Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 475-474 The Cultural Environment of Yu Aizhou
Du Kecheng said with a bitter face, "Pay...pay money? How much?"

Feng Xiuhu said, "That depends on your wishes."

Du Kecheng didn't understand: "What do you mean by 'meaning'?"

Feng Xiuhu laughed and said, "You brought so many people to see me off today, how much money do you think is enough to show your appreciation?"

"This one……"

Du Kecheng chuckled twice: "How about... you give me a definite answer?"

Feng Xiuhu nodded; he did have a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on—he had Shunzi go upstairs and bring the safe down.

Mr. Feng still couldn't accept working for nothing, so he pointed to the box and said, "Fill it up."

Du Kecheng gasped.

……

Feng Xiuhu felt he hadn't asked for enough.

He underestimated the money-making ability of government officials.

Feng Xiuhu gave Du Kecheng two hours, expecting him to sell everything he owned, but Du Kecheng returned with the money in just over an hour.

Although he looked pained, he was clearly far from being bankrupt.

Sitting in the carriage, Shunzi hugged the safe tightly, his mouth practically stretched to the back of his head in a wide grin: "Brother, this trip wasn't a waste, we're rich again!"

Feng Xiuhu was still regretting that he hadn't asked for enough. He made up his mind to double the amount next time.

Just as they were about to leave the city, a carriage caught up from behind, and a figure lifted the curtain and called out, "Second Master! Second Master, please wait!"

Fang Youliu turned around and saw that it was Jin the Dumb.

He slowly brought the carriage to a stop, and the mute Jin quickly jumped off and ran over.

After Feng Xiuhu got out of the car, the mute Jin said sincerely, "Second Master came and went in a hurry. If Chen Ajiang hadn't sent someone to inform me, I wouldn't have known that Second Master was leaving today."

Feng Xiuhu waved his hand dismissively: "You don't need to deliver it. Director Du has already delivered it for you."

Dumb Jin smiled and said, "Second Master, what are you saying? This parting is not sure when we will meet again, so of course I had to come and see you off."

Upon seeing the mute Jin, Feng Xiuhu was reminded of something.

He pulled an envelope and a tray from his pocket: "These two items were found in the safe. They should have only recently arrived in Abbott's possession. Have you seen him contact anyone in the past few days?"

Dumb Jin took the tray and looked at it, then pulled out the letter and glanced at it. After recalling for a moment, he shook his head and said, "I've never seen either of these things before. I spent most of my time on the South Bank recently and wasn't by Abbot's side, so I missed a lot of things."

"That's it."

Feng Xiuhu didn't dwell on it too much and put the things away.

Dumb Jin pointed in the direction of leaving the city and said, "After traveling several dozen miles, we will leave Nanlu Prefecture and enter the territory of Yu'ai Prefecture. Yu'ai Prefecture is not as peaceful as Nanlu Prefecture, so please allow me to say a few more words to Second Master."

Feng Xiuhu asked curiously, "How exactly is it not peaceful?"

Dumb Jin replied, "Yu'ai Prefecture is mostly hilly, with low-hanging clouds that often obscure people's vision. The roads are difficult to travel, but more importantly, bandits and mountain thieves often cause trouble here. The three of you must be on your guard as you travel."

Shunzi grinned and patted the hunting rifle at his waist: "Let them come, and see who robs whom."

Dumb Jin cupped his hands in greeting: “The three of you are no ordinary people and have your own formidable methods. I know that bandits cannot stop you, but getting involved will inevitably cause trouble. If you do encounter them, you might as well mention the name ‘Dumb Jin’ first, which may save you from trouble.”

Feng Xiuhu joked, "Your influence is still so strong outside of Nanlu Prefecture?" The mute Jin smiled shyly, "Back then, the boatmen's business was quite large. Many bandit gangs also had connections with us. They had a lot of illicit goods that they were eager to get rid of, so they asked the boatmen's help to sell them through clandestine channels."

"Although the boatmen are no longer around, the bandit gangs in Yu'ai Prefecture are mostly loyal and might give us some face out of consideration for past relationships."

Feng Xiuhu nodded: "Alright, I've got it. Let's part ways here."

……

Although he had never actually been to Yu'ai Prefecture, Fang Youliu had a deeper understanding of the situation there.

When the carriage had traveled halfway, the three of them stopped and sat on the carriage shaft to eat some dry rations for lunch. Fang Youliu then casually started talking.

"There are indeed many bandits in Yu'ai Prefecture."

"But the reason is that the hilly terrain is only one aspect. Whether it is guerrilla warfare or hiding, the complex terrain provides great convenience for the bandits."

"The more fundamental reason is actually the subtle influence of the human environment on social groups."

Shunzi's eyes were glazed over; it was hard to tell whether he had choked on the pancake or was simply dazed.

Feng Xiuhu didn't quite understand either: "Explain it in more detail."

Fang Youliu pointed to the road stretching upwards ahead: "See that mountain? Once we get over it, we'll enter Yu'ai Prefecture. Then you'll see the ever-present misty clouds of Yu'ai Prefecture—remember when I told you about the origin of the name Yu'ai Prefecture?"

Feng Xiuhu recalled briefly and nodded, saying, "I remember you said that when the Yu Kingdom was defeated in history, the officials and ministers of the court jumped off the cliff here to die for their country. Legend has it that the mist over Yu Ai Prefecture is the result of their fierce spirit, which is why it has not dissipated for thousands of years."

"Yes."

Fang Youliu nodded and said, "Whether the legend is true or false is another matter, but the people of Yu'ai Prefecture are really proud of it. They sing praises of the integrity of Yu officials and pass it down from generation to generation. In the end, it has evolved into a regional characteristic - the people of Yu'ai Prefecture are generally upright and honest, or to put it bluntly, unruly."

"The land shapes its people, and it is precisely because there are so many people with this kind of character that the banditry in Yu'ai Prefecture is more severe than in other prefectures of Xuan Kingdom."

Feng Xiuhu gazed at the hills ahead and asked, "If the bandits really become so numerous, won't the government do anything about it?"

Fang Youliu shrugged: "I'm afraid only the government and the bandits can answer this question for you."

Shunzi finally found an opportunity to interject: "No wonder Dumb Jin said that Yu'ai Prefecture is not peaceful. I can't even imagine how hard the people in this place are living."

Fang Youliu replied, “You’re mistaken about that. Relatively speaking, Yu’ai Prefecture is quite wealthy in Xuan Kingdom. The real characteristic of this prefecture is not its bandits, but its mineral veins. It is precisely because of its abundant mineral resources that industrial facilities are more common in Yu’ai Prefecture than in other prefectures.”

He pondered for a moment, took out a leather-bound book, flipped through it, and then said, "Besides, the level of education in Yu'ai Prefecture is relatively high in the entire Xuan Kingdom. It not only has common private schools, but also several state colleges, and even modern girls' schools."

Shunzi, confused, asked Feng Xiuhu in a low voice, "Brother, what is a girls' school?"

Feng Xiuhu casually replied, "It's a school specifically for girls."

Shunzi was taken aback: "Are there really that many educated women?"

Fang Youliu couldn't help but sneer: "It's nothing new. The further you go into Taijing, the more things you'll not understand."

Feng Xiuhu craned his neck to look at the leather-bound book: "Did Constance say all of this?"

Fang Youliu picked up the notebook and nodded, saying, "Yes, he also noted down the situation of many bandits—he was robbed here."

Feng Xiuhu exclaimed in surprise, "Even a scholar of natural history can be robbed! Did he use all his skills on a dog?"

Fang Youliu turned around and glanced at the distant hills.

"Because the bandits here have firearms."

(End of this chapter)