Chapter 3

"Stand straight! Stand straight! Do you still want to enter the city?"

"The tall, huge city gate bore the large seal-script characters 'Jinling', ancient and solemn. It was still early; many people were already queuing at the gate. This is Jinling, the seat of Yangzhou prefecture, where the governor's office is located, extremely prosperous."

"At this gate a squad of soldiers stood guard, not only checking whether entrants were wanted criminals or had household documents, but also collecting city fees."

"Anyone doing business in the city, even petty trade, had to pay a tax here... Collecting commercial tax at this point was troublesome; levying tax in the circulation stage was relatively simple and efficient."

"For those entering the city without goods, locals were not taxed, while outsiders paid a small amount."

"Before the gate there were several lines: merchants, outsiders, locals. People queued voluntarily, saving the gate soldiers' time and increasing efficiency."

"Gan Tian was in the locals' line; since only a quick glance at the household register was needed, this line moved fastest."

"The soldier checking household registers glanced at Gan Tian several times, thinking it strange for a cute little girl to enter the city alone. But he said nothing... abnormality portends evil; he had once been a dart escort, traveled south and north, and did not think the girl would be in danger—rather, those who meant her harm were more likely to suffer misfortune."

"Elders, women, children—such folk are usually seen as weak and unlikely to wander the martial world alone; yet if they do, it often shows their abilities are exceptional!"

"The soldier looked at Gan Tian, then quickly turned his gaze to the exceptionally clean little donkey whose tack was wrapped in silk, and without hesitation said, 'One donkey, five wen.'"

"Gan Tian presented a local household register, so no head tax was levied, but livestock still had to be paid for."

"She opened her little cat pouch, took out a string of copper coins, counted five, and said, 'Here is your money!'"

"The soldier returned her household register, nodded at her, and let her pass into the city."

"The girl's attire was adorned with ornaments that most would take for gilded or silver trinkets, but a soldier who had been a dart escort knew they were genuine. As they moved and clicked together, they sounded like wind chimes; the soldier thus stared, until he met a pair of dark, deep eyes."

"Behind her in line stood a man in his thirties, icy in demeanor, his voice hoarse as he said, 'Enter the city.'"

"Gan Tian had already been looking around excitedly; she had seen more bustling scenes, and compared to modern cities this one lacked many things. Yet it was different—two utterly different kinds of prosperity cannot be compared."

"Moreover, living in this world, this was actually her first visit to a big city here, so everything seemed novel."

"No one took her for a country bumpkin entering the city; rather, her looks spoke, and everyone instinctively felt she was a sheltered young lady who knew nothing of worldly affairs."

"Today Nanjing Cheng was especially lively; wherever on the main streets, vendors and revelers filled the scene."

"Gan Tian was captivated by a mask stall; though small, its masks were exquisitely crafted, almost like works of art. While choosing a mask, she asked the vendor, 'Uncle, why is Jinling Cheng so bustling today?'"

"Although she had never been to a big city in this world, she knew such liveliness could not be normal; there must be some event going on."

"The vendor, busy collecting money, chuckled, 'Miss, you're from out of town? These days Jinling has been holding a temple fair to welcome the City God.'"

"'Like that...' Gan Tian replied, finally picking a mask she liked—a red-and-white fox mask with black silk tassels as decoration."

"This was a relatively expensive mask; the copper coins left in her cat pouch weren't enough, so she gave the vendor a small piece of silver. The vendor examined its purity, found it to be fine sliced sterling silver, and cheerfully returned a handful of copper coins as change."

"This suited Gan Tian just fine; spending at such small stalls was low, basically all in copper coins."

"She put on the mask but found it a bit inconvenient, so she lifted it to rest beside her forehead. After looking around a while, she decided to get something to eat first."

"She had eaten some snacks on the way, but still wanted something hot."

"Next to her was a wonton stall, with mushroom‑pork filling that smelled fragrant..."

"After finishing the wontons, Gan Tian found an inn and bought some high‑grade feed for the little donkey. Once it had eaten its fill, she then went to enjoy the bustle."

"Since it was a temple fair related to the City God, the closer to the City God Temple the livelier it became. Gan Tian asked for directions and, like many others, headed toward the temple."

"However, her goal was not the temple itself, but the liveliness along the way."

"\"At home we rely on parents; away from home we rely on friends. We three siblings, stranded in Jinling, make a living by performing. Today we modestly show our skills before ladies and gentlemen, hoping those with money will tip us, and those without will give us applause. \""

"Amid applause, the two men and one woman in the circle began performing various acts—martial arts and acrobatics."

"Gan Tian was about to squeeze in to watch, but then a nearby stall caught her eye."

"The stall next door sold tangerines, nothing special. The sweet‑orange orchards near Jinling had finished harvesting about ten days earlier, and now was the time for a large‑scale market release of tangerines."

"At most, this stall's tangerines looked unusually large and tasty; the vendor had peeled one so anyone wishing to buy could try a segment."

"The reason this stall attracted her was the dispute arising there—an old couple claimed the vendor's tangerines had been stolen from their orange grove! Their neighbors knew their oranges were exceptionally flavorful; taking a few to eat would be no harm. But this year someone had sneaked out at night and harvested half the grove, which amounted to destroying the couple's livelihood!"

"The tangerine seller denied this, laughing, 'Is it only your family's tangerines that are large and tasty? That's utterly unreasonable!'"

"The old couple were indignant; the old man pointed at the tangerine and said, 'You're not telling the truth! Retribution will surely come—I asked the Earth God, and he directed us here; how could that be false?'"

"The tangerine seller's face shifted, then he forced composure: 'You say the Earth God pointed you here—what proof do you have? Don't block the way; are you trying to extort money?'"

"\"The Earth God gave us the same dream... \" the old man began to explain, but then felt helpless, for only the couple knew of the dream‑sending, and they didn't know how to produce evidence."

"By now a crowd had gathered, as people naturally love to watch excitement."

"\"Young man, how much for one tangerine? \" a middle‑aged man asked, ignoring the dispute and wanting to buy one."

"Buying a single tangerine was hardly worthwhile, but since business had come knocking they couldn't refuse; because a tangerine couldn't be weighed, they charged one wen."

"The middle‑aged man who had taken a tangerine walked outside the circle, as if not seeing the quarrel, and began to hawk his wares, apparently preparing to perform a trick."

"Tricks are popular performances; immediately a few people gathered in twos and threes."

"\"I've just arrived in Jinling, short on travel funds; I hope you enjoy the trick and give me a little help! \" he said simply, then peeled and ate the tangerine, spitting out the seeds as he spoke."

"The middle‑aged man laughed, 'My skill is modest; these years I only have one passable trick. But my master also said, one fresh move eaten everywhere, a set of tricks performed well beats knowing many things superficially.'"

"The crowd shouted, 'Then go ahead and show us one!'"

"\"All right! Today I'll show you one! \" saying this, the middle‑aged man planted the tangerine seeds in the cracks of the stone‑paved avenue, then silently chanted; as the muffled incantation rose, the seeds sprouted roots and shoots, soon pushing up."

"It shot up rapidly, unfurling leaves; in less than half a cup of tea's time it had grown into a lush tangerine tree."

"The tangerine tree grew short, only slightly taller than a person. Then, with the chant, it began to flower and bear fruit, ending with bright yellow tangerines hanging thick on its branches."

"The middle‑aged man laughed, 'Please, everyone, have some tangerines!'"

"Everyone found it novel, eagerly taking tangerines to taste; the flavor was extremely sweet, drawing endless praise. Gan Tian ate one too and thought it quite good."

"But while everyone marveled at the trick's wonder, she merely blinked... it was not a trick, but a spell."

"It wasn't a slip in the other's performance; to Gan Tian it felt more like a sensation."

"Just as with what happened yesterday in the ruined temple, she instinctively felt something was off—and the outcome soon became clear: that young lady had indeed done nothing improper; as for the child... it was merely the product of longing."

"One's longing can run so deep it turns into a essence capable of 'conceiving from feeling'! When the beloved returns, the longing dissolves—finally scattering like flying ash."

"If it were the former Gan Tian, she could not believe this explanation; living in modern society she is a staunch materialist. Such an extreme idealist account is simply unbelievable! But dwelling in a world where one can witness various mystical events, even if she does not want to believe, reality lies before her."

"After the performance, the man began collecting tips. Only then did he approach Gan Tian, who grabbed several copper coins and, without counting, dropped them into his gong."

The man looked at the copper coins, then at Gan Tian, and smiled: "Miss, you gave too much; at most two coins would be enough!"

Saying this, he took out several copper coins and wanted to return them to Gan Tian.

His words drew more glances from the others, and someone protested, "I also gave several coins—why did the little miss get too much?"

As he spoke, he reached to take money from the copper gong, but the man slightly stepped aside, making way. He then explained: "People naturally differ; this miss is noble, her money cannot be taken casually! This orange is worth one cash each; taking one extra coin is already the limit. If any more were taken, how could an ordinary person's fortune bear it?"

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Thanks to the little angels who voted for me as overlord ticket or poured nutrient solution during the period 2020-04-0706:49:38~2020-04-0808:27:56~

Thanks to the little angels who poured nutrient solution: suePurpleMoon, PhoenixFlowerBloomedAgain, 1 bottle;

Thank you very much for everyone's support; I will continue to strive!