Chapter 9

Tang San slowly walked to within a dozen meters of the city gate, looking at the guards at the gate, his pupils constricted, and his heart sank slightly.

Eight soldiers, dressed in green military uniforms, carried rifles on their backs, with bayonets at the top, gleaming with a cold, sharp light.

He was inwardly startled: "Good grief, I thought this place was at most a transition between feudal and modern civilization, but it looks like it's already in the Nationalist era."

His gaze shifted, looking around. There were already quite a few people gathered here, all coming from the surrounding roads.

Their attire was very similar to that of the Republican era, and some wealthy people were even wearing clothes very similar to Western suits, riding in rickshaws that sped past Tang San.

Looking at this scene, which was both unfamiliar and familiar, a hint of strange light flashed in Tang San's eyes: "I wonder what era this world is in, whether it's a peaceful era or a war era. If it's a peaceful era, that would be better; at least I won't die on the street. If it's a war era, I'll have to be very careful with everything I do, as bullets don't recognize people."

Tang San carefully observed at the city gate for a moment, then followed a group of people and mixed into the city.

These guards were all lazy, not checking the people passing by, and even the captain of the city gate was sitting there drinking a small drink.

Easily blending into the city, Tang San's gaze swept around, constantly observing.

The roads in the city were made of a mixture of soil, not yet paved with cement. The buildings around were mainly brick and wood structures, looking similar to cities in the 1960s and 1970s before the large-scale development of the west.

From time to time, one could see vendors on the streets, carrying poles and walking through the alleys. Some were selling snacks, some were selling old clothes, and others were selling various fruits, vegetables, and daily necessities.

Through his keen observational skills, Tang San felt that the people in the city were full of vitality, and it didn't seem like a chaotic and unstable era. He felt a bit relieved.

"It looks relatively peaceful. Next, I need to find a place to stay."

Tang San, being a newcomer, didn't dare to stay outside casually. If there were curfew laws in the city, it would be terrible. Even if there weren't, the night was a time when crimes often occurred, and as an outsider, he didn't want to die without knowing why.

Finding a place to stay wasn't a simple matter. Tang San's first problem was the language barrier.

However, this didn't stump him. His mind was naturally extraordinary, with a photographic memory, and he could quickly remember and analyze any information. This was his means of survival.

Looking at the bright sun in the sky, it was still early. Tang San wandered through the bustling city streets, carefully observing places like inns and listening to the conversations between guests and innkeepers, quickly learning a few simple phrases.

The writing in this world was similar to Chinese pictographic characters, so the language should also be similar to Chinese.

Therefore, what Tang San needed to remember were the key words, and some phrases were similar to Chinese, which sped up his learning.

After two hours, Tang San had mastered a few essential phrases that guests and innkeepers would use.

Whenever guests said these phrases, the innkeepers would have a servant or waiter lead them to the back of the inn, apparently to arrange a room.

At the same time, Tang San also noticed the guests who were checking out. They usually paid with a silver coin, and the boss would give them a few copper coins in change.

After calculating, Tang San found that a silver coin seemed quite valuable. He could get five large copper coins in change, and he had observed on the street that one large copper coin was worth ten small copper coins.

"So, the currency here is a decimal system. One silver coin is worth about ten dollars, one large copper coin is worth one dollar, and one small copper coin is worth ten cents. The prices are relatively low. With thirty silver coins, I can survive for a month without any problem."

With the money issue temporarily resolved, Tang San had a clear plan, but he didn't rush into the inn. Instead, he went to a small alley where there was a vendor selling old clothes.

Approaching the vendor, Tang San pointed to a simple gray outfit and asked, "How much?"

The vendor was a fifty-year-old woman. Seeing Tang San's stern face, she was a bit afraid and softly said, "One silver coin."

Tang San shook his head and said, "Five large copper coins."

The old woman, seeing Tang San's increasingly cold expression, felt a growing fear.

Tang San didn't realize that perhaps because he had once transformed into a celestial corpse, he had an inexplicable aura that made people fear him.

The old woman trembled and said, "Alright, five large copper coins."

Tang San threw out a silver coin, took the clothes he had chosen, and the old woman gave him five large copper coins in change.

Putting away the money, he ignored the old woman and quickly walked to a dark place in a small alley.

A few minutes later, Tang San, now dressed in the new clothes, emerged from the dark place, looking refreshed and completely different. He walked confidently towards a small inn on the street.

Entering the inn, Tang San went to the counter and, using the few phrases he had learned, successfully communicated with the innkeeper. A waiter, scolded by the innkeeper, quickly came over and led Tang San to the back of the inn.

The waiter walked in front, occasionally saying something, but Tang San just listened without responding, not understanding most of what was said, so he kept a cold face.

Seeing that Tang San didn't say a word, the waiter's originally enthusiastic face gradually became awkward, and he stopped talking.

Finally, Tang San took the key from the waiter, entered the room, and watched the waiter babble a few instructions, but it was like talking to a cow, so Tang San ignored him and waved him away.

Watching the waiter leave, Tang San's sharp gaze swept around the room.

This was a very simple guest room, only about ten square meters in size, with a bed, a wooden table, two chairs, and a set of teapot and teacups. Apart from these, the room was empty.

Sweeping his gaze over the old furniture, Tang San thought to himself, "It seems that the industrial system here is not yet developed, or this is simply an underdeveloped area."

Social development is uneven, especially in modern China, and Tang San had deep experience with this. According to his reasoning, this region was probably the same.

However, these national affairs were not related to Tang San. He had found a temporarily safe place in this world and could start planning for the future.

Looking out the window at the high sun, Tang San slowly said, "The most pressing issue now is the language problem. In a foreign land, not being able to speak or write is a big problem, as it limits the acquisition of information."

Indeed: A sudden glance seems like the Republican era, careful and cautious to find a place to stay.

————————————

New book by Tian Ji, guaranteed quality, never abandoned or interrupted, a conscientious author, hoping for everyone's support.

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends