Chapter 373 Arrival at Changsha City
Changsha is also known as Xiangcheng. Changsha City was built along the Xiangjiang River.
Many docks of various sizes have been built along the Xiangjiang River from north to south, such as the Mu Wharf, the Fen Wharf, and the Liuyang Wharf, and the Changsha Wharf is one of them.
The Xiangjiang River divides Changsha Prefecture into two parts, Hedong and Hexi.
Hedong was the political, economic, cultural, commercial and information center of Changsha Prefecture.
Hexi is the original ecological demonstration center of Changsha Prefecture, commonly known as the countryside area.
Yuelu Academy is located at the foot of Yuelu Mountain, in Hexi, and is across the Xiangjiang River from Changsha City.
Speaking of Changsha, the first thing that comes to mind is Changsha stinky tofu, a snack that is popular all over the country.
Sun Shan and his four companions got off the boat with dishevelled hair and dirty faces, carrying their few luggages and following Captain Zhan.
Once you arrive at the Changsha branch of Guangsheng Escort Agency, sign and seal the handover, you can leave.
Escort leader Zhan also completed the escort mission.
Sun Shan and his four companions were unfamiliar with the place and it was their first time in Changsha Prefecture. They felt dark before their eyes and did not understand anything.
Since ancient times, there has been a saying that goes “help Buddha to the west, help others to the end”, and there is also the saying “ask for help from others to the end” and “don’t bother two people with the same matter”.
In Changsha Prefecture, the only person he was familiar with was Zhan, the head of Guangsheng Escort Agency.
Sun Shan shamelessly asked Zhan Baotou: "Master Zhan, please tell us about the situation in Changsha Prefecture. I want to study at Yuelu Academy this time, but I don't know how to get there."
Zhan Biaotou is from Guangzhou, so it would be right to find him. Fellow villagers naturally have a lot of topics to talk about.
Zhan Biaotou knew that the scholar in front of him named Sun Shan was a scholar, and he also knew that he was going to Changsha Prefecture to study.
But I didn't know that he actually went to study at Yuelu Academy.
His eyes were wide open, a little bit unbelieving.
I couldn't believe that the famous Yuelu Academy would accept this scholar.
Sun Shan was dressed in ordinary clothes, only slightly better than the average poor person. He looked frail and not handsome.
As for his knowledge, I have no idea. Apart from calculating accounts, I really can't see any other knowledge from him.
Besides, don’t scholars like to recite poems and compose couplets?
Why does Mr. Sun in front of me like to keep accounts?
Adhere to the principle of relying on the mountain for food, relying on the water for food, relying on parents at home, relying on friends when going out, and making friends widely.
Zhan Biaotou explained to Sun Shan in detail the situation in Changsha Prefecture and what he knew about Yuelu Academy.
Zhan Biaotou is quite familiar with Changsha City, but he is not familiar with Yuelu Academy. He only knows that it is a famous school, but he doesn't know much about other things.
After all, he had no chance to enter the academy because his identity did not allow it.
Sun Shan found out what he wanted to know, and asked Zhan Biaotou when the escort team would return to Zhangzhou Prefecture.
Escort Captain Zhan explained everything to Sun Shan and said with a smile, "Sun Xiucai, if you want to go back to Zhangzhou Prefecture, you can just come to the escort agency to make a reservation. The way back to the city is the same as the way there, and the cost is generally the same."
Sun Shan quickly expressed his gratitude and chatted with Zhan Biaotou for a while.
For example, when asked where Zhan Biaotou was from in Guangzhou Prefecture, Sun Shan said that his cousin was from Hejia Village in Guangzhou Prefecture.
As he was talking, Sun Shan directly mentioned that his cousin had just graduated from high school and had achieved a fairly ideal ranking in the entrance examination.
Zhan Biaotou was secretly amazed. He never thought that this plain-looking boy in front of him actually had such a powerful cousin.
I don’t know He’s cousin Zhan Biaotou, but I have heard of him. In this year’s imperial examination, he performed the best in Guangnan Province and has long been a household name.
Especially for people like Zhan Biaotou who travel around the world, they need to know about current affairs.
Sun Shan has been very low-key throughout the journey. He would not speak if he could, and he wanted to be a completely invisible person.
Because there are all kinds of people on the journey, and you don’t know their background or their identities, and you can only know their faces but not their hearts, so it’s best not to say anything.
He observed quietly and did not talk to the escort leader or the passengers.
The reason why he revealed his identity this time was that Zhan Biaotou had a stable job and was considered a safe person.
Secondly, Sun Bomin and his two companions were about to return, and they wanted to take advantage of the He family's power and ask the escort agency to keep an eye on them.
Sun Shan was really worried that Sun Bomin and his two country boys would encounter Yanmen scams, honey traps, etc. on their way back.
If the escort agency knew that they also had a backer, they would at least give them a few pointers.
During this trip, Sun Shan saw some tourists being fished by "the swindler", resulting in heavy losses for the merchants. The only thing to be thankful for was that the swindler still abided by the rules of the underworld and stopped at the right time instead of killing them all.
The escort agency has connections with both the underworld, the white world, and the gray world. Sun Shan would feel more at ease if they could give him some advice.
Escort Leader Zhan also clearly understood what Sun Shan meant, and said with a smile: "Mr. Sun, as long as you come to our escort agency to entrust your escort, we will definitely take good care of it, don't worry about that."
What I mean is that if I follow them, I will definitely help take care of something.
Sun Shan cupped his hands and thanked him solemnly, "Thank you for your help, Chief Zhan."
Zhan Biaotou helped Sun Shan find a car to go into the city.
The pier is still some time away from Xiangcheng.
Zhan Biaotou also kindly recommended an inn to Sun Shan.
Sun Shan was even more grateful.
After bidding farewell to Chief Zhan, Sun Shan and his four companions boarded a mule cart and, led by the driver, slowly walked into Xiangcheng.
Sun Boming peeked outside with a timid look on his face.
In fact, not only Sun Bomin was afraid, but Sun Dali, Sun Dingnan, and Gui Ge'er were also afraid.
Sun Shan and Chief Zhan were the ones chatting the whole time. The other four were like invisible men, standing quietly behind Sun Shan with their eyes wide open, listening.
No one said a word the whole time.
After arriving at the inn recommended by Zhan Biaotou, Sun Shan thanked the driver, paid the fare, and gave him a dozen copper coins as a tip.
The reward was not much, but the driver was happy. After thanking Sun Shan, he drove the mule cart away happily.
Sun Bomin still paid the extra money to get a larger guest room, and the five of them would rather squeeze together than separate.
No one had any objection to this. Who knows what would happen if they lived separately.
It’s not that I can’t afford the money, but I’m afraid of danger.
After arriving at the guest room, Sun Boming and his three companions could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The four of them sat on the ground, looking completely utterly disfigured.
In fact, Sun Shan was no less impressive. He sat on the stool and took a sip of tea before he felt alive again.
This journey is so difficult, it is unimaginable.
Perhaps the Sun family was poor, so the journey seemed particularly hard.
Other wealthy families use money to pave the way, which is much easier than them.
Sun Bomin looked at Sun Shan steadily. Gui Ge'er, Sun Dali, and Sun Dingnan also looked at Sun Shan steadily, with strange lights flashing in their eyes.
Sun Shan asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Why are you looking at him so passionately?
Could it be that handsome guys are looked at enthusiastically wherever they go?
Sun Shan touched his face. He couldn’t tell whether he looked handsome or not, but his face was covered in oil and sweat and he felt very uncomfortable.
Sun Dingnan said admiringly, "Shanzi, you are amazing. Just now you were talking to Zhan Biaotou, the coachman, and the shopkeeper. You were so calm and composed, and you were very good at talking. It seems like you often travel far away. If it were me... I would definitely not be able to talk as well as you."
In Sunjia Village, Sun Dingnan thought that Sun Shan was only good at studying, and was the same as the other villagers in Sunjia Village in other aspects.
During this trip, Sun Dingnan's impression of Sun Shan took a 180-degree turn.
Sun Shan from their Sunjia Village is not only good at studying, but also good at dealing with people. He has broad knowledge and is organized in his work.