Chapter 302: The Beggar [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Ji Shou, what do you think of this idea?"
Kang Shi nodded and replied, "Of course."
Although this idea was just a spur-of-the-moment decision by the lord, it was indeed feasible. Whether it was holding a market, a lantern festival, or the "sports meet" mentioned by the lord, the essence was to create a lively atmosphere and boost the people's livelihood and economy.
Since the lord's idea is novel and possesses these elements, it can naturally be adopted. Other aspects can be discussed after everyone is gathered.
but--
This reveals that the lord has a great love for play.
When Kang Shi thought of this, he couldn't help but smile slightly.
"So what kind of game do you think is both fun and entertaining?" Shen Tang really didn't know much about the entertainment and sports in this world, and muttered to herself, "It must have a very intense competition process, and ideally, the outcome should be unpredictable even to the onlookers! Oh, and most importantly, the use of martial arts or literary energy is not allowed; it must be a battle fought purely with physical strength..."
Otherwise, the outcome would be a foregone conclusion, and it could easily cause widespread destruction, lead to a loss of control, and even harm the audience.
Kang Shi thought for a moment: "Such as pitch-pot, archery, polo, cuju, backgammon, liubo, coin toss, and herb fighting?"
Shen Tang: "..."
Wow, Kang Shi knows how to have fun.
However, much of what he said was favored by literati and scions of noble families; in layman's terms, it was out of touch with reality!
To the uninformed commoners, it might seem uninteresting. But what Shen Tang needs is competition, clashes, confrontations, and a thrilling atmosphere that makes the audience want to shout, scream, or even grab bricks and jump into the fray!
Shen Tang muttered, "Of all the things you mentioned, only archery, polo, and cuju are somewhat decent. The others aren't even as entertaining as drop-the-handkerchief. For ordinary people, watching two groups fight is more fun than watching a few people play pitch-pot..."
Kang Shi carefully considered his lord's meaning.
He doesn't understand, aren't these fun?
Kang Shi thought it was alright.
Shen Tang countered, "You really think those things are fun?"
Kang Shi: "..."
Shen Tang meant to say that these games weren't very fun, but Kang Shi thought of games like backgammon and Liubo, which involved gambling, and his own terrible gaming experience made his expression turn slightly grim. It was like a knife stabbing into his heart, leaving him "bleeding profusely."
The game is a good game...
However, his approach to the scholarly path was extremely flawed.
The gaming experience was extremely poor.
Ah, it's still more fun playing cards with all sorts of beauties.
Winning or losing doesn't matter; what matters is having a good look at the sights.
"Forget it, I'll do it." Shen Tang said with high spirits, rolling up her sleeves. "I'll teach you how to play!"
Kang Shi: "..."
He could almost foresee his cousin Qishan's sullen face and resentful eyes, and he knew he was bound to get a scolding.
What are you cursing about?
He's a disgrace to the youth _(:з)∠)_
The two walked one after the other through the low-rise buildings where poor commoners lived. Just as they were about to turn at an alleyway, Shen Tang seemed to sense something, turned aside, and at the same time grabbed the arm of the thin, dark figure who was rushing into her arms.
The man's other arm was reaching towards his waist.
The target was the jade ornament that Shen Tang was wearing.
The thin, dark figure seemed surprised to be captured. As he was being grabbed, he struggled with lightning speed, using his long, grime-covered fingernails to scratch at Chen Tang's face and eyes.
Shen Tang instinctively leaned back to avoid it, but did not loosen her grip.
Kang Shi grabbed the dark figure by the collar with one hand.
As a result, he ended up with two dirty footprints on his chest.
Despite his short and thin stature, this dark-skinned figure possessed considerable strength in kicking. Seeing himself captured by the adult man, a flicker of fear crossed the man's face, and he cried out for help.
"Help! Kidnappers are stripping people naked!"
This person's voice is extremely sharp and piercing.
Kang Shi experienced an eardrum itch after being attacked at close range.
"Shut up, what nonsense are you shouting!"
He instinctively shouted.
As a result, the struggling shadow scratched his arm and the back of his hand, the wounds quickly breaking open and bleeding profusely. He gasped in pain, wondering if he had caught a wild, untamed cat instead of a person. Hearing the commotion, nearby villagers grabbed what they could and rushed over, surrounding Shen Tang and his companion with wary eyes.
Kang Shi released the shadowy figure and dropped it.
As soon as the dark figure's chapped, black-red feet touched the ground, it darted into the crowd of commoners, attempting to escape in the chaos.
Before he could even take a step, he was tripped by something and fell to the ground. Wen Qi then tied the thief up tightly.
The words spoken by the shadowy figure changed again.
"...The Zhang family is causing trouble again!"
"...Those beasts are out here arresting people again!"
Upon hearing this, the commoners, who had just been intimidated by the scholar's words, suddenly turned fierce. Before Kang Shi could explain anything, Shen Tang saw a gaunt old woman holding a full tiger cub and forcefully splashing it at them.
"Go to hell!"
The old woman had a ferocious expression.
Shen Tang reacted quickly and grabbed Kang Shi, pulling him back.
As the murky, foul-smelling liquid spilled onto the ground, a strong stench assaulted the senses, and a drop or two splashed onto Kang Shi's clothes.
Upon seeing what it was, Kang Shi and his companion's faces turned as black as if ink had been spilled on an inkstone. Their gazes suddenly sharpened, and without hesitation, Kang Shi drew his sword from his waist with a swift motion.
With the drawing of Kangshi's sword, the atmosphere became tense.
Even Shen Tang, with her usually good temper, lost her temper.
They were inexplicably targeted by a thief, their tricks exposed only to be framed, and now they're being attacked by commoners with a tiger cub filled with overnight urine—what, do they really think they can bully the few just because they outnumber each other? Seeing this, the surrounding commoners, fearing they'd become victims of Kang Shi's sword, one of them, though outwardly fierce, threatened, "You two, don't do anything rash! The prefect won't let you get away with this!"
Shen Tang almost laughed in anger upon hearing this.
"Yeah?"
Some sharp-eyed individuals had already secretly slipped away to fetch reinforcements.
The reinforcements that arrived were actually the local clerk who had gone ahead of them. Upon hearing that the local bully was harming the common people, the clerk immediately tensed up and ordered a few constables to rush over.
The expected bloody scene did not occur, and there were no signs of fighting or escape. He almost thought he had been tricked by the common people.
It should be noted that the local government had issued a high-value warrant for the arrest of those who had "spread poison," and commoners would frequently report them, but nine out of ten times it was false. Some commoners even colluded with their families to fabricate charges in order to claim the reward. Despite several stern reprimands, they did not change their ways.
Is this the same old trick again?
Where are they?
The clerk asked with an unfriendly expression.
The old woman who splashed tiger cubs stepped forward.
He pointed in a direction and said, "Over there."
These two thieves are so arrogant!
Have they not known that the world in Fugu City has changed?
The minor official became suspicious and thought to himself, "How strange."
If it were truly a "lingering poison," it wouldn't obediently wait for them to send someone over; it would have vanished without a trace long ago. The minor official followed the old woman and the group of commoners' directions, and then—he saw two foul-smelling faces, even the curve of their furrowed brows and pursed lips were strikingly similar!
The minor official felt a chill run down his spine: "...sigh, sigh..."
Shen Tang said, "What's wrong with Shen Tang?"
When Kang Shi saw the minor official approaching, he sheathed his sword. He had been genuinely angry and even had murderous intent, but he managed to suppress his emotions. Why bother arguing with these commoners?
It's normal for a place like Heyin to be so poor and remote, with unruly people everywhere.
Faced with Shen Tang's anger, the minor official dared not speak again.
Kang Shi manipulated his literary energy to toss him a stinking mess. The clerk instinctively reached out and caught it, but the overwhelming stench nearly sent him to his death, and his hands became smeared with the foul odor. The clerk looked disgusted and tried to throw the thing away.
In the end, I held back.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a dirty child.
This child is quite fierce; even when in his hands, he doesn't behave. He seizes any opportunity to bite, and the minor official was nearly bitten.
He had seen many of these children.
There are many such children within the territory of Fugu City.
They have no parents and resort to cheating, swindling, and stealing to make a living. Could it be that they stole from Shen Jun and his companion?
This terrible thought sprouted in the mind of the minor official. Looking at the expressions of hatred, disgust, or surprise in the eyes of the common people towards Shen Jun and his companion, the minor official guessed the truth to be pretty much complete.
Where do we claim this reward?
A middle-aged man with a pointed face and tattered clothes pushed past the others, rubbed his hands together, and asked the clerk a question, revealing a set of yellow, uneven, and severely worn teeth.
If he gets too close, the minor official will suffer.
First, she was attacked by a fishy stench, then by men's bad breath, and she wished she could faint on the spot and end it all.
He roared, "A reward? What reward?"
The man, dissatisfied with the clerk's attitude, said with a hint of malice, "I've done a good job! If you dare to take credit for my work, I'll report you!"
"Fine, come to the police station and arrest him if you dare!" He turned and tossed the beggar who had opened his mouth to bite to the others, waving his hand, "Take him away!"
Shen Tang didn't want his identity to be revealed, so the clerk didn't expose him. Everyone still thought that Shen Tang and his companion were the "Zhang family villains who stripped people of their clothes" that the beggar had mentioned, and they all looked at him with disdain. If the clerks hadn't been there, they would have loved to throw another load of excrement at him.
The beggar boy, however, was unusually agitated.
He spat and cursed in Chen Tang's direction.
Hey, I have to say, their vocabulary for swearing is quite extensive.
Perhaps because he spends so much time in the streets, he can utter all sorts of vulgar words, and referring to himself as his father, mother, and ancestors is practically second nature to him.
The minor official was terrified.
As they were leaving, the clerk cautiously asked, "Lord Shen?"
He was quite afraid of Shen Tang.
Despite his short stature and young age, Shen Jun had been deeply traumatized by the sight of seven families and their henchmen slaughtered on the high platform, their heads neatly arranged. He feared that Shen Tang might also kill those commoners in a fit of rage.
Shen Tang said, "Let's go back."
The minor official cupped his hands and said, "Yes, sir."
The beggar, who had been cursing Shen Tang with various slang terms, froze on the spot. Hearing the cursing stop, Shen Tang turned her head and gave the beggar a cold glance. The beggar met her eyes, shrank back, and instinctively took a step back.
Shen Tang scoffed, "Now you know fear?"
The beggar opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.
Shen Tang asked the clerk to give the beggar a pair of straw sandals.
The official said, "Alright..."
Shen Tang said indifferently, "Just give it to me. I'm not so petty as to argue with a beggar. However, the theft, assault, and false accusation are true. Take him back and lock him up for a few days so he can learn his lesson."
The beggar's feet were extremely dirty; at first glance, they appeared to be blackish-red. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the black was filth, and the red was cracked frostbite wounds. Unlike his overall emaciated appearance, his ankles were unusually swollen and thick.
It calmed the anger in the viewer.
＿|￣|●
I'm so frustrated with AKKO's keyboard! It's supposed to be a Year of the Tiger limited edition, but the letter keys suddenly stopped working. They said I needed to install a driver, but after downloading it, the wired connection had a problem. They keep telling me I'm doing something wrong—what the hell? What's so difficult about plugging in a cable? Updating the driver requires a wired connection, but their keyboard's wired connection is faulty, so they need to install a driver… Are they just using a double standard?
Damn, this trivial matter has delayed me for half an hour, so I'll have to finish the remaining thousand words tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)
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