Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

With the land tax paid, the people of the various provinces felt a little relieved, having finally made it through another year.

The end of the year is indeed a difficult time.

But this year has passed, what will next year bring?

Only Heaven knows.

On the way back, the people of the city were not as gloomy and dejected as Zhao Xian had imagined; instead, they were excitedly discussing how to celebrate the New Year.

The Taichu Calendar states: Zhengdan is the first day of the year, the first day of the first lunar month.

Some wanted to buy new clothes for their wives, others wanted to buy some honey for their babies...

In short, no one was worried about the prospects for the coming year.

Although Zhao Xian had lived two lives, he was still quite puzzled by this.

After informing his uncle, Zhao Xian immediately jumped off the oxcart and hurried forward.

The night was thick, and although there were torches for lighting along the way, people were still stumbling and falling.

Before long, Zhao Xian had reached the front of the group and caught up with the knights ahead.

"Jiulang, what's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

Seeing Zhao Xian approaching quickly, Chen Yuancheng looked back and, seeing nothing unusual, asked with a smile.

"I have some questions about cultivation that I would like to ask Ting-jun!"

Zhao Xian stepped forward, took the reins, and said with a smile.

"Lord Ting, let's go and inspect the area again!"

Upon seeing this, Wang Yi, the village chief, and others tactfully smiled and took their leave, turning their horses around and disappearing into the group.

They could naturally see that Chen Yuancheng valued Zhao Xian highly, and they wouldn't be the kind of person who lacked discernment.

After everyone else had left, Chen Yuancheng smiled slightly and looked at Zhao Xian, saying, "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

Zhao Xian did not hesitate and recounted in detail the petty official he had seen embezzling land taxes in front of the village house.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuancheng looked surprised and said in a low voice, "I've long heard of the corruption of minor officials, but to think it's this rampant!"

"If each household is charged an extra forty coins, and there are thousands of households throughout the village, the amount will far exceed one hundred thousand!"

After a few moments of contemplation, Chen Yuancheng looked at Zhao Xian again and said with a smile, "Does Ninth Brother want me to go and ask for this talisman money?"

"Tingjun has treated Jiulang very well; how could Jiulang dare to put him in a pit of fire!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian chuckled and slowly replied.

"Jiulang is indeed reasonable. This matter would be difficult not only for me, but also for the highest-ranking official in the county!"

Chen Yuancheng shook his head, then asked again, "What brings Jiulang to me?"

"People in Daosheng County live in hardship and do not think about accumulating wealth; instead, why are they so keen on spending money on New Year's Day?"

Zhao Xian immediately voiced his doubts.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuancheng looked at Zhao Xian and burst out laughing.

"Although Jiulang is young, he is calm and resolute in his actions. Since I met Jiulang, I have never regarded him as a child. Only today have I seen a trace of Jiulang's youthful spirit."

"This~"

Zhao Xian looked completely bewildered, wondering what Chen Yuancheng was laughing about.

As the laughter subsided, Chen Yuancheng also concealed his smile, looked at Zhao Xian, and asked seriously, "If you don't find joy in hardship, are you going to spend your days frowning and sighing?"

"It's not that I'm short-sighted, but rather that I'm mired in a quagmire and have no choice in the matter."

Seeing that Zhao Xian was deep in thought, Chen Yuancheng stopped offering any further guidance.

The key to this must be understood by Zhao Xian himself; it is of no use for others to explain it to him.

The journey back took twenty li, and the caravan arrived at Shanghu Pavilion when the moon was high in the sky.

The village chiefs led their carriages away, and Zhao Xian also loosened the reins and said goodbye.

"Kuroro, do you have any understanding?"

On the saddle, the scholar in the green robe raised his voice and asked.

"Something has been gained, but alas, I am not yet heartless!"

On the oxcart, the spirited young man replied loudly.

......

As the year draws to a close, the weather is getting colder and colder; it's no exaggeration to say that water freezes instantly.

This year, thanks to the assistance of Chen Yuancheng, the lord of Shanghuting, not a single person has frozen or starved to death.

The people of Zhudao naturally held Chen Yuancheng in even higher esteem, and his reputation in the Tingbu was at its zenith.

December 21st, sunny with a light breeze.

The opening day of the main market in the township.

As dawn broke, Zhao Duan came to find Zhao Xian.

With more than ten coins given to him by his mother and a bow and arrows on his back, Zhao Xian, along with his second brother Zhao Hong and younger sister Zhao Yu, went to the inner gate with Zhao Duan.

Uncle Zhao Li had already harnessed the oxcart and was waiting.

After the group boarded the oxcart, Zhao Li gave a shout, and the ox spurred its horse forward towards the village pavilion.

The main market in the countryside is just an ordinary market.

There are no walls or barriers around it. All you need to do is find an open space, set a date, and vendors from all directions will gather there to form a market.

Besides the main market in the township, there is also a smaller market in the adjacent Dahuting, but the goods sold are not as complete as those in the main market.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, Zhao Xian's family also needed to prepare some New Year's goods, such as buying a few kilograms of wine, some candles, and some meat.

A dozen or so coins were just enough to get by.

Once on the official road, there were more pedestrians on the road, and judging from their movements, they were probably also heading to the main market.

Along the way, the boys were quite excited, jumping off the oxcart from time to time to chase and play, their laughter echoing through the air.

The well has been dug for two months and has now reached a depth of more than six zhang (approximately 33 meters). Water vapor is gradually appearing in the well, and the well walls are quite damp.

If we dig another ten feet deeper, we might be able to reach the water.

As for Zhao Xian's cultivation level, he has been practicing for more than two months now.

Having consumed two bottles of Nourishing Essence Pills, his cultivation steadily progressed towards the third level of Qi Refining.

By the beginning of next year, I may be able to enter the third level of Qi Refining.

As for reaching the fourth level of Qi Refining before the beginning of spring, Zhao Xian no longer had any expectations.

Being short of money is truly the only bottleneck in the Qi Refining stage!

Amidst my turbulent thoughts, the oxcart had already arrived at the market.

After getting off the oxcart, several people crowded around it, and the uncle led the way towards the market.

The roads in the city are quite narrow, and pedestrians come and go shoulder to shoulder, often arguing heatedly.

The oxcart moved slowly through the market, and before they knew it, the group had finished their shopping.

After leaving the city, the uncle did not turn back, but instead led Zhao Xian and the others to the open area in front of the country house.

"Uncle, what brings you here?"

Zhao Xian looked around, quite puzzled.

The open space in front of us is now bustling with pedestrians, and the ground is filled with peddlers and vendors.

Zhao Li smiled but did not answer, and led the ox to the open space where the large carts were parked.

More than a dozen large carts were parked here, and although they were across from the country house, there were also cart drivers guarding the area.

One of the men, initially wary of Zhao Li's approach, turned to delight upon recognizing him: "Ah Li!"

"Wow! After a year, you've even acquired an ox? Where did you make your fortune?" the driver exclaimed, his gaze falling on the robust ox.

"The bandits attacked our outpost, and I killed three of them. I received a reward of three thousand coins from the county government to buy this ox. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Li smiled and replied, looking quite pleased with himself.

"You really aren't afraid of death!"

Upon hearing this, the coachman sighed in admiration, then looked at Zhao Xian and smiled, saying, "Which young man is this? He's quite dashing!"

"My nephew, from the family of my elder brother Zhao Yi, shot and killed more than ten bandits on the night of the bandit attack. The county officials all praised him!"

Zhao Li looked even more smug.

"So brave and valiant!"

"No wonder, you came here just to show off!"

The coachman also exclaimed in surprise, then feigned dissatisfaction and said...

"Haha, I'm here to find Zhao Zhi and my nephew, not to show off to you. Watch the car for me, we'll be right back."

Zhao Li unceremoniously tied the reins to the wooden stake and said with a smile.

"Go away! They're at the east end!" the driver laughed and scolded, watching them leave, muttering to himself, "Zhao Li was fierce even when he was young, and this nephew is even more remarkable. It's truly enviable!"

"Uncle, who is that person?"

Zhao Xian didn't recognize the coachman and immediately asked in confusion.

"The peddlers in the prosperous city, who travel far and wide to do business, naturally want to return home as the New Year approaches."

Zhao Li said with a smile.

"So, Uncle and my second brother are also going home?"

Zhao Xian's uncle Zhao Zhi and his elder brother Zhao Ji were merchants traveling with the people of Fanrongli.

"Isn't this just going to find them?"

Zhao Li grinned.

"Peddler travels the country, and it's hard to tell if his goods are genuine or fake; don't buy from him indiscriminately!"

Seeing Zhao Xian looking at the stalls by the roadside, his uncle also offered some advice.

Zhao Xian nodded slightly, then took his younger sister's hand and followed behind his uncle.

The market is a mixed bag, and it's not uncommon for children to go missing.

Zhao Xian naturally had to take good care of the group.

......

Before long, the group arrived at the end of the stall, where two burly men with somewhat similar appearances were sitting on the ground in a rather lazy manner.

"With your laziness, you two might as well go home and farm with me!"

Before he even walked over, Zhao Li chuckled and made a joke, then greeted the stall owner next to him with a smile. They were all from Shanghuting Daoist Village, so they naturally recognized each other.

"Greetings, Uncle; greetings, Elder Brother!"

Zhao Xian and the other young men immediately bowed to the two people sitting on the ground.

"It's been almost a year since I last saw you, and Sanlang has become even more dashing!"

Uncle Zhao Zhi smiled and praised Zhao Xian, then looked at Zhao Yu and said with a smile, "Little Yu is becoming more and more beautiful!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu smiled sweetly and stepped forward to call him "Uncle".