Valuing Virtue and Career

As Ji Yuan stood after withdrawing his skill, the fallen leaves and dust in the small courtyard continued to spin without rest.

There were no clocks, no watches, no internet, no mobile phones, yet Ji Yuan's biological clock had become exceptionally precise. It was not because Ji Yuan was special, but because the local people were much the same.

Those with a regular schedule followed Heavenly Timing and had an accurate sense of time. This was true even on 21st Century Earth.

It was about evening now, and Ji Yuan planned to go out to eat.

In his previous life, Ji Yuan only knew how to make egg fried rice and had rarely cooked anything else. He had not learned in this life either, and since he found it troublesome, he always ate out. At most, ten to twenty coins—and at least a few coins—would settle the matter.

After adjusting his attire and smoothing his hair, Ji Yuan went out. There was no need to lock the small courtyard; no one dared come here anyway.

He threaded through Tianniu Quarter, choosing familiar shortcuts. When he occasionally encountered one or two residents of Tianniu Quarter, most would avoid him, and even those passing him face-to-face would not greet him.

After half a month, everyone had more or less learned that Ji Yuan lived in Ju'an Pavilion. It was best not to get involved with such an unlucky place.

Ji Yuan did not mind. With his hands behind his back, he walked onto the street in Ji's carefree manner.

Once he left the quarter entrance, it was as if the outside had suddenly become bustling, the noise of the streets everywhere.

After practicing martial arts, Ji Yuan's foot speed had improved considerably. After walking seven or eight minutes, he arrived at the Sun's Noodle Stall he often visited, one of several establishments he frequented.

A large sheet of oil paper white cloth covered the stall overhead. Four small tables and a wooden cart were Old Master Sun's tools for earning money.

From a great distance away, Old Man Sun spotted Ji Yuan coming this way.

"Yo, Mister Ji is here! Haven't seen you for two days. Please, have a seat!"

Even before Ji Yuan approached, he could smell the fragrant food from the noodle stall. Hearing the familiar greeting, he replied with a smile.

"Do you have offal today?"

"Yes, yes, yes! I just knew Mister Ji would come today, so I specially saved some good stuff for you! Someone outside the city had an old plow ox die, and I got quite a bit of beef offal. It's much rarer than lamb offal!"

Old Master Sun knew how to talk. Small businesses depended on return customers, after all.

Besides, this Mister Ji seemed to be a learned man. Those eyes of his—nearby regular customers privately discussed whether he might be blind, yet he walked no differently from an ordinary person. That was a rare thing to ordinary people, so some diners privately said Mister Ji was an extraordinary person.

"Good, good, good. Give me one bowl of braised noodles and one bowl of beef offal!"

Ji Yuan sat down with a smile and ordered his dinner. Master Sun's offal used simple seasoning, but the ingredients were good and it had been braised, so it had no fishy smell and was flavorful—extremely delicious.

"Right away!"

Old Man Sun hastily got to work.

Not far away, the Yin father and son happened to be returning home after finishing the academy's affairs. With the start of school imminent, Yin Zhaoxian had been leaving early and returning late every day, while Yin Qing often went to help as well. It was rare for them to return so early today.

As they passed this street corner, Yin Qing's sharp eyes spotted Ji Yuan before the noodle stall. He hurriedly tugged at his father's sleeve so that he would see Ji Yuan too.

Yin Zhaoxian had long wanted to visit Ji Yuan. Now that half a month had passed, this Mister Ji had a rosy complexion and was safe and sound, making him increasingly convinced of his faint guess that something had changed in Ju'an Pavilion.

Seeing that Ji Yuan apparently had not noticed the father and son, Yin Zhaoxian thought, Better to do it today than tomorrow. He pulled Yin Qing aside and deliberately made a detour, then walked past again from afar. This time, their destination was Sun's Noodle Stall.

"Master Sun, trouble you for two bowls of braised noodles!"

Yin Zhaoxian called out near the noodle stall with a beaming smile. Old Man Sun, who was busy cooking noodles for Ji Yuan, saw Yin Zhaoxian and became exceedingly warm.

"Ah, isn't this Master Yin? Come, come, please sit, please sit!"

The county opening an academy was a major matter to the people of Ning'an, and Yin Zhaoxian, this prospective master, now knew quite a few people.

"Mm."

Yin Zhaoxian responded indifferently, dusted off his attire, and led Yin Qing to sit at an empty table. Then he seemed to suddenly notice Ji Yuan.

"Eh, you must be Mister Ji, correct? I heard that a cultivated scholar had newly moved into the quarter. Had the newly opened academy not left me with heavy affairs, I would have wanted to visit long ago!"

Yin Qing's face flushed. It was his first time seeing his father be so good at pretending.

Ji Yuan had noticed the Yin father and son just now. He simply did not know why they had walked past and then turned back. Only when they came to the noodle stall did he understand that they wished to "chance upon" him, and he nearly laughed out loud.

"That's me indeed. Master Yin of Tianniu Quarter is erudite—I, Ji, have heard of him long ago as well!"

Ji Yuan turned toward the Yin father and son, allowing Yin Zhaoxian to clearly see those eyes with a pale hue for the first time.

"You must be little Yin Qing, your son? As expected of a scholarly family, to teach such a fine child!"

"Mister Ji, you still remember me?!"

Yin Qing looked at this great mister with curiosity and embarrassment.

"Hahaha, I have always remembered the favor of a load of water! If you two do not mind, how about sharing my table? Of course, if little Yin Qing is afraid, then forget I said it!"

Yin Qing scratched his head awkwardly. He understood that Mister Ji still remembered how he had not dared enter Ju'an Pavilion back then.

"How would we dare refuse Mister Ji's invitation? Qing'er, let us sit over there!"

It was exactly what Yin Zhaoxian wanted. He immediately brought his son over.

"The noodles are ready~~ Mister Ji, Master Yin, Young Master Yin, your braised noodles! The beef offal will need a little longer!"

Old Man Sun carried the food and placed it on the table.

"Good, good, thank you!"

Ji Yuan smiled and nodded to Master Sun. Yin Zhaoxian, who had been sitting calmly, was startled for a moment before hastily thanking Master Sun as well.

As the saying went, scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants. As one of the top figures among Ning'an County's scholars, Yin Zhaoxian did not look down too much on a street vendor like Old Man Sun, but in his bones, he still considered himself superior. Besides, business duty was business duty—why thank him?

But Ji Yuan had given thanks. Would he not seem to consider himself above Ji Yuan if he did not?

"Ah, ah, you flatter me, you flatter me."

Though Old Man Sun said that with his mouth, his face was glowing with pride. He became much nimbler when he went back to prepare food. It was one thing that Mister Ji did this every time, but being thanked by Master Yin made Old Man Sun feel exceptionally honored.

Ji Yuan smiled but said nothing. He picked up his chopsticks and began eating his noodles on his own.

Thanking warm service staff, delivery boys, and food delivery boys was a habit Ji Yuan had retained from his previous life. In fact, after seeing some heartbreaking news before, more and more people with Ji Yuan's habit had appeared in his previous life.

But in this world, through his observations over this period, Ji Yuan found that class-based thinking was deeply entrenched. Some people were civilized and reasonable only depending on whom they faced. This was also why Ji Yuan increasingly felt that the County Town God deserved respect.

Seeing Mister Ji eat noodles by himself, Yin Zhaoxian hesitated for a moment and did not speak either, instead calling for his child to eat with him.

The atmosphere throughout the meal was somewhat awkward. This Mister Ji did not seem to have any intention of chatting, merely inviting the two members of the Yin family to eat together when the beef offal arrived.

Ji Yuan did not consider himself any sage. Judging from Yin Qing's character, Yin Zhaoxian was certainly not a coldhearted man either. Ji Yuan simply felt that a master should do better. The students he taught might one day pass the imperial examinations and become officials, building the nation.

When they had nearly finished eating, Yin Zhaoxian stubbornly insisted on paying the entire bill. Ji Yuan said nothing, only leaving Yin Zhaoxian with a sentence before departing.

It left Yin Zhaoxian standing there for a long while without recovering, that sentence still echoing in his mind.

"Master Yin, peddlers and porters are mirrors of the state. Those who teach must value virtue and career, becoming exemplars for others."

Yin Qing stood by the noodle stall somewhat impatiently, shaking his father's hand.

"Daddy, Mister Ji has already left. When are we going home?"

Yin Zhaoxian came back to himself, looked at his son, then at Old Man Sun, who was too busy to spare a moment as more and more diners arrived.

"Let's go home. Tomorrow morning, we will visit Mister Ji at Ju'an Pavilion."