Giant Ship Across the Song Dynasty: My Supplies Come from My Motherland

Chapter 10, Life is Full of Helplessness

Lin Zhou wasn't a sentimental person, and he was also quite lucky. Since arriving in this magnificent Song Dynasty, he had been wandering around the upper city and hadn't really had any contact with the world of the lower city.

I've seen plenty of extravagance and debauchery, and I've seen such absurd things before, but most of the time I only caught a glimpse of them; I've never experienced it firsthand like this.

He walked to the counter and saw that there was still a rattle drum left by someone else's child. He could only sigh for no reason.

"How absurd, Orange, how absurd!"

Xu Cheng sat there without saying a word, picked up the half-empty pot of wine that the previous guest had left on the table, and drank it straight from the pot, seemingly aware of the absurdity of it all.

That's just how the world is.

At this moment, Si Hou's voice came over, his face cold and stern: "If you don't travel with him, you will become a thorn in his side. After Pengju left, Qin Hui eliminated dissidents and one family became the sole power, leaving us in a subordinate position. Young sir, you said he could fabricate charges against Pengju, so why can't he fabricate charges against me as well?"

"Damn it..." Lin Zhou cursed under his breath, then sat down as well.

However, he didn't make any harsh statements or raise any big banners. He knew that he was nothing special, and even if he said the harshest things, it would only make people think he was cute.

"Young sir, I would like to trouble you to pass on this letter. I have explained everything in the letter. This place will be where you will stay from now on. Even if others mention it, I can say that you are my distant cousin, which can be considered as having some hometown ties, and others will not investigate further."

Si Hou glanced at Xu Cheng: "Cheng'er, have some ambition, stop sighing and complaining."

"Father……"

"Enough!" Si Hou raised his hand. "Enough talk. A true man shouldn't act like this!"

Then he walked up to Lin Zhou and asked, "Young master, when are you planning to return?"

"I..." Lin Zhou almost said that his skills were on cooldown, but suddenly a thought flashed through his mind and he realized how terrifying Si Hou was. Although he seemed to be an accomplice so far, Lin Zhou decided that he still couldn't trust this person.

"I plan to go back and check on Xiao'e and the others first, and then I'll head back after I've settled them in."

"Alright, this also frees up some people to renovate this place. Cheng'er, you go out of the city with the young master, remember to protect him well."

"Yes, sir!"

Before leaving, Lin Zhou cupped his hands in greeting to Si Hou.

"Wait a moment, young master. When you come again, don't bring those fine steels and magical medicines. Bring some food, clothing, and daily necessities instead. Some people have already noticed you. If you don't demonstrate your abilities, I'm afraid I won't be able to hide you anymore, and then there will inevitably be some trouble."

"Understood."

Sihou waved his hand, dismissing the two men.

As they walked down the street, Lin Zhou asked curiously, "Cheng'er, what do you think of the shopkeeper's family?"

"He'll end up in the southern part of the city. He has some skills and a wine-making business, so he shouldn't starve." Xu Cheng turned to look at him: "You can't compensate him."

"I can't even go?"

"No, that won't do." Xu Cheng shook his head. "The Marquis of the Imperial City Guard reports everything he does. My father is a fourth-rank official; if he were to collude with a foreign merchant for profit, no one would say much. At most, they'd just tease him for being greedy. But if you were to help that family, you'd be breaking the rules. Because you're not a chivalrous hero; you're the Marquis of the Imperial City Guard's man, his nominal 'nephew.' Your every move is connected to him. You can do evil, you can bully men and women—that's all perfectly acceptable. But if you were to do good deeds..."

Xu Cheng sneered and didn't say anything more. Lin Zhou, although he didn't have much experience in this area, still understood the implication: "Damn it, I can't even do a good deed?"

"A person covered in malignant sores is most averse to seeing a delicate and graceful body."

"Fuck your mother..." Lin Zhou cursed more times in the past two days than he had in the entire previous year. He truly felt this was outrageous.

Is this any way for a human to live? I thought Water Margin was a bit exaggerated back then, but now I see it's practically documentary literature...

No wonder it's called a famous work; it turns out there really are people who would harm someone who does good because of their good deeds...

Lin Zhou grew angrier and more agitated the more he thought about it. Finally, it was Cheng'er's words that calmed him down completely: "Do you still want to protect the children outside the city? Let me tell you something. If Miss Yue Er falls into Qin Hui's hands, how will a sixteen-year-old girl be treated? You probably have a plan in mind. But let me remind you again, you can raise your plan a little higher."

"Let's go eat some meat." Lin Zhou patted Xu Cheng on the back. "Let's not talk about it anymore."

Back in the deserted village outside the city, the children were overjoyed to see Lin Zhou return. Xiao'e rushed out to greet him, but when she saw Xu Cheng dressed in a dog skin behind her, she instinctively took a few steps back.

"Xiao'e, it's me," Xu Cheng called out.

Xiao'e was stunned for a moment before she reacted. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she exclaimed, "Yan... Brother Yannian!"

Lin Zhou paused for a moment, then asked, "You two know each other?"

"We grew up together since we were little. Brother Yannian and my second brother Yue Faxiang were classmates..." Xiao'e hid behind Lin Zhou, her hands tightly gripping the hem of Lin Zhou's clothes: "Brother Yannian... why are you wearing this dog skin too?"

Xu Cheng turned his head and smiled helplessly: "The old thief knows that Father is on good terms with General Yue, but Father saved the emperor back then, so he couldn't do anything about it. So he made Father the Commander of the Imperial City Guard. He wanted to use this position to sever all ties with the supporters of the Yue family."

Xiao'e's eyes were already brimming with tears after hearing this, but the years of wandering had made her much stronger than before. Although the person in front of her was an acquaintance, she felt that anyone who wore this dog skin was untrustworthy. Only Lin Zhou in front of her was her only support.

"Alright, Xiao'e, don't be sad." Lin Zhou put a hand on Xiao'e's shoulder. "Let's go stew some meat."

"Um!"

Seeing his intimacy with Xiao'e, Xu Cheng raised his hand and sighed. Lin Zhou turned around and asked, "What are you doing?"

"fine……"

Back inside the dilapidated house, they used the stove and coal that Lin Zhou had brought to stew meat. The three of them sat around the stove, and Lin Zhou told Xiao'e in detail about what he had seen and heard over the past two days.

"Tell me, how can the world be like this?"

Xiao'e sighed upon hearing this, "This is still considered good. I've seen orphans and widows dragged out of their houses and left to freeze to death on the streets, just because someone coveted their two acres of meager land. Brother Lin... just accept it, that's how it is. Human life is less valuable than a dog's life."

Xu Cheng seemed a bit overwhelmed by the word "dog." He had been sitting there with his knees drawn up, waiting for his meat, but upon hearing it, he perked up: "Dog...where are the dogs?"

"The dog is waiting for meat."

Xu Cheng rolled his eyes and glared at him, then continued to hug his knees and stare blankly. Lin Zhou continued, "Xiao'e, I have to go back by tomorrow at the latest, it might take a day or two, take care of yourself."

"Um!"

"Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

Xiao'e thought for a moment, then rummaged through her clothes and pulled out a piece of White Rabbit milk candy wrapper that she couldn't bear to throw away: "Brother Lin... I want to eat this."