It has been a while since we left Wuligang. The narrow forest path has gradually widened. At this time, there are more than two groups of people, horse carriages, ox carts, and farmers carrying loads are driving forward together.
The dense footprints on the ground and the feces of animals made Li Huowang understand that Jianye Town should be approaching.
"Zhao Wu. Are actors like Lu Banzhu of low status?" Li Huowang asked Zhao Wu who was concentrating on learning to write.
Zhao Wu, who was copying with a branch, raised his head and glanced at Li Huowang unexpectedly, and then looked at the Zhao family in front of him.
"Well, although they can be applauded by the audience when they sing, they are like women in the brothels. Being liked is one thing, and status is another. Actors are the lowest among the nine classes."
"Really? Which nine classes?" Li asked in surprise. If it weren't for the previous scene, he really didn't feel it.
"First-rate emperors, second-rate officers and soldiers, third-rate gentry and merchants, fourth-rate sects and gangs, fifth-rate craftsmen, sixth-rate doctors and farmers, seventh-rate witches and beggars, eighth-rate thieves and robbers, and ninth-rate whores."
"And it's not just status that's looked down upon, there's also different treatment, for example, third-rate people can't marry with good families, there are restrictions on clothing and rides, they can't ride horses or sedan chairs, and they can't wear brocade, satin, or silk. Even when they report to the authorities, they have to be three points weaker."
Li Huowang was very surprised to hear Zhao Wu blurt out the words skillfully as if he was reciting a tongue twister. "I didn't expect you to know so much."
"Brother Li is polite. After all, my family is in the town, so I know these things, and most people should know these things. Brother Li, where were you from in the past? Why don't you even know this?"
Zhao Wu had long noticed the difference in this Brother Li, but only found the opportunity to ask today.
"Haha, a very far, very far place." Li Huowang was too lazy to explain his origins. It would be a waste of effort, and these people might not understand it.
Seeing that Li Huowang did not answer, Zhao Wu did not ask and continued.
"It's not bad here. No matter what class you are in, the emperor still allows you to take the imperial examination. Although you may not succeed, it is at least a wish. I heard that people from other places are not allowed to take the imperial examination. Their ancestors have never been able to turn over. Actors can only be actors for their whole lives."
"So that's the case." Li Huowang had a new understanding of this world.
"What about Taoist priests like me? What is my status here?" Li Huowang asked again.
"Taoists are one of the three religions and not in the nine classes. Most people respect Taoist priests when they meet them. Even if they are disrespectful, they will stay away from them. After all, who can tell clearly about the things of gods and ghosts."
Zhao Wu's words made Li Huowang, who was planning to take off the Taoist robe on his body, give up the idea.
Since we are going to travel all over the country, it will be much more convenient to wear this Taoist robe than a cloth.
"By the way, Zhao Wu, what about people like Dan Yangzi? They should have a very high status, right?" Li Huowang immediately asked the key question.
"Brother Li, to be honest, I don't know. Before I was captured by him, I really didn't know that there were really people in the world who could be so powerful. I thought those were all made up by storytellers."
"Is that the case..." Li Huowang thought thoughtfully. It seems that these places are very closed to information. Logically, there should be many people like Dan Yangzi, but locals like Zhao Wu don't know about it.
However, he guessed that people like Dan Yangzi should be restrained by someone, otherwise he would not have to run to the deep mountains and old forests to secretly cultivate immortals.
"Little Taoist! Little Taoist! Look at the city gate, we are here!" Hearing the shout of Lu Zhuangyuan, Li Huowang raised his head and looked forward.
At the end of this road that they had walked for so many days, there appeared a row of low walls covered with moss, and inside the walls was their destination. Jianye Town.
The Lu family entered smoothly, but Li Huowang and others were not so lucky, because their appearance was too special. Before they entered for a while, the town's head constable brought people to cause trouble.
"Clang!" The head constable raised his knife with both hands and asked Li Huowang with a very taboo expression: "Stop, stop, what's going on! What are you doing!"
"Captain Yan, it's me, these are people I know, they have no bad intentions, and they specially sent me home." Zhao Wu on the donkey cart greeted him.
When he saw Zhao Wu's face, the head constable's hostility suddenly decreased and he put away his knife.
"Oh, it's Zhao Wu, where have you been during this period? Let these people like you behave themselves, buy some cloth hats to cover them, don't scare the neighbors."
"Thank you, Captain Yan, how is my family doing recently?"
"Yes, of course. By the way, your second sister is married. It's a good family. Go back and see her."
In order to avoid trouble again, Li Huowang, led by Zhao Wu, came to a hat stall and bought several hats with black cloth.
After putting on the medicine, although it was still very conspicuous, at least it wouldn't scare people.
After booking the next departure time with Lu Zhuangyuan, Li Huowang said to Zhao Wu: "Where is your home? Let's go to your home first."
Looking at everything familiar around him, Zhao Wu became a little excited. He didn't wear a hat because everyone in the city knew him.
Zhao Wu, who was weak in all fours, used his hands to support the donkey cart and jumped down.
Gou Wa, who was standing by, was about to reach out to help, but was stopped by Li Huowang. He drew out the long sword behind him and handed it to Zhao Wu.
Then he reached out and took out a piece of will from his bosom and began to sort it out.
Zhao Wu stumbled towards his home with his long sword in both hands.
Jianye Town looked lively, with people coming and going on the street, but it was not big, and Zhao Wu soon found his home.
It was a small rice shop. Looking at the busy family members inside, Zhao Wu's eyes were filled with tears. "Dad! I'm back!"
Zhao Wu shouted tremblingly, making everyone in the rice shop look up.
"Fifth brother!" A strong young man with a naked upper body who was carrying rice threw the rice bag on his shoulder to the ground, rushed out excitedly, and hugged him tightly.
Then a little girl with a cow horn braid on her head rushed out and excitedly circled around Zhao Wu.
Just when Zhao Wu was so excited that he forgot himself, Li Huowang, who was watching coldly from the side, found something wrong.
Except for the two people who rushed out of the house, the expressions of the other people in the house were very calm, which was not like the ordinary family members.
"Brother Li, what's wrong?" Bai Lingmiao, who was keenly aware of the wrong atmosphere, gently pulled the hem of Li Huowang's clothes.
Li Huowang patted the back of her hand with his hand and said nothing.