Chapter 7

At noon, the sun was scorching, and the journey was halfway done. In the distance, a teahouse appeared by the roadside. A tall pole with a flag depicting apricot blossoms hung from it, and a large character for "tea" was written on it. Liu Jun urged his blue donkey to quicken its pace and headed over.

"Sir, please stop and rest your feet, have a cool cup of tea before you continue," a waiter greeted him enthusiastically on the road, trying to attract customers. Liu Jun dismounted and handed the reins to the waiter, "Give my donkey some water to drink and some hay to eat."

"Sure thing, sir, please come inside. I'll take good care of your mount," the waiter replied.

Liu Jun slung his bag over his shoulder and gave the waiter two copper coins as a tip. Though the amount was small, the extra gratuity made the waiter smile broadly, and he praised Liu Jun a few times before leading the donkey away.

Liu Jun didn't enter the teahouse but sat down at a table under a shaded pavilion outside. He ordered a pot of Tieguanyin tea and some snacks.

As the tea and snacks were served, Liu Jun had just started eating when he noticed a pair of eyes watching him from behind a tree. He looked up and saw a pair of ** eyes. The owner of those eyes was a little girl, about seven or eight years old, with a yellowish, malnourished face, wearing tattered clothes, and looking very pitiful. Her eyes were fixed on the plate of snacks on Liu Jun's table, shining with hunger.

Seeing her pitiful state, Liu Jun felt a pang of sympathy. Although his family had been poor when he was young, they had at least had enough to eat. Seeing this child made him realize that this was truly the world at the end of the Ming dynasty.

The peaceful and prosperous scene in Xibay Village was just a corner of Jiangnan. Not far to the west of Macheng, Zhang Xianzhong, who had been pacified in Gucheng, had rebelled. Liu Jun had seen the imperial warrant for his arrest. This child was likely a refugee who had fled due to the impact of the bandits.

"If you're hungry, come over and eat," Liu Jun called to the child.

The child, perhaps extremely hungry, didn't hesitate. As soon as she heard him, she darted over like a cat, grabbing snacks from the plate. However, instead of eating them, she put them in her chest.

A waiter ran over, shouting, "Where did you come from, little beggar? Get out of here, don't dirty the sir's clothes." As he spoke, he raised a wooden stick and rushed over. Liu Jun quickly stopped him, "Waiter, don't be angry. I saw her and felt sorry for her, so I let her come over to eat something."

The waiter, seeing Liu Jun's refined appearance and the scholar's cap and sash he wore, knew he was a scholar. He immediately lowered his tone, "Young master, don't pity these lowly people. There are too many of them, and they will ruin your tea. If you really feel sorry for them, let me give her a few steamed buns to eat elsewhere."

The waiter's words weren't entirely wrong. Liu Jun understood the difficulty of running a business. He nodded in agreement.

However, some people were not satisfied. A few young men dressed in silk and brocade, clearly the sons of wealthy families, didn't even pay attention to Liu Jun's scholar's cap and sash. They covered their noses and waved their fans, as if they were being overwhelmed by the smell of the beggar. "Beggar, get out of here!"

"Get out!"

"Don't ruin my good tea."

Liu Jun was not pleased. He said, "Gentlemen, please bear with me. I'll ask the waiter to bring her a few more steamed buns."

"You think you're someone? Get out of here," a fat man, wrapped in expensive Shu brocade, waved his fan and shouted.

Helping others is also helping oneself, and respecting others is also respecting oneself. Liu Jun had intended to speak politely, but these guys were too rude and arrogant, which immediately triggered his temper. He grabbed the obviously frightened little girl and made her sit down.

"Don't be afraid. You're my friend now. I'll treat you to tea and snacks. Waiter, bring another pot of Longjing tea and some of the best pastries."

The waiter stood to one side, looking at the group of wealthy young men and then at the scholar who had just lost his temper. He was in a difficult position.

"What's the problem? As a guest, is there anything wrong with my request?"

The waiter smiled and said, "No, no, it's just that your friend is poorly dressed and smells a bit. Sitting here will affect other guests. Why don't I pack it for her?"

"No, she'll eat here. Don't worry, I'll pay double for the tea."

Liu Jun's words immediately angered the wealthy young men. One of them stood up, pointing at Liu Jun and shouting, "You're asking for it. Get out of here before I make you. Damn, I didn't expect to encounter a vicious dog in this small place."

Liu Jun turned and glared at him coldly, saying nothing. Although these people seemed to have some background, Liu Jun was not someone to be easily provoked.

At this moment, the argument caught the attention of a few guests at another table in the teahouse. They were two old men and four middle-aged men, who looked like a pair of scholars traveling with two attendants each. One of the old men, with white hair, said, "When traveling, we should be tolerant of each other. It's just a small matter, why argue? For my sake, let's call it off."

The fat man, hearing the old man's words, became even angrier. He turned and shouted at the old man, "Who let you out of your pants? Old man, this is none of your business. Get out of here, don't cause trouble for yourself."

The four middle-aged men behind the old man stood up, but the old man waved them back down.

"Young man, don't be so impolite. Haven't your parents taught you manners?"

"Go to hell..." The fat man didn't finish his curse before Liu Jun acted. He sprang up, rushed to the fat man, and delivered a powerful uppercut to his double chin, sending him flying and smashing the tea table behind him, splashing the other young men with hot water.

"Ouch!" The fat man rolled on the ground, several teeth knocked out, his mouth bleeding, and he wailed in pain. The other young men were immediately enraged and rushed over.

One of the scholars behind the old man said, "Master, should we help?"

"No need. This young man is likely a martial scholar. Look at his moves, they are exquisite and powerful. Dealing with these rich brats is easy for him. We can just watch. This person is interesting, compassionate to the poor and weak, unafraid of the rich and powerful, and skilled. Not bad, not bad."

"There are few people who can earn such praise from you, Master," the scholar said.

As the old man predicted, in a few moves, Liu Jun had taken down all the rich brats. They knew better than to fight a losing battle and tried to run away. Liu Jun stepped on the fat man, "You haven't paid for the tea yet, and you also need to pay for the damaged table and chairs."

The fat man looked at Liu Jun, his face trembling with fear. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a piece of silver, about four or five taels, and placed it on the table before fleeing, mounting his horse and riding away. He circled back and shouted from a distance, "You wait, I'll get you!"

Liu Jun smiled coldly, "Who's the fool waiting for whom?"

"Thank you, young sir, for helping me just now. Otherwise, my old bones might have been beaten up," the old man came forward and smiled at Liu Jun.

"Old sir, you're joking. You have four strong attendants with you. They don't look like ordinary servants but like veterans who have seen battle. With them, those rich brats were just a joke. I should thank you for stepping in on my behalf."

The old man and his group were surprised that Liu Jun could see through the identities of his attendants at a glance.

"May I know your name, young friend?"

"My name is Liu Jun, styled Jiyeh, from Xibay in this county. May I know your honorable name, old sir?"

"I am known as Xintian. You can call me old sir," the old man didn't reveal his real name, only his alias.

Liu Jun felt that this old man was extraordinary, but the name "Xintian" didn't ring any bells. He didn't remember any famous person with that name. However, he didn't press the issue, thinking the old man might be hiding his identity or that "Xintian" was a powerful figure he simply didn't know about.

Since the old man didn't want to reveal his name, Liu Jun didn't push further. But he believed the old man must be someone important, and befriending him would be beneficial.

He smiled and said, "Waiter, clean up the table and bring another pot of Longjing tea!" He threw the piece of silver left by the fat man to the waiter.

The waiter caught it and immediately knew it was about five taels of pure silver. He smiled broadly. The damage to the table and chairs was negligible, and with five taels, he would still make a good profit after deducting the tea and snacks for both tables. He happily went to work, even hoping for more trouble to bring in more silver.

"Can I call you Uncle?" Liu Jun smiled and invited the old man to sit. "Since we've met, it's a matter of fate. The sun is so strong outside. Why don't we start our journey a bit later and have some tea and chat here?"

The old man, known as Xintian, looked at the martial scholar with interest, confident that he didn't know his true identity.

"I was thinking the same. But aren't you afraid that those people will come back for trouble? They look wealthy and powerful."

Liu Jun smiled, "They are clearly from out of town. They were just leaving with empty threats. They won't dare to come back. Even if they do, I have nothing to fear. If we reason, they are in the wrong. If they want to fight, I can handle a few of them, and there are your four attendants as well."

"That brings up a question. How did you know my four attendants have been in battle?"

"They have a certain aura, one that only soldiers who have experienced real combat have. To be honest, I am a martial scholar at the Huangzhou Guard Academy. Though I haven't been in battle, my instructors are veterans from Liaodong who fought against the Tartars. I've trained with them for two years, so I am familiar with this aura."

Liu Jun had been a soldier for seven years in his previous life and had been training at the academy for two years in this life, so he was very familiar with soldiers.

"They have indeed been in the military, but that was many years ago. I didn't expect you to recognize them at first glance. You have a keen eye."

At this moment, Liu Jun noticed the little girl standing nervously to one side. He turned and smiled at her, "Why aren't you eating? You look very hungry."

"I want to take it back for my parents and siblings," the little girl said honestly.

(Seeking recommendations, clicks, and collections. Author: Muzi **, Qidian_Muzi Blue, Reader Group: 207815796)

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