The night market at Zhouqiao that night drove people mad, and news spread rapidly.

Abraham Brooks was the prefect of Kaifeng and the first to receive the news.

“No one left at the night market?”

“They all ran off. Those vendors all followed that Ethan Sullivan.”

Abraham Brooks, his face full of anger, said, “Go and find out what’s going on.”

After his men left, Abraham Brooks sighed, “I knew that young man was no ordinary person. People like him should be brought into officialdom, and then he’ll naturally be bound by all sorts of rules... But that’s the Zhouqiao night market! If those vendors start making trouble, Bianliang will be in chaos...”

The vendors at the Zhouqiao night market went on strike.

When people learned that it was Ethan Sullivan who had led the vendors away, they said he was courting death.

The vendors had to do business every day to make a living; if they missed a day, they lost a day’s income. Could you, Ethan Sullivan, afford to compensate them?

Everyone was waiting to see a good show. No one even tried to take over the empty stalls, worried they’d get caught up in any trouble that might follow.

From that night on, the vendors at Zhouqiao night market stopped business for five days.

Ethan Sullivan also disappeared for five days.

On the sixth day, the people of Bianliang were astonished to find the Zhouqiao night market had reopened.

So the crowds poured in.

“Stir-fried pork tripe...”

“Sweet and sour pork...”

They were amazed to find the night market had changed.

All the old delicacies had vanished without a trace, replaced by new dishes...

“They’re stir-fried dishes!”

The night market exploded with excitement.

Countless diners flocked in.

Very soon, the news spread throughout the city, and then...

Damn!

Ethan Sullivan held Grace in his arms, stunned by the sea of people before him.

How hungry are these people for good food!

He had a cloth bag slung over his back, and Hannah was trying hard to perch on Ethan Sullivan’s shoulder, a pair of dog eyes watching the brightly lit night market.

“Woof woof woof!”

More and more people arrived. Ethan Sullivan felt sure that people from the outer city had come too, maybe even the whole of Bianliang was heading for Zhouqiao.

People in the crowd began to scream and cry.

Something bad was about to happen!

Ethan Sullivan started to panic. If a stampede happened at Zhouqiao, it would weigh on his conscience, and the whole city of Bianliang might be turned upside down.

“Back up! Everyone back up!”

At the critical moment, a group of soldiers arrived, cursing as they came.

They used the scabbards of their swords to beat back the incoming diners, cutting off the flow of people at both ends of the night market.

Then Abraham Brooks appeared.

The old man was actually in plain clothes, but his authority was undiminished.

He shouted all the way from the front, and order at the night market gradually returned to normal.

He walked up to Ethan Sullivan, frowned, and said, “What are you trying to do?”

Ethan Sullivan replied a bit awkwardly, “I just wanted to help them out, that’s all.”

Abraham Brooks glanced at the little dog on Ethan Sullivan’s shoulder and said, “Over a hundred vendors have all changed professions—no, changed their whole way of life. From now on, you can sit at home every day and still have money coming in. Are you satisfied?”

Ethan Sullivan nodded.

He was satisfied for now, but his ambitions didn’t stop there.

He wanted to buy a house.

Just as it was hard to buy a house in the capital in later generations, at this moment, housing prices in Bianliang had already soared to the skies.

And the prices in the inner city were even more daunting.

Chapter 0013: Who Is Redefining the Rules?

The night market had returned to normal, but both sides of the stalls were packed, with countless people shouting.

“Among these people are ordinary citizens, merchants, scholars. On my way here, I even recognized a few officials from the court. At this moment, regardless of their status, they’re all here for the food, yet they have no idea that behind all this is a teenager, barely over ten, pulling the strings.”

Abraham Brooks was not in a good mood.

“I’ve looked into your background. When Brian Sullivan was around, he called you the qilin child of the The Sullivan Family. Wasn’t he afraid of breaking taboos? People from Xiongzhou say you’re gifted, a prodigy of sorts...”

“Not true.”

Ethan Sullivan didn’t hesitate to disparage himself.

“Studying is very hard.”

Abraham Brooks’s old face looked a bit shadowy in the lamplight. “If you can study well, that’s already prodigy enough. But you could so easily come up with stir-fried dishes—even the legendary Yi Ya of old can’t compare to you.”

Ethan Sullivan said blankly, “I’m just lazy and greedy.”

“Lazy and greedy?”

Abraham Brooks turned to look at him. “You carried your little sister all the way from Xiongzhou to Bianliang. Look at this child—she’s only been in Bianliang a short while, and her face is already so rosy. Would a brother like that be lazy and greedy?”

Grace didn’t like Abraham Brooks, so at this point she made a face at him.

Abraham Brooks smiled at her, actually looking a bit kindly.

“You so easily came up with stir-fried dishes. From now on, the vendors at Zhouqiao night market will treat you as a god, and you’ll have your foundation. You’ve got money, and now you have people—killing two birds with one stone. Ethan Sullivan, listen to me, go take the exams. Kaifeng Prefecture has its rules: non-locals who haven’t lived here for seven years can’t take the exams, but if I personally recommend you, there’s a spot.”

This policy was from before: officials could recommend non-local students to take the exams in Kaifeng Prefecture, but it was risky.

“Not going.”

Ethan Sullivan replied to Abraham Brooks with just two words.

Abraham Brooks sighed, “Are you holding a grudge for your father? But these are the rules. If you give up the exams because of this, it won’t be long before you and your descendants are lost among the common people. Are you willing?”