Chapter 66: The stingy man experienced firsthand what it meant to be "a penny short of money..."

"Hurry, come in quickly!"

A middle-aged man's swollen face peeked out from the low earthen wall. He wiped the rain from his face, his large dark bags under his eyes becoming even more noticeable. His tone was filled with unconcealed excitement: "I saw you from a distance and thought it unlikely, but I never imagined it was you!"

Shen Changfeng's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the tall man in front of him who claimed to have been Li Jieyi's former subordinate. His eyebrows raised slightly. "How do you recognize me?"

Chang Yuan's eyes flickered a little, and he bent over and reached out to help Shen Changfeng hold the horse. "A few years ago, I went to Beijing on business and had the honor of meeting the prince..."

Shen Changfeng couldn't deny it. He had no impression of such a person at all. Of course, it was also possible that he had seen him before but didn't take him seriously.

Shen Changfeng's eyes were calm and distant. He refused to let the man touch the Jade Lion of Zhaoye. He said, "I am only an exile now. You don't need to address me as 'Prince'. I will always remember your kindness in letting me stay here today."

After saying that, he clasped his fists, took out a string of copper coins from his bag and handed it to Chang Yuan.

Chang Yuan waved his hands repeatedly, shouting, "You're really embarrassing me! Prince... what are you talking about! I'm so happy you came to me. Come in! It's raining heavily outside. Let's talk!"

The two walked along the narrow muddy path and turned into a small bungalow.

Shen Changfeng tethered his horse to the straw shed in front of the courtyard and examined the wound on Zhaoye Jade Lion's hind leg. Seeing dirty blood oozing from the wound, his heart tightened. He asked Chang Yuan for some salt grains and cleaned the wound. After absorbing the blood with a handkerchief, he carefully sprinkled Sanhuang Powder on it. Zhaoye Jade Lion's hip and leg muscles twitched violently, and it lightly stamped its hind hooves and turned back. Shen Changfeng wrapped his arm around its neck, covered its eyes with his palms, and whispered something in its ear. The horse calmed down and nuzzled the side of his cheek affectionately, no longer looking at the wound. Its long, wet, black eyelashes drooped, and it meekly lowered its head to continue drinking.

Chang Yuan searched the entire kitchen to find salt for Shen Changfeng. He was struggling to put a pile of broken copper and iron in order when he heard Shen Changfeng ask, "Can you start a fire?"

Chang Yuan immediately responded, "Yes! Yes! Are you hungry, my dear? I'll light a fire and cook something... There should be some rice, but the firewood is a little damp. Wait, I'll find a pot first..."

Shen Changfeng asked again: "Can I buy alfalfa?"

Cooked bean or rice bran porridge paired with alfalfa nourishes the stomach and builds muscle. It turns out that this porridge is meant for Zhaoye Jade Lion to drink.

Chang Yuan hurried out of the kitchen and said, "Yes, yes, I'll go buy some." He took two steps and then hurriedly turned back and said, "My dear, you're still wet. I'll find you some dry clothes."

Shen Changfeng shook his head, "No, I'll do it later."

"How can that be? Your leg injury hasn't healed yet, and my son still has some old clothes..."

Shen Changfeng slowly lowered his brows, hiding his doubts, and said, "Thank you for your help."

Chang Yuan also realized that he had let the cat out of the bag, and his face was shy. Perhaps he thought about his clothes and was afraid that Shen Changfeng would have to wait for a long time, so he hurried out.

Shen Changfeng could see that Chang Yuan was hiding something from him, but he felt that it was just a short stay and nothing serious would happen. Most importantly, he didn't think anyone would dare to cheat under Li Jieyi's name.

He was willing to enter this room because Zhao Ye Yu Shi had been hit by a stray arrow while suppressing bandits a few days ago. He was short of money and his conditions were not as good as before. He was worried that if he didn't treat the wound properly, it would easily fester and worsen. He didn't want his horse to suffer.

Chang Yuan returned soon. Seeing the rice porridge bubbling with white smoke on the stove, his eyes lit up instantly. He said proudly, "My dear, you are really skillful! You can light a fire and cook rice!"

Shen Changfeng didn't take Chang Yuan's flattery seriously. With his current status, what should he do himself? He poured a bowl of porridge for Chang Yuan and took the alfalfa to wash it.

Chang Yuan pointed at the bowl of porridge, and uncertainly followed Shen Changfeng's back for a few steps, and asked: "Is this for me?"

Shen Changfeng said, "Yes." He lives in someone else's house and eats someone else's rice. Isn't it normal for him to cook a bowl of porridge for the host?

After washing the alfalfa, he saw Chang Yuan, his eyes shining, holding the bowl of porridge towards the sky, muttering something to himself while clutching his chest. Seeing Shen Changfeng looking at him, Chang Yuan's eyes gleamed with tears, and his gaze became earnest and passionate. Perhaps knowing that he didn't like to hear such compliments, Chang Yuan nodded at him heavily, not as if he wanted to drink the porridge, but as if he wanted to frame the bowl of porridge or keep it as a family heirloom.

Shen Changfeng really thought he was weird. He just served him a bowl of porridge. He wasn't going to take care of him in his old age. Was there any need for him to be so grateful?

After Chang Yuan finished praising the man, he began to flatter him, circling the Jade Lion twice and praising him, "I'm afraid there's no such a magnificent horse in the world today! Her Royal Highness the Princess had a keen eye for talent! She picked this fine horse right away!" Shen Changfeng, who had been dozing against the wall by the fire, turned a deaf ear to his ramblings. Suddenly, he asked, "What?"

Chang Yuan rubbed his hands in front of the horse, looking at the thick, smooth mane on the horse's neck, wanting to touch it but not daring to. He said, "When His Highness went on his last expedition against Dirong, he took a liking to this pony among the captured spoils and said he would bring it back for you as a birthday present."

Shen Changfeng scoffed and closed his eyes again, thinking to himself: The soldiers led by Li Jieyi are also very good at lying with their eyes open. They just take all the good things from her. He thought back to when he begged Shen Zhongda to ask Li Jieyi for this horse, but Li Jieyi refused, saying that he was wasting it. In the end, he won it himself by defeating a group of young men in the hunting competition.

Because of this, I even broke my leg. I was only five years old at that time.

"This is what I won, and it has nothing to do with her." In the dim woodshed, the firelight flickered, and when it fell into his eyes, it was as if a dazzling orange-red color emerged from the bottom of his eyes, so hot that it seemed to burn everything into ashes.

Chang Yuan smiled and wanted to explain, but when he met Shen Changfeng's cold, sharp and forbearing eyes, all the words were choked back into his stomach.

Qingsong returned soon and reported his discovery to Shen Changfeng: "There are still vacancies in the town next door, but it costs one hundred coins per day."

Shen Changfeng quickly calculated the accounts in his mind and fell silent.

Assuming three days of rest per month, the two of them would need a total of 600 coins for accommodation alone, not including food and other expenses.

His monthly salary was only three taels of silver, or three thousand coins. The food and fodder for Zhaoye Yushizi had been reduced again and again, and he had to spend one tael and five coins every month. This was his bottom line, and it absolutely could not be any less. The garrison had to deduct money from his monthly salary to buy knives, and this time it would probably cost three or four hundred coins... and the garrison might not be able to pay the silver on time.

Shen Changfeng cursed inwardly, and personally experienced what it meant to be "a penny can make a hero fall."

I thought my life would be smooth sailing in the first half of my life, but who could have expected that one day I would be penniless and caught in a dilemma, and even be as stingy as a miser for a few cents when looking for a nest?

After a night of wrestling with the question, Shen Changfeng felt restless. Just then, the weather cleared up, and he climbed onto the rooftop. Looking out into the distance, his vision suddenly lit up. That upturned eaves up ahead looked familiar. He jumped onto the ridge of the roof and onto the abandoned, dilapidated house next door, confirming his suspicions. Chang Yuan's house was only two streets away from Lin Meizhu's! And from this vantage point, he could clearly see her yard!

Shen Changfeng half-crouched on the roof, grinning. What was so strange about Chang Yuan? Chang Yuan wasn't strange at all. Given the prime location of his house, he couldn't be that bad.

The aroma of cooking filled the air in the kitchen. Chang Yuan rolled up his sleeves and shoveled away, making clanging sounds. Suddenly, someone asked him, "Is there any room available in your house?"

After solving the accommodation problem, Shen Changfeng fed the Zhaoye Jade Lion, tidied himself up, and walked towards the market.

In front of Huisheng Hall, a crowd of people packed in three layers, completely blocking the streets. Occasionally, one could hear shouts and curses like ghosts and wolves howling.

The pharmacy clerk once again ran into the storeroom, sweating profusely. Hearing footsteps, the woman behind the counter, twirling a sharp brush, said slowly, "Are you back?"

The waiter quickly replied, "Yes, yes, Xiaoman was running around all day, and those people waiting in the streets and alleys thought she was just having fun and didn't catch her. She said she delivered the letter and she's right behind her."

It's no wonder the clerk was so anxious. A couple suddenly arrived at the door that day. The woman said her husband's back ulcer had festered after taking Huishengtang's medicine, and his condition had worsened, making him unable to get out of bed. The woman wept at the door, while her husband lay dying on a stretcher. His family and friends clamored for justice. Lin Meizhu had previously considered sending someone to the back hall to resolve the matter privately, but the people refused to agree, demanding compensation from the pharmacy or they would smash the store and report it to the police.

The clerk had never seen such a scene. Since Huishengtang opened two months ago, Lin Meizhu and Chen Huisheng had taken away a lot of business from nearby clinics because of their philanthropy and excellent medical skills. There had been some dirty things happening in the past, but nothing as grand as today's.

But Lin Meiju didn't look panicked at all, and had no intention of leaving. After calculating the accounts, she moved the medical records on one side to the center and read through them carefully. Her voice was still gentle, but what she said made the clerk secretly frightened.

"Call a few people, beat gongs along the street, and say there's a play outside, so as to attract everyone to the door."

"Send a few more men to hire porters from the market. Choose strong and powerful ones, the more the better. Have them guard the eight exits in front, behind, left, and right. If they encounter anyone trying to flee in panic, they are to shout, 'Where are you escaping, little thief?' and beat them to death."

"Don't worry about getting into trouble. I'll take care of everything and make sure they stay safe and sound."

Lin Meizhu slowly closed the medical case, leaned back in her chair, her entire body hidden in the shadows, and raised one side of her lip: "As the saying goes, evildoers need evil to punish them."

The bad guy she was talking about was the person causing trouble at the door and the porter who was waiting for an opportunity to take revenge, but the waiter suddenly felt goose bumps all over his back. He felt that the person sitting in the armchair was so strange, like a different person. Even the smile on his face seemed a little sinister, which made people feel uneasy.