Counting out eight copper coins, the young man was about to hand them over when a sudden thought struck him.
"Can we really only use copper coins here? Is it okay if I scan a QR code?" Holding the copper coins in one hand, the young man pulled out his phone and skillfully brought up the scanning interface.
"Please don’t take offense, sir, but I don’t recognize these things. I only recognize copper coins." Looking at the phone in the young man’s hand, a trace of curiosity flashed in Miss Yu the Third’s eyes, but her tone was exceptionally firm.
Even without the True Master’s instructions, it would be impossible for her to accept anything other than copper coins. She had already examined them previously; the copper coins given by the Boss were no different from the ones she knew. In other words, she could take the money she earned here back home and use it directly. Naturally, she couldn’t accept any other currency.
"Alright then." Seeing the persistence in Miss Yu the Third’s eyes, the young man didn’t force the issue and handed over the eight counted copper coins.
"By the way, what was the exchange rate between these copper coins and Hua Country currency again?"
Leaving Miss Yu the Third’s Guduo stand, the pair were just steps away from Yongtong Bridge. However, they weren’t in a hurry to cross. Instead, they began discussing the exchange rate. Earlier at the ticket office, the ticket seller had originally planned to tell them. Perhaps sensing the young man’s foul mood, they had instead chosen to give them ten copper coins each.
But now, it seemed the purchasing power of copper coins on this street was quite strong. Two Wen could buy a skewer of Guduo. For context, the tea eggs at the breakfast shop downstairs from their apartment cost two and a half yuan each. Although the couple had eaten breakfast before coming, the young man felt that even if he had arrived on an empty stomach, four or five skewers would definitely fill him up. And five skewers of Guduo only cost Ten Wen Coins. Even at a one-to-one exchange rate, getting a filling meal for ten yuan—especially one with meat that tasted this incredibly good—was a steal. Such prices wouldn’t even be considered high in the outside world; inside a tourist attraction, they were simply unimaginable!
"Let’s go ask when we leave the Ancient City later."
The young woman realized she had been a bit careless. Originally, she thought the rule about only using copper coins in the scenic area was just a gimmick. But now, after experiencing it firsthand, she just wanted to say: please stick with it all the way!
They chatted for a few more moments. As the Yongtong Bridge they had been longing for finally appeared in full view, the two stopped talking, their eyes entirely captivated by the antique stone bridge.
The feeling hadn’t been as pronounced in the video. Now, truly standing before the bridge, a wave of Ancient Rhyme washed over them, leaving the pair momentarily stunned.
Under the late morning sun, the green-grey body of the bridge subtly dazzled the eyes. It was caused by the reflective wear and tear on the bridge railings and deck over the years, a sight the young couple had never seen before. Slowly stepping onto the stone bridge, the two stopped in the middle and leaned over the railing to look down. Beneath the bridge was a small river. The current wasn’t strong, but the water was crystal clear. Several small fish they couldn’t name swam back and forth among the gravel and waterweeds.
After watching for a while, the young man suddenly spoke up. "I used to visit an old bridge too."
"Hmm?"
"It was in my hometown, also a stone bridge like this. I was little then. My dad would ride his bike and take me across the bridge. The deck was covered in potholes, and my butt would hurt from bouncing on the backseat." At this point, the young man chuckled. "Later, the town repaired the roads and tore the bridge down."
The young woman didn’t reply. Watching a few fallen leaves drift down from upstream, she suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She wasn’t sad for the young man, but rather struck by a profound thought. Standing on such an ancient bridge, watching the water flow endlessly beneath it, one never knew how many years it had been flowing—or when it might finally stop.
"Let’s go. Let’s get some tea. Didn’t you want another cup?"
They stood quietly on the bridge for a long time. It wasn’t until the indescribable melancholy in their hearts gradually dissipated that the young man spoke again. His tone was no longer impatient, but much gentler.
Nodding, the young woman had also lost her previous exuberance. Following quietly behind the young man as they descended the stone bridge, the two first bid farewell to Miss Yu the Third, who was busy at the bridgehead, and then headed toward Li’s Tea House.
Seeing the two return, Mr. Si, who had been standing at the entrance of the tea house greeting customers, enthusiastically welcomed them once more. Since the young couple was no longer in a rush, they followed Mr. Si’s lead back to the familiar square table and patiently ordered their tea.
"Yuqian tea is Six Wen, Xianchun is eight Wen..."
After some comparison, the two directly ordered two cups of Yuqian. After eating the fried Guduo at the bridgehead, they only had twelve Wen left on them. Originally, the young man had considered ordering the eight-Wen Xianchun for the young woman and going without tea himself, or going straight back to the ticket office to exchange for more copper coins. But the young woman stopped him.
"Next time," she said. "Just think of it as giving us a reason to come back."
Her words moved the young man. The two simply sat quietly in front of the tea house window, watching the empty street outside as they slowly finished their tea.
After each enjoying a cup of whisked Yuqian tea, the two didn’t linger in the Ancient City any longer. However, they hadn’t forgotten what they had discussed earlier. Upon exiting the Ancient City gates, they headed straight for the ticket office.
"Hello, I’d like to ask, what is the exchange rate for the copper coins in the Ancient City?" Glancing through the glass window and seeing that Chen Yan was still there, the young man cut straight to the chase, eagerly inquiring about the rate.
"One to one. One Hua Country yuan exchanges for one copper coin. Do you need some?" Seeing that the first thing this young couple did after touring the Ancient City was to ask about the exchange rate, Chen Yan felt a stir of excitement, though he answered patiently.
"Thank you, we won’t need any this time. Maybe next time."
Learning that the exchange rate was exactly the one-to-one ratio he had guessed, the young man felt a thrill of excitement. Suddenly remembering something, he gave Chen Yan a thumbs-up. "That Qinghe Street you just upgraded in the Ancient City... it’s amazing. Absolutely amazing!"
"Thank you for the compliment. Please come again if you liked it."
Chen Yan knew that as long as these tourists stepped onto Qinghe Street, they definitely wouldn’t be disappointed. But he hadn’t expected the feedback to come so promptly, nor for it to be so overwhelming. On the young couple’s faces, he only saw a lingering desire for more and an eager impatience to return. This truly made him heave a sigh of relief.
He had this in the bag!
Interestingly enough, when they first arrived, it was the young woman who chatted more with Chen Yan. Yet after they came out, it was the young man who excitedly talked his ear off. Meanwhile, the young woman held her phone the entire time, seemingly posting something.
"Excuse me, can I post the things I filmed today on Qinghe Street onto Notes?" Just as the young man finished chatting with Chen Yan and prepared to leave, the young woman finally put down her phone and asked Chen Yan a question with a look of anticipation.
"You can." He smiled and nodded. Although he didn’t spend much time on Notes, he knew the app had massive traffic. The Ancient City’s previous miraculous revival had relied entirely on the traffic brought in by the video posted by that female tourist with the cartoon avatar. Now that this young couple wanted to post on Notes right after touring Qinghe Street, it was naturally impossible for Chen Yan to stop them. He was even wondering if he should create an alt account to secretly pay for a Notes boost on her video.