"Yes, we wish they had more of them; it's not enough," Qiao Lao Er said regretfully.
“We just imagine those people as ferocious beasts, and the swords in their hands as their claws. That makes them much easier to deal with. They are either dead or wounded, missing limbs, while we only suffered minor injuries.” Qiao Dameng scratched his head: “After all these years of hunting, I haven’t made any money, but it has still been very rewarding.”
Grandma Qiao looked at Grandpa Qiao and said, "Old man, just tell me, is our child suitable to be a镖师 (bodyguard/escort)?"
Old Man Qiao blushed with embarrassment as he thought about the nonsense he had been babbling about these past two days.
"It is suitable, it is somewhat suitable. Although this time it went smoothly, we should be more careful in the future."
Boss Qiao continued, "Brother Yang gave us a booklet on martial arts techniques. It's full of pictures, and we were able to understand it after flipping through it. We'll practice more often. These bandits all know martial arts, and once we're skilled, it will come in handy when they outnumber us."
As he spoke, he took out a red cloth bag from his pocket and placed it in front of the two elders.
"Father, Mother, count them."
This huge bag weighs several kilograms. Old Man Qiao opened it with some trembling. The silver light that shone out made his eyes widen and he was completely stunned.
"My goodness!" Old Mrs. Qiao exclaimed, and quickly started counting, repeating the count twice more.
"Sixty-three taels."
"Yes, sixty-three taels. The goods we're escorting this time are worth over twenty thousand taels. Based on the ratio of goods to distance, that's how much it is."
The commission for escorting goods is 1100% of the value of the goods. If the distance exceeds 100 li, an additional 500% of the value of the goods will be paid. For example, the commission for escorting 20,000 taels of goods would be 240 taels plus 40 taels. If they travel a quarter of the distance, they would receive 60 taels. The extra amount is just a fraction of the value of the goods.
"I never imagined that escorting goods could earn so much money, and they all came back safe and sound." Old Man Qiao murmured, and couldn't help but bow to the shrine: "It's truly the ancestors' blessing, the ancestors of the Qiao family were truly virtuous."
"Oh dear, what am I saying? Well done, the Qiao family's children."
Everyone couldn't help but chuckle.
"Dinner's ready," Mrs. Wan called from the kitchen.
The men were already starving, and with a quick stride, they rushed out of the house and into the kitchen.
Grandma Qiao thought about how these people, with their physiques, must feel very uncomfortable when they were hungry, but they rushed back overnight so as not to worry their families. She secretly wiped away a tear.
"Old woman, I'm happy now, so why are you getting all emotional again?" Old Qiao said, puzzled.
"What do you know? I carried these children for ten months and gave birth to them. Seeing them hungry breaks my heart, while you're just busy counting money."
Old Man Qiao was stunned for a moment: "Old woman, it doesn't seem like I was the one counting money just now."
The rice had been scooped out, and the men picked it up and shoveled it into their mouths.
The food on the table was consumed quickly.
Fortunately, there was enough food prepared for tonight.
After they finished eating, the men thought that home-cooked meals were still the best. They had gone to a restaurant the night before, where Brother Yang had treated them. The dishes were plentiful and varied, and although they were delicious, they were not as satisfying as home-cooked meals.
"Mother, we now have over two hundred taels of silver. Should we build a house?" Qiao Laosan asked.
Everyone's eyes were filled with anticipation. Yes, so much money was more than enough to build a spacious courtyard.
Grandma Qiao shook her head.
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