Chapter 5

On the road, Mu Yang encountered two groups of people. Judging from their attire and the loads on their shoulders, they were likely local farmers heading into the city early to sell vegetables. They all looked in surprise at the neatly dressed young man riding a strange bicycle that quickly passed by them, watching until he rode far away.

The road gradually widened and became smoother, and the silhouette of the city gate was already visible in the distance. Mu Yang knew he had reached the county town. He quickly got off his bike, pushed it to the side of the road behind a large tree, and embraced the mountain bike to travel back to the present.

After searching his body again, he found that he was indeed clean except for the clothes he was wearing. He began to walk towards the county town.

"You, what are you doing in the city?"

"Boss, I'm here to sell vegetables, fresh radishes and watermelon radishes from my own field. Would you like to try some?"

"Go away, who would eat your radishes? Eating radishes in the morning will make you fart all day. Go on in."

"Next, what are you doing in the city?"

The city gate had just opened, and the dozen or so people who had gathered outside the gate stood up and moved closer. Two Japanese soldiers, armed with Type 38 rifles and wearing khaki uniforms with peaked caps, were standing guard at the gate. A bit further out were four puppet soldiers, looking half-asleep, with their hats tilted and guns slung over their shoulders. One of them had a cigarette without a filter in his mouth, constantly questioning the people entering the city and conducting inspections.

The inspections were not overly strict, but they were more thorough for items that could potentially conceal weapons or firearms, indicating they had suffered losses in this regard before.

It was now Mu Yang's turn. He stepped forward.

The puppet soldier's squad leader glanced at Mu Yang and asked, "What do you do? You look unfamiliar."

Actually, some of the farmers who came to sell vegetables were familiar with the puppet soldiers because they came often. Others, though not frequent visitors, were clearly peasants by their appearance. However, this young man was different. He was dressed in a neatly pressed Zhongshan suit and leather shoes, a style of dress that the puppet soldier had only seen on officials in the county. Mu Yang's fair skin also indicated he had never done manual labor.

"I am a college student from the capital, traveling. I am passing through Ba County on my way home and plan to enter the city," Mu Yang replied calmly.

In fact, he was quite nervous, his palms sweating.

"College student, traveling? You're not a communist, are you?" the puppet soldier's squad leader said, frowning.

As it turned out, the man had guessed correctly, but Mu Yang was still a probationary party member, not yet a full member.

When the squad leader said this, the other three puppet soldiers tensed up, raising their guns and pointing them at Mu Yang. The two Japanese soldiers at the gate also noticed and looked over, making Mu Yang's forehead sweat slightly.

"How could that be? I enjoy traveling and appreciating the beauty of our country. I was on vacation and traveled with my classmates. We parted ways in Baoding, and I returned alone."

Mu Yang's response was appropriate, and the puppet soldier's squad leader found nothing suspicious. After another search, which turned up nothing, not even money, Mu Yang was allowed to enter the city.

Mu Yang walked slowly along the stone streets of the city, occasionally glancing at the shops on either side. Although he appeared calm, his back was drenched in sweat. He had been genuinely nervous, fearing he might expose himself. Even with his ability to travel back in time, he didn't want to die at the hands of the puppet soldiers and Japanese soldiers. Avoiding embarrassment was a relief.

The streets were not narrow, and the houses were built with blue bricks and gray tiles. Many shops had already opened, with the Rising Sun flag flying above their doors. The early morning was a busy time for business.

Ahead was a shop with a sign in reverse script. Someone was making baked flatbreads outside, and the aroma of mutton soup wafted from inside. Mu Yang had eaten this before and was quite hungry, but he had no money on him.

"I should find a place to travel back and get the gold ring to exchange for money." He had brought nothing with him to avoid having the gold ring searched and confiscated, which would have cost him over 2,000 yuan.

Mu Yang needed to find a suitable place to stay, or at least a convenient spot for time travel. He continued walking and saw a hotel with a sign reading "Le Sheng Hotel." It was probably equivalent to a modern hotel. Mu Yang stepped inside.

"Sir, are you here to eat or stay? We have a wide variety of dishes, all prepared by authentic Shandong chefs. For lodging, we have clean and comfortable rooms with fresh bedding, guaranteed to give you a good night's sleep," the waiter said, his face beaming with a smile.

"I'll take a look at the room first," Mu Yang said confidently.

"Sure, please follow me upstairs. The rooms are on the second floor. I'll show you the way." The waiter led Mu Yang to a guest room.

Despite being in a small county town, the room was quite nice, a small suite with a living room and a bedroom. Of course, there were no modern facilities like a bathroom or shower. It was a traditional old-style inn.

The furniture was made of solid wood, simple pine, but it exuded a sense of antiquity. The inn had been in business for quite some time.

"How much is this room per day?" Mu Yang asked.

"This room costs three silver dollars per day. Meals are extra, but we can deliver them to your room," the waiter replied.

Mu Yang wasn't sure if the price was reasonable, but he decided to stay there.

"I don't have any cash on me," Mu Yang said, and the waiter's face fell. However, Mu Yang continued, "But I have some valuable items. Can you tell me where I can exchange them?"

The waiter's face immediately brightened. "What kind of valuable items do you have? If they are antiques, paintings, jade, jewelry, ginseng, deer antlers, or other precious items, you can exchange them at Jin's Pawnshop on South Street."

"It's a gold ring, pure gold. I think I can just exchange it for money at a bank," Mu Yang said.

"Of course, gold can be exchanged directly at a bank, avoiding the low prices at pawnshops. Sir, if it's gold, there's no need to go to the bank. Our hotel can exchange it for you at the bank's rate."

Mu Yang thought this was convenient and nodded in agreement.