Chapter Twenty-Three Reality

  Xue Weihai felt depressed in his heart, and when he heard Song Kai scolding Nie Lingdang, he thought it was not proper, no matter what, Nie Lingdang was a woman after all.

  However, Xue Weihai naturally couldn't have thought of it. Nie Lingdang, who had grown up among the Turks since childhood, had a thicker skin than the women of the Tang Dynasty. When he heard Song Kai scolding himself, Nie Lingdang picked up the feather duster on the counter and swung it at Song Kai.

  "Don't move! A gentleman uses his mouth, not his hands!" Song Kai hastily dodged and Xue Weihai also retreated in a flurry.

  "Auntie is a lady, not a gentleman!" Nie Ling's mouth said, the chicken feather duster in his hand slapped Song Kai twice, "Dare to scold me again, I'll chop your head off!"

  Song Kai had no choice but to yield, making up his mind that after he learned martial arts in the future, he would definitely suppress Nie Lingdang this woman and slap her butt severely.

  Xue Weihai's eyes widened in surprise, unsure where this fierce woman had come from. He pulled Song Kai up and said, "Song Lang, let's go take a look at the tea leaves instead."

  "That's right, Old Xue. Let's go! A good man doesn't fight with a woman, and a good person doesn't fight with a dog." Song Kai and Xue Weihai quickly left.

  "And you're the dog!" Nie Ling Tong learned Song Kai's catchphrase, put down the feather duster, and excitedly recorded the cost of the banquet on the account book.

  Money is indeed a good thing!

  Outside the store, Xue Wei Hai brushed off the chicken feathers on his shoulder and muttered: "Song Kai, where did you find this shopkeeper, he's so fierce."

  "I... Ah, never mind, I'm just asking for trouble, can't live like this. You see, they only gave me this little pocket money and told me to use it sparingly," Song Kai shook the pouch of copper coins in his hand.

  "Hahaha," Zhou Ce burst out laughing, "it turns out that even Lord Xue and Song Lang have times when they are at a loss for what to do."

  Three people walked towards the dock in the city while talking.

  The Suzhou River is well-developed in transportation, with large and small rivers crisscrossing each other. The docks inside the city are naturally very busy.

  Zhou Ce beckoned to a nearby awning boat.

  The small boat rocked as it approached, Xue Weihai stepped on first, and Song Kai and Zhou Ce also jumped on afterwards.

  On the boat, there were two men in green clothes who didn't speak either. One sat at the bow holding the rudder and the other sat at the stern pushing a pole. Song Kai and the three of them entered the cabin inside, where there was a small table, wooden stools, and a simple stove.

  Song Kai looked at the two boatmen with some doubt, these two people did not look like ordinary boatmen who were dark-skinned.

  But since it was already arranged, there's no need to suspect the other party's identity. According to Song Kai's speculation, these two people were more like Xue Weihai and Zhou Ce's bodyguards.

  As for Xue Weihai's identity, Song Kai was even more suspicious. This old man was clearly not an ordinary person, but if he were a high-ranking official, he would be too idle every day.

  The boat swayed and followed the main course of the river, soon turning into a long river. The long river was not far from the customs pass, and after passing the customs pass, it was outside the city.

  The thick earthen city wall bears the scars of years and stretches far into the distance.

  This was Song Kai's first time leaving the city since his rebirth. He sat at the bow of the boat, staring blankly at the scenery around him.

  The small boat swayed out of the city, along the moat, and turned onto a magnificent river, with grassy banks, forests, and lush vegetation. In the distance, villages and rice fields could be seen, with a hint of grandeur and desolation.

  After a while, laughter came from the shore, accompanied by the sound of "thud thud thud" hitting clothes.

  Song Kai turned his head and saw a group of women standing on the bluestone by the river, washing hemp clothes. Their faces were sallow and their clothes were tattered. Even from a distance, Song Kai could see that their hair was matted.

  These people were laughing, and two women looked towards the small boat.

  Song Kai's heart suddenly ached, and tears actually welled up in his eyes.

  Hurry up and wipe away your tears, taking deep breaths.

  Although Song Kai has been in this world for over a week, he still maintains the attitude of a gamer and an outsider, observing and living. He runs a guest house not to make money, writes poetry not to become famous, wants to marry Liu Yuxuan not out of love, enjoys his current life and indulges in its comfort, but when he truly leaves the city and sees these simple farmers, Song Kai suddenly understands the cruelty and reality of life.

  This is the real world, Song Kai, and he is also a thorough member of this world.

  When he was just reborn, even if his stomach was stuck to his back, Song Kai didn't feel miserable. He thought it was fun. He could make a lot of money with a flick of his wrist and win applause by reciting a poem at will.

  However, he had no way of changing this world or changing the lives of the poor in it.

  Outside the city, that's where most people live, and most people's lives are miserable. They are ignorant, illiterate, don't know what freedom is, what life is, they live a lifetime of hardship under the oppression of life, like an old ox.

  Let out a deep breath.

  He rubbed his own cheek with a bitter smile, and sneered at himself in his heart: I didn't expect you still have a sympathetic heart, how ridiculous.

  It's not really a tragic or heartbreaking thing, as a young person in the 21st century, despite living a difficult life, at least I have enough to eat and wear, but when I suddenly see the cruel side of life, I couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

  With a mind full of thoughts, Song Kai shook his head and closed his eyes, only to smell the unpolluted river breeze.

  "There have been even more thieves lately."

  "I heard it's been raining heavily on the other side of the Yellow River and the embankment at the river mouth has burst."

  "Alas, our Jiangnan region has abundant rice, but unfortunately those merchants are hoarding and driving up prices. The imperial court can't afford to spend too much silver to buy grain for disaster relief."

  "Xue Lao, don't worry too much."

  "I'm old now, I just hope to complete one last thing and then thoroughly retire."

  "Hmm...the rice is growing well this year."

  "It's also true, but the taxes are too heavy, it seems that Yang Jian is hoarding grain."

  "What should I do then."

  "He is naturally suspicious, although he has strategic ideas, but his courage and wisdom are insufficient, and he cannot become a great leader. For now, the focus is still on Chang'an."

  "Lord Xue's wise judgment."

  “……”

  Song Kaiyi leaned on the shed, listening to Xue Weihai and Zhou Ce's intermittent conversation, couldn't quite make out what they were saying, the smell of the river wind was indeed pleasant...

  About an hour later, the river water became more urgent, and after a while, the awning boat swayed into the lake.

  Taihu Lake.

  At that time, the area of Taihu Lake was much larger than in later times. The lake's edge was surrounded by lush green mountains, resembling a paradise on earth. On the lake surface, fishermen were casting their nets, and under the sunlight, sparkling ripples danced across the water.

  Song Kai stood up from his seat, the beautiful scenery before him was breathtaking and heart-wrenching.

  Xue Wei Hai also walked out and pointed to a nearby place, saying: "Look, there is a villa over there, that's where they sell tea leaves."

  Song Kai looked far away and indeed saw several simple wooden sheds among the trees and bushes.

  A figure can be vaguely seen hurrying about.

  Later generations all know West Lake Longjing tea, but in fact the tea produced around Taihu has a more authentic taste than Longjing. Many Taihu teas are also sold as Longjing tea, and as for Taihu Green Bamboo tea, its reputation is not very big.

  Seeing the tea garden on the mountain, Song opened his heart and said that the tea produced here is slightly stir-fried and has a very good taste.

  The awning boat swayed for a while, and then came to a simple wooden stake. A man in green clothes tied up the boat, and Song Kai and five others got off the boat and walked together along the small path into the forest.

  "It's Mr. Xue who has arrived."

  "Mr. Xue hasn't been here for a few days."

  Two middle-aged men passing by greeted Xue Weihai, and it was clear that he was a regular here.

  Song Kai then looked around this Shangri-La, a simple fence separating the estate from the outside world. Inside the estate were mulberry trees, and in the distance were tea plantations, as well as other types of trees.

  There were about a dozen people in the courtyard, including men and women, as well as two children playing.

  Xue Weihai walked straight in and soon came upon a simple large shed. Behind the shed were several houses.

  An old man came out with his waist bent before we reached the door of the house.

  "Mr Xue, you've arrived," the man said with a respectful attitude towards Xue Weihai.

  Xue Weihai nodded, "I want to buy some tea leaves, but I don't know if it's the right season now."

  The old man's back was slightly hunched, but his face looked very kind. "It's just in time, come on in and take a seat."

  Song Kai and Zhou Ce walked in, but two men in green clothes stayed at the door.

  "This little friend knows a bit about tea-making techniques, so I brought him here to take a look," Xue Weihai said straightforwardly, getting straight to the point.

  Song Kai nodded and bowed his hands to the old man, saying: "Old sir, I'd like to take a look at the tea garden here and the tea-making process. Is that convenient?"

  The old man narrowed his eyes and smiled, sizing up Song Kai before saying, "Of course it's possible, but you must understand, young master, the best craftsmanship is actually about preserving the original flavor."

  It was clear that the old man did not quite believe Song Kai could understand tea-making, in his view, any complicated craftsmanship would only damage the flavor of the tea.

  Xue Wei Hai just smiled and didn't say anything.

  Song Kai smiled and said, "Your words are profound, but sometimes a bit of creativity and processing can help to eliminate the weeds and preserve the flowers."

  The old man shook his head, "I'll just have someone take you there."

  As he spoke, the old man stood up and went to the door, calling out: "Qingniang! Qingniang, come over here for a moment."

  Soon, a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old maidservant wearing a blue cotton skirt came running over.

  "Grandpa Ge, what's up?" The girl looked quite lively and spirited, probably due to living in this tea garden mulberry forest for a long time, her whole person looking spotless.

  "You take this young man for a stroll in the tea garden," said the old man as he sat down again.

  Song Kai called out a greeting to Xue Wei Hai and Ge Lao Tou as he walked towards the entrance.

  "Mr. Lang, this way," Qingniang said with her head down, pointing to the small path behind the house, then lowered her hands and stood up straight, obviously wanting Song Kai to walk in front of her.

  Ge Lao Tou personally poured a cup of tea and asked, "Xue Gong, who is this young man?"

  Ge Shou found it strange, looking at the relationship between Song Kai and Xue Weihai earlier. The two people were like equals, discussing things as if they were of the same generation. And yet, someone so young could discuss things with Xue Weihai as an equal, such a person was rare in Suzhou City.

  Xue Weihai just smiled, waved his hand and said: "He is a young friend I recently got to know, quite an interesting person, with some talent in him, but he doesn't like to show off, nor does he care about fame, haha, quite to my taste."

  Ge Shou was slightly surprised, but few people had been praised by Xue Weihai in this way.

  Xue Weihai wasn't discussing Song Kai, but instead asked about the recent situation in the tea garden.