Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The next day, Shen Yuan woke up early as usual.

Whether in his previous life or this one, his biological clock was set early.

He was a born early riser.

There was still some leftover wild vegetable and wheat bran porridge from last night, which Shen Yuan heated up and ate.

He left home in the still-dark morning, heading for the county town to make a living.

The loading work for the Xie family merchant ship had ended yesterday, so Shen Yuan decided to go check out the teahouse on Duofu Street first.

Although Ji Ping'an had recommended him, if he didn't meet the teahouse's requirements, he would still need to find other work.

Wang Sanhu was waiting at the village entrance to walk to town with Shen Yuan. The homeowner who had hired them to build the courtyard wall yesterday said they needed to finish the job today. Coincidentally, his work at the dock had ended, so he could work a full day for that owner today and earn a full day's wage.

Seeing him, Shen Yuan greeted him with a smile, raising his hand in a wave. "Morning, Brother Sanhu."

Seeing Shen Yuan's smiling face, Wang Sanhu's own dark, taut face unconsciously relaxed, infected by Shen Yuan's cheerful air. He mimicked Shen Yuan's words, "Morning."

Knowing Shen Yuan needed to find other work, Wang Sanhu reminded him, "If you're going to the county town to look for work this morning, you can go check out the labor broker's place. Just squat outside, keep your ears open, and listen to what requirements the people going in to hire have."

The old Shen Yuan didn't like to talk, was timid, and never dared to take the initiative to speak to people or promote himself for work.

Often, it was Wang Sanhu who took him along, giving him a hand. When Wang Sanhu was too busy to look after him, Shen Yuan would end up taking the leftover jobs—the kind of work no one else wanted and only done when there was absolutely nothing else. There weren't many people competing for those jobs.

Today, Wang Sanhu had to go straight to the owner's place to work upon entering the county town and couldn't look out for Shen Yuan, which is why he spoke up to teach him what to do.

He had said these things many times before, but Shen Yuan had only listened, still not daring to act on them.

He hadn't intended to bring it up again, but thinking that Shen Yuan was different from before, much more outgoing and resourceful, he figured Shen Yuan could probably do it himself now.

"Don't go doing those jobs dealing with slop or night soil anymore. They pay little, are exhausting, and the key is you can't stand the smell. You've vomited from the stench several times; was that a good feeling? Go squat near the labor broker's place. If something suitable comes up, go up and ask if you can do it. What if you manage to land a decent job? It's definitely better than hauling slop and night soil, right? Don't think I'm nagging, Brother Sanhu. Those jobs are usually done by old folks. The foreman doesn't pay much for them either, not even as much as carrying heavy loads."

Shen Yuan didn't find Wang Sanhu nagging. "I understand what you mean, Brother Sanhu. You have my best interests at heart. Don't worry about me. Yesterday, while waiting for you in the county town, I happened to run into the clerk in charge of our group from the merchant ship. He recommended a job to me. I'll go check it out once we get to the county town."

He gave Wang Sanhu a rough account of meeting Ji Ping'an in front of the medical clinic yesterday. Wang Sanhu was dumbfounded for a good while after hearing it.

"Shen Da, you've really changed a lot. If it weren't for your appearance being exactly the same, I'd almost think you were a different person."

The old Shen Yuan had a good heart but didn't dare to step in to save someone.

Not just Shen Yuan, even Wang Sanhu himself wouldn't dare to beat up those beggars to save an old man.

He was afraid those beggars would stalk him for revenge, ultimately bringing trouble to his family and causing them harm.

Wang Sanhu was still apprehensive, frightened by the thought, his mind fixated on the act of saving someone. "Shen Da, if you encounter something like that again in the future, don't charge forward. You still have a bunch of younger siblings at home. What if those people really go crazy, don't care about their lives, and come to your house to cause trouble?"

Wang Sanhu's concern was understandable, and Shen Yuan knew it in his heart. Otherwise, yesterday in public and in broad daylight with so many people around, no one would have dared to step forward to help.

Besides the perpetrators being hateful and terrifying, a major reason was the lax law enforcement by the authorities.

Shen Yuan sighed. This wasn't something he could change or have a say in.

Fortunately, Ji Ping'an was there yesterday and ultimately helped him solve the problem completely, taking care of the potential fallout. He remembered this favor, as well as the favor of recommending him for work.

However, he didn't regret stepping in yesterday. Given the choice again, he would still do it. But he wouldn't be so impulsive.

"Brother Sanhu, I just think that when everyone is away from home, you help me, I help you. A lot of problems wouldn't seem so big anymore."

"I hope that in the future, if I or my younger siblings encounter any trouble or difficulties while away from home, someone will also extend a helping hand, to pull us up, to help out. Consider it me building up some good karma."

He didn't want to brush him off or deceive Wang Sanhu, so he spoke his true thoughts.

It took Wang Sanhu a moment to understand Shen Yuan's meaning. He didn't understand the concept of "accumulating merit," but he understood the rest.

It had to be said, Shen Yuan's idea was good, and the scene he described was something to yearn for, but reality wasn't like that.

He didn't believe others could be like Shen Yuan, disregarding themselves to pull someone up.

"In Guihua Village, three li away, there's a man named Xu Dagui. He was a carpenter famous in all the surrounding villages, able to get work in the county town with his skill. He was on the verge of becoming a wealthy commoner, about to buy good farmland. But then his hand was severed, and his family's money was gone. Do you know why?"

Shen Yuan searched his memory; there was indeed nothing related to this Xu Dagui from Guihua Village. He shook his head, curious. "What happened?"

Wang Sanhu's expression turned deep and serious, his tone becoming somber. "Because while working for a wealthy merchant, he took pity in a moment of weakness and saved a catamite the merchant kept. No sooner had Xu Dagui helped the person escape than that very night, when the moon was high and everyone in the village was asleep... a group of masked men, each holding a blade, charged into the Xu family home!"

"Instantly, the screams of the Xu family were terrifying, audible even at the village entrance amidst the wailing cries. If these people were just robbing them, that would be one thing. But two of them actually held Xu Dagui down! Another raised a large blade high and swung it down, chopping off Xu Dagui's hand! Xu Dagui screamed in pain, his head covered in cold sweat, his face completely pale. Blood covered the ground, gushing out. Luckily, he was tough and didn't die from blood loss. The villagers of Guihua Village later gathered and rushed over, driving those people away. It's said one was even beaten to death. No one in the Xu family died."

Wang Sanhu sighed, feeling very regretful. "But a carpenter without a hand, what can he use to practice his craft? The whole family had to become tenant farmers to make a living. The landowners were all oppressive, one worse than the other. In the end, they picked one who wasn't as harsh."

After finishing, he sighed lightly again, somewhat helpless. "Everyone in the Xu family knew perfectly well it was that wealthy merchant who sent people to do it. But first, they didn't do it at the merchant's own home. Second, no one saw the faces of those who attacked the Xu family. Reporting it to the authorities led to no one even inquiring about it."

Shen Yuan's emotions rose and fell along with Wang Sanhu's voice, which went from high to low, urgent to slow. He swallowed. It was really too terrifying.

Thank goodness Brother Ping'an saved his life yesterday! And the people who came out to help later!

Shen Yuan cleared his throat lightly and looked around. Everything was normal.

"Brother Sanhu, did you hear about this from others or see it with your own eyes?"

Wang Sanhu looked ahead, stating firmly, "That day, I happened to be working at the same place as Xu Dagui; I was laying bricks. While squatting in a corner doing repairs, I saw Xu Dagui help that catamite escape. They didn't see me, and I didn't make a sound... The incident at Xu Dagui's home I heard from others. Later, I ran into Xu Dagui buying grain in the county town; the palm of his left hand was gone."

Bringing this up, Wang Sanhu still felt uneasy in his heart. He had never told his family. Mentioning it to Shen Yuan today, he wanted to ask, "Shen Da, do you think if I had called out to them that day, Xu Dagui could have remained unharmed?"

"No." Shen Yuan wasn't just comforting Wang Sanhu but analyzing based on reality. "In that situation, if you had called out, you would have either alerted the owner's family immediately, or they would have run even faster. People who finally had a chance to escape wouldn't give up just because you called out."

That was a path to survival, a life-saving straw. How could they easily turn back? The will to survive wouldn't let them.

"Moreover, the fact that the owner later found Xu Dagui so precisely means there were clear leads. In places you couldn't see, others also saw them."

Wang Sanhu nodded, the stone weighing on his heart lifted. He let out a breath, feeling much more relieved.

"I hope Dagui and the child who escaped can both live well in the future."

Shen Yuan nodded. "They will."

"But Brother Sanhu, you really should become a storyteller. When you tell these stories, your emotions are so full, your tone goes up and down, very different from your usual self. Listening to you, my forehead broke out in a cold sweat. It was really too terrifying."

Not only did his tone and expression change, but his description was also as if he had seen it with his own eyes, complete with details.

Wang Sanhu scratched his head. "Storyteller? What's a storyteller? Does it mean reading? That won't do; we can't read."

Books were something money couldn't necessarily buy. One's ancestors had to have books to pass down generation to generation for descendants to have something to read.

His Wang family ancestors didn't have books.

But hearing Shen Yuan talk made him happy—how did he know how to flatter someone so well? It was almost embarrassing.

Shen Yuan suddenly had a bright idea, but before he could think it through, they had already reached the county city gate.

"Brother Sanhu has to go to work now. I finish at three forty-five in the afternoon. If you're quick, wait for me; if I'm quick, I'll wait for you. Right here at the county city gate."

Shen Yuan nodded. "Okay, Brother Sanhu."

...

Duofu Street had only one teahouse, so it was easy to find.

By the time Shen Yuan arrived, the teahouse had long been open for business. A banner hung diagonally, with one side bearing a character. Shen Yuan studied it and guessed it was probably the character for "tea."

The other side featured a few simple lines drawing tea utensils. A small clay pot dangled from the pole, strung with hemp rope, and below it hung a row of tiny clay teacups. Even those who couldn't read could tell what kind of shop it was by the drawing and the displayed items.

Shen Yuan thought that painting on banners and hanging shop-related utensils was an excellent idea—a real blessing for illiterate people like him.

"Guest, would you like the main hall or—"

A tea server came out to greet him, but when he saw Shen Yuan's ragged clothes, his emaciated frame, and the hole-ridden straw sandals that were falling apart, he swallowed the last two words, "private room."

Shen Yuan knew his outfit was shabby, but there was nothing he could do—it was his only set of clothes...

Everyone in the village dressed similarly; no one had anything better, only worse.

There was nowhere to borrow better clothes from.

However, the tea server didn't look down on him or chase him away. Instead, he changed his question. "Young man, are you here for tea?"

Shen Yuan shook his head. "I was referred by Ji Ping'an. He said you were short on tea servers here, so I came to apply for the job."

He had prepared a whole speech, fearing he wouldn't be believed, but to his surprise, the tea server's eyes lit up, and his attitude became even more enthusiastic.

"So you're the person the young master referred? Come, come, come right in."

Young master?

Did he mean Ji Ping'an?

Come to think of it, minor officials here who held jobs without life-threatening risks all came from well-off families.

Shen Yuan followed him through the teahouse door, quickly scanning his surroundings.

The teahouse had two floors—a rare tall building for the area. However, it looked rather worn; in fact, nothing in this county town appeared anything but dilapidated. The ground floor was spacious, with about a dozen tables and small groups of people drinking tea.

Shen Yuan could only see the staircase leading upstairs. The tea server led him to the backyard instead.

In the yard, there were stoves and rows of wooden racks filled with large bamboo trays, evenly spread with tea leaves. Some people were stir-frying tea leaves, others were chopping firewood, and still others were sorting tea leaves.

The manager was easy to spot. Though his clothes weren't bright, he was the only one without patches. Moreover, his figure was well-proportioned, not emaciated.

Among a group of thin, gaunt people, he stood out remarkably—he was even... handsome.

Shen Yuan finally understood why some dynasties considered plumpness a mark of beauty.

Commoners were extremely thin because life was hard and they often went hungry. Long-term malnutrition, coupled with backbreaking labor from dawn till dusk, made it impossible not to be gaunt.

The teahouse manager was examining the quality of the tea leaves when he looked up and saw someone dressed like a beggar standing before him. He was momentarily stunned. Before he could react or change his expression, the tea server immediately stepped forward and whispered a few words to him.

"So you're the person the young master recommended. Come, come, come, please have a seat." The manager put down the tea leaves, a smile spreading across his face as he gestured for Shen Yuan to sit.

Shen Yuan was ushered into a room in the backyard that looked like a dedicated reception tea room.

It was neat, clean, and simply furnished.

There was a table, four chairs, and a wooden shelf holding jars of various sizes, each with a wooden plaque inscribed with characters fixed below.

Shen Yuan, being illiterate, didn't look too closely.

He assumed they contained different types of tea.

The manager sat down with a smile, looking kindly at Shen Yuan. "You must be Young Shen, Shen Yuan, right? This old man is Ji Xingwang, a servant of the Ji family. Yesterday, the young master sent word about the situation. Now, let me go over the monthly wages and work arrangements with you."