Chapter 20

Wei He understood. These old masters, it seemed, were the true greatest wealth of the escort agency.

He thought for a moment and secretly noted down the location of the bridge house they had passed.

Cheng Qing, standing beside him, spoke again.

"That night, I was just habitually provoking you. Don't take it to heart."

"It's fine," Wei He replied, unsure whether this woman was acting then or now.

Her words seemed to be a mix of truth and lies, or perhaps half and half.

But then he saw Cheng Kai not far away, looking in their direction.

He had some suspicions, thinking that the head master Cheng Kai was helping to resolve the conflict.

However, from the tone of Cheng Qing's voice, it seemed she was sincere.

Cheng Qing said a few more words and then got up and left.

Wei He picked up a dry biscuit, breaking it into small pieces and eating it with water, occasionally mixing in a piece of snake meat, and no longer spoke.

They soon re-entered the ten-mile radius of Feiye City.

The number of ox carts and horses on the road gradually increased, and everyone's mood became more relaxed, at least not as oppressive as before.

Soon, the group entered the city and returned to the escort agency. After handing over the records at the gate of Yonghe Escort Agency, a specialist from the agency came out to verify the individual's wages for the journey.

According to the rules, if someone died during the journey due to danger, everyone would receive a slight increase in pay.

However, since the silver was heavy, many chose to exchange it for meat strips.

Dried and cured meat strips, weighing over ten pounds each, could offset a significant amount of silver. Some also exchanged for cloth, various colors of cloth, and more expensive silk, which were now hard currency.

Wei He hesitated for a moment and exchanged most of his silver for meat, rice, and cloth, carrying it all in a large bag back home.

The value of silver was decreasing, and it was uncertain when it would completely collapse. It was better to stock up on food, which could also be used as hard currency for exchange.

After putting the items away at home, he looked around the somewhat shabby house, feeling more and more that he should move to a better place.

From his home to the stone bridge town where Huishan Quan was located, there were many gray areas, which was troublesome.

Now, with so much food at home and no one watching, it might be stolen one day.

Sitting on the only wooden stool in the house, Wei He let the sunlight from the window warm his body.

He recalled the sights and sounds of the journey.

He then took out a stack of yellow paper and a few charcoal pencils from under the table.

Laying the rough yellow paper on the table, he picked up the charcoal pencil.

Using the posture he used to hold a pen in his previous life, he quickly began to write and draw on the paper.

In no time, he recorded the places they had passed, the routes, the general terrain, place names, and local customs. Where they could stay, where they could rest and resupply.

He marked the bridge house with a circle, indicating danger.

And that monster...

Wei He took out another piece of paper and recorded the characteristics of the monster. He couldn't draw, but he could note down significant features, characteristics, and attack methods.

After finishing, Wei He put away the yellow paper, washed up, and got into bed to rest.

However, the smell of sweat and an unknown odor from the bedding made it hard for him to fall asleep.

The skin touching the bedding also began to itch.

"This quilt hasn't been washed or aired for months..." Wei He recalled.

He remembered telling his second sister not to return to this house, as it wasn't safe.

Since then, the house had become increasingly messy.

Suddenly, he felt an itch on his thigh.

Wei He was startled and quickly lifted the quilt, only to see a black cockroach on his thigh.

The cockroach, startled, quickly crawled down his thigh and tried to hide in the gap by the wall.

Instinctively, Wei He stomped his foot.

Splat.

He then realized he was barefoot...

A sticky, mixed with a hard shell, sensation spread from his foot to his entire body.

After a moment, he quickly got up and went outside to rinse his foot with water from the water tank.

After a while, he returned to the house, exhausted, and decided he wouldn't lie on the bed again. There was now a yellow stain on the bed.

He tidied up and decided to take his things to his second sister's place.

First, he would put the things at Wei Ying's place, then go to Huishan Quan's courtyard to sleep!

He decided to buy a house as soon as possible, move in with his second sister, and open a bun shop!

......

......

......

Shiqiaotown.

Near the Feiye River, a series of houses stood empty and desolate.

An old man, yawning, walked to a house door, using the keys in his hand to unlock the three large locks on the door.

The old man wore a dusty long robe, carrying an unlit lantern on his back, and a large bunch of various keys at his waist.

"This house meets your requirements. It's called Shanju. It was once the residence of a wealthy merchant, but later the merchant moved to another place, leaving the house to be sold cheaply to us brokers."

"What's the price?" A tall young man followed behind the old man, dressed in gray and white, highlighting his well-built, streamlined muscles.

The young man had sharp eyes and a steady demeanor, clearly Wei He, who had just put his things at his second sister's place.

He wasted no time and immediately found the city's real estate broker.

He then asked for someone to show him the houses.

The broker roughly asked about the type of house he wanted to buy and the price he could afford.

He then found an old man to lead him to the house.

The black-painted door creaked open.

Inside was a cobblestone path, the entrance to the house.

Passing through the main gate and a small gatehouse, there was a white-walled courtyard.

The courtyard was not large but was elegantly arranged.

On the left was a small pond with a bamboo tube water clock. A few leaves floated on the pond, and small insects slowly crawled on the leaves.

On the right was an old tree of unknown species.

The tree's branches spread out, casting a large shade. A thick black clothesline was tied to the top of the tree and the wall.

"The former owner of this house was particularly fond of imitating calligraphy and paintings, often inviting friends to drink tea and admire paintings here.

The last time I came, there were many silk paintings hanging on this line."

The old man, hunched over, slowly walked to the main house door and pushed it open.

Inside, a layer of white dust slowly settled.

"This is the main house, used for receiving guests. There are four side rooms on both sides, which can be used as servant rooms, guest rooms, bedrooms, depending on your needs.

There is also a toilet and a kitchen at the back, and a small vegetable garden. On the left is the Feiye River, so there's no need to worry about water."

The old man led Wei He through the entire house carefully.

This was the fourth house they had seen.

The location was in Shiqiaotown, just one street away from Huishan Quan's place.

Wei He walked around the house and came to the left side.

On the left, apart from the wall, there was a small side door. Outside the door was a path leading directly to the Feiye River.

Opening the door, the distance to the river was only a few meters. Standing there, one could hear the constant sound of flowing water.

"This way leads to the river, where you can fish and fetch water, very convenient. Also, from Shanju, you can see some of the inner city's scenery."

The old man pointed in a direction.

"See that pavilion over there? It's part of an inner city mansion. Living here, you can often hear the sound of music from there, and enjoy it for free. Isn't that a good deal?"

He grinned, showing a mouth full of yellow teeth.

Wei He followed the direction he pointed and indeed saw a small pavilion by the river, part of a large mansion.

The mansion had red-painted walls and white tiles, with mythical creatures visible on the eaves, clearly not an ordinary home.

Just as Wei He looked, he saw two women in white dresses, wearing veils, one carrying a lute, the other empty-handed, walking towards the pavilion.

They came from inside the mansion, and although the river around the pavilion was surrounded by stakes and fences, preventing people from getting close, the fences couldn't block the view from a distance.

However, soon after the two women entered the pavilion, they used white curtains to block the view from all sides.

"See? Living here, you'll have many good views," the old man said with a lecherous smile.

"In the past, there were even artists who would wait nearby just to catch a glimpse of the ladies."

He had a look on his face that all men understood.

Artists...

Wei He had heard of this, which in modern terms would be the equivalent of erotic books of this era.

"Alright, I'm satisfied with this house. How much?" Wei He decided on the spot.

This place had easy access to water, making it convenient for washing and cooking, and had four side rooms, enough for guests and living. It was all very good.

"The price is cheap, just this much." The old man held up a hand and made a number.

"Five thousand taels?" It was indeed cheap.

Wei He did a quick calculation in his head.

"Can I pay in installments?" He didn't have that much money on hand.

"What five thousand taels? I want rice! Fifty pounds of coarse rice and five strips of smoked pork!" The old man quickly replied.

Wei He was slightly taken aback.

Not asking for money?... But then he thought about the many empty houses around and the familiar shops that were slowly disappearing and closing.

He suddenly understood.

"That's the price. I'm telling you, this house is the most suitable for you. If