Chapter 165 Strange Movements at Vegetable Market, Wild Beasts Enter the Village, Unknown
Last night at dinner, Lai made some extra steamed buns as usual. This morning, she heated them up and made some soup, and a simple breakfast was quickly finished.
After breakfast, Lai checked the bean sprouts, cut off the roots of the sprouts from several pots that had sprouted, and picked a lot of well-grown bok choy and other green vegetables, piecing together a large basket of odds and ends.
Ray wrapped the vegetable basket in two blankets, hitched it to the mule cart, and took Neil and a basket of wood ash to town.
When the roads are cold and slippery, sprinkle wood ash on icy areas to save a lot of trouble.
Fresh vegetables sell best in winter. When they arrived at the market, they hadn't brought many vegetables, and the bean sprouts sold out quickly.
To avoid disrupting the market, leafy green vegetables were sold at a higher price than bean sprouts, but because they were accompanied by bean sprouts, they sold out in no time.
The price of vegetables remained the same as everyone else's, which was an important reason why others, although envious of Lai Yi's new vegetables, did not excessively ostracize him.
Lai took Neil to the store and bought a lot of seasonings that the family was missing, and also bought beef and ribs from Mu.
After buying all the vegetables he earned, he only had a dozen or so copper coins left. But for Lai, eating them was a bonus, so he didn't feel bad about it.
After getting home and tidying up, I made a delicious dinner, and another day has passed.
Temuqi has been delayed by something. Nearly two months have passed since he left the village, but he has not returned. No one knows if something has happened to him while he is alone outside.
Out of concern for his friend, if he didn't return in a few days, Ray was already considering going to the dwarf shop owner on the black market to inquire about him.
Recently, apart from more people going to town to buy things, the villagers' lives are no different from usual.
Although such days were too peaceful, they were exactly what Barnett had hoped for.
That night, when all was quiet, a series of loud noises suddenly came from outside. Rai awoke abruptly, pulled the bone knife from under his pillow, and scrambled to his feet as fast as he could.
It was pitch black outside, and with the stone wall blocking the view, it was impossible to see clearly what was happening outside.
"Ray, wake up! Something's happened!"
Tata's anxious voice could be heard amidst the scratching at the bedroom door.
Lai hurriedly put on his clothes, opened the door, and let Tata in.
"Lai, hurry up and go! We can hear wild beasts roaring outside!"
Without time to think it through, Lai grabbed Tata and ran upstairs. Ryan followed behind them nonchalantly, like a ghost, without the slightest sign of panic.
"elder brother!"
Neil had been awakened by the loud noise. He stood at the bedroom door in his thick coat, wisely refraining from lighting the candles.
"So, were you scared?"
"No, I was a little scared when I first heard the noise, but I wasn't afraid anymore when I thought about my brother being there!"
Ray patted Neil on the head, went into Neil's bedroom, and stood by the window to observe the situation outside.
It was pitch black outside, and the moonlight was obscured by dark clouds; only blurry outlines could be seen with human vision.
"Brother, is it a magical beast?"
Neil asked in a low voice.
Lei used wood-based magic to sense it, and then frowned.
"Yes, there are a few, but their level shouldn't be high."
He could only vaguely sense the fluctuations of magic, but he couldn't use them to determine the types of magical beasts outside.
“It resembles a demon wolf, and there are also Gulu beasts, wild three sheep, and long-toothed beasts.”
Tata stood by the window, staring intently at the beasts.
"Tata can actually see it?!"
Neil was shocked.
"Hmph~"
The little monster had a smug little expression on its face. It was the age when it was most eager to show off, and also the stage when it most liked to prove its abilities.
How did they end up in the village?
Neil was worried and puzzled.
"It smells of blood."
Tata twitched her nose uncomfortably.
"It stinks!"
"what happened?"
Lai asked Tata.
"The wolves are hunting down the Gulu Beast and the wild goats. Ah! They've run far away."
The chaotic trampling sounds of the animals outside gradually faded into the distance, and soon the area outside became quiet.
This unusual activity lasted for about five or six minutes. Judging from the situation, the number of wild animals chased into the village must have been quite large.
"Brother, what should we do next?"
Neil was very worried.
"Don't worry, I'll go check on the other houses in the village after dawn. Go to sleep, I'll stay with you."
"Brother, come up here, let's sleep together!"
Neil moved the pillow closer to the wall, rummaged through the box and took out a cushion, placing it on the bed, and looked at Ray with expectant eyes.
Lei sighed softly.
"Neil, you should go to sleep first. I have some things to do. I'll sleep later."
"good."
Neil obediently took off his coat and lay back down on the bed.
Lai went downstairs, found a candlestick, and took the bone knife to check on the house.
Neil wasn't actually asleep. After hearing Ray open the door, he put on his coat and leaned against the windowsill to watch him.
There was a scratching sound at the door. Neil slipped on his shoes and opened the door. Tata rushed in like a little cannonball, leaping from the ground to the bed in two bounds, and then from the bed to the windowsill.
"Lay didn't want to wash the beast's feet, so he sent the beast back. The beast isn't talking to him tonight!"
Neil couldn't help but chuckle, closed the door, and looked out the window with Tata, their heads facing each other.
The candlelight was very dim, illuminating only a few square meters of space, but it was enough to see one's surroundings.
Lai went to the doghouse first.
The big black dog tucked its tail in and squeezed itself into the very corner of the doghouse. It was a little frightened, but it stayed obediently in the doghouse and didn't break free of its leash and run away. When it saw Ray coming, it whimpered and snuggled into his arms, seeking comfort.
Lei patted the dog's head reassuringly, then took the candle and went to the shed.
The mule was still there, but it was pacing restlessly and was in very bad condition. Lei used a minor healing spell to calm it down, and its condition improved somewhat.
Surprisingly, the red-billed pheasant was still asleep and unaffected, or perhaps it had already calmed down; none of that really matters.
After checking the situation at his home, Lai looked out over the fence through the barbed wire.
There were no animals that had just run out outside, and the ground was covered with all sorts of messy footprints.
The situation is indeed not good.
Lei thought to himself.
He checked the gate again to make sure it was locked, then went back inside, locked the front and back doors, checked the windows again, and then went back upstairs.
By this time, Neil, who had already seen Ray enter the room, was already lying in bed.
How's it outside?
Neil asked Rye, who had just entered through the door.
"It's nothing, go to sleep."
"oh."
Neil guessed that Rye didn't want to tell him.
Ray took off his coat and lay down on the outer side of the single bed. The bed was small, and Neil could feel the chill emanating from Ray. It was a very cold smell, mixed with a faint oak scent, which made him feel very at ease.
Perhaps he was sleepy, Neil quickly fell asleep, but Ray stayed awake for a long time with his eyes open.
The room was quiet until Tata, who was sulking, sneaked into Lai's blanket and made some noise, which made the already cramped bed even more crowded.
The little monster turned its back to Lei in a childish way to show that it was still angry.
The night passed quickly, and after all the commotion, Lai had only slept for three or four hours.
While preparing breakfast, Neil came downstairs yawning repeatedly. He clearly hadn't slept well, as his eyes were bloodshot.
Good morning, brother.
"Good morning."
Tata walked listlessly beside Neil, jumped into the basket, and went back to sleep.
"Brother, are we going out later?"
"Okay. Let's eat first."
Hearing Ray's affirmative reply, Neil perked up.
"I'll go too!"
"Okay, after breakfast."
Breakfast was quickly finished, and after clearing away the dishes, Lai took Neil to Gug's house first. Gug lived alone, and Lai was a little worried about his safety.
Starting from the woods near Lai's house, the path leading out of the village was covered with dense footprints, small patches of blood, and even fragments of animal carcasses.
The Guge family's house wasn't far, only fifty meters away. The gate opened with a push, a gate that sent shivers down one's spine.
"elder brother......"
Neil's voice betrayed his worry and fear.
"Let's go in and take a look."
The door wasn't locked. When I pushed it open, it was quiet. The living room was a bit cold, and there was no one there.
"Grandpa Guge? Grandpa Guge!"
Neil shouted loudly, looking for someone, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. He checked the kitchen and the bedroom where Gug was currently staying, but couldn't find him.
"elder brother?"
"Maybe they went out."
Just as they were about to leave, the back door opened, and Guge came in carrying a basket of firewood.
"You two are here!"
Gug smiled and gestured for Lai and Neil to sit down.
"It was a bit cold inside. The fire went out this morning, so I immediately put it back on."
Lai wanted to lend a hand, but Gug chased him back to his chair. Before he could even speak, Gug started chatting with him as if he knew what Lai was going to say.
"Lay, you came here because of what happened last night, right? To see if this old man is alright, hehe."
"You found out."
"I'm fine. I'm just an older person and I'm a light sleeper. I went upstairs to my room last night when I heard some noise. But the noise was quite loud last night."
Gu Ge rummaged through his pockets for cigarettes, only to find them empty. He suddenly remembered that he had decided to quit. His brow furrowed slightly, as if he had something on his mind.
"Is this wild animal sighting serious?"
"Ray asked."
"Yes, the last riot of this scale was more than twenty years ago."
Ray noticed that Gug used the word "riot".
"A similar thing happened more than 20 years ago. Three people died in our village, and no one dared to go out for the entire winter. It wasn't until the town mayor sent cavalry to guard the village for a period of time and organized a joint operation with the church and the magic association's registered mercenaries that the problem was finally solved."
"You mean the same thing might happen again this time?"
"It's hard to say; we'll have to see the specifics before we can draw a conclusion. But Ray, the days following the riot are also dangerous. Wild animals might wander off and get lost, so you shouldn't go to town for the next few days."
"good."
A fire had been lit in the fireplace, and Gugge had placed a kettle next to it.
"Would you like to stay with us for the next few days? The three of us can look out for each other."
"I asked tentatively," Ray asked.
"No, no," Guge waved his hands repeatedly.
“My old bones are still strong, and it’s not time for me to trouble you young people. I’m already grateful for your kindness. Go and check on the situation in the village. Let me know if there’s anything else. Go now, go now.”
At Gug's urging, Ray took Neil out of the house. After what had happened, they definitely had to go see Hagrid. The two headed straight for Hagrid's house.
You can see a trail of footprints every now and then in the village, and the main road is very dirty.
Some houses had their wooden fences knocked down, and others had bloodstains splattered on their yard walls. Large pools of blood on the ground contained bits of flesh, though the larger pieces had already been cleaned up.
The villagers gathered in twos and threes, talking about what had happened the night before.
Are you scared?
Ray asked Neil, who firmly shook his head.
"I'm not afraid!"
"Aren't you afraid?"
"Yeah! Brother, I'm super awesome now!"
Ray smiled slightly. He had underestimated the children's fragility.
"arrive."
"elder brother!"
Lamb waved happily when he saw Ray. He hadn't seen Ray in a long time and missed him terribly.
Linda glared at Lamb. With something like this happening in the village, only her heartless youngest son could laugh.
"Come inside quickly, it's cold outside."
Linda took Neil's hand and led the two inside.
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