Chapter 9

Shen Lian left home early in the morning, and the reason was clear: he just wanted to find some peace and quiet.

Although he said he was looking for peace and quiet, there were actually two lackeys from the Shen family following him.

Shen Lian found it amusing in his heart. Was this considered an incognito visit? After all, in this vast Qingzhou Prefecture, more than half of the industries belonged to the Shen family, and the majority of the remaining industries had intricate ties with the Shen family.

Almost all the most profitable industries were either monopolized by the Shen family or in cooperation with them. One could say that the Shen family was no different from the local emperor of Qingzhou.

Now, he was also considered one of the legitimate heirs of the Shen family. Coming out low-key and making an incognito visit was not out of place.

Unfortunately, his aspirations lay elsewhere. Otherwise, teasing the common folk and being a bully might have been somewhat interesting.

Qingzhou Prefecture was divided into the inner city and the outer city. The inner city had walls, while the outer city was a collection of various markets and shops that had grown around the inner city walls. This was a major feature of Qingzhou Prefecture, where the residents of the inner city naturally felt superior to those in the outer city.

Not only did the residents of the inner city feel this way, but the people in the outer city also tried their best to move into the inner city.

Therefore, although the courtyards in the inner city were much smaller in area than those in the outer city, they were much more expensive, and even so, there was a high demand.

Of course, most of the courtyards in the inner city were built by the Shen family and sold at high prices. The Shen family also owned many undeveloped plots of land in the inner city.

Although Shen Lian only had a slight understanding, he could not help but admire the business acumen of Old Master Shen, which was almost akin to some commercial characteristics of the modern society in his previous life.

It was evident that there were myriad paths to the same destination, and smart people could often think along the same lines.

Shen Lian strolled from the inner city to the outer city. Although the outer city was much larger than the inner city, it lacked the orderly and well-arranged layout of the inner city. However, the outer city was indeed lively.

He left through the east gate of the inner city and headed east. Although there was a mountain, the terrain was quite flat, making it a necessary route for travelers. There were many taverns and inns, and it was quite bustling.

Of course, he chose the east gate because the Shen family's funeral procession was not going this way today.

He had left too early in the morning and hadn't eaten much. Now, smelling the aroma of baked cakes in the market, he felt a bit hungry.

He certainly wouldn't eat the baked cakes but instead entered an inn. The name was quite ordinary, called "Yuekelai" (Pleasing Guests).

The name implied that guests would be pleased upon arrival, though it was crude, it was straightforward.

He didn't have money, but the two lackeys behind him did.

Shen Lian had no interest in a private room and went to the main hall. It was not yet noon, so there weren't many people. He ordered a table of good dishes.

The waiter, although impressed by his fine attire, did not dare to let him order a whole table of dishes.

Just as he was about to seek permission, the innkeeper saw him and smiled broadly, instructing the waiter to tell the chefs to prepare their best dishes.

The innkeeper, fearing that Shen Lian would get impatient, first served him some exquisite pastries and a pot of aged wine.

Although Shen Lian wanted to drink, his current body was not very strong, so he restrained himself and ordered a pot of clear tea. The two lackeys, however, did not dare to sit with him and waited at a nearby table.

Shen Lian took small bites of the pastries. Before the dishes arrived, he saw a figure in a green robe enter the main hall from the back.

This person had disheveled hair, a messy appearance, and a wrinkled green robe that was dark in color, as if it hadn't been changed in a long time. His face was covered in stubble, and he looked quite rough. The only thing that stood out was his eagle-like nose and extremely bright eyes. Even though he wasn't tall, he gave the impression of standing out in a crowd.

Ordinary people could sense that the man in the green robe was different, and Shen Lian could smell a hint of danger.

When the innkeeper saw the man in the green robe, he was not afraid and blocked him, saying, "Sir, you owe three days' room rent. When do you plan to settle it?"

The man in the green robe replied, "Why so much nonsense? Just bring me some good wine and food first. I'll settle it after I'm full."

The innkeeper insisted, "You have money to buy someone to bury their father, but no money to pay for your stay. Do you think you can continue to eat for free? There's no such logic in the world."

"I didn't give him money; I bought him as a slave. At worst, I'll have him work for you to pay off the room rent."

The innkeeper, with his hands on his hips, laughed and said, "You didn't write anything down, and you don't know where he lives. How do you know that boy isn't lying to you? Only a fool like you would believe such nonsense."

"I told him to come back in three days to work for me. That boy won't break his word," the man in the green robe replied.

"You said the same thing yesterday."

"But today is the third day."

At this moment, the dishes from the kitchen were brought in, and the aroma filled the air.

As soon as the dishes were placed on the table, the man in the green robe sat opposite Shen Lian and grabbed a piece of hot meat, putting it in his mouth.

It was a dish of iron plate-baked beef, with hot oil sizzling on top, extremely hot. The man in the green robe swallowed it without any change in expression.

The innkeeper was shocked and angry to see the man in the green robe sit down at Shen Lian's table and was about to drive him away.

Unexpectedly, Shen Lian said, "Bring another set of chopsticks and bowls. And add his room and meal expenses to my bill."

The innkeeper didn't recognize Shen Lian but knew that the two guards following him were from the Shen family, so he was very obliging.

With the Shen family's reputation, the innkeeper had no choice but to agree.

After all, he just wanted the money, not to have a real grudge against the man in the green robe.

And what the Shen family lacked the most was money.

The man in the green robe ate the meat and then picked up the wine pot, drinking it down in one gulp. The pot of aged wine was empty in an instant.

He complained, "What a swindler, such a small amount of wine. Bring me ten jars."

The innkeeper looked at Shen Lian, who nodded in agreement.

Soon, ten jars of good wine were brought in.

The man in the green robe opened a jar, smelled it, and cursed, "What is this? You're trying to fool me with this water. Bring me ten jars of the previous wine."

The innkeeper, inwardly thinking that the man in the green robe was taking advantage of Shen Lian, still smiled and said, "The previous wine was our shop's secret recipe, and we don't have much left."

The man in the green robe pointed at Shen Lian and said, "Old man, are you afraid this young master can't pay for your shabby inn's wine?"

Shen Lian said, "Bring as much of that wine as you have."

The innkeeper had no choice but to nod and instructed the waiter to take away the previous wine and replace it with the limited stock of the secret recipe.

"Good lad, you look refined and gentle, but you have a bold and generous spirit. It's a pity I met that boy first. What a pity!" The man in the green robe shook his head.

"I invited you to eat and drink, so I'm not short of this money. The world is like frost. Giving one coin to someone when you have a thousand coins and giving one coin to someone when you have only one coin have the same effect, but the sentiment is different. Why should you look up to me?" Shen Lian smiled faintly.

The man in the green robe's bright eyes became even brighter. He tapped the porcelain bowl with his chopsticks and praised, "Well said, 'the world is like frost.' I didn't expect you to say such things at your young age."

"I didn't say it; it's a line from a passage by a man named Gu Long. Would you like to hear the whole passage?"

"Wait, this must be a profound statement. Wait for the wine to come first!"

(Ps: Only by being far from the world can one see the height of the clouds. Since it's a fairy tale, there must be both immortals and heroes. Also, thank you to ~Eren's Laba porridge, Seven Gourds' 588 reward, a bunch of water goods' 200 reward, and Xiujiang Dragon King and Book Friend 150530003824176 for their rewards.)

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