Chapter 007: Starting from Scratch (Part One)

In the market, Qin Kan found a relatively open space, took a deep breath, and then struck the gong in his hand with a resounding clang

The idea of robbery is actually quite good; however, Qin Kan is relatively calm. Given his current level of physical strength, the risks associated with robbery are too high.

Du Yan's round eyes widened in shock, and she took a sharp breath. Then, her eyes blazed with extreme anger. Her long legs, concealed beneath her long skirt, moved slightly. Although she was not trained in martial arts, Qin Kan could sense that... this woman was adopting a posture reminiscent of a provocative kick.

The rain continues to fall, penetrating to the very marrow with its chill

A bystander, unable to contain his curiosity, loudly asked, "Hey, that young man beating the gong, you say there are grand prizes for the draw, but could you please clarify exactly what the prizes are? If the prize isn't worth much, wouldn't it be a waste of our money to participate?"

Qin Kan said with a stern face: "Of course not, last night a young lady from a wealthy family saw me and harbored feelings of affection for me. Then, out of love, she felt pity and tearfully invited me to her home, arranged for me to stay in her boudoir, and graciously accompanied me for a night..."

As she spoke, Du Yan extended her fair and slender little hand, constantly waving it in front of Qin Kan, looking quite pleased with herself

Du Yan's almond-shaped eyes blazed with increasing fury, her delicate face frosted over, and she squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth: "The prize is a donkey, why are you pointing at me?"

It is said to be called a 'lottery', where two qian of silver is drawn once, and if you win, you receive a prize

Qin Kan: "... ..."

***

Qin Kan shook off the rainwater from his body; his clothes were already soaked, clinging to him as if they were a piece of ancient cold iron.

Du Yan stood silently beside, watching Qin Kan perform this action. She did not utter a word, yet her curiosity burned fiercely within her, like a wildfire spreading uncontrollably.

The second method ... ... Qin Kan looked up at the sky and said lightly: "The time has not yet come; in one hour, twenty taels of silver will be no less than that."

He really doesn't care to engage with her

People stood on tiptoe, whispering to one another, engaged in animated discussions

Du Yan was astonished and exclaimed, "How is that possible?"

The discussions fell into Qin Kan's ears, and he smiled faintly. However, Du Yan beside him was increasingly astonished, her big eyes fixed on Qin Kan as if a flower had bloomed on his face.

Ever since she confidently declared that she would pay a fine of twenty taels after one hour, Du Yan's curiosity was thoroughly ignited, sticking to Qin Kan like an unremovable piece of taffy, impossible to shake off.

Thus, Qin Kan rationally changed his words: "The prize is ... a donkey!"

While others are unaware, Du Yan is fully aware of Qin Kan's circumstances; this fellow cannot even produce a single penny, so how could he offer any prizes to others

"Hey, did you really spend the whole night in this awful place?" Du Yan's tone was not very friendly, and it was clear that she had not yet gotten over yesterday's anger

Just as Qin Kan stepped out of the alley, his good mood early in the morning suddenly turned very low.

Seeing Du Yan following closely behind like a shadow, Qin Kan couldn't help but smile coldly in his heart

Having eaten the steamed bun, Qin Kan felt a chill throughout his body. He stood up to move his cold hands and feet. In the pitch-black, deserted night, a solitary figure jogged along the streets of Shaoxing. After running half the city, he returned to the alley of m.hetushu.com.com, squatted down, wrapped his arms around his knees, and curled up in the cold, shadowy corner

Qin Kan pondered for a moment, then found a letter-writing stall and conversed with a scholar who made a living by writing letters for others. Both were scholars, at least outwardly appearing as such. The down-and-out scholar was quite generous, immediately agreeing to Qin Kan's request and providing him with more than ten sheets of blank paper. Qin Kan promised to return the paper in one hour along with a silver tael.

The sky gradually brightened, and the sound of roosters crowing occasionally echoed through the city; this night has finally come to an end

The nobleman delights in the rain, while the beggar fears the cold. Qin Kan looked up at the delicate drizzle falling from the sky with a bitter smile, never expecting that he would end up living like a beggar

This woman is ruthless and certainly not of good character

Subsequently, Qin Kan found a street-performing juggling troupe and borrowed a gong and a wooden box for juggling props from them

Do you still remember what you said yesterday? You mentioned that you would be able to gather twenty taels of silver in fines today. Where is the silver?

Du Yan's eyes widened even more: "Are you planning to rob the wealthy or the treasury?"

Du Yan's expression immediately darkened: "Then I won't waste words with you. Do you know why I am here?"

Du Yan stood alone at the alley entrance, her expression calm and her demeanor serene. Today, she wore no makeup, her face bare, dressed in a water-green pleated skirt. The wide, ornate cuffs were oddly tied with two wrist guards. Although the demure, ladylike attire was on her, it exuded a fierce and wild aura, brimming with a sense of lethal intent.

Today, I will give this young lady a lesson, allowing her to understand what it means to "start from scratch" and what it means to "take advantage of others without any investment"

Qin Kan and Tu murmured: "It is said that the county magistrate of Po Jia is ruthless, and the inspector is merciless. It seems that the daughter of the county magistrate is no exception..."

This is a difficult night; neither of my two lives has ever experienced such hardship and despair

As the onlookers grew anxious with their questions, Qin Kan finally replied in a leisurely manner: "The prizes will certainly not disappoint you all"

Qin Kan coldly said: "Since you know it is impossible, do not ask me such nonsense again"

A living person should not be made to suffer from a full bladder, and a hero should not be forced to death by a mere penny

Qin sighed, "If I am to take out twenty taels of silver now, there are only two ways to do so..."

Fortunately, Qin Kan still had a second method

Onlookers expressed their regret and sighed

As Qin Kan spoke, he cast a sidelong glance, chuckling mischievously twice, and suddenly raised his hand to point at Du Yan beside him

Huddled in the cold, gloomy corner of an old alley, Qin Kan was sleepless throughout the night

Onlookers discussed for a long time, yet ultimately no one stepped forward to be the first to take the plunge.

Qin Kan pressed his lips together in silence

The onlookers fell silent, and one could hear a pin drop

Clang clang clang clang ... ...

Qin Kan took out the cold, hard steamed bun from his pocket, nibbling on it bite by bite. While eating, he extended his hand to catch the raindrops falling from the night sky, and when his hand was full, he brought it to his mouth to drink.

Today, Emperor Hongzhi may be a good emperor, and County Magistrate Du may be a good official. However, whether it is a good emperor or a good official, their kindness has its limits. Robbers clearly fall outside the bounds of their tolerance, and those who are caught cannot escape the fate of being executed after the autumn harvest.

Oh? Does that mean it's a closed game? However, the concept of a lottery is quite novel...

Du Yan stared at him with great interest; compared to twenty taels of silver, she was more curious about how a destitute and impoverished man, who was penniless, could conjure up silver.

Since the day he crossed over, he did not harbor any grand ambitions. The clichéd tales of those who traverse worlds to vie for power and seek dominion over the realm were merely stories to him. When it came to his own situation, such aspirations felt truly out of reach. At least for someone huddled in a corner, unable to guarantee even basic sustenance, thoughts of conquering the world were utterly absent. The most practical considerations were how to fill his stomach, how to keep himself warm, and how to stay away from that tall woman.

Although it is uncertain whether that barbaric woman's appearance is one that brings misfortune to her husband, it can be affirmed that her features are likely to lead to financial loss and disaster. Qin Kan is a bloody example of this.

Qin Kan evenly tore the borrowed white paper into hundreds of small paper balls, each of which he crumpled into a ball and placed into a wooden box. He only drew a very abstract pig's head with a brush on one of the paper balls, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it into his sleeve

Therefore, Qin Kan's money-making scheme is relatively discreet; he does not have the audacity to challenge the "Great Ming Code" and at most only dares to play on the edges of legality

Do not miss this opportunity as you pass by, esteemed villagers, please stay a moment. Fortune has descended from the heavens, waiting for you to claim it. With just 2 coins, you have the chance to win a grand prize. Opportunities are equal for everyone, and the prizes are fair to both young and old

Qin Kan cleared his throat and said: "The first method is... I will crash into a wall and die right in front of you"

The malicious cold snort from Qin Kan made him unable to help but glance at Du Yan, who was crossing her arms and looking at him with a gloating expression.

The creditor must follow closely behind, and Qin Kan naturally cannot refuse. Fortunately, Qin Kan has devised a way to make money. If all goes well, he will be able to repay the inexplicably owed twenty taels of silver in one hour, and from then on, he will have no further dealings with this barbaric and ruthless woman.

Qin Kan sighed softly: "It is evident that the visitor comes with ill intentions..."

Feeling hungry again, Qin Kan walked out of the alley, planning to grab a couple of warm steamed buns from the bun stall at the East City market. He had already been there twice yesterday, and each time he succeeded. This shows that the stall owner's intelligence and discernment are quite mediocre. Such people belong to the category of soft persimmons, making them very suitable targets.

In the bustling marketplace filled with people coming and going, the deafening sound of the gong quickly attracted passersby, forming a large circle with layers of onlookers both inside and outside.

At this moment, Du Yan was firmly blocking the alley entrance, hands on her hips, adopting a stance as if to close the door and drive away the dog

What is the gimmick? Sudden windfall? Is it true or not

Because he saw a person, a woman who lingered like a shadow, standing at a height of 1.7 meters

Du Yan's delicate, jade-like nose wrinkled slightly, forming a few charming creases, yet her expression bore a hint of schadenfreude

Du Yan's eyes lit up at the words, and she nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice: "This method is good, let's use this one."

It is already morning, and the streets of the city are gradually becoming lively. The market on East Stone Street is particularly crowded, with a continuous flow of people.

Qin Kandu instantly smiled without speaking, and Du Yan, seeing his expression, couldn't help but snort twice through her nostrils

Du Yan's beautiful big eyes squinted into two slits as she smiled: "Although the county magistrate's daughter is reluctant to destroy a family, she at least knows how to collect debts"

Clang clang clang clang

***

This woman is not only ruthless, but her moral standards are also evidently low

This method was devised by him after pondering for an entire night