Chapter 143: Operation (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
The butcher said, "You mean that old man? He came by yesterday and bought three catties, but he hasn't come back today..."
Chu Yao chuckled awkwardly, "I mistook him for someone else, but from a distance he really does look like him. Hmm, is there some happy occasion or has he struck it rich? He bought three jin at once, and it sounds like he's coming again today?"
The butcher felt a tingling urge to bite at the thought of that old man.
The old man loves to take advantage of others, and his old hands are always restless, touching the meat on his stall when he's not looking. How can other customers buy from him if he sees this? He shamelessly asks to be sold to him at a discount, trying to take advantage of even a few coins, and he never learns his lesson.
I haven't been doing that lately, but every time I come, I deliberately slap copper coins and silver coins on his shop, pretending to shout that I want to buy a few pounds of meat and a few ounces of bones, as if afraid that others won't hear me. I open my mouth to reveal my old yellow teeth, and I'm practically spitting everywhere.
However, since the butcher was in business, he couldn't turn away customers, and he had been harboring resentment for a long time.
The butcher rolled his eyes and sneered, "What happy event could his family have? They just had a granddaughter last month, but this old man is all talk and no action, saying things like 'one leg and you're a money-loser.' Bah! One leg, my foot! Old man, if it's that easy, let him try to lift his leg and see if he can lift an egg or a worm."
Chu Yao listened patiently to the butcher's complaints—he knew that the butcher was just like his own son when he wentssiping, liking to talk nonsense and rambling on and on—and whenever the topic went off-topic, he would quietly speak up to bring it back, finally getting to the serious stuff.
The butcher said, "...He suddenly struck it rich a few days ago. They say his youngest son got a big job, making three to five pounds of meat every day. Look at him, his mouth is full of fat, and he's still as thin as firewood. I wonder where all that meat went..."
Chu Yao said, "That means they've made it big."
The butcher chopped the meat the customer needed with two quick strokes. The other customers were also neighbors, and when they started gossiping, it was like riding the waves without oars. They chimed in with their own words, expressing either jealousy or envy, their conversation tinged with a sour tone.
They looked down on that family, but they were genuinely envious of the fact that the family had been eating several pounds of meat for so many days in a row.
How to prevent it from becoming sour.
Ugh, my teeth are starting to ache.
Speaking of feasting on meat and fish every day, besides this family, they knew of several other households whose houses were filled with the irresistible aroma of meat that made their mouths water. Poor families could only afford a little meat during festivals, while some could eat it like a staple food…
Immediately, some people secretly suspected that the money was obtained illegally.
Chu Yao, who started the conversation, was the most silent among the group, listening quietly as always, occasionally chiming in with a few words, and sometimes expressing a hint of doubt. The group chatted until their throats were dry before finally leaving, satisfied, as if most of their dissatisfaction and resentment had dissipated with the gossip, leaving them completely content.
Chu Yao was satisfied and took out his money pouch to buy two catties of meat.
The butcher asked, "You've made it big too?"
Chu Yao replied, "It's the master's money."
The butcher gave him an extra two ounces so he could have an extra meal when he got home.
The matter was almost settled, and Chu Yao was about to leave when the chubby boy grabbed his sleeve, looking at him with wet eyes.
He pleaded, "Teacher..."
Seeing this, Chu Yao asked, "How many days can I take Ah Rong with me?"
The butcher waved his hand irritably, muttering, "Take him away if you want, don't come back. This kid's become wild following you, old man, and all he does at home is annoy his father."
The chubby boy's face lit up with a big smile when he heard this.
The butcher gritted his teeth in anger.
Whose son is this?
Chu Yao had gathered some information, and then, under the pretext of shopping, he took the chubby boy elsewhere—he had been in Xiaocheng for so many years, dealing with all sorts of people. He couldn't directly inquire about information related to the treasury, but going in a roundabout way wouldn't be a problem.
Hmph, the treasury is strictly managed, with multiple checks required for servants to enter and exit, yet it can't control these seemingly insignificant "side ways." Chu Yao acted like an ordinary purchasing servant, waiting for Shen Tang at the agreed-upon place at sunset.
Shen Tang arrived almost at the last minute.
When she returned, the two were sitting harmoniously under the eaves by the roadside. Chu Yao was writing something on the ground with a broken tree branch in his hand, while the chubby boy hugged his knees, staring at the ground, leaning slightly towards Chu Yao, as if afraid of missing a single word.
"Wu Hui, I'm back."
Chu Yao stood up and bowed, and the chubby boy followed suit.
Shen Tang was quite familiar with the chubby boy. Seeing that he was holding a small package, she smiled and said, "Arong came along too?"
Chu Yao said, "I'm worried that I'll fall too far behind in my studies."
We'll take them to stay in the mountains for a few days and then send them back.
Shen Tang nodded: "That's fine. After Zhai Le went back, I won't have any peers to play with. It's good that A Rong is here."
Chu Yao: "..."
She wasn't playing with Goro at all; she was being played by Goro.
Shen Tang skillfully summoned the motorcycle, loaded Chu Yao's purchases into the satchel, and bundled the rest with hemp rope, placing it on the motorcycle's back. The most expensive items here were two reams of paper, a box of ink sticks, and a few calligraphy brushes, none of which were of high quality.
Shen Tang teased the chubby boy: "It's a very long mountain road to get back. If you regret it now, it's not too late."
The chubby boy thought that Shen Tang wanted to send him away.
She grabbed Chu Yao's waist.
His dark eyebrows stood on end, giving him a stubborn expression.
Chu Yao had no choice but to pat his hand, signaling him to let go, and said, "I didn't intend to drive you away. Hurry up and get in, we're leaving the city."
For convenience, he bought a mule for transportation.
The master and his apprentice rode together on a mule, which was just right.
He doesn't have the bad habit of refusing to get on anything that isn't a horse, a carriage, or a sedan chair; he'll do anything that can replace walking on two legs, regardless of what it is.
Not long after leaving the city.
I ran into Gu Chi around noon.
"Gu Wangchao? What happened to him?"
Shen Tang relayed Gu Chi's words verbatim, including the details of their conversation and her speculations. Chu Yao remained silent for a long time after listening. He shared Shen Tang's opinion, guessing that Bei Mo and Shi Wu had joined forces, and a hint of worry appeared on his face.
Unlike Shiwu, who likes to embellish his image and stage accidents, Beimo seems much more docile, but he is actually more dangerous than Shiwu. He is more like a bloodthirsty and brutal wolf that lies in the shadows waiting to strike a fatal blow. The only thing they have in common is their ambition.
They have been coveting the heartland of the continent for some time now, but their past strength and ambitions have not matched their current capabilities.
Even the former Chu Kingdom once taught the Northern Desert a lesson.
"Has the Chu Kingdom clashed with the Northern Desert?"
Chu Yao suddenly smiled in a strange way and said, "I've already handed it over."
He paused, then countered, "Otherwise, how do you think the once-renowned 'Three Heroes of Chu' earned their reputation? A large part of it came from their battles against the Northern Desert. The Northern Desert suffered repeated defeats and sent several hostages to sue for peace and show their stance."
The "Three Heroes of Chu" all cleared the Northern Desert.
Whenever the Northern Desert tries to invade the south, the northwestern kingdoms unite to send troops to punish them. They contribute troops and supplies, or they pool their resources to send young scholars and generals to gain experience.
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1. The "childhood training" mentioned in the previous chapter is actually just a joke. It should be from the Qing Dynasty, where stealing treasury silver was supposedly a father-to-son affair. In order to steal treasury silver, children in the family would have their back garden enlarged from a young age until it was big enough to hide a silver ingot, so that it wouldn't fall out when they moved around and could evade inspection when entering and leaving the house.
2. The butcher's line, "One leg and she's a money-loser," I forgot which ancient romance novel I read it in, but it left a deep impression and disgusted me. I don't know if such derogatory terms for women actually existed in ancient times.
(End of this chapter)
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