Chapter 31: Can't Find the Money
The streets of Lingyun Town were exceptionally clean and tidy, unlike the dirty and chaotic medieval Western cities that Su Hao had imagined. There was no smell of garbage or sewage in the air. The streets were paved with tightly fitted stone slabs, and the houses on both sides were of various styles but neatly arranged, extending into the distance.
People were coming and going in and out of the town. Most of them were villagers from surrounding villages, carrying their goods to sell in the city. There were large carts and small carts, constantly entering and leaving, creating a lively atmosphere.
For He Qingqing and Xiaopang, it was the first time in their lives to see so many people. Their eyes were filled with "people, people, people...". They curiously looked at this person and that person.
"Sugar critters, only 2 copper coins each!"
He Qingqing and Xiaopang widened their eyes and stared intently, swallowing their saliva.
"Freshly baked wild boar meat buns, 3 copper coins each!"
He Qingqing and Xiaopang smelled the aroma and immediately changed their minds.
"Warm pancakes~"
He Qingqing and Xiaopang also wanted to eat.
...
He Jianyong and Lao Li were very generous today. Seeing their own children's happiness, they just paid for everything, and of course, Su Hao didn't spend any less either.
Su Hao tried everything. Delicious! Then He Jianyong took everyone to a tailor shop and ordered two sets of stylish clothes for the three children. The clothes were made quickly, and they only needed to wait for a while before they could pick them up.
Su Hao didn't make things difficult for the tailor by giving him special requests. Instead, he chose a style that looked comfortable and natural. The inner garment was white, and the outer garment was light blue. The style had a touch of retro vibe, and when cinched with a belt, it looked very neat.
He Qingqing chose a greenish-colored dress with a mix of green and white. It looked very beautiful on her, turning her into an elegant and delicate little girl.
Xiaopang chose the most flamboyant style. At first glance, one would think he was a wealthy young master, quite flashy. It gave off a feeling of sunglasses, slippers, and beach shorts.
This time, Su Hao didn't feel embarrassed to let He Jianyong pay. He paid from his own pocket and spent two silver coins. Suddenly, he realized that he seemed to be running out of money again.
Then He Jianyong took them to a weapons store to select armor and blades.
The weapon store was quite large. Su Hao looked around but couldn't find any swords. There were various types of armor and blades, including hammers, axes, long knives, spears, and other weapons, but no swords.
His dream of becoming a swordsman was shattered. The main opponents of the human race in this world were huge and defensively powerful fierce beasts, perhaps swords were not as effective as blades.
Su Hao had replaced his armor a year ago, so it wasn't a problem to wear it now, but his short knife looked a bit worn out and short. So he sold his short knife to the weapon store and got 2 silver coins, then spent 5 silver coins to buy a blade that was about 70 centimeters long, resulting in a loss of 3 silver coins.
The more he looked at the new blade, the more he liked it. He realized that there was nothing wrong with liking something new and getting tired of the old.
He Qingqing and Xiaopang also chose their favorite long knives and armor. Then the group left the weapon store.
After wandering around the streets and buying all the daily necessities, they headed straight to Lingyun Warrior Academy.
Today was the day for new student registration at the academy, and both inside and outside the academy were particularly lively, crowded with people.
The registration process was simple. If a person sensed their blood energy before the age of twelve, they could become a warrior. Then they needed to fill out basic information and pay 1 gold coin, which was equivalent to 100 silver coins.
Although the requirements seemed simple, there weren't many people who could meet them. First of all, sensing one's blood energy before the age of twelve eliminated a large portion of the population. Then there was the issue of the 1 gold coin tuition fee, which could be considered exorbitant. Not every family could come up with such a large sum of money all at once.
Su Hao rummaged through his money pouch for a long time before finally finding 1 gold coin. Reluctantly, he handed it over to the registrar and received a special badge with a cloud design.
"This badge is the identification for students of Lingyun Warrior Academy. Don't lose it. If you lose it, you'll have to pay to get a new one," the registrar solemnly explained.
Su Hao thought for a long time but couldn't think of a place where he wouldn't easily lose it, so he simply put it into his money pouch.
After successfully registering and arranging their dormitory, He Jianyong and Lao Li returned to Chashan Post.
...
Each dormitory at the academy could accommodate four people. Xiaopang and Su Hao were assigned to the same dormitory, while the other two roommates hadn't shown up yet.
Since there were fewer female students, the girls' dormitories were located on the other side of the academy. After Xiaopang and Su Hao finished packing, Su Hao accompanied He Qingqing to her dormitory and waited outside for her to finish organizing her things.
At this moment, Xiaopang turned to Su Hao and said, "Xiangwu, what should we do next?"
Su Hao looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean, what should we do?"
Xiaopang looked conflicted and said, "My dad and the others have gone back. It's just the three of us now, and it feels a bit..."
Su Hao understood. Xiaopang was feeling scared.
It was common for people to feel lost and uncertain when facing their lives alone for the first time after leaving their parents' wings.
Su Hao patted Xiaopang's shoulder and said, "We don't need to do anything. Just wait for the academy's arrangements. Didn't you receive a list of instructions? Just follow what's written on it."
Xiaopang still felt uneasy and said, "But... it still feels a bit empty. Xiangwu, don't you feel anything?"
Su Hao chuckled and replied, "What do you want me to feel? Isn't it the same for everyone? Don't worry, Xiaopang. It's just the first day of school. You'll get used to it. You'll come to like it here."
Xiaopang nodded and fell silent.
After a while, He Qingqing came out. Although she hid it well, Su Hao could still sense her unease and confusion, just like Xiaopang.
He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "They're still children."
"Let's go!" Su Hao beckoned and started walking.
"Where are we going?" Xiaopang asked.
Su Hao raised the list of instructions in his hand and calmly said, "I'll take you on a tour to familiarize ourselves with the place. I don't want you
to get lost. Then we'll have dinner."
Xiaopang asked, "But Xiangwu, it's also your first time here, right?"
Su Hao nodded, "Yes, it's my first time too!"
Xiaopang looked at him admiringly, and He Qingqing's eyes revealed a hint of envy. She also wanted to be like Wu Xiangwu, calm, natural, wise, as if everything was under control.
"This is the cafeteria. We'll eat here in the future... This is the training ground where basic training takes place. I guess we'll spend a lot of time here in the future... And here is the bathhouse for taking showers... This building is the classroom for cultural classes... This area is where the teachers live. They won't come over here unless there's something important..."
Xiaopang and He Qingqing's eyes were sparkling.
"Alright, that's about it. Did you remember everything?" Su Hao asked.
He Qingqing nodded, and Xiaopang first nodded, then shook his head and said, "Xiangwu, with you here, why should I bother remembering?"
Su Hao sneered, "Hmph, you think of me as a nanny? You're thinking too much."
Xiaopang smiled awkwardly and didn't say anything.
Su Hao looked left and right. The sun had already set and said, "Let's go! Let's go and have dinner."
Xiaopang suddenly said, "Great! It's our first day, so let me treat you guys to a delicious meal!"
Before Su Hao and He Qingqing could object, Xiaopang immediately grabbed them and headed towards the boys' dormitory. "Let's go, let's go! We need to go back and get money first."
Su Hao frowned and said, "Xiaopang, in the future, don't keep valuable items like money in the dormitory. You must carry them with you at all times."
Xiaopang waved his hand dismissively, "Hey, don't worry. Can't I take care of myself?"
After returning to the dormitory, Xiaopang searched for a while and suddenly shouted in panic, "Xiangwu, come and help me find it! I can't find my money!"
"!!!" Su Hao suddenly had a bad feeling.
(translated by begs)