Chapter Four: Left With Nothing but Talent and Dreams

Damn!

Ye Xiu immediately cursed, "Money, Dad, how much do you think is reasonable?"

"You have to give us at least a grand mansion with four courtyards, plus ten thousand taels of silver!" Ye Wuji said without hesitation, stating his final bottom line.

Clearly, it was because Master Xie and Shen Wanshan were too concerned with face.

If they had directly talked money and agreed on a price, the marriage might have been called off.

"We have to move out today. We can't be left with nothing. Keep this red wedding invitation safe. They will definitely come to claim it later. Remember, never hand it over unless they pay in full."

Waving the red invitation in his hand, Ye Wuji earnestly instructed, "Son, it’s okay if a man doesn’t marry for ten or eight years. The two of us can always enjoy the pleasure quarters. But their daughters can’t wait. The longer we delay, the more it benefits us."

"Dad, I understand what you're saying," Ye Xiu carefully put away the invitation with a complicated expression, then asked, "But why did you throw them two thousand taels of silver?"

Ye Wuji was momentarily stunned, then slapped his thigh in regret. Damn, I was careless! I was only thinking about showing off…

By noon, the father and son had packed their bags and walked out of the grand mansion.

Looking at the vermilion doorframe and the removed "Ye Mansion" plaque, it was impossible not to feel sad.

"I never thought your grandfather, who devoted his life to the country, would end up like this."

To avoid affecting his son's mood, Ye Wuji patted Ye Xiu’s shoulder, "Let’s go. When I become an official, we’ll buy it back."

"Dad..." Ye Xiu looked at his humble father with mixed feelings, "Do we still have money?"

Ye Wuji smiled mysteriously, took off his boot, and pulled out a crumpled silver note. "When we sold off the family property, I secretly saved twenty taels behind your elder brother’s back."

Ye Xiu: Why didn’t you save more? Twenty taels won’t get us far.

In the Great Qian Dynasty, every city had a clock tower.

It was set right in the city center so that all the citizens could clearly hear the morning bell.

At this moment, the spacious square around the clock tower was already filled with countless refined scholars and literati.

Various vendors called out from the street sides.

Passing through the drum tower led to Xianghe River and North Gate Bridge.

Having been pampered all his life, Ye Xiu’s legs weakened and his stomach growled just after walking to North Gate Bridge Street.

"Dad, Jinling City is huge, isn’t it?"

Used to a life where clothes came with a stretch of the hand and food on the table, walking on foot was torture for him.

"Usually I ride in a sedan chair. When have I ever walked before?" Ye Wuji was also sweating profusely, looking around. "Beyond the North Gate Bridge is Jinling Academy. Let’s rent a place nearby."

As he spoke, they arrived at the North Gate Bridge market.

Inside were countless shops, restaurants, gold and silver stores, and incense shops.

It was bustling a hundred times more than any commercial street from his past life.

Ye Xiu secretly vowed to explore all of Jinling City someday, to see just how prosperous it truly was.

They found a tooth shop called “Liu’s.”

The clerk greeted enthusiastically, "Please come in, sir. We operate various brokerage services. Satisfaction guaranteed."

"Looking for a place to stay," Ye Wuji said straightforwardly.

"Judging by your appearance and clothing, you must be a scholar going for the imperial exam," the clerk guessed immediately.

"That’s right," Ye Wuji nodded. "Find a courtyard close to Jinling Academy."

The clerk pulled out a housing ledger filled with simple sketches and detailed descriptions of residences.

He pointed to a two-courtyard house just a wall away from the academy. "This one’s good. The furniture is new. Move in with your bags."

"How much?" Ye Wuji asked.

"Two hundred taels per year, plus twenty taels deposit."

Phew!

Hearing such an outrageous price, the father and son both gasped.

Seeing their expressions, the clerk recommended a few cheaper courtyards.

But the rent was still around a hundred taels, far beyond their means.

"Sir, none of these houses suit you?" The clerk closed the ledger without a trace of emotion.

"I... I just..." Ye Wuji’s face flushed red with embarrassment. "I prefer to find joy in life, not vanity in material things."

"What do you mean?" The clerk was puzzled.

"My dad means he’s so poor he only has talent and dreams left," Ye Xiu explained helplessly. "Even a beggar shaking a bowl at him feels like showing off!"

So they simply couldn’t afford the expensive courtyards.

Poor scholars always insisted on saving face but lived miserably.

The clerk looked at them with disdain, grabbed another housing ledger, and threw it in front of them.

Ye Wuji wasn’t angry and carefully searched through the listings.

After choosing one, he asked Ye Xiu, "Son, shall we see this place?"

Half an hour later, they arrived at Wulong Alley, about five li from Jinling Academy.

Not far into the alley, they found a dilapidated small courtyard.

The rotten gate lacked even a lock.

Pushing it open, the yard was littered with dead branches and fallen leaves.

The roof was missing tiles, letting the wind in everywhere.

"How can anyone live here?" Ye Wuji was baffled. Spending money to live here? Might as well go to the mountain god’s temple.

"This is prime real estate in Jinling City. Backing onto Wulong Pond, close to North Gate Bridge commercial district, Confucius Temple, and with Xuanwu Lake behind..." the clerk explained impatiently. "A private courtyard with three main rooms and two wings, only five li from the academy. It costs just ten taels a year. What more do you want?"

"Explain yourself properly," Ye Xiu snorted coldly. "If you keep pushing, I’ll take my business elsewhere."

The clerk was furious but had to swallow his anger, not wanting to ruin his shop’s reputation.

He quickly responded, "Sir, this is the cheapest house in the city. If you’re still not satisfied, you’ll have to move out of town."

"We’ll spend money fixing it up and buying furniture, which we can’t take with us," Ye Xiu thought for a moment. "How about eight taels a year, deposit one pay three? I’ll pay annually on renewal."

The clerk had long grown impatient. These two didn’t seem like wealthy customers.

He quietly calculated: the lowest rent his boss allowed was seven taels. If they paid eight, he’d earn a tael profit plus a commission.

"Fine," the clerk pretended to stomp his foot in reluctance. "Since you two seem to have a hard time, eight taels it is. But you must sign a two-year lease. No deposit refund if you don’t renew."

"Dad, what do you think?"

"Fine, let’s live here," Ye Wuji said without hesitation. "As long as you don’t mind."

Ye Xiu was pleased. When browsing the ledger, he had realized it was nearly impossible to find a private courtyard for eight taels.

Besides, with only twenty taels total, renting cheaply would leave some capital to start their new life.

Then Ye Wuji followed the clerk back to the tooth shop to handle the contract.

Ye Xiu took up a broom and began cleaning the rundown courtyard.

Having just transmigrated, falling from a cloud to a deep abyss, it was hard to accept.

But since they were here, they had to live well.

No matter how much they sighed, it wouldn’t change the harsh slap of reality.

The road to letting his father soar would start from this moment!