A Modern Man Reincarnated Into Tang Dynasty And Become A County Magistrate (Patreon)

Chapter 3: The Water in the Barrel

As soon as Li Shimin and Du Ruhui entered the Guest Lodge, they noticed how different it was from other inns they had stayed in before.

Typically, the first floor of an inn would be packed with dining tables, noisy with guests eating and drinking, whether they were staying overnight or not. This often disrupted the peace for those staying on the upper floors.

But the first floor of the Guest Lodge was almost empty, decorated only with a few exquisite pieces of furniture and ceramics. Along one side was a long counter for the innkeeper, creating a minimalist and comfortable atmosphere.

At this moment, a young and beautiful woman emerged from the front desk.

“Welcome, esteemed guests. I am Lu Xia, the lobby manager of the Guest Lodge. How may I assist you?”

Her speech was clear, and her face carried a sweet smile.

Li Shimin and Du Ruhui exchanged quick, surprised glances.

They had traveled across the land for years, but this was the first time they had seen a woman working as an innkeeper’s assistant.

“We need two adjacent premium rooms. Also, prepare some wine and food to be delivered to the rooms,” Du Ruhui said, stepping forward to handle the arrangements, as was his role as the “steward.”

“Esteemed guests, please proceed to the third floor,” Lu Xia said, her smile unwavering. “A premium room costs two guan of copper coins per night.”

Du Ruhui was about to invite Li Shimin to go first, but he froze mid-sentence.

“Two guan of copper coins per night?!”

Even the most expensive inns in Chang’an charged no more than 200 wen of copper coins per night. Yet, the rooms at the Guest Lodge were ten times that price.

Was this daylight robbery?

Could it be that Fang Yuan had intentionally brought them to a scam establishment?

“Honored guests, you might not know this, but each of our rooms is equipped with a private toilet, complete with a flushing mechanism activated by a switch.”

“Additionally, every room is connected to water pipes, ensuring twelve hours of hot water daily so guests can take warm baths anytime.”

“Most importantly, our beds are soft and designed to improve sleep quality, ensuring guests have a restful night,” Lu Xia calmly explained, unfazed by their reaction.

She had seen this scenario countless times before. Guests staying at the Guest Lodge for the first time were often baffled.

But those who stayed even once would invariably choose to return when they next visited Wuling County, resulting in a 90% customer retention rate.

“That’s incredible!”

Du Ruhui found himself unable to fully grasp what she was saying.

He understood the concept of a private toilet, but he couldn’t imagine how it was implemented.

The mention of flushing mechanisms, water pipes, and soft beds left him utterly confused.

“Show us the rooms,” Li Shimin said coolly.

He didn’t understand what Lu Xia was talking about either.

But it didn’t matter—four guan of copper coins wasn’t a significant expense.

“This way, esteemed guests,” Lu Xia said as she led them to the third floor.

She selected two adjacent rooms that she deemed satisfactory.

Li Shimin gave the rooms a casual glance, found the layout pleasing, and asked Lu Xia to prepare dinner.

“What kind of tea would you like?” Lu Xia inquired sweetly, not leaving immediately.

“No tea. Just hurry up with dinner, and make it the best you’ve got,” Li Shimin said as he entered his room, leaving her no chance to respond.

Tea was too bitter and far less refreshing than plain water.

Lu Xia opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she saw that both Li Shimin and Du Ruhui had already shut their doors.

She had intended to explain that while tea from outside Wuling County was indeed bitter, the local tea was smooth, sweet, and incredibly refreshing.

But there was no convincing guests who wouldn’t listen. Shaking her head, Lu Xia left to prepare their meal.

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Inside the Room

As soon as they entered, Li Shimin and Du Ruhui began complaining.

“They promised private toilets, but isn’t this inn just a scam?”

Du Ruhui looked around and immediately voiced his dissatisfaction.

The room’s layout was simple, with a round table and four chairs in the center.

In one corner stood a bed draped with a mosquito net, while another corner housed an oval-shaped object that resembled a barrel.

The minimalistic design was pleasant, but it bore no resemblance to the extravagant descriptions. There was no toilet in sight.

“These six cups are nicely crafted, but there’s no kettle for water. This inn is outrageous,” Li Shimin grumbled.

After a long day of travel, they had exhausted the water in their flasks.

Now thirsty, they were dismayed to find only empty cups on the table, with no source of water.

“Your Majesty, could Fang Yuan have taken us for fools?” Du Ruhui sneered.

He had harbored some dissatisfaction toward Fang Yuan ever since their calls to him at the city gate had been ignored.

Now, being introduced to an overpriced inn that didn’t even provide water only deepened his resentment.

Li Shimin remained silent, his mood heavy.

If Fang Yuan truly saw them as easy marks, then the claim of a million shi of grain for auction the next day was likely false.

And if the grain auction was fake, the possibility of Fang Yuan being the virtuous minister from his dream was equally slim.

Seeing Li Shimin’s silence, Du Ruhui sighed and began checking the room for safety.

He lifted the mosquito net and checked beneath the bed. After scanning the room, he approached the barrel-like object.

Although he didn’t know what it was, he still needed to ensure the room was safe for the emperor.

“Ah! Your Majesty, the water is here!” Du Ruhui exclaimed in surprise.

At the bottom of the barrel-like object was clear water.

Judging by its clarity, it was of excellent quality.

“Whoever thought to hide water all the way over in a barrel must have been an idiot,” Li Shimin muttered disdainfully.

Taking two cups from the table, they walked over to the barrel-shaped object.

The water inside was crystal clear, appearing to be of high quality.

“Your Majesty, allow me to try it first,” Du Ruhui said with a smile.

He scooped a cup of water with the glass and pulled out a silver needle from his robe.

“How is it?” Li Shimin asked, the thirst gnawing at him as he eagerly awaited the answer.

“This is excellent water—likely mountain spring water,” Du Ruhui replied, feeling a small measure of relief.

Though they had encountered disappointment after disappointment, the water in this barrel turned out to be unexpectedly good.

Li Shimin, reassured, finally relaxed and quenched his thirst as well.

About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on Li Shimin’s door.

“Honored guests, dinner has arrived,” called Lu Xia from outside.

Moments later, Du Ruhui opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, the fragrant aromas of dishes, wine, and freshly steamed rice wafted into the room.

Both men felt their appetites surge, their stomachs growling audibly, and their mouths watering uncontrollably.

Lu Xia directed a small servant to bring in the food, and soon the table was laden with five dishes and a soup, all signature offerings of the Guest Lodge.

Along with the food, they brought a pot of the lodge’s most popular oolong tea and a pot of freshly boiled hot water.

“These five dishes are—” Lu Xia began, ready to introduce each signature dish to Li Shimin and Du Ruhui.

But as her gaze landed on the cups of water already in front of the two men, her expression changed drastically. Her pupils dilated in shock.

“What’s wrong?” Li Shimin’s sharp eyes caught her reaction, and he frowned.

“May I... may I ask where the guests got their water?” Lu Xia stammered, swallowing hard.

There was no water pouch on the table, and she hadn’t yet delivered any water to them. So where did their water come from?

“From that barrel,” Du Ruhui replied, pointing toward the toilet.

“Your lodge truly confounds me, hiding the water so deep like that.”

“T-that’s... that’s the toilet...”

Lu Xia’s face paled, and she nearly burst into tears.

Now it was a complete disaster—the guests had drunk toilet water.

“What do you mean?” Li Shimin’s face darkened, his voice icy.

Noticing Lu Xia’s unusual reaction, he recalled that the term “toilet” was hardly an elegant one. A foreboding feeling welled up in his chest.

Du Ruhui, too, immediately pieced things together, his expression growing grave.

“That’s... that’s the toilet for using the restroom,” Lu Xia stammered, her voice trembling as she fled the room in panic.

She lacked the authority to handle such a matter and could only rush to find the innkeeper to resolve the situation.

Both Li Shimin and Du Ruhui froze in shock, their faces turning ashen.

So, the “private toilet” they had boasted about... was that thing?

“Ugh—”

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Tn: In traditional Chinese currency, copper coins were the most common form of currency in imperial China. Here's a general breakdown of the common units of measurement and their approximate equivalents:

Units of Copper Currency:

• Wén (文):

  • This was the basic unit of copper coinage.

  • A single copper coin was referred to as 1 wén.

• Guàn (贯) or Mínɡ (Strings of Cash):

  • A guàn refers to a string of 1,000 wén.

  • The term comes from coins being strung together with rope or string for easier transport and counting.

  • In practice, due to wear and tear, a "string" might have slightly fewer coins (e.g., 980–990 coins instead of exactly 1,000).

• Li (厘) and Zhū (铢):

  • These were smaller subdivisions of wén, used infrequently in daily transactions.

  • 1 wén was further divided into 10 smaller units (similar to modern cents).