Chapter 46: Living in the Capital is Not Easy

A day in the capital city surpasses a hundred miles of misty clouds.

Fan Jin had long experienced the splendor of Jinling, yet compared to the capital, Jinling seemed somewhat frivolous and lacked a certain solemnity.

The capital city was overwhelmingly prosperous, radiating a powerful magnetic field from within and without, and every citizen carried an innate pride.

As the heart of the imperial dynasty, the locals proudly called themselves “The Proud People of Heavenly Street.” Don’t mistake them for ordinary folk—even beggars leaning against walls basking in the sun would barely glance at a coin tossed their way by passersby.

Only the clear, pleasant sound of silver coins clinking into their worn bowls could bring a smile to their faces and prompt grateful thanks.

The streets of the capital were wide enough to accommodate four or five carriages side by side. Among the bustling crowd, one could occasionally spot foreign merchants with golden hair and blue eyes, speaking in strange accents, gesticulating with both hands as they conducted business with local traders.

Though such sights might astonish newcomers, the natives were long accustomed to them and took it all in stride.

Since entering the city gates, Fan Jin and his companions had wandered about in awe, like rustic bumpkins seeing the world for the first time.

Without realizing it, they found themselves roaming aimlessly until the afternoon, well past three o’clock.

Only then did they realize they had neglected lunch entirely, too preoccupied by the novelty of their surroundings.

After a meal, Fan Jin inquired with the shop assistants about the location of the rental offices and hurried in that direction with mounting urgency.

However, unlike what he had imagined, the capital was not short of rental properties.

By the end of the year, many merchants who came to the capital to trade and people from nearby prefectures working in the city had mostly returned home.

Some had even decided to wait until spring, after the busy season of planting, to return to the city.

Therefore, housing wasn’t in short supply.

Yet, though houses were available, prices were non-negotiable.

Everyone knew that with the upcoming imperial examinations and candidates arriving from all over, the rents and prices in the capital would only rise, never fall.

Thus, landlords remained calm and composed, indifferent as ever, willing to rent only to those who agreed to the terms.

Though Fan Jin had braced himself, the prices on the list still shocked him.

The list contained hundreds of available houses, yet even the cheapest demanded more than ten taels of silver per month.

What did ten taels of silver mean?

The butcher Hu, who earned less than four mace of silver a month from slaughtering pigs, working from dawn to dusk, might not be able to afford a single month’s rent in the capital in a whole year.

And that was for an average location. Houses near the imperial examination halls were inflated to astronomical prices.

A small courtyard with only three rooms dared to charge a monthly rent of fifty taels!

Though he knew rents near the time of the exams were artificially high, he could never have anticipated such exorbitance.

The two-courtyard house near the examination hall that Fan Jin favored demanded a staggering two hundred taels per month.

“Are you going to rent it or not?” the landlord snapped impatiently.

Fan Jin gritted his teeth and answered without hesitation, “I will!”

Then his face fell. “But at least give a little discount.”

Two hundred taels a month was outrageously steep, tantamount to robbery.

The supposed “capital under the Son of Heaven,” the foremost city, was merely squeezing money from outsiders!

After bargaining, the landlord reluctantly lowered the price to one hundred fifty taels and refused to budge further.

Having signed the lease, Fan Jin and his party finally settled in the capital.

The monk Hui quietly approached Fan Jin and whispered, “Master, actually, we don’t need such a large courtyard. Some servants can stay back in Tongzhou; we only need one or two handmaidens close by.”

Fan Jin raised his hand, cutting him off. “I understand what you mean, but I have my reasons. You may go now.”

He had no intention of explaining to Hui. Hui worried about money, and so did he.

But appearances mattered. When moving about in the capital, renting a shabby dwelling would be a slight to one’s reputation.

Just as one could not apply for a bank loan discreetly—one had to flaunt high-end brands, ride luxury carriages, be surrounded by attendants—to secure the loan smoothly.

Moreover, with the spring imperial examinations approaching, Fan Jin felt increasingly confident.

Zhang Jingzhai praised his contentment with poverty, but that was before his success—a helpless stance, akin to praising a eunuch for resisting temptation.

At such a critical moment, how could Fan Jin afford to act humble and frugal?

True, leaving servants behind in Tongzhou would save money, but if guests arrived during his absence, it could cause awkwardness and lose face.

“My son-in-law, this courtyard isn’t as good as your house in Nanhai County!” The butcher Hu finally showed up after wandering about, remarking candidly.

Fan Jin smiled wryly and explained, “The high prices in the capital are due to the value of the land. The land in Nanhai County isn’t nearly as expensive.”

Not to mention, the rent for the courtyard they just moved into would roughly cover the cost of buying his entire house in Nanhai County.

The butcher Hu pondered briefly and nodded in understanding.

Then, secretly avoiding the servants’ eyes, he stuffed a bundle into Fan Jin’s arms. “This is the nest egg I’ve saved over the years, plus some silver I withdrew from the accounts at the manor. Since you’re short on funds, son-in-law, take it for now.”

Fan Jin had not publicized the silver notes given to him by Zhou Xuedao and Prefect Tang, so Hu butcher was unaware of these matters.

His limited knowledge of the Fan household came only from hearsay, and he vaguely grasped the general scale.

Seeing the family’s daily extravagant spending—ordering delicacies, hosting opera troupes on the first and fifteenth days, maintaining a whole staff of servants—Hu suspected the Fan estate was mostly empty.

He often wanted to advise Fan Jin but feared offending his son-in-law and causing displeasure.

Fan Jin instinctively weighed the bundle, estimating nearly a hundred taels of silver, and smiled gently. “Father, are you really willing to give me this?”

“How can you say that, son-in-law?” Hu said solemnly. “You and I are family now, since I gave my daughter to you. Now that you’re in trouble, how could I just stand by?”

Hearing this, Fan Jin’s playful expression vanished, and he pushed the silver back. “No need. I have enough funds to manage.”

Ever since Hu learned that Fan Jin had passed the provincial exam and gifted him several thousand cash, he knew Hu was more generous than anyone when it counted.

Hu understood plainly that even if Fan Jin failed at the imperial exams, he would still be a highly respected scholar.

If his son-in-law remembered their bond, there would be benefits in the future. Hu was no shallow man!