Free Web NovelChapter 418: Chapter 301: These Are Unstable Times; With Grain in Hand, the Heart Is at Ease
"Whoa."
"Sir, where are you headed?" the driver asked Lin Li after stopping the carriage.
The driver was a middle-aged man in his forties with dark skin, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, giving him an honest and simple appearance.
His hands were also covered in calluses. Seeing the brand-new carriage he was driving now, it seemed likely that the driver’s previous job was some form of manual labor.
"I’m going to Willow Lane. How much?" Lin Li gave him the address.
"Fifteen coppers," the thick-browed, large-eyed driver replied after a moment’s thought, calculating the distance to Willow Lane and quoting a price.
’The last time I came from Willow Lane, the fare was twenty coppers. Now it’s only fifteen. This driver’s price is quite a bit lower! He must be new to this.’
After hearing the price quoted by the thick-browed, large-eyed driver, Lin Li considered it for a moment and said with a smile, "Alright."
"Please get in, sir." The thick-browed, large-eyed driver gestured for Lin Li to board the carriage.
Once Lin Li was inside, the driver immediately flicked the reins, turning the horse around and heading toward Willow Lane.
CLIP, CLOP, CLIP...
The horse’s hooves struck the bluestone-paved road, creating a crisp, clear sound.
Since the sun was hidden behind thick, dark clouds and it had rained heavily earlier, the temperature on the street wasn’t too hot. As a result, many people were out and about, making the streets bustling and lively.
Inside, the carriage was very cool because a Refrigeration Spiritual Artifact was installed on the roof. Judging by its design, it was the same model Lin Li had bought before—the latest Convenient Spiritual Artifact on the market.
"Sir, that was some storm last night, wasn’t it? The rain really came down hard!"
The thick-browed, large-eyed driver chatted with his passenger from the driver’s seat.
Drivers from two different worlds, operating two different kinds of vehicles, yet sharing the same professional habit of striking up conversations with their passengers.
Hearing this world’s version of a taxi driver strike up a conversation about something he knew nothing about, Lin Li could only nod in agreement.
"It sure was! That rain last night was really something..."
The thick-browed, large-eyed driver continued, "If it weren’t for the Lord City Lord insisting on renovating the city’s drainage systems all these years...
...yesterday’s downpour would have definitely turned large parts of Dongwu City into a lake."
"Mm," Lin Li nodded again. Regarding the City Lord of Dongwu City, he’d heard bits and pieces about his deeds from various carriage drivers on his previous rides.
Things like leading the city’s Guards to exterminate the Mutant Beasts that frequently harassed Dongwu City, bringing over a decade of peace.
Vigorously developing commerce, turning this city near the border of the Chu Kingdom into the most prosperous trading hub in the region.
And allocating funds to build charity halls to care for the elderly and children with no one to depend on.
From the drivers’ stories, and the respectful expressions on their faces as they told them, Lin Li could tell...
...that the City Lord of Dongwu City was a powerful Cultivator, and that he was deeply beloved by the residents of East City.
’It makes sense,’ Lin Li thought. ’In a feudal society like this, with such an enlightened City Lord, any normal person would adore him.’
"Driver, you must have just started this job not too long ago, right?" Lin Li asked.
"That’s right! I just started last week. I was a farmer before this," the thick-browed, large-eyed driver said with a laugh.
"So if you’re a driver now, what about your family’s land?"
"Oh, we’re still farming it! It’s just not the busy season right now, so I figured I could work as a driver to earn some extra money for the family..."
"I see! That’s great. Getting a side job to earn more money is an excellent idea."
"And I have the Lord City Lord to thank for that, too," the thick-browed, large-eyed driver said, his face full of gratitude.
Lin Li was puzzled, but before he could ask, the driver explained.
"The Lord City Lord issued a new decree. Farmers who buy a carriage only need to pay thirty percent of the cost upfront. The City Lord’s Mansion will cover the remaining seventy percent, and we can pay it back in installments with very low interest.
If it weren’t for this new decree from the Lord City Lord, there’s no way I could’ve afforded to buy this carriage outright and install a Refrigeration Spiritual Artifact. I just don’t have that kind of money," the thick-browed, large-eyed driver said with a cheerful laugh.
’Isn’t that just a car loan? I can’t believe this City Lord came up with such a policy. He’s pretty impressive!’ Lin Li understood instantly after hearing the driver’s explanation.
After all, this kind of purchasing model was extremely common on Blue Star. Any elementary school student could probably understand it immediately after hearing the driver’s story.
After that, just as he usually did, Lin Li chatted with the talkative, thick-browed, large-eyed driver, gathering all sorts of information about this world.
However, this middle-aged man who had been a farmer his whole life and was only driving as a side job knew far less than the other carriage drivers Lin Li had ridden with before.
"My income this past week as a driver has been pretty good. I’ve already decided. I’m going to talk it over with my family when I get back. I think I’ll quit farming and just become a full-time driver.
After all, the money you make as a driver is way more than what you get from toiling in the fields to grow and sell grain."
As the thick-browed, large-eyed driver chatted with Lin Li, the conversation turned to his thoughts of changing careers.
"That’s not a bad idea! But where I come from, we have a saying: With grain in hand, the heart is at ease.
These times aren’t exactly peaceful. If some emergency happens, having money in your pocket doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to buy food! So my advice is, don’t let your family’s farmland go to waste. You should still grow crops..." Lin Li said with a smile.
"’With grain in hand, the heart is at ease.’ That’s so true. Thank you for the reminder, sir. You can tell you’re a scholar; your words are full of wisdom.
I’ll discuss it with my family when I get back. Even if I switch to being a full-time driver, we’ll keep farming the land. We just won’t be able to plant the whole thing like before."
The thick-browed, large-eyed driver mulled over the words Lin Li had casually offered, then praised him with great sincerity.
’Where I come from, scholars are a dime a dozen...’ Lin Li muttered to himself in his heart upon hearing the driver’s praise.
Still, he felt quite happy hearing the man’s sincere praise. After all, nobody dislikes hearing good things about themselves, especially when the words are genuine.
CLIP, CLOP, CLIP...
The horse pulled the carriage along at a steady pace.
Because he had only been in the "taxi" business for a week, the thick-browed, large-eyed driver wasn’t very familiar with the routes yet.
Plus, this world didn’t have GPS navigation, so he chose a road that he thought would be a shortcut to the destination.
He drove the carriage into a rather narrow alley. Just as he was exiting the other side, a person suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Look out!"
Seeing this, the thick-browed, large-eyed driver let out a panicked shout and pulled hard on the reins to stop the horse.
Unfortunately, the person had appeared too suddenly. Even though the driver reacted quickly, he couldn’t bring the horse to an instant stop.
THUD.
The slowing horse slammed into the passerby, sending the person flying. They landed heavily on the ground, rolled several times, and then lay facedown, motionless.
After bringing the carriage to a stop, the thick-browed, large-eyed driver stared at the person who had been struck, now lying six or seven meters away.
Seeing the person lying motionless on the ground, his face instantly turned deathly pale. He began to mutter to himself, his mind a complete blank.
"It’s over... it’s over... I hit someone..."
...
