Whooo!
As the small steamship sailed into the bustling harbor, the wealth and prosperity of Jinhu, the greatest city under heaven, rushed to meet him.
In the harbor, iron ships stood like mountains, their sails clouding the sky.
The moment he stepped off the pier, he saw crowds surging like the tide.
Rickshaw pullers raced alongside motorcars, while clock shops, snack stalls, and fruit vendors all around made his eyes spin.
At one food stall, pan-fried buns, soup dumplings, and salted pork stewed with fresh bamboo shoots... gave off an irresistible aroma.
"Brother Bai!"
At this moment, Shi Mingsi disembarked with his wife and son and hailed a rickshaw. "If you haven't found a place to stay, I can introduce you to the Southern Merchants Guildhall. Once the contract is settled, you'll have enough money for lodging and can move out."
"Thank you, but I still have a little money on me. I'm planning to look for a place first."
Aaron politely declined Shi Mingsi's goodwill and watched him leave. Then he, too, hired a rickshaw, gradually acquainting himself with this city—which, in his eyes, was merely novel rather than especially flourishing—as the puller ran along.
After all, he had just returned from Great Liang.
And Great Liang already had the internet.
Rickshaws had their advantages too. They could easily slip through streets and alleys, passing through lane ways so narrow that only a few people could walk abreast.
"What is that place?"
As they passed beneath a large bridge, Aaron pointed at a pillar coiled with dragon patterns and asked.
"That's the Dragon Pile..."
Rickshaw pullers were all local know-it-alls, and the man answered readily. "They say that when they were driving the piles, no matter what they did, they couldn't get them down. Several people even died. Later,