Feng-ge's marriage proceeded unusually smoothly. Both sides were interested in each other, and with the help of a matchmaker, they exchanged engagement letters within a few days.
Wu Guihua placed the engagement letter in front of the kitchen god statue in her own home. For three consecutive days, there were no incidents of broken dishes, family quarrels, or restless livestock that would disturb the household.
Of course, Wu Guihua had been very cautious since exchanging the engagement letter. She repeatedly reminded her family to be vigilant, threatening to punish anyone who made mistakes. She even restrained herself from scolding others too much.
Wu Guihua was anxious, but the Young Master Yan seemed even more anxious. According to him, his wealthy merchant father had taken his older and second brothers to the border to buy specialty products such as spices, fine wine, and dry goods. He left only himself and the elderly lady at their villa in the Twenty-Li Slope.
The elderly lady was old, and originally, he had accompanied her to experience the customs of the capital. Unexpectedly, she became fond of the young master.
Young Master Yan was worried that after his father returned with the merchant convoy, they would immediately need to send back a large quantity of goods to their family business to prevent them from spoiling. Their family business was located in the south, and the round trip would take at least two to three months. If anything happened along the way, the wedding might be delayed.
Upon hearing that the wedding might be delayed, Wu Guihua became worried. Feng-ge would soon turn eighteen, and she was determined to find him a good family. The wedding was already scheduled to be late. If it was further delayed, Feng-ge would only get older, which wouldn't be good.
Young Master Yan proposed an idea: let the elderly lady make the decision, and they would proceed with the wedding first. When his father returned, with the elderly lady's support, his father wouldn't be able to say anything.
At this point, Wu Guihua couldn't consider the issue of her younger ger getting married before her older son. She was only concerned about how Young Master Yan's family would view Feng-ge. Would they think that Feng-ge had forced Young Master Yan to defy his parents' wishes and marry him?
To ease Wu Guihua's worries, Young Master Yan specifically brought Feng-ge to their villa in the Twenty-Li Slope for the elderly lady to see. The Yan family's elderly lady really liked Feng-ge and held onto him as if she couldn't bear to let go. She even said that her personal savings would only be given to Feng-ge in the future, not to her eldest and second daughter-in-law, so that he could pass it on to their future children.
Feng-ge blushed and felt embarrassed. After listening to Young Master Yan's sweet and affectionate words, he completely fell for him, wishing to get married as soon as possible.
When Feng-ge returned home, he repeated the elderly lady's words to Wu Guihua, dispelling many of her concerns. Furthermore, when she heard the eldest son Changsheng, who went with them, talking about the beautiful architecture and luxurious decorations of the villa, she realized that as a rustic person, she had no idea how to handle such things. She had no objections anymore.
However, there was one condition: the Yan family required a dowry of ninety-nine taels of silver to ensure a lasting marriage. Of course, they would also provide a bridal gift of one thousand taels of silver. At that time, Wu Guihua's family could appropriately retain a portion and use the larger sum as the dowry, making it look better in terms of face.
In addition to this, the elderly lady had another requirement: after the dowry list was prepared by the Li family, it needed to be brought to the villa for her to inspect and verify.
Upon hearing this, Wu Guihua was dumbfounded. "Isn't this against the rules?"
Who sends the dowry before the marriage agreement is settled…
Young Master Yan also felt embarrassed and scratched his nose. "The families my older and second brothers married into have better backgrounds, and the dowries were generous. The elderly lady pities me and Feng-ge, probably wanting to help add to the dowry under the pretense of inspecting and verifying it… Even if my older brother, sister-in-law, second brother, and sister-in-law notice in the future, they won't have any evidence."
Hearing this, Wu Guihua realized that it was a good thing. She exchanged a glance with Li Mancang, thinking that since they were benefiting from it, they would go along with it.
The bridal gift from the Young Master Yan was one thousand taels of silver!
In fact, Wu Guihua and Li Mancang were fond of their ger. Feng-ge had a sweet tongue and inherited Wu Guihua's astuteness. They were both concerned about him and had prepared his dowry in advance. However, they didn't expect that Feng-ge would marry so well, requiring them to bring out all their savings and even borrow forty to fifty taels.
That was a significant amount—villagers couldn't earn a few taels of silver in a year. Thanks to Village Head Li's generosity, they borrowed as much as five taels.
Seeing the head of the household counting the silver with a worried expression, Wu Guihua couldn't help but say indignantly, "Your second brother is too stingy. He only brought out one hundred wen and called it an advance gift. Once Feng-ge gets married, he better not expect to benefit from it!"
"Given the way things are at the second son's house, he probably genuinely can't bring it out…" Li Mancang rarely spoke honestly.
"What should we do now?"
Li Mancang sighed, "Sell the land."
"Sell the land?" Wu Guihua thought for a moment and realized that selling the land was the only option. After all, once they had the money, they could buy the land back. "Alright, let's sell the land."
Li Mancang wants to sell land, and the people in the village quickly heard about it. However, they just assumed that Li Mancang was trying to climb up the social ladder and pretended to be rich.
Li Mancang couldn't explain the situation to others. Firstly, their family was the one benefiting from the transaction. Secondly, Young Master Yan had explicitly instructed them to keep the matter between their two families and not spread it outside, to avoid causing trouble with his older and second brothers.
During this time, Elder Li and other elders advised Li Mancang to be reasonable and not exhaust their family fortune just to marry their ger.
However, at this point, both Li Mancang and Wu Guihua were already determined and unwilling to listen. They insisted on selling the land. Elder Li and the others saw that their advice wasn't being heeded and stopped trying to persuade them.
When news of the land sale spread from the Li family, Cheng Duo was planning to sell several large and small pieces of leather he had collected during this period.
Selling leather was just one part of it. Now that everything was settled, he needed to go out and see the situation. Otherwise, he would be in the dark about any possible occurrences.
Cheng Duo found Shanzi to guide him. Shanzi was familiar with the Twenty-Li Slope, where his father was contracting land, so Cheng Duo could also bring some food and vegetables to his father.
They agreed on the time, but before they set off, Yong-ge found Cheng Duo and hesitantly requested, "Can you take me with you? I won't cause you any trouble…"
Yong-ge blushed as he spoke because he knew that he would definitely be a bother to Cheng Duo. The place he wanted to go was the various gambling dens in the Twenty-Li Slope. If it weren't for that reason, he wouldn't have thought of asking Cheng Duo for help.
In fact, when Yong-ge learned that Young Master Yan was coming to pick up Feng-ge and Changsheng, he had considered asking them to take him along. However, Aunt Wu adamantly disagreed. She might be afraid of him stealing the limelight or causing trouble and chaos in the wedding, so she firmly refused.
Yong-ge had initially hoped that Feng-ge and Changsheng would speak up for him, but Feng-ge was preoccupied and had no intention of paying attention to him. As for reliable and dependable Changsheng… he did try to speak up for him, but as soon as Aunt Wu raised her voice, he immediately dared not make a sound.
"What are you going to do in the Twenty-Li Slope?" Cheng Duo asked.
Yong-ge awkwardly tugged at his sleeve. "To find my elder first and second brothers."
He had originally planned to stay away from Cheng Duo, but unexpectedly, he turned around and approached him again. It was really… he was afraid that Cheng Duo would think he had no shame and couldn't get rid of him.
But seeing his father's silent demeanor all day, he couldn't bear it.
When Cheng Duo heard that it was about finding Li Da and Li Er, he nervously touched his nose and readily agreed. Then he thought for a moment and said, "You might find it inconvenient to go alone. I'll accompany you."
Cheng Duo was so considerate, yet Yong-ge hadn't said anything about his own difficulties. The warmth he felt when he remembered being rejected everywhere a few days ago surged up, and his eyes turned red.
Cheng Duo was puzzled, "Why are you crying? Who bullied you?"
Could it be that as the family lost sight of Li Da and Li Er, and some people took advantage of their old age and Yong-ge's innocence to bully him?
Yong-ge quickly turned around and wiped his eyes. "No… it's just sand blowing into my eyes. I'm not crying."
Cheng Duo silently watched him, not arguing. He was starting to doubt himself. Was it his mistake? Yong-ge used to be so strong, daring to rescue him from the wolf's mouth and even selling the wolf's corpse to buy medicine…
Although Li Da and Li Er were a bit reckless, they had still sheltered Yong-ge. Now that those two were gone, Yong-ge would become a pitiful victim at the mercy of others.
Cheng Duo's thoughts wandered a bit, and when he realized that he was the one to blame, he showed unparalleled patience when facing Yong-ge. Even his voice became much softer.
On the day they were heading to the Twenty-Li Slope, Shanzi, who was accompanying them, saw Cheng Duo take over Yong-ge's few belongings and put them in his own backpack. Then, when he wanted to take a break, Cheng Duo suggested walking a bit farther, but when Yong-ge wanted to rest, Cheng Duo immediately agreed!
Shanzi: "…"
Taking advantage of Cheng Duo's absence, Shanzi approached Yong-ge and asked, "Is Brother Cheng going to propose to your family?"
Yong-ge was drinking water and choked suddenly. "Cough, cough… Shanzi, what nonsense are you talking about?!"
Shanzi blinked his eyes and said, "I'm not talking nonsense. If he doesn't want to marry you, why would he take care of you like this?"
His father used to take care of his mother in the same way. When the men in the village pursued their wives, they would speak kind words, show their attentiveness, and help with the work.
Yong-ge lowered his eyelids. He didn't know why, but he dared not think about it anymore…
Yong-ge self-mockingly tugged at the corner of his mouth, then looked up at Shanzi and lowered his voice, "You're mistaken. He's already engaged."
"Oh, then…" Shanzi wanted to say something more, but Yong-ge quickly covered his mouth and whispered, "Don't say anything more. I won't marry him, no matter what. It's impossible between us!"
Just as he finished speaking, Cheng Duo emerged from the woods.
"…"
"…"
The two of them exchanged glances, and Shanzi glanced in Cheng Duo's direction. From such a distance, he shouldn't have heard, right?
Yong-ge pulled his lips in frustration. "If you hadn't brought up all this nonsense, I wouldn't have said anything wrong."
The two of them, familiar with each other, could communicate smoothly through eye contact and gestures without speaking.
Cheng Duo seemed not to have noticed and greeted them, "We're almost there. Let's continue on our way."
"Okay." The two of them answered simultaneously, then obediently got up from the ground, and Shanzi quickly strapped on his backpack.
In order not to stand out, Cheng Duo purposely wore the outfit made for him by Yong-ge. His hair had grown a bit recently, but he couldn't tie it up, so he simply wrapped it with a long cloth and pressed it against the back of his head.
Cheng Duo thought he would look strange like this, but he didn't expect to see many people in Twenty-Li Slope who were even stranger than him. There were those who shaved their heads bald, leaving only a small patch on the top, and even braided it. Some had a strong build, wearing arm bracelets and large earrings. Some had short hair but had colorful braids hanging down from the back of their heads.
Among these people, there were both Great Xia people and people from other ethnic groups, all of them with a rugged and fierce aura.
In addition to them, there were also some idle men wearing patched shorts, covered in dust, squatting in groups by the roadside, seemingly bored.
According to Shanzi, these people were just like his father, skilled laborers who squatted by the roadside waiting for work.
In fact, skilled laborers were also classified into different levels. Casual laborers were at the bottom because they had no organization and relied solely on luck to get jobs. Moreover, they were isolated and vulnerable, easily having their business snatched away by other larger forces, and if they couldn't fight back, they would also be beaten.
But having a powerful foreman was different. Foremen had connections and were more likely to receive large orders, and a group of people working together would be faster. Of course, the drawbacks were obvious as well. The foreman would take a cut from the money received, and even how much each person earned was determined by the foreman.
Shanzi's father, Zhao Shugen, followed a foreman surnamed Ding. That foreman treated them well and even rented a large courtyard for their convenience. However, it was clear that the environment of that courtyard would not be too good, as several men would usually sleep in one big bunk bed.
Shanzi was only eleven years old, so he could squeeze with his father, but Cheng Duo and Yong-ge couldn't. They dropped Shanzi off at the entrance of the courtyard rented by the foreman and agreed to meet at the village intersection three days later at noon, then they went their separate ways.
With Shanzi gone, Yong-ge appeared much more restrained. He covered his face with an old piece of clothing on the way, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed, and looked at Cheng Duo, asking, "Are we going to sell the pelts now?"
Cheng Duo shook his head, "Let's find a place to stay first."
This was a habit he had developed over time. When arriving in a new place, he would find a safe place to settle in so that he wouldn't be left in the dark once night fell.
Yong-ge thought about the fact that the two of them would be staying outside together and couldn't help but feel nervous. He blurted out, "Alright, I know a cheap place, follow me."
He took two quick steps forward before realizing he had misspoken. As an unmarried young ger, he was too familiar with the places to rest in Twenty-Li Slope. Moreover, Mahti Street was a place filled with all sorts of people, and Cheng Duo might think there was something wrong with his character.
Yong-ge quickly added, "I, I've been there with my father before."
"Okay," Cheng Duo didn't pay much attention to it.
Although Yong-ge was a young ger, he wasn't someone who never left the house. It was unlikely that he had never been to the nearby largest town.
Yes, a town. Cheng Duo had always thought that Twenty-Li Slope was just a small market. But after arriving, he discovered that it was actually near the western Ling Pass, where many traveling merchants passed through, unknowingly forming a large town.
But this real ancient town was not as glamorous as it appeared in TV dramas. The stone pavement was dilapidated, covered in dry yellow mud, and when a carriage passed by, the mud would be splashed by the wheels, filling the air with dust.
Not to mention the dung of cows and horses, which could be seen every few steps
But compared to Mahti Street, all that dirt was nothing. As Cheng Duo and Yong-ge walked in, they narrowly avoided a slop cart passing by. The slop water splashed along the road, permeating the entire street with a sour and stinky smell.
And in some hidden alleys, there would occasionally be a strong smell of urine, indicating that people who came and went here didn't pay much attention to hygiene, and it was common to relieve themselves anywhere after drinking too much.
Cheng Duo used the phrase "drinking too much" because in an open courtyard, he saw seven or eight women and young men, their clothes in disarray, looking haggard, washing themselves by the well. Obviously, this place would turn into a brothel at night, the kind of lower-class place where only poor laborers would come to spend money.
When Cheng Duo caught them looking at him, one of the young ger, aged around twenty-four or twenty-five, who was lazily washing himself, threw a seductive glance at Cheng Duo and even opened his already loose clothes a bit.
This… trying to seduce him in broad daylight? It seemed that people in ancient times weren't as conservative as he had imagined…
Cheng Duo hadn't done anything yet, but Yong-ge angrily blocked his way and indignantly said, "Don't look, they are not respectable people!"
Then he glared at the person and pulled Cheng Duo, ready to leave.
Cheng Duo habitually surveyed the surroundings and wasn't interested in that kind of place, so when Yong-ge pulled him, he obediently followed.
The person sneered disdainfully but gradually became envious when he saw the tightly packed Yong-ge pulling his man along. There was a time when he also wanted to marry a tall and reliable man, but unfortunately, his parents sold him to support his younger siblings…
Cheng Duo stopped in his tracks, surprising Yong-ge. He thought Cheng Duo had been enticed by the person and didn't want to leave. Then he heard Cheng Duo ask, "Are you sure your father would bring you to a place like this?"
"Not exactly… my father…" being exposed, Yong-ge awkwardly lowered his head.
"Then who?" Cheng Duo thought of something, his face turned dark. "Your eldest brother or second brother?"
If it was them, he felt that those two scoundrels had received less punishment than they deserved!
Yong-ge quickly explained, "No, my father didn't allow me to go out with them." His father didn't even let him show his face, so how could he trust them to take care of him?
Seeing Cheng Duo staring at him, with no way to avoid it, Yong-ge had to confess, "I used to come to Twenty-Li Slope to find work. I heard that the cheap lodging is on Mahti Street, so I stayed there once or twice…"
"Once or twice?" Cheng Duo's face turned serious. "If you knew what kind of place it was the first time, you shouldn't have gone again."
Yong-ge didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a bit defiant. "I don't go out at night, and my roommates are all young ger. Besides, it only costs eight wen to stay here for a night, much cheaper than those inns outside!"
"You really… care about money more than your life!"
Cheng Duo couldn't help it and ruthlessly poked Yong-ge's head, which was held stiff. Yong-ge instinctively covered his head, and then belatedly realized that they were actually arguing over such a trivial matter? Cheng Duo even laid hands on him, why did it feel so strange…
Cheng Duo also felt like he had gone too far. He coughed lightly and raised his foot to turn around. "Let's just stay at an inn."
He shouldn't have listened to this young ger. He would have known how stingy he was!
After taking two steps, Cheng Duo noticed that Yong-ge was still standing motionless. He turned around and glared at him, pretending to be fierce. "Aren't you coming?"
To outsiders, this scene probably made them think the young ger was pitiable, married to a husband who was both cruel and wicked, and might even resort to violence. But Yong-ge couldn't be scared, otherwise Cheng Duo wouldn't have asked so many questions if he didn't care…
Seeing the other person about to walk far away, Yong-ge quickly caught up, unwilling to give up. "Don't think I'm lying to you, the inns outside are really expensive. A room costs at least thirty to forty wen per night!"
"I'll pay. Is that alright?" Cheng Duo said impatiently.
Yong-ge shrunk his neck. "No, how can I let you pay…"
If it wasn't for him, Cheng Duo could have gone back after selling the fur. Why would he stay overnight? It was only fair and reasonable for him to bear the cost of their accommodations…
Yong-ge stole a glance at Cheng Duo and really wanted to grit his teeth and say that if he didn't mind, they could share a room, and he wouldn't mind sleeping on the floor!
But Cheng Duo didn't even give him a chance to speak. Once they entered the inn, he directly asked the innkeeper for two rooms and paid the rent, acting as if money was not a concern at all.
Yong-ge: …wasteful spender!
Cheng Duo took Yong-ge to the backyard to take a look and found that while the rooms were small, they were still clean and the doors and windows were intact. Then he led him to leave.
After leaving the inn, Yong-ge took out his money pouch and was about to pay: "Let me give you the room fee…"
Cheng Duo didn't bother with formalities either. He looked around and pointed to a stall on the roadside selling small wontons, steamed buns, and fried pancakes, saying, "No need, treat me to lunch instead."
Yong-ge paused while reaching for his money: "Okay."
Cheng Duo went over and asked about the prices. He ordered a bowl of small wontons, a fried pancake, and two fist-sized steamed buns.
The bowl of small wontons probably had about twenty of them, and it only cost six wen. Cheng Duo initially thought the stall owner would be operating at a loss by selling them so cheaply. But when he bit into one and discovered that there was only a small piece of meat the size of a soybean, with the rest being vegetable leaves wrapped in cornmeal…
"…"
In fact, Cheng Duo misunderstood. While Twenty-Li Slope had many travelling merchants passing through, the roadside stalls wouldn't sell wontons filled entirely with meat. Only the eateries or restaurants with established businesses would offer that.
Yong-ge knew that Cheng Duo enjoyed meat. Seeing him staring at the wontons with a displeased expression, he suppressed his laughter and comforted him, "When I have money in the future, I'll treat you to wontons filled with meat."
"In that case, why don't you just come to my house and cook for me?" Waiting until he had money, who knew when that would be? Did this young ger think money could be saved easily?
Yong-ge hesitated for a moment, "Then… when I go to water the crops in the vegetable field later, I can help you cook along the way. Is that okay?"
Cheng Duo became happy, "That's settled then. I'll go hunt a deer or a goat to eat when the time comes."
Since Yong-ge left, Cheng Duo hadn't been as enthusiastic about hunting. Mainly because the food he cooked himself didn't taste as good as a simple meal!
After eating and drinking their fill, Cheng Duo first went to deal with the miscellaneous fur in his backpack. To be honest, he didn't know how to handle them at first. The prey he hunted were mostly small animals like rabbits, bamboo rats, and badgers, and the quality of the fur wasn't good.
But when the shopkeeper quoted a price of thirty five wen, Cheng Duo felt quite disappointed.
However, Yong-ge didn't back down. He had a retort for everything the shopkeeper said. Seeing that the shopkeeper seemed annoyed, he pointed at Cheng Duo and said, "Shopkeeper, don't underestimate the small furs he brought today. The gray wolf I brought earlier was killed by him, and its fur was undamaged… Let's make a compromise today, and I'll bring you better furs in the future."
The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment and reluctantly nodded. "Alright, you win. But let's make it clear, if you have good stuff in the future, you must sell it to our shop."
"Of course, of course." Yong-ge smiled and praised the shopkeeper. "Everyone knows that Sun's shop offers the fairest prices in this twenty-li slope."
The shopkeeper felt relieved upon hearing this and counted the copper coins, stringing them together before handing them over to Cheng Duo. He smiled and said, "Your wife is really skilled at bargaining."
Cheng Duo agreed wholeheartedly. "Indeed, no one is better at managing the household than him!"
Then it dawned on him that the shopkeeper seemed to have misunderstood their relationship. Cheng Duo originally wanted to explain, but since they were unrelated and Yong-ge, an unmarried young ger, was walking with him, it seemed difficult to clarify. So he decided not to say anything.
Yong-ge glanced at Cheng Duo with his big eyes exposed, seeming a bit uncomfortable. But he quickly adjusted himself and urged Cheng Duo, "Alright, let's quickly return to the inn to drop off the backpack and then go find myeldest brother and second brother."
"Okay."
There were quite a few gambling dens of various sizes in the twenty-li slope. Some were directly located on the main street, adorned with colorful silk, attracting people to enter. Others were hidden in small alleys, catering to gamblers from all walks of life, creating a chaotic and smoky environment.
Cheng Duo wasn't familiar with Li Da and Li Er, and even if he recognized their faces, it would be impossible for him to identify them based on their figures and movements alone. He couldn't approach each gambler and ask them to turn around for a look. Therefore, Yong-ge had to accompany him.
As they approached the entrance of a gambling den, Cheng Duo glanced at Yong-ge, who was shrinking behind him, and extended his sleeve to him. "Take it, hold onto my sleeve."
Yong-ge was taken aback for a moment but followed the instruction and grabbed a corner of Cheng Duo's sleeve. He then lowered his head and pursed his lips, feeling happy. However, before he could fully enjoy the moment, Cheng Duo complained, "If you hold it like this, you'll let go easily if there's a crowd later!"
"Oh." Yong-ge no longer bothered with pleasantries. He clenched Cheng Duo's sleeve tightly with all five fingers, regardless of whether his clothes were new or not. It didn't matter if they were damaged, it was Cheng Duo who told him to hold it!
The gambling den was indeed crowded. Yong-ge followed closely behind Cheng Duo as they maneuvered through the place. The larger gambling dens had hired bouncers to help maintain order. But the smaller ones were quite chaotic, with gamblers gathered around various tables, the sound of dice rolling and betting filling the air.
Cheng Duo noticed that Yong-ge couldn't see anything even when tiptoeing. He looked up and saw an upper floor. He then said to Yong-ge, "Let's go upstairs."
After Cheng Duo brought Yong-ge upstairs, he realized that something was off about the place. The air carried the smell of cheap cosmetics, along with the scent of lovemaking. Apparently, this floor served not only as a gambling den but also had additional services.
Yong-ge clearly didn't know and looked down from the corridor with astonishment. Just as he was about to speak to Cheng Duo, a hand suddenly reached out from behind and rested on his shoulder, "Little ger?"
Before Yong-ge could react, Cheng Duo had already protected him and grabbed the offending hand, giving it a strong squeeze.
"Ah—please spare me, spare me… I just wanted to borrow a few wen from this young ger, nothing else, nothing else…"
The discolored gambler, with clouded eyes, cursed his luck as soon as he saw Cheng Duo. He mistook Yong-ge for someone else, thinking he belonged to some brothel nearby. Why would a good young ger like him come to a gambling den?
"Get lost!" Cheng Duo didn't break the man's hand, but he had nearly done so. Seeing the man scurrying away, he turned Yong-ge's head to face the bustling crowd downstairs. "Don't mind him, let's find them quickly."
"Oh…"
Taking advantage of his height, Cheng Duo half-covered Yong-ge behind him. On one hand, he prevented others from seeing him, and on the other hand, he didn't want Yong-ge to see certain scenes inside some private rooms.
Those people didn't even bother to close the door properly. They were hugging, touching, and kissing each other, it was simply too much for the eyes!
Fortunately, the noise downstairs was loud, and the faint ambiguous sounds from behind were immediately drowned out by the noisy gambling tables.
Yong-ge's heart was beating fast. He had never experienced anything like this in his entire life. Although he was scared by the sudden appearance of that guy earlier, Cheng Duo quickly subdued him, and Yong-ge didn't feel afraid anymore.
What really left him stunned was that after Cheng Duo drove the man away, he stood behind him, covering more than half of his body. Although he didn't actually come close, Yong-ge could feel the continuous warmth radiating from Cheng Duo's body…
Yong-ge's attention was mostly focused behind him. Even his sensitive hair stood on end. His legs felt a bit weak, and Cheng Duo's presence gave him a sense of security. He wanted to lean against him naturally, but he felt it was inappropriate to think that way…
"Did you find them?"
Cheng Duo's question was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the heat in Yong-ge's mind. When he thought about Cheng Duo's feelings for someone else, he became completely calm. He stiffened his body, swept his gaze over the people downstairs, and shook his head at Cheng Duo. "It seems they're not here."
Cheng Duo hesitated for a moment. "Close your eyes and count to ten."
"Why?" Yong-ge asked.
"Why so many questions? Just do as I say!"
Hearing Cheng Duo's stern tone, Yong-ge pursed his lips and closed his eyes obediently. "Oh."
"Start counting…"
As soon as Cheng Duo finished speaking, Yong-ge felt the oppressive body behind him move away. He felt a little disappointed and lowered his head. "One, two…"
Cheng Duo quickly searched the upper floor. Since it was daytime, there weren't many people in the private rooms. Cheng Duo suspected that they might have been lucky when they first arrived upstairs, and the person guarding there had left. Otherwise, they would have to pay to come up.
Not finding anyone, Cheng Duo returned to Yong-ge. "Let's go, let's try another place."
…
Twenty-Li Slope wasn't a county town, so there was no curfew. In the evening, shops and brothels that operated at night hung lanterns, and there was a steady flow of people. It didn't seem quiet at all.
Cheng Duo had already taken Yong-ge to seven or eight gambling dens, but they hadn't found any leads. He suspected that they might have missed some secluded places, and Li Da and Li Er were not only fond of gambling but probably also enjoyed other activities…
Cheng Duo didn't forget that he had pulled those two guys out of Widow Zhao's house.
But this thought only crossed his mind once and he didn't even mention it: firstly, he couldn't bring himself to talk about it in front of Yong-ge , and secondly, he felt he had done enough, those two guys weren't worth his continued effort.
Yong-ge was clearly tired as well, but he didn't want to give up. Cheng Duo looked at him and suddenly said, "This method of searching isn't working. How about we go tomorrow to ask for help from my friend at Xiling Camp?"
Xiling Camp was only five miles away from Twenty-Li Slope, and it would take only thirty to forty minutes to walk there. The security of Twenty-Li Slope was the responsibility of the soldiers stationed at Xiling Camp, so it would be faster to ask Meng Ji for help than to continue their blind search.
Yes, Cheng Duo thought of Meng Ji.
That guy had left him an identification token, which Cheng Duo originally didn't plan to use. However, the cold reception from the fur merchant had put Cheng Duo in a financial crisis, and he still had that jade pendant in his hand. Maybe Meng Ji would be interested in it.
In the end, Cheng Duo thought that the situation in Twenty-Li Slope was too complicated, and he might invite trouble if he acted rashly. Asking for Meng Ji's help would solve that problem, and in the process, he could inquire about Li Da and Li Er's whereabouts.
If it weren't for the fact that telling the truth would upset Yong-ge, he actually believed it would be best if they couldn't find those two guys.
Yong-ge looked at him in astonishment. "Do you know people from Xiling Camp?"
Isn't Cheng Duo a bandit? How is he involved with Xiling Camp?
Yong-ge had seen Cheng Duo covered in blood, so he didn't believe his story about 'discovering his hometown flooded and his family taking refuge.'
He thought that Cheng Duo had simply grown disillusioned and given up on the hopeless career of being a bandit, which was why he wanted to stay in their village.
That was also the reason why Yong-ge didn't report Cheng Duo. Firstly, Cheng Duo had saved his life, so he couldn't explain that. Secondly, they had been startled by his astonishing strength when they first met, and when they discovered he was a decent person, it became even more unlikely for Yong-ge to report him…
Yes, since he didn't have a flooded hometown, what about his fiancée? Could it be that he had already arranged the marriage before becoming a bandit?
Cheng Duo looked at Yong-ge inexplicably. "What's with that expression? What's wrong with me knowing people from Xiling Camp?"
Yong-ge looked around like a thief and whispered, "Since you're a bandit, is it okay to meet people you knew before?"
"Who told you I'm a bandit!" Cheng Duo chuckled. He found Yong-ge anxiously rushing towards him as if he wanted to cover his mouth, so he quickly pushed him away. "Just talk, no need to get physical!"
Yong-ge's face turned red. "Who got physical? I just asked you to speak softly… Since you're not a bandit, how did you get so severely injured?"
Cheng Duo fell silent upon hearing this. He didn't want to talk too much about his past before crossing over. He just emphasized, "I'm not a bandit, and I haven't committed any murder or robbery…"
Wait, it seemed like he had done that!
Cheng Duo suddenly remembered when he encountered Meng Ji before. He had killed two enemy soldiers and even robbed them of their silver…
Cheng Duo coughed. "Anyway, I'm not… There's a reason why I got injured."
"What reason?"
'…' Cheng Duo ignored him. "So, tell me, do you want to come with me to Xiling Camp tomorrow?"
Yong-ge shrugged. "Sure, why not."
He had no other option since he couldn't find the person on his own.
Cheng Duo and Yong-ge returned to the inn and found that many people had moved into the small courtyard they were renting.
Most of these tenants had tied their mules or donkeys directly to the animal shed at the entrance, while the unloaded carts and goods were piled up in the middle of the courtyard. With the crowd and the noisy animals, the courtyard became very noisy.
When Cheng Duo entered, he could sense a momentary pause in the conversations of the people inside, and many of them looked at him with both open and hidden scrutiny, appearing very cautious. However, when they saw the skinny Yong-ge following behind him, their vigilance decreased significantly.
Cheng Duo felt a sense of familiarity with this scene. He used to be one of them, always cautious of the powerful supernatural beings when traveling outside. But now, he had become the target of scrutiny… It actually didn't feel bad.
They had already eaten dinner outside, so Cheng Duo asked Yong-ge to wash up and go back to the room to sleep. Just before closing the door, he saw Yong-ge looking at him with wide eyes, seemingly a bit uneasy. So he softened his tone and said, "If anything happens in the middle of the night, knock three times on the wall, and I'll come over immediately."
During his earlier inspection, Cheng Duo had already noticed that the walls of the inn were very thin. With his hearing, he could quickly hear any movement nearby.
At this moment, he forgot that Yong-ge had even stayed in the chaotic Malti Street and wouldn't be afraid of staying in an inn. At that time, Yong-ge was still alone! Although he now had several brothers living together, if any of them had malicious intentions and opened the door at midnight, the consequences would be unimaginable.
From this, it could be seen that Yong-ge was extraordinarily brave…
But Cheng Duo was concerned and chaotic. At this moment, he hadn't realized that he had already categorized Yong-ge as one of his own… No, not just as one of his own. He had softened his heart towards Yong-ge countless times, but Cheng Duo didn't think about what that meant at this moment.
Yong-ge obediently nodded and closed the door in front of Cheng Duo. After taking off his outer clothes and lying on the bed, he suddenly remembered why Cheng Duo had said that. It was because he was sleeping on the other side of the same wall.
When Cheng Duo checked the rooms earlier, they had also looked at the layout of the two rooms together. The positions of the two beds happened to be in the same place. If it weren't for this wall, they would practically be sleeping on the same bed…
As Yong-ge thought about this, his cheeks started to burn, and he covered his face with both hands, quickly dispelling those thoughts from his mind. Then, as if the wall was some ferocious beast or flood, he not only distanced himself from it but deliberately turned away, lying on the bed with his face away from the wall.
Perhaps as punishment for his wild thoughts, an hour later, Yong-ge was still lying wide awake in bed, unable to sleep.
In the darkness of the room, he inexplicably turned towards the wall and stared at it for a while. Suddenly, he reached out and lightly tapped the wall three times.
Just as they had agreed with Cheng Duo before.
But after tapping, he covered himself with the blanket and laughed silently. Because he knew that Cheng Duo on the other side couldn't possibly hear it.
However, he didn't know that the man opposite him was a supernatural being. Cheng Duo, who was still half asleep, heard the noise, and with a turn, he jumped out of bed. He didn't even fasten his clothes properly, leaving his shirt open, and arrived outside Yong-ge's room.
Looking at the intact door, he hesitated for a moment, not using his palm to push it open but gently knocking on the door. "Yong-ge?"
Upon hearing the knocking outside the door and Cheng Duo's voice, Yong-ge was startled. He hesitated for a moment on whether to open the door, but then he heard Cheng Duo knocking for the second time.
This time, Yong-ge no longer hesitated. He got up, put on his outer clothes, and quickly opened the door. Bright moonlight sprinkled into the courtyard, and the animals in the shed were already sound asleep, occasionally making noise by snorting or rubbing their hooves against the ground.
Cheng Duo stood with his back facing the courtyard, his tall figure illuminated by the moonlight. Yong-ge couldn't see his expression clearly, but he heard him ask in a low voice, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Nothing." Yong-ge felt a bit embarrassed, under Cheng Duo's gaze, it took him a while before he said, "I just… couldn't sleep and wanted to see if tapping three times would work…"
He didn't expect the effect to be so good, immediately attracting Cheng Duo. Was he wearing donkey ears or something?
"…"
Seeing Cheng Duo not saying anything, Yong-ge forced a smile and said, "Why haven't you slept yet? That's… really unfortunate."
Cheng Duo stared at him expressionlessly, "I was sleeping, and you woke me up!"
"Then go back to sleep quickly, I won't disturb you anymore." Yong-ge cautiously pushed Cheng Duo.
Cheng Duo had good night vision. Through the dim moonlight, he saw the pleasing smile on Yong-ge's face and those guilty big eyes gazing at him… He actually found it a bit cute.
The anger from being disturbed in his sleep dissipated instantly, but Cheng Duo still maintained a cold expression and scolded Yong-ge heartlessly, "What are you randomly knocking for in the middle of the night? Go back to sleep. If you wake me up again for no reason, be careful, I'll beat you!"
Cheng Duo raised his fist, and when he saw Yong-ge quickly retreat into the room and close the door, he felt like he might have gone too far.
Yong-ge was now at the age of a high school student, and it was understandable for him to be a little lively when staying overnight outside.
Cheng Duo reflected on himself, touched his nose, and went back to sleep.
Perhaps because of Cheng Duo's warning, Yong-ge behaved obediently this time. He lay in bed and soon fell asleep. Of course, the same went for Cheng Duo. He had long cultivated the instinct to fall asleep quickly in the post-apocalyptic world and had no trouble with insomnia.
So, there was really no need for him to be so harsh on the little Yong-ge…
The next day, Cheng Duo remembered scolding Yong-ge last night and intended to be nicer to him. However, he didn't expect Yong-ge to be even more diligent. Not only did he wake up early, but he also went to the kitchen and brought back free breakfast, almost reaching the point of fetching water for Cheng Duo to wash his face.
The two guests from the room next to Yong-ge opened the door and saw Yong-ge and Cheng Duo standing at the door. The married guest smiled ambiguously at the two of them.
After Cheng Duo went to freshen up, he asked Yong-ge, "Is that your partner?"
Yong-ge hesitated for a moment with the tray in his hands and said, "No."
"I see, you're not married yet. It will happen in the future." If you get married, you'll live together. "When are you getting married? It should be soon, right? Don't deny it, I heard you two talking last night. The young couple has such a good relationship, staying up late to chat…"
Faced with the gossiping married guest, Yong-ge blushed and ran away. But Cheng Duo didn't have such trouble. That guest saw his tall and imposing figure, looking fierce, and didn't dare to approach him at all.
Cheng Duo returned to the room and saw Yong-ge with flushed cheeks. He asked curiously, "Why is your face red?"
"The water for washing my face in the morning was too cold, it made me freeze." Yong-ge quickly made up an excuse and urged, "Come over and eat. After we finish, let's leave early. We still have to go back this afternoon."
Cheng Duo didn't inquire further and sat down, taking a corn pancake and biting into it absentmindedly. "Rest assured, we have enough time… Hmm, this corn pancake is good. It's actually fried with oil and has minced meat in it?"
"That's right, it's only 30 wen per person. You can buy several catties of pork with that!" Speaking of it, Yong-ge still cherished money.
Cheng Duo: "…" They would never reach an agreement on this issue.
When the two of them left the inn, the sun had not yet risen. A hazy mist enveloped the streets, giving the illusion that the dirty and messy streets had become tidy.
Of course, it was just an illusion. Someone had simply cleaned the streets, making them appear slightly cleaner. However, this situation wouldn't last long, as horse-drawn carriages had already rumbled across the road.
Speaking of which, people in ancient times really went to bed and woke up early. Since Cheng Duo arrived here, he had never stayed up late. It was no wonder that some diligent villagers would start working at four or five in the morning; lying in bed was just boring.
Cheng Duo asked for directions and found out that an official road had been built from twenty li slope to Xiling Camp, so they didn't have to worry about taking the wrong path.
Both of them walked at a brisk pace and arrived at the camp gate in just over thirty minutes. There were villages nearby, but because they were strangers, the soldiers coming out from inside stared at them curiously.
Cheng Duo wasn't bothered by their gazes and let them look. It was Yong-ge who felt embarrassed and hid behind Cheng Duo with his head down.
"Excuse me…"
"Whom are you looking for?" Before Cheng Duo could finish, one of the guards on duty asked. It seemed like he wanted Cheng Duo to show some respect.
Cheng Duo ignored him and took out Meng Ji's identity card from his pocket, waving it in front of the soldier. "Is there a soldier named Meng Ji here?"
The soldier was surprised. "Are you looking for Captain Meng?"
It seemed that Meng Ji had quite a reputation. The soldier didn't say anything more and went to call someone with his companion.
When Meng Ji heard that someone was looking for him at the camp gate, he was initially confused. But when he heard that the other person had his identity card, his expression changed instantly. "Where is he? Take me to him!"
General Wei, who was nearby, found it strange. "Meng Ji, why are you so excited?"
"General, weren't you curious about the skilled warrior who killed Wu Gu and severely injured the captive? It's him! I left my identity card with him, and now he has actually come to find me."
No wonder Meng Ji was excited. The mysterious person's skills had amazed him, and he appeared and disappeared mysteriously, giving off an air of not wanting to meddle in anything.
Meng Ji had actually gone back to look for him before, but they were in the deep mountains at that time. He had inquired about the nearby villages, but there was no one matching the description of the mysterious person.
"Is it him? Could he really be that powerful?" General Wei was skeptical. He had personally seen the captive who was pierced through the chest and back by the wooden spear. He found it hard to believe that it was done with just a blunt wooden spear. And Meng Ji repeatedly emphasized that the person didn't rely on any external force; he effortlessly pierced the man!
When they all heard about it at the time, they thought Meng Ji was either delirious from his severe injuries or that the wooden spear had been tampered with.
Unfortunately, Meng Ji hadn't been able to bring back the wooden spear, so the mysterious person in Meng Ji's account remained an unsolved mystery.
"Finally I saw you!" Meng Ji originally walked briskly towards Cheng Duo. However, he seemed to remember Cheng Duo's ferocity when they first met, so he stopped a distance away from him.
"It's me," Cheng Duo nodded calmly. Despite wearing coarse clothes and carrying a large bamboo basket, he stood confidently with the presence of a warrior.
Meng Ji bowed in salute, "May I ask for your name, sir?"
"You don't have to call me 'sir,'" Cheng Duo frowned. "I saved you, and you gave me money. We're even… Also, you can call me Cheng Duo."
"So it's Brother Cheng…" Meng Ji felt a little embarrassed. It was his first encounter with someone like Cheng Duo, who settled a debt of gratitude with just a few taels of silver.
As a Seventh-rank Colonel, how could he fail to repay a life-saving favor?
While Meng Ji and Cheng Duo were talking, General Wei Ling, who had come with them, looked Cheng Duo up and down. Suddenly, he spoke, "I heard that you have immense strength, and with an unsharpened wooden spear alone, you can stab a person through from front to back… Is that true?"
Yong-ge widened his eyes upon hearing this. Cheng Duo had just assured him that he had never killed anyone, but now he wondered how Cheng Duo managed to pierce someone from front to back. He only knew that Cheng Duo was strong, but he had no idea that he was so brutal.
Yong-ge's shocked expression was quite obvious. As he turned to look at Cheng Duo, he noticed that he had brought a young ger with him.
Meng Ji only glanced at Yong-ge, took note of his face and the red birthmark on his eyebrow, then politely averted his gaze.
However, Wei Ling was different. As soon as his eyes met Yong-ge's, he was momentarily stunned, and then he stared at him intently, as if trying to find something extraordinary in his face…
Yong-ge blushed under his intense gaze. He had become hot during the journey and had taken off his clothes that were serving as a makeshift headscarf. It happened that Cheng Duo, who was tall and robust, shielded him, so he didn't think much of it.
Who would have thought that this person, who looked like an ordinary man, would stare at him so fixedly? Even the local old bachelors and rogues in their village didn't behave like this!
Yong-ge angrily hid behind Cheng Duo, who took a step forward and blocked the intruding gaze, responding without hesitation, "So what if it's true? Do you want to fight me?"
Meng Ji didn't understand what was going on with their young general, why he was inexplicably staring at a stranger. But this confusion didn't hinder him from sensing the tense atmosphere. He quickly grabbed his young general, preventing him from seeking his own death.
Meng Ji had witnessed Cheng Duo's skills before, coupled with his terrifying strength. Even ten young generals wouldn't be his match.
Furthermore, he could sense that Cheng Duo always used lethal techniques in his moves. Even if he didn't intend to take a life, he could easily end up severing hands and legs…
Wei Ling realized that he had acted too impetuously, causing the two opposite him to misunderstand. He withdrew his gaze and turned to Cheng Duo, hesitantly saying, "If there's a chance, I just want to exchange a few moves with you…"
Wei Ling wasn't the type who only knew how to fight and kill. Based on Meng Ji's reaction, he deduced that he most likely wouldn't be Cheng Duo's opponent. Hence, he mentioned exchanging moves instead.
However, he was still very curious about the young ger behind Cheng Duo. It felt like he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where…
Meng Ji also quickly chimed in with a joke to help defuse the situation. "This is our young general, Wei Ling. He's a martial arts enthusiast. He heard that Brother Cheng has extraordinary skills, so he couldn't help but be interested. Brother Cheng, please don't mind, haha…"
Cheng Duo didn't mind fighting someone, but he had other matters to attend to, and he wanted Meng Ji's help. If he happened to knock down this so-called young general and lose face, what if Meng Ji refused to assist him?
Also, that guy was staring at Yong-ge the whole time, wondering what he was studying. In case he angers him and he disregards martial ethics, sending a large number of soldiers to chase them to Yang Village… Cheng Duo could escape, but it would be troublesome for Yong-ge and the villagers.
Thinking of this, Cheng Duo glanced at the young general coldly and said, "Let's talk about sparring another time…"
Before he could finish speaking, a gust of wind suddenly blew from behind, accompanied by the sound of galloping hooves…
Without thinking, Cheng Duo turned around, pulling Yong-ge closer to his waist and turning his body to face the person who had suddenly pulled on the reins, causing the horse's hooves to rise high in the air.
The person probably just wanted to frighten them. After pulling the high-headed horse to a stop, he calmly sat upright on its back. First, he glanced unexpectedly at Cheng Duo, then narrowed his triangular eyes with ill intentions as he looked at Meng Ji and Wei Ling beside him. He said, "I heard that two foreigners came to find trouble. Who are they? Are you colluding with the enemy and betraying the country?"
Because Cheng Duo was tall, had short hair, and Yong-ge had a foreign-looking face, the soldier spreading the news misunderstood.
"Cai Gaozhan, who is colluding with the enemy and betraying the country, knows best!" Meng Ji was furious. This was a clear case of diverting blame!
The last time he brought back a list of border generals accepting bribes from the Rong people, unfortunately, he didn't know that the list and account books were separate. Therefore, the soldiers on General Wei's side knew who was colluding with the enemy and betraying the country but lacked evidence.
Cai Gaozhan's face suddenly changed, "Captain Meng, you dare to call me by my full name? Believe it or not, I'll report this to the Bureau of Justice…"
Before he finished his threatening words, the black horse under him suddenly raised its head and let out a loud neigh. Then, the rider stood up like a madman, whipping the horse forward in a frenzy…
"What's going on?" Cai Gaozhan's horsemanship was evidently not good. He desperately grabbed the reins, but even at the risk of his life, he couldn't stop the horse. Instead, he almost got thrown off its back.
Meng Ji watched as the black horse disappeared like a gust of wind into the military camp's training ground, not yet understanding what had happened. On the other hand, Wei Ling, with sharp eyes and ears, turned to Cheng Duo and asked, "What did you do?"
Cheng Duo feigned innocence, "What could I have done? I didn't even move my hands."
Everyone saw that his hands were not free. As for his feet, that was uncertain. Kicking a small stone or something was still possible…
Yong-ge, who was still held by Cheng Duo, blushed at his words. He clumsily pushed away Cheng Duo's large hand and took two steps back, keeping a distance.
Of course, he knew that even if they were outside, they wouldn't be able to go far.
Cheng Duo rubbed his nose under Yong-ge's glare. It was just a moment of anger, after all… By the way, the young ger had a slender waist and felt surprisingly supple and warm in his grasp.
Meng Ji smirked teasingly at Cheng Duo, a look that men understood. Wei Ling, due to the faint sense of familiarity from Yong-ge and his own upright character, refrained from laughing.
However, due to the incident with Cai Gaozhan just now, his impression of Cheng Duo suddenly improved. He said, "Anyway, thank you for what you did."
Meng Ji snorted, "This Cai Gaozhan is like a lice-infested hair, disgustingly everywhere! Once I get the account books, I'll report it to the Grand General and let him and Yuan Kui bear the consequences!"
"Meng Ji, stop talking nonsense!" Wei Ling reprimanded softly. With Cheng Duo and Yong-ge present, he didn't say much more.
In fact, Cheng Duo had already understood. They belonged to two different factions, and the other side was colluding with the enemy and betraying the country… It didn't surprise him at all. The governance in Wudu County was already so bad, so it wasn't surprising to have internal traitors in the military camp.