Before long, the porridge was ready. However, it was barely edible. Then, most of the firewood was carefully removed, and it was allowed to simmer slowly over a low flame.
Based on experience, the porridge would be fully cooked in two hours. By then, it would be around the time when many people in the capital would come out for breakfast.
However, at that moment, a simply dressed, patched-up child suddenly appeared, carrying a bundle in his arms. Upon seeing Old Zhang, he ran straight over.
"Boss, here's today's newspaper." With that, he took out a copy of the newly printed Da Han Daily from his package.
"What's a newspaper? And what is this Great Han Daily? Besides, I didn't buy this. Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Old Zhang asked hurriedly after glancing at it.
"No mistake, it's free. A noble person paid for it and gave it away to the people of the capital for free. It's said that it contains many things, even many legends about the Chosen Ones," the boy replied.
Moreover, for every ten portions delivered, the boy would receive one coin. Don't underestimate one coin; a clever and diligent boy could deliver thousands of portions a day.
That works out to one hundred copper coins a day. In a month, that's a full three taels of silver. Keep in mind, in this world, even a county soldier only earns two taels of silver a month.
Therefore, this newspaper delivery job was highly sought after, even in the capital. If Lin Yang hadn't specifically requested that children be given priority, these kids wouldn't have had a chance at all.
"Wow, this is a legend from our great-grandfather. And besides the text, there are also pictures. Is this really free?" Old Zhang asked doubtfully.
“Yes, it’s really free. This is the decision of the important people. You know, those important people have their reasons for doing things,” the boy said.
Soon, the boy had distributed all one hundred newspapers. Since it was still early, he returned to the Mercenary Alliance to collect the remaining newspapers.
Watching the children coming and going, Shi A's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
"Good, one million copies have already been sent out. I estimate that in another two hours, all three million copies of the newspaper belonging to the capital will be distributed. At that time, the entire city's streets and alleys, restaurants, and even the major families will receive this newspaper. Success or failure hinges on this." Shi A said somewhat nervously.
Keep in mind, this is ten million newspapers. In this world, paper is much more expensive than in my previous life. In terms of cost, each newspaper probably costs about one cent.
Therefore, even with a total of ten million newspapers, Lin Yang still spent ten thousand taels of silver. Adding the distribution fees and other expenses, the cost reached fifteen thousand taels of silver per day.
It may not seem like much, but what about a year? That's over five million taels of silver. And, more importantly, this thing costs over five million taels every year.
It should be noted that even Shi A's master, Wang Yue, the leader of the Great Han Mercenary Alliance, only earned eight to ten million taels of silver per year.
Therefore, after calculating the costs, Shia began to worry. The newspaper was good, but it was too expensive.
If Lin Yang hadn't claimed that the outcome would be clear in seven days, Shi A would definitely have dissuaded him.
...
Yingchuan County, in front of the teleportation array gate.
Accompanied by a flash of light, a mercenary from the capital, also known as Youxia'er, appeared. Upon his arrival, he swiftly headed towards the mercenary alliance in the area.
The man had an iron plaque tied around his waist. The plaque was only two inches long and one inch wide. It was made of fine iron and had many patterns engraved on it. It was said to have a slight effect on calming the mind and accelerating cultivation.
The front of the metal plaque features the emblem of the Mercenary Alliance, a sword. The back displays the person's likeness. This design makes it difficult to forge.
"Mercenary A3679 of the capital city has come to pay his respects to the person in charge here."
"Huh, what time is it? Why would someone from the capital come here, especially a Tier 2 Iron Badge Mercenary? If it were just a regular message, wouldn't it have been enough to send a newly recruited Tier 1 Wooden Badge Mercenary?" A chubby ranger who had just been woken up asked curiously.
"Yeah, something big must be going on. Maybe there'll be some kind of group mission. We might even make a small fortune then," the skinny ranger said excitedly.
A short while later, the mercenary was taken inside. Soon after, the mission in the hall was changed.
"Hey, the mission has changed! It's changed! Let's take a look!" the chubby ranger exclaimed excitedly.
You see, these days, tasks that are short, rewarding, and safe are becoming increasingly rare. Even when they do exist, they're usually handled internally. Only when internal solutions fail will they reluctantly be posted on the task board in the lobby for passersby to accept.
In fact, this is similar to government bonds in later generations. Basically, as soon as government bonds are issued, they are absorbed by bank insiders. Ordinary people don't even need to think about it.
Tier 1 Task: Distribute newspapers
Explanation: For every ten newspapers distributed to the public for free, one would receive one coin.
"May I ask, sir, what is this newspaper?" the skinny wanderer asked directly.
"Here, this is the newspaper. It's probably similar to the official gazette, except that the official gazette is specifically for officials, while the newspaper is for ordinary people. You can take a look first; it's free anyway," said the Iron-Blade Wanderer casually.
The thought of today's task gave me a headache. All the newspapers were hidden in this unassuming black ring in my hand; there were a total of 100,000 copies inside.
It's said that this is because Yingchuan County has an excellent academic atmosphere and many literate people, so a total of 100,000 copies were specially allocated. And these 100,000 copies are his task for today. Just thinking about such a huge number gave Tiepai a headache.
"Wow, this is really beautiful. So, Emperor Taizu was a true Son of Heaven! No wonder he later established the Han Dynasty." The chubby wandering swordsman looked like he finally understood.
“Yes, yes, look, there’s a secret about the Chosen Ones on this side. Maybe after reading it, we’ll have a chance to become Chosen Ones too.” The skinny ranger’s eyes lit up, as if he was looking forward to the future.
"However, distributing newspapers doesn't seem difficult. Even a child could do it."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Watching the two get to work, Brother Ironplate couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. 100,000 copies didn't seem so difficult.
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Chapter 47: This kid has already made a name for himself.
Inside a restaurant, it was nearly noon, lunchtime. Usually, due to the large number of diners, it was quite chaotic, with all sorts of noise that were impossible to stop.
However, today, apart from the voice of a storyteller, it was unusually quiet.
"Just as the black dragon formed from the dragon energy of the Qin Dynasty tricked the guardian dragon with the help of many evil gods and was about to strike, accompanied by a burst of purple light, the founding emperor was born."
"At the same time, the Purple Star of the Emperor in the sky shone brightly, and a visible purple divine light directly entered the body of the Great Ancestor. Then, the Great Ancestor took a step forward, and with that one step, the heavens and earth changed color..."
"Hey, what's this? Is it some new story?" a customer who had just entered asked casually. His voice was loud. As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of other customers around him widened their eyes and glared at him fiercely.