Chapter 1977 - 1979: Fairy Residence Pavilion

Chapter 1977: Chapter 1979: Fairy Residence Pavilion

As they left the guesthouse, Xiaoxiao was still lamenting, "I should have come earlier."

She truly regretted it, thinking that the exam location wasn’t far, she didn’t expect so many students coming to take the exams, so much so that there’s no vacancy in the guesthouse. If they couldn’t find a place to stay, wouldn’t they have to sleep on the streets? That would surely ruin Yang Ming’s exam!

"Don’t worry, let’s head to the Fairy Residence Pavilion, maybe there’ll be space," Yang Ming consoled.

"But you heard the shopkeeper saying that Fairy Residence Pavilion has terrible conditions," Xiaoxiao said worriedly.

"No matter how bad the guesthouse is, it’s gotta be better than staying in the countryside, right? After all, we’re used to it,"

Xiaoxiao listened and thought that Yang Ming made some sense, didn’t he?

She became more relaxed, deciding to check out the allegedly awful conditions at the Fairy Residence Pavilion. "Alright, let’s go to the Fairy Residence Pavilion."

While conversing, they reached the entrance and explained the situation to Wang Kui, and then they hastily headed off to Fairy Residence Pavilion.

Xiangxian Pavilion is located on Ordinary Street, several streets away from here. Hearing the name of the street, she knew it wouldn’t be too bustling, as it was mostly ordinary townsfolk who lived here.

Upon arrival at Ordinary Street, Xiaoxiao noticed it was less lively than the previous street.

The street’s lighting was dimmer than the previous one, where every shop had large red lanterns hanging at the entrance.

Here, however, it was sparsely lit, and compared to there, it was quite peaceful.

The carriage stopped at Fairy Residence Pavilion’s entrance.

A waiter approached them enthusiastically, "Are you here to stay, honored guests?"

"Xiao’er, do you have rooms? We need two," Yang Ming asked.

"Yes, we do. Please follow me," the waiter said happily.

Hearing there was space, the group exchanged smiles, and Yang Ming spoke up, "Xiao’er, help find a place for the carriage, we’ll go in ourselves."

"Of course, of course," Xiao’er responded briskly and went to handle the carriage.

Seeing this, Wang Kui gave Yang Ming a look and suggested that the three follow Xiao’er while he took care of the carriage.

Xiao’er understood quickly, directed Wang Kui to a spot, and led Yang Ming inside.

Upon entering, Xiao’er called toward the counter, "Guests have arrived, two rooms."

The group followed Xiao’er to the counter. All guesthouses here required a deposit of a bit of silver; costs for accommodation and meals would be recorded, and settled upon departure. The exams consisted of three sessions over three days, spaced by several days. Though it seemed short, it actually spanned half a month. They also planned to explore the area, so their stay would be lengthy. With a large group needing meals, they paid ten taels of silver upfront.

The shopkeeper took the silver, always welcoming with a smile. The guests at this establishment were mostly humble scholars, dressed in coarse clothing. Due to the poor environment, other guests were also those working menial jobs. People dressed as neatly and presentably as Yang Ming’s group were rare and were naturally offered attentive service.

Calling out to the waiter, "Xiaoliu, quickly lead the gentlemen upstairs and clean those two rooms well."

"Alright," Xiao’er replied, and added, "Gentlemen, please follow me."

Just as Yang Ming’s group was about to follow Xiao’er upstairs, a person leisurely descended the stairs and, upon seeing Yang Ming, spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "Oh, isn’t this Brother Yang? Why come to stay here? With the fortune Brother Yang has made, shouldn’t he be staying at a grand inn?"