Chapter 7, Debt

... ...

The young man, dressed like a scholar, coldly continued, "In recent years, many rare treasures from overseas have reached Changling, and even many foreign barbarian nations and practitioners have established connections with Changling. This reliance is not solely on the waterways of the Weihe River, but also on the relationships formed through this fish market. For those high up in the halls of power, they are able to obtain things that were previously unattainable, which is why they adopt a 'see no evil, hear no evil' attitude, allowing this place to continue to exist. Naturally, all those engaged in business here are well aware of the kind of order those people require, making this place, in comparison to other large markets in various countries, fairer and safer."

Because there was usually not much to do, the elderly woman with graying hair was originally holding a crude porcelain cup to drink tea before she saw Ding Ning. Upon noticing the young boy walking out of the shadows not far away, a warm smile suddenly appeared on her wrinkled cheeks. She turned and took a plate of dried fruits from a cabinet next to the door, waiting.

The shopkeeper is a lonely elderly woman in her sixties. Due to her minimal daily expenses and the fact that most transactions in the fish market require seals or fingerprints, her ink pad shop, being the only one of its kind, has a relatively good sales volume, allowing her to get by in life

Therefore, you must understand one thing: any dealings must bring greater benefits to others in order to pique their interest in trading with you. Moreover, the vast majority of desperate individuals will not engage in transactions with those who are far superior to them, who could easily swallow them whole. The young man dressed as a scholar turned to glance at the silent, thick-browed young man and calmly said: "It is precisely because such fundamental rules exist that I have the confidence to come here to discuss."

He held a butter paper umbrella with slightly frayed edges, and he was dressed in a short black robe that is rarely worn by the people of Changling, with no shoes on, his bare feet directly touching the ground

"What could possibly be the problem?" she said with a laugh, "You come by every so often to patch up my room, putting in more effort than those boatmen do to repair their boats. If the rain gets any heavier and continues for a few more days, all the houses here will leak, but mine still won't."

The young man, still somewhat perplexed, looked at him with confusion

However, unlike the elderly woman who runs the ink shop, Ding Ning does not owe Song Shen Shu; rather, it is he who owes Ding Ning

Song Shenshu was a minor official in charge of the treasury of classics and history, and he was also an acquaintance of Ding Ning

Therefore, he is certain that Song Shenshu will definitely come today to obtain the Fire Tortoise Gallbladder, and will certainly appear before him

Ding Ning smiled faintly, neither refusing nor resisting. She directly sat at the edge of the cantilevered building to wash her feet, then changed into a pair of clean old straw sandals, and began to look around at the roof and walls of the cantilevered building.

"I will make you braised fish and waxed chicken legs." The old woman cast a reproachful glance at him, yet her eyes brimmed with deeper meaning, "Is the fried pancake really that delicious? Back then, you were still young, and it was perfectly normal for me to make you a fried pancake when you happened to pass by here. Yet, you still remember that one fried pancake to this day. If this were a business, it was just one fried pancake, but it has led to so many years of helping others; that would be a significant loss." Back then, you were still young, and it was perfectly normal for me to make you a fried pancake when you happened to pass by here. Yet, you still remember that one fried pancake to this day. If this were a business, it was just one fried pancake, but it has led to so many years of helping others; that would be a significant loss.

The old woman laughed out loud; ever since she saw Ding Ning's figure, she had become very happy

Looking at her smile, Ding Ning's mood improved even further. He casually grabbed a few dried fruits, chewing as he asked, "Is there anything you need to buy recently? I can help you get it later"

A significant portion of what a practitioner can imagine, naturally, cannot be used for trade

Ding Ning momentarily said nothing, lowering her head like a squirrel gnawing on dried fruit

Along a swaying wooden path supported by a sampan, Ding Ning walked into a very small stilted building

Seeing Ding Ning walk up with only her straw sandals dampened, the old woman felt completely relieved and took out a pair of clean old straw sandals, indicating for Ding Ning to change into them

Illegal transactions often yield higher profits, and higher profits attract more reckless individuals who continuously bring in more goods

"The rice, oil, and salt are all stocked up, so you can just rest," the old woman said, shaking her head. Looking at Ding Ning's slightly pale face, she couldn't help but shake her head again and asked with affection, "Have you had lunch?"

The old woman, somewhat displeased, said in an unmistakable tone, "Dinner will be eaten here with me"

Why has such a market been able to exist for so many years on the outskirts of Changling, beneath the feet of so many prominent figures?

The occasional faint glow of the lantern resembles an anomaly, swaying uneasily in the wind

The old woman shook her head, a complex emotion welling up in her eyes: "To have someone to talk to, to chat with, is the greatest blessing for a lonely elder without children or nephews. Many have died in battle in Changling, and there are many people of my age, yet very few are as fortunate as I am"

The old, large butter paper umbrella in his hand was insufficient to completely shield him from the rain, as a portion of his body remained exposed, leaving him completely drenched.

... ...

However, these things are hidden in the fish market like fish under lotus leaves, and the fish market is merely a spontaneously formed marketplace, where many of the businesses are naturally not legal

There is some water seepage on both the roof and the walls, but it does not appear to be serious

"Alright." Ding Ning nodded in agreement, "I want to eat fried pancakes."

Thus, Ding Ning felt relieved and sat down on the bench next to the old woman, saying: "I was initially worried that your house might have issues due to the heavy rain yesterday, so I intended to come and check on it. However, I had some urgent matters to attend to, which is why I delayed my visit until now"

Even though the Qin Dynasty never prohibited ordinary citizens from carrying swords and blades, and even some public competitions were not restricted, certain highly lethal weapons, as well as some cultivation tools and texts, were strictly forbidden from being traded or circulated

"I have eaten, the pickled cabbage fish noodles." Ding Ning smiled.

"Where is the loss?" Ding Ning said with a smile, "It's just doing some convenient things, mostly just keeping you company, listening to stories, and I've certainly had my share of free meals."

However, he is well aware that this is not merely a matter of a fried pancake

Why did you come over in such heavy rain

However, for most businessmen in the fish market who do not welcome idle wanderers, they do not mind the roads becoming more complicated and a bit more difficult to navigate

He owes many people, and he only hopes to gradually repay them or, in other words, to make amends

At this moment, a young man with thick eyebrows, dressed as an outsider, harbored such a doubt in his heart

Looking at the countless overlapping shanties of the fish market ahead, where raindrops continuously cascade from high to low like jumping pearls, the young man with thick eyebrows furrowed his brow and could not help but ask the young man in front of him, who was half a head shorter, "Young Master, why does such a market continue to exist?"

Several years ago, on a winter's day, he passed by here, and a kind old woman graciously offered him a warm fried pancake. Since then, he often came back to visit the old woman and do what he could to help.

After chatting with the old woman for a while and listening to her share some of the freshest news from the fish market, which was closely related to the *illustrated* books, Ding Ning took his leave temporarily and, just like during his usual strolls, turned towards the lower and deeper parts of the fish market

This is because he owes her

The number of people still bustling through the fish market was considerable. Ding Ning put away the umbrella, using it like a cane, and skillfully made his way to the lower depths of the fish market.

The person in front of him was a very short young man, dressed like a scholar, with an oval face and an exceptionally handsome appearance, especially his skin, which was as flawless as white jade, showing no imperfections whatsoever

Thus, although the rainy days are dark, the roads between the countless shops, alternately covered by awnings, are even darker; yet only a few merchants have chosen to light lanterns

At this time, Song Shenshu should have entered the fish market

The roads in the fish market are rugged and uneven, very muddy and difficult to traverse. With a drop of several meters, they create a series of overlapping pathways at different heights, resembling a maze for those who do not visit often

The young man, dressed like a scholar, gave a cold smile and said, "Only with the authorization of those two chancellors can such a market remain here indefinitely"

In the silent observation over the past few years, Ding Ning became aware of some of Song Shen's habits and also understood the difficulties he faced in his cultivation

This is a very small ink pad shop that also sells some ink, paper, and brushes

Due to the heavy rain, the areas at the bottom of the fish market, which are usually just dry mud ponds, have been submerged. The water level is only half a meter away from the bottom of most stilt houses. Nevertheless, many small boats are still floating at the bottom of the stilt houses, along with wooden basins drifting in the murky muddy water