Erhei devoured all the dishes on the table. This was the first time he had eaten his fill since he became sensible. Even when his mother was alive, he could only eat until he was about half full on New Year's Eve.
After his mother passed away, Erhei rarely ate anything good; being able to have a hot meal was considered lucky.
The burly man scratched his head sheepishly.
"Auntie, I have a big appetite."
He Yi smiled and shook her head, saying
"It's alright, as long as you're full."
Erhei saved Cheng'er, and if he wanted to repay the debt, his family really had nothing to give him. Right now, his family had no power or money, and they still owed more than sixty taels of debt to redeem their little girl. At most, they could only give him enough to eat.
"Erhei is Cheng'er's savior. If there is no place to stay in the border town, please make do with staying at our home for now?"
Upon hearing this, Huo Xiaocheng stared intently at his father, thinking...
—Could his father really say something like that? And it was all for his sake?
Huo Shuwen recalled what his wife had said in the kitchen: the dark-skinned, burly man in front of him had saved his son, and as his father, he had to do something to show his appreciation. Did he expect his wife to ask him to stay overnight?
Even if this child lives in our home permanently, we can treat him as an adopted son. As long as he has a good character, it's fine no matter what.
The dark-faced boy's eyes were a little moist and red, but because of his dark complexion, others couldn't tell.
He thought he would never forget this day, because on this day, he met a family who wouldn't look down on him.
The lady of the house said, "As long as I'm full, that's fine."
The male head of the household said he had no home to live in.
Today, Erhei has finally found his place.
He was no longer Erhei, who toiled on the grasslands for a meager living, barely scraping by with two bowls of coarse rice. He now had a place to return to at night. The young man knew nothing of saving face or politeness; he possessed only a pure and innocent heart.
"I have nowhere to live right now. If you and my aunt don't mind, I'll even help you guard the gate."
He Yi laughed out loud, something she rarely did. Things are different now; there's just enough room for people to live in the house, so why would she need a gatekeeper?
"We have a house for you to live in. After the spices are sold in a few days, we'll buy a house and move in then."
Huo Shuwen and his wife had already discussed it and decided that they would settle down wherever they found Long'er. They believed that this place was destined to be their family's home, and it was in accordance with the will of Heaven.
"Okay, I'll do as my aunt and uncle say."
A cold wind blows in your face; the morning in this border town is chilly, yet it also has the aroma of cooking.
The two boys wrapped themselves in their clothes and watched the people coming and going on the street, amidst the white smoke and steam.
If there is joy in the world, it is the delicious taste that accompanies the ordinary.
The smoke rising from the shop chimneys in the early morning, the busy passersby rushing to work, the mother sewing clothes at home, the father leading the way, and the little girl I saw yesterday.
This is the ordinary taste of goodness, simple and plain, yet full of joy and happiness.
Huo Shuwen had already asked the two boys about the spices they brought back yesterday. Besides the mixed fruit and safflower fragrances favored by wealthy families, the two boys had also brought back some incense that wasn't exactly respectable.
To be precise, it was Erhei who carried it back.
The seller said
"This incense is a good thing; it can really liven things up at crucial moments!"
To liven things up, Erhei had participated in wrestling matches held by the nobles of the grasslands when he was making a living on the grasslands. Some wrestlers would take some stimulant drugs when they were about to lose, which would make them more excited and thus win the match.
Erhei thought this was for entertainment.
When Erhei took it out to show Huo Shuwen yesterday, the man picked it up and smelled it and knew it wasn't anything legitimate. The kid brought it back like a treasure.
But it's not that they can't sell. If it's something unconventional, then we can just take an unconventional approach.
The seller, who had purchased the goods from a friend at the market where merchants traded, finalized the deal and made a net profit of fifty taels.
Fifty taels of silver is enough to buy a house in the county, but it's not enough; I still need to redeem my sister.
Huo Shuwen brought two more men to the back door of the casino. The man knocked on the door and told the thug guarding it that he was looking for Scarface and asked him to go and call out to him. Less than half an incense stick's time later, a burly young man with a scar on his face came out and bowed to Huo Shuwen.
"Brother Wen, what brings you here?"
Scarface is one of the top gang leaders in the county. Huo Shuwen saved his life during a turf war between two gangs earlier this year, and Scarface has always wanted to find a chance to repay the favor.
These thugs live their lives on the line; they're afraid that one day their heads will fall to the ground before they've even repaid the debt of gratitude.
"I have a batch of spices here. Do you know if you can find a way to sell them?"
Huo Shuwen took out the spices and let Scarface smell them.
Even people in the shady business know what this is for. Brother Wen probably wants to try his luck with brothels, but there are only two brothels in Pingyang County. I guess Brother Wen wants to ask if he knows any brothels in the surrounding counties.
This was the first time Brother Wen had asked him for help, so I had to do whatever he asked.
"Yes! Brother Wen, what do you think of this price?"
"Two ounces of silver per pound, keep the rest for yourself."
"Alright, bro! You can just go home and wait. I'll go get some goods to send my guys running errands."
Huo Shuwen nodded and added.
"It is forbidden to sell to brothels."
Scarface assumed his brother had some kind of grudge against the brothel, so he quickly agreed.
—The next morning
Scarface knocked on the Huo family's door.
"Knock knock knock"
The Huo father and son had finished their training and were watching Erhei squat in a horse stance.
Although Erhei is strong, his lower body is unstable. He has never formally learned martial arts and relies on his strength to fight for his life. If he were to acquire martial arts skills in the future, Erhei's skills would undoubtedly become far more formidable.
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