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Chapter 414: The Rich Landowner of Liu County (Third Watch)
Chapter 414: The Rich Landowner of Liu County (Third Watch)
"Calling you 'Uncle' is the right thing to do."
Hu Ma's expression seemed a bit taken aback, but Elder Sun beside him smiled and said, "This is my youngest son. We are of the same generation, and when he sees you, what else should he call you but 'Uncle'?"
"With your exceptional skills, there's no need to pretend to be a junior. If I had put on airs today and acted superior, and then in the future, when you meet your master, how would we explain this seniority?"
"..."
Hu Ma was at a loss for words, "Well, that's a straightforward calculation..."
Although it felt a bit strange to be called 'Uncle' by someone older than him, with the other party showing such sincerity, he decided to go along with it.
Hu Ma knew why Elder Sun had come, so he quickly invited him into the valley. Elder Sun had brought four or five horse-drawn carriages, three of which were empty, and the other two carried various gifts. He instructed the gifts to be taken inside while the empty carriages waited.
Upon reaching the valley entrance, they didn't rush into the valley. Hu Ma first led them to the side, and from a distance, they saw several coffins on the slope—the remains of the One Coin Sect members, all properly placed in their coffins.
Elder Sun sighed, and his son quickly led some people up the slope to offer incense. They opened the coffins, verified the identities, and then burned spirit money in front of them.
"Hu Guan Shi, you are indeed a kind-hearted person..."
Elder Mr. Sun had come to retrieve the bodies of his two disciples and the three One Coin Sect members who had been left behind in the valley.
When he left earlier, he had to prioritize the living, so he only took the One Coin Sect Dharma King and Zhuang Erchang. But now, he wanted to retrieve the bodies of the deceased, their bones, and return them to their families for a proper burial and regular offerings.
He had been worried that upon arriving, he would find the bodies exposed to the wilderness or even burned. But to his surprise, they were all properly placed in coffins, and there were even signs of burned spirit money and incense nearby, which moved him deeply.
His people had died here, but they were respectfully buried. It wasn't about repaying kindness with kindness, but it was a significant favor nonetheless.
"We are all wanderers, struggling to make a living. Their deaths were unfortunate, and regardless of past grudges, the dead should be respected. Besides, they died at the hands of the sorcerers, didn't they?"
Hu Guan Shi politely said, "So, I had them properly placed in coffins right away, ensuring they didn't suffer, and waited for you to come and take them."
"Wanderers live and die in the wilderness, and you speak the truth, Hu Guan Shi. I am ashamed, for if I had known there was someone like you here, I wouldn't have come to muddy the waters..."
Elder Mr. Sun bowed deeply to Hu Guan Shi, then ordered the carriages waiting outside the forest to be brought in. He had the coffins loaded onto the carriages, preparing to take them back.
"This is indeed a case of strangers becoming acquainted."
Hu Guan Shi smiled and said, "Elder, there's no need to rush off. Since you're here, you must at least have some wine and food."
He invited Elder Mr. Sun into the valley, and the latter readily accepted, seeming delighted to follow Hu Guan Shi. But before entering the valley, he noticed the red lanterns on the pagoda gate and quickly stopped, saying, "We must not neglect the proper rituals."
He respectfully bowed and called for his son to kneel and offer a few bows to Lady Red Lantern.
After entering the valley, they were served tea, and soon after, a meal was prepared. Four tables were set up, with Hu Guan Shi and Elder Mr. Sun at one table, accompanied by Old Abacus. Zhou Datong, Liang, and Zhu sat with Elder Mr. Sun's son and the head manager at another table.
The other servants sat with a few newly selected experienced and observant butchers at the third table, while various wines, dishes, and fruits from the valley were served.
Elder Mr. Sun discreetly glanced at the table and raised his cup again, apologizing, "I was impolite earlier, offending the dignity of Lady Red Lantern. I hope Hu Guan Shi will be understanding and not take offense."
"Huh?"
Hu Guan Shi was surprised, thinking, 'We've already cleared the air about this, why is he bringing it up again?'
Old Abacus coughed and tapped his chopsticks on the dish, offering a bitter smile, "The meal may be humble, but Elder, please don't blame us for the mine's shortcomings..."
"It's related to your disciple. When the sorcerers sealed the mine, no food or supplies could get in. We almost had no rice to cook, and it was only these past two days that we managed to get some provisions by exchanging silver at the nearby village..."
"Also, I don't know if you've heard, but a Corpse Demon escaped from the mine recently, and we've been searching for it!"
"..."
Hu Guan Shi finally understood. So, Elder Mr. Sun was offering another apology because he thought the meal was too simple, not because he was greedy, but because he thought the mine had intentionally served such a meager meal to spite him.
But to guess his thoughts required a deep understanding, and Old Abacus was more experienced in such matters than Hu Guan Shi.
"It's all because that beast, Zhuang Erchang, was incompetent..."
Indeed, upon hearing this, Elder Sun realized that the mine truly lacked supplies and hadn't intended to serve such a humble meal. This relieved him.
First, he sighed, saying, "I took that fellow back with me, and his injuries were severe. I had to send him to Mingzhou Grass Heart Hall for treatment; otherwise, I would have brought him back to the mine to apologize in person.
"Regarding the Corpse Demon incident, I actually heard about it a few days ago. To be honest, I was planning to spend some silver to have people search this mountain, after all, it's a mess that Zhuang Erchang caused. Since my own apprentice's disciple is involved, we can't let our mine take the risk."
"..."
"No problem."
Hu Ma, understanding the situation, silently praised Old Abacus in his heart and continued the conversation, "But regarding the Corpse Demon matter, I must give you an explanation, Elder."
"To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that this thing appeared in the mine, and that Red Lantern Lady above us..."
As he spoke, he pointed to the red lantern on the outer pagoda gate, lowering his voice, "She's so cautious and keeps a close eye on everything."
"The last time you came, you saw what was in the mineral vein. Now that the thing in the vein has escaped, I was also planning to inform you, just to avoid any misunderstandings!"
"..."
"Oh dear..."
Listening to these words, Elder Mr. Sun's beard trembled, and he held up his wine cup with both hands, saying, "Where are you getting this from, Hu Manager?"
"Everyone has their own interests, it's only natural. Moreover, it was just a misunderstanding. Not to mention me, even the Law King of the One Coin Sect, when he returned, only blamed those sorcerers. We and your mine, we're both the ones who suffered!"
"It's all thanks to the strength of your miners and the high cultivation of Red Lantern Lady that those sorcerers were subdued. Otherwise, who knows what kind of disaster they would have caused..."
"..."
He understood in his heart that, according to the previous situation, it was actually his side that suffered a great defeat.
In the jianghu, everyone talks about favors, but in the end, it's all about strength. The miners have the upper hand, and they're being so considerate after the fact, it's all about maintaining their reputation...
Of course, for Hu Ma, if a single sentence could resolve this grudge, it would be ideal. Now that the Shadow General has escaped, even causing a "great loss" to our mine, there's no point in holding a grudge against the One Coin Sect. It's too nerve-wracking.
"It's good that it's cleared up, it's good..."
Old Abacus, sitting beside them, chimed in, raising his cup and smiling, "Our mine may lack food, but the wine is always of the best quality. Since Elder Sun has come, you must have a few more cups before leaving."
"Of course, of course!"
For a moment, everyone was delighted. Elder Mr. Sun also finished his cup before suddenly slapping the table and saying, "Old Seventh, get in here!"
Sun Clan's seventh son, who was being forced to drink by Zhou Datong and the others outside, quickly wiped his mouth and ran in. He bowed to Uncle Hu and Old Abacus, then smiled and said, "Father, what did I do wrong again to make you scold me, Old Master?"
"What did I do wrong?"
Elder Mr. Sun glared at him, "I'm scolding you for being clueless."
"Don't you see that Uncle Hu's mine is lacking food? It's your senior brother Zhuang who caused this mess. Now that you know, why aren't you quickly going to take care of things?"
"..."
"Huh?"
Hu Ma was a bit surprised. Could it be that the Elder has a way to resolve the shortage in the mine? This would indeed solve an urgent problem. He quickly raised his cup to thank Elder Mr. Sun, but before he could continue drinking, Sun Clan's Old Seventh returned in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea and reported, "It's all arranged."
"I sent a small ghost messenger to deliver a letter. Our trading house just happened to have a mule caravan nearby. They have a hundred loads of fine grain and twenty pigs and sheep. I asked them to send it to your mine first. They'll arrive within two days, which should be enough to support Uncle Hu's mine for some time."
"..."
"What's this?"
Seeing Sun Clan's Old Seventh's sincere expression, Elder Mr. Sun also nodded as if it was nothing. But Hu Ma was genuinely surprised.
With so many supplies, it's not just enough for a short time, it could last for three to five months.
All it took was a word from Sun Clan's little ghost messenger, and they sent all this?
"Sigh, it's nothing."
Elder Sun didn't seem to think much of it, but seeing his son's capable handling of the matter made him happy. He waved his hand, "Who among us with skills would care about such a small matter?"
"I'm just an old martial artist, but my sons are not as capable. Not many of them can learn from me. They're better at making money and doing business. Now, with the help of friends in the jianghu, they've also raised a few mule caravans, bought some fields, and built a few warehouses."
"Hu Manager, don't be polite. In the future, if your mine needs money or grain, just have him run the errands. It'll also be a good opportunity for him to visit the mine more often and learn from you."
"..."
As he spoke, he suddenly lowered his voice and smiled, "It's not just money and grain. If you need Salt Iron Armament, just let me know, and we won't be lacking."
"The salt and iron business in Gongzhou Liuxian County and Shixian County is also in my hands..."
"..."
"Oh..."
Hearing this, Hu Ma couldn't help but look at Elder Sun with newfound respect. He didn't expect that Elder Sun was not only a Year-End Guardian, but also a high-level expert in the trade and a wealthy local magnate?
(End of Chapter)
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