Lin San? Family servant selection competition? Lin Wanrong almost fainted. He couldn't even use his real name, and he had to be called Lin San? What kind of game was this family servant selection competition? Why did they need to select servants when hiring?
Uncle Wei saw through Lin Wanrong's thoughts and chuckled, "Names are just symbols. I believe you wouldn't want your prestigious name, Lin Wanrong, to appear on the list of servants in the Xiao family, right? Lin San is much more casual. As for the family servant selection competition, don't bother about what it is. Just remember my words: you're going to be a servant in the Xiao family. However, it seems like there will be many people competing for this position, so you better work hard and not let others take your job."
Only now did Lin Wanrong remember that once Uncle Wei left, he would have to fend for himself. According to him, being a family servant might actually be a good job provided by Uncle Wei. Unfortunately, even though Lin Wanrong didn't care about this shabby job, many people coveted it. Without effort, he might not even secure the position. That would be embarrassing.
However, selecting servants required a recruitment event, and Lin Wanrong couldn't help but wonder whose idea that was. It was quite unusual.
Lost in thought, Uncle Wei had already walked far away, and Lin Wanrong rushed out the door but couldn't see his shadow. That blind old man moved quite fast.
At this point, Lin Wanrong had to face reality. If he was still a man, he had to value his promises and honestly become a servant in the Xiao family for a year.
Regardless, it was only for a year. Enduring it for a year would be like honing oneself in a pigsty. As for that old man's talk about making a career, it was pure nonsense. If he went to the Xiao family patriarch and said, "Patriarch, I want to make a career," he would probably be chased away with a stick.
With this understanding, Lin Wanrong felt much more relaxed. As long as he passed the so-called family servant selection and idled away a year, he would be free.
The so-called family servant selection competition was equivalent to a "job fair." Thinking about job hunting again, Lin Wanrong smirked. He was ashamed; he had to start making money again.
This day, still bearing injuries, Lin Wanrong didn't think too much and rested at home.
Uncle Wei left behind a small thatched hut, with simple furnishings inside. Apart from two beds, there were only some classical books. Lin Wanrong casually flipped through them and found quite a few imperial collections. He wondered where Uncle Wei had stolen them from.
Lin Wanrong's mood had settled now. He was somewhat curious about this world he had come to, so he started reading these books. Although reading classical texts with traditional characters made him dizzy, Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth to avoid becoming illiterate in this era.
The struggle between Chu and Han at the end of the Qin Dynasty, which ended with King Xiang Yu's suicide at Wujian, was considered the historical endpoint in Lin Wanrong's time. However, in this world, Xiang Yu had won, killed Liu Bang with a sword, and established the powerful Great Chu, with Xiang Yu and Yu Ji as the founding emperor and empress.
History had diverged at this point. Lin Wanrong had indeed come to another space, one that existed as solidly as the space he had been in before. It was like a great river with different tributaries.
In the process of space transfer, triggered by time reversal, Lin Wanrong returned to the age of ten but retained the thoughts of his twenty-five-year-old self.
In summary, Lin Wanrong not only returned to the age of ten but also inexplicably arrived in this unfamiliar space—a completely new world.
Lin Wanrong had a faint feeling that the miraculous events happening to him, representing a crossing of different times and spaces, might be crucial evidence for deciphering this multidimensional world. Unfortunately, he couldn't go back anymore. Leave these groundless worries to more Einsteins to break their heads over.
After contemplating for a while, Lin Wanrong stopped thinking about it and continued studying history. He spent the day diligently reading, immersed in the sea of books. Even the wound on his shoulder didn't seem as painful.
Having slept well that night, Lin Wanrong woke up the next morning. The internal injuries from being struck by Xiao Qingxuan no longer throbbed faintly, and the purplish-blue color on his shoulder had faded. As Wei Lao had said, this little poison wouldn't kill a person.
Lin Wanrong didn't know what kind of healing ointment Wei Lao had used, but the wound on his shoulder had already scabbed over. It was much better than the surgical sutures he had seen in his era. If he ever saw Wei Lao again, he would definitely ask for more as a backup.
After freshening up and admiring his dashing appearance in the bronze mirror, Lin Wanrong was quite satisfied. Although the cloth shoes on his feet still had holes, he didn't care. Lin Wanrong disdained to converse with those who judged people by their appearance. Besides, his appearance was definitely not bad; he just looked a bit shabby.
Leaving the house, he strolled through the streets for a while. Honestly, Lin Wanrong wasn't very familiar with Jinling City. The only places he had been to a few times were not far from his residence, like Xuanwu Lake. He had never seen which direction the gate of the Xiao family opened.
He ate two fried dough sticks and drank a large bowl of soy milk on the street. Patting his bulging stomach, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but laugh. In this world, there were no such things as gutter oil and moldy soybeans. All the food was genuine and durable. Tossing three copper coins on the counter, he shouted not to bother with the change and continued walking with his worn-out cloth shoes.
After a few steps, he realized he didn't know where the Xiao family was and stopped a nearby old man, saying, "Uncle, excuse me—"
The old man interrupted Lin Wanrong directly, handing him something and saying, "You're here for the Xiao family servant selection exam, right? Here's a map. Five copper coins for one. What? You only want one copper coin? Young man, you're too stingy. That's not enough to cover the cost. At least three copper coins. Okay, okay, small profit, quick sale. Two copper coins for two."
Lin Wanrong took out two copper coins and received two thin route maps. Then he asked, "Uncle, does the Xiao family really need such a large-scale servant selection? And it seems very popular. Is this job really that good?"
Seeing the two copper coins, the old man opened up, "Young man, you just arrived from out of town, right? Sigh, you know, it's hard to find a job these days. The Xiao family is a famous wealthy family in Jinling City. Although their prosperity has declined in recent years, a camel is still larger than a horse. The treatment for their servants is excellent. Even the lowest-ranking servant gets a monthly salary
of one or two five qian silver coins, not to mention middle-ranking and high-ranking servants. Moreover, there are red envelopes and bonuses during festivals. The benefits are very generous. That's why so many people sign up. Let me tell you, from this morning until now, I've received more than a hundred people, all young men like you, and there are quite a few talented scholars. They're all going to register, just like you."