Dongjia Alley!
After bidding farewell to the beggar youth, Dan Xiaonan led Lin Bai onward.
They passed through several dim, lightless streets. The thresholds of the houses on either side stood bleak and forlorn, some tilted and some collapsed, while weeds sprouted from the cracks in the ground. The whole place looked utterly wretched.
"We're here. This is the place!"
Dan Xiaonan stood before a small courtyard and said with a smile.
Lin Bai looked up. More than half of the courtyard wall had already collapsed, and weeds grew thickly inside, with cobwebs covering everything. It looked exactly like a place that had gone uninhabited for years.
Yet a metal plaque was still affixed above the main gate. It read: "No. 28, Dongjia Alley."
"You two can stay here for the time being!"
"Don't let this street's wretched appearance fool you. It's actually a pretty good place!"
"The eastern end of this street is close to the Warm Fragrance Pavilion and the gambling dens, while the western end is lined with all kinds of restaurants and taverns!"
"If you want to seek pleasure, go east. You'll definitely find something fun!"
"If you want to drink, go west. You'll find plenty of fine wine there too!"
Dan Xiaonan said with a light laugh.
Hearing Dan Xiaonan's words, Lin Bai's expression turned somewhat odd. He asked with a smile, "The eastern end of this street is a place for pleasure, and the western end is a paradise of delicacies. Then why is this place so run-down? Logically speaking, shouldn't the area between the two be even livelier?"
Dan Xiaonan gave Lin Bai a mysterious smile. "Stay here for a while, and you'll understand!"
"All right, go inside and tidy the place up. You can settle in for now!"
"I'm going back to