Chapter 184: Is it okay to borrow some money to spend?
Xin Zhen had no shortage of money in his previous life, so he naturally would not treat himself badly. He found an inn with quite luxurious decorations to stay in and paid a deposit of ten taels.

Xin Zhen called the innkeeper to boil water for a bath. The two of them washed one after another, changed into new clothes, asked the innkeeper, and came to the most luxurious restaurant in the city.

Zhou Zhiruo looked at the luxurious decoration of the restaurant. Her steps were a little unsteady when she entered. She only dared to follow Xin Zhen step by step.

Xin Zhen found it funny but was very determined. Zhou Zhiruo was born in a poor family and now because her parents were gone, she felt very inferior. She needed to see more of the world so that she could gradually get rid of her cowardice.

The restaurant serves Huaiyang-style cuisine. Xin Zhen started by naming the dishes: "Do you have crab meat stewed lion's head, soft-shelled eel, squirrel-crusted mandarin fish, braised silver carp head, boiled dried shredded pork, three-piece duck, or crystal braised pork? If you have any, serve them directly, and add one or two seasonal dishes. Forget about the drinks, just some sweet fruit juice or something like that. That's all."

The waiter nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, it's just that it's dinner time now, so you need to wait a little longer."

Xin Zhen smiled and said, "It's okay, we can wait."

The waiter went there quickly. Although Xin Zhen and the other man looked young, their clothes seemed to be very expensive and they had good looks and temperament. They looked like young men and women from wealthy families who were out for fun. So the waiter did not question whether Xin Zhen had the money to pay the bill and went there quickly.

Although the waiter told us to wait a while, it actually didn't take that long as the food was served one after another and soon the table was full.

Zhou Zhiruo looked at the table full of fish and meat, swallowed her saliva, and said nervously, "Brother Xin, this table must be very expensive, right? We only have 20 taels of silver left. If we continue to spend like this, we won't even be able to leave Anhui, right?"

Xin Zhen laughed and said, "It's not that exaggerated. This table only costs ten taels of silver."

Zhou Zhiruo: "...Then should we buy a sword?"

Xin Zhen said as a matter of course: "Of course I have to buy a sword. Don't worry, a good sword is only a few dozen taels each."

Zhou Zhiruo was surprised and said, "After we pay for the meal, we only have ten taels of silver left. How can we buy the sword?"

Zhou Zhiruo had a look of regret on her face, thinking that Brother Zhou was probably from a wealthy family and didn't know how to manage money at all. If she had known earlier, she should have taken the money and managed it as soon as she went out. If she spent it like this, she would have no money left as soon as she went out. Why would she buy a sword and go out into the world of martial arts?

Xin Zhen looked at Zhou Zhiruo who was frowning and said with a smile: "Eat it quickly, it will get cold soon."

As he spoke, Xin Zhen began to eat with relish. Although the Butterfly Valley had a quiet environment, it was also isolated from the world. Hu Qingniu was a member of the Ming Cult and did not eat meat. He ate only plain soup every day. Xin Zhen had been starving for a long time. This time, he wanted to move after being so quiet for a while, maybe because he wanted to experience the worldly life.

Zhou Zhiruo sighed, then picked up the chopsticks and started to eat heartily. Anyway, she decided to eat first.

Although the two were not adults, it was true that they were eating their father out of money. They were in the period of growing up and were also martial artists, so even though the table was full of dishes, they managed to finish them all.

Especially Zhou Zhiruo, she had never eaten such delicious food. When she was sailing with her father on the Han River, she often ate fish, but the people on the river probably just boiled the fish with a little salt, without even enough oil or water. It was fresh, but it was not as good as the delicious dishes carefully prepared by the chef.

Not to mention the Butterfly Valley, which was full of wild vegetables, fruits and melons. Not to mention Xin Zhen, even Zhou Zhiruo herself had eaten so much that her eyes turned green.

"Burp!" Xin Zhen burped contentedly, with a taste of fish and some oil in it.

Zhou Zhiruo felt a little embarrassed and touched her belly secretly. It was so bloated that she almost had a small belly.

Xin Zhen smiled, called the waiter, paid the bill, staggered out of the restaurant, asked about a nearby blacksmith shop, and took Zhou Zhiruo there.

Xin Zhen found the blacksmith shop and asked about the price. A long sword made of fine iron cost eighty taels. Xin Zhen did not say much, but told the blacksmith about the shape and size, ordered two, and paid a deposit of ten taels. He would pay the rest when he picked up the sword.

Money goes away but people remain healthy.

Xin Zhen patted his pockets, and they were empty.

Zhou Zhiruo said helplessly, "Should we go back to Butterfly Valley to ask Mr. Hu for money?" Xin Zhen shook his head and said, "How can that be possible? Mr. Hu doesn't have much money."

Zhou Zhiruo pointed to the blacksmith shop and said, "So when the time comes, do we just have to snatch the sword and run away?"

Xin Zhen smiled and said, "Although I am considered a member of the Ming Cult, I am not a demon from the Demon Cult. How could I do such a thing?"

Zhou Zhiruo frowned and said, "It's not this, it's not that, so what should we do?"

Xin Zhen smiled and said, "Go find someone to borrow it from. Do you know who is the richest person in Mingguang City?"

Zhou Zhiruo shook her head.

Xin Zhen smiled and said, "The Huai River flows through the north of Mingguang, and merges with Nushan Lake, Qili Lake and Chi River in the territory. Mingguang County also has Chi River, Nansha River, Baisha River, Bogang Yinhe River, Dajian River, Yingfu River, Guangfu River, Baidao River and Zhangpu Yinghe River. The rivers are densely distributed and the water transportation is well developed.

As the saying goes, if you live by the mountain, you can eat the mountain; if you live by the water, you can eat the water. Mingguang has many rivers and developed water transportation, so it has also spawned many water gangs. The most famous water gang here is the Baisha Gang. I heard that the leader of the Baisha Gang, Zhu Sanjin, the White Dragon in the Waves, is a kind-hearted person and is known as the timely rain in the world. Let's go and borrow some money from him."

Zhou Zhiruo asked suspiciously, "Brother Xin, are you trying to rob your fellow thieves?"

Xin Zhen smiled and said, "What do you mean by that? If I say I'm going to lend it to you, then I'm going to leave. What do you think?"

Zhou Zhiruo was skeptical.

Xin Zhen smiled, found the riverside, and called a boatman, saying, "Take us to Baisha Gang."

The boatman originally had a friendly and silly smile on his face, but when he heard the words "Bai Sha Gang", his expression suddenly changed, his eyes became sharp, and he looked at Xin Zhen with scrutiny and asked, "Why do you want to find the Bai Sha Gang?"

Xin Zhen smiled and said, "My elders have a history with Gang Leader Zhu, and they told me to come and visit him whenever I pass by Mingguang."

Upon hearing this, the boatman bowed to Xin Zhen and asked, "I wonder who your elder is, could you please tell me?"

Xin Zhen immediately looked embarrassed and whispered, "This is a bit difficult. My elders are from Yuanzhou, so I'm afraid it's not convenient to tell them."

The boatman suddenly remembered the Yuanzhou uprising and immediately became solemn. He nodded and said, "In that case, please get on board."

Xin Zhen boarded the boat leisurely, and Zhou Zhiruo hurriedly followed.

The boatman rowed the boat forward in the water system covered with bright light. After going around and around, he came to a dock. The dock was very busy, with all kinds of goods piled up at the dock, people shuttling back and forth, porters loaded goods onto the boat or unloaded them, and strong men stood guard everywhere.

The boatman pulled up to the pier and shouted to the people on the shore: "There are guests visiting, please see the boss!"

Then the boatman said to Xin Zhen, "Please go ashore, we will have someone to receive you."

Xin Zhen jumped lightly onto the dock, and Zhou Zhiruo followed closely.

A group of people on the dock walked over and saw a boy and girl. They were a little surprised and asked, "I am Sun Jinzhang from the Baisha Gang. May I ask who you two are and what brings you here?"

Xin Zhen smiled and said, "I'm Xin Zhen, and this is my sister Zhou Zhiruo. My brother and I are new to the martial arts world, and we're short of money when we come to this precious place. I heard that Gang Leader Zhu is a timely helper, so I wanted to come and borrow some money to spend."

(End of this chapter)