Chapter 81: Return

Returning to Li Prefecture.

Li Qi swaggered about, not at all like a wanted criminal.

Because no one really cared.

Half a month had passed; it was just a few low-level Gang members who had died. Such incidents, while not daily occurrences, were not uncommon either.

Moreover, when Li Qi looked, there were probably seventy or eighty wanted posters similar to his own.

The bottom rung of society is like this: people have nothing but their wretched lives. When it comes time to risk everything, the rich risk their family fortunes, their possessions.

But the wretched people at the bottom, they have nothing but their own lives, so they can only stake their only valuable possession, their life, on the gambling table, hoping to turn their fortunes around.

But what's truly ridiculous is that even though wanted posters were hung everywhere, Li Qi was certain that none of these cases had actually been filed in the Li Prefecture government office.

If a case is filed, it must be completed, it must be investigated thoroughly.

But if it's not filed, then there's no need to deal with it at all.

The most crucial point is that filing a case depends on the mood of the yamen.

It's fine if you encounter a responsible constable, but if they can be lazy, how long can even a responsible constable persevere?

Those responsible for filing cases bear more responsibility, gain no additional rewards, and instead face more criticism and demands. In the long run, who can withstand that?

Fortunately, the constables possess absolute suppressive power. The scoundrels below can fight among themselves, but they all know one thing: no matter how many people die, they must hold back.

Once they lose control, can those who practice trashy cultivation methods defeat the constables?

At that point, everyone would truly die.

And the area where the Paibo Gang lived was dirty, smelly, and cramped—not a good place. Normally, apart from the lower-class people themselves, no one was really willing to go there.

Li Prefecture, seemingly with several million people crowded together, should be a dense mass, but in reality, the interior is clearly delineated, with invisible high walls erected layer upon layer, separating different people.

Li Qi walked among them, observing the city with an outsider's eye.

"It's truly rotten," Li Qi shook his head.

Unlike those small counties, Li Prefecture, upon entering, immediately gave off an aura of decay.

Li Qi was currently around the market.

At his feet lay two corpses.

They were likely beggars who had died of cold and hunger, a mother and child. The mother was barely clothed, and the child was wrapped in tattered cloth. They were probably thrown out to die.

And right next to the corpses, two fast horses brushed past.

Two young men in brocade robes rode fast horses, laughing loudly, nearly hitting Li Qi, but they didn't care at all, galloping forward, enjoying the thrill of a racing competition.

Although he had lived in Li Prefecture for more than two or three years, this scene still made Li Qi sigh.

He used to pull boats every day, leaving early and returning late, exhausted to death, so he hadn't realized that Li Prefecture had so many rich people with horses.

Indeed, one's perspective changes what one sees.

He probably thought that this world had no livestock farming, but that was just what he thought.

It was just that these wretched people at the bottom were not qualified to see it; it wasn't that others didn't have it.

This place was a world apart from the slum Li Qi had once lived in.

He had never been here before, and coming today, he realized how big the gap was. You see, normally, coming here would earn you disdain, and some street patrols would even drive you away.

Now, wearing these less shabby clothes, he could naturally walk here without being pointed at.

This time, he was on this street for no other reason than to buy some small gifts.

It was just that many scenes he hadn't seen before.

Li Qi bought many things, filling his backpack, some for his brothers, some for Shen Shuibi and Old Ma, but it only cost less than a thousand cash, less valuable than the clothes he was wearing.

However, they were all practical items, such as a sewing kit, durable coarse cloth, and some wooden toys. Most importantly, he bought some medicine, some for sprains and bruises, some for anti-inflammatory and pain relief, all medicines that Boat Towmen often needed.

Besides that, he didn't buy food. There was no need; food could be bought later. It was better to buy more practical things. Gifts should be practical.

After buying these things, Li Qi, carrying his backpack, entered the familiar small alleys.

Walking all the way to his former home, there were hardly any people; most had gone to pull boats.

People at the bottom worked tirelessly day and night, with very few hours to rest. Those who stayed home during the day were mostly injured or sick. Sometimes, even if they were sick, they had to persevere, otherwise, their families would have no food.

However, isn't that why Gangs exist?

With a Gang, if something happens, other brothers can help you out; you don't have to bear everything alone.

The unity and cohesion of a Gang come from this.

So, for some who were sick, other brothers would share a little, and they would get by and be able to recover properly.

When Li Qi arrived, some Boat Towmen who were sick or injured were at home tending to the salted meat made from pigs slaughtered in spring and the dried fish they usually caught.

It looked like a lot, but this was a year's worth of food for seven or eight hundred people. When things happened, they would even sell it for money, so they usually didn't get to eat it. Their diet rarely included meat or fish.

Yes, although there were only two or three hundred Boat Towmen, they also had dependents, children, and wives. Although these people couldn't do much work, they still needed to eat, so naturally, they couldn't be too well-off.

These Boat Towmen, and some of their dependents, clearly saw Li Qi return.

"Brother Li!?" They were astonished, but also delighted, and quickly rushed over.

About five or six Boat Towmen, and some dependents, a dozen or so people, all surged over: "Brother Li, why are you back? Uncle Liu said you wouldn't be back until the end of the year!"

"Brother Li is back!"

"Brother Li, he's even wearing new clothes!"

"Where did you go this time, Brother Li? Uncle Liu said you went far away. I've never even been out of the city. What does it look like outside the city?"

Li Qi was surrounded by a cacophony of voices, but he felt a sense of familiarity. He clapped his hands: "Don't be chaotic, don't be chaotic. Go back first, don't block the way here. Go back, someone go inform Uncle Liu, let's go back and talk slowly!"

Li Qi still had prestige among the Boat Towmen, so with a clap of his hands, these people suppressed what was on their minds, lowered their voices, and, in a noisy manner, crowded around Li Qi and went back.

And Li Qi, after returning, began distributing the things he had bought to each household.

The children were happy, the Boat Towmen' wives were even happier, and the Boat Towmen were a little embarrassed but accepted them all.

Because Li Qi said he had money.

So they believed him.

A little while later, Uncle Liu also rushed back.

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