Entering White Mountain District.
The passersby were mostly in shabby clothes, emaciated and haggard.
Songyi City was still relatively stable, but most ordinary people were not well-off and could barely scrape by.
Lin Zheyu, dressed in a clean robe, seemed somewhat out of place here.
As evening approached, many people returned from work.
Lin Zheyu saw a few scattered people, and their gazes towards him were somewhat peculiar.
"I’ve been watching this kid for a few days now; he looks healthier, probably gained some advantage in the city."
Not far away, a monkey-thin man said to his companion.
The four of them sat on stones by the roadside, boasting and idling, while observing passersby.
"I know him, he’s a refugee who came here recently, a scholar, that’s why he’s allowed to work in the city."
"I heard he came from a wealthy family in Jiunan City, but unfortunately, Jiunan City was occupied by rebel forces, making him a refugee."
"What kind of money could a refugee have? I checked the place he rented a few days ago—nothing there—he must have been robbed during his journey."
Another companion sneered.
For someone like him, without any companions and all alone, they often had the guts.
As long as it didn’t claim a life, the authorities usually didn’t pursue it too much.
Even if it did claim a life, if no one stood up for you, it might not even be known, you could die silently.
"Damn, what a nuisance."
From afar, Lin Zheyu saw those four and inwardly cursed.
These guys were the local hooligans, idle all day, doing nothing but petty thefts and bullying the weak.
Lin Zheyu quietly took another path, avoiding them.
His small physique couldn’t withstand any trouble.
"Yoho!"
"That kid is guilty and trying to avoid us; he might have something good on him!"
The few of them, upon seeing this, had their eyes light up.
"Let’s go check it out."
The biggest man among them said.
His name was Gao Yu, standing at 1.83 meters, twice the size of Lin Zheyu.
They loved to bully those who were timid and had no one backing them up.
"Kid, stop right there, what are you dodging for?" Gao Yu shouted from afar to Lin Zheyu.
Lin Zheyu helplessly stopped walking, couldn’t even avoid them?
"I’ve seen you going to the city often these past few days; did you have a stroke of luck? Maybe help a few of us out."
Gao Yu said with a sneer.
His eyes scanned and examined Lin Zheyu.
"No such luck."
"You also know that work is hard to find nowadays; I thought I could make a living telling stories in the city after learning a bit, but my skills are lacking, and it’s very quiet."
Lin Zheyu said with a bitter smile.
"You, telling stories?"
"Hahaha!"
They couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
The monkey-like man constantly sized up Lin Zheyu and then snatched his bag.
"Tsk tsk, seems like you earned some money, buying meat."
The monkey man laughed tsking.
The meat wasn’t much, just a small piece, with fat and lean mixed.
"Been feeling weak lately, so I gritted my teeth and bought this small piece of meat; it’s all I have."
Lin Zheyu said as he emptied his empty pockets.
Having been robbed before, he now split his money into several parts, hiding them along the way.
Much like a crafty rabbit with three burrows, even if one spot was found, there were other places with silver taels.
Seeing the skinny Lin Zheyu, they didn’t think he looked like he had any money.
"Alright, you can go; next time you see us, come greet us, got it?" Gao Yu waved him off.
"Yes, yes, got it."
Lin Zheyu said, not mentioning the meat.
He was in a disadvantaged position, and with no relatives or friends, getting beaten was just suffering in vain.
"Whew..."
Lin Zheyu let out a long sigh, swallowing his bitterness.
Easy to meet King Yama, hard to shake off his little demons.
When the situation is unfavorable, biding your time is the wise path.
"Moving out first thing in the morning, rents in the city are expensive, but the security is better."
Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
The inner city had much better order than the Outer City slums, with many big and small gangs, and constables maintaining order.
Those hooligans wouldn’t dare cause trouble, if caught, they’d easily get a beating.
Back home.
Lin Zheyu’s stomach rumbled.
The meat dish for tonight was gone; he could only drink thin porridge.
...
He borrowed some pickles from the aunt next door and drank five large bowls of thin porridge.
Now was the time to recover, he needed adequate nutrition.
The next day, Lin Zheyu got up early.
After explaining the situation to the landlord, he left with his small bundle; he didn’t have much to pack.
"Good morning, Mr. Wo!"
Lin Zheyu arrived at Bidan Tea House.
Early in the morning, the tea house was quite idle.
"Oh, why are you here so early today?" Wo Yinghe asked curiously.
"Well, planning to move to another place, the Outer City is too chaotic, living in White Mountain District is too uncomfortable."
Lin Zheyu pointed to his bundle and asked, "Does Mr. Wo have any recommendations?"
"White Mountain District is indeed not suitable for living."
Mr. Wo nodded and, after pondering, said, "I know a few brokers who handle renting houses, and the prices are cheap."
"In that case, I’d trouble you, Mr. Wo." Lin Zheyu said with a smile.
"There’s no need for formality between us."
Mr. Wo replied with a smile.
Lin Zheyu was indeed a godsend for his tea house.
After giving some instructions, he personally accompanied Lin Zheyu to look for a place.
With Mr. Wo’s help, Lin Zheyu found a quiet place, three streets away from Hundred Flavors Street.
It was a small courtyard, costing 500 coins a month, quite affordable.
If it were a single room, it would be cheaper, only 200 coins.
The small courtyard was relatively secluded, with few households around it.
However, that suited him perfectly.
He would surely practice martial arts in the future; a secluded location was just right, without disturbing the neighbors.
Hundred Flavors Street.
Qingsu Tower, with Mr. Wo treating.
Qingsu Tower was a rather famous restaurant on Hundred Flavors Street; not only was it affordable, but the food was also great.
Originally, Lin Zheyu planned to treat Mr. Wo as thanks, but Mr. Wo wouldn’t hear of it and ended up hosting instead.
"Is the young sir planning to take the imperial exams in the future?"
Mr. Wo asked, his eyes fixed on him.
This young sir was indeed a goldmine for the tea house; its future prosperity depended on him.
If Lin Zheyu truly intended to pursue the imperial exams, he wouldn’t be able to tell stories at their tea house anymore.
"No."
"Given my current situation, regaining recommendations and acquiring examination eligibility isn’t easy."
"Moreover, passing the imperial exams is very difficult."
Lin Zheyu shook his head.
After arriving at Songyi City, he registered for a temporary identification, taking up a temporary household registration.
This temporary registration made obtaining eligibility for the imperial exams cumbersome, needing to find an accepting clan, sort out academic records, or garner the attention of some prominent individual.
"Phew..."
Mr. Wo quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"With the way you tell stories, young sir, in a few years, you’ll be renowned as a storyteller in Songyi City."
Mr. Wo complimented.
"I hope your words come true!"
Lin Zheyu laughed.
They chatted while eating; after having a few bites to fill Lin Zheyu up, he inquired about the main issue.
"Does Mr. Wo know any masters who teach martial arts?"
"Young sir, are you planning to practice martial arts?" Mr. Wo asked, surprised.
"Yes, I want to learn some skills for self-defense."
"You also know I’m venturing alone in Songyi City; without relatives, it’s easy to be bullied by rogues."
"I think learning some martial skills for self-protection would be good." Lin Zheyu explained.
"Indeed."
Mr. Wo nodded in agreement.
The law here wasn’t as complete as in the previous life; the authorities weren’t very effective, and many matters were handled by the gentry and clans themselves.
Without a backing of relatives, like Lin Zheyu, one could often end up being bullied.
"If you’re looking to learn martial arts, I do know someone—someone you’ve already met before."
Mr. Wo said with a smile.