Xiaoyaoshanjun

Chapter 29 Spend Less Money

Qitian Mansion

Tian Buli set out in the morning and pushed his cart into the city gate at nine in the morning.

Mr. Sick sat on the cart, smiling and stroking his gray and white beard.

"There are more than a million people in Qitianfu City. The city walls are 90,000 meters long on all four sides, there are 19 city gates, and there are countless gardens, hunting grounds, and fertile fields."

"Not only are there high-ranking officials living inside, but there are also officials in seclusion. We must be careful when we go in."

Tian Buli walked across the city wall and thought he would be able to see the market hotel after entering the city, but he didn't expect there was a distinction between the inner city and the outer city.

There are four circles in Qitian Mansion.

Now we enter the wide farmland area between the outer wall and the city wall.

There are still many rural areas in this region, but they are basically the properties of local tycoons.

Walking further in, you can see the city walls, and ordinary people live in the city.

This area has a large population and is considered a gathering place for scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, and belongs to the outer city.

There is an inner wall in a part of the city further inside, where people from various families in Yingtian Prefecture live. This place belongs to the inner city.

There was a group of royal relatives in Yingtian Prefecture. They lived within the palace walls and only interacted with the children of noble families and officials.

Tian Buli and Mr. Bing entered the outer city gate obediently.

There are real first-class people, second-class people, third-class people, and fourth-class people here.

First class: royal relatives, second class: aristocratic families, third class: officials, and I don’t know about the fourth class.

Tian Buli felt that scholars like him didn't seem to be that important in this world.

Besides, I cannot represent the scholars. Only those who are the leaders of the scholars or great scholars can represent them.

Even if you pass the exam and become a scholar, in the eyes of a group of people outside, you are just like a dog.

Maybe it's not even as good as other people's dogs.

Tian Buli shook his head. The more he thought about it, the unhappier he felt. He couldn't say such negative things to others.

The reason why Mr. Sick was able to get better was because he had fighting spirit and hope. If he didn’t have these, he wouldn’t have survived.

There is no point in thinking about messy things. Tian Buli thought about the money in his pocket and instantly stopped thinking about anything else.

Even after entering the bustling capital city, I didn't feel much curiosity or excitement. Instead, looking at the nearby buildings and shops, I felt the sorrow of a poor person who has to spend money.

The money in his pocket was earned from selling tofu, selling smiles, selling his face and his life. Tian Buli didn't want to waste it lavishly.

I didn’t ask anyone to guarantee me for the exam this time because I know my own abilities and there’s no need to waste money hiring a scholar.

"Sir, let's go find where the Kang family lives. We'll need Mr. Kang to be our guarantor for the exam in two days."

"Okay." Mr. Bing sat on the cart and went into the city. He found many people looking at him. "Sir, put me down. I will walk by myself."

Mr. Bing felt like a sick old lady, especially when he saw some people coming towards him with carts and goods, he felt even more embarrassed.

Tian Buli did not stop, "Sir, just think of it as riding in a sedan chair. You will meet a lot of people in the future, and many people will look at you like this. No matter if they are riding on horses or sitting in cars, just treat them as passers-by and get used to it sooner or later."

"Look at the people who passed by on the road just now. Except for a few pretty girls, who can remember who? I even forgot the name of the shabby inn yesterday. Life is like this. Don't care too much about some things. You don't encounter them every day."

"Sir, just take out your book and read it. You don't have nice clothes now, but you are a scholar. Books are not only your future, but also your gold, silver, jewelry, beauties and jades. Why do you care what others think of you?"

"If someone keeps looking at you, you look at him too. He can't stand it and looks away. That's momentum! If you become an official in the future, you can't be guilty."

"You can be weak physically, but not mentally. If you are weak, you will lose confidence and won't be like a great official."

Mr. Bing was too embarrassed to say anything, and after sitting on the cart for a few minutes, he slowly got used to it.

When he was not reading and sitting on the cart, others looked at him with more ridicule and curiosity.

When he was sitting on the cart reading seriously, others would become more curious and respectful to him. Even when they occasionally looked away from the book to look at the passers-by, the passers-by would quickly dodge and make way.

Mr. Bing discovered that what Tian Buli had just said was golden advice!

Reading is good, reading is wonderful!
As they walked, they suddenly saw that the street ahead became lively. Many people gathered together, and there was a stage ahead.

"Street performance?" Tian Buli became interested, but finding someone was more important, so he didn't waste time getting closer to take a look.

Mr. Bing was also looking over there. There were hundreds of people gathered together, and no one knew what they were doing.

In addition to the merchants and peddlers in cloth, there were also many young people in silk and satin, as well as young ladies and maids in beautiful clothes watching from the nearby restaurants and teahouses. Kang Biyong was standing outside a group of people, and when he was bored and looking around, he saw Tian Buli and Hu Yuwei.

"Brother Hu! Brother Tian!"

Fourteen-year-old Kang Biyong quickly came over to say hello and said with a smile, "You guys came so quickly. I thought you would arrive the day after tomorrow."

Tian Buli felt relieved when he saw Kang Biyong. "You guys chat, I'll find a place to park. Sir, please wait for me for half an hour. I remember there is an inn on the side of the road that looks pretty good."

Mr. Bing got off the cart and bowed to Kang Biyong, who was a young man who had won the second place in the examination and whose father was a juren.

Kang Biyong said to Tian Buli, "There are still two rooms in the inn where we are staying. Why don't you come back with me later? We can stay together and talk about the article in the evening."

Tian Buli couldn't afford to live where these people lived, but he was worried that Mr. Bing would lose face, so he said, "Okay, but I don't know how much the inn costs? We met a black shop on the road, and they asked us for more than a thousand coins for a shabby room."

Kang Biyong didn't quite understand this. "I don't know. I didn't ask which house my father rented."

Tian Buli felt bitter in his heart. This scholar's child would definitely not live in an economical house, and he didn't know if his money was enough.

At this time, several men and women came over, some in their thirties or forties, and some in their teens.

Young masters in big cities have been studying since childhood, and it is not uncommon for them to take the examination for a tongsheng at the age of twelve or thirteen. Many major examinations are held every three years, so the earlier you take the examination, the more advantages you have.

Everyone quickly greeted each other. Some were students who had failed the exam more than ten times, some were taking the exam for the first time, and some had already passed the exam and came to relax with their friends.

Fu Shuhong, who had failed the test more than a dozen times, asked, "Brother Hu, have you just entered the city?"

Mr. Bing said politely, "Yes, I just entered the city with my benefactor."

"Benefactor?" Fu Shuhong thought it was a name.

Tian Buli explained, "Some time ago, something happened at the master's home, and I helped him. Since the master took me in and taught me knowledge, I helped him at his home. The master is loyal and righteous, so he kept calling me that. I usually sell tofu on the street, and this time I came with the master."

Fu Shuhong nodded and looked at Mr. Bing again, "I see. Have you found a place to live?"

As he spoke, he did not take Tian Buli seriously at all, and just regarded him as a relative who was helping out in the family.

Mr. Bing smiled bitterly and said, "We'll find one later. We are both short of money, so we'll find an ordinary inn to stay in later."

Kang Biyong said, "Just stay at the inn where I live. I'll pay for it for you. My father said you are knowledgeable and wanted me to get to know you better. You are the first and I am the second in our county. It is only right that we help each other."

Tian Buli thanked him quickly, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. My master can just stay here. I will just find an ordinary inn later."

Li Zhen, who looked like a dandy young man, looked at the poor master and servant with the same smile on his face as Tian Buli.

"When I saw you two, I was reminded of those poor old scholars and little brats I often met. There's a saying... People who often drink coarse tea will fart loudly. I think it's this saying, right? It's coarse..."

City people look down on outsiders, and uneducated people with connections look down on talented poor scholars.

The others naturally knew that Li Zhen was deliberately causing trouble, but it was not easy to offend him, so they could only choose not to help either side.

Before Li Zhen finished his vulgar words, Tian Buli, who was standing next to him, pointed his finger and said word by word:

"He may live in coarse silk and linen, but he is elegant because he has poetry and books in his heart."

"Is this what the young master wanted to say?"

The other dozen or so scholars quickly looked at Tian Buli, and then quickly looked at Mr. Bing carefully.

Although Mr. Bing's clothes were old, they were not dirty. He paid great attention to his manners. Coupled with his scholarly temperament, it was easy for people to think that he was a man of learning.

In addition, he had been put in the car by Tian Buli for training before, so he was able to face everyone's gaze with a smile, giving people a sense of potential to become a high-ranking official!
"I thought it was something else." Yu Zhongzheng, a young man who passed the imperial examination, reached into his purse and said, "I see that Brother Hu has an extraordinary appearance and is the top student in the county this year. Since I am short of money, I will naturally donate generously. Please accept this five taels of silver."

"I am so grateful for your kindness. May I ask your name?" Mr. Bing knew that money was not easy to come by, so he did not refuse. He bowed and thanked him sincerely like Tian Buli did in normal times.

Yu Zhongzheng's face immediately brightened up, "I am Yu Zhongzheng, I just passed the imperial examination last year. To be honest, I am the same as Mr. Li Zhen, we are both attached scholars."

In addition to the scholars who passed the normal examinations, the imperial court would sometimes show mercy and give some other places to the scholars who passed the examinations. The places filled were those of additional students or attached students.

Generally speaking, this kind of quota has something to do with money.

The fancy sedan was carried by everyone, and Hu Yuwei took the initiative to give face to others. Others saw that he had a good temperament and was knowledgeable, so they were naturally willing to give him face.

Li Zhen's face looked a little embarrassed. The others ignored Li Zhen at this time and greeted Hu Yuwei one after another.

Tian Buli looked at the group of people who were chatting happily and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This way you can spend less money.

(End of this chapter)