Beside the dusty road, a seemingly inconspicuous tea stall was bustling with people. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that almost everyone resting inside was dressed in fine silks and satins. At this moment, they had abandoned the formalities of the wealthy, each picking up a cup of coarse tea and drinking it down in one gulp.
"Hey, isn't this Boss Wang? Why didn't you say you were going back? Otherwise, we could keep each other company."
Mr. Wang cupped his hands in greeting and said with a sullen expression, "Oh, it's Mr. Li. It's almost winter and I have a batch of goods to clear out, so I'm taking advantage of the weather before it gets too cold. My family has been asking me to bring my family over this time."
"Speaking of bringing my family here, I was just thinking the same thing. My family has always been curious about what the immortal realm is like, so I'm bringing them here to experience it. I'm afraid if I wait any longer, the inn won't have any rooms available."
"That's not true. To be honest, I've only stayed for a few days, and I'm already a little reluctant to leave."
Mr. Li nodded in deep agreement, and the two began to chat back and forth.
Some people who were planning to go to the inn asked curiously, "Is it really that amazing?" These people had also told about the strange things that happened at the inn, but they had some reservations, which is why they did not go there immediately.
Boss Wang looked at the person who had asked the question. He could tell that the man was not an ordinary merchant, but at least a son of an official. In the past, he would have been nervous, but now he was not so reserved. He simply nodded and said, "It will only be more so! Judging from your appearance, you must also be planning to go to the Immortal Fate Inn. Why don't you go and experience it for yourself?"
Immediately, the Fairy Inn became the talk of the town.
For the tea stall owners, such scenes were nothing new. They were naturally curious about the Immortal Inn, but more than that, they felt grateful. Since the immortal opened the inn, the tea stall's business had improved considerably; it seemed the elderly couple would have a good New Year this year.
In an inconspicuous corner of the tea stall, two simply dressed people were listening to the conversation of the crowd. They were An Ge and Hu Jiu, who were out shopping, or rather, surveying the market.
An Ge temporarily entrusted the inn's affairs to Chang Jin, finally able to get some fresh air. The two set off early in the morning, but without horses and with Hu Jiuxian's magic restricted, they could only trek through nearly dozens of miles of forest, finally emerging in the afternoon.
"What a blunder. We should have borrowed Yunmo's carriage to come out." An Ge sat on the tea stall and rubbed her sore legs.
Hu Jiu poured An Ge a glass of water with a hint of heartache, "Let's buy a carriage today, it will be useful for our future travels."
An Ge nodded, listening to everyone's praise of the inn, forgetting all about her soreness, feeling incredibly happy.
An Ge has now given up on correcting her immortal identity; she'll just accept it as what people think—that she's come to the mortal realm for training. At least it saves her a lot of trouble. Fortunately, everyone consciously addresses her as "shop manager" in her presence.
The nearest town was about ten miles away. After resting, the two continued their journey and finally arrived in Yang County at dusk.
Unlike the ancient times that An Ge had imagined, the streets were not bustling with people. There were only a few shops scattered along the street, and most pedestrians were not dressed very well. Only occasionally did carriages and horses in fine clothes pass by.
The streets are mostly dirt roads, and a slight breeze can whip up dust. Fallen leaves cover the streets, some already blended into the soil.
As sunset approached, many roadside vendors had already packed up their stalls, and those carrying their goods on their shoulders gradually headed home.
Since arriving in this strange world, An Ge had almost always seen well-off families; this was the first time she had experienced the lives of ordinary people. Looking at the passing crowds, she realized for the first time the poverty of this place.
According to the innkeepers, Yang County was already considered one of the more prosperous towns in Huaixi City. An Ge could roughly guess what the other places were like.
"It's all lies on TV." An Ge's impression of ancient towns was still based on the melodramatic TV series she watched in her previous life. Upon seeing such a stark contrast, she couldn't help but complain.
The two were dressed simply, but better than most people on the street. Coupled with their outstanding temperament and appearance, they attracted the attention of many passersby.
An Ge was a little uncomfortable at first, but after sensing that the passersby meant no harm, she became indifferent. Hu Jiu, on the other hand, no longer cared about these stares.
As they walked, An Ge said to Hu Jiu with great interest, "It's quite pitiful that a legitimate prince like him has such a fiefdom. The people at the inn have a pretty good opinion of him. They even rectified Huai Xi City a while ago. I wonder how he's doing now?"
Hu Jiu's smile faltered for a moment. He had heard An Ge mention more than once how Feng Jinghan had helped her when the inn first started operating, and he couldn't help but feel curious about Feng Jinghan.
"No matter what, princes in the mortal realm still live in luxury. He might be living a more leisurely life than you, shopkeeper." There was a hostility in his tone that he himself didn't realize.
An Ge thought about it for a moment and nodded in deep agreement.
"Who's having a leisurely time? I'm working tirelessly every day for the development of the inn, okay? Explain yourself!" Realizing what had happened, An Ge put her hands on her hips and couldn't help but retort.
Hu Jiu coughed lightly. If he said he didn't let it slip on purpose, was there still a chance to salvage the situation?
The two bickered all the way, and before they knew it, they had explored almost all of the town's main streets.
An Ge watched for a while longer, then lost interest. The two found the largest hotel in town and ordered several of its signature dishes.
After just one bite, Ange understood why the inn's food was so appealing.
The dishes before me were not particularly exquisite, the flavors were rather bland, and the taste was rather ordinary. According to the waiter, their restaurant was one of the most famous in Huaixi City.
An Ge looked at Hu Jiu, who was enjoying his meal immensely, with some surprise. In her opinion, Hu Jiu must come from a well-off family, and his demeanor occasionally revealed a touch of nobility. He was also extremely picky about food, like a gourmand, and could even offer some pointers on the two chefs' cooking skills.
Nowadays, even ordinary food is hard for An Ge to eat, but he still eats with great relish.
"What did you do before?" An Ge asked curiously.
"Uh... roughly equivalent to a chivalrous knight-errant among mortals?" Hu Jiu said somewhat guiltily, thinking of his own mischievous ways.
An Ge nodded knowingly. No wonder Hu Jiu was so tolerant. Knights often endured wind and rain, so they did indeed have fewer of the bad habits of nobles.
An image of a righteous swordsman wielding a sharp blade and righting wrongs came to mind.
Hu Jiu seemed unreliable, like a rich second-generation who just wanted to eat and drink, but unexpectedly he had a chivalrous heart. Indeed, appearances can be deceiving. An Ge felt a little guilty, thinking that she had misunderstood him, and decided that she could no longer look at Hu Jiu with old eyes.
Much later, when An Ge finally learned about Hu Jiu's actions and his reputation among others, she couldn't help but feel heartache for the guilt she had felt for that moment.
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