Returning

Returning to Li Prefecture.

Li Qi swaggered around like a fugitive, not at all like a wanted criminal.

Because nobody really cares.

Half a month has passed since the incident, and only a few members of the lower-level gangs have died. This kind of thing doesn't happen every day, but it's not uncommon either.

Moreover, when Li Qi came to see it, there were probably seventy or eighty wanted posters similar to his own.

This is how it is at the bottom: everyone has nothing but a worthless life. When it comes to risking everything, the rich fight with their family fortune and what they already own.

But the rotten people at the bottom of society have nothing but their own lives, so they can only gamble away their only remaining, worthless life, hoping to win back their losses.

The ridiculous thing is that, although the wanted posters were displayed all over the place, Li Qi was certain that none of these people had been formally charged in the Li Prefecture prefectural Yamen.

Once a case is filed, it must be completed and investigated thoroughly.

But if no case is filed, then there's no need to care at all.

Most importantly, whether or not a case is filed depends on the mood of the Yamen.

If you encounter a responsible constable, that's fine, but if they can slack off, how long can even a responsible constable last?

The person in charge of the case bears more responsibility, but gains nothing and is subject to more criticism and demands. In the long run, who can withstand this?

Fortunately, the constables had absolute power to suppress the scoundrels. They could beat them up, but they all knew one thing: no matter how many people died, they had to stop.

If things get out of control, can those guys practicing trashy Cultivation Method defeat the constables?

In that case, they will all really die.

The place where Wave-Pushing Gang was dirty, smelly, and cramped; it was not a good place, and usually, apart from the lower classes themselves, hardly anyone wanted to go there.

Li Prefecture may seem like a place where millions of people are crowded together, but in reality, it is clearly divided into distinct groups, with invisible high walls erected layer by layer to separate different people.

Li Qi walked among them, observing the city with the eyes of an outsider.

"It's absolutely rotten." Li Qi shook his head.

Unlike those small county towns, Li Prefecture exudes a rotten atmosphere as soon as you enter.

Li Qi is currently around the market.

Two corpses lay at his feet.

They were likely beggars who died of cold and hunger. They were a mother and child; the mother was barely clothed, and the child had only a tattered cloth wrapped around his body. They were probably thrown out to die.

Right next to the corpse, two fast horses brushed past each other.

Two young men in brocade robes rode swiftly, laughing heartily. They nearly collided with Li Qi, but they didn't care at all. They galloped ahead, enjoying the thrill of the race.

Although he had lived in Li Prefecture for more than two or three years, this scene still made Li Qi sigh.

I used to pull boats every day, leaving early and returning late, and I was exhausted, so I didn't know that there were so many rich people with horses in Li Prefecture.

Indeed, people see different things depending on where they stand.

I suspect that my belief that there is no animal husbandry industry in the world is just my own assumption.

It's just that these lowly scoundrels aren't qualified to see it, not that they don't have it.

This place is completely different from the slum where Li Qi used to live.

I'd never been here before, and only today did I realize how big the difference is. You know, normally when you come here, you get the cold shoulder, and some of the patrolmen will even chase you away.

Now that I'm wearing these not-so-shabby clothes, I can walk here naturally without being pointed at and gossiped about.

This trip to the street wasn't for anything else, just to buy some small gifts.

It's just that I hadn't seen many of these scenes before.

Li Qi bought a lot of things, filling his basket to the brim. Some were for his brothers, and some were for Shen Shuibi and Old Ma, but he only spent less than a thousand coins, which was not even worth as much as this outfit.

However, these were all practical items, such as sewing kits, durable coarse cloth, and some wooden toys. Most importantly, he bought some medicine, some for sprains and bruises, and some for anti-inflammatory and pain relief, all of which were medicines that the boatmen often needed.

Aside from that, he didn't buy any more food. There was no need. He could buy more food later, but it would be better to buy more practical items. Gifts should be practical.

Having bought these things, Li Qi carried his basket on his back and stepped into the alleyways he used to frequent.

When I walked all the way to my old home, there were hardly any people there; most of them had gone to pull the boat.

People at the bottom of society work hard day and night, but they rarely get a Chen. Those who stay at home during the day are mostly injured or sick. Sometimes, even if they are sick, they have to go out, otherwise there will be no rice to cook at home.

But isn't that why gangs exist?

With a gang, if something happens, your brothers can help you out, instead of having to shoulder everything alone.

This is where the gang's unity and cohesion come from.

Therefore, if someone gets sick, the other brothers share the burden, and they can get through it and recover properly.

When Li Qi arrived, some boatmen who were sick or injured were at home taking care of the salted pork made from the pigs slaughtered in the spring and the dried fish they usually caught.

It looks like a lot, but this is enough food for 708 people for a year. They will also sell it for money when something happens, so they usually don't have the chance to eat it. Their diet rarely includes meat.

Yes, although there were only two or three hundred boatmen, they also had families, children, and wives. Although they couldn't do much work, they still needed to eat, so naturally they couldn't be too well-off.

These boatmen, along with some of their families, clearly saw Li Qi return.

"Brother Li!?" They were astonished, but also overjoyed, and hurried over.

About five or six boatmen, along with some family members, a dozen or so people, rushed over. "Brother Li, why are you back? Uncle Liu said you wouldn't be able to come back until the end of the year!"

"Brother Li is back!"

"Brother Li, he's still wearing new clothes!"

"Where did you go this time, Brother Li? Uncle Liu said you went far away. I've never been outside the city before. What does it look like outside the city?"

Surrounded by a cacophony of voices, Li Qi felt a strange sense of comfort. He clapped his hands and said, "Don't panic, don't panic, let's go back first. Don't block the way here. Go back, someone go and tell Uncle Liu that we're going back and we can talk about it slowly!"

Li Qi still held considerable prestige among the boat trackers, so when he clapped his hands, they suppressed their inner turmoil, lowered their voices, and hurriedly escorted Li Qi back.

After returning home, Li Qi began distributing the items he had purchased to each household.

The children were happy, and the wives of the boat trackers were even happier. The boat trackers were a little embarrassed, but they accepted the gifts nonetheless.

Because Li Qi said he was rich.

So they believed it.

A little while later, Uncle Liu also rushed back.

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