Ten years ago, when he entered the palace, he discovered that the capital had undergone great changes. Some shops no longer had walls, but instead had transparent glass walls, displaying the goods inside in full view.
Even at night, everywhere was brightly lit by something like a small sun.
There were very few horse-drawn carriages on the streets anymore. The means of transportation were two-wheeled, three-wheeled, and four-wheeled. Moreover, it wasn't just the wealthy who had these means of transportation. He even saw an old woman carrying a vegetable basket riding a small tricycle that could only accommodate two people.
Just then, as he hesitated, unsure of where to go, a melodious whistle sounded from outside the city. He looked in that direction. He had heard this sound ten years ago when he came out, and he was curious about what it was, so he started walking towards the city gates.
He hadn't walked two steps when a four- or five-meter-long object stopped in front of him, casting a shadow that startled him, causing him to stop in his tracks and look over warily.
That looked like a house, a house that could move!
A man was sitting in front of the house. He pressed something, and the door opened automatically. Several people came down from the back door. Seeing that he was hesitant to enter, the man who pressed the button said to him, "Are you coming in or not?"
The people on the bus all looked at him. Xiao Huai's face turned a little red. He walked up as if possessed. He was very curious about what this thing was.
But before he could even find a seat, the person in front of him called out to him again, "Hey, hey, time to insert coins."
Should I insert a coin?
Xiao Huai looked puzzled. The man stepped forward, sized him up, and said, "You don't look like a foreigner. How come you don't know that you have to pay for the bus?"
Even small towns in the Great Jin Dynasty have buses now. Even outsiders know that you have to pay for a bus ride. Why does this person seem like a fool who is isolated from the world?
The bus driver looked at the other person's dazed expression, sighed, and said, "Never mind, I'll pay for you."
The driver took a coin out of his pocket and put it into the box by the door, then told him to sit down before starting the car.
As Xiao Huai watched the scenery outside the window drive away, he was filled with amazement. What kind of car was this?
"Were you just released from jail?"
An old man in the seat in front of him turned around and asked him a question. Xiao Huai looked over warily but did not answer.
The old man chuckled and said, "Our Great Jin is changing every day. Only someone who's just come out of prison would be as surprised and wary as you. But I see you're surprised by everything, so you must have been locked up for quite a few years, right?"
Xiao Huai hadn't expected to be seen through, but seeing that the old man seemed kind, he forced a smile, nodded, and asked, "Uncle, why are there such big changes outside?"
Upon hearing this, the old man realized that the man had indeed been imprisoned for quite some time and knew nothing about it.
So he began to talk animatedly about everything from Zhang Qing's establishment of the girls' school to the later research institute, and now the establishment of the new type of school.
During the conversation, other passengers chimed in to fill in any gaps in the list, each speaking with great enthusiasm and pride.
Xiao Huai was secretly shocked to hear this. All the earth-shaking changes that had taken place in the Great Jin Dynasty actually originated from the girls' school!
Just as he was feeling alarmed, music suddenly started playing, and he immediately became alert again. But the old man in front of him took out a black object from his pocket, pressed something on it, and then put it to his ear and started speaking loudly.
"I'm on the bus, and..."
He glanced at a timetable on the wall of the car and continued, "Three more stops until we arrive. Okay, that's all for now. I bought some fish today; I'll make fish soup for you guys when we get back!"
He pressed it again and stuffed the black thing into his pocket.
"By the way, do you have any family members? Would you like to come to my place for a rest?"
The old man looked at Xiao Huai with kindness.
family?
Xiao Huai thought for a moment. His mother had died long ago, and his father had died ten years ago. As for the Crown Prince, he had once wanted him dead, and the Crown Prince was already being kind by letting him go. How could he possibly let him return to the palace? His other brothers and sisters didn't get along with him much, and they wouldn't tolerate him either.
"good."
Xiao Huai agreed. He was new to the area, and it would be good to have someone show him around.
But after getting off the bus with the old man, they turned into a courtyard after going through two alleys. But as soon as they entered, the courtyard gate was suddenly closed, and two burly men came out from behind the gate, along with several other people from inside the house.
They snatched his bundle away, and the old man's expression changed from kind to cold. Only then did Xiao Huai realize he had been tricked.
His baggage was stolen, and he was beaten up and thrown out.
"A person who's been locked up in jail for so many years is definitely not a good person! Consider this a lesson for you, and be a good person when you get out."
After the old man finished speaking, he turned around and went back into the courtyard, slamming the gate shut behind him.
Xiao Huai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stared at the closed courtyard gate with a sinister look in his eyes.
He limped away, vowing to avenge this humiliation!
He came to the street and saw a middle-aged man drinking spicy soup. He looked familiar, and after walking over and taking a closer look, he realized that the man was a minister from the Western Regions, someone he had even befriended.
Although so many years have passed and this person's appearance has changed somewhat, you can still tell if you look closely.
Before he could even say hello, the aroma of spicy soup wafted over, and Xiao Huai couldn't help but swallow. He had been released early that morning and hadn't eaten a single bite yet.
Then he saw the middle-aged man looking at him warily, and even pulling the bowl of spicy soup on the table closer to his chest.
Xiao Huai couldn't help but twitch his lips. Could he possibly steal his spicy soup?
"Hua Jin! What are you doing here?"
Xiao Huai walked over, his initial awkwardness gone, and he seemed quite pleased.
He was just wondering how to find help when he encountered people from the Western Regions. The people of the Western Regions were the most untrustworthy; if they invaded the border, they could at least muddy the waters of the Great Jin Dynasty, so that he could fish in troubled waters.
Hua Jin hugged the bowl of spicy soup even tighter to his chest, as if Xiao Huai was trying to get close to him just to steal his soup.
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