Chapter 14 - 14: The County Town
"Brother Zhong, if you have any instructions, just send someone to Huaihua Alley, and I, an old man, dare not refuse."
"You're too kind."
Everyone parted ways at the city gate, and Zhong Lin led Little Stone into Black Mountain County.
As soon as they entered, they felt the bustling atmosphere, the noises of vendors, shouts, and arguments, all resounding in their ears.
Upon entering the town, the townspeople were not surprised by the two brothers Zhong Lin and Little Stone, as if they were already accustomed to seeing refugees.
Initially, they would help out when refugees appeared, but as more and more came, they could only ignore them. After all, in these times, no one's household is doing well, so they must prioritize their small patch of land.
Zhong Lin led Little Stone directly to an open-air noodle stall.
"How much for a bowl of noodles?" Zhong Lin asked.
"Five large coins for a bowl of noodle soup, and one large coin for a pancake."
The stall owner did not show any disdain despite the brothers' tattered clothes and continued to serve them with a smile.
"Two bowls of noodle soup and three pancakes," Zhong Lin said with a smile.
"Pay first."
There had been incidents before of disaster victims eating for free, so it seemed the owner had learned from experience.
Zhong Lin took out thirteen copper coins from his pocket and placed them on the table, making the owner noticeably more enthusiastic.
"Alright, sir, please wait a moment."
Soon, two bowls of noodle soup were served. They were simple boiled noodles in water, with just a sprinkling of salt for seasoning. The pancakes, however, were baked with a fragrant aroma of wheat, making one's mouth water.
The two had been traveling and camping outside for days, and while they were not lacking meat, they were low on carbohydrates. Now, with a hot bowl of noodles in their stomachs, they felt refreshed and invigorated.
"Are you full? If not, we can order more."
Zhong Lin asked Little Stone, who was drinking the last drop of soup from his bowl, with a smile.
Little Stone patted his bloated stomach with satisfaction and said, "I'm full, brother. Should we go for a walk?"
It's typical for a child to have a short attention span, as yesterday's slaughter scene had been replaced by today's bustling town scenes. Now Little Stone just wanted to explore and play, his face full of excitement and curiosity.
"Let's go."
Zhong Lin held onto Little Stone to prevent him from running too fast and getting lost. They walked along the street, their eyes scanning all around.
This county was livelier than Zhong Lin had imagined. Street vendors lined the sides, selling all kinds of goods: fruit and tea, fabrics and clothes, steamed buns and meat soup, wine, women's hairpins and accessories, kids' toys, sugar figures, and candied hawthorns...
A scattered array that dazzled the eyes.
Zhong Lin bought a string of candied hawthorns for Little Stone, who nibbled on it excitedly while darting around. Had Zhong Lin not been holding him, it's unclear where he would have run off to.
Of course, not everything was delightful. While strolling through East Market, they also witnessed "offered for sale" signs.
Refugees entering the county who had strength or skills fared better, but without those, especially women, many were sold into servitude to wealthy families.
If they had any choice, no one would want to become someone else's servant, but they had no other choice; servitude at least meant survival.
After nearly an hour, Zhong Lin mapped out the general layout of the county, and as dusk approached, they found an inn to stay in.
The idea of getting a private room was out of the question; they stayed in a communal dormitory—a large room bigger than a basketball court. The floor was covered with layers of straw, enough to accommodate hundreds of people. Upon entering, one simply needed to find a spot, lie down, and sleep, costing just three large coins for the night.
The two picked a corner spot to lie down, and Little Stone soon drifted into the land of dreams.
Not far from Zhong Lin, many others were also settling in, either lying down to sleep or sitting on the ground. From a corner came the wailing cries of a baby, forcing a woman to turn her back and unbutton her clothes to breastfeed.
Enduring the various smells in the room, Zhong Lin contemplated their future path.
Knowing that martial arts cultivation existed in this world, he was not going to miss the opportunity. However, he also learned from Cui Xian that the most convenient and straightforward way to learn martial arts was to pay to join a martial arts school, though that could be quite costly.
Zhong Lin had some silver coins on him, saved from his previous life, offerings from Lower River Village residents, and what he found on the Mountain Tiger, totaling about nine taels.
This money was far from enough to join a martial arts school, so he still needed to open up new sources of income and cut expenses!
"So the thing to do now is to establish a foothold, earn money, and also learn to read," Zhong Lin thought to himself.
In his pocket, he had a boxing manual, but he dared not practice from it because he wasn't sure if there were important details in the text. If he practiced wrong, it could be troublesome.
While pondering, a wave of drowsiness hit, and he yawned before falling asleep.
They had been traveling through the wilderness for days, staying up each night and sleeping a little during the day, severely lacking rest. Now, finally arriving in the county, his mind relaxed, and he could no longer hold back.
The night passed without a word, and early the next morning, a commotion awoke the sleeping Zhong Lin.
Opening his eyes, he found the room's guests had already risen and left the inn. Zhong Lin yawned and sat up from the straw.
He checked himself, and his money pouch was still there, without any encounters with thieves or the like.
He woke Little Stone, and they went to the courtyard to wash their faces with well water, instantly relieving all drowsiness.
"Let's go eat something first."
The inn served breakfast, but they had to buy it themselves. They ordered two bowls of rice porridge and five vegetable buns, gulping them down quickly to fill up.
"Innkeeper, I'd like to ask you something. We two brothers have fled here and want to settle down. Renting a room at the inn every day isn't ideal. Do you know anywhere we can rent a place? It doesn't need to be big, just enough for the two of us to live."
Zhong Lin put down his bowl and asked the innkeeper, who came to clear the dishes, with a smile.
"Rent a place?"
The innkeeper looked Zhong Lin and his brother up and down. A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy with a four or five-year-old younger brother.
"Did you both flee here? No relatives in town?"
"No, it's just us brothers."
"Any specific requirements for the place?"
"Not much, just enough for the two of us to settle, and if it's cheap, even better," Zhong Lin said with a laugh.
"I see. I do know a place, but the rent..."
"Rest assured, innkeeper, we're disaster victims, not beggars, and have some funds left."
"That's good then," the innkeeper nodded. "You can sit here for a while. Once I finish tidying up, I'll take you to have a look."
"Thank you, innkeeper."