Chapter 2 The Innkeeper

  In fact, the communication was not very smooth. In terms of language, it was still okay to say that Song Kai was not a person from this era, but he was quite familiar with the local dialect of Suzhou. Nie Ling's opening words had a few official tones, and it seemed that he was not a native of Suzhou.

  Oh, Nie Lingdang is actually the Saint City County Master who disguised herself as a man.

  The key is that a lot of information does not match up.

  For example, in this era now, it is obviously the Tang Dynasty, but it is very different from the Tang Dynasty learned in history textbooks.

  This Tang Dynasty is still the world of Li's family, still has the governance of Zhenguan, still has Wu Zetian seizing power, and also has the Anshi Rebellion, but the father-killing Anshi Rebellion only lasted for a year, and was defeated by the troops of the Great Tang.

  According to historical records, the Anshi Rebellion was a turning point for the Tang Dynasty. The eight-year Anshi Rebellion led to the decline of the once prosperous Tang Dynasty, with people struggling to survive. Although there was a brief resurgence during the Yuanhe period, it ultimately failed to last long.

  But now, the Anshi Rebellion only lasted for a year, and although the Tang Dynasty's economy suffered persecution, it did not shake its foundation. After experiencing the Yuanhe Zhongxing, the economy during the Xiantong period was not in decline. As for which emperor was in power, Nie Lingdang couldn't figure it out either.

  According to history, after a few years, the Tang Dynasty will perish and enter a dark and chaotic period in history, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

  But now, as for the specific situation of the Tang Dynasty, Song Kai couldn't guess it either, and Nie Zhong naturally didn't know either.

  Song Kai sighed, but in fact he wasn't particularly concerned about whether it was the same Great Tang Dynasty as before. He didn't care what those people were doing. Although he had crossed over and been reborn, Song Kai had never thought of going to fight for dominance over the world.

  Anyway, Song Kai Xin still had a few happy thoughts in his heart. Since he could be reborn after death, it was possible that his new wife had also been reborn into some era and place. No matter where she was reborn, he hoped that this life would be peaceful, joyful and happy for her.

  Nie Lingdang sized up the inn, in front of which was a two-story wine building. Behind the wine building seemed to be the lodging part of the inn. However, at this moment, the passageway connecting the front and back shops was filled with miscellaneous items, tables and chairs, brooms, wine jars, and two large iron pots.

  "What's going on with this store?" Nie Ling asked, "It's so broken, as if it had been robbed."

  Song Kai shook his head, he also wanted to figure it out.

  "Hmm hmm hmm hmm"

  Another burst of chaotic footsteps.

  Nie Ling was startled and quickly shrank back, hiding behind the counter again. Then she stared fiercely at Song Kai, afraid that he would make her squat in his crotch again.

  How embarrassing!

  I'm so dead!

  Being captured and enslaved is even more humiliating!

  Nie Ling was thinking in her heart that if Song Kai continued to act like this, she would definitely make this man "lose face completely".

  "You old scoundrel! Look! Your stupid master, isn't he standing there perfectly fine?" The entrance echoed with curses and shouts, followed by a "thud", an old man rolled into the store from the entrance.

  Song Kai looked at the scene in front of him and didn't say a word, mainly because he couldn't figure out what was going on either.

  Nie Ling Tong let out a sigh of relief, it seems that he wasn't there to catch himself, but rather to find Song Kai. Is Song Kai stupid? Not really, just a bit idiotic, doesn't understand anything.

  Haha, reading books will ruin your brain.

  The old man fell and hit his forehead, which cracked open and started bleeding. He lifted his head, saw Song Kai, and crawled over on his knees, wailing like a ghost.

  "Master, Master, are you alright? Ah, I was so scared to death! Master, you've been unconscious for a while..." The old man shouted, with tears and snot streaming down his face.

  The old man wiped his palm and nose mucus mixed with tears got everywhere, on his hands, mouth, face, it's a bit disgusting.

  "Hmph, thinking of extorting money from Yang? You're a stubborn old fool! Come on, give that silly master thirty cents, don't let him starve to death and cling to Benlang!" The young master standing outside the door flung his sleeve and said loudly. He was wearing a bright white long gown with a round collar at the neckline, and a green belt around his waist, with an incense pouch and several golden ornaments hanging from it, clearly showing that he was a young master from a wealthy family.

  A young man behind him pulled out a purse from his bosom and counted more than twenty copper coins, which he casually threw onto the floor.

  "Song Kai, today is just a lesson for you. In the future, if you again speak nonsense and say that Liu's wife is your relative, I will definitely not forgive you. Let's go!" The young master outside waved his hand and left with several servants.

  "Alright, alright, you're fine," the old man stood up and stretched out his hands to grab Song Kai's arm.

  Song Kai hastily retreated, this old man didn't even wash his hands, they're all covered in snot, isn't that too dirty?

  As soon as he backed off, Song Kai's buttocks landed on Nie Zhongtang's head.

  Nie Lingdang was furious, she pushed Song Kai away and scolded: "You are really shameless, I am the noble lady of Sheng City Prefecture... how dare you be so presumptuous? I will definitely cut off your head in the future."

  The old slave saw a girl dressed as a boy hiding behind the counter and was startled.

  Song Kai turned his head and glanced at Nie Lingdang, ignoring him. He looked at the old man and thought for a moment before asking directly: "Old man, who are you..."

  "Old master?" The old man was startled, and quickly knelt down, crying out: "Young master, how can you treat an old slave like this? I didn't do a good job, let the young master go hungry and suffer, let the young master be beaten by others. But I have always been loyal to my master, to the Song family, always loyal!"

  While crying out loud, the old man blew his nose again.

  Song Kai hastily spoke up: "You get up first, I have a lot of things that I can't remember, you tell me one by one."

  Song Kai's historical knowledge is quite comprehensive. When studying traditional Chinese medicine, he also learned a lot about ancient history and knew that during the Tang Dynasty, although it was already a feudal system with free farming, the slave system still prevailed.

  Once a slave, unless freed by his master's house, no matter how great the merit, will not be recognized and respected by the state or others.

  The household registration system was very strict during the Tang Dynasty. Of course, now it's the late Tang Dynasty, and besides, we're in Suzhou, not Chang'an, so it should be much more relaxed.

  The old man looked at Song Kai with a puzzled expression, seeing that Song Kai had indeed forgotten many things. He let out a loud wail and started crying again, saying something about apologizing to the Song family as he wept.

  Song Kai was depressed, wondering how he ended up with such a crybaby of an old servant.

  On the other side, Nie Lingdang looked at the old man with a face full of disgust. When she saw the copper coins scattered on the floor, her eyes lit up, and she no longer cared about her noble dignity as a young lady. She got down on all fours and started picking up the copper coins with her buttocks raised high.

  After the old man cried for a good half of the time, Song Kai finally figured out his identity. He was the owner of this Hongchen Inn, and the old man was his slave, named Ah Fu.

  The Song family was quite famous in Suzhou, with dozens of hectares of good land outside the city and a hotel and a villa inside. However, Song Kai's father was not very capable, after his mother died, he gambled and whored, losing all the family property, then he left this world, leaving only this broken hotel to Song Kai.

  Song Kai was a bookworm since childhood, and suddenly taking over the business made him all the more flustered.

  The cooks, waiters and shopkeepers in the guest house all ran away. When they ran, they took away all the silver in the store. Those things were not enough to pay off their wages. Then someone pawned the calligraphy and paintings, wooden tables, and paperweights in the store...

  He let out a sigh, but Song Kai was also quite open-minded. No matter what, he still had an inn of his own. If this were back in his younger days, having such a large property in Suzhou City would mean that even if he didn't do anything else, just collecting rent would bring in over 10,000 yuan every month. And if the government were to offer compensation for demolition and relocation, he could easily become a multimillionaire...

  "Alas, young master is really pitiful, having become an orphan at a young age and now losing his memory. And to make matters worse, this inn can't be operated anymore. Husband, why don't we just sell the inn... it should be worth at least 1,000 taels of silver. With that money, we can buy 10-20 mu of good land outside the city..." Ah Fu suggested with a runny nose and tears.

  Song Kai waved his hand and said, "I just arrived and sold such a good house. How can that be?"

  "Think of a way to continue, not seeking wealth and nobility, maintaining a living is still feasible," Song Kai pointed to the front building and backyard, the geographical location is good, although the wine house is dilapidated, but it was built with great momentum, making money is still feasible.

  A Fu cried with a sad face, "Big Lang, it's not that easy. You also saw the other day, income can't keep up with expenses. To open a shop, you need to have waiters, cooks, pay taxes, buy materials... Ah, the key is, we don't even have any capital now. Don't mention anything else, today's lunch and dinner are uncertain, Lao Nu... Lao Nu hasn't eaten for a day and a night..."

  Saying so, she burst into tears again.

  Song Kai felt annoyed and pointed at Nie Zhongyuan, saying: "Isn't this money?"