In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 230 Never Again

At this moment, Chen Cheng, who came from Chenjia Village, and Zhang He, who came from Liangzhou, experienced the diversity of the world for the first time.

They have no problem getting enough to eat, while people in the capital can spend ten thousand taels of silver just to have a prostitute spend the night with them...

The difference between people is ten thousand times greater than the difference between people and dogs!

"Fuck him!"

Zhang He couldn't help but shout angrily, "We common people of Liangzhou can't even afford to eat, but those powerful and wealthy people in the capital can spend ten thousand taels of silver to buy a prostitute's virginity. It's fucking outrageous!"

"The people in the capital are really rich!"

Chen Cheng didn't think that much about it, and simply said honestly, "I only spent a few taels of silver to get a wife, but people in the capital charge ten thousand taels of silver to sleep with a courtesan!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhiwen couldn't help but glance at Chen Cheng, marveling at the purity of this man's heart.

"Not everyone in the capital is rich!"

Xu Zhiwen said, "Those who can enter and leave Baijinglou are all powerful and wealthy families in the capital. In fact, there are also many poor people and beggars in the capital who can't get enough to eat! Not to mention anything else, just take Baijinglou for example. Every night, a large number of beggars gather outside the door, just to pick up the leftovers and cold food that Baijinglou throws out to fill their stomachs!"

"beggar?"

Chen Cheng subconsciously asked, "In a city as prosperous as the capital, are there beggars?"

"Of course!"

Xu Zhiwen nodded, his mind flashing back to the scenes he had experienced in the capital. Just as he had said, the capital was a city with a strong sense of division. Beneath the surface of the extravagant and decadent lifestyle of the powerful and wealthy lay countless poor people struggling to make a living, and beggars who could not even get enough to eat...

This Xia Kingdom is truly on the verge of collapse!

Chen Dao shook his head. Even the capital, the political center, was full of beggars, let alone other places.

The powerful and wealthy can easily spend hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver at Baijinglou, while ordinary people worry about how to get food for tomorrow. The gap between the rich and the poor has become unbelievable. A change of dynasty is probably not far off.

"okay!"

Chen Dao stood up, dusted himself off, and aptly ended the conversation: "Let's all rest! We have to travel tomorrow!"

After saying that, Chen Dao walked to a blanket by the campfire and lay down.

Xu Zhiwen, Zhang He, and Chen Cheng also got up one after another, each lay down on a blanket, and slowly closed their eyes in the warmth of the campfire.

…………

…………

The next day, noon.

A donkey cart driven by Zhang He appeared outside a city.

Looking at the three characters "Ding'an County" on the plaque above the city gate, Zhang He turned his head and shouted into the carriage, "Your Excellency, Young Master Chen, we have arrived at Ding'an County!"

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Dao and the other two stepped out of the carriage and looked towards the city ahead.

However, apart from the soldiers on duty, the area outside the city gate was deserted. The two soldiers on duty seemed to be bored and were stretching their bodies to dispel the chill.

"somebody is coming!"

Just then, a soldier spotted the approaching donkey cart and immediately called another soldier forward, politely asking, "May I ask where you gentlemen come from?"

The soldier on duty was very perceptive. He knew very well that in those days, people who could afford to ride in carriages were either rich or noble, so he was quite amiable, a stark contrast to his attitude towards ordinary people.

“From Taiping County.”

Zhang He took out a travel permit that he had prepared in advance and handed it to the two soldiers to check. This travel permit was of course issued by the Taiping County government, but Xu Zhiwen's name was not on it.

"So you're from Taiping County."

The soldier glanced at the official seal on the travel permit, and after confirming it was genuine, he immediately stepped aside: "You may go in!"

"Thank you, sir."

Zhang He bowed and thanked them profusely, then took out a few copper coins and stuffed them into the hands of the two soldiers.

Seeing how sensible Zhang He was, the two soldiers smiled even more broadly. One of them even led the carriage into the city before returning to continue guarding the city gate.

After passing through the city gate, a scene similar to that of Taiping County appeared before Chen Dao and his companions. Under their feet was a wide avenue paved with bricks and stones, and on both sides of the avenue were numerous shops and street vendors hawking their wares.

"Steamed buns! Come and buy some steamed buns!"

"Soup noodles! Delicious soup noodles~"

"Candied hawthorns~ Candied hawthorns~ Come and take a look!"

"..."

Amidst the hawkers' cries, Zhang He started the carriage and headed in the direction Xu Zhiwen had indicated.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of a mansion.

Chen Dao stepped out of the carriage, looked at the rather large mansion in front of him, and joked, "County Magistrate, it seems your old classmate is doing quite well!"

The mansion in front of us is quite large, and the people who can live in such a mansion must be either rich or noble.

Xu Zhiwen frowned. In his impression, Li Qingyun should be a proud and aloof person, but the house in front of him was somewhat contrary to his impression.

Such a large mansion could not possibly be bought with the salary of a county magistrate, even though... houses in Ding'an County are much cheaper than those in the capital.

Could it be that Brother Li has changed his personality? Has he become a corrupt official?

With this question in mind, Xu Zhiwen walked to the front of the mansion, grasped the brass ring on the door, and knocked on the gate of the Li family mansion.

"Squeak!"

Before long, the heavy door was opened, and an old man with a wrinkled face and a frail appearance looked at the unfamiliar Xu Zhiwen outside the door and asked in confusion, "Who are you?"

"I have come from Taiping County to visit Magistrate Li."

Xu Zhiwen replied, "Please inform Magistrate Li that Brother Xu from Taiping County has come to visit."

"From Taiping County?"

The old man gave Xu Zhiwen a deep look and said, "Wait a moment!"

The old man was clearly extremely cautious; when he went back to report, he made sure to close the gate, as if afraid that Xu Zhiwen and the others would break in.

"The servants in Brother Li's residence are really strange!"

Xu Zhiwen's suspicions deepened. Logically speaking, the servants in this mansion should be chosen primarily from the strong and healthy, but the old man just now...

The old man barely has any teeth left. Is this the kind of servant Li Qingyun serves, or is he serving Li Qingyun?

"Squeak!"

Just as Xu Zhiwen was filled with doubt, the door opened again, and a handsome man who looked to be under thirty years old walked over quickly. The moment he saw Xu Zhiwen, the man froze on the spot, and countless emotions flashed in his eyes, including joy, memories, excitement... a whole range of emotions!

Xu Zhiwen, meanwhile, stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before him, lost in his memories.

When Li Qingyun left the capital, he was full of vigor and ambition, like a young man brimming with fighting spirit.

And now...

Li Qingyun is still as handsome as ever, but there is a hint of sorrow on his handsome face, and he even looks a bit decadent. His hair is unkempt and looks a bit messy. It seems that his fighting spirit has been extinguished and he is no longer the spirited young man he once was!