I turned the cold palace into a paradise

Chapter 228 Zhang Xi Visits the City 1

"Do you want to go with them or go on your own?"

"I...I'll go shopping by myself."

Zhang Xi touched the few coins in his dry purse, left the team, and began to walk aimlessly.

Seeing that the people in the city had no hostility towards them, he now had the mood to look around the city that they had not captured.

Before this, he had only been to one provincial capital, which was Xuanfu where he lived.

Even so, he immediately realized that this place was different from the capital of Xuanfu.

The streets here are clean and tidy, and there are no beggars on the roadside. The passers-by and the merchants on both sides of the road seem to have something more than other places.

It seems to be... popularity.

Or perhaps it was the breath of a living person.

There was no numbness on everyone's face, but a feeling of prosperity, happiness and joy.

Just as he was thinking, suddenly a car tilted in front of him and the peaches on the car scattered everywhere.

Some rolled to Zhang Xi's feet.

People on the street and street vendors immediately rushed over, scrambling to get the goods.

Zhang Xi looked at the panicked old man and thought, I'm afraid these peaches will be snatched away, and the old man will suffer a heavy loss today.

Zhang Xi thought of his parents and felt sorry for them, so he squatted down and started picking up the peaches, and then put them back into the bamboo basket that the old man had held up.

However, he found that those who were scrambling to pick peaches were just like him. No one took the peaches away. Instead, they all put the picked peaches back into the old man's basket.

Zhang Xi was a little stunned. Why would these people return it?

A passerby who was placing peaches nearby glanced at Zhang Xi and said in an unhappy tone: "Why? Do you think we will steal these peaches?"

Zhang Xi didn't say anything, but his affirmative look expressed his meaning.

"Hahahahahahahahaha, do you think we people from Chengnan Prefecture are the same as other people outside? We are well-educated and civilized people!" The man said with pride in his tone.

Another passerby said: "If it was in the past, it would definitely be what you think, but not now."

"Why? Isn't it always like this?"

“Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha…” The passers-by seemed to have heard something very funny and burst into laughter without explaining.

The old man pushing the cart saw his doubts and walked forward with a smile.

"Thank you, young man. Are you the soldier who attacked our city two days ago?" The old man asked, looking at his military uniform.

Zhang Xishuang's face flushed, and he said uncomfortably: "Yes... I... I..."

"I understand. You are just following orders. Otherwise, who would be willing to fight? We are all children with parents. Who would be willing to die?" The old man sighed.

"Sorry..." Zhang Xi felt a little ashamed. If the siege was successful, this old man and the passers-by around him might all die at the hands of their swords.

"Okay, why apologize? I don't blame you. If I want to blame someone, I should blame those shitty officials and the shitty emperor, and blame this world."

"Dog... Don't..." Zhang Xi's eyes widened and he swallowed the words in his mouth. How could they say that to him? Aren't they afraid of death? Aren't they afraid of being implicated along with their entire clan? Oh my God!!!

“Hahahaha, what’s there to be afraid of! If Prince Rong hadn’t arrived in time, we would all be dead. And we only have one master, Master Yue! We don’t recognize the one above! Our lives were given by Master Yue, and the life we ​​have now is also given by Master Yue…”

Seeing Zhang Xi frowning and looking confused, he continued.

"Were you trying to ask why people here are different from the outside world? Because when the granaries are full, people know etiquette, and when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace. Now that everyone can eat enough, who would do such unscrupulous things? During the drought, not to mention robbing things, some people even robbed and ate people. Isn't it because they were forced into a situation where they had no other options..."

"When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace..." Zhang Xi murmured. He had never been to school, but he understood some of the meaning. But...isn't it the same now as before? At least in his family, the people around him are like this...

Thanks to the help of passers-by, all the scattered peaches were picked up. The old man took out some peaches to share with everyone to express his gratitude. Passers-by waved and dispersed, and the old man smiled and pushed the cart to leave.

"Uncle, let me help you push it." Zhang Xi came to his senses and stepped forward to help.

"Okay, thank you for your help. I'll treat you to some milk tea from Mixue Ice Shop later!"

"Milk tea? What is that?"

"Hahahaha, you'll know after you drink it." The old man stroked his beard, looking mysterious.

Zhang Xi didn't ask any more questions and helped the old man push the peaches to the door of a shop.

Zhang Xi didn’t recognize the words above, but he could feel the coolness of the store even when standing at the door.

"Xiao Zhang, come in and cool down for a while." Old Mr. Jiang waved to Zhang Xi.

"Uncle Jiang, please don't give it...it will delay their business." Zhang Xi thought of the few cents in his pocket and felt embarrassed to refuse.

The clerk at the side pulled him in with a smile: "It must be hard for you to deliver peaches in such a hot day. Come in and cool down for a while. It won't delay us!"

Mr. Jiang pulled Zhang Xi to sit on a seat nearby, and then he stood up and went to the counter.

Zhang Xiru looked at the ice cubes placed around him with a look of uneasiness. He couldn't help but smack his lips. No wonder it was so cool. How much did it cost? If it were any other time, he would definitely not come in because he was not worthy of it...

"Is it cooler now? Come, have a cup of peach-flavored iced milk tea. It's made with the peaches we sent you." Uncle Jiang sat opposite Zhang Xi with two cups in his hand and a smile on his face.

Zhang Xi was still being polite, but the old man had already handed the milk tea to his mouth: "Drink it quickly. Don't be polite to me, otherwise I would probably still be pushing the cart on the road now."

Zhang Xi didn't refuse and took the cup.

The cup is made of a bamboo tube with a reed stuck in it. I don't know what it is used for.

Seeing the old man holding the reed and starting to smoke, he also learned to take a sip.

The rich flavor of milk and peach, plus the addition of ice, it feels so refreshing when you take a sip.

"Delicious! Really delicious! The best thing I've ever tasted!" Zhang Xi's eyes lit up and he praised.

"Hahahahahaha! Right! This is a specialty of our Chengnan Prefecture! I heard that there is another store in the capital!"

Zhang Xi nodded: "Thank you, Uncle Jiang, but why are you delivering the goods by yourself in such a hot day?"

Uncle Jiang sighed: "My son and daughter-in-law died in an accident during the drought, leaving behind an old man like me and a six-year-old granddaughter..."

"Sorry……"

"It's okay. Everyone will die one day! Anyway, it won't be many years before I meet my son and daughter-in-law."

"What about your granddaughter, old man?"

"My granddaughter has gone to school! Oh, to study! She has gone to school!" Uncle Jiang said proudly.

"Go to school? Girls can also go to school?" Zhang Xi, an illiterate man, knew that schools did not accept girls.

"Of course. In our Chengnan Prefecture, not only can women go to school, they can also be officials and do business... Anyway, women can do anything! Do you see this store? The owner is a woman."

"But...but this is against the rules..."

"Bullshit rules, our Master Yue said that the rules are set by the authorities for us common people. We are all born as human beings, and there is nothing that men can do and women can't do."

Zhang Xi slowly digested these words in his mind. When he thought that the prefect of this city was a woman, he suddenly felt it was normal.

"Won't it cost a lot of money for your granddaughter to go to school?"

"I tell you, it doesn't cost any money! Not only does it not cost any money! If the child studies well, there will be rewards!"

"This...how is this possible!" Zhang Xi stood up suddenly.

"Sit down, sit down! What's the hurry?"

"I'm sorry, I also wanted to go to school when I was a child... but it was too expensive and my family couldn't afford it..." Zhang Xi said enviously.

"I understand, I understand. In the past, only rich people could go to school. Even for ordinary people like us, it took the whole family's efforts to barely support one child. This was something we couldn't even think about. But now, not only can children go to school, but we can also learn to read!"

"Really?"

"How can I deceive you? If you walk around the city in the evening and see a bunch of people gathered together, they are the people arranged by the government to teach us how to read!"

Zhang Xi was a little excited and a little unbelievable.

It's obviously such a difficult thing, why do people here get it so easily?