I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 35: Turning Things Around
The next day was the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

In the early morning, the snow had stopped.

Xie An got up early and asked Han Li and He Chunli to clean the pawnshop and prepare for opening tomorrow.

After seven days of recuperation, He Chunli was able to walk with a cane. Although he could not do heavy work, he could still help Han Li.

Seeing his two disciples working diligently, Xie An found an excuse to go out. He first went to Chen's martial arts gym to borrow a horse from Chen He and headed straight for the county town.

Although Li Ru returned the original indenture and wrote a letter releasing the slave, this did not mean that Xie An was free.

According to the redemption process of the Daqian Dynasty, slaves were required to first apply to their master for redemption and obtain a handwritten letter from the master voluntarily releasing them.

Then pay the ransom and take the handwritten letter to the county government office for review.

After the review is passed, the Household Registration Office will issue the corresponding documents to prove that the slave has become a free citizen. Finally, the household registration will be re-registered, and the slave household will be removed from the household registration and transferred to the household registration of civilians.

Only after completing a set of procedures could Xie An be considered a good citizen of Daqian and enjoy the rights and obligations of ordinary people.

Although things had been basically settled, Xie An still didn't dare to relax before registering his household registration.

At the beginning of the Si hour, Xie An arrived at the household office of the county government office and waited in line outside.

There are quite a lot of people queuing up to do business at the household registration office today.

There were about a dozen people in front.

Xie An, who was at the end of the line, was not in a hurry and waited quietly.

Although Qingwu County is located in a remote area, it is very large and governs a population of 500,000.

Moreover, the Hufang Office had a lot of daily affairs to deal with. In addition to household registration and circulation, it was also responsible for the taxation of the entire county. The collected imperial grain was converted into silver, melted down into ingots, medium ingots, and other types of silver, and handed over to the national treasury.

In addition, the Hufang Office is also in charge of fish scale maps, money, grain and land registers, and is responsible for distributing disaster relief and handling matters related to the release of grain for disaster relief, etc.

It was only the beginning of the 4th hour, and there were still two hours until the county yamen's lunch break. Xie An felt it would be no problem for him to be the next in line.

but……

The yamen runner in the household office suddenly said he needed to go to the toilet. When he came back, he glanced at the sky and said to everyone, "It's getting late. Let's come back this afternoon."

Xie An was speechless.

No wonder there is so much chaos and war now. The attitude of this yamen runner can give us a glimpse of the situation.

The people in the queue complained a few words and then dispersed.

Xie An didn't complain. In his previous life, many slackers behaved in this way, and he was used to it. However, Xie An didn't leave with the group. Instead, he stayed until the end, waiting for everyone to leave before walking to the door of the household.

The yamen runner said gloomily, "Didn't I tell you to come back this afternoon... Um, then I'll do your work as well."

Before the runner could finish his words, Xie An handed him a piece of silver and the runner changed his words.

Xie An took out the indenture and the handwritten letter from the Li family and handed them over, explaining his purpose.

The original indenture detailed Xie An's background, origins, age, and circumstances. The handwritten indenture from the Li family indicated their willingness to free the slaves. The two, combined, facilitated household registration.

Of course, some slaves did not have a contract of sale, or had it lost. In this case, a direct release letter from the master could also be registered.

The bailiff took it and glanced at it, quite surprised. "Thirty-one years ago, you were twenty years old, a refugee who came to Qingwu County. Your origins are unknown. By this estimation, you are fifty-one years old now... It's difficult to survive without your master at this age. Are you sure you want to redeem yourself?"

The bailiff took the money from Xie An and asked with concern.

He had handled many redemption cases, but this was the first time he had seen someone who came to redeem himself at the age of fifty.

Xie An said firmly: "Sure."

Without further ado, the yamen runner immediately processed the paperwork for Xie An. Finally, Xie An saw with his own eyes that his household registration had been changed to that of a good citizen, with obligations such as paying taxes and grain, as well as the right to report to the government and take the imperial examination. Only then did he thank the official and leave.

When he walked out of the county government gate, Xie An breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked up at the sun overhead, feeling it was exceptionally bright. The gentle breeze was filled with warmth, and it truly felt like a spring breeze.

"After thirty years of slavery, I finally stand up."

Xie An couldn't help laughing.

Normally, Xie An wasn't one to show his emotions on his face. But today's incident was too important to him, and the depression that had been pent up in his heart for thirty years suddenly vanished.

I am so happy.

From now on, I will be an upright person.

You can marry and have children, and live openly and honestly.

"What does that poem by Master Li Bai say... We are not ordinary people, we look up to the sky and laugh loudly before leaving..."

Xie An ignored the surprised look of the gatekeeper and left with his hands behind his back and a smile.

Xie An, feeling hungry, went to a nearby affordable restaurant and ordered a bowl of braised lamb, spicy lamb head, peanuts, and a pot of warm wine. He devoured the food.

Eat meat and drink wine with big mouthfuls, it’s so pleasant.

I just feel like I'm missing a close friend with whom I can share my joy.

If you can enjoy the good times in life while drinking and eating meat, and singing with your close friends, that is the real joy of life.

Since there was no close friend by his side, Xie An had no choice but to drink alone, raising his glass from time to time to look up at the sun in the sky.

If time could go back, Xie An really wanted to have a drink with Li Bai.

During the meal, Xie An heard the diners next door talking.

"Have you heard? Tang Family Fort is opening its doors wide recently to recruit talented young men who are practicing health-preserving techniques."

"Anyone who passes the test will be given five taels of silver every month. There's also a chance to be chosen as the heir to the Tang Family Fort."

"Strange, if I were chosen as the heir of the Tang Family Fort, I would be very rich in this life. They are a top-notch and famous family in Qingwu County."

"Perhaps Mr. Tang's health is declining. The Tang Family Fort is worried that their unique skills will be lost, so they are urgently spending money to recruit talents."

"I wonder which young man has such good fortune..."

"..."

Xie An was stunned when he heard this.

When Chen He and I came to the county town a few months ago, we also heard people talking about Tangjiabao.

Coming back now, it’s still the same.

Xie An looked back and saw that most people in the restaurant were discussing this matter. This showed that Tangjiabao was indeed very influential in Qingwu County. It was considered a first-class and prestigious family.

"How about I try my luck? After all, health-preserving exercises suit me..."

An idea came to Xie An's mind, but then he remembered that everyone was talking about Tangjiabao recruiting talented young people, but he was an old man in his fifties after all. Wouldn't he be laughed at if he went there rashly?

"I'll just buy some gifts and go visit Master Tang Qingfeng. Just as a token of my gratitude for his teaching. That's perfectly reasonable."

(End of this chapter)