The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 437 Life and Death (Part 3)

Zhao Cheng'an followed Xia Sheng and Chen Qiusheng into the city in a swaggering manner. It was clear that he rarely went into the city. He had been waiting outside the city for two months. When he entered the city, he was just as curious about everything as Xia Sheng, wishing he had two eyes on the back of his head to see everything from every angle.

When the three entered the city, it was almost completely dark. The city of Beiping at night had nothing to do with liveliness. There were no night markets, and it was not brightly lit. Even the houses where ordinary residents lived were dark.

Lighting up at night is a luxury, so we should save money wherever possible.

Of course, three people can't explore a brightly lit place.

Chen Qiusheng led Zhao Cheng'an and Xia Sheng to the entrance of the bathhouse. There were many rickshaw drivers waiting and resting by their rickshaws. Their first reaction upon seeing them was business, but when they saw Zhao Cheng'an, they were all shocked.

Well, there are many beggars and ordinary people in the city. Sometimes it is even difficult to distinguish between extremely poor ordinary people and ordinary beggars with the naked eye. After all, everyone is equally dirty and disheveled, and no one should look down on anyone else when they are dressed in tattered clothes.

However, it is very rare to see someone like Zhao Cheng'an who covers himself up like a mud doll.

Although it was rare, the bathhouse staff were clearly well-informed and had seen all kinds of customers, so they greeted him warmly. Chen Qiusheng obviously knew the prices, so he handed the money to the staff and asked him to lead the two of them to the most common multi-person pool.

The waiter carefully examined Zhao Cheng'an, his face showing reluctance. He explained to Chen Qiusheng that the pool was too dirty. If he soaked in the regular pool, no one else could soak in it after he was done. He could only soak in the more expensive private pool, where each person had their own pool and the pool was changed afterward.

Chen Qiusheng was a little reluctant, but when he met Zhao Chengan's expectant gaze, he sighed, gritted his teeth, and paid the money.

"Mr. Chen, are you really not going to buy me? I don't want money!" Zhao Cheng'an's eyes lit up when he saw Chen Qiusheng take out money, looking like he had found the ideal boss in his heart.

Chen Qiusheng was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that he couldn't afford it, and left to buy clothes for the two of them.

"Xia Sheng, your new employer is really great, I really envy you." Zhao Cheng'an very familiarly moved closer to Xia Sheng.

Xia Sheng wasn't exactly socially awkward, but he wasn't quite used to Zhao Cheng'an, who was a natural social butterfly. He simply took two steps back to keep his distance from Zhao Cheng'an and observed the situation without saying a word.

Zhao Cheng'an didn't care about Xia Sheng's attitude. He was beaming with joy at the prospect of soaking in a private hot spring and happily followed the waiter inside.

I must say, the treatment is definitely different after spending several times more money. Zhao Cheng'an even gets free peanuts at this hot spring.

Zhao Cheng'an, being very loyal, only ate half a plate of peanuts, and took the other half away, leaving it for Chen Qiusheng, who had gone out to buy the two of them a cheap, slightly worn linen outfit.

Although the clothes Chen Qiusheng bought for the two of them were patched hemp garments, they were actually quite good, even better than what Cai Tou was wearing. Qin Huai carefully counted them; Cai Tou's clothes had at least a dozen patches of various sizes, while these two outfits only had four or five patches each, making them significantly newer.

After washing their hair and shaving their heads, the difference between the two became apparent.

Xia Sheng, who was theoretically 9 years old but actually only 7, was much stronger than other children of the same age in the hands of traffickers, but from Qin Huai's perspective, he was still extremely malnourished and a thin, small child.

Zhao Cheng'an was much taller and stronger than Xia Sheng. He looked like he could beat eight Xia Shengs by himself. In Cai Tou's place, he would definitely be considered a top-quality product among mid-range goods. He would have at least two customers asking about the price every day.

Chen Qiusheng was clearly surprised that this dirty, even somewhat frightening little mud figure was so healthy and even robust, and asked, "How old are you?"

Zhao Cheng'an wasn't quite sure: "12 or 13 years old, I guess."

This age is a very ambiguous age in this era; it can be considered a child's age, but it can also be used as an adult's age.

Hearing Zhao Cheng'an's words, Chen Qiusheng was even more surprised and looked Zhao Cheng'an up and down carefully: "What's your name? What are your parents...?"

“I haven’t named myself yet, and I don’t have parents. I’ve been in Beiping for two months and I just want to find a stable job.” Zhao Cheng’an’s face was full of longing for a stable job. “I’ve already thought it through. I don’t have a name yet, but once I find a job, I’ll ask my new employer to give me one, so that it will be easier for them to call me.”

Chen Qiusheng was deeply shocked by this unique way of finding a job. He even began to wonder if the child had some kind of mental problem, as he seemed both smart and foolish.

"What have you been doing in Beiping these past two months...?" Chen Qiusheng began conducting a background check.

“Stealing!” Zhao Cheng’an said proudly, his back straightening as he spoke of his specialty. “Master Chen, I’m particularly good at stealing. For the past two months, I’ve eaten nothing but stolen food! At first, I wanted to beg for food, but I found that what I got by begging was not as good as what I stole. The beggars in this city even form gangs. When I go to their territory, they gang up on me and beat me up.”

"I can beat one, two, three, or four, but I can't beat more than that. I don't want to die so soon, so stealing is safer!"

“At first, I was stealing while looking for work, but the requirements for jobs in the city were too high. They either required me to be literate or to know how to use an abacus, which I didn’t know.”

"Those jobs that don't ask for much pay too little, and you have to work day and night. If you don't do well, you'll get beaten up. It's not that I'm afraid of working myself to death—I'm sure I won't die from exhaustion now—I just feel that the pay is too low, and even if I get beaten up, I won't get paid more."

"The remaining employers, whom I think are okay and who are interested in me, all want me to sign a contract of servitude, which involves putting my fingerprints on something. I've secretly observed all these employers. If a good employer doesn't like me, I won't buy me; if they do like me, I don't really like them."

"Later I thought that since I was going to sell myself, it would be too troublesome to sell to each household one by one. I might as well go to a place where there are many potential buyers and wait there. So I waited outside the city for two months."

Zhao Cheng'an's impressive job-hunting experience deeply impressed Xia Sheng. Qin Huai could tell from Xia Sheng's stunned expression that he couldn't understand or comprehend it.

Qin Huai could tell that Chen Qiusheng didn't quite understand either, but Chen Qiusheng chose not to understand. He simply regarded Zhao Cheng'an as a mentally challenged fool, and even looked at Zhao Cheng'an with a hint of pity.

For a normal beggar to raise himself to this level is considered self-reliant and strong, but for a mentally challenged person to raise himself to this level is undoubtedly extremely difficult and requires extraordinary talent.

"Mr. Chen, please buy me! Although I am illiterate and cannot use an abacus, I learn things very quickly. I can learn any job and I am willing to learn anything!"

"If you're willing to buy it, I'll give it a name. I don't have one yet."

Although Chen Qiusheng had already spent some money on Zhao Cheng'an, he clearly had no intention of buying another page who might be free, and directly shook his head in refusal.

"As I said, I only need a page. I'm just an ordinary cook and don't need any extra servants. You look good enough to apply for an apprenticeship at Taifeng Restaurant. Whether you get the job depends on your luck. This is all I can do to help you."

After saying that, Chen Qiusheng led Xia Sheng towards his home, with Zhao Cheng'an following closely behind. After seven or eight steps, Chen Qiusheng turned around helplessly, looking at Zhao Cheng'an with a face that seemed to say, "Are you going to stick with me today?"

Zhao Cheng'an couldn't understand the meaning on Chen Qiusheng's face at all, and stopped happily.

Chen Qiusheng sighed helplessly again. Qin Huai understood his expression, and his face clearly said: Forget it, don't argue with an idiot. It's not easy for an idiot to live like this.

"You don't have a place to stay, do you?"

“No,” Zhao Cheng’an shook his head. “Usually, they just dig a hole.”

As expected, Qin Huai was right; Zhao Cheng'an followed the fine tradition of the mayfly and buried himself underground.

Chen Qiusheng hesitated for a few minutes, but finally softened: "Come home with me tonight and stay in the woodshed. If you're lucky enough to get the job tomorrow, you can stay in the woodshed. If not, I can only let you stay for this one night."

"But you must remember one thing: you absolutely cannot steal anything. If I find out, I will immediately hand you over to the authorities," Chen Qiusheng said sternly.

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen, why would I steal from my employer? I only steal from others!"

Chen Qiusheng: "...You can't steal from anyone!" After saying that, Chen Qiusheng turned around and led the way without saying anything more. Xia Sheng followed closely behind, while Zhao Cheng'an walked at the back with a happy smile.

As Chen Qiusheng himself said, his family was not wealthy. They lived in an ordinary alley in the city, with their own courtyard that they did not have to share with others. In addition to the small main hall, there were four rooms in the house: a woodshed and three living rooms.

The layout of Chen Qiusheng's house was very strange; it was obviously a split-up house. Judging from the layout and size alone, it was much more luxurious than the small house Chen Huihong lived in in the outer city. There was also much more furniture in the house, and Chen Qiusheng's son even had a desk in his room.

This is a big item.

"Father." Seeing Chen Qiusheng return, Chen Qiusheng's son and old servant came out to greet him with a kerosene lamp. They were both taken aback when they saw that there were two people following behind Chen Qiusheng.

The light from the kerosene lamp made people's faces look very sallow. Qin Huai carefully observed the relatively introverted son that Chen Qiusheng had mentioned and found that this young master Chen was probably not in good health. His face was indeed sallow and a little pale, and his figure was also quite thin. He was small and thin and was being led by an old servant. He looked only five or six years old.

It's no wonder that Chen Qiusheng didn't want to buy a child who was too big. If a big child is brought home, he might have some bad intentions, and if he's a little smarter, he might really bully young master Chen.

"Ping An, it's cold outside, come inside quickly." Chen Qiusheng saw his son at the door and quickly stepped forward to take Chen Ping An's hand. Seeing Chen Ping An curiously looking at Xia Sheng and Zhao Cheng'an, he pointed at Xia Sheng and said, "Ping An, he will be your page from now on, accompanying you in your studies and playing with you."

"Greetings, young master." Xia Sheng quickly greeted him respectfully.

"As for him," Chen Qiusheng said, pointing at Zhao Cheng'an, somewhat hesitantly, "there's no need to pay him too much attention; he's just staying for one night."

Zhao Cheng'an greeted Chen Ping'an with a smile, which startled Chen Qiusheng, who quickly pulled his son into the house.

"Master, what is this...?" The old servant was a little confused.

Chen Qiusheng briefly explained the whole story and instructed the old servant to arrange for Xia Sheng to sleep in the woodshed with Zhao Cheng'an that night, and to keep an eye on Zhao Cheng'an.

The old servant readily agreed, and without preparing any bedding, he simply spread some straw in the woodshed, gave each of the two men a dark-colored steamed bun, poured out a jar of water, and locked the door.

I've heard that Zhao Cheng'an is a thief with a screw loose, so just in case, the old servant thinks locking the door is the safest option.

The door lock could stop Zhao Cheng'an, but it couldn't stop Qin Huai. Qin Huai wandered around and finally returned to the woodshed, where he found Zhao Cheng'an and Xia Sheng already lying down. Xia Sheng lay there cautiously, his nerves on edge due to his mission, while Zhao Cheng'an looked completely relaxed and comfortable.

"The straw is so soft, it's much more comfortable than being buried in the soil," Zhao Cheng'an said happily. "I wish every day could be like this."

Xia Sheng was speechless. He gave Zhao Cheng'an a deep look and asked, "You really don't have a name?"

“No,” Zhao Cheng’an said firmly. “A name is very important, especially the first time you choose one. You must be careful.”

Xia Sheng: "Are you really out of your mind?"

"Hey, why do you talk so rudely?"

Xia Sheng fell silent.

Xia Sheng remained silent, which displeased Zhao Cheng'an. Lying on the straw, he said with envy, "I really envy you for having such a good employer. I don't think I'm any worse off, so why won't your employer buy me? I can work for free."

"Is it because I can't use an abacus or read?"

"If I could live such a good life every day, and even steal a little something from outside, I would be willing to die sooner."

Xia Sheng:......

Xia Sheng had already determined that Zhao Cheng'an had mental problems, so he relaxed his vigilance towards him slightly.

Once he relaxed, Xia Sheng really wanted to talk.

"I don't want to die soon," Xia Sheng said. "I want to live, and I want to live a long time."

“My father, my mother, my grandparents, and my sister all told me to live well. All the way from Shanxi Province, there were many times when I thought about stopping and collapsing on the side of the road to die, but I didn’t want to die.”

"If I die, my grandparents will have died in vain."

Zhao Cheng'an couldn't understand the complex emotions behind Xia Sheng's complicated words, but he agreed with Xia Sheng: "I also think it's good to be alive. I should definitely live as many years as possible. I also want to live as many years as possible."

"I haven't found a company willing to name me yet. Once I do, I'll definitely ask them to give me a nice-sounding name so that I can die with a nice-sounding name."

"By the way, I didn't quite understand what Master Chen was saying today. What kind of place is Taifeng Restaurant? What is a chef? I do know what an apprentice is, though—it's a job where you just do the work and don't get paid."

Xia Sheng: "...Taifenglou must be a grand restaurant, and the chefs there are specifically there to cook for dignitaries."

"Cooking! Did the cook make the pig's head meat, rice wine, offal, and steamed buns I stole a few days ago?"

"Yes!"

"Can the chef eat whatever he wants?"

"...Probably not, but I can eat a little bit."

"Wow, Mr. Chen is such a kind person, he actually recommended me for such a good job!"

"When I was looking for work before, why didn't I find such a good job? When I was looking for work before, they all made me move things around, or pull a millstone."

Xia Sheng: Maybe it's because those recruiters can tell at a glance that you're an idiot and they're too lazy to explain to you.

Xia Sheng ignored Zhao Cheng'an, turned over, closed his eyes, and went to sleep, leaving Zhao Cheng'an alone lying on the straw, excited.

Qin Huai: ...

It's hard to judge, yet it's inexplicably reasonable.

As a newly arrived spirit, Zhao Cheng'an didn't have a good mentor like Hui Niang, unlike Chen Huihong. It's normal that he lacked common sense. In feudal society, he would easily have been mistaken for a monster, captured, and burned.

But he also had a skill: stealing. This made it quite reasonable for him to survive, and it seemed rather foolish.

This guy is really outspoken; he says whatever comes to mind. He's so honest that it's hard not to think he's a fool.

I can only say that everything is the best arrangement.

(End of this chapter)