Chapter 273: Ping

“We actually found it!”

Qian Zheng exclaimed happily.

Zhao Weiru also joyfully ordered her servant to pull Lü Youwei onto the boat, then carefully rubbed the recovered precious item with her fingers.

“Here’s thirty taels of silver as your reward. Of course, it’s not much, but if you ever face hardship in the future, you can always come to the Zhao family and find me.”

Zhao Weiru took the silver from her maid and handed it directly to Lü Youwei.

“Thank you.” Lü Youwei wiped his hands on his clothes before reaching out to take the silver. With these thirty taels, he could establish himself in the small town and gradually find work.

After the pleasure boat docked, he and the young man named Qian Zheng got off.

“You’re not from Shuixiang Town, are you? Such excellent swimming skills—if you were a local, I’d have heard of you.” Qian Zheng spoke confidently.

In Shuixiang Town, anyone with good swimming skills was bound to be known.

Every year, the town held a swimming competition—a local custom meant to pray for fishermen’s bountiful harvests.

Lü Youwei told the truth: he had once been a hunter, but now his leg was injured, so he wanted to settle in Shuixiang Town.

“Do you have a place to stay?”

Qian Zheng asked.

Lü Youwei shook his head. “I’ve only just arrived in town and don’t have much copper cash. I planned to find work first, so I could get a place to live. But shopkeepers think I’m a cripple and can’t do hard labor, so I’ve got nowhere to stay and no job yet.”

Qian Zheng, already familiar, said: “You can stay at my place. My family runs an inn—we’ve got plenty of empty rooms. Business is slow anyway. You’re my lifesaver; if you stay, I’ll charge you less.”

“By the way, aren’t you looking for work?”

“My mom just mentioned the other day she wanted to hire an assistant. Interested? The inn’s a bit remote and there’s not much to do—just odd jobs.”

Qian Zheng spoke enthusiastically.

“Can I take a look first?” Lü Youwei didn’t immediately agree. He had thirty taels of silver, but even that wouldn’t last a lifetime if he didn’t spend wisely.

He wasn’t picky about lodging—just needed a place to sleep. Finding cheap accommodation was still necessary.

“Sure, why not?” Qian Zheng led the way cheerfully. He clearly had good relations—he greeted many people along the way.

“Hey, Brother Lü, do you think there’s any chance between me and her? My mom always says I’m a toad trying to eat swan meat, that unless the sun rises in the west, Miss Zhao would never look at me.”

Walking down a quiet alley, Qian Zheng spoke sadly.

Lü Youwei smiled but said nothing. He didn’t know what the future held, but from what he’d just seen, Zhao Weiru clearly had little affection for Qian Zheng.

Qian Zheng shrugged and kept talking: “I know I’m not good enough for Miss Zhao, but I love her. What can I do? She’s all I think about. I don’t want to give up, but I just can’t.”

Seeing Qian Zheng was about to launch into another long monologue, Lü Youwei casually changed the subject: “Miss Zhao seems very wealthy.”

Qian Zheng nodded firmly. “The Zhao family is the richest and most powerful in Shuixiang Town—of course they’re wealthy. But I wish Miss Zhao had been born ordinary. Then our gap wouldn’t be so wide.”

As they chatted about nothing in particular, Qian Zheng soon led Lü Youwei to a secluded street where his family’s inn stood.

No wonder earlier someone had said the inn’s business was poor.

This street was remote—hardly any guests stayed here. Most business probably came from locals eating at the inn.

The inn’s name: Ping’an Inn.

As they entered, a middle-aged woman behind the counter slammed her abacus down and glared angrily at Qian Zheng: “You little brat! You didn’t come back until after mealtime! Do you know how busy we were just now?”

Qian Zheng walked over with a smile and began massaging his mother’s shoulders. “Mom! I was just looking for someone to hire—you said the other day you wanted an assistant, right?”

He pointed to Lü Youwei. “Mom, look at him—he looks strong, and his swimming skills are excellent. He asks for no pay except room and board.”

Lü Youwei glanced at the middle-aged woman in surprise. Qian Zheng looked about eighteen or nineteen, yet this woman appeared only thirty-five or thirty-six. Clearly, in this world, people married and had children young.

“Don’t fool me! He’s a cripple! Where did you find him? I can barely support you—now you want me to feed another?”

The woman kicked Qian Zheng without mercy.

Lü Youwei wasn’t angry. She was right—if he were in her position, he’d feel the same concern.

“Madam, don’t worry. My leg is only slightly lame—it doesn’t stop me from working. If you’re unsure, try me for a few days. If you’re satisfied, I’ll stay; if not, just cover my room and board for those days.”

Lü Youwei made the suggestion.

“Mom, he’s really capable! Just now he walked faster than me, and he wants so little pay—where else would you find such a deal? If not for his leg injury, he was an outstanding hunter.”

The claim of being an “outstanding hunter” wasn’t Lü Youwei’s own words—it was clearly Qian Zheng’s fabrication to persuade Qian Shi.

Qian Shi studied Lü Youwei carefully, hesitating. But then she thought: if Qian Zheng kept wandering off, the inn would be overwhelmed. She had to stay at the counter, and the cook had already complained several times about having to carry dishes himself.

If things continued like this, the cook would quit.

With poor business, she couldn’t afford high wages to hire assistants—and finding anyone was hard. If not for her past kindness to the cook, he’d have left long ago.

“Fine. Trial period: three days. If it doesn’t work out, you leave immediately. I’ll cover your room and board for those three days.” Qian Shi finally relented.

“Let me show Brother Lü around the inn first.” Qian Zheng pulled Lü Youwei toward the back courtyard.

Behind them, Qian Shi shouted: “It’s almost dinner time—it’ll get busy. Have him change clothes. He can start working today.”

“Got it.” Qian Zheng didn’t even turn around.

The inn was actually large. Besides its remote location, the greenery was well-maintained, and there were several private courtyards with flowers, grass, and bamboo—quiet and serene.