Chapter 6

As the waiter went down to inform, it wasn't long before he returned with a middle-aged man dressed in a gray robe. The man was holding a small, exquisite scale with a copper rod and pan, adorned with countless gold stars.

"Hello, young sir. I am the innkeeper. I wonder how much you wish to exchange. Our Le Sheng Inn guarantees fair dealing, no cheating, and honest prices." The innkeeper was somewhat plump but had a decent appearance, with a square face and large ears, giving a trustworthy impression.

While the waiter went downstairs, Muyang had already returned home and brought the gold ring he had prepared in advance. When the innkeeper asked, Muyang directly took out the jewelry box from his pocket, opened it, and handed it to the innkeeper.

The innkeeper took the jewelry box and carefully examined the gold ring. It was a 24-karat gold ring with a butterfly design, crafted with modern techniques, and looked absolutely beautiful. Seeing such a beautiful ring, the innkeeper couldn't help but feel delighted. This was far more valuable than small gold bars or fish-shaped gold pieces. Such a beautiful item would be perfect to give to his mistress in a few days to win her favor.

"I'll weigh it," he said, picking up the exquisite scale and placing the ring on the small copper pan. After a moment, he said, "It totals 8 grams. Young sir, do you think this weight is correct?"

"No problem, let's go with this weight." In fact, the ring weighed 8.17 grams when he bought it, but there were no electronic scales in this era, so a little less was acceptable.

At this moment, the innkeeper picked up the ring, sniffed it, and even licked it, probably doing some kind of appraisal. Then he said to the waiter, "Go to the counter and get 8 silver dollars for the gentleman." The waiter nodded and hurriedly went downstairs. Not long after, he ran back and handed a paper package to the innkeeper. The innkeeper placed the package directly on the table and said, "The exchange rate for gold fluctuates, but roughly, one tael of gold is worth 30 silver dollars. The money exchange office currently offers this rate. 8 grams of gold is worth 8 silver dollars, and we absolutely won't cheat you. Please count them."

The paper package was opened after the innkeeper put it down, revealing several silver dollars. There were only 8 silver dollars, so there was no need to count. Muyang directly picked one up and handed it to the innkeeper, "This is for the room. I'll pay more when I use more."

"Then, young sir, please stay comfortably. By the way, come to the hall for lunch later. Our inn will provide you with a full meal. To be honest, your ring's design and craftsmanship are excellent. It's a pity to sell it as gold, but the money exchange office only values it as gold, not as jewelry. However, I quite like this ring and plan to keep it for my collection, so I'll treat you to a full meal. Please come down later for lunch." The innkeeper was a straightforward person and said these words before leaving.

Since he had just arrived, he didn't understand the rules of the Republic of China era. Even if he lost a bit, it was acceptable. This innkeeper was still decent; if he had gone to a pawnshop, they might have given him only two silver dollars.

Lying on the bed felt truly comfortable, even a hard bed was better than a tent in the wild. This was a life worth living.

What he needed to do now was observe the situation and find an opportunity to act. If he acted rashly, he might put himself in danger.

He observed the room. It was nothing special, not facing the street. Opening the window, he saw a row of low houses behind it. The building wasn't tall, and there was a low wall behind it, making it easy to jump out of the window, which would be convenient for Muyang's nighttime activities.

Muyang rested in the room until noon, then went downstairs to the hall. At this time, there were already a few groups of guests in the hall.

"Young sir, you've come down. Please sit here. I'll inform the kitchen to serve your meal." The waiter led Muyang to a table near the back, wiped the table a few times with a cloth on his shoulder, and then diligently brought a pot of tea, pouring it for Muyang.

Today, the waiter helped the innkeeper complete the ring exchange, and the innkeeper directly gave him a silver coin as a reward. The inn made a profit from the gold exchange business, and since Muyang's ring was of high quality and beautiful, the innkeeper was pleased and rewarded the waiter. Naturally, the waiter was more attentive to the person who brought him the reward.

The meal was described as a full course, but it was actually four dishes and a soup, plus a pot of Fenjiu. However, this was the best meal in the hall. Most other guests had one or two dishes and a bowl of rice or a piece of flatbread.

However, Muyang, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, looked like a cultured person. The locals understood his luxurious behavior of having a full meal.

Muyang ate and drank leisurely, enjoying the good taste of the food. For the past few days, he had been eating whatever he could find, and the best he could do was to go back to his modern home and fry some tomatoes and eggs.

After finishing his meal, Muyang began to observe the people in the hall. On the left, there were four people at a table, dressed and speaking like small merchants, probably traveling merchants. They ordered two dishes and rice, indicating they were well-off.

A bit further away, there were two guests at a table, dressed in robes, and it was unclear what they did. They ordered two dishes and a pot of wine, occasionally speaking in low voices and clinking their cups.

Near the entrance, there was a middle-aged man and a young woman. The man was about 40 years old, wearing a white button-up shirt, and the woman was dressed in a light-colored, red-flowered dress. The most striking feature was her two large braids, shiny and well-maintained, indicating she took good care of them.

As Muyang raised his head to observe the people, the young woman also looked up and their eyes met. Her large, bright eyes, combined with her oval face and the plump figure under her flowered dress, gave Muyang a sense of appreciation.

Unconsciously, Muyang smiled and nodded at the young woman. His mindset was still in the modern era, where smiling at a woman who looked at him was normal. However, he overlooked the time difference. After nodding, the young woman quickly turned her head away and stopped looking at Muyang.

Muyang's smile froze, and he awkwardly smiled, then took a sip of wine.

"Get me a table and a good meal, quickly." Suddenly, a Japanese officer in a military uniform with a cap and a pistol on his belt walked in and loudly shouted in broken Chinese.

The entire hall fell silent. The four merchants, who had been chatting, lowered their heads and quietly ate their rice. The two men in robes stopped talking and glanced at the Japanese officer with hidden disgust before continuing to eat their meals.

The young woman, upon seeing the Japanese officer enter, lowered her head and ate her rice. After the officer sat down, she secretly raised her head and stared at his back with her large eyes. She lowered her head again after being pulled by the middle-aged man.

The waiter quickly approached, wiped the table, and poured water, saying, "Mr. Miyamoto, what would you like to eat today?"

"Bring me a roasted chicken, a meatball dish, and two more dishes," the Japanese officer said in stiff Chinese.

"Would you like to drink today?"

"No, I have a task this afternoon and can't drink. If I delay, Captain Yamada will punish me."

"Alright, I'll bring it to you quickly." He then stepped back.

This was the first time Muyang had observed a Japanese person so closely, excluding the modern era, where he often interacted with Japanese students at his university. In the Republic of China era, this was the first Japanese officer he had seen, apart from the two Japanese soldiers at the county gate. The officer was only two tables away, about four or five meters.

Suddenly, a thought crossed Muyang's mind: Should he kill the officer right here? However, he quickly dismissed the idea.

He wasn't in a hurry to return to his room and continued to eat slowly, observing the Japanese officer while pondering his own thoughts.