Good Man Operation Guide

The ancient roads were extremely difficult to travel.

If one were to sit in a well-equipped carriage, it would still be considered challenging. However, now sitting in a crude donkey cart, the person inside could be tossed up and down a thousand times.

Lin Shiheng was relatively fine; he seemed to possess a calmness that said, ‘Let the winds blow from all directions, I shall remain unmoved.’

Even if the other person in the cart was jostled into the air, he could still open the window and read a book in the sunlight outside.

The person accompanying him was miserable.

This person who traveled with Lin Shiheng wasn’t someone who had previously agreed to take the examination together in the provincial capital. Instead, he was a scholar who should have comfortably traveled to the provincial capital in his own carriage, accompanied by servants, carrying money and gifts.

This was a completely different and uncomfortable version of rushing to the examination.

He claimed to have connections and boasted that he belonged to the same clan as the third-ranking official, Official Sun, in the imperial court. He had always lived in the neighboring county of Lin Shiheng’s hometown, enjoying a life of luxury. When he needed to rush to the capital for the examination, he didn’t have to worry about the preparations, as his family would provide him with silver, servants, and a carriage.

Unfortunately, this scholar was an unlucky fellow. Everything had been arranged perfectly, but halfway through the journey, they coincidentally encountered bandits who robbed them of all their money and belongings. If this scholar hadn’t been good-looking and immediately offered to marry the bandit leader’s daughter, showing his ability to adapt, he probably wouldn’t have been able to save his own life and the lives of his servants.

The fortunate part amidst misfortune was that he encountered Lin Shiheng after escaping and could follow him to the provincial capital for the examination.

Unfortunately, the delicate and pampered Scholar Sun was prone to motion sickness in the cart.

Throughout the journey, he felt like he was about to vomit.

When a person vomited, they would feel discomfort in their mouth and naturally desire water. Since he didn’t have any water with him, he asked Lin Shiheng for some.

Usually, at such times, a scholar dressed plainly, holding books and with a gentle smile, would considerately take out water from his own bag and hand it to the fellow traveler whom he had never met before.

It could be said that he was very kind.

1 tael of silver.”

Young Master Sun didn’t hesitate as he rinsed his mouth with the water bag. After rinsing his mouth, he leaned against the window with a desolate expression, “Brother Lin, how much do I owe you?”

“Not much, just 80 taels.”

Lin Shiheng smiled at him with pure kindness, causing Scholar Sun to feel an itch in his teeth.

Nowadays, most scholars were full of propriety and righteousness, disdainful of any trace of vulgarity. Otherwise, those mountain bandits wouldn’t have been persuaded to let Scholar Sun go so easily with just a few words from his lips.

After all, in the impression of the people, scholars weren’t inclined to lie.

At least, all the scholars Scholar Sun had encountered before were of that kind. Unexpectedly, he had now encountered such an extraordinary person like Lin Shiheng.

“Brother Lin, have you ever been told that you don’t seem like a scholar?”

Lin Shiheng smiled kindly, “Not at all.”

“As a scholar, one should ensure the well-being of one’s family. Now that I am making money legitimately, what’s wrong with that?”

Scholar Sun had developed some feelings for him during their time together. Although he occasionally felt choked by this person’s thick-skinned behavior, compared to those who were usually respectful and considerate but stabbed him in the back when it mattered, Lin Shiheng’s direct and straightforward pricing made him feel more at ease.

Although he was desperate for money, he still had some dignity left.

The two of them arrived in the provincial capital with great difficulty... Oh, no, it was Scholar Sun who had a difficult time, while Lin Shiheng had a rather easy journey.

When Scholar Sun saw the plaque hanging on the city wall, his eyes turned red in an instant. He was only in his teens, and he had never experienced much hardship in his life. But now, he had swallowed a lifetime’s worth of bitterness.

Eager to return to his own place, he immediately got off the donkey cart and bid farewell to Lin Shiheng, “Thank you, Brother Lin, for taking care of me these days. I have relatives in this city, and now I just need to find them. I hope you can inform me of where you’re staying, and once I settle down, I’ll have someone deliver the money I owe you.”

Lin Shiheng lifted the curtain and looked back at the city gate.

“You’re still young, don’t be deceived by others again. Would you like me to accompany you a little further?”

Scholar Sun shook his head. The place he was going to wasn’t somewhere where he could bring guests.

“Very well, let’s part ways here then.”

Lin Shiheng smiled and was about to lower the curtain when Scholar Sun hesitated and quickly stopped him, “Brother Lin, you haven’t told me where you’ll be staying.”

If I don't know the location, how could I have someone send the money over?

The elegant scholar in the carriage shook his head and chuckled, “No need for that.”

Seeing Scholar Sun looking puzzled, Lin Shiheng smiled and said, “When we first met, you were covered in wounds, looked cautious, wouldn’t touch anything I offered, and even when your stomach growled from hunger, you refused to eat. Were you afraid I would poison you?”

Struck by his words, Scholar Sun’s eyes narrowed, his body tensed, and his hand quietly rested on his waist.

“I’ve noticed that you always keep your hand on your waist. Is there a dagger there?” However, Lin Shiheng didn’t take his current cautious demeanor seriously. Instead, he spoke in a relaxed manner, “If there was anything suspicious about me, I’m afraid that dagger would have found its way to my heart by now.”

“And you’re not a scholar here to take the exam, right? The exam is about to start, yet you didn’t bring any books with you. You didn’t even ask to borrow a book from me when we stopped to rest.”

Scholar Sun’s body stiffened. He thought he had disguised himself perfectly, but now he realized there were so many flaws. Although he was only a teenager, his voice was extremely obscure as he asked, “Who exactly are you?"

“Haven’t I already told Brother Sun before? I’m a scholar rushing to take the exam.”

Scholar Sun didn’t believe it, not only that, but he kept pondering in his mind which faction this person belonged to. Since he had the opportunity to harm me, why hadn’t he made a move all this time?

“If you already figured it out, why pretend to be clueless?”

Lin Shiheng smiled casually, “If I didn’t act this way, would you have eaten my food and drunk my water? I’m afraid you would have starved to death before reaching the provincial capital.”

Scholar Sun’s face stiffened. That was indeed true. If it weren't for Lin Shiheng’s straightforward pricing, making him believe this person was after his wealth, he wouldn’t have touched anything from him even if he starved to death.

But why was this person helping me?

What did he want?

While Scholar Sun pondered, Lin Shiheng in the carriage glanced at the sky, “Now that you have reached a safe area, we shall part ways here.”

After saying that, he let down the carriage curtain and instructed the coachman to drive on.

The simple donkey cart entered the city, leaving Scholar Sun standing still, his face filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Is it really over just like that?

He’s leaving without asking for anything?

It shouldn’t be like this. People he had encountered before were either after fame or fortune. Lin Shiheng, on the other hand, clearly recognized his extraordinary identity but was willing to leave without taking anything. That was truly a first.

Recalling their conversations during the journey, the talent unintentionally revealed by Lin Shiheng, and his unwavering composure despite the bumps of the cart, gradually brought enlightenment to Scholar Sun’s youthful face.

Detachment from fame and fortune, seeing through without revealing, and going as far as to save him without caring about putting on a facade of greed. This was the true essence of a scholar!

A person of such noble character must be recruited to my side!

The perplexed expression on the coachman’s face while driving the cart became even more pronounced.

In the eyes of the villagers in Lin’s village, the coachman was seen as a hired worker, but in reality, he was bought by Lin Shiheng. Even this donkey cart was purchased.

In this era where ‘you have my contract, you are my master,’ the coachman regarded Lin Shiheng, the scholar, as his own master.

He initially thought that his master had kindly picked up a fellow scholar going to take the exam and was happy about earning some money. However, the recent words from Lin Shiheng left him dumbfounded.

That person isn’t a scholar?

He had listened to Lin Shiheng’s confident words, witnessed the young master’s agreement, and was pleased that his master had earned some money. But now, what kind of turn of events was this?

Still worried about his master’s well-being in the provincial capital, the coachman couldn’t resist asking while driving the cart, “Young Master, you really don’t want any reward? Coming all the way from a distant place, even just the travel expenses, it’s not a small amount.”

Lin Shiheng calmly sat inside the carriage and replied, “I don’t want it. He will give it to me.”

“Reaching out to ask for payment doesn’t have the same level of elegance as someone voluntarily offering it.”

The coachman became even more confused.

Was the Young Master implying that Young Master Sun would come to him and offer the money?

But he never told Young Master Sun where he intended to stay

He wondered about it in his heart but didn’t have the courage to ask. Driving the carriage, they arrived at an inn and entered together with his own young master.

The coachman knew that his young master had money. Previously, when they drove to the county, a government clerk came to deliver money, saying something about a great favor.

Since then, he knew that his master had great abilities. Didn’t he see that even the government officials came to establish connections?

As he waited for Lin Shiheng to get off the carriage, the coachman followed closely and cautiously asked, “Young Master, will you stay in an upper room?”

As for him, any random room would suffice.

“No need,” Lin Shiheng handed him money, “Go book two rooms on the ground floor.”

The coachman didn’t understand why he needed to stay in a room on the ground floor if he had money, but obediently went to book two rooms.

That night, a person dressed as a servant walked into the inn and knocked on Lin Shiheng’s door.

“Master Lin, I am a servant from the Sun family. This is a token of gratitude from my Young Master, silver coins that were previously agreed upon...”

The young man in the green scholar’s robe stood tall and furrowed his brows slightly. He moved his body slightly to the left, allowing the servant to see the environment of the ground floor rooms clearly. In a calm voice, he said, “Helping Young Master Sun was just a small effort on my part. There’s no need for any token of gratitude. Take it back.”

The servant took a few glances, taking in the terrible condition of the ground floor room. It was too awful, not even a servant like him would stay there. He looked at the elegant scholar in front of him, who was clearly impoverished but could still refuse such a large sum of silver coins.

A person who didn’t covet wealth, possessed pure character, and exuded such dignity stood before him.

When he returned, he must learn a thing or two from his own master.

Thinking of his master’s words, he simply threw the object in his hand to the vacant space on the right side that Lin Shiheng had left by leaning to the left.

“Eh, what are you doing?”

Lin Shiheng seemed surprised and turned to pick it up and return it to him, but the servant had already turned and ran away.

“Young Master Lin, please accept it. It’s a token of appreciation from my Master.”

Watching him run off, the scholar stood in place, holding the silver taels, seemingly helpless. Then he lowered his head, tapping the one hundred taels in his hand, and his lips curved slightly.

Tsk, more money again.

Money is truly easy to earn.