Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 378 377 The Local Customs and Traditions of Qianyu City
The small boats used by Jinlou Village were modified speedboats, much faster than ordinary boats. The group traveled along the Feiqi River for nearly two hours before finally reaching Qianyu City.

The current beneath the boat suddenly became rapid. Shi Dajiao pointed ahead and said to Feng Xiuhu, "Look, that's the 'butt' of Qianyu City—actually, the correct term should be the 'water inlet'."

Feng Xiuhu looked up and a spectacular city came into view.

The confluence point that Shi Dajiao pointed to was actually the place where the river channel suddenly narrowed after the river left the area of ​​Qianyu City.

But this "narrowness" is only relative; it is actually much wider than Feng Xiuhu imagined—the distance between the north and south banks of the inlet is several hundred meters, and a magnificent stone bridge spans across it, connecting the north and south. There are dozens of arched doorways arranged neatly under the bridge.

The reason it is called "narrow" is only because it is in contrast to the "wide" Qianyu City. Shi Dajiao compared the location of Qianyu City in the river channel to a "big belly", and when Feng Xiuhu saw it with his own eyes, he had an even more vivid metaphor in mind.

It is more like a "stomach", with the upstream spout and the downstream inlet acting like the esophagus connecting the upper and lower ends of the stomach, and Qianyu City is located in this "stomach".

Starting from the inlet, there is a significant height difference between the upstream and downstream sections, and coupled with the rapid current, the speed of the fast boat slowed down noticeably.

Shi Dajiao shouted to the bandits to bring the boat to shore. He explained to Feng Xiuhu, "If we go any further, the boat will be difficult to navigate, and it will be inconvenient for us to enter the city. We might as well let you off the boat here, and it will be faster for you to take a carriage."

He pointed to the stone bridge ahead: "After you get on the road, cross the bridge first, and then continue along the riverbank. Not far away you will see a large suspension bridge—that is the passage into the city."

The three of them stepped back onto solid ground. Shunzi dragged the horse-head boat ashore, and Fang Youliu transformed it back into a carriage.

After resting for a few hours, he regained his energy. Once Feng Xiuhu and the other man were in the carriage, he drove it forward.

The carriage went uphill along the riverbank and onto the stone bridge, finally allowing the three of them to get a glimpse of the entire city of Qianyu.

Feng Xiuhu and Shunzi's heads were squeezed together in the same car window, and their eyes widened at the same time.

The most striking feature of this city is not its towering, opulent buildings, nor its scattered islands, but one thing that immediately captures the eye – its bridges.

Countless bridges, bridges everywhere, almost filling the entire space, they are like stitches between needles, densely packed and countless, connecting the islands in all directions.

"I've never seen so many bridges in my entire life..."

Shunzi couldn't help but sigh.

Feng Xiuhu wholeheartedly agreed—he had never seen anything like it in either of his two lifetimes.

If there's anything more abundant in this city than bridges, it's undoubtedly its people.

As expected of the capital of a prefecture, Qianyu City was bustling with activity. Everywhere you looked, there were crowds of people on the bridges, and even on the stone bridge leading out of the city where Feng Xiuhu and his two companions were standing, there was a constant stream of carriages.

Shunzi suddenly became a little worried: "I wonder if hotels in Qianyu City are expensive, and how many days do we have enough money for?"

Fang Youliu's voice came from the carriage shaft: "Third Master, please put your mind at ease. We have a place to stay, and it's free."

Feng Xiuhu lifted the carriage curtain: "Do you know anyone here?"

Fang Youliu chuckled: "I don't know anyone, but I do own a property."

Feng Xiuhu asked suspiciously, "Isn't this your first time here?"

Fang Youliu smiled and explained, "Second Master, you're overthinking it. Although this is my first time here, I'm not the first naturalist to travel around."

"The naturalists of the past left behind many lodgings during their travels. These lodgings were mainly concentrated in large cities, such as Sail City and Thousand Isles City. This was partly because the naturalists would stay in large cities for a longer period of time, allowing them to live more comfortably, and partly to provide convenience for those who came after them." Feng Xiuhu suddenly realized: "Why does your academy act like an underground party, leaving safe houses all over the world?"

Fang Youliu replied, "What I mean is, we should stay in Qianyu City for a few more days."

Feng Xiuhu frowned: "Why?"

Fang Youliu said helplessly, "Because I am traveling, not on a journey."

He pulled out a leather notebook with his name on it from his pocket: "This is my natural history notebook. I will record in detail everything I have seen and heard along the way, as well as my feelings. I will take it to Professor Law for inspection when I return to the academy."

“A small county like Jiangluoxi is enough to just walk around and look at, but a big city like Qianyucheng has a rich history and customs that I need to spend time to understand in depth—do you understand what I mean?”

Feng Xiuhu nodded: "I understand, you want to continue working as a coachman here."

"Didn't you notice there are no rickshaws here?"

Fang Youliu smiled and asked in return.

Feng Xiuhu was taken aback, and then thought about it carefully—so far, he really hadn't seen a rickshaw.

"Don't the people in this city like to ride in cars?"

Fang Youliu waved his hand and explained, "Because there are differences in altitude between the islands, there are many slopes in Qianyu City, which makes it difficult for rickshaws to run, and it is also time-consuming and laborious."

Feng Xiuhu was about to interject when Fang Youliu interrupted him again: "In its place are bamboo-covered boats that carry passengers."

He maneuvered the carriage closer to the edge of the stone bridge so that Feng Xiuhu could see the river below.

Feng Xiuhu looked up from the window and stared intently. He saw that there were indeed small boats of the same style shuttling through the narrow waterways between the islands. These small boats were shorter than sampans and could only seat two rows at a time. The tops were covered with canopies made of bamboo woven in a bright yellow color, which could provide shelter from the rain and the sun.

Feng Xiuhu turned to Fang Youliu and asked, "How do you know all this? Did the bird tell you?"

Fang Youliu smiled helplessly: "It is recorded in Constance's natural history journal - and even without reading his journal, I know that the Academy has detailed records of local customs and traditions, which are categorized and reviewed carefully by every naturalist before leaving the Academy to travel."

Being literate is different.

Feng Xiuhu nodded silently, his longing for the Mystic Arts Academy growing stronger.

During the conversation, the carriage crossed the stone bridge and continued along the riverbank in the direction pointed out by Shi Dajiao—in fact, Shi Dajiao didn't need to remind them at all, because there were many pedestrians and carriages on this main road built along the river, and the traces of people stretched all the way to the drawbridge leading into the city.

Just as they were about to enter the city, Fang Youliu reminded Feng Xiuhu, "I'll be busy with my own things these few days, so you two can wander around the city as you like—but don't cause any more trouble."

Feng Xiuhu retorted confidently, "Am I the kind of person who's afraid of trouble?"

"I'm afraid!"

Fang Youliu's eyelids twitched as he listened.

"The prefecture is not like the county town of Jiangluoxi. Not only are there temples of various major shrines here, but it is also still within the diocese of the Misty Church. There is a Misty Church in the city, and a bishop is in charge. You should consider this carefully."

(End of this chapter)