Chapter 696: Eating a Free Meal

When Chen Yan said that, Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng were both stunned.

The two exchanged a glance, and for a moment they didn't know how to respond.

They had originally thought that Chen Yan had brought them along to calculate some heavenly mystery, or perhaps to verify some metaphysical principle, but they didn't expect the answer to be so simple.

Travel the world once, and see the common folk.

That simple?

Li Chunfeng was the first to regain his composure, tentatively asking, "Mr. Chen, do you mean… that we should see the real situation of the world with our own eyes?"

Chen Yan nodded, "You spend all day in Chang'an City interpreting celestial phenomena and calculating fortunes, but where does the true fortune lie?"

"Not in the heavens, but on the earth, in every corner of this world, in the daily lives of every commoner."

"If you don't see it with your own eyes, what can you calculate just by theorizing?"

Fine.

Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng accepted this suggestion.

However, they had indeed walked among the people, even fallen into low valleys, witnessed the turmoil at the end of the Sui, and seen that era where lives were as cheap as grass.

But later, they hadn't been out for a long time.

Now, taking another walk with Chen Yan isn't bad at all.

"Also," Chen Yan said with a smile, "you've braved countless trials, and finally brought back the Champa Rice. Don't you want to see its harvest, see the results of your hard work, and see what it can bring to the world?"

The two fell silent again.

It was likewise a reason they could not refuse.

"Let's go, don't worry uselessly, just follow properly," Chen Yan glanced down, restrained all expression in his eyes, and turned to leave.

This time, Chen Yan truly didn't intend to trap Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng; he simply wanted to take them out to see.

If he hadn't spoken the truth earlier, he feared the two would refuse.

After all, like Chen Yan, they cared little for power; what they sought was purity.

In the afternoon, Chen Yan was resting with Gao Yang, and even Xiao Sui An had fallen asleep.

At that moment, Li Lizhi entered, pushing the door with Xiao Sizi.

Sizi, seeing the two resting and still hugging so tightly, immediately pursed his lips, "You were shouting so fiercely at noon, and now you're hugging again."

Li Lizhi gave a helpless smile.

Chen Yan and Gao Yang were like that: when they argued, they argued more fiercely than anyone, and when it was time to rest, they hugged more tightly than anyone.

Moreover, the two never held grudges; no matter who took a loss today, after a nap they would be back to normal the next day.

"Big brother, big brother."

Sizi ran over, perched on the bedside, staring with his big eyes at Chen Yan, shouting, "Wake up, big brother, there's a snake trying to crawl into your little butt!"

Chen Yan groggily opened his eyes, saw it was Xiao Sizi, and immediately turned, "Scram, you brat."

"If you wake Xiao Sui An, I'll hammer you to death."

Sizi: "......"

Alright, alright, you have a daughter now, you've forgotten your little sister, huh?

She pouted, lifted her small chin and said, "Big brother, you should take me out to play, and it's already afternoon, time to get up."

"No, let your mother or big sister take you."

"I don't want that; they're boring, I just want to go out with you."

"Lower your voice, if you really wake Xiao Sui An I'll beat you."

When Sizi heard that, she puffed her cheeks in anger, her eyes rolled twice, full of liveliness.

She leaned in again, whispering, "Big brother, I know a secret. Do you want to hear it?"

"...... What secret?"

Chen Yan wasn't fully awake yet, and when he heard that sentence, he asked reflexively.

But as soon as he uttered it, he jolted awake.

A bad premonition rose in his mind.

You say, if my two big sisters were to find out that you're actually not that busy, that after finishing official work you don't head home right away, but every day you first go to Wangyuelou to …

"....... Hahaha!" Chen Yan turned, speaking gently, "Sizi, it's just you and me, isn't it?"

"We're half‑siblings, you know. If my little sister wants to go out and play, as her older brother there's no reason I wouldn't accompany her."

"Wait for me a moment; I'll put on my clothes and take you there, okay?"

"Alright." Sizi nodded cheerfully and ran out happily.

Li Lizhi raised her eyebrows; actually she hadn't leaned in earlier, she was putting away luggage and hadn't heard what Sizi said to Chen Yan.

She only noticed that Chen Yan's attitude had suddenly changed.

That inevitably made her a bit curious.

"Husband, are you really going out?"

Chen Yan twitched the corner of his mouth, nodded, "Hmm, let's go out for a while; I also want to stroll out and get some fresh air."

"After traveling such a long road, I'm also feeling bored."

"Alright." Li Lizhi didn't ask further; she wasn't particularly curious to begin with.

Seeing Chen Yan intend to go out, she fetched clothes and helped him dress.

"Lizhi, do you want to go out?" Chen Yan asked.

Li Lizhi shook her head, "I don't want to go today; I'm a bit tired and just want to rest properly."

"Alright."

Chen Yan didn't force it; after dressing neatly, he pushed open the door and saw the little fellow waiting outside for him.

"Brother, let's go!" Sizi couldn't wait and tugged Chen Yan's hand outward.

"Wait, wait, why are you in such a hurry?"

Chen Yan, feeling a bit helpless, held her hand, then asked Li Shimin and the others whether they could go out; after receiving a reply that they didn't want to leave, he called Xue Li to come along, and only then led the little fellow out.

In Luoyang, being unfamiliar with the place, one still has to be careful.

He himself didn't mind; the crucial point was that he was escorting a little princess.

With Xue Li accompanying, they believed nothing untoward would happen within the city.

But just as they went down the stairs, they heard some commotion.

"Sir, if you truly can't produce any money, you may stay at our Zui Xian Lou to help out and repay the meal cost; however, letting you leave might not be possible, so we hope you understand."

The Shop Boy politely said this to an elderly man who looked about seventy or eighty.

The old man's face turned bitter, and he knew it was his own fault—his money had been stolen by thieves when he went out—so he sighed, "What do you need me to do? How long will it take to repay this meal?"

"Our Zui Xian Lou's back kitchen is just missing a dishwasher; you could repay the meal cost in about a month and a half."

"How much?" the old man was stunned.

"A month and a half?"

Chen Yan couldn't help but smile at the sight.

It was evident that the old man's bearing was extraordinary, not that of an ordinary person; his attitude was good, and he certainly didn't seem like a dine-and-run freeloader.

Being so old and still being left to wash dishes was indeed rather amusing.

"......"