Turning Over to Be a Human

The next day, the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

In the early morning, the snow had stopped.

Xie An got up early and asked Han Li and He Chunli to help clean the pawnshop in preparation for business the next day.

After seven days of recuperation, He Chunli could already walk with crutches. Although he couldn't do heavy work, he could still assist Han Li.

Seeing his two disciples working diligently, Xie An found an excuse to go out. He first went to the Chen Martial Arts School to borrow a horse from Chen He and headed straight for the county town.

Although Li Ru had returned the original deed of sale and written a letter of release for his servants, this did not mean Xie An was free.

According to the process for purchasing freedom in the Great Qian Dynasty, a servant first had to apply to their master for manumission and obtain a letter of release from the master.

Then, they had to pay the redemption fee and take the letter of release to the household registration office at the county yamen for review.

Once the review was passed, the household registration office would issue corresponding documents proving that the servant had become a free citizen. Finally, their household registration would be updated. They would be removed from the slave household registry and transferred to the civilian household registry.

After completing this entire process, Xie An would officially be a law-abiding citizen of the Great Qian Dynasty, enjoying the rights and obligations of a commoner.

Although the matter was largely settled, Xie An dared not relax until his household registration was officially updated.

Early in the morning, Xie An arrived at the county yamen's household registration office and waited in line outside.

There were quite a few people queuing up to handle business at the household registration office today.

There were about a dozen people ahead of him.

Xie An, at the end of the line, was not in a hurry and waited patiently.

Although Qingwu County was located in a remote area, it was quite large, governing a population of 500,000.

Moreover, the household registration office had a lot of daily affairs to handle. In addition to household registration and transfers, it was also responsible for the entire county's tax collection and grain delivery. The imperial grain collected was converted into silver, melted into ingots of various sizes, and submitted to the national treasury.

In addition, the household registration office managed the Fish Scale Atlas and the land and grain registers, was responsible for disaster relief distribution, and handled matters related to disaster relief grain distribution, and so on.

It was only early in the morning, and there were still two hours until the county yamen's lunch break. Xie An felt that it should be his turn.

However...

An yamen runner in the household registration office suddenly announced he needed to use the restroom. When he returned, he glanced at the sky and then declared to everyone, "It's getting late, please come back this afternoon."

Xie An felt speechless.

No wonder there was so much unrest nowadays; one could get a glimpse of the situation just by observing the yamen runner's attitude towards his work.

The people in line grumbled and complained a few times before dispersing.

Xie An didn't complain. He was already accustomed to this kind of behavior, as many people in his previous life had slacked off like this. However, Xie An didn't leave with the crowd. Instead, he stayed until the end, waiting for everyone to leave before approaching the door of the household registration office.

The yamen runner said listlessly, "Didn't I say to come back this afternoon... Oh, well, I'll process your matter then."

Before the yamen runner could finish speaking, Xie An offered a piece of silver, and the yamen runner changed his tone.

Xie An took out the deed of sale and the letter of release from the Li Manor and handed them over, explaining his purpose.

The original deed of sale stated Xie An's previous background, origin, age, and situation. The letter of release from the Li Manor indicated their willingness to voluntarily release the slave. The combination of the two facilitated the household registration process.

Of course, some servants did not have a deed of sale, or had lost it. In such cases, registration could be done directly with the master's letter of release.

The yamen runner took them, glanced at them, and said with surprise, "Thirty-one years ago, you were twenty years old and a refugee who fled to Qingwu County, with an unknown background. By this estimation, you are now fifty-one years old... It's difficult to survive after leaving your master at this age. Are you sure you want to purchase your freedom?"

After accepting Xie An's money, the yamen runner asked with concern.

He had handled many manumission cases, but this was the first time he had seen someone seeking freedom at the age of fifty.

Xie An said firmly, "Yes."

The yamen runner didn't say anything further and immediately processed the paperwork for Xie An.

Finally, Xie An personally saw his household registration changed to that of a free citizen, with the obligations of paying taxes and delivering grain, as well as the rights to report officials and participate in imperial examinations. Only then did he thank them and leave.

As he walked out of the county yamen's gate, Xie An let out a long sigh of relief.

He looked up at the sun overhead, finding the sunlight exceptionally bright. Even the gentle breeze carried warmth, truly giving him a feeling of bathing in spring breeze.

"Thirty years as a slave, finally free."

Xie An couldn't help but laugh.

Normally, Xie An was not someone who readily displayed his emotions. But today's matter was too important for him. The pent-up frustration of thirty years was released all at once.

He was truly happy.

From now on, he was a dignified person.

He could marry and have children, openly and without shame.

"What did that great poet Li Bai say... 'How can our kind be ordinary men?' I laugh to the heavens as I depart..."

Xie An ignored the surprised look of the gatekeeper yamen runner and walked away with a smile, his hands behind his back.

Xie An, feeling the pangs of hunger, went to a nearby affordable eatery. He ordered a bowl of braised lamb, spicy sheep's head, accompanied by peanuts, and a pot of warm wine. He began to eat heartily.

Eating meat and drinking wine with gusto, it was truly delightful.

He just felt that something was missing – a confidant to share his joy with.

It would be a true joy in life to drink and eat meat while toasting with a bosom friend during moments of triumph.

With no confidant by his side, Xie An could only drink alone, occasionally raising his wine cup and tilting his head back to drink towards the sky.

If only time could rewind, Xie An truly wished he could have shared a drink with the great Li Bai.

During his meal, Xie An overheard the diners at the next table discussing.

"Have you guys heard? Tang Family Fort has recently opened its doors wide, recruiting talented youths who practice the Health Cultivation Technique."

"Anyone who passes the trials will receive five taels of silver each month. There's also a chance to be chosen as an heir of Tang Family Fort."

"That's amazing. If someone is chosen as an heir of Tang Family Fort, they'll be set for life. That's a top-tier prestigious family in Qingwu County."

"Perhaps Old Mr. Tang's health is failing. Tang Family Fort is worried their unique skills will be lost, which is why they're urgently spending money to recruit talent."

"I wonder which family's young master is fortunate enough to..."

"..."

Xie An's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

Several months ago, when he came to the county town with Chen He, he had also heard people talking about Tang Family Fort.

Now that he was back, it was still the same topic.

Xie An looked back and noticed that most people in the dining hall were enthusiastically discussing this matter. It was evident that Tang Family Fort indeed held significant influence in Qingwu County, truly a top-tier prestigious family.

"Why don't I go try my luck? After all, the Health Cultivation Technique suits me..."

Xie An had the thought, but then he remembered that everyone was talking about Tang Family Fort recruiting talented youths. He, however, was a man in his fifties. Wouldn't it be laughable if he rashly went there?

"I'll just buy some gifts and visit Master Tang Qingfeng. It can serve as thanks for Master Tang's past teachings. That would be perfectly reasonable."