Chapter 234

“Surely they weren’t up to kidnapping, were they?”

“How could that be! Didn’t you hear Brother Wu say they scattered halfway through the charge? They couldn’t possibly be planning to kidnap anyone.”

“Well, that’s really strange.”

The murmuring discussion made Fan Dazhu and Fan Erzhu want to bury their heads.

“Finally, near a mountain gorge, we heard cries of pain. When Dazhu and Erzhu saw the knife-wielding bandits, instead of fighting back, they turned and ran.”

The onlookers’ expressions were complicated.

They considered many bizarre possibilities, even monsters and demons, but not this.

And with seventy or eighty strong men armed, shouldn’t others fear them instead? Why did Dazhu and Erzhu run?

Fan Qian’s face was a mix of pale and flushed, a dramatic sight.

Fan Sanzhu and Fan Sizhu couldn’t help but look at their father.

This was what Dad taught, but… it didn’t seem very effective.

“Maybe they were too nervous and scared. Dazhu and Erzhu accidentally rolled down a steep hill into a ravine. It was so steep that it took a lot of effort for us to pull them up using vines,” complained Little Six.

He didn’t want to admit he had such cowardly nephews!

It was embarrassing.

There were seventy or eighty men, and even Hu Wenhua was smaller than Dazhu. While others didn’t run, thinking of taking out big knives to unite, the only ones from the Fan family ran away!

Not only did they run, but they also failed to take care of themselves and ended up falling into a mountain gorge, requiring others to rescue them.

Wasn’t this embarrassing?

Sun Jinhua listened to the whole story, her face flushed, no longer as arrogant as before.

She looked at her two sons and nervously asked, “So… what about their injuries?”

Surely, since they were helping the Bai family, it wouldn’t be right for them to pay out of pocket, right?

Besides, the Bai family was wealthy. Even a small amount of money wouldn’t be a problem for Dazhu and Erzhu.

Little Six looked at Sun Jinhua and said impatiently, “I already said! As soon as we rescued them, we took them to see a doctor in the nearby town. Dazhu injured his leg from the fall, and Erzhu injured his hand. The doctor gave them medicine to apply and said they shouldn’t move around too much. They should be fine in about ten days to half a month.

Sister-in-law, don’t worry about the medical expenses. Master Bai has already paid for them. He said since it happened while they were helping with the delivery, he would cover the medical expenses.”

Sun Jinhua relaxed, “Indeed, it should be his responsibility. It’s just that my son has suffered.”

The people around wanted to say something but held back.

Originally, this kind of work paid only thirty to forty wen a day. Why did Master Bai suddenly raise it to a hundred wen a day? Wasn’t it because they could unite against danger?

If Dazhu and Erzhu were injured while facing danger, it indeed should be Master Bai’s responsibility. But instead, they ran away while others faced danger. Not only did they get injured, but they also used up others’ energy to save them. It was embarrassing to let others pay for their injuries.

Someone murmured, “It’s lucky this was just helping with a delivery. If it was on a battlefield and they fled during a clash between armies, they might end up losing their heads.”

Sun Jinhua looked embarrassed. She had wanted to ask about the cost of nursing their injuries but swallowed her words.

Li Wu looked at the crowd in a circle and shouted, “Alright, everyone’s tired after four days. Let’s go back, wash up, and rest well. We’ll set off again tomorrow morning!”

The returning men echoed their agreement and dispersed.

After a trip out, earning nearly a tael of silver, they really needed to rest well. They would set off again early tomorrow.

Their families saw them return safely and knew they would set off early again tomorrow. They quickly followed them home to prepare a hearty meal to reward them.

Soon, most people had dispersed. Sun Jinhua thought of the five or six taels of silver they hadn’t earned yet and hurriedly stopped Li Wu, asking, “What about Dazhu and Erzhu? Can they still go?

How can they earn the remaining silver if they’re like this?”

Li Wu widened his eyes, looking at the two on the flatbed. He could understand pulling Dazhu back due to his leg injury, but Erzhu had injured his hand and could easily walk by himself. Despite this, Sun Jinhua still asked whether they could go or not?

Instead of answering directly, Li Wu countered, “Sister-in-law Fan, do you think Dazhu and Erzhu are still fit to go?”

“Well, can Sanzhu and Sizhu handle it?” Sun Jinhua persisted.

Fan Sanzhu and Fan Sizhu widened their eyes at their mother. Not only were there armed bandits on the road, but they would also have to pull a heavy cart. How could they manage that?

Li Wu looked at the reluctant expressions of Fan Sanzhu and Fan Sizhu, aged fourteen or fifteen, and shook his head. “I don’t know. Choosing the people isn’t up to me. But from what Master Bai implied, our current group is sufficient; there’s no need to add more people.”

In any case, the absence of Dazhu and Erzhu didn’t affect the team; if anything, the team was more harmonious and agile without them.

Master Bai’s strategy was to refine the team through successive trials, keeping the good and removing the unfit. Cooperation and synergy among a select few were more effective.

Quality over quantity.

Li Wu had always believed more people were better, but after this incident, he agreed with Master Bai’s sentiment. If everyone was like Dazhu and Erzhu, having more people wouldn’t help at all!

“Oh, by the way, the cart that Dazhu and Erzhu are lying on belongs to our family. I’ll have Sanzhu and Sizhu bring it over later.”

With that said, Li Wu and Li Qiang supported their father home.

Upon their return, they noticed that the village was filled with adobe, and they were eager to ask their father what had happened and share what they had seen on their journey and the situation in Nanning Prefecture. They didn’t want to waste time here.

Seeing that everyone in the village was safe and that the two injured individuals were at fault, the old village chief relaxed, relieved. His sons escorted him home.

In the kitchen, Wang Guifen, Zhang Hui, and Zhaodi were busy cooking.

Upon hearing the news that the family members who had gone out were safe, they quickly returned to prepare food.

From above the stove, they took down a piece of cured meat, sliced it thinly, and fried it with potato slices into a large bowl, even coating the potato slices with oil.

The dried salted fish, usually saved for special occasions, was also steamed today.

The eggs were not too fishy, and they were steamed into water-steamed eggs.

The goose eggs were large and were fried with green peppers into a large bowl.

In addition to steamed eggplants, steamed edamame rice, stir-fried gourds, stir-fried silk squash, patting cucumbers, and cold mixed fungus… even during the holidays, they set a table full of dishes.

“Come, try these patting cucumbers and cold mixed fungus. I learned the recipe from Shuiqing and added vinegar. Come and see how it tastes.”

Vinegar wasn’t cheap; the family had only bought it once before. Unexpectedly, the last time they went to the capital city to buy things, Eldest Uncle brought back a pound, which was just enough for the cold mixed fungus.

Even if only a little spoon of it, the fragrance was entirely different.

“Don’t say anything. The vinegar adds a flavor that makes your mouth water!”

“I can barely hold back my saliva.”

Upon returning to the main room, the old village chief saw the food on the table and found that his life had improved substantially.