EFB Chapter 1 Dayan’s new country’s official documents
Chapter 1 Dayan’s new country’s official documents
April 22nd, the nineteenth year of the New Yan Dynasty.
Xikou County, Jiangnan Province.
Under the old locust tree on the street corner, seven or eight people stood in a circle, their necks stretched out like a flock of geese being held by the neck.
From time to time, a "good move" would be uttered within the circle, drawing the attention of passersby.
"Car one level five."
The speaker was a boy of about sixteen or seventeen.
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an air of calm and composure.
He sat on a low stool, leaning slightly forward, picked up a red rook, and placed it steadily on the chessboard.
The old man in blue robes opposite him raised his eyelids, his lips twitched slightly, and without saying a word, he jumped off his horse and took a step.
"General!"
Fang Shuwen placed another piece, his tone light and cheerful.
The old man's brows furrowed even more deeply.
He stared at the chessboard for a long time, then suddenly reached out and jumped his horse forward.
"Uncle, this horse has blocked my way twice already."
Fang Shuwen tilted his head and placed the chess piece in his hand.
"Now you're out of moves."
The outcome on the chessboard was immediately decided.
The old man in blue stared blankly at the chessboard, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything.
He reached out and touched his beard, then put his hand down.
"Hmph, I concede defeat."
"It's just ten silver dollars, not even enough for an old man's meal!"
The old man snorted coldly, his face hard.
His words revealed a stubborn and proud old man who refused to admit defeat.
But in an instant, the old man could no longer maintain his aloofness.
He fumbled around for a minute before finally finding five silver dollars.
The old man's expression changed for a long time. He seemed to have finally made up his mind. He gritted his teeth, took out a piece of miscellaneous jade from his pocket, and pushed it to Fang Shuwen along with the five silver dollars.
"I was in a hurry to leave today and forgot to bring my money, so you can have this jade for free."
then,
He stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from his clothes, and glared fiercely at the boy.
His footsteps were quick and heavy, and his cane clattered against the ground.
I don't know if it's because he can't accept that he lost to a young man.
I still feel pain for that piece of jade.
"Brother Fang is really lucky today, he actually caught a sucker."
A lazy man with a black mole on his face clicked his tongue.
"That's right, we made five silver dollars in one go, which is equivalent to a whole month of hard work for us."
A short, stout man next to him chimed in, his voice full of envy.
Hearing these words, Fang Shuwen showed no smugness.
In those days, for an ordinary able-bodied man to make a living, he could only earn a few silver dollars a month.
The sudden influx of five silver dollars, plus a piece of miscellaneous jade, was quite eye-catching.
Fang Shuwen knew he couldn't continue like this.
He stood up and offered the bench to an elderly man who was tired of standing.
He then casually gathered the chess pieces on the board to one side and put them into his cloth satchel.
This is our livelihood; we can't afford to lose it.
"I must thank you all for your care today. Please have some tea."
As he spoke,
He took out about ten copper coins from his pocket and pushed them onto the table.
Once you've made money, you can't be stingy.
Otherwise, no one will support you in the future, and it will be difficult to make a living in this industry.
Fang Shuwen bowed again in thanks, making a gesture of respect.
Then, carrying his cloth satchel, he walked out of the street corner at a leisurely pace and turned into a narrow alley.
Before he could catch his breath, he suddenly accelerated, like a cat being chased by a dog, and darted out along the wall.
The soles of the shoes made a rapid "pat-pat" sound as they stepped on the bluestone slabs.
Fang Shuwen did not turn around.
But his ears remained perked up.
I could faintly hear heavy cursing and hurried footsteps behind me.
really,
Someone is chasing us.
It seems that the allure of five silver dollars is enough to make someone take the risk.
"Pah, what a messed up world. I've only earned a few dollars, and I'm already being targeted!"
Fang Shuwen cursed under his breath, then turned and rushed into Xikou East Street ahead.
This is the most bustling street in Xikou County.
The streets and alleys were filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares.
There were rickshaws and black cars driving by from time to time.
Fang Shuwen merged into the crowd, estimated the timing of the pursuers appearing behind him, and slipped into a shop not far away.
The store was filled with the smell of ink and paper, and several bookshelves stood against the wall.
This is a bookstore.
A young woman in a cheongsam behind the counter looked up at him, then looked down again to flip through her book.
There was a sign on the table next to the woman.
Paid reading: one cent per hour for a seat, two cents for a cup of tea.
Ha, that's a very McDonald's-like consumption pattern.
Unfortunately, I'm just here to get something for free.
When asked, they said they couldn't read.
Fang Shuwen chuckled to himself and walked confidently to the innermost window seat.
Place the cloth schoolbag at your feet.
But his gaze was directed through the glass window toward the street.
.......
At this moment,
Two people emerged from the alleyway.
One was tall and thin with a black mole on his face, the other was short and stout and walked like a penguin.
These were the two people who had just been watching the chess game.
"That little brat runs fast."
The tall, thin man snorted coldly, then, as if remembering something, he smacked the short, fat man on the head from behind.
"It's all your fault! If you weren't so slow, that kid definitely wouldn't have been able to escape today!"
The short, fat man immediately looked at the tall, thin man with a wronged expression and stammered:
"Big...big...brother, that kid...isn't he...going to a public...high school...?"
Upon hearing this, the tall, thin man's eyes lit up.
"That's right. Let's ambush him at the school gate in a few days. We'll see if he doesn't come out then."
The two cursed a few more times, then found a corner and squatted down.
.......
Inside the bookstore.
"It's just five dollars and a worthless piece of jade, yet these two chased each other for three blocks and still won't give up. Are they planning to stake out the place?"
Seeing this, Fang Shuwen couldn't help but complain.
Five silver dollars and a piece of miscellaneous jade.
For such a worthless thing, two grown men chased him for three alleys.
They're still guarding the streets, showing no sign of giving up until they achieve their goal.
Fang Shuwen looked down at his faded gray cloth robe and then at the darkening sky outside the window.
His complexion grew increasingly grim.
This damn world!
In my past life, I would have called 110 (the police emergency number) and made those two know why the flowers were so red.
That's right, Fang Shuwen is a time traveler.
The original owner was a middle school student who hung out with a rich young man surnamed Guo from the school.
To be precise, he's someone else's lackey.
They flatter and fawn, thinking themselves superior to others.
A few days ago.
While strolling through the temple fair with Young Master Guo and his group, I met a girl.
Encouraged by Young Master Guo, he actually went up and pinched the man's butt.
Hey, this has gotten me into trouble.
Who would have thought,
At this moment, a burly man suddenly appeared and said that such hooligan behavior deserved to be punished.
He punched the original owner in the chest, and the owner immediately lost consciousness.
This punch destroyed the original body and sent Fang Shuwen from the 21st century to this Great Yan New Country.
When I first arrived in this world, I thought I had traveled back to the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China.
But after only a few days, Fang Shuwen noticed something was wrong.
This world is like the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, isn't it?
It has everything: powerful ships and cannons, foreign concessions and trading companies, and warlordism.
If you say it doesn't resemble it, then it really doesn't.
The streets and alleys were plastered with notices about exorcising demons. Steam engines were not only driving trains and ships, but also steel-forged armored vehicles.
When martial arts skills are mastered to a high level, one's blood and qi become as powerful as a furnace, enabling one to withstand firearms.
Even more so are the strange and monstrous creatures that emerge from the deep mountains and forests, devouring people without spitting out their bones.
Ordinary people live hand to mouth and have an extremely difficult life!
He was just one of the ordinary people.
If someone beats you to death, there's nowhere to seek justice.
What a messed up world!
Thinking about what the original owner did, I'm even more speechless.
The original owner, Fang Shuwen, came from an ordinary background. His mother died early, and he and his father, Lao Fang, depended on each other for survival.
Old Fang worked as a doorman for a wealthy family. He sold everything he owned to support his son, Xiao Fang, through public middle school, hoping that Xiao Fang would be successful and make something of himself in the future.
But, unexpectedly.
Fang Shuwen, however, was clueless and treated the school as a platform to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy and to act as their lackey.
He doesn't study, and he fails six out of seven subjects.
He looked like he was about to be expelled from school.
Fang Shuwen transmigrated during the summer vacation and took over this mess.
To live a better life, to eat meat every day, and to save up for tuition, I have to work hard to make money.
Thus, Fang Shuwen, who possessed extensive knowledge of chess scores and endgames, began to earn money by playing chess on the streets.
Because of the chaotic times, he was already very careful.
I never expected to be targeted today.
"Young man, a regular seat in the bookstore costs one cent per hour."
A voice that made one's bones melt came, and then a graceful body stuck to Fang Shuwen's eyes.
Looking at the person who came in, it was the same woman who had been at the counter earlier.
Well, she's clearly a cool and aloof older sister.
Talking about money feels strangely vulgar.
He might argue that he's illiterate, then simply walk away.
But out of the corner of my eye, I could still see the fat and thin figures in the shadows of the wall outside.
Fang Shuwen shook his head inwardly and reached out to take out a copper coin.
Compared to life, what is money? You can always earn it back.
The latter borrowed the money and swayed his hips back to the counter.
However, at this time...
Fang Shuwen, however, had no interest in appreciating the beautiful scenery.
Before his eyes, a dazzling screen of light appeared.
[Absorbed foreign energy, conditions met.]
[Open the martial arts panel?]