Crossing over Red Hair Ridge, the path ahead was flat and smooth, entering the territory of Dongshan Prefecture, where the official road was much easier to travel on.
Although Baihe County was under the jurisdiction of Dongshan Prefecture, it was the most northwestern and possibly the most barren and sparsely populated county in Dongshan Prefecture.
Thus, the saying goes, "poor mountains and bad waters breed troublesome people."
The carriage came to a stop.
Looking up at the sky, a blush of evening glow unfurled, beautiful and splendid, instantly lifting Lin Miao's spirits.
This would be the starting point of his new life.
"Senior Sister, Mrs. Yun, we've arrived. Would you like to get off the carriage, rest a bit, and have a drink before we continue?" Lin Miao asked the two women inside the carriage.
"Junior Brother, we don't need to. Let's enter the city as soon as possible."
"Alright!"
Lin Miao cracked the whip, driving the carriage towards the city gates.
Dongshan City was large; from a high vantage point, a moat wound around the entire city, forming a shape somewhat like an upside-down "几," quite magnificent.
With water, a city can thrive.
After all, this was the number one city in Lanzhou, the first county in the northwest, reportedly having a permanent population of 800,000 people. Including outsiders, it was a city of over a million inhabitants.
In the Da Li Dynasty, there were certainly no more than thirty cities with a population of one million!
Once you leave, you realize how vast the world is. Apart from the Da Li Dynasty, there are many countries, and only those with a population of over fifty million can be called a "Dynasty"; the rest are just nations. Rumor has it that there are several states with territories stretching ten thousand miles, though they are separated by great distances with many states acting as buffers, maintaining an overall peace despite constant disputes.
Dongshan City is the capital of Dongshan Prefecture, certainly the dominant force in Da Li's northwest.
Even before entering the city, one could see inside, where tall buildings stood in crowded rows, alongside a thirty-zhang-high city wall, a moat, drawbridge, watchtowers, and arrow towers…
Flags fluttered atop the city gate tower, exuding a stern atmosphere. The soldiers appeared robust and powerful, clearly possessing some level of skill.
This view fully satisfied Lin Miao's every imagination of an ancient grand city—it couldn't be compared to the film sets of later times. The visual impact was incomparable.
Entering the city required paying a tax; aside from the head tax, if bringing goods, the value needed to be assessed, with a maximum tax of ten percent of the total value, generally a one-in-twenty tax.
The head tax was ten coins per adult each time and half for children and the elderly.
Although it wasn't much per person, the cumulative head tax for entering and leaving was considerable.
With the addition of goods tax, the tax official at the city gate had a lucrative position that was not for just anyone.
However, the Da Li Dynasty stipulated that city gate tax officials rotated once a month, without fixed posts, and must have an interval greater than half a year between two terms. This meant even the Prefect of Dongshan Prefecture could serve as a tax official for a month.
They paid thirty coins to enter Dongshan City before the city gates closed.
As evening fell in Qingping Town, the streets were almost deserted; Baihe County was slightly better, but only a few bustling streets were populated.
A central avenue could accommodate ten carriages abreast, paved entirely with green stone slabs, bearing marks of wind erosion and moonlight, suggesting they were centuries old.
Occasionally one could see replaced bricks, the alternation of old and new symbolizing the city's uninterrupted development.
It was a fascinating experience.
The lights on the streets began to turn on, none of the shops closed, people coming and going, the busy main street was a crowd's swirl. The sounds of vendors' cries rose and fell in succession, the bustling atmosphere was no less than Baihe County's busiest day streets.
The street was bustling not only with food and drink vendors but also with acrobatic performers, flower-selling girls, and even weapon vendors setting up stalls directly on the streets.
In this world, "martial arts violating the law" was not a concept, with martial artists openly bearing swords yet behaving well.
If one misbehaved, being expelled from the city, or getting listed on the court's blacklist meant curtailing freedom, something no one wanted.
For Lin Miao, coming here for the first time, what he saw left him dazzled, although being a transmigrant, these novelties didn't astonish him too much. After all, he'd seen cities a hundred times more prosperous and lively in his original world; it was just a matter of refreshing his experiences.
However, for Senior Sister Sun Youwei and Yun, who came from the countryside, their eyes were fixated, utterly awestruck by the scene.
The ordinary people's attire in the street was a level above those in Qingping Town, with the air filled with the fragrance of flowers and the aroma of wine...
The wine carried a slightly intoxicating sweet aroma, enough to stir Lin Miao's old fondness for wine.
What martial artist doesn't like wine?
Just walking a mere four to five hundred steps took nearly half the time of a stick of incense burning.
"Senior Sister, are you hungry? Shall we find somewhere to eat first?"
"Shouldn't we find a place to stay first?" Sun Youwei said with some excitement. Growing up, the farthest she'd been was Qingping Town, this being her first time traveling far from home.
Finally seeing a different city, a different world, and different people.
"No hurry, let's eat first and ask around for information. As newcomers, I recall our master has a friend in Dongshan City?" Lin Miao suggested.
"Father indeed has a friend, I believe his surname is Hu, working as a resident physician at Yuqing Hall. They used to correspond frequently, but I haven't heard Father mention him in recent years." Sun Youwei nodded.
"In any case, having an acquaintance in the prefectural city is better than none," Lin Miao responded casually, knowing that the physician named Hu An, after passing the medical exam six years ago, reportedly started looking down on Sun Simiao, the warmth in their letters dwindling.
That obvious sense of estrangement was apparent even to Lin Miao. How could Sun Simiao, someone in his sixties, not see it?
When one reaches a certain level, they often feel their original circle isn't worthy of their company anymore; such is the reality of people.
Naturally, upon coming to Dongshan Prefecture, Lin Miao had done his homework—he had read through the letters that Hu An had written to Sun Simiao.
While prying into others' privacy is unethical, if the deceased's private affairs could aid the living, why cling to rigidity?
After all, he was Sun Simiao's successor.
The cost of living in Dongshan City was very high; a simple bowl of noodle soup cost eight coins, compared to three coins in Qingping Town, more than doubling in price.
Nothing edible, drinkable, or wearable was cheap.
The three of them ordered a few simple dishes and some steamed white buns; this meal in Qingping Town would cost no more than thirty coins at most.
But here, it cost one hundred coins—almost three times as much!
Yun's tofu shop's day's profit wouldn't cover the cost of this one meal; after finishing their meal, the initial excitement of arriving in Dongshan City was quickly dampened by the high prices, casting a gloom over their mood."
Though they had brought a substantial amount of money, if spent without restraint, they might not last long.
"Don't worry, Senior Sister, I have a way to earn money, ensuring our living in Dongshan City, and live well!" Lin Miao, seeing the worry etched on the two women's faces, could instantly tell what they were concerned about.
Making money is both difficult and easy.
Once you find the right approach, it becomes easier.
Not only did it cover eating, drinking, and accommodation, but Senior Sister's illness, medications were also a significant expense, not to forget his martial arts education, his pursuit of becoming a Physician, registering at the Xinglin Institute, understanding the examiners, and buying study notes, etc.
Townspeople specializing in examinations fear nothing but exams.
Once you find the right pathway, exams are the simplest thing.
But life needs money.
How to earn it, Lin Miao had ideas but needed to assess the consumption level and habits of Dongshan City's residents to find the right entry point for high returns.
This leaves just over two months, time to seize the opportunity.
The cheapest inns charged one hundred coins a night for a room, compared to just thirty coins in Baihe County.
Lin Miao initially wanted three rooms; on the journey, Yun and Sun Youwei had been sharing a room, neither resting well.
However, the stubborn Senior Sister found three rooms too indulgent; two would suffice, saving one hundred coins, enough to feed them for a day.
He had no choice but to follow Senior Sister's wishes.
From now on, she would manage the household finances; how could he not heed her?