From Beggar to Emperor: My Profession Has Its Own Characteristics

Just as Zhu Yuan was about to leave, the old man in the secondhand clothing shop called him back.

"etc."

Zhu Yuan turned around and saw the old man pull a rag from under the cabinet and throw it over.

"Sew that shoulder area up yourself. Carrying bags rubs against your shoulders, and it will tear in three days if you don't pad it with something."

"Thank you." Zhu Yuan accepted the gift and expressed his gratitude, then asked, "How much is this?"

"It's a gift for you, no charge." The old man shook his head at first, then gave his reason, "You paid so readily, come often in the future."

The old man in the secondhand clothing shop was efficient and decisive; his only flaw was his tone of voice.

Zhu Yuan didn't feel any hospitality from him, and even when he was invited to come often in the future, the man seemed indifferent.

Although you may not get much emotional value from these kinds of people, they are not troublesome to get along with, and most importantly, they are efficient.

This is why Zhu Yuan didn't try to bargain with the old man at the secondhand clothing shop.

The prices offered by these people are very reasonable, and it's difficult to get even a penny cheaper from them.

"Okay, I'm leaving."

Zhu Yuan left the secondhand clothing shop.

Zhu Yuan already had all the clothes he needed for his new job, including food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

As for food, his daily food expenses are now around ten coins, which is already quite high.

Ten coins a day, that's three hundred coins a month. For most ordinary working people, eating like that means spending most of their wages on food, making it hard to save anything.

Next is the "housing" part of the basic necessities of life: food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

We need to find a place to stay; we can't live in a shack like beggars.

He originally had 536 coins, but after buying a set of clothes, he now has 441 coins left.

As for where to live, based on the old beggar's advice, if he were living alone, it would be best to find a side room in someone else's yard, like a woodshed or storeroom.

These types of houses are cheap to rent, much cheaper than a regular single room.

Zhu Yuan accepted the old beggar's advice. He was willing to save every penny he could, and since he had lived in the beggar's shack for more than a month, he was willing to stay in these cheaper places.

Zhu Yuan's strong adaptability is also related to the memory of the little beggar.

These memories are exactly the same as what he experienced; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to sleep in this shack on his first day after transmigrating.

The old beggar suggested a house, saving me the trouble of going to a real estate agency and the agent's fee.

There are many houses like this in the alleys at the end of Qingshui Street.

With a goal in mind, Zhu Yuan acted swiftly.

At the end of Qingshui Street, there are some narrow alleys, so narrow that only one person can walk through at a time. The walls on both sides are made of adobe bricks, and moss grows at the base of the walls.

Zhu Yuan saw an old woman squatting at the entrance of a small alley, picking vegetables.

Zhu Yuan was very familiar with this old woman; she was the one who sold multigrain pancakes.

He still has one pancake with the old woman.

Zhu Yuan thought for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and asked, "Grandma, are there any houses for rent around here?"

The old woman looked up at him, clearly no longer recognizing Zhu Yuan, especially after he changed his clothes.

Compared to when he first transmigrated, he is now completely different.

"Are you renting a house?" The old woman's voice was still hoarse, like a broken gong.

"Mm." Zhu Yuan nodded.

The old woman stood up, dusted off her hands, and pushed open a crooked wooden door next to her.

Come in and have a look.

I got a lead on the first question; I was lucky.

Zhu Yuan followed the old woman inside.

The courtyard was small, piled with firewood and broken vats.

The old woman pointed to a small hut in the corner: "How about this one?"

"Let me see."

"it is good."

The door to the hut was made of two broken wooden planks, and it creaked when pushed open.

The room was half full of firewood, and against the wall was a wooden plank supported by bricks, covered with blackened straw. There were no windows, and a musty smell filled the air.

Zhu Yuan stood at the door and looked inside.

In the country he traveled to before, even a dog wouldn't want to live in this little hut.

But compared to beggars' shacks, it's much, much better.

Firstly, living alone gives me a lot more privacy.

"Forty coins a month," the old woman quoted the rent first, then continued, "Water is drawn from the well, and the outhouse is at the alley entrance."

"Grandma, forty coins is too expensive for your place. I'm sincerely looking to rent a room. How about thirty coins?" Zhu Yuan started bargaining and immediately reduced the price by ten coins.

"Thirty coins is too little." The old woman shook her head and refused immediately, but she did not insist on the price of forty coins. "I think you are a good young man, so I will give you a discount of five coins, thirty-five coins will do."

Before Zhu Yuan could speak, the old woman continued.

"Thirty-five coins is the lowest price I can offer; I won't rent it for even a penny less."

Seeing the old woman's resolute attitude, Zhu Yuan did not continue to bargain.

His bargaining attitude was just to try his luck; he hoped to get a lower price, but if he couldn't, he'd just let it go.

"Okay, then thirty-five it is." Zhu Yuan nodded.

"By the way, young man, I haven't asked your name yet?"

"My name is Zhu Yuan."

"Zhu Yuan...that's a nice name." The old woman smiled, as if she had just thought of something. Then, after her smile faded, she asked, "Zhu Yuan, where's your guarantor?"

Renting a house requires a guarantor, and the most common guarantor is naturally a broker.

If the two people are familiar enough, then a guarantor is not needed.

Clearly, Zhu Yuan and the old woman were not yet familiar with each other.

"No...".

"Without a guarantor, how can I dare to rent my house to you? What if you demolish my house? Who am I supposed to turn to?"

"This..." Zhu Yuan scratched his head, feeling both amused and exasperated.

Why would he go and demolish houses for no reason?

But the old woman's concerns were justified.

The old woman felt a little soft-hearted looking at Zhu Yuan. Zhu Yuan didn't seem like that kind of person at all. She was about to agree, but then she suddenly remembered something and seemed a little nervous.

Do you have a household registration in Qingyang County?

Without a registered household, one is considered a vagrant, and even finding a place to rent is very difficult.

Landlords are most afraid of the risks brought by homeless people.

"Yes, we have this."

As he spoke, Zhu Yuan took out his household registration book and handed it to the old woman.

The old woman took the household registration book from Zhu Yuan and looked at it carefully. It seemed that the old woman could at least read a few words.

"Pay one month's rent first, then pay one month's deposit, and the house will be rented to you."

The old woman handed the household registration book back to Zhu Yuan. Without a guarantor, she could have asked for more deposit, but after looking at Zhu Yuan's household registration information, she didn't ask for it back.

"Thank you, Grandma."

After thanking him, Zhu Yuan immediately took out his money and counted out seventy coins.

The old woman took the money, then took out a copper key strung on a rope from her bosom and handed it to him.

Zhu Yuan took the key and went into the small house that was temporarily his.

After deducting seventy coins, he now has only three hundred and seventy-one coins left.

Of course, it can't be calculated that way. The thirty-cent deposit is still his; it's just temporarily held by the old woman.

He still has more than four hundred coins.