Xia Pingan thought for a while before answering, "I don't have a specific plan for the time being. I plan to settle down in Shang Jing City first!"
"Brother Xia, are you not going to leave Shang Jing City for the time being?" Qu Youqian asked again.
Xia Pingan shook his head. "Shang Jing City is so prosperous. It's not easy to come here. It's a pity to leave. I'm not going to leave for the time being. What about you? Brother Qu, what's your plan?"
Qu Youqian rubbed his face. "I've told you before that I have a friend who's a bounty hunter. I'm going to have a try. Brother Xia, do you want to go with me?"
Xia Pingan looked up at the sun hanging in the sky and rubbed his stomach. He had been here all morning and was already hungry. "Let me take a look again. It's getting late, let's find a place to eat first. It's rare to get to know Brother Qu, so I'll treat Brother Qu to today's meal!"
"Hahaha, alright. Let's go. I just happen to know of a place nearby called the Retaining Immortal Restaurant. I heard that the Retaining Immortal Restaurant's Braised Meat and Immortal Intoxication Wine are quite special. Why don't we go and try it?"
"Hahaha, Brother Qu, please lead the way!"
Qu Youqian took Xia Pingan to Retaining Immortals Restaurant. After a meal, it was already afternoon when they came out of Retaining Immortals Restaurant.
The Drunken Immortals Wine of Retaining Immortals Restaurant was really special. Xia Pingan's body was almost immune to ordinary alcohol. However, after drinking two pots of Drunken Immortals Wine, Xia Pingan felt that his face was a little hot. His Divine Sense was slightly hazy and he felt a little drunk.
"It's not easy to stay in Shang Jing City …" Qu Youqian was still a little drunk. He burped and said to Xia Pingan, "Brother Xia, if you want to stay in Shang Jing City, you have to rent a place. It's not convenient to stay in ordinary hotels, and those high-end hotels are too expensive. Renting a place is the most suitable. The houses in the suburbs are cheap, and the closer to the center of Shang Jing City, the more expensive they are. If you want to rent a house, you can find a broker for help. As long as you pay some money, you can find one quickly!"
"Thank you for telling me, Brother Qu. I was just about to find a cheap place to stay in the suburbs!"
"I've been renting a small courtyard at 112 Feiyan Road in Shang Jing City's Swallow Descent Town. If Brother Xia doesn't mind, you can come and find me. The two of us can squeeze together, that's fine!"
"I won't disturb Brother Qu any further. I'll find a place to stay myself!"
"Hahaha, let's meet again if fate allows it!"
The two of them cupped their hands and bid each other farewell at the entrance of the restaurant.
In the afternoon, the streets were bustling with people and carriages. After bidding farewell to Qu Youqian at the entrance of Liuxian Restaurant, Xia Pingan felt for the last two gold coins in his pocket. He first found a bookstore on the street and bought a map of Shangjing City. Then, he took a public bus and wandered around the city.
Shangjing City was too big. It was not easy to travel through half of the northern side of Shangjing City in one day. Xia Pingan only took a cursory look around.
Other than being big, Shangjing City had another unique characteristic. It had a lot of people.
With a lot of people, the competition for survival at the bottom grew. The villas and courtyards of the wealthy in the northern side of Shangjing City were luxurious. However, on the streets where the commoners lived, even the stalls selling roasted red potatoes and steamed buns were crowded.
In the city, there were fortune-tellers, stalls, cart drivers, and all sorts of people selling snacks on the streets. There were countless people from all walks of life.
As for where they lived, most of the families of four, five, three generations, four generations, five or six families were squeezed into a cramped courtyard house.
The most crowded buildings were the Jing Buildings that were built according to the pattern of siheyuan. The Jing Buildings in Shangjing City had a long history. Each floor of the Jing Buildings was equivalent to a siheyuan. The corridors were filled with people. They were not as spacious as the courtyards in the siheyuan. Therefore, the Jing Buildings were even more crowded.
These Jing Houses were the slums of Shangjing City.
Those with better family conditions could live in loose bungalows and small courtyards left by their ancestors. However, the bungalows and courtyards were not large either.
If a family of four could live in a bungalow of 100 square meters in Shangjing City, they could be regarded as an upper-middle class family in Shangjing City.
There were even fewer families who could live in a single courtyard. The courtyards were all old buildings. Once the ancestors separated, a single courtyard would become the courtyards of countless families. It was hard to find peace and quiet. After three or four generations, more and more families lived in a single courtyard, and it became more and more crowded.
Xia Pingan found a broker and casually inquired. The housing prices in Shangjing City were indeed exaggerated. A small courtyard in an ordinary location in the city would cost more than four gold coins a month. The deposit was one month and the payment was three months. The price was even more expensive if the location was better and there was a gas supply.
The bungalows and apartments in the city were relatively cheap, but that was only relative. Those in better locations were not cheap either. Additionally, there were many people living in the bungalows and apartments, so it was not quiet.
In the end, it took Xia Pingan two days to find a small apartment of more than 50 square meters in a town on the outskirts of Shangjing City in the east of the city.
In addition to the commission to be paid to the broker, the landlord of the small apartment required that the rent of the small apartment be paid six times a month, which meant that the rent had to be paid once every half a year. Furthermore, the rent was non-negotiable.
Xia Pingan didn't have that much money, but he still had some bullets that he had collected. Xia Pingan inquired about it and found that the rune bullets of summoners could be sold in some gun shops in Shangjing City. Xia Pingan got dozens of rune bullets and sold them for 7-8 gold coins before paying the rent and settling down temporarily.
On the second morning, Xia Pingan came to the Fearless House of Bailing Alley in Shangjing City.
Bailing Alley was located near Qianyuan Avenue in the east of Shangjing City. It was rather secluded and surrounded by several bustling commercial streets. On one side of Bailing Alley was a municipal park in Shangjing City. On the other side was a theater. There were also two brothels with pink lanterns hanging in the alley.
As there were many girls in the brothels, this alley seemed to be filled with hidden fragrance, which aroused people's wild and fanciful thoughts.
Xia Pingan came in from outside the alley and passed by the brothels. The girls in the brothels were leaning against the railings and throwing coquettish glances at Xia Pingan.
"Young brother, you're so handsome. How about coming here? The girls in our courtyard are the most gentle and considerate..." At the sight of Xia Pingan, the pimp at the entrance of the brothels pulled Xia Pingan's sleeves as his eyes narrowed into slits.
"Can I buy on credit if I'm handsome?" Xia Pingan asked.
The pimp's smile froze and he quickly let go of Xia Pingan's sleeves. "Young brother, you must be joking. Since ancient times, girls have been doing this kind of business to earn some hard-earned money. How could they buy on credit? Young brother, do you have the heart to do that?"
"Sigh, if I can't buy on credit, then forget it!" Xia Pingan sighed and continued walking inside.
After walking for a while, he finally arrived at the entrance of the Fearless House. Xia Pingan looked up and found that the so-called Fearless House was actually a pawnshop.
On top of the Fearless House hung a plaque with the word "pawnshop" written next to the signboard. Even the paint was peeling off a bit.
At the entrance of the Fearless House, there was also a couplet. The first line read, "Money is the courage of heroes." The second line read, "Clothes are the hair of saints."
This couplet, together with the signboard of the Fearless House, gave people an indescribable feeling.
Interesting!
Just as Xia Pingan was sizing up the entrance of the Fearless House, a customer shook his head and sighed as he walked out. As he walked, he weighed the money bag in his hand. When the man saw Xia Pingan, he quickly put the money bag away, afraid that he would be exposed.
Xia Pingan touched his face before walking in.
The pimp at the entrance of the brothel saw Xia Pingan walk into the pawnshop in the end and couldn't help but spit on the ground and curse, "So it's a pauper. In your dreams, you want to whore for free..."
...
Xia Pingan walked up a few steps and walked into the Fearless House. Only then did he realize that the Fearless House was rather large and there were a few servants inside.
As soon as he entered, a fifteen-year-old servant came up to greet him enthusiastically. "Sir, are you here to pawn something or to redeem it?"
Xia Pingan's heart skipped a beat. "Do you accept everything here?"
"Sir, you must be joking. As long as it's something that can be sold and doesn't break the law, we accept it!" the servant answered.
"Do you accept rune bullets?"
"Yes!" the servant nodded.
"I'm here to pawn some rune bullets. Let's see what price you can offer."
"Sir, please follow me!"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
