Chapter 11
So why is there cultivation here but no modern technology? I really miss modern electronic maps. Open the map app on your phone, choose navigation, and you can basically go anywhere in the country, except for remote areas and areas without signal.
Alas, in "Another World of Martial Arts," let alone electronic maps, there aren't even any cars. I really miss the feeling of driving on the highway for half a day across half a country. I also don't know what kind of transportation the monks use when they go out. Can mortals get a ride?
"Village Chief, is there anything else I should pay attention to?" Bei Qiao put down her pen and looked at the simplified map she had redrawn. Well, if you didn't look closely, it didn't really look like a map. If she had made a few fewer strokes, she wouldn't have been able to recognize the route drawn on it.
"There are definitely a lot of things to be careful of, but most of them are situations you'd encounter in real life. As long as you're not the kind of person everyone hates, you generally won't have any problems here. If there are any problems, it's the other party's fault." The village chief shook the empty teapot, got up, and went back to the house to pour hot water. "The county magistrate over in Wutong County is quite a nice person."
In "Martial Arts in Another World", the village is the smallest administrative division. The next level up is the county and city, and above that are the state and prefecture. Finally, the highest level and the largest area is the road.
At the same level, a city is larger than a county, and a prefecture is larger than a state. If a county develops well, it may be upgraded to a city in the future, and the same is true for a state. Similarly, if a city experiences several consecutive disasters and its development regresses, it is likely to be downgraded to a county.
"Then the status of merchants is low?"
The village chief came back with a refilled kettle and sat down: "You mean that the status of scholars is indeed not low, but not that high. Those who fail in the examinations repeatedly and still think they are noble are just ordinary people. In the eyes of their neighbors, they are worse than the poorest farmers. Agriculture is as important as ever, and the status of workers is not low. As long as businessmen do not evade taxes, they will not be discriminated against... If the business is big enough and there is enough money, everyone will be very friendly to the businessmen." After all, money makes the world go round.
“As long as you are careful with what you say and do, there are not so many people you cannot offend. Oh, there is one thing you need to pay attention to. Although we call it Otherworldly Martial Arts here, don’t do things based on martial arts novels. Apart from anything else, you have to compensate if you overturn other people’s stalls... Also, jumping off cliffs in search of adventure is prohibited! If you can’t control yourself, then move your household registration out first and bother others. Village chief, I don’t want to write reports anymore.” The village chief has tried very hard, but those who are obsessed with seeking death are thinking about seeking death twenty-four hours a day. How can the village chief, who needs to manage the entire village, have so much energy to watch over them!
"I understand, village chief, don't worry, I won't cause any trouble." How could I cause any trouble over a five-coin matter? If I didn't have money, I wouldn't be able to stand up straight, so how could I dare to act pretentiously?
After thanking the village chief for his help and taking the pass, Bei Qiao rode his donkey to Yu Qian's house, told her that they could set off tomorrow, and asked her what time she wanted to leave.
"The sooner the better! If it weren't so far away and unsafe to walk at night, I'd leave right now! Thank you, Qiao Qiao, I thought you wouldn't agree! Sister Tie has urgent orders these days and there's no way she can take me out of the village."
"You're welcome. The main thing is that this isn't dangerous. Yu Qian..."
"Call me Qianqian!"
"Okay, Qianqian, I've checked the distance. By the time I get you to Wutong County tomorrow, it'll be almost noon. Since I haven't earned enough money for accommodation yet, I'll go straight back to the village that day. So, when do you plan to come back? Do you want me to pick you up again?"
"I haven't had time to think so much..." Yu Qian answered blankly: I was just forced to get married, and subconsciously wanted to escape to the ends of the earth.
"Please think about it now." Bei Qiao resisted the urge to hold his forehead: "Remember to bring the accommodation fee and the travel permit before you go out."
"Oh yes, I also have to bring accommodation fees. Ah, this is so troublesome!" Yu Qian rubbed her face: "I haven't decided how many days I will stay. What if I don't have enough money?" Without a mobile phone, I can't use apps to call a taxi, nor can I pay with my mobile phone. This world without the Internet is really inconvenient.
"You can chat with me privately. If I have time, I'll pick you up the next day. Just pay the shipping fee. Since you're our first customer, I can give you credit for the return trip."
Yu Qian chose consignment, not escort. The consignment fee is calculated as follows: if the cargo weighs 100 kilograms, the fee is 100 copper coins per 100 miles. Discounts are offered for larger shipments or longer distances. If the route involves mountainous terrain, the price will be higher, at 120 copper coins per 100 miles.
"The shipping fee is still cheaper. If I calculate it as escorting, the money I earn in a year is not enough for me to go out. I might as well hire Tiejie with that money." Yu Qian took out a small notebook to calculate her own small treasury: "Fortunately, you accepted the shipping." The difference between shipping and escorting is that the latter only provides transportation but not protection, which can be equated to taxis in reality.
Bei Qiao looked up at the street in the distance and said, "The escort agency is based in the village, so we have to accept consignments. Transporting convoys is calculated by silver, and it involves transporting large amounts of valuables, private information, and important people. These are not available in the village."
Asking players to pay silver to be escorted away? Impossible, they will only choose to travel together. If they die accidentally, they will wait until next year to reopen, or change to a tourist account.
Asking Bei Qiao, who had just entered the game, to deliver the escort was out of the question. Her escort agency only had three people: one guard, one driver, and only one thug. What could they possibly do? A random bunch of insignificant bandits would keep them running wild. This was "Another World Martial Arts," not one of those management games where you could hire NPCs after leveling up. To recruit, you had to either recruit them from real life or hire them in the Other World. There was no other way.
"So you still plan to transport the darts?"
"Let's save some money first. Once we've recruited people, we can consider transporting them." Can a company with only three people and five copper coins really be called an escort company? Forget it. Even handing out flyers to the natives felt awkward.
Wutong County was over twenty miles from here, nearly thirty. Yu Qian went back to her room with a serious expression, dug out the scales behind the door, stood on them, weighed herself, and multiplied the distance by the distance. The final result was thirty-two point two copper coins one way, which rounded up to thirty-two copper coins.
"I didn't expect that I would have to spend more money if I gained weight." Yu Qian looked down at the scale in front of her depressedly: "I must lose weight when I go back!" Although she has said the same thing no less than a hundred times, it does not prevent her from saying it again.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I think I heard someone is going to Wutong County. Can you take me there?" Qi Zhi, who was wearing a robe with herbal patterns, stopped at the door and knocked on another door: "I need to go to Wutong County to buy some medicinal herbs." The caravan has already been here this month, and the next delivery will have to wait until next month, but the inventory of medicinal herbs is really running out.
"Of course, the carriage is big enough." Bei Qiao was writing a contract on the donkey's back with a brush. Hearing this, he looked up at Qi Zhi and said, "Let's weigh it first. Do you have anything else to bring? How much space will the medicine take up?"
"Yes, I need to bring my medicine box and a few sacks." Qi Zhi patted the medicine box hanging on her waist and stood on the scale. "I'm not sure how much medicinal materials I can buy at the pharmacy, so the return shipping fee will be calculated separately."
"Well...just do the same as Yu Qian, and give me thirty-two copper coins first." Bei Qiao handed the written contract to the two of them, and took out a small notebook from his sleeve to start keeping accounts: It's not easy, the deposit in the game is finally going to break through double digits again.
"No need to round off. Zhizhi, the medicine box you carry is lighter than mine. This is so sad. I must lose weight!" Yu Qian pretended to be sad and wiped away tears.
"Your weight is still within a healthy range, don't worry, but if you continue to eat like this, you may not be healthy." Qi Zhi took out a carrot from the medicine box and said, "I dare say you haven't eaten any vegetables all day today."
"Why put the radish in the medicine box?" Yu Qian lowered her sleeves, took the radish and took a bite. "Okay, I admit it. Who told the vegetable store downstairs to be closed today?"
After agreeing on the departure time for tomorrow, Bei Qiao sent the donkey home, went back to his room and lay on the bed, then logged off and told his parents that he was sending someone on a long journey.
"Be sure to be careful on the road!" Qiao Lin and Bei Gu both have to go to work tomorrow and cannot set off with Bei Qiao: "Don't stay outside too long, leave for home as soon as possible, it's not safe at night in the game." Even if you don't consider the social environment, country roads without street lights at night are really unsafe, and traffic accidents are easy to happen if you are not careful.
"I understand." Bei Qiao nodded, put on his glasses and logged into the game again, driving the donkey cart around the yard quickly for a few laps: Not bad, after a few more laps, the driving skill can be upgraded to the intermediate level.
The next day, Bei Qiao woke up on time without an alarm clock, washed his face, brushed his teeth, and had a quick breakfast. Then he logged into the game and climbed out of the bed in the game.
After looking at herself in the mirror, Bei Qiao finally let her hair down and tied it up, then put on a futou: this should save her some trouble.
Bei Qiao ran to the door of his parents' bedroom to check on their sleeping conditions, then went downstairs, locked the door, and went to the martial arts field to lead the donkey, petting and feeding the dog along the way.
Bei Qiao left through the side door, leading the donkey, and walked straight to Yu Qian's door and knocked. Before he finished knocking for the third time, Yu Qian opened the door.
"Good morning, Qiao Qiao, ah... Really, except for high school, I have never woken up so early in my life!" Yu Qian relied on five alarm clocks with completely different ways of shutting off to barely wake herself up. In order to stay awake, she drank a cup of strong tea and washed her face with cold water: "I also brushed my teeth with super mint toothpaste, otherwise I can't open my eyes now... Wow, I didn't notice it just now, you look very handsome in this outfit!" If you don't look carefully, he is actually a handsome guy!
It is said that in ancient times, people worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, but the sun still rises too early in the summer. Yu Qian, who stayed up late to watch TV series, was not awake at all. But now, she feels that he has woken her up!
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