Taking advantage of the opportunity to eat fried liver, Qi Yu started to inquire.
For the sake of the reward, the waiter was very respectful and enthusiastic, and told him everything he knew.
Oh I got it!
Qi Yu paid for the meal, thanked him, and left.
According to the waiter, in terms of accommodation, there are two options.
First of all, stay in an inn. This is simple and straightforward. As long as you have enough money, you can check in at any time.
However, this first choice was eliminated by Qiyu because the price was too expensive.
On weekdays, the cost of accommodation in an inn is about 800 cash per day.
However, now is the eve of the imperial examination, and tens of thousands of candidates have gathered here. As a result, the supply of inns exceeds demand. Therefore, the premium is also very large.
I heard that in some inns the price of a day's stay has soared to 1,500 yuan.
This doesn't include the money for food.
Very expensive!
Don’t count the days. If you stay here for a few days, that’s it. If it’s more expensive, it’s convenient for you. But the problem is, this stay may last for several months!
This statement is also well-founded.
According to the past exams, the general examination will start around the ninth day of February, and then there will be three consecutive exams. If you include the rest time, it will be eleven days.
Moreover, we still have to wait for the results to be released, which will take about half a month. All these things added up, we will have to live here until early March.
If you have tried it, the time will be extended even further. Because there will be palace examinations coming one after another, and this link will take several months.
It takes a long time!
It’s only the end of the twelfth lunar month, and there’s still a long time to come, so I definitely can’t stay in an inn, I can’t afford it!
For children from poor families to take the imperial examination, they not only need to have outstanding talents, but also have enough family resources to support them.
Let’s continue talking about this accommodation.
In addition to inns, you can also choose to rent private houses, which are cheap and have a clean environment, which is very conducive to study and review. However, some inconvenience is that renting out requires you to take care of daily life, such as laundry, cooking, etc.
Qi Yu thought about it and decided to rent a private house.
I have to say that people in Beijing are very good at doing business. Everything you can think of has been thought of for you.
On both sides of the road, there are lots of rental information posted. As long as you stop, you can see houses that "seem" to be suitable.
Qi Yu walked through the streets and contacted each one one by one.
There is no other way, many houses have been rented out, so we can only ask house by house.
Finally, I came across a family that was still alive.
The landlord was a professional housekeeper, and she spoke with some arrogance. It seemed that in her eyes, these outsiders were so-called bumpkins.
Are the people in the capital this kind of virtuous?
"Fifteen taels of silver a month, do you want to rent it..."
"This... alas..."
Qi Yu shook his head, turned and left.
Just fifteen taels for such a single-room courtyard?
Why don't you go and grab it?
…
However, there are still enthusiastic people.
A kind-hearted salesman told Qi Yu that the houses in Bada Hutong were relatively cheaper, so he could go over and ask.
After Qi Yu thanked him, he went there again.
This time the deal was finally settled.
The rent is five taels of silver per month, which is indeed much cheaper than that house, but you have to pay a month's deposit first.
Hmm? This routine seems familiar!
Anyway, just do as the Romans do, you can't save money even if you want to.
So it was settled like this, Qi Yu paid the money, and the landlord also wrote the deed. They handed over the money with one hand and the keys with the other.
Alas, living in the capital is not easy!
Everywhere costs money!
But now that I have a place to stay, I feel more at ease.
This road was full of dust and wind, and I traveled far and wide. I can't say that I was exhausted, but my energy was also haggard.
Just as he was about to wash up and take a good sleep to relieve his fatigue, he heard the door to the courtyard suddenly being knocked.
Huh? Who is coming?
Could it be that the landlord regretted it?
Qi Yu opened the courtyard door with uneasiness.
However, he saw a scholar in his twenties standing outside the door. He was depressed and depressed, his face was dusty and smoky, and his temples were disheveled and his fingers were black.
Could it be that you sell charcoal?
Qi Yu suppressed his confusion and asked, "Who are you looking for, brother?"
The scholar smiled awkwardly and replied with a South Vietnamese accent: "I want to discuss something with you."
Huh……
Actually a southerner?
If I hadn't studied in Guangdong in later generations, I really wouldn't understand what he was talking about.
Qi Yu also took the opportunity to show off, put on a slightly Cantonese accent and replied: "What's the matter?"
Um?
The scholar was suddenly stunned...
After being stunned for a while, a look of joy immediately appeared on his face, and he burst into tears with excitement, shouting: "Oh my! I finally met someone who can understand me..."
As he spoke, he danced happily.
??
Qi Yu: I just said it casually, do you need to be so excited?
The scholar: Meeting an old friend in a foreign country!
"I said, what do you want from me?"
The scholar bowed and said respectfully: "My name is Tan Junyan, Junyan from 'Junyan Looks at the Past'. I am from Guangdong. I have been going north since the beginning of August this year..."
Um?
I asked you something, why did you continue to talk so long?
After listening, Qi Yu finally understood that this man who looked like a charcoal seller was actually a candidate who was rushing to take the exam.
He got the news about Kai Enke in early August, and then immediately set off to the north. Unfortunately, his hometown was located in a remote place and transportation was inconvenient. After climbing the mountain for more than half a month, he finally embarked on the official road.
After that, he traveled by land and water, day and night, and finally arrived in the capital the day before yesterday. However, all the troubles he had incurred were almost spent...
In the past two days, he also asked around about the rental situation of the house, but found that he could not even pay the deposit. Just now he was hiding in the dark to observe and saw that Qi Yu had successfully rented the yard, so
, so I came over for consultation.
Is this called consultation?
Why do you feel like you are taking advantage of rent?
Sure enough, Tan Junyan begged: "Fellow, just be kind and take me in. I don't ask for anything else. A woodshed is enough..."
I really didn’t make a mistake, it turned out to be true!
To help or not to help?
In fact, Qi Yu didn't want to cause such trouble, but since they were both ministers, he couldn't help but feel some sympathy. After struggling for a while, he still nodded in agreement.
Tan Junyan was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed to the sky several times and said: "Thank you to heaven, thank you to earth..."
Qi Yu's mouth twitched: You should thank me first!
…
Although this small courtyard is not big, it happens to have a side room, so there is no problem for two people to live together.
So Qi Yu let him live in a side room.
Tan Junyan was overjoyed, thanked him again and again, and said that he would take care of all the menial work in the future; such as cutting wood, fetching water, boiling water, and even cooking...
Why do you think you have hired a free reading companion?
The two of them were also tired, so they didn't talk any more. After hurriedly washing up, they went to rest separately.
A night of silence.
The next day was a beautiful sunny day with no clouds in the sky.
Qi Yu got up early, said hello to Tan Junyan and then left the courtyard.
Now that I have come to the capital, I must visit my old friends.
This old friend was none other than Meng Jiming, the son of Meng Lanshan.
Since I call him my brother, I have to take the initiative to pay him a visit, otherwise it would be rude.
According to the address he left when he was in Yongchuan, I asked around along the way, and it didn't take long to find it.
