Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 540: Unexpectedly, I Can Still Enjoy the Shopkeeper’s Treat

Chapter 540: Chapter 540: Unexpectedly, I Can Still Enjoy the Shopkeeper’s Treat

"Since the government is involved, how could they allow the common people to suffer like that?" the tailor asked.

He operated a small business in the town, but there were still quite a number who came to get their clothes made-toorder, all of them being neighbors from his street.

And what they discussed was just some gossip; matters like the sufferings of the world were simply beyond their imagination—at most, they might lament that there were more beggars on the streets than before.

Tian Peng had been waiting in the shop for a while. The shopkeeper, looking at Tian Peng, felt a touch of pity in his heart.

This customer, both in terms of appearance and generosity, seemed quite well-off. He probably had a considerable family fortune and was well-cultured, maybe even more formidable than the shop owner himself.

To trek such a long distance just to stand up for other common folks was something most people wouldn’t have the broad-mindedness to do.

So the tailor called over the two workers he had hired to help make sure Tian Peng’s clothes were finished quickly.

After waiting for a couple of hours, the tailor came out from the back with the clothing and handedit to Tian Peng, "Young man, take a look. This is the clothing we’ve just finished sewing for you. Try it on and see if it fits."

Tian Peng thanked him and took the clothes, then went to a side room to change. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He briefly looked it over; the clothing was quite fitting. As for the craftsmanship and such, he didn’t consider them and simply asked the tailor, "Thank you shopkeeper, for finishing the clothes so quickly. How much do I owe you?"

The tailor originally intended to be generous and not charge anything, but remembering the two workers in his shop who needed to be paid, and his own large family at home, he couldn’t be as magnanimous as the young man.

"Twenty coins."

"Twenty coins?" Tian Peng was somewhat surprised. "Shopkeeper, your business must be very good, right?"

"Why do you say that?" the tailor asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Twenty coins is really too cheap. Shopkeeper, your business must be very good; otherwise, such a low price, I’m afraid it wouldn’t even cover the cost," Tian Peng said.

"What you said is true, my shop’s business is indeed not bad," the tailor responded. "I hope that in the future, if you ever visit Bianjing City, you’ll come to my shop again."

"That’s for certain," Tian Peng said.

Tian Peng put on the clothes and left. What he didn’t know was that the tailor had charged him only the cost price for the outfit.

He couldn’t afford to be overly generous and refuse payment altogether, but he still wanted to offer what little help he could, so he only charged the cost price.

Indeed, after changing into the new clothing, Tian Peng found it much more convenient to ask for directions and to eat—no one gave him strange looks or asked if he was a beggar or anything of the sort.

Tian Peng had intended to find a small restaurant to eat, but remembering the issue had yet to be resolved and having already wasted the entire morning, he reconsidered.

With this in mind, Tian Peng returned to that same street vendor and bought a few pieces of oil-fried bread and just had water to drink.

While buying the oil-fried bread, the vendor kept praising his own product.

"Young man, you don’t know, this oil-fried bread of mine, it’s from last year when I went back to my hometown, my sister-in-law made it for me, and after one taste, I couldn’t forget it."

"The oil I use is a special product from my hometown, peanut oil. Even though it doesn’t have the rich fragrance of lard, the aroma of this peanut oil is something that ordinary flavors simply can’t compare with."

"Really?" Tian Peng echoed the vendor’s words, "This flavor is indeed very nice, and since peanut oil is a specialty of your region, I assume you must have developed quite well."

The vendor sighed, "It was indeed so when I was a child. I heard that it started when a young noble from Chang’an came to our place for a visit. Then, somehow, he settled down locally. After moving in, he opened a small shop and dealt in oil trade."

"Really?" Tian Peng felt the story sounded strangely familiar.

"Exactly," the vendor said, "they say that the noble was remarkably handsome, too. You know, our little corner is quite remote, with nothing much to it. But ever since that noble started selling oil, more and more people began visiting our area. Not only did his business thrive but other businesses in our town did well too."

As Tian Peng listened to the vendor, his suspicions grew stronger. This familiar-sounding tale seemed to fit perfectly with Chen Nuo’s time spent in the mortal world.

"So where is this little town of yours?"

"Oh, our little place, you may not know it even if I tell you. But our town is at the foot of Mount Taihang—you’ve heard of Mount Taihang, haven’t you?" asked the vendor.

Tian Peng knew it well, indeed. Wasn’t this a coincidence; the vendor’s hometown was the very town where Chen Nuo had lived when he was in the mortal world.

"It’s a pity, though," the vendor continued, "our town was very prosperous when the noble was there. Maybe he got tired of our place and left for somewhere else. After that, nobody knew where he went."

"He sold his shop to our town’s grain store. Then the grain store, for reasons unknown, when someone offered a lot of money for the recipe, they just sold it," the vendor said.

Tian Peng didn’t need to guess—Chen Nuo must have told them they could sell the recipe; that’s why the grain store sold it.

"So that’s how it is. How is your little town doing now?"

"How else could it be?" The vendor seemed a bit angry, "It’s because the recipe was sold that we saw fewer people from outside our town, and my family ended up having no choice but to come to Bianjing City."

"But you seem to be doing quite well here," Tian Peng was speaking when a monk draped in a kasaya passed by, carrying many Buddhist scriptures. Tian Peng took a second glance, "Why does this monk display such a grand façade?"

"Oh, that’s a monk from Gold Mountain Monastery here on a scholarly visit to Kaifeng," explained the vendor. "He engages with everyone from officials to beggars; as long as they are interested in the Buddhist Scriptures, he would impart the teachings of Buddhism. He’s a genuine monk, not like some who come only for the Incense Power."

"Is that so." Tian Peng couldn’t help looking at the monk a second time, thinking such mundane and impartial attitudes were very rare these days.

After finishing his snack, Tian Peng inquired about the way to Kaifeng Prefecture and then turned and left.

Upon reaching Kaifeng Prefecture, he found two guards standing at the entrance. Tian Peng approached and informed them he was there to see the official.

The guards scrutinized Tian Peng carefully, from his shoes to his face, checking him over without a clear purpose.

Tian Peng grew impatient under their gaze and asked, "What’s the matter, sir? Can’t I meet with the official? What’s the point of just looking?"

"I thought you might be some relation to our official since you want to see him. You must have a reason for your visit, right?" The guard’s demeanor grew more assertive upon hearing Tian Peng call him ’sir’.

Tian Peng had initially referred to the guard as ’sir’ out of respect since he had a favor to ask and wanted to maintain a polite attitude. However, it seemed his politeness had emboldened the gatekeeper.

"I have a grievance to report. Please inform the official. I need to see him."

Tian Peng thought about the many common folk behind him and decided to endure, addressing the guard in a calm and courteous manner.

"Everyone who comes to the government has a grievance. You need to state exactly what your grievance is."