https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-228-Golden-Thread-Age-Guardian-Third-Update-/12915564/
Chapter 229: The Benevolence of Old Shopkeeper Hu Ma
Chapter 229: The Benevolence of Old Shopkeeper Hu Ma
"Are you here to help?"
At this moment of hesitation and concern, Hu Ma’s words immediately drew the attention of both pairs of eyes.
Hu Ma, meeting their gazes, smiled and said, "Yes, I have a connection with the girl. I found her by the river, and she’s been a hard worker, getting along well with our apprentices. We’re friends now."
"Saving her would be a good deed. My grandmother always taught me to help people all the way. If the Old shopkeeper has a way to save her, I’ll cover the cost of the medicine, no matter what."
He smiled, somewhat proud, and continued, "Thanks to the Old Sky Lord helping me, I’m no longer just a poor man in the village. I’ve joined the Blood Food Gang and receive a monthly stipend of several dozen taels of silver. I can afford to pay for her medicine."
"..."
The old steward was visibly moved, while the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper was taken aback, looking a bit awkward. He coughed and lowered his voice, saying:
"Young Brother, you have a good heart, but you still lack experience."
"You’ve certainly risen in the world and earn a monthly stipend from the Blood Food Gang, but do you know how much silver it would cost to treat her?"
"..."
"How expensive?"
Hu Ma was a bit curious and asked, "I’ve seen quite a bit of Blood Food."
"It’s different."
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper sighed and said, "Blood Food is precious, but it can be harvested regularly from the Blood Food Veins. If it’s not available this year, it will be next year. However, to treat this girl, we need Golden Thread Age Guardian."
"This is not like the regular Blood Food, which can be harvested yearly. It’s a rare item that might appear in a Blood Food Vein one year but not the next. It’s a highly sought-after and scarce resource."
"To be honest with you, even our shop doesn’t always stock this item. Its uses are limited, and we only keep a small amount for emergencies. Our Miss has agreed to part with it, which is already a great favor."
"..."
The old steward’s face turned grim with worry, clearly knowing that this was the harsh reality.
"Ah?"
Hu Ma was also taken aback, "How much exactly?"
"Price?"
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper smiled and slowly said, "We won’t sell it for less than ten times the price of regular Blood Food."
"What?"
Hu Ma was genuinely shocked...
...This wasn’t an act; he was truly surprised.
Is Miss White Wine being too greedy? Can the Golden Thread Age Guardian really be worth ten times the price of regular Blood Food? She said she would help him out of a sense of favor, but isn’t this favor a bit excessive? If it could be sold for ten times the price of Blood Food, then the piece of Golden Thread Age Guardian he and Er Guotou had shared would be worth hundreds of pounds of Blood Food.
His shock was evident, and the other two seemed to find it quite reasonable.
A kind-hearted young shopkeeper, though lacking in experience, was willing to bear the cost of the medicine, only to be taken aback by its high price.
"But..."
Even the old steward couldn’t advise Hu Ma at this moment. He just looked anxiously at the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper and said, "Saving her is the priority. I beg you, Shopkeeper, show some mercy..."
"Can you extend us the medicine on credit? I’ll stake my life on it. Once I report back to the master, even if the price is ten times higher, the Li Family of the Cave will still pay it."
"..."
He knew that the Caoxin Hall was somewhat overcharging, but the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper wasn’t wrong. The Golden Thread Age Guardian wasn’t something that could be regularly harvested; it was a rare and highly sought-after item.
"Old Brother, don’t say that..."
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper, hearing the old steward, shook his head and said, "You’re putting us in a difficult position. We have our own rules in the Wandering World."
"We’ve already broken our rules by examining your Miss and giving her the Longevity Lock for free."
"But now, we can’t verify your identity. You don’t have a token of trust. Just saying a few words and asking us to extend you the Golden Thread Age Guardian on credit is... a bit much."
He paused, then sighed, "The Li Family of the Cave, though far from here, might have some distant relatives or friends here. Otherwise, you could send a message through a little servant ghost to find someone to vouch for you. We’d feel more at ease that way."
"Vouch..."
The old steward was clearly hesitant, seemingly unable to think of anyone who could help here. Suddenly, he turned to Hu Ma, as if a thought had struck him, but then stopped himself from speaking.
"The time is right..."
Hu Ma noticed this but only pretended to look troubled, deliberately turning his head away to avoid the old steward’s gaze.
"You two discuss it. I need to report back to Miss."
The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper seemed to sense something, shook his head, sighed, and said to Hu Ma, "Young Brother, when I saw your grandmother, I knew she was a kind-hearted person. But... life is hard!"
He didn’t know what Hu Ma and Miss White Wine had agreed upon, but he was just offering a well-meaning reminder.
Even with these reminders, it could only be conveyed subtly. How could he outright tell Hu Ma not to save the girl?
After the Five Ghosts innkeeper left, the old steward of the Li Family finally steeled his resolve and suddenly turned to look at Hu Ma.
"Ah, don't kneel..."
Hu Ma anticipated his action and quickly reached out to stop him, saying, "Old Sir, I understand your intentions."
"But don't put me in a difficult position... I appreciate the medicine fee, but to me, it’s just a few dozen taels of silver. Even if it were more, what could I do? I’ve climbed to the position of a small innkeeper in the Blood Food Gang, and I earn only this much in a month."
His words were not exaggerated. A few dozen taels of silver was a fortune to an ordinary family.
Hu Ma wanted to agree immediately, but he knew he had to maintain the act. The old steward wasn’t a fool; if a small innkeeper suddenly took on such a high fee, it would naturally raise suspicion.
The old steward found it hard to speak his mind. Now, he had no doubts about Hu Ma, but he was still conflicted in his heart.
After a long pause, he suddenly clenched his teeth, as if making a firm decision.
Hu Ma stopped him from kneeling and clasped his fists, saying solemnly, "Heaven above, I am Dong Liangshun. I was once a man of some renown in the wandering world, but I was saved by the Li Family of Ghost Cave, and thus I willingly became a steward in the Li Manor."
"I’m not a man of grand stature, but I’ve never done anything against my conscience."
"Today, I only want to save our young Miss. I hope that the benefactor will save her to the end, lending us this helping hand."
"I am willing to sign an IOU, swear a terrible oath, and even offer my birth date and time as collateral. As long as the benefactor saves our Young Miss, I will repay this debt threefold."
"If I fall short of the benefactor’s expectations, may I be struck by five thunderbolts and die an inglorious death."
"..."
Even in his previous life, such a terrible oath would weigh heavily on one's heart. In this world, it was even more serious. Hu Ma could see how resolute the old steward was.
However, he still wore a bitter smile and hesitated, saying, "No matter how forcefully you swear, no one can predict the future. I only know that such a large sum of money, if I were to guarantee it, any trouble that arises could ruin my entire life."
The old steward naturally understood the sincerity in Hu Ma’s words.
From his conversation with the Five Ghosts innkeeper, the old steward also understood that Hu Ma, the young innkeeper, had only recently risen to his current position after previously earning a living in the village. To the people in the village, this was an achievement more difficult than passing the imperial exams.
If such a promising future were to be ruined, no one could bear it.
Hu Ma couldn’t force the issue and could only bow his head deeply.
Hu Ma, looking very conflicted, finally sighed deeply and looked down at the still unconscious maid, saying softly, "But it’s a human life..."
"I’m not blaming you; it’s just that I personally saved her. I can’t bear to see her lose her life so carelessly. I’m willing to take this risk for her..."
"…I truly don’t know if it’s worth it."
"…"
"Ah?"
The old steward, suddenly hearing this, saw Hu Ma’s slight wavering, and was already visibly moved, exclaiming, "Worth it, worth it! Benefactor, you can rest assured, the Li Family of Ghost Cave has never broken a promise. If you save our Young Miss, everyone in the Li Manor will be eternally grateful."
"Have you come to an agreement?"
Just as he was speaking, the Five Ghosts innkeeper also came down. Seeing the two, one sighing and the other grateful, he quickly chimed in.
"I just asked the Young Miss, and she says you, the young innkeeper of the Blood Food Gang, are a man of principles. Our Caoxin Hall is willing to befriend you."
"Of course..."
"I admire you, but if you really want to guarantee this, if the medicine fee isn’t returned, then the Caoxin Hall will also have to pursue the Red Lantern Society for the debt. I’m sure your Lady wouldn’t let you off the hook either."
"…"
Hu Ma sighed helplessly and said, "But what can be done? It’s not like I can let a life slip away."
"Don’t say any more, Old Sir. Hand me the document, and I’ll sign it!"
"…"
The old steward, hearing this, the last bit of pride in his eyes and heart crumbled completely. He had knelt a few times before, but each time Hu Ma had stopped him. This time, he didn’t kneel but bowed deeply, tears streaming down his face.
"Our Young Miss has had a difficult life, and just when she’s overcome this calamity, to meet a benefactor like you, who turns misfortune into good fortune, it truly is..."
"…It truly is the Old Sky Lord’s consideration for our Li Family’s hardships!"
"…"
For a moment, not only the Five Ghosts innkeeper was moved, but the old steward was deeply touched. Even the apprentices in the shop sensed something significant was happening.
Though it seemed like a safe bet, with a guaranteed threefold return, in the wandering world, there were no such sure things.
They all stole glances at Hu Ma, wondering if the young shopkeeper had struck it lucky or fallen into a trap.
(End of Chapter)
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