2: Lakeside town

“Don’t rush! Don’t rush!”

“When facing major events, one must remain calm!”

“Only with thorough preparation can one act; I absolutely cannot waste these precious Reincarnation points!”

“…”

In the dark cabin, Gu Chang repeatedly admonished himself, and his emotions gradually calmed down.

His body had been greatly depleted of vitality by the Six Paths of Reincarnation, leaving him very weak both physically and mentally. Furthermore, the provisions like firewood, rice, and oil on the boat were almost depleted, making it unsuitable for him to immediately attempt Reincarnation.

If he were to fail in his next Reincarnation due to these external factors, wasting his Reincarnation points, that would be truly foolish behavior!

“I’ll rest well tonight, sell fish tomorrow, then buy as many daily necessities as possible to stock up. After that, I’ll focus on recuperating, getting my body and mind into optimal condition first!”

As the saying goes, sharpening the axe does not delay chopping wood. The more important the matter, the more crucial the preliminary preparations.

Gu Chang’s experience from two lifetimes told him that to accomplish great things, he must remain calm!

After clarifying his thoughts, Gu Chang no longer concerned himself with the changes in his mind. Instead, he emptied his mind and body, lay on the bed, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

That night, without the usual constant sensation of vitality being devoured, he slept exceptionally soundly until daybreak the next day.

The next day, Gu Chang woke from his dream feeling completely refreshed.

He even had a beautiful dream, dreaming that he had reincarnated into a wealthy family, becoming a Young Master who lived in luxury, enjoying a life where everything was handed to him.

However, upon waking, he still saw the narrow, cramped, damp, and cold cabin, which quickly sobered him up.

So, Gu Chang immediately started a fire to cook. Similar to last night, it was still a pot of fresh fish soup, just with an extra handful of millet.

After a hurried meal, Gu Chang immediately rowed his boat to the trap areas he had set in the lake.

If he was going to sell fish, he naturally needed something to sell.

Near a small Island in the lake, Gu Chang pulled up his ground cages, catching some lake fish from the traps. After simply selecting some larger fish, he immediately rowed his boat to the town by Taihu Lake.

“Splash ~ Splash ~”

On the lake surface on a clear winter morning, a vast white mist hung, through which distant mountains could vaguely be seen. From time to time, fishermen’s chants and the sounds of oars splashing water could be heard on the lake.

The 800-li Taihu Lake bordered five prefectures, and its waterways connected to large rivers, making it a true water transportation hub.

Near the main shipping lanes, one could occasionally see large ships and pleasure boats passing by.

However, none of these were things Gu Chang needed to consider right now.

Skillfully rowing his boat to Linhu Town, Gu Chang transferred all the fish kept in his cabin into a fish basket. Only then did he step onto the dock and enter this place that clearly exuded human activity.

However, before he could even take in the bustling atmosphere, a short, stout man in a black robe appeared. Upon seeing Gu Chang, he glanced at his fishing boat and then directly asked, “How many days are you staying?”

“One day.”

“Twenty large coins!”

“Alright, please take it!”

“Just toss it in the basin!”

The man said casually to Gu Chang without even raising his head, showing no intention of speaking another word to him.

“Yes.”

Life fishing on Taihu Lake might seem carefree, but in reality, it was impossible. As long as you needed to go ashore and buy necessities like firewood, rice, and oil, you couldn’t avoid paying taxes to the Dynasty and performing corvée labor!

Of course, you could go ashore elsewhere, but if your boat was lost or something happened to you, the authorities wouldn't care.

You might even be directly arrested for being an unfamiliar face, in which case you could only pray for good fortune.

Gu Chang handed over twenty large coins and took a bamboo token receipt from the minor official before truly stepping into Linhu Town.

“Fish for sale! Fish for sale! Good fresh fish for sale!”

“Vegetables! Vegetables!”

“Lamb offal soup! Fresh and delicious lamb offal soup!”

“Flatbreads! Sesame flatbreads!”

“Move aside! Don’t block the way!”

“Creak, creak, moo ~”

“…”

The area near the dock was always a mixed bag of people. The surrounding area was bustling with people and carriages, with merchants, market-goers, beggars, and laborers coming and going in an endless stream.

Gu Chang, as usual, went to an open space by the dockside to sell fish, and then he also shouted loudly.

“Fish for sale! Fish for sale! Freshly caught fish!”

“Large fish five coins a jin! Small fish three coins a jin!”

“Buy a large fish, get a small fish free!”

In those days, there was no concept of advertising. The simplest method for small vendors was to shout loudly, the louder the better, as this was the only way to attract more people.

Originally, Gu Chang felt quite embarrassed, but after a few times, he got used to it. To survive, one had to be thick-skinned.

Moreover, he also used some tricks from his previous life to make people feel like they were getting a bargain, which made the sales much faster.

Sure enough, people soon came to buy fish, and the twenty to thirty jin of fish in his basket were sold out in less than two hours.

However, before he could count his earnings, he saw a short, stout middle-aged man in black clothes. Behind him followed two strong men, holding short clubs as thick as wrists.

“Oh, isn’t that Sixth Master!”

“Sixth Master is here!”

“Come, come, Sixth Master, this is freshly slaughtered pork today!”

“…”

As soon as the man appeared, he immediately drew a chorus of fawning from the surrounding vendors. One by one, they all took money and goods, almost forcing them into the hands of the two men behind him.

Gu Chang also unhesitatingly took out fifty coins and handed them over. This was “the rule” and also “respect”!

Otherwise, this seemingly amiable Sixth Master would likely not be smiling, but rather grim-faced, ordering his men to beat him severely to enforce the rules.

Only after these few people had taken their “respect” and left did the nearby vendors quietly begin to curse. However, moments later, their curses were replaced by shouts, and the entire dock became lively again.

“Gang, aristocratic families, government, Dynasty, and Immortals!”

Feeling the changes around him, Gu Chang silently recited a string of terms in his mind. Yes, Immortals existed in this world, and “he” had even seen them with his own eyes!

He remembered that when Gu Chang was eight, his parents took him to the distant Qingzhou Prefecture City to check if he had the qualifications to Cultivate.

Unfortunately, he was just an ordinary person and did not possess the qualifications to Cultivate.

At the same time, it was precisely because of the existence of Immortals, or rather, Cultivators, that a Dynasty could maintain its rule for a thousand years, allowing aristocratic families to flourish for hundreds of years, and countless common people at the bottom to toil generation after generation, working like oxen and horses, just so that a Cultivator might appear among their own descendants!