northernbook Chapter 198 First Arrival
Chapter 198 First Arrival
The capital city is so large that it cannot be explored in a single day.
As the political, economic, and cultural center of the Great Zhou Dynasty, its prosperity was unmatched by any other place.
The entire capital city is flat and is divided into an inner city and an outer city, separated by city walls and a moat.
The capital city center, which is also the center of the inner city, is the hub of the entire Great Zhou Dynasty—the Imperial Palace.
The palace was surrounded by the domains of the four great families, beyond which lay the residences of the royal family and their relatives, followed by the princes and ministers.
The outer city area was inhabited by officials, commoners, merchants, and peddlers...
The system was divided into layers, with clear class distinctions.
In this era, there were no drones and no high mountains nearby, so Lin Ziping could not understand the overall layout of the capital city. He could only get a rough idea, and he would probably have to rely on his footsteps to measure it slowly in the future.
When I first arrived, I asked the innkeeper about the location of the Li residence.
Having prepared some gifts and brought along some items that looked like local specialties from Fuchun, Lin Ziping was about to head out.
Before they could even step out of the inn, the innkeeper stopped them.
"Please wait a moment, sir." The innkeeper said with a smile and a gentle voice.
Lin Ziping stopped in his tracks: "What is it, shopkeeper?"
"I see you're carrying gifts. Are you going to the Li residence in the inner city?"
Lin Ziping smiled and nodded: "Yes, we're going to visit a friend."
The shopkeeper said, "You asked me about the location of the Li residence a couple of days ago. I am not very knowledgeable, but I made a bold guess, and it turned out to be correct. I hope you don't mind."
"Hehe, you have a good eye, shopkeeper," Lin Ziping complimented.
"I can hear a hint of Zezhou accent in your Mandarin, you're not from the capital, are you?" The shopkeeper patted his plump belly.
These words sounded familiar, and Lin Ziping looked the shopkeeper up and down.
Could it be that the shopkeeper is trying to sell something?!
Composing himself, Lin Ziping said, "Shopkeeper, you're amazing. I really am from Zezhou."
"I knew it!" The shopkeeper clapped his hands lightly, and a child of about seven or eight years old ran out.
He explained, "Sir, you're new here and don't know the rules of the capital. The exits of the inner city are guarded by guards. Do you have a Li family token to go to the Li residence?"
Lin Ziping shook his head.
Do you have a warrant?
Lin Ziping continued to shake his head.
"Is there anyone in the inner city to meet us?"
"No, my friend doesn't know I'm here yet," Lin Ziping explained.
The shopkeeper nodded knowingly and said, "This is my nephew. My sister works at the Zhou residence. He just happened to be going to see his mother. You can ask him to take you there."
Lin Ziping glanced at the young boy beside him.
Their eyes met.
The child smiled innocently and scratched his head.
Their eyes met, which could be considered a greeting.
"How can that be? I'm going to the Li residence, and he's going to the Zhou residence. It's not on the way," Lin Ziping waved his hand in refusal.
"It's alright, it's alright. The two houses aren't far apart. You'll see when you get there. I just didn't have time to take the child in, so I can only trouble you." The shopkeeper had an apologetic smile on his face.
Unsure of the truth, Lin Ziping couldn't refuse and agreed, saying, "Thank you for your help, young man. Shopkeeper, how much will it cost to guide me?"
The shopkeeper waved his hand and said, "No money needed, it's no trouble at all."
The difficulties mentioned earlier are now just a matter of lending a helping hand.
The most expensive things in the world are those that are free.
Lin Ziping stuffed a box of gifts he had bought for Li Qiongying into the hands of the shopkeeper's nephew.
"It just so happens that this young man is going to see his mother, so this is my thank-you gift. Manager, I'd also like to trouble you to help me see if there are any vacant houses for rent around here, as I plan to stay in the capital for a while."
Originally, I planned to ask Li Qiongying to help me rent a house, but now the shopkeeper is being too enthusiastic, which is a bit overwhelming.
We should find him something to do and tell him that we're going to stay in the capital for a long time.
"Aren't you going to the Li residence, sir?" the innkeeper asked.
“Yes, but my acquaintance with the Li family is merely a fleeting one, how can I trouble them for too long?” Lin Ziping said.
The shopkeeper paused, but his smile remained unchanged, and replied, "Alright, I'll keep an eye out for you."
"Thank you very much, shopkeeper. I'll treat you to a drink when I get back." Lin Ziping then said to the child beside him, "Please lead the way, young brother."
The streets were packed with people, and shops lined the streets.
Lin Ziping carefully followed behind the shopkeeper's nephew, carrying the gift box.
"What's your name?" Lin Ziping asked.
The child said, "You can just call me Xiao Si."
"Are you the fourth child in your family?" Lin Ziping looked at the candied hawthorns in front of him. "I want to eat candied hawthorns. Little Fourth, give me a skewer."
Before Xiao Si could answer, Lin Ziping quickly walked to the stall selling candied hawthorns and bought two skewers.
"Here you go." Lin Ziping handed a string of skewers to Xiao Si and took a bite.
The hawthorn flavor is so sour!
Xiao Si took the candied hawthorn and looked at Lin Ziping with bright eyes.
"It's quite delicious, Xiao Si, you should try some." Lin Ziping took another bite and mumbled indistinctly.
Xiao Si took a lick, his eyes narrowing into slits with satisfaction.
"Thank you, sir," Xiao Si said crisply.
Lin Ziping burst out laughing when he heard the way he was addressed.
"I'm not much older than you, just call me Brother Ziping." Lin Ziping ignored his real age and said somewhat shamelessly.
Xiao Si, oblivious to Lin Ziping's mindset, readily replied, "Thank you, Brother Ziping."
The two chatted for a long time, and their relationship was finally thawed by a string of candied hawthorns.
"Little Four, what is your mother doing at the Zhou residence?" Lin Ziping asked casually.
"I'm helping out in the kitchen!" Xiao Si said proudly.
"That's really impressive," Lin Ziping praised.
Xiao Si threw down the bamboo skewer of the candied hawthorn in his hand: "The amazing one is my uncle. If it weren't for my uncle, my mother wouldn't have been able to go to the Zhou residence."
"Why?" Lin Ziping asked curiously.
“I heard from my mother that my uncle was a waiter at the time. He led a nobleman who had just arrived in the capital to the Zhou residence. To express his gratitude, the nobleman arranged for my mother to go to the Zhou residence.” Xiao Si switched the gift box to the other hand.
She continued, "Later, my mother met my father, and then my older brother, second older sister, third older brother, and me were born."
"So you really are the fourth child in your family." Lin Ziping gave him an "I see" look.
"I'm my mother's fourth child." Xiao Si scratched his head. "Brother Ziping, if I take you to the inner city, can you help my cousin find a job at the Li family's residence?"
Uh... this...
Lin Ziping silently shook his head under Xiao Si's expectant gaze.
I have no idea what's going on at the Li residence this time, so what kind of work can I arrange for him?!
"Sigh." Xiao Si sighed like a little adult, and then comforted Lin Ziping, saying, "It's alright, Brother Ziping, when you go to the Li residence to ask someone for a favor, you'll definitely get what you want."
This...this...
Lin Ziping said he was not comforted.
He wanted to deny it, but it seemed like he had gone to Li Qiongying to do something.
"Xiao Si, how did you know I was going to see someone for a favor?" Lin Ziping changed the subject.