the various stalls selling goods.

The rule in Pingshui County was that those entering to buy things or visit relatives didn't have to pay an entry fee, but a traveling merchant had to pay five wen per person. If they wanted to set up a stall, they had to pay an additional stall fee.

Selling while moving through the streets didn't require a stall fee, but if caught staying in one place for too long, their name and description would be recorded. Not only would they be banned from selling in the county in the future, but their goods would also be confiscated and they would be fined.

Shen Yuan carefully weighed the feasibility of doing business.

In terms of craftsmanship, his manual skills were mediocre.

In terms of culinary skills, he could only make food edible.

Shen Yuan couldn't help but recall his major in his previous life: Literature. He had been scouted halfway through by a talent agent and, to make more money, he hadn't continued his studies, stepping instead into the entertainment industry and filming day and night.

Literature? Here, he was illiterate, and the barrier to literacy was an insurmountable cliff.

Acting? That was even less feasible; he hadn't even seen an opera troupe. Moreover, opera troupes of this era required years of training since they were kids and real skill.

The acting techniques from his previous life were entirely different from the opera here—they were worlds apart.

Not to mention that joining an opera troupe meant leaving home, and at his age, he was already past his prime for that.

Thinking it over, Shen Yuan realized that everything he had learned in his past life was completely useless here.

Traveling back in time, wasn’t he supposed to stand on the shoulders of giants? How did he end up standing at their feet instead?

Shen Yuan sighed as he walked along with his fish. Was he really going to have to keep carrying heavy sacks at the dock?

But next time, he might not be assigned to the clerk from the Xie family merchant ship; it could be someone else. Like that tall, fat one who had docked his pay today—then he’d definitely earn nothing, just working for free.

Still, he was practical. If it came down to it, he’d keep doing it. No matter what, the wages from hauling sacks at the dock could at least keep food on the table for him and his younger siblings. Ah, worrying was useless; better to stay positive.

For now, he’d just take it one day at a time, and later he could slowly come up with other ways to make a living.

Thinking this way, Shen Yuan felt much more at ease. As he walked, he noticed a crowd gathered up ahead.

Amid the crowd, there were cries and shouts. Curious, Shen Yuan pushed his way through to see what was happening.

Old Xu had finished his shift at the dock, gone home to fetch the copper coins from his clay pot, and combined them with today’s wages to buy medicine at the pharmacy.

He had also left half a piece of rough flatbread by his wife’s bedside, telling her to eat it to satisfy her hunger.

Elderly and on his own, Old Xu had been doing heavy labor for a long time and wasn't very strong anymore, so he was especially careful about his surroundings. Little did he know that his cautious, wary behavior while carrying money had caught the attention of a group of ragged beggars.

The six beggars were all just kids, the oldest looking only about fifteen or sixteen.

At first, Old Xu didn't think much of it, thinking they were just children and young boys who wouldn't do anything.

But the six of them moved in closer and closer, surrounding Old Xu and directly trying to snatch the cloth bag tied around his waist—the money for his wife’s medicine.

“Don’t take it, please don’t take it! I need to buy medicine, it’s for medicine!” Old Xu instinctively protected the bag at his waist, panicked and spinning around to avoid them. But everywhere he turned, there they were. He had no escape, and his sense of unease and fear surged.

The beggars paid no attention to his begging. Some grabbed at him, some kicked him, and others desperately ripped at the old man’s clothes.

Old Xu couldn't protect both sides at once; he couldn't guard his front and his back simultaneously.

He didn't understand why these healthy, strong young men would stoop to stealing his money like this.

This was his wife’s life-saving money. Old Xu held on for dear life, protecting it desperately. His body was covered in shoe prints from the kicks, and he was pushed and stumbled, struggling to stay on his feet.

He was about to lose his grip.

Tears blurred his vision. He was terrified he wouldn't be able to hold onto this hard-won money.

“Help me, help me. I can’t lose the money for my wife’s life…”

Nobody around budged.

Better to steer clear of trouble.

“Don’t take it, don’t take it. Please don’t take my money. Someone help me, someone please—”

Old Xu cried out, his old, raspy voice cutting through the air, but nobody dared answer. One of the beggars punched him in the face, and he cried out in pain.

Seeing Old Xu desperately clinging to the money, the six of them became more vicious. They piled on him, knocked him to the ground, and stomped on him, convinced that if they beat him unconscious, he’d have to let go of the money bag.

Old Xu couldn't react in time and fell to the ground. As blows fell on him like rain, the old man could only curl up, wailing, too hurt to speak.

The surroundings went quiet, making the sounds of the beating and the painful cries all the more distinct.

Seeing the old man being surrounded, beaten, and stomped on, Shen Yuan felt a rush of anger and rolled up his sleeves, about to rush in.

But just then, someone grabbed his shoulder. “You’re young but feisty. It’s not your money they’re stealing—why are you in such a hurry to play the hero?”

Shen Yuan recognized the voice. Turning his head, he saw it was the clerk in charge of the Xie family merchant ship who had grabbed his shoulder.

“They’re stealing money and beating someone up! They’re going to kill him!” Shen Yuan said indignantly.

The clerk looked Shen Yuan up and down. “With your small frame, could you even take one punch from them? Everyone else knows to keep their heads down, but you’re young and hot-tempered, with a temper I don’t know where you got from. Old Xu’s three sons all died in battle, so he has no one to back him up. You help him once, and then what? Can you keep helping him? Can you keep backing him up forever?”

Shen Yuan sobered up. That’s right—he had traveled through time.

The rule of law from his past life was separated by time and space. He was now in an era where power reigned supreme and laws were chaotic.

Even if he could stop it this time, what then?

Seeing Shen Yuan lower his head, the clerk thought he had convinced him and tried to pull him away.

But then Shen Yuan shoved a straw rope into his hand, with a small fish dangling from it.

“Brother, I understand what you mean. But if everyone acts like this, when you and I grow old and are too weak to fend off bullies, will we also have to curl up in despair?”

After securing his fish, Shen Yuan charged forward without hesitation.

The clerk watched his unwavering back, like a sword unsheathed, piercing the heart of the chaos.

Not just the clerk—those nearby heard it clearly too.

Yes, wouldn’t they also grow old one day? Who could stay strong and healthy forever?

Old Xu thought he was going to be beaten to death.

He thought, maybe dying wouldn't be so bad—he might even get to see his sons again. The only pity was leaving his wife alone.

But then he felt a weight on him, and the unbearable beating suddenly stopped.

He felt a warmth and opened his swollen, bruised eyes to find a young man lying on top of him, shielding him from the blows.

Old Xu recognized him. Staring for a moment, his eyes reddened, and his thin, bony hand clutched at the young man’s sleeve, tugging weakly. “Young man, get away quickly. Don’t… don’t get hurt.”

Shen Yuan took a few hits but gritted his teeth and didn't move.

“Where did this blind fool come from?” The leader of the beggars stopped and kicked Shen Yuan, signaling him to respond.

Shen Yuan endured the pain and turned his head. “He’s about to be beaten to death!”

The leader was taken aback by Shen Yuan’s furious gaze, then threw his head back and laughed. “So what?”

Shen Yuan shouted angrily, “You’re treating human life like grass!”

Hearing this, the leader straightened up a bit, losing some of his earlier arrogance. “Have you studied?”

Shen Yuan shook his head. “No.”

“Then what are you babbling about here? I’ll beat you up too!”

Before the beggar could act, Shen Yuan swept his leg out, knocking four of them to the ground.

In his past life, to play the role of a martial arts master convincingly, he had trained hard!

He earned every penny he got.

When it comes to fighting, it’s all about technique and using smart force.

The six beggars didn't take Shen Yuan seriously at all; to them, he was just a scrawny kid. He wasn't like them—they worked with practiced coordination and had plenty of street-fighting experience.

But underestimating him turned out to be the least of their mistakes.

Shen Yuan reacted swiftly, striking with his elbows at vulnerable, high-pain areas like the chin and nose.

He launched a side kick and drove his knuckles into a throat; suddenly, a chorus of "Ah!" cries erupted all around.

The bystanders were frozen in shock, and the petty official holding the fish was equally astonished. This kid not only had a fiery temper but was also a hell of a fighter.

With such impressive skills, he must come from a martial arts family, right?

But no matter how skilled Shen Yuan was or how much finesse he used, it was no match for how weak this body was.

He hadn't even eaten his fill...

Shen Yuan clearly felt his stamina draining. Seeing a beggar sneak up to ambush him, he simply didn't have the strength to fight one, take on two, and dodge a third all at once.

"Six against one—what kind of game is that? Let your grandpa play with you!"

A man emerged from the crowd. Though lean, he was tall, with a full beard and a booming voice.

No sooner had he spoken than he charged in, sending the beggar who was about to ambush Shen Yuan flying with a kick.

Once one stepped up, others followed. The previously hesitant crowd seemed to unleash their true nature; many rushed forward and pinned the six beggars to the ground.

Shen Yuan was solely focused on beating the beggar leader beneath him, momentarily unaware of his surroundings.

"You scum! The old man's three sons all died on the battlefield defending the country. Instead of feeling grateful, you dare to humiliate him like this?"

*Wham, wham, wham—*

"Do you admit you're wrong?"

*Wham, wham, wham—*

"Not talking, huh?"

*Wham, wham, wham—*

The lead beggar, now bruised and swollen, was all out of fight and had given up resisting. He desperately wanted to say he knew he was wrong, just to beg them to stop hitting him.

But the other side gave him no chance to speak!

Just as he thought this, three more punches landed on his face.

Shen Yuan knew reasoning with these people was pointless, so he chose to convince them with his fists instead.

Driven to a frenzy, the beggar grew vicious. "If you don't kill me today, tomorrow I'll slaughter that old man's entire family!"

Before Shen Yuan could respond, someone else spoke first. "Who are you going to slaughter?"

The petty official, still holding the fish, looked down at the beggars lying on the ground.

"If anything happens to Old Man Xu and his wife, I'll personally lead the constables to wipe you all out."

Besides, if he didn't step in now, the rioting crowd might tear the whole street apart!

Author's note:

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