https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-298-Xiang-Yaotou-s-Gift-Third-Watch-/12918530/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-300-The-Key-to-the-Year-Guard-Scroll/12918534/
Chapter 299: The Golden Tai Sui (Fourth Update)
Chapter 299: The Golden Tai Sui (Fourth Update)
When it comes to being a person, I'm all about honesty!
Regarding the items that Fragrant Girl had asked me to bring, even though I didn't tell Uncle Sun, Aunt Sun, or the workers in the village, I still have to deliver them to the people, right?
Moreover, I even changed them into more convenient forms to make it easier for them to carry.
When the workers and Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun saw the abundance of items, they were overjoyed and couldn't close their mouths. They all praised Fragrant Girl for being the daughter of a wealthy family, as she had brought so many gifts for each of them, along with two taels of silver...
...It was truly astonishing!
Especially for Uncle Sun and Aunt Sun, who had worked in the small tavern their whole lives and had never used such fine fabric for their clothing!
Not to mention, after a hearty meal, just before they were about to leave, Hu Ma discreetly handed them twenty taels of silver, saying that Fragrant Girl had specially given it to them as a token of gratitude for their care during this period.
The elderly couple was so touched that they were on the verge of tears.
As for the workers, Hu Ma was even more straightforward. He distributed all the items Fragrant Girl had sent, such as candies, meat, tobacco, cloth tigers, silver ornaments, and more, from the two baskets, keeping nothing for himself.
He then turned to Zhou Datong, Zhou Liang, and Zhao Zhu, saying, "After this trip, Fragrant Girl's family has been very generous, and they are also people from the Dao. They gave us some things related to our skills. You earned quite a bit of oil lamp money, so just hand it over to me directly when we get back."
"If there's not enough left, we'll just leave it at that for now. Once we have the skills, we can go earn more."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu were deeply touched.
They envied Zhou Datong so much, and to make matters worse, Zhou Datong kept showing off in front of them, making them want to strangle him.
Finally, they had their own opportunity to step into the Dao.
"Recently, practice your moves diligently. There's plenty of green food here, and I'll give each of you a blood food pill."
Hu Ma further instructed them, "Improve your proficiency and solidify your foundation, and then I'll teach you the Dao."
"As for the recent affairs in the village, you can help take care of them first. I have many matters to attend to after this trip, so I won't be able to manage these things for the time being."
"..."
Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu were so excited that they almost burst into tears.
"No problem, there's not much work in the village recently."
Zhou Datong, who was listening nearby, added, "But Brother Hu Ma, you need to make a decision about something else!"
"In a little over a month, we'll be returning to the village for the New Year. What should we do about the money and food supplies in the village?"
"..."
"Huh?"
Hu Ma paused for a moment, "Another year has passed?"
He looked up and saw that it was already winter, and the trees had shed all their leaves. It suddenly dawned on him that it was indeed time for the New Year again.
As Hu Ma was deep in thought, Zhou Liang, who was standing nearby, started counting on his fingers, "Actually, this year's profits weren't that great. In the first half of the year, we were busy with the blood food mine, and we only received the money and food supplies."
"Later, when the village was troubled, we gave all the savings from the village to those ghostly people who came to help. The sect said they would clear our debts and make up for it."
"But the sect is also tight on funds right now, and they haven't compensated us yet..."
"..."
"That's true..."
Hu Ma only realized this after listening to his words.
This year, his profits were indeed substantial, but from the perspective of the village, it was indeed tight.
Thinking back, when Elder Xu complained about being poor, it wasn't a lie. The Red Lantern Society had to build a temple, pay tribute to the higher-ups, and make thorough preparations to take over the Green Robe Brotherhood's business. They also had to appease the brotherhood, recruit new members, and manage various affairs. How could they not be financially strained?
After some thought, Hu Ma smiled and said, "Let's separate these matters."
"We need to make the workers feel that each year is better than the last, so they'll be more motivated in their work, right?"
"So, if the workers ask this year, just tell them that the money and food supplies we'll bring back will definitely be more than last year. You don't need to worry about this. If this amount isn't enough, I'll cover it first, and then I'll go find Elder Xu to clear the debt."
"..."
Zhou Datong and the other brothers were deeply moved. Brother Hu Ma was truly considerate, always fearing that they would be at a disadvantage and willing to sacrifice himself.
"However, you must remember that after we return to the village this year, don't mention that I became the manager or anything."
Hu Ma suddenly recalled this serious matter and instructed Zhou Datong and the others.
Zhou Datong and the others were puzzled, staring at him blankly. Hu Ma let out a long sigh and said, "It's too terrifying..."
"When we return, I'm afraid Second Young Master will think we've done something that harms heaven and earth!"
"So this year, let's keep a low profile. After returning, we'll have a meal with our family, burn incense in front of the old fire pit, and then hurry back. There are many things waiting to be done..."
"..."
This year, when we return for the New Year, this matter must be clarified.
Last year, when I became a small manager, the villagers thought I had made something of myself. During the worship at the old fire pit, they wanted me to kneel at the front, offer sacrifices to the forest, and even held a banquet to treat people.
If I return this year and say that I've been promoted again, becoming the manager, Hu Ma doesn't know what Second Young Master and the Elder might do. They might even go around the forest with drums and gongs to announce it.
So, it's best to just say that I'm a manager, and even this position is enough to command respect in the village.
After giving these instructions, Hu Ma dismissed them and returned to the inner courtyard, letting out a low sigh as he began to calculate.
Managing these employees is exhausting...
Not only do I have to consider their cultivation, but also the money and provisions they need for the New Year. This sudden expense...
...even the scraps will use up a tenth of my savings.
Tsk!
After a moment of exasperation, he carefully took inventory of the items under his bed and sucked in a deep breath, finding it hard to describe his feelings at that moment.
There were two large baskets of cured meat hidden under the bed, requiring several large bundles.
Moreover, Hu Ma had now seen the world, and while he usually treated white food as meat, green food as emergency rations, and blood food as...
...of course, it's still precious, but it's not as rare as it used to be.
But now, the items Xiang Yatou asked him to bring back, what are they?
Although it was smoked, he could still see the faintly red meat beneath the layer of oil, so is this a Blood Emperor?
But upon closer inspection, it seemed a little different. Beneath the faintly red meat, there was a hint of golden light, and this golden light was different from the Golden Thread Blood Emperor. The Golden Thread Blood Emperor had golden threads in the meat, specifically for healing soul injuries.
However, the cured meat that Xiang Yatou's family sent back had an overall golden quality, but in essence, it seemed to belong to the Blood Emperor category. Just looking at it made his own blood stir slightly.
"Could it be that there are different grades of Blood Emperors?"
Hu Ma pondered to himself, "Or perhaps it has already surpassed the quality of a Blood Emperor?"
Unfortunately, good things can't be exposed to light, so he could only cut off a small piece and wait to show it to Xu Xiangzhu or an experienced elder in the sect.
"Slurp..."
As he was thinking, a cool breeze suddenly blew by, and Little Hong Tang also crouched beside him, staring wide-eyed at the pile of items without saying a word. She was very well-behaved, but her drooling was a bit uncontrollable.
Hu Ma thought for a moment and carefully pinched off a small piece from the chunk he had cut, giving it to Little Hong Tang.
"These are all very useful..."
Seeing Little Hong Tang swallow it in one bite, still looking unsatisfied, he quickly closed the lid and said solemnly, "You can't sneak any more, and don't tell anyone else."
"Little Hong Tang never sneaks food."
Little Hong Tang pouted in annoyance at this and hugged her arms, saying, "I didn't sneak food when I was with Granny."
"You're so well-behaved."
Hu Ma patted Little Hong Tang's arm and then grabbed a handful of green food jerky from the jar by the bed, handing it to her.
Little Hong Tang leaned in to sniff, but she turned away in disgust and left.
Hu Ma was left standing there, dumbfounded, "This child, now she doesn't even like green food?"
After settling everything, he brewed a cup of tea and sat silently in the armchair, thinking about matters while drinking. He had a rough plan in mind before spreading out the bed and going to rest.
As he drifted into a hazy sleep, he maintained a conscious awareness. Before long, he arrived at the Life Spirit Temple and saw the golden limbs and floating organs behind the incense burner, resembling golden threads.
After gathering his thoughts, Hu Ma approached the incense burner and began to call out softly, "Little Bai... Oh, I mean, is White Wine Miss there?"
After calling out twice, White Wine Miss's voice sounded, "Are you back?"
"How was the trip?"
"... "
"It went smoothly!"
Hearing White Wine Miss's voice, Hu Ma finally felt like he had truly returned. He smiled and said, "Thanks to the help of Red Wine Miss from Anzhou, the matters with the Cave Li Clan were resolved."
"It was a great opportunity to broaden one's horizons."
"... "
"Smooth is good."
White Wine Miss also smiled faintly and said, "I'm curious, now that you've been there, what do you think of the people in Anzhou?"
"They're arrogant and bold."
Hu Ma said, "But they're also very principled. The way they do things is very different from us."
White Wine Miss didn't agree or disagree, but her voice seemed to carry a hint of laughter as she said, "Then, what do you think of Red Wine Miss?"
"She..."
Hu Ma paused, finding it difficult to define her in that moment. After a moment, he suddenly laughed and said, "She asked me to deliver a sealed letter to you."
White Wine Miss was slightly taken aback, "What?"
Hu Ma had been preparing to say this the entire journey, and now that he was about to speak, he felt a bit of pressure. After a pause, he gathered his courage and said in a low voice, "She used a secret potion from the Deception Sect to create a rouge for you."
"It beautifies and whitens the skin, making it glow, and it can even enhance..."
"Enhance... "
"... "
White Wine Miss's breathing suddenly became heavier, and Hu Ma could hear the fear in her voice.
Then, he heard her coldly laugh, her voice rising, "She still has the mind to think about this? She should take care of herself first!"
"And that birthmark is in such a delicate spot!"
(End of Chapter)
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