64: Not going to the Zhou family

The clamor of voices, the rumbling of wheels, and the cries of vendors, mixed with the aroma of food and the musky scent of livestock, rushed toward them.

This rich, worldly atmosphere washed away the last lingering traces of cold and fear from the mountains.

Old Man Qian drove the cart, skillfully navigating them to the mule and horse market in the town center, where they settled the remaining fare.

"Xiao Ming, thanks to you, I managed to save my life." Old Man Qian gripped the copper coins, his hand still trembling, his eyes filled with gratitude and lingering fear as he looked at Su Ming. "If you ever need anything in the future, just send word. As long as I'm still in town, Uncle Qian will be at your beck and call."

Su Ming nodded. "Take care on the road, Uncle Qian."

Old Man Qian drove the empty cart away, leaving only Su Ming and Zhao Rui, along with their respective luggage, standing there.

Zhao Rui let out a long sigh of relief. The pallor of having narrowly escaped death quickly faded from his face, replaced by an arrogance and impatience that came with returning to a familiar environment.

He brushed the dust off himself and frowned. "We've finally arrived. Su Ming, let's go. We're still going to my Maternal Uncle-in-law's house. You did that Zhou Yulin such a huge favor last time; they surely won't make us stay in that hellhole again."

Su Ming picked up his bundle, but his feet did not move.

"We are not staying at the Zhou Family." His voice was calm.

"Why?" Zhao Rui's volume immediately shot up. "If we don't stay at my Maternal Uncle-in-law's house, where will we stay? The streets? I'm telling you, inns in town are exorbitantly expensive!"

"Disciple, well done! You absolutely must not go!" Lin Yu's voice rang out in Su Ming's mind, carrying unprecedented seriousness. "That old rascal Zhou Kang is full of bad intentions; he already tried to trip you up at the County School last time. Are you tired of living, actively delivering yourself to his doorstep? That's not staying with relatives; that's walking into a wolf's den! His household is full of prying eyes and loose lips—how would you Cultivate the Breath Concealment Art? How would you hide your secrets? Remember, one of the core tenets of 'The Way of Cautious Survival' is to stay away from all potential sources of threat!"

Su Ming ignored Zhao Rui's bluster and calmly retorted, "Have you forgotten what happened at the County School?"

Zhao Rui's face instantly turned the color of pig liver.

Of course he hadn't forgotten. That look, as if they were trash, and the fawning face of that Registrar Qian, were all still vivid in his mind.

"That... that's because my Maternal Uncle-in-law didn't know we were there! If he had known, he certainly wouldn't have acted like that!" Zhao Rui argued stubbornly, though his voice was much quieter.

"We are here to study, not to live under someone else's roof." Su Ming picked up his bundle and started walking. "Finding an inn to stay in will be quiet and save us a lot of unnecessary trouble."

Zhao Rui watched Su Ming's back, then looked at the bustling crowds around him; a sense of inexplicable panic washed over him again. The experience in the mountains left him completely afraid to act alone at this moment.

He gritted his teeth, having no choice but to reluctantly pick up his book box and quickly follow after him.

"Fine, stay at an inn then! Don't come crying to me when you see the price!"

Su Ming led him, not toward the bustling main street, but instead turned into a relatively secluded alley.

Passing by an inn that looked bright and clean, with tall horses tethered at the entrance, Su Ming didn't even raise an eyelid.

Zhao Rui looked on with envy, wanting to speak several times, but was blocked by Su Ming's silent and resolute back.

Finally, deep in the alley, Su Ming stopped in front of a shop with a narrow frontage and a sign that read "Fu'an Inn," the characters somewhat chipped and peeling.

A Waiter wearing a simple short jacket was dozing on the counter; hearing the commotion, he lazily raised his head.

"Staying the night?"

"Yes, the cheapest room, how much is it per night?" Su Ming asked.

The Waiter looked them up and down—one wearing coarse cloth clothes, the other in better material but covered in the dust of travel—and curled his lip, holding up three fingers.

"Thirty wen."

"What? Thirty wen!" Zhao Rui knew the prices were high, but he hadn't expected it to be this much more expensive than he anticipated. His family's money didn't just blow in on the wind. "A dump like this costs thirty wen a night? You could buy an old book for that!"

Su Ming, as if he hadn't heard his protest, fished thirty copper coins from his bosom, counted them carefully, and placed them on the counter.

"We'll take one room."

The Waiter took the money and tossed over a wooden plaque. "Second floor, the room at the end."

After speaking, he slumped back down to sleep.

Zhao Rui stomped his feet in anger, but having no other choice, he could only follow behind Su Ming, stepping up the creaky stairs to the second floor.

The room was indeed small, only large enough for a bed, a table, and a chair. The furnishings were simple, but the windows were bright and the tables clean; the floor and bedding were truly tidy, with none of the damp, moldy air he had expected. Pushing open the window, one could see clothes drying in the backyard, carrying the faint, fresh scent of soap locust.

"Is... is this place fit for humans?" Zhao Rui threw his book box onto the floor, his face full of disgust. "Even the quilt feels damp!"

Su Ming ignored him, placed his bundle on the table, took out his waterskin to take a sip, and then began to organize his things. His movements were unhurried, exuding a calmness that was completely out of place in this environment.

Zhao Rui complained for a while, but seeing that Su Ming continued to ignore him, he felt bored. He plopped down onto the bed, and the bed boards let out an unbearable groan.

He looked at Su Ming, his heart filled with mixed emotions. This youth, even younger than himself, was able to detect danger in advance in the mountains, and was so seasoned in finding a place to stay in town. He didn't even blink when paying, as if everything was according to his plan.

It made Zhao Rui feel both a sense of trust and a strong sense of irritation.

Night fell, and faint sounds of commotion drifted in from outside the inn, but inside the room, only a dim, yellow bean-oil lamp was lit.

Su Ming poured all his money onto the bed.

Twenty taels of glistening white silver, plus the few taels his family had given him, and the copper coins he had left over from last time.

Under the lamplight, the silver ingots emitted a cold and alluring luster.

Su Ming picked up an ingot of silver, feeling its weight in his palm.

Zhao Rui was leaning against the head of the bed; seeing this scene, he gave a disdainful snort, pulled a bulging money pouch from his own bosom, and dumped it onto the bed.

With a clatter, there was twice as much silver inside as Su Ming's.

"My dad gave me forty taels," Zhao Rui said, as if showing off. "He said that expenses for studying in town are high, and he couldn't let me suffer. We don't need to stay in a hellhole like this at all; we could go to the 'Yuelai Inn' in the East City, which is only one hundred wen a day!" It was as if he wasn't the one who had complained about thirty wen being expensive earlier.

Su Ming didn't look at him, simply putting his money away again, leaving only one tael of broken silver and a few dozen copper coins out.