Chapter 2: Landlady Aunt Tian

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Aunt Tian was quite something. Lin Feng had originally thought she would just directly ask for the rent, but unexpectedly, she approached the subject tactfully.

Lin Feng smiled and said, “Aunt Tian, no need to say more. You have done us a great kindness, and we are well aware of it. We cannot live here for free. Just tell me, how much should we pay you for these days? I won’t short you a single coin.”

Tian’s brows relaxed, and a faint smile crept onto her plump face. “I can see young sir is a man of integrity. Alright then, I won’t ask for much. One hundred wen per month is enough.”

Xiao Die was speechless. “Why so little…”

Lin Feng waved his hand, stopping her from continuing.

“No problem!”

“Aunt Tian, I already paid you for those three days!” Xiao Die couldn’t help but speak up.

“I haven’t counted those three days’ rent! Miss Xiao Die, you can ask around the village. Any household that has taken in travelers charges two or three hundred wen a month at least. And they only provide one room. I’m giving you a whole courtyard, three rooms, three beds, a kitchen to cook in, and bedding to cover you — everything complete…”

Lin Feng laughed, “Aunt Tian, you’re practically a living saint. How about this: come by again tonight, and I’ll give you the rent.”

“Tonight?” Aunt Tian’s expression shifted instantly.

“I’ll definitely give it to you tonight, and I’ll pay you one hundred and twenty wen.”

Better to sweeten the deal first! Otherwise, if she really threw a tantrum and stayed in the house, it would be troublesome.

“Really one hundred and twenty wen?” she asked.

“More real than pearls, more honest than a…” Lin Feng nearly said, “more honest than a liar.”

Though he was a rogue, he was not a cheat.

“Alright then,” said Aunt Tian. “I’ll come find you tonight.”

“You can rest easy.”

Only then did Aunt Tian leave the house.

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Xiao Die breathed a sigh of relief.

“Xiao Die, do we really only have thirty wen left?”

“When Young Master was driven out, he had nothing. It was only through pawning and selling off his jewelry and clothes that he managed to survive. Later, when he fell ill and needed medicine, he even sold the jade pendant Lady Madam left him, and his treasured sword. Now there’s really nothing left… except for a sick donkey.”

Just then, Liu Xi returned. Hearing Xiao Die, he snorted, “Hmph. The Second Young Master doesn’t know what he’s thinking — not even giving a horse, just a broken donkey! It’s a joke on his usual boast about riding a fine horse galloping across the land!”

His previous self was quite the dandy, often boasting in the company of scoundrels: “My lifelong ambition is to ride a fine horse galloping across the world, wielding a treasured sword roaming the horizon, accompanied by three carriages of beauties, reveling in the mountains and rivers.”

Now, the dream of riding a fine steed was unfulfilled; instead, he fled on a broken donkey.

The treasured sword was gone, no three carriages of beauties, not even a carriage — just a single maid and family retainer.

Xiao Die pouted in anger. “Those privileged brats at home who never dared to so much as fart in front of the Young Master now, after his misfortune, one by one, they throw stones and watch him fall!”

“Exactly!” Liu Xi said. “Anyway, we’re just temporarily staying here, no need for strong legs. Besides, this broken donkey is sick and can’t even pull the grindstone. Why not sell it?”

Lin Feng was puzzled. “I thought the donkey was fine when we left Chu Capital?”

“When Young Master fell ill on the road, the donkey got sick too. It couldn’t move anymore. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had to settle in this mountain village. If it could walk, we would have reached the prefectural city, where there are good clinics and doctors. Young Master’s illness would have healed faster.”

Lin Feng was speechless. Seriously, this donkey just had to get sick when he did? What a bother.

“How much can a sick donkey fetch?”

Liu Xi said, “I asked in the town market before. A healthy adult donkey is worth two taels of silver. But a sick one? No one would pay even four hundred wen.”

In the future, a donkey might cost at least ten thousand yuan, which, converted to ancient silver, would be around ten taels.

Were donkeys really so cheap in ancient times?

Seems like there was no hype back then!

In modern times, a donkey meat bun costs ten yuan. How many buns could one donkey’s meat make? Not to mention donkey hide gelatin or other prized donkey products.

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But could one just kill a donkey freely in this era? Donkeys were valuable tools for production in ancient times. Also, did this ancient era even have donkey meat buns or donkey hide gelatin?

This ancient dynasty was not the same as any in Lin Feng’s previous world. Since the Qin Dynasty, history had diverged. After more than a millennium of upheaval, the land of Huaxia had formed a situation of several major kingdoms coexisting: the Western Sichuan Kingdom, the Great Qian Kingdom, the Great Xia Kingdom, the Dongli Kingdom, and Lin Feng’s own Great Chu Kingdom.

Compared to the other four kingdoms, Great Chu was newly established, having existed for just over thirty years. Previously, the land was ruled by the Great Lie Dynasty. Due to the emperor’s folly, corruption, heavy taxation, and continuous wars, internal troubles and external threats mounted. Eventually, the capital was seized and the Lie Dynasty overthrown by rebel forces led by Chu Yuan, who established the Great Chu Kingdom.

Now, the Great Chu Kingdom had stabilized after thirty years.

Besides these five major kingdoms, there were smaller states dependent on them, making the map of Huaxia somewhat chaotic, reminiscent of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

By chronology, this era should align with the Northern Song period of Lin Feng’s previous life.

History was different, development different, so customs and habits naturally differed as well.

His former self was a reckless young noble, drunk on pleasures, never caring for the outside world, unaware of other states’ customs or the sufferings of the common folk—let alone being a transmigrator himself.

So donkey meat buns and donkey gelatin were not to be thought of for now. There was no time or energy to sharpen knives and slaughter the donkey, especially since it was sick. Even if they made donkey meat buns, they wouldn’t dare sell it to others.

They had to consider the fastest way to make money. Selling the donkey was indeed the quickest method—there was no other choice.

“We’re so destitute now, even four hundred wen would be a godsend. Liu Xi, go to the market and sell the donkey.”

“Understood, Young Master! I’m off at once!” Liu Xi said, leaving the room.

“Let’s eat something first,” Lin Feng said to Xiao Die.

Though the food was grim, Lin Feng was so hungry his chest almost pressed against his back. In his previous life, in his last days of illness, he probably hadn’t eaten much.

Lin Feng stood up, feeling like his feet were soft as cotton, the world spinning before his eyes, his entire body staggering. Xiao Die was terrified and quickly steadied him. “Young Master, please sit back on the bed. Your body is still too weak. I’ll feed you.”