Chapter 759: The Disciple of the Mo Family (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Lin Feng has been worrying about this matter for the past few days.

Shen Zhi said, "A generous reward will surely bring forth brave men."

Didn't my lord also say that all troubles stem from insufficient financial resources?

Money makes the world go round!

"Why don't we discuss this with Registrar Qi and have the government offer a reward for the brave warrior?" If even the officials in the Revenue Department can't solve the problem, then we might as well seek help from the common people. By pooling our wisdom and efforts, perhaps some craftsman will actually offer up a usable farming tool?

Lin Feng had also considered Chen Zhi's suggestion.

She said, "Before I came back, I went to the registrar and applied to the government for a reward of fifty taels of silver. I hope there will be progress."

Chen Zhi chuckled and poked her cheek: "Since you already have a solution, why are you still looking so gloomy? I'm treating you to dinner today. There's a newly opened restaurant in the market area with some pretty good new dishes. There are also two new plays tonight."

Upon hearing that Shen Zhi was treating everyone, Lin Feng smiled obligingly and said, "My dear sister, I'll definitely be there today."

There was still one hour before the official's shift ended.

Lin Feng ordered the clerks to move the books from the storeroom.

The government office had backups of all the farm tools commonly used by ordinary people, including some long-obsolete models. However, Lin Feng searched through the entire inventory but couldn't find a single usable one. Now, he could only pin his hopes on the farm tool blueprints stored in the warehouse…

Chen Zhi has been relatively free lately, so he helped look through it as well.

As a result, naturally, nothing was gained.

Hearing the drum signaling the end of the shift, Lin Feng closed her book, stretched, and gently rubbed her aching shoulders. The two left the government office together. Shen Zhi asked her, "Is your neck uncomfortable?"

Lin Feng rubbed his neck and said, "A little..."

Shen Zhi: "A new shop called Anqiao has opened in the city."

Anqiao is a type of massage.

The shop owner was once a courtesan in Xiaocheng, and also one of the first "test subjects." His master had long intended to close all brothels, but due to various considerations, he could not do it all at once. So he selected a few brothels with poor business as the experimental group.

After the brothel was shut down, the girls inside lost their livelihood and were resettled by the government. Doctors examined them, and those who were healthy were arranged to learn a trade, while those who were sick were treated first.

The shop owner, Qiao, was quite lucky; aside from a few gynecological issues, she had no other serious illnesses. She learned massage techniques from a doctor and, because of her quick aptitude, mastered the skills very quickly.

With the help of the authorities, she concealed her former identity, changed her appearance, and rented a small shop. Besides massage and acupressure, the shop also sold floral perfumes and rouge, and helped women style their hair and do their makeup. This former courtesan had a knack for business; in her spare time, she would collect hair from refugees and make various hair buns. Business was thriving; while not wealthy, it was enough to make ends meet.

Of course, to prevent these freed courtesans from returning to their old ways, their shops would be subject to unannounced surprise visits from time to time.

So far, the experimental results are acceptable.

Shen Zhi treated Lin Feng to a meal. Since it was still early, they went to the prostitute's shop to relax for a quarter of an hour, and then went to the perfume shop for a bath. Finally, feeling refreshed, they went to the theater to see the new play. They arrived relatively early, but there were two new plays today, and the common people had already bought their tickets. The two of them only managed to get seats in a corner: "We almost couldn't get tickets."

Chen Zhi held two bamboo slips with seating arrangements written on them in one hand and snacks in the other. After sitting down, he patted his chest with relief.

The government specially allocated a prime piece of land to build a theater, with a total of five stages, where different programs were performed each day. Commoners could buy seats for a single copper coin, and a performance lasted about half an hour, during which tea was also provided.

At first, few ordinary people frequented the theater, but as storytellers traveled the streets and alleys, vigorously promoting the revised and improved scripts, the fantastical and bizarre content greatly enriched the otherwise monotonous lives of ordinary people. More and more people were no longer satisfied with just words and their own imaginations. The theater business gradually improved, and now it's always packed, becoming a popular entertainment destination for many.

With the sound of a gong, the noise from below the stage gradually subsided. The audience, following the performance of the actors on stage, sometimes burst into laughter, sometimes shed tears of emotion, and sometimes felt indignant... completely immersed in the performance, they didn't realize that an hour had quietly passed.

By the time the two new plays ended, it was already late, but most of Xiaocheng was still brightly lit and the streets were bustling with activity.

"Yaohe, I have to work tomorrow, I'll go back first."

Shen Zhi was engrossed in watching the street performances when he heard this, so he just waved his hand casually and said, "Go on, go on, be careful on the road."

Danger is highly unlikely. There are patrols throughout Xiaocheng, especially in areas with high foot traffic, where guards are stationed every few steps. Lin Feng is a scholar with a long sword at her waist; who would dare to plot against her?

She is currently staying at the Household Affairs Office.

The streets outside the government office were deserted, with few pedestrians. To conserve candlelight, only the lanterns outside the office provided some light; the rest of the area was pitch black. As a scholar with exceptional eyesight, Lin Feng was unaffected by the darkness. Reaching the entrance to the government office, she saw a figure in the shadows. Just as she was about to raise her hand to the sword at her waist, she realized the figure was a female ruler.

one……

A female ruler dressed in disheveled attire.

She was dressed in tattered, mismatched clothes, her bare feet clad in wooden clogs. She was shorter than Lin Feng, and carried a huge wooden box slung across her shoulder, the box towering over her. She appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, with slightly dark skin and sharp features.

Right now, he's standing with his hands on his hips, staring intently at the notice at the entrance of the government office, his lips pressed tightly together, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing that the man posed no threat, Lin Feng loosened his grip on the sword hilt.

Ignoring the man, he walked straight towards the entrance of the government office.

Unexpectedly, the queen shouted, "Hey, wait!"

Lin Feng ignored him; the man was rather rude.

"Wait a minute, can I ask you something?"

Lin Feng paused as he stepped onto the stairs: "What is it?"

The Queen: "Is there a place to sleep nearby?"

Lin Feng said, "There are inns and guesthouses where you can stay."

The woman scratched her head awkwardly: "I have no money. I wanted to find a clean roadside bridge underpass to sleep in, but I was kicked out."

This place is truly amazing.

She hadn't seen a single beggar in most of the day she entered the city, and was just feeling relieved that no one was competing with her for money when she was chased away. The person told her that there was a shelter in the city specifically for beggars, and she could spend the night there, but unfortunately, she wasn't familiar with Xiaocheng.

Yes, she's lost.

There's no one on this street yet.

After a long while, they encountered a female ruler who looked like an immortal.

However, the female ruler seemed somewhat unfriendly and didn't like to talk to people.

Lin Feng looked the woman up and down. Although she was down on her luck, her eyes were bright, and she spoke standard Mandarin with barely any accent. So he asked a completely unrelated question: "I just saw you looking at a notice. Do you know how to read?"

The queen nodded and said, "I know a few characters."

"If you have nowhere to go, you can stay at the government office for the night. However, once it gets light and the officials start their shifts, you will have to leave." The other party is just an ordinary person, and the Household Registration Office is not an important department, so it is possible to let the other party stay temporarily.

The queen was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Is it really possible to stay here?"

Lin Feng said, "You can't run around."

The queen smiled and said, "Don't worry about that."

She followed Lin Feng into the government office.

This was her first time entering such a place, and she couldn't help but look around. However, apart from a few rooms for night watchmen, the rest of the government office was pitch black. After looking around for a while, she lost interest and turned her gaze back to Lin Feng: "What is your name, Lady? Also, why were you able to come here without being stopped?"

Lin Feng said, "My surname is Lin."

The female ruler said, "Hehe, my surname is Bei."

Lin Feng settled the Queen in the dormitory next to his: "You'll stay here tonight. If you need anything, just call me from next door. There's a chamber pot in the room, so don't go out unless it's absolutely necessary. There are clerks on night duty in the government office; it wouldn't be good to offend them."

"Good, good, good—Ms. Lin is such a kind person!" The lady hadn't expected to be so lucky; at least she wouldn't have to sleep on the wooden box as a bed tonight. She put the wooden box down from her shoulder, and Lin Feng clearly heard a "thud," which was quite heavy.

Lin Feng took out a tinderbox and lit the candles in the room.

I asked casually, "Are you just passing through?"

The queen shook her head: "No, I heard there was a master foundry here, so I came to learn from him. I should stay for a while."

Lin Feng: "But you have no money and nowhere to stay."

Let alone food, even accommodation is a problem.

The queen complained with a bitter face: "It's all because of the government. They won't even let us sleep outside. I'll go to the shelter tomorrow."

Lin Feng suggested to her, "Since you can read, you can find a copying job later. You can continue to live here. The shelter is a mixed bag of people. Although there are people watching over you, it's still not very appropriate for a young woman like you to go there alone."

The queen scratched her head: "Hey, my handwriting is so terrible..."

It would be embarrassing to show it off.

She suddenly thought of something and slapped the wooden box repeatedly.

"Don't worry, Miss Lin, I have a way to solve the problem of money."

Why was my writing deleted again?

The antigen is on its way; let's pray it doesn't turn positive again.

P.S.: You should be able to guess who this new character is, hehe.

(End of this chapter)