Chapter 81: The Hawker in the Countryside
Chapter 81: The Hawker in the Countryside
Apart from this mysterious girl, everything else had been going smoothly.
Although he wasn't sure what the old man and his daughter were thinking, this notebook and the Green Food had indeed been very beneficial to Hu Ma.
In the Village, Hu Ma was also becoming more and more accustomed to his role as the steward.
Now, not only had the apprentices in the outer courtyard come to respect him, but even in the surrounding towns and villages, people had begun to recognize this young and capable steward from the Village. When they saw him, they would call him "Young Steward."
Whenever something happened in the surrounding towns and villages, they had gotten used to inviting this young steward to handle it.
After dealing with the old lady who stole pig feed at night and the ghost husband who blocked the door after an affair, Hu Ma's reputation gradually grew.
Of course, the evil spirits he could handle were only those with weaker Yin Qi. For things like lost cattle, which people asked him to predict, Hu Ma really couldn't do it. When asked, the innkeeper would simply wave his hand and tell them to send them away.
"We're not the government, and besides, we can't do that either..."
"..."
As time passed, he became more familiar with the surroundings, and the Village became more peaceful.
The innkeeper's daughter, who initially caused a commotion when she appeared, later went out less often.
When he occasionally caught a glimpse of her, she wouldn't come closer, just looking at Hu Ma from a distance with a smile.
Or she would ask him how his cultivation was progressing.
Or she would tilt her head and ask where the rouge and powder he promised her were.
Hu Ma didn't mind buying her some rouge and powder. There weren't many places to spend money in the Village, and the few small silver coins his mother-in-law had left him had turned into several more after a long time of spending.
But buying rouge and powder was not easy; he would have to go to the city for that.
But as the steward of the Village, he didn't have many opportunities to go to the city...
"Alright, take some tonics and rest for a few days. The important thing is not to go to the West Mountain again."
One day, Hu Ma was invited by the village chief of Xue Family Village to see a woodcutter who had been possessed by an evil spirit. This man didn't have any serious problems; he had just seen a peach tree blooming in the middle of winter while chopping wood in the West Mountain.
A normal person would have avoided such an evil thing, but this woodcutter, confused, had approached it.
He fell asleep under the tree and dreamed of a beautiful woman laughing and seducing him, leading to an encounter. The next day, he went again and had another encounter.
On the third day, he had two encounters.
By the fifth day, he fell ill.
Hu Ma, upon seeing him, knew the problem. The peach tree was clearly abnormal, but it was too far from the Village, and he was too lazy to travel more than thirty miles to deal with it. So, he used a strand of alchemical furnace fire to remove the evil qi from his body and advised him to take care of himself.
Before leaving, the woodcutter, with a sudden burst of strength, grabbed Hu Ma's hand: "Young Master, can I get better?"
"Of course, you can. Just rest and take care of yourself."
Hu Ma smiled and comforted him.
In this world, evil spirits harm people in various ways. Some take lives, while others are driven by obsession, and some drain people's yang energy.
The woodcutter was lucky; the spirit didn't harm his life, only stealing his vitality.
In reality, getting better wasn't as simple as Hu Ma said. The tonics were just to help him recover quickly, so he could chop wood and work for a living. But after such an encounter, his lifespan would likely be shortened by twenty years, though there was no need to say that and scare him.
Hearing that he could get better, the woodcutter clung to Hu Ma's hand even tighter: "Can the tonics be stronger?"
"If I get better faster, I can... go again!"
"..."
"?"
Hu Ma was stunned. What was this nonsense?
Without Second Uncle's skills, he had developed the same hobbies as Second Uncle?
Do you think everyone can be like Second Uncle, who not only doesn't get hurt but also benefits greatly?
"Don't risk your life."
Hu Ma could only say, "Your lifespan will be reduced by at least thirty years. A few more visits, and you won't have much left."
He wasn't bluffing. As an Age Keeper, he could estimate a person's lifespan based on their vitality and perceive the vitality of others with great accuracy.
Such human-spirit encounters are extremely harmful. For example, the woodcutter had already lost his original yang energy, but his body was still strong from hard work. He had about fifty years of vitality left, but each encounter drained a bit of it, already damaging his foundation.
As the woodcutter cried inside, Hu Ma walked out and discussed the offering with the village chief.
He remembered the old innkeeper's words and naturally wouldn't miss out on the offerings after dealing with evil spirits.
The money collected would be used to support the Village, and giving the apprentices their wages was a good thing.
As for those who were too poor to pay, it wasn't Hu Ma's concern; the village chief would handle it.
All Hu Ma could do was not rush or extort them.
After settling the matter, he also declined the village chief's invitation to stay for dinner and slowly walked back to the Village. Just as he reached the village entrance, he heard the sound of a tambourine. In the distance, he saw a hawker by the river, calling out for business.
Thinking of the promise he made to Wu He Sister for the rouge and powder, Hu Ma turned and walked over.
From afar, he saw that the hawker was surrounded by quite a few children, all looking enviously at the candies and sweets in the basket.
These hawkers would walk through the streets and alleys, occasionally coming to the village. Their baskets were filled with all sorts of goods, from needles and threads to tea cups and bottles, and even candies and steamed buns, as well as chicken feathers and sauces, oils, and salts. They were like mobile general stores between the towns and villages.
At the sound of the rattle drum, those who needed something would quickly come out. If they had something to buy, they would buy it; if not, they would still tell the hawker to bring it next time.
Now, this hawker seemed to have finished his business in the village and was preparing to pack up and leave.
The adults had all gone, leaving only the children, who were still reluctant to leave, their eyes lingering on the sweets.
But in poor families, few could really afford to buy these treats for their children. The children would just have to endure their cravings, and as they grew older, they wouldn't crave them as much.
"Don't grab, hey, don't wipe your snot on me..."
"Stand nicely, everyone will get some candy..."
When Hu Ma arrived, the young hawker was handing out candies to the drooling children. Hu Ma saw him actually give a piece of burnt sugar to a chubby-cheeked kid, and then another piece to the others.
"You'd better be careful, if their parents don't recognize you, you won't get your copper coins back."
Hu Ma walked over and suddenly spoke with a smile.
"Hey."
The hawker was startled and turned around to see a sturdy young man with a naturally cheerful face, who smiled at Hu Ma, "No need for copper coins. Business was good today, so I have a bit left. Just playing with the kids, and I can go home earlier after selling everything."
"I've always been close to kids. Giving them something to eat doesn't hurt. Sir, is there anything you want?"
Seeing Hu Ma's clean clothes, the blue sash around his waist, and the blue cloth shoes with a thousand layers of soles, the hawker knew he was not an ordinary person and addressed him as "Sir."
Hu Ma didn't chat much, just smiled and said, "Rouge and powder, do you have any?"
"Yes."
The hawker quickly squatted down and pulled out a few wooden boxes from the basket for Hu Ma to choose from.
Hu Ma casually picked a few, paid, and put them in his pocket before returning to the village.
It was getting dark, and Hu Ma had arranged for the night watch but noticed that Little Sister Wu He hadn't shown up.
He entered the inner courtyard, found the old servant, and asked him to give the items to his Junior Sister.
After checking that all the tasks were well-arranged in the village and having dinner, he waited for the apprentices to return from the night watch. Then, he took the red wooden sword and Zhou Datong's waist knife, led Little Red Apricot, and slowly walked out of the village gate.
Taking advantage of the night, he walked about seven or eight miles and returned to the village he had visited during the day. Under the moonlight, he sat by the old willow tree at the village entrance, quietly closing his eyes to rest.
The surroundings were pitch black, although there was a moon overhead, he was sitting in the tree's shadow, making him invisible to anyone.
He waited for about one or two hours, and the night grew even deeper.
Being in the wilderness at the edge of the village, especially during the winter, there were no sounds of insects or birds, and the livestock and cats and dogs in the village were deeply asleep.
It was truly silent, as if the world had forgotten this place.
Hu Ma thought, if he waited another hour, he would return to the village.
But at that moment, a cool breeze rose outside the village, and faintly, there seemed to be the sound of a rattle drum.
The sound was very far and very light, mixed with the night wind, almost inaudible.
Hu Ma opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the rattle drum, but saw only blackness, nothing visible. Only a cold wind began to blow, swirling chillingly on the country road, making him feel a bit uneasy and eerie.
He turned his head, frowning slightly.
He vaguely saw that on the dirt road in the village, a few small points were moving, slowly approaching.
Hu Ma remained seated, holding back the curious Little Red Apricot, and silently watched from under the tree. Soon, he saw those small points walk past him, and they were indeed a few drowsy children.
They seemed to be still asleep, their eyes closed, their chubby little hands stretched out, feeling their way forward in the dark.
They moved like sleepwalkers, their steps and postures unsteady, swaying and occasionally falling, but they didn't stop, forming a line as they slowly walked out of the village.
There were no lights in the village, no sounds of chickens or dogs, and the adults were already asleep. No one knew that these children had run out.
"Phew..."
Hu Ma let out a light sigh when the children passed by, gripping the wooden sword across his knees.
"Go, wake Zhou Datong and tell him..."
He whispered instructions to Little Red Apricot, explaining everything clearly. Then, he stood up, holding the sword, and followed the children at a distance, gradually entering the wilderness.
(End of Chapter)
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