https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-146-The-Lu-Family-Young-Master-First-Update-/12898682/
Chapter 145: Sweet Potato Burn Request
Chapter 145: Sweet Potato Burn Request
This job can be taken.
Miss White Wine didn’t think much of this small job and only gave a few brief words. Hu Ma also readily agreed.
Now, he himself was looking to earn some silver. However, on the one hand, there weren’t many opportunities to earn big silver, and on the other, he was worried about his shallow experience in the wandering world. If he encountered a big job as the old monkey man had said, he might not dare to take it.
Now, working with a reincarnated one of the same status and having Miss White Wine as a guarantor, the job seemed a bit more secure.
The next day, after waking up, he found an opportunity to discuss with Zhou Datong and the others, saying he had something to do and needed to leave for a while, asking them to take the silver back to the village.
He had already thought this through. After all, it involved the secret of the reincarnated ones. Bringing them along would be inconvenient.
Moreover, yesterday, Miss White Wine had brought news from the Red Lantern Association. All the innkeepers had already entered the city, and the matter had been settled. Zhou Datong and the others could now return to the village without any danger.
“Ah?”
But when Zhou Datong and the others heard that Hu Ma was leaving and they were to take the silver back to the village, they all felt a bit afraid.
They had come out of the village together, and although they had experienced some things, they were used to having Hu Ma lead and give advice. Now, with Hu Ma asking them to travel on their own, especially with the hundreds of taels of silver, they felt even more uneasy.
If Hu Ma could take the silver and leave, they would feel more at ease.
But that was a joke. Hu Ma was going to do something dangerous, and carrying the silver would be too heavy.
Seeing their thoughts, Hu Ma smiled and said, “We’re out here in the wandering world trying to earn a living. If we’re afraid of such a small matter, how will we survive in the future?”
“Take this silver back to the village. This journey will be a training for you.”
“Of course, if nothing happens, that’s fine. But if something does happen, you should throw the silver away if you have to. Remember, you can always earn more silver, but you only have one life.”
He wasn’t just being generous.
He knew that the boys from the village were honest and had never seen so much money. They might really risk their lives for it.
“Don’t worry, Elder Brother Hu Ma. If we can’t handle such a small matter, what else can we do?”
Seeing that Hu Ma was determined, Zhou Datong drew his knife, clenched his teeth, and said fiercely, “We’ve learned so many movements. If we encounter a bandit, we’ll cut him down with one stroke.”
“Relax, don’t look like you have silver on you. Otherwise, even if the ghosts don’t come for you, you’ll attract them.”
Hu Ma smiled and instructed them, then specifically spoke to Zhou Liang.
Among these guys, Zhou Datong was always the troublemaker, full of mischief, while Zhou Liang was relatively steady.
After settling this matter, they divided the luggage. Hu Ma was going to do something, so he didn’t want to carry too much. He only took the red wooden sword and Zhou Datong’s waist knife, leaving the weapons with the Red Lantern Lady Association’s mark to them.
If something happened, showing these weapons would be a deterrent. Even ordinary bandits or knowledgeable evil spirits wouldn’t dare to provoke them.
He kept twenty taels of silver for the journey.
It was quite heavy, more than a pound of metal, and it was uncomfortable to stuff it in his chest or hang it in a money pouch at his waist.
As for the horse, he let Zhou Datong and the others take it.
Although riding a horse was faster, as a Year Guardian, Hu Ma could travel at night. If he brought the horse, he would have to travel during the day and rest at night.
In the end, it was better to rely on his own two legs, which allowed him to better control the travel time.
After agreeing, Hu Ma saw them off and stayed a while longer, asking the innkeeper and traders about the direction to Wutong Town, then set off ahead of time.
Now, he wasn’t in the village where there were maps to look at. Outside the Red Lantern Lady’s territory, he had to ask like everyone else.
The information he got wasn’t detailed, just a general direction, so he had to keep asking as he traveled.
After confirming the direction, he bought two pounds of noodles at the roadside inn and had the innkeeper cook them. He spent a few extra copper coins to buy a generous amount of fatty meat sauce, which he poured over the noodles, eating a hearty meal with the Green Taisui jerky he had brought.
Leaving the inn, he headed west, walking with large strides.
Meanwhile, Zhou Datong and the others, who had left half an hour earlier and were heading south, were extremely nervous.
The three of them took turns riding the horse. When one was riding and resting, the other two ran alongside.
At first, they were suspicious of everything, fearing that anyone they saw might try to rob them of the silver.
But Zhou Liang realized this wouldn’t work and said, “Datong, Zhu, we can’t do this. Brother Hu Ma said we shouldn’t let others know we have something valuable.”
“We’re too nervous; it just invites trouble.”
“Think of it this way: our bundle doesn’t contain silver, just sweet potatoes. This way, we won’t worry about people having bad intentions when they see us.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Zhou Datong thought about it, then jumped off the horse and said, “Wait for me a moment.”
He went to a nearby village and soon returned with a basket, probably taken from someone’s house.
He led the other two to a secluded spot and divided the several hundred taels of silver into two portions. The larger portion was placed in a basket, and he took off his coat, placing the basket on his back and securely tying it, then put his coat back on. This made him look like a hunchback. The remaining silver was put into a satchel and hung on the horse.
This way, one hunchback riding a horse, with the other two walking alongside, ensured both speed and a less conspicuous appearance.
However, by the afternoon, just as they were about to find an inn, they noticed someone had been following them for some time. This person neither approached to talk nor hurried, but maintained a steady pace behind them.
Zhou Datong and the others were quick-witted and realized something was amiss. They whispered to each other, “That kid has been following us since we ate earlier. Even when we took the small path, he followed. He might be tailing us.”
Zhao Zhu was taken aback and said, “A highwayman? According to what Second Uncle and Pockmarked Brother would do, we should give him some benefit now…”
“Giving benefits depends on the timing. This person is clearly trying to figure out if we’re worth robbing…”
Zhou Datong lowered his voice. He was riding the horse and looked ahead, then said, “There’s a large reed bed up ahead. His accomplices might be hiding there, waiting to block our path and attack us.”
After discussing, they slowed down. Sure enough, the man following them also slowed down, maintaining a constant distance.
Zhou Datong then stopped his horse and stared intently at the man.
The man couldn’t stop, so he slowly approached, pretending nothing was wrong as he walked past them.
Zhou Datong suddenly called out, “Brother, come over.”
The man was startled, stopped, and looked at them askew, saying, “What’s up?”
Zhou Datong said, “Meeting you in this wild place is a kind of fate. Do you have any silver on you? Can you lend us some?”
The man was shocked, “What?”
Zhou Datong pulled out his knife, “We haven’t had a meal in days. We need some travel money from you.”
“You want to borrow travel money from us?”
The man burst out laughing, facing three people without fear, and pulled out his own knife, saying, “Do you know you’ve crossed a line?”
“Flower Boss is waiting up ahead. Only Flower Boss’s gang can do business on this road. Seeing you two kids and a hunchback, you’re really asking for it. Do you think Flower Boss’s dozen brothers are vegetarians?”
“Ah?”
Zhou Datong was surprised, “A fellow traveler?”
He hurriedly clasped his hands, “Brother, don’t be angry. We didn’t know you were one of us.”
“Beat it!”
The man was impatient, waved his hand, and pulled out a willow whistle, blowing it hard a few times.
Zhou Datong and the others slunk away. Indeed, no one blocked them as they passed the reed bed, but they could faintly hear low laughter and comments like, “They peed their pants just hearing Flower Boss’s name.”
…
“These guys, if they let loose, can be quite troublesome.”
Half an hour later, several miles away, Hu Ma also lit incense and summoned Little Red Apricot, asking about the situation on the road that Zhou Datong and the others had traveled. He found it amusing for a moment.
Earlier, he was a bit worried, so he had Little Red Apricot follow them. Seeing that they were reliable, he no longer worried and brought Little Red Apricot along, accelerating his pace toward Wutong Town.
Traveling both day and night, resting in a village’s woodshed at night, he actually arrived at Wutong Town a day earlier than Miss White Wine had said. Finding a small town, he finally had an inn to stay in and rested well.
In the inn, they didn’t have to sleep in a large dormitory but had a private room. Moreover, the foot washing water was brought by the inn boy, saving them the trouble.
During the day, he wandered around the county town, noting the main roads, then returned to the inn, had a hearty meal, and went to bed early. Around midnight, a voice suddenly rang out, “Diguashao calling from Wutong Town….”
“Is there a reincarnated one who can hear me?”
“Diguashao….”
“….”
Hu Ma took a deep breath and saw himself standing before an incense burner, with a Life Incense stick burning gently in the furnace.
Silently, he transformed his lungs into a state of death, making his voice sound hoarse and difficult, and slowly replied, “Old Bai.gan has received it. I was introduced by Miss White Wine. Brother, do you need any help?”
“….”
At the moment he responded, a wisp of fragrance from outside the mist sensitively entered and connected with the fragrance from his Life Incense. Then Hu Ma heard a somewhat surprised voice, as if right next to his ear, “Indeed, I’ve been waiting….”
“You’re called Old Bai.gan?”
“Hiss… Why are all your codenames related to alcohol?”
“….”
Hu Ma was shocked, “Who should I ask?”
(End of Chapter)
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