Chapter 5 The Prodigal Son and His "Family Heirloom"

The next morning, Yun Zhan woke up because he was hungry.

The breakfast provided by the charity was thin porridge so clear you could see your reflection in it and hard cornbread that could be used as a hidden weapon. Yun Zhan gnawed on the cornbread, finding it tasteless, and missed the lavish feast he had at the restaurant the day before.

As he was thinking, a sudden realization struck him—the dagger! His jewel-encrusted dagger was still pawned at the restaurant!

That thing might not be good for assassination, and it'd be a waste even to chop vegetables, but it's valuable! Those gems might just be decorations in this era, but in his eyes as a modern person, they're antiques with unlimited potential! They're his seed money if he manages to escape successfully in the future! How could he just throw them away like that?

Redeem them! They must be redeemed!

But here's the problem—no money.

He had his own travel money stolen, and the money Yan Linye had given him yesterday was all spent in one go. Now he was penniless.

His eyes darted around, and he set his sights on his roommates. These were all refugees taken in by Yan Linye; they looked emaciated, but what if they had some hidden savings?

He approached a kind-looking old man and forced a harmless smile: "Grandpa, do you... have some spare change? Could you lend me some money? I need it urgently, and I'll pay you back in a few days... no, in a couple of days! Double the amount!"

The old man raised his cloudy eyes and glanced at him, then slowly took out two copper coins from his pocket: "Young man, this is all the money I have. Take it if you want."

Yun Zhan stared at the two polished copper coins, his lips twitching. They couldn't even afford a pot of tea, let alone redeem a dagger.

Yun Zhan: "..."

He then turned to a rather clever-looking young man: "Brother, do you have some money on you? I need your help urgently!"

The young man said with a bitter face, "If I had money, would I be eating cornbread here? I would have gone home and gotten married long ago!"

He asked several people in a row, and the result was always the same. Yun Zhan realized with despair that he was probably the "richest" one in this charitable institution—at least he had eaten braised pork knuckle yesterday.

After much thought, only one path remained—to find Yan Linye.

Although it's embarrassing, can face put food on the table? Can he redeem his "future fund"? Obviously not!

Yun Zhan mentally prepared himself and shamelessly went to find Yan Linye.

Yan Linye was discussing something with a few people in the courtyard when he saw Yun Zhan looking hesitant and awkward. He gestured for the others to wait and came over to ask, "Brother Yun Zhan, what's wrong? Didn't you sleep well last night?" He clearly still remembered the "water tank incident" from last night.

Yun Zhan blushed and quickly waved his hand, "No, no! It's... it's something else I'd like to ask you for help with."

"Please feel free to speak."

Yun Zhan took a deep breath and forced himself to speak: "Brother Yan... um... could you lend me some more money?"

Before Yan Linye could react, he spilled the story he had prepared beforehand, "Well... yesterday my purse was stolen, you know. Actually, before that, I didn't know my purse was missing, and I even used the money you gave me to go to a restaurant for a meal..." His voice trailed off as he spoke, "But... when I went to pay the bill, I found that the money you gave me wasn't enough, and I couldn't find my own purse, so I had no choice but to pawn the dagger I always carry with me..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Linye's gentle smile froze for a moment.

The money pouch he gave Yun Zhan yesterday, while not a huge sum, was enough for an average family to live frugally for a month or two. And it was all gone in just one day… one meal?

Where did this spendthrift come from?

Although he was inwardly astonished, seeing Yun Zhan's expression as if he wanted to disappear into the ground, he didn't say anything, but simply asked gently, "Which restaurant is it?"

"It's...it's that 'Drunken Immortal Pavilion' in the city," Yun Zhan quickly added. "That dagger is very important to me! It's...it's a keepsake left to me by my family!" He tried to make his eyes appear sincere and pitiful. But what he really thought was: Yes, it's a keepsake (startup capital) left to me by my "family" (my future self)!

Seeing the boy's distressed state, almost to the point of tears (actually, he was just hungry and putting on an act), Yan Linye's heart softened. It made sense; who would readily pawn something that wasn't important? This young man might have come from a distinguished family, but now he was down on his luck, and all he had left was this one item to hold onto his memories. How could Yan Linye not help him?

"Let's go, I'll go with you to redeem it." Yan Linye patted his shoulder, his tone reassuring.

"Really? Thank you, Brother Yan! You're such a kind person!" Yun Zhan's mood instantly brightened, and he showered her with flattery.

The two arrived at Zuixianlou again. The waiter immediately gave Yun Zhan a "you're here again" look when he saw him, but his attitude became more respectful when he saw Yan Linye next to him. Yan Linye seemed to be quite prestigious in the area.

"Waiter, we've come to redeem the dagger my brother pawned here yesterday," Yan Linye said, taking out the corresponding amount of silver.

The waiter took the money, turned around to get the dagger, and muttered under his breath, afraid that Yan Linye would misunderstand, "It's not that we cheated him, it's that he ordered too expensive dishes himself..."

Yan Linye, with his sharp ears, heard this and frowned slightly, looking at Yun Zhan: "Brother Yun Zhan, what did you order yesterday?"

Yun Zhan, who was eagerly awaiting his precious dagger, casually rattled off: "Nothing much, just a braised pork knuckle, a steamed sea bass, a bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup, a few stir-fries, and a pot of wine..."

Every time he announced a dish, Yan Linye's eye would twitch almost imperceptibly.

Zuixianlou is the best restaurant in the city, and all the dishes here are incredibly expensive. No wonder he didn't pay enough... This meal probably cost an average family half a year's worth of food.

Looking at Yun Zhan's nonchalant and unperturbed demeanor, he became even more certain of his earlier suspicions—this must be a young nobleman from a fallen family, accustomed to a life of luxury and completely oblivious to money. That dagger was probably the only thing he still possessed that connected him to his family's past glory.

Thinking of this, Yan Linye's gaze towards Yun Zhan couldn't help but reveal a hint of heartache and pity. Brother Yun Zhan, he probably had never suffered before, it was truly unfair to make him live in the charitable shelter.

Just then, the waiter returned carrying the glittering, jewel-encrusted dagger.

Yun Zhan snatched it away, caressing the gemstones with obvious affection, his eyes sparkling as he murmured, "My darling, I've finally redeemed you! I'm counting on you from now on..."

Seeing his excited expression, as if he had "found a priceless treasure," Yan Linye became even more certain of his judgment. The way he clutched the dagger to his chest, so tenderly, must be driven by homesickness. Brother Yun Zhan is truly a pitiful yet sensible boy (just kidding).

He spoke gently: "It's good that you've redeemed it. Be more careful with money in the future. If you encounter any difficulties again, you can tell me directly."

Yun Zhan nodded repeatedly, but what he was thinking was: Cautious? Of course, cautious! Next time I'm short of money, I'll definitely find a more reliable pawnshop and sell this thing for a good price!

He happily tucked the dagger into his pocket, feeling that he had secured the funds for his future escape.

Seeing the simple and happy smile on his face after he "lost and found" the man, Yan Linye felt that he had done a great thing and was in a very good mood.

Each lost in their own thoughts, the two walked out of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion side by side. Sunlight shone on them, creating a remarkably harmonious scene. However, Yun Zhan was pondering how to "dispose of the stolen goods," while Yan Linye was thinking about how to take care of this "fallen young master."

This misunderstanding is truly enormous.