The sun had already risen, and the mist was completely cleared away. The leisurely atmosphere of a Jiangnan water town from a past life greeted him as he walked on the cobblestone streets, lifting Li Ji's spirits significantly.
Compared to his past life, this place lacked concrete and steel, the constant rush of vehicles, and the hurried, mechanical steps of the crowd.
Life should be like this, right...
A few young women emerged from a small alley ahead, each carrying wooden buckets and basins filled with clothes. The townspeople were accustomed to washing their clothes by the Cixi River, using a unique soapwort combined with the pure creek water, which left the washed clothes with a hint of refreshing sweetness.
Li Ji certainly wouldn't do that; he neither had the time nor the mood to mess around with a group of women. The blood-stained clothes he had removed had already been washed with well water last night. For someone who had lived alone for over a decade in his past life, this was not an issue at all, although in this world, it was a bit strange for a grown man to wash his own clothes.
The chattering women walked cheerfully past him, but Li Ji paid no attention. He was a very indifferent person; he had been so in his past life, and even more so in this one. Yet, a young voice called out to him,
"Big Brother Li, Big Brother Li…"
The owner of the voice was a young girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a rosy face. Her hands, carrying the basin, showed signs of roughness from long-term labor. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but her plain appearance exuded a healthy and youthful aura. There's a saying that there are no ugly women at that age; this was Xiao Fang, the daughter of the town's tailor, known for her skillfulness and regarded as one of the best girls in Cixi Town.
"It's Xiao Fang! What's the matter?" Li Ji asked knowingly.
"Big Brother Li, I saw that your clothes were stained with blood when you came back yesterday… Let me wash them for you!"
Cixi women were as gentle as water, but their personalities were not sluggish; they were daring and straightforward, not one to beat around the bush. The surrounding women couldn't help but giggle.
"I appreciate your concern, but I've already washed the clothes last night, so no need to trouble yourself. Next time, when I gather a whole basin of clothes, I'll come to you. How does that sound?"
"Always like this…"
Disappointment was evident on Xiao Fang's face. After hesitating, she ultimately said no more and left with her companions, the sounds of their laughter and banter lingering in the distance, seemingly related to him...
Li Ji shook his head and continued on his way. How could he not guess the girl's feelings after two lifetimes? However, given his current situation, how could he think about such matters? The future was unclear, and the direction was uncertain. Precisely because she was a good girl, he didn't want to become entangled with her, and this had nothing to do with her appearance.
Keeping his distance and not giving her false hopes was the way to avoid hurting her; after all, his heart was not here…
He sighed. The girls in this world were not like those described in the online novels of his previous life, where every corner had stunning beauties with flawless skin and exquisite features. It wasn't that he was picky; the women of Cixi were ordinary, plain-looking, and just regular folk. Laborers had to work every day, and it wasn't realistic to expect them to have fair skin.
This was a real world, and no matter what, Li Ji still felt quite happy. To be liked and remembered by someone was always a joyful thing.
After passing through the western street of the town, he turned south into a narrow alley where several good breakfast shops were concentrated, with Baozi Zhang being the most famous. The down-to-earth people in the countryside made their buns large enough to fill a grown man's fist, with thin skin and abundant filling, using the uniquely chopped camel beef of the region, supplemented with a little green onion and tiger peppers. The meat was a huge chunk, and one bite was a mouthful of deliciousness. Li Ji had eaten all over Cixi, but this breakfast was indispensable.
The alley was bustling with people.
"Three郎 has come!"
"Sit over here, Youjiao!"
There were constant calls of welcome. Having been here for nearly a year, Li Ji couldn't recognize everyone in town, but everyone certainly recognized the famous Li Sanlang. He nodded in acknowledgment, and soon enough, ten big beef buns and two large bowls of red bean porridge were served to him. Being in his prime and working out daily, he was already famished, and he began to eat quickly, like a whirlwind.
When Li Ji ate here, he didn't have to pay. It wasn't that he was bullying the shop, but rather, Baozi Zhang was more than happy for Sanlang to come and eat every day. How much could one person eat, no matter how voracious? The key was that since he began coming here for breakfast, no local ruffians dared to bully the shop anymore, which made all the other breakfast shops in town envious of Baozi Zhang.
As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Li Ji was not one to show off; as a rural civil servant, if he behaved too conspicuously and too cleanly, how could he expect others to do the same?
After finishing his meal, he walked out of the alley amidst the calls of the other diners. Reporting for duty at the town hall every day was one of his important tasks.
Li Ji held disdain for the duty system in this world. There were only three official civil servants in Cixi Town; a few more temporary workers were added during busy times. There were the local officials like Qiangfu Xujihai and the older official Xiao Zhiming, plus himself. Everyone would be better off taking it easy; if there was work, they could come; if there wasn't, they could leave. But that rigid Xujihai didn't know how to be flexible, treating it like the county magistrate. He was also someone who was so eager for advancement that it seemed insane.
The town hall was located in the center of Cixi Town, a small courtyard that wasn't much larger than the one Li Ji lived in; it was merely more conspicuous due to its location. When Li Ji entered, the other two were already there. Generally, he was always the last one to arrive. He had little work to do and didn't seek power. With a bit of strength, no one pointed fingers at him.
After exchanging a few words with Qiangfu Xujihai and chatting idly with a couple of clerks, he learned that there wasn't anything urgent today, so he prepared to patrol the town as usual. That's how grassroots officials generally were: busy when there was work, and leisurely when there wasn't, spending their time as they pleased, with no one to oversee them. Just as he was about to leave, he encountered the older official Xiao Zhiming. The two feigned not to see each other and ignored one another.
This Xiao Zhiming was the only local in the town's three civil service positions, having been promoted from among the village elders. Li Ji hailed from Shuangcheng, and Xujihai came from further away, being a product of the imperial examination. Since Zhiming was local, his connections were unmatched. His nature was stingy and shrewd; while he wasn't wicked, he had a fair amount of petty scheming and exploitation.
When Li Ji first arrived, he didn't understand the intricacies of the relationships and offended this guy quite a bit by being just.