Chapter 218: Fragrant Girl
Chapter 218: Fragrant Girl
"Good thing no one saw me..."
Hu Ma, feeling lonely, glanced at the bustling entrance of the village and couldn't help but cough dryly, then turned and went back inside.
Good thing no one saw him.
He hadn't paid attention for a while, and now he realized how popular the yellow-haired girl had become in his village.
He vaguely remembered Zhou Datong mentioning a few times that after she was rescued by him, she had temporarily settled in the small tavern in town to help out.
To be honest, it was just a place to stay. Normally, the tavern didn't hire help; it was a family-run business, and the couple managed it themselves. But because Fragrant Girl was diligent, obedient, and could read and do accounts, they kept her.
Now everyone around was familiar with her and called her Fragrant Girl.
During this time, because Li Wa Zi had been bitten by something while dealing with evil spirits and had been bedridden for a few days, and then a few more days after that, he had gotten quite comfortable in bed. Meanwhile, the apprentices in the village had no food to eat, so they had the small tavern prepare meals every day. Fragrant Girl would push a small wooden cart to deliver the food, and after they had eaten, she would collect the dishes and take them back to wash.
Normally, this would be quite wasteful. Even if the tavern didn't charge much, eating out every day was never as cheap as cooking at home.
However, the apprentices had worked hard during the evil spirit disturbances, so Hu Ma didn't say anything and just let them have a break for a while.
But this also meant that every mealtime in the village was as lively as a festival.
"Fragrant Girl, have any ruffians been bullying you lately?"
"Nope!"
"Ah, these ruffians are really no good. They became obedient after a beating, and I was thinking of helping you again..."
"Fragrant Girl, your cooking skills are getting better. You're better than Wa Zi..."
"Brother Wa Zi just throws everything into the pot, just like we feed the pigs in our village..."
"Fragrant Girl, I heard you fainted before. Are you feeling better now?"
"I didn't faint, I just took a nap..."
"..."
Letting the outside noise continue, Hu Ma sat in his chair inside the house, drinking tea. After a while, he heard a knock on the door.
He was slightly startled to see Fragrant Girl standing outside the inner courtyard with a red-lacquered food box, looking timid. Hu Ma usually focused on his cultivation, and his meals were often served in the main hall. Sometimes, when he was in the middle of important work, he would close the door and eat in the courtyard.
Anyway, he didn't mind eating cold food now.
He hadn't expected Fragrant Girl to bring the food over, and he happened to not be cultivating, so he met her.
He nodded slightly, and Fragrant Girl immediately brightened up, carrying the food box inside. "Master, are you eating now?"
Hu Ma nodded and said, "You don't have to call me Master. Call me Elder Brother or Innkeeper."
"Ah?"
Fragrant Girl, while setting the dishes, seemed hesitant and whispered, "I can't do that."
"I..."
"If I don't call you Master, I can't stay in the village. Everyone here is very kind to me, but I know it's because..."
"...they respect Master."
"..."
Hu Ma listened and took a moment to understand.
This girl wasn't stupid. When she was first rescued, she seemed a bit slow, but that was because she had been terrified. Plus, it seemed the human traffickers had done something to her, making her mind less clear.
Now that she had settled in the village and had been well-cared for, her previously gaunt face had filled out with some collagen.
She was starting to look like a beauty.
With her mind settled, her thoughts became clearer. She knew how lucky she was.
Being able to settle in the village was all thanks to Hu Ma.
Hu Ma had rescued her and hadn't touched her. As a girl, she understood how rare this was.
Hu Ma didn't argue about this. It was just a matter of a title, so he let her have her way.
Picking up his chopsticks, he was about to eat when he saw Fragrant Girl tidying up the room and picking up his dirty clothes, but she didn't leave. He realized she had something to say and turned to her. "I'm used to washing my own clothes. You don't need to do this for me."
"If you have something to say, just speak up."
"..."
Fragrant Girl nodded repeatedly, hesitated a bit, and then said, "Master, I... I remembered some things recently."
"My home is in Anzhou Ling Shou Prefecture, Hei Dongzi Ridge, Da Shitou Cliff... I remember there were two big flowering trees in front of our house."
"..."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Hu Ma looked up in surprise and smiled. "That's great."
"Knowing where you're from, we can ask someone from a carriage service to send a letter, and your family can come to get you."
"..."
Previously, Fragrant Girl's mind had been a bit unclear, and her memories of the past were fuzzy. She only remembered that her home was at Da Shitou Cliff, but she didn't know which prefecture or state.
Hu Ma had asked Mr. Xu to help find out, but despite his many connections, no one knew where Da Shitou Cliff was. After a while, he had given up on the search.
He had even thought it didn't matter whether they found it or not.
(End of Chapter)However, it's just a girl you picked up, and you're keeping her by your side, so it's fine. You've become the shopkeeper, and it's not like you can't afford to keep her.
But unexpectedly, she slowly started to remember her address.
There's some unexpected joy, and looking at her, he said, "Think about the other things too, like your family's name and how many people are in your household. Do you still remember?"
Xiang Yatou heard this and was a bit worried, tapping her head, saying, "I don't remember that..."
"I remember that my foster mother used a nail to hit my head, and now whenever I think about my family, I feel a pain in my head, and what I remember becomes fuzzy again..."
"But recently, I felt someone blow a breath of air, and my head felt cold, and I started to remember things slowly..."
"..."
"Someone blew a breath of air?"
Hu Ma was slightly startled. Was it the Blue-Robed Evil Ghost causing trouble?
The Blue-Robed Evil Ghost had caused chaos, affecting many people.
But what Xiang Yatou said was strange, hitting a nail into her head?
He quickly said, "Come here, let me take a look."
Xiang Yatou came over, knelt down in front of Hu Ma, and showed him her head.
But when Hu Ma flipped open her hair, he didn't see any nail holes or scars, which was strange.
Xiang Yatou took a step back, her face red, saying, "I've also felt it myself, remembering that my head was hit with a nail, and I even feel the nail, but there's no wound."
"Maybe it's some kind of trick used by the kidnapper?"
Hu Ma thought silently, guessing a bit.
He had thought earlier that Xiang Yatou must have been under some kind of spell by the kidnapper, making her forget her family. But now, it seemed that the spell was broken by the Blue-Robed Evil Ghost's breath.
"Anyway, it's good that you remembered."
Hu Ma comforted her, saying, "At least you remembered your address. Write a letter, and I'll find someone reliable to send it to your family. When they come to pick you up, maybe you'll remember other things too."
"Master..."
Xiang Yatou heard Hu Ma's words and was about to cry, saying, "You really want me to go back?"
Hu Ma smiled, looking at her, saying, "What, do you want to stay in this town forever?"
Xiang Yatou's eyes were red, and she wiped away her tears, saying, "Master, you're a good person..."
Hu Ma smiled and said, "Don't cry. Helping you find your family is my good deed."
"You've remembered, so write a letter, and I'll find someone reliable to send it to your family. When they come to pick you up, everything will be fine."
Xiang Yatou was grateful, and her tears flowed again. She knelt down to kowtow to Hu Ma, but he quickly stopped her.
What's wrong with these people, always kowtowing?
Hu Ma wasn't being humble, but this world was strange, and he was afraid of being affected by her kowtowing.
Xiang Yatou promised not to kowtow again, but she was still grateful, helping Hu Ma clean up the clothes and the house.
Hu Ma had told her not to bother, but she insisted. He could sense her thoughts and didn't say anything, thinking that it was time for him to rest.
As he was eating and looking at the account book, he suddenly noticed that Xiang Yatou was sitting in the room where Wu Hemiao used to live, leaning against the window, and had fallen asleep.
She was holding one of his shirts, biting the thread, and seemed to be trying to mend it before falling asleep.
"This girl must be really tired..."
Hu Ma thought about waking her up but saw the calluses on her hands and stopped.
This girl had been working hard, and hearing her talk about her family, it seemed that she was from a wealthy family that could afford to hire a manager. She didn't need to do these chores.
But since she came to this town, she had no sense of security, so she worked hard to please Hu Ma, and her body was tired.
But was this girl too trusting, sleeping in front of a man like him?
Does she think I'm still the same as before?
(End of chapter)
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