HLnovel Chapter 13 Broken Dream
Chapter 13 Broken Dream
"Let's go, Uncle Chen."
Chen Dao forced himself to look away and gestured for Chen Da to enter the city.
"Stop."
The soldiers guarding the city stopped Chen Dao and his companion from entering. After carefully examining the travel permit Chen Dao presented, they did not allow them to enter the city. Instead, they said, "You need to pay a 10-wen entrance fee to enter the city."
"what?!"
Chen Da was completely bewildered; he had never heard of such a thing as an entrance fee.
"Nowadays, there are many migrants outside the city, and we need to pay an entry fee to prevent them from mixing into the city."
The soldier who stopped the two reiterated, his expression serious, not like he was joking.
Chen Da had no choice but to take out 10 copper coins from the inner layer of his clothes and hand them over to the city guards before the two of them were allowed to enter the city.
The influx of refugees from outside the city seemed to have no effect on the city itself; it remained peaceful and prosperous as ever.
Driving his donkey cart along the wide stone-paved road, Chen Da angrily said, "Damn it, it costs 10 copper coins just to get into the city! The officials and soldiers in the city are crazy for money!"
After complaining for a while, Chen Da looked at Chen Dao and asked, "Xiao Dao, are you planning to sell these chickens in the East Market?"
Chen Dao thought for a moment and replied, "I've already contacted the buyer. Uncle Chen, you can go directly to the Fuhu Boxing Gym."
"Row."
Chen Ziran didn't know where the Fuhu Boxing Gym was, so he had to ask passersby for directions as he walked.
Soon after, the donkey cart stopped in front of a martial arts school.
"This place is amazing!"
Chen Da stopped the donkey cart, looked around, and sighed.
The area where the Fuhu Boxing Gym is located is clearly different from ordinary county town residential areas. The houses here are built in a magnificent manner, and the environment is quiet, making it much more livable than the noisy area near the city gate.
Chen Dao was also looking around. Compared to the hell outside the county town, it was no exaggeration to call this place paradise. The pedestrians passing by were all well-dressed and had full features. They were completely different from the skinny, ragged refugees outside the town.
Not to mention the refugees, even Chen Dao and his companion, compared to the residents of this area, were no different from beggars.
The residents here, even at their worst, wear clean and tidy clothes, but Chen Dao and his companion...
Chen Da was in slightly better shape, but Chen Dao was dressed in patched and tattered clothes, covered in dust. It was obvious at a glance that he did not belong to this place. In fact, many passersby gave Chen Dao disdainful looks, as if to say: Where did this beggar come from?
Chen Dao ignored all the stares, walked closer to the gate of Fuhu Martial Arts School, pointed to the chicken coop at Chen Da's feet, and said to the guards at the gate, "These are the chickens that Miss Li Ying asked me to buy. Please help me inform her."
The tall guard looked Chen Dao up and down, nodded, and walked into the martial arts hall.
"Little Rice".
Chen Da asked with some surprise, "How did you get to know the people from the Fuhu Martial Arts School?"
When Chen Dao mentioned going to Fuhu Martial Arts School, Chen Da felt the name was somewhat familiar. Now he realized that he knew about Fuhu Martial Arts School.
Fuhu Boxing School is one of the largest martial arts schools in the entire county. Its owner, Li Hu, is extremely well-known throughout the county and is a figure who can speak on equal terms with the county magistrate. Chen Ziran, who frequently visits the county, has heard of the reputation of Fuhu Boxing School.
"We met when we were selling chickens."
Chen Dao recounted his experience of selling chickens.
Chen Da's face immediately showed a look of realization: "No wonder your chickens can sell for such a high price; the people at the Fuhu Boxing Gym are indeed not short of money."
As Chen Da finished speaking, the guards who had entered the martial arts school had already brought Li Ying back.
"Senior Sister, this is the child who is looking for you."
The guard pointed to Chen Dao and introduced him to Li Ying.
Li Ying clearly had a good memory, and immediately remembered who Chen Dao was: "You're that kid who sold chickens before?"
"it's me."
Chen Dao nodded hurriedly and replied, "I've managed to get four more of the same chickens this time, and I plan to sell them to you."
Upon hearing this, Li Ying's gaze fell on the chicken coop beside Chen Da's feet, and her eyes immediately lit up. She had already eaten the white-feathered chicken that she had bought from Chen Dao last time, and the taste was excellent, far superior to the common gray-feathered chicken. Even her father, Li Hu, praised it highly.
Therefore, Li Ying was in a very good mood when she saw the white-feathered chickens again, and readily said, "I'll take all of these chickens! How about the same price as before, 500 coins each?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Da and Chen Dao were secretly delighted and quickly agreed, "No problem."
"Okay, I'll go inside and get the silver for you."
Li Ying turned and went into the hall to get the silver. Chen Dao looked into the martial arts hall through the open door and saw that the hall was a huge open space where many martial arts disciples were practicing their boxing techniques in a serious manner, sweating profusely.
"Is this what martial arts is?"
Chen Daoyou noticed that the martial arts school disciples' punches were quite disciplined, and their movements conveyed a sense of great power.
Chen Dao couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. He also wanted to learn martial arts, but alas...
His family's circumstances simply didn't allow him to learn martial arts!
"What, you want to learn martial arts too?"
Upon returning, Li Ying noticed Chen Dao's gaze and couldn't help but ask.
"Of course I did."
Chen Dao bluntly stated that in this world, the status of martial artists is comparable to that of officials on Earth in his previous life, so how could he not want to learn martial arts?
Li Ying looked Chen Dao up and down and shook her head, saying, "You're too thin and weak; you can't practice martial arts."
Practicing martial arts is not a simple matter. It requires not only a strong body but also a lot of money to buy medicinal herbs to cultivate one's qi and blood. Chen Dao's body is so thin and weak, and he is a chicken seller, so he simply does not have enough money to practice martial arts.
A hint of sadness flashed across Chen Dao's face. Li Ying's words had undoubtedly shattered his dream of practicing martial arts.
"Your elders might be a possibility."
Li Ying then looked at Chen Da and commented, "He is physically strong enough and is a good prospect for martial arts training. It's a pity that he is too old. Even if he starts learning martial arts now, he will not achieve much."
After giving his evaluation, Li Ying handed two taels of silver to Chen Dao, then picked up the chicken coop and prepared to return to the martial arts school.
At this moment, Chen Dao asked, "Miss Li, do you still want this kind of chicken in the future?"
"want!"
Without hesitation, Li Ying replied, "I'll take as many as you can find!"
"Ok!"
Li Ying's figure disappeared into the martial arts school. Chen Dao took one last, reluctant look at the scene inside the school before leaving with Chen Da in a donkey cart.
The martial arts school was good, but ultimately it wasn't suitable for him.
"Little Rice".
Driving the donkey cart, Chen Da asked, "What are you planning to do next?"
Chen Dao thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Chen, could you please take me to the pharmacy?"
"Row."
A moment later, the donkey cart stopped in front of a pharmacy called Baicaotang. Chen Dao got off the cart and went straight into the pharmacy.
Inside the pharmacy, an elderly man with gray hair was taking a patient's pulse. Noticing Chen Dao enter, he said, "Please wait a moment, sir."