Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The Indifferent Village

Translator: 549690339?????? °

Feng Jun, upon hearing the words, was instantly bewildered, and it took him, while to ask a question, “What’s a hidden household, and what’s a runaway household?”

Young Sister Lang’s mouth fell open in shock. Could you actually ask such a ridiculous question?

However, considering the man’s strange attire and the various odd tools around him, she supposed it made a kind of sense that he would ask such a question… sort of acceptable.

So she began to patiently explain. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

This place belongs to a country named Donghua, which has an official government. Where there’s government, there is the issue of collecting taxes. For the commoners, the government imposes a poll tax, which is collected through the registration of the population.

Some people don’t have their own land and seek shelter with local big households, concealing their identity; these are the hidden households.

Meanwhile, some of the registered population, due to famine or other reasons, have fled and refuse to return; these are the runaway households.

Both types have no legitimate status, but hidden households, because they are protected, have little problem as long as they don’t travel far. In comparison, runaway households tend to have more criminals among them. Those runaway households that are innocent and struggling to survive can totally seek shelter and become hidden households with the big households. Only those who refuse to be exploited by the big households are the true runaway households.

According to Young Sister Lang, her father also really wanted to be grateful to Feng Jun, but he suspected Feng Jun was a runaway, so he preferred not to get too involved. If something was amiss, should he intervene and detain this man? Feng Jun wasn’t particularly averse to household registration management, as he himself came from a country with a fairly strict system. However, he was a little puzzled by Lang Zhen’s reaction. “Is the government’s pursuit of runaways very strict?”

“Not very,” Young Sister Lang shook her head. There are still many people without identities in Small Lake Village. Anyway, when the government officials come to check, they just hide away. This place is secluded, and government officials don’t come more than twice a year.

But she pointed out one thing, “A lot of the bad deeds are done by runaways. Why do they suspect you to be a scout for bandits? Because other villages have had such incidents. But, I know you’re not that kind of person.”

Having heard such a powerful reason, Feng Jun was completely at a loss for words, and he could understand why the villagers were so wary of him. “Is there a market town nearby?”

It took Young Sister Lang a moment to understand what a market town was, before she indicated, “One hundred and twenty li away, there’s a town called Shuangxi Town, which has a big market every half month.”

The population of Shuangxi Town is close to ten thousand. Back on Earth Realm, it would be considered a small town. Even on ordinary days, it’s a bustling place with a small market every fifth day that usually attracts people from nearby villages.

Every half month, Shuangxi Town also has a large market which is extremely busy, and even people from Small Lake Village would go there.

To put it in perspective, Small Lake Village is over a hundred li away from Shuangxi Town, half of which is mountain road. Still, Young Sister Lang stated that for everyone, this distance is not a big deal. The most important thing here is that there are fields to farm.

Regarding Feng Jun’s desire to go to Shuangxi Town, she expressed cautious skepticism, “They check identities in the town, and the people there are very cunning and bad, buying our mountain goods really cheaply.”

Feng Jun smiled. This so-called badness is probably the cunning of the town residents in doing business, emphasizing profit, right?

Then, he got to understand the currency here, a system similar to that of the Ming dynasty— although this place is called Donghua.

The base currency is the copper coin, the type that’s round on the outside and square inside. A thousand copper coins exchange for a silver ingot, which is the highest standard of common currency. Above that, a hundred silver ingots exchange for an ounce of gold.

The buying power of copper coins here is also strong. For someone living in the town, seven or eight copper coins are enough to ensure their meals for a day, of course, assuming they cook for themselves, since it’s definitely not enough at a restaurant.

However, Young Sister Lang also said that the families in Small Lake Village basically don’t use copper coins.

Their food is all grown in the fields, and the clothes they wear are made from cloth woven at home. Only things like pots, pans, and scissors, which they can’t produce, are purchased in the market.

Young Sister Lang continued, saying her father Lang Zhen said that the Spirit Green Bamboo Shoots they harvested this time could sell for about ten silver ingots if sold to shops in the town. However, if sold during the market, it might fetch between twenty to thirty silver ingots.

Indeed, the price difference can be that big, which is why she thinks the town’s people are so bad.

Feng Jun pondered for a moment before asking, “How much is that machete worth?”

Young Sister Lang replied excitedly that the machete was worth five silver ingots, a very decent blade.

As for the value of the Longsword, she didn’t say, but she did mention that the spine of the Spiritual Hedgehog on Feng Jun’s back, if taken to the official city to sell, would be worth at least fifty silver ingots.

Feng Jun’s eyebrows rose slightly, and he asked with surprise, “The Spiritual Hedgehog Spine is worth that much?”

It belongs to a Spirit Beast, after all,” Young Sister Lang looked at him, wondering how this person could be so clueless.

But she still patiently explained, “My father said that Spiritual Hedgehogs like to scatter their spines around. The fallen ones aren’t worth much, just twenty or thirty silver ingots. But yours is taken while it was alive, with the spirit essence and blood of a Spirit Beast. Fifty silver ingots is not even high.” This isn’t bad, Feng Jun thought to himself with joy upon hearing the news. After all, he had more than just one Spiritual Hedgehog Spine in his possession. He had gone to the site where the gorilla and the Spiritual Hedgehog had fought, and had collected a total of nine spines.

At that time, he hadn’t planned to sell the item for money; he just thought the material of the spines was good-tough yet sharp. If all else failed, taking it back to Earth to use as an ornament wouldn’t be a bad idea. Who would have thought that it could actually be sold for money?

Of course, those nine spines were definitely worth twenty to thirty silver coins. Even so, it was an unexpected fortune.

Thinking this, Feng Jun couldn’t help but feel a bit of regret. If he had known it would turn out like this, he would have collected the broken spines too.

Where those two creatures had fought, the ground had been turned upside down and over a hundred spines had been scattered around. Feng Jun had picked out nine of the best-looking ones.

Younger Sister Lang didn’ t know why he was happy, but she seriously warned him, “The spines of a Spiritual Hedgehog are definitely more expensive than the Spirit Green Bamboo Shoot I dug up. You’d better wrap them up and not let anyone else see them.”

Only then did Feng Jun realize that what he wanted to sell might be considered a fortune in someone else’s eyes, “Are there many who force trades in the market?”

“It could be many or few,” Younger Sister Lang replied ambiguously.

However, she still explained, “Whether those people are numerous depends on how strong you are yourself. If you’re strong enough, then it’ll be a safe marketplace.”

What a simple philosophy of survival! Feng Jun couldn’t help but silently exclaim, before he asked aloud again, “Will you openly sell your Spirit Green Bamboo Shoot?”

“Of course… not,” Younger Sister Lang hesitated for a moment, then sadly shook her head, “My father is very strong, but… he’s not the strongest. If we sell it openly, he may not be able to return to Small Lake Village.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Jun slightly furrowed his brow. It turned out that what was said in the xianxia novels was true, in a world where strength reigned supreme, killing for treasure was all too common.

Regardless, he couldn’t help but complain, “The market in Shuangxi Town sounds pretty chaotic, doesn’t it? The order isn’t good.”

Chaotic? I think it’s already pretty good,” Younger Sister Lang blinked in surprise and looked at him, “After all, there’s order… even if it’s not great, but having some sort of order is better than none at all.”

Feng Jun immediately fell silent, finding her logic impeccable and beyond any argument.

He didn’t mean to criticize her tolerance for disorder, but he asked again, “Then, I shouldn’t conduct business in town… unless I get an identity first.” “Probably… that’s how it is,” Younger Sister Lang answered uncertainly. Although she wasn’t young, she spent most of her time living in the secluded Little Lake Village, “Jia Xingwang’s father is the village head. I’ll go ask him if he can help you get an identity.”

“Don’t bother with that bastard,” Younger Brother Lang suddenly spoke up with vigour, “He forced me to call him brother-in-law. When I refused, he kicked me in the butt.”

Younger Sister Lang’s face darkened immediately, as she said with a menacing tone, Does this kid not want to live anymore?”

Just then, a voice sounded from afar, “Big sister, it’s getting dark out, aren’t you coming home?”

The speaker was none other than Jia Xingwang. He stood dozens of meters away, holding a green oilcloth umbrella in his hand, his gaze towards them cold and unforgiving.

Seeing that it was him, Younger Sister Lang swiftly pulled out the firewood knife from her waist and strode forward with her sturdy legs, “Bastard, you dare kick my little brother’s butt?”

Jia Xingwang, who had been dark-faced, forced a laugh upon hearing this, Come on, I was just joking with him. I even gave him a piece of jerky. Little brother… that’s right, isn’t it?”

Hearing this, Younger Brother Lang called out with a sense of grievance, “You only gave me a little bit, not even enough for one bite.”

The intelligence of Younger Brother Lang was clearly a bit lacking. But well, a child can’t be expected to understand too much.

However, upon hearing this, Younger Sister Lang found it hard to proceed with her earlier intent. She hesitated for a moment before speaking coldly, “If you hit my little brother again, I’ll hit you too. And if I have to, I’ll give you jerky as well.”

Seeing that she was dropping the issue, Jia Xingwang breathed a sigh of relief. However, glancing over at Feng Jun not far away, he became enraged again, “Big sister, it would be best if you send this stranger of unknown origin away quickly, or don’t blame me for being unkind.”

Younger Sister Lang snorted coldly, “The guest of our Lang Family is none of your Jia Family’s business to judge.”

“It seems you’ve lost your mind!” Jia Xingwang shouted, furious, “My family is about to present your dowry, and soon you’ll be my Jia Family’s wife. How can you be associating with this kind of person?”

And what kind of person am I?” Feng Jun erupted in anger, “Who are you to judge me? Some village chief with his head blown up, you dare to act tough before me? If you irritate me, do you believe I could wipe out your entire family?”

Back on Earth Realm, he didn’t have such a fierce temperament, but the people in this space were all very direct in their speech, with their contempt openly shown, which was particularly unbearable.

After all, he had plenty of means at his disposal. What did he have to fear from such a rustic thug?