Lu Qing and his companion's large-scale purchases at the market naturally attracted the attention of many people.
So when the two left, a few people gathered outside the market and whispered among themselves.
"Boss, those two kids bought a lot of stuff. They're obviously easy targets. Should we go up and ask them for some cash?"
A shifty-eyed young man was the first to make the suggestion.
However, as soon as he said this, he was immediately met with disdain from the others.
The man, especially the one called the boss, looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"Are you out of your mind? Didn't you see even Master Ma was being very polite to that kid? You want me to go and rob them?"
The shifty-eyed underling felt wronged after being scolded for no reason.
"I'm just saying that they're both fat. Look at what they're carrying. It would cost several hundred coins to carry all that. These two fat sheep are so big. If we just take a little bit of them, it'll be enough for us to be happy for several days."
Upon hearing this, the eldest brother fell silent.
How could he not be tempted? Putting everything else aside, the amount of flesh on those two boys' backs was enough to make him envious.
They've been having a rough time lately, and haven't had any meat for several days.
But when he thought of Master Ma at the market, he felt a little scared.
That guy is not someone to be trifled with. If they offend him, all of them will be in deep trouble.
But when he thought about the things Lu Qing was carrying, the eldest brother couldn't help but be tempted again.
Just as these people were hesitating.
In the market, Master Ma was also beckoning to one of his men.
"Xiao Tian, I remember that Dr. Chen seems to live in Jiuli Village, right?"
"That's right, that old doctor lives on the hillside next to Jiuli Village, and people from several nearby villages all know him."
The subordinate, referred to as Xiao Tian, replied respectfully.
"Then take some time to go to Jiuli Village and find out if that old doctor has recently taken on a disciple named Lu Qing."
"Yes," Xiao Tian replied respectfully.
Master Ma knew that he wanted to investigate the young man who had brought silver to the market to buy things.
Thinking of this, Xiao Tian suddenly remembered something and quickly reported, "Master Ma, when I came in just now, I seemed to see Chen San and his group acting suspiciously outside. They seemed to have some ideas about that boy named Lu Qing."
"Chen San? What are those few punks doing on my turf?" Master Ma narrowed his eyes.
"I heard that a few of them stole some things in Damu Village a while ago, and the village elders there ordered them not to come near the village anymore, so they came here to hang out."
"These petty scoundrels do nothing but steal chickens and dogs all day long. Go out and warn them that if they dare to mess with the customers at our market, I'll break all their lackeys!"
"Yes, Master Ma!"
Xiao Tian went out excitedly.
He had long disliked Chen San and his gang of hooligans, who never did anything good and only knew how to steal chickens and dogs and bully the villagers.
One of his cousins, who was married in Damu Village, once complained to him that Chen San and his gang had stolen several chickens from their home.
He never had a chance to teach them a lesson before, but now that Master Ma is backing him up, he has no choice but to give them a good beating.
After Xiao Tian left, a commotion soon broke out outside the market, accompanied by cries of pleas for mercy.
Master Ma ignored these trivial matters and sat down to ponder.
Lu Qing's appearance today was quite a surprise for him.
If this young man is indeed the apprentice of that old doctor Chen, then it would be great news for him.
The villagers outside only knew that the old doctor had amazing medical skills, was kind-hearted and skillful, and was a miracle doctor.
Little did they know, this old doctor was equally remarkable in the city.
Many powerful and wealthy people treated him as an honored guest.
This is all because this old doctor not only has amazing medical skills, but is also a martial arts master.
Even the county magistrate praised his profound cultivation, saying that he had almost reached the peak of the acquired realm of a grandmaster.
He had wanted to befriend this person for a long time, but he had never been able to find a good opportunity.
But now, Lu Qing's appearance has given him a glimmer of hope.
If he can befriend Lu Qing and establish a connection with Doctor Chen, he might have a chance to return to the city in the future.
He had really had enough of this godforsaken, run-down market.
If he hadn't caused trouble before and his father hadn't forbidden him from staying here for the full five years, he would have quit and gone back long ago!
Master Ma was quietly making plans all by himself.
Lu Qing and Wang Da'an were unaware of what happened at the market after they left.
However, Lu Qing remained vigilant, knowing that making purchases at the market was somewhat conspicuous.
But there was no other way; he had a lot to do next and didn't have time to rush to the market every few days, so he had to take the risk.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened until they returned to the village entrance.
The two took the red rope off the tree, put it back under the stone slab, and continued carrying their things towards Lu Qing's house.
It was nearly noon, and most of the villagers were resting at home, with few people walking around the village.
So when Lu Qing got home, he didn't run into anyone.
"Phew, I'm finally back."
After putting everything down, Wang Da'an was a little out of breath.
"Thank you, Brother Da'an. Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to move so much stuff back." Lu Qing said gratefully.
The heavier items, such as grains and meat, that were bought were all kept by Wang Da'an.
Lu Qing was carrying relatively lightweight household items.
"No need to thank me, it's what I should do. In fact, I should be thanking you. Today is the first time I've spoken to Master Ma so closely, and he even remembered my name!"
Wang Da'an became excited again when this was mentioned.
"Is this Master Ma very powerful?" Lu Qing asked curiously.
“Of course he’s powerful!” Wang Da’an said. “You have to understand, the entire market is managed by Master Ma. He also has a group of men. In this area, he is the most powerful person!”
This made Lu Qing even more puzzled.
In his view, the bustling atmosphere of the market was somewhat beyond his expectations.
But in the end, it was just a small market.
They don't sell luxury goods there; they mostly sell agricultural products.
Such a market can't possibly generate much profit.
Judging from the way Mr. Ma was dressed, he didn't seem like the kind of person who cared about such a small amount of money.
Then why would he be at the market?
Could there be another hidden meaning behind this?
Lu Qing couldn't quite understand it.
"Brother Da'an, has this market always been managed by that Master Ma?"
"No, it used to be managed by an old man, everyone called him Uncle Li. It was only about two years ago that Master Ma took over."
“I see...” Lu Qing seemed to be deep in thought.
"Alright, I'm going back now. Ah Qing, you should rest first. You must be tired carrying all this stuff back."
Seeing that Wang Da'an was about to leave, Lu Qing quickly called out to him, "Wait a minute, Brother Da'an!"
Then he took out a piece of pork that was half fat and half lean from the basket.
"Take this piece of meat back with you. Make something delicious for Grandpa Wang tonight and let him have a taste."
"No, no!" Wang Da'an waved his hands repeatedly upon seeing this. "This meat isn't cheap. You should keep it for yourself and Xiaoyan!"
“I still have a lot here, as you can see. And this time you not only guided me but also helped me carry so many things back. Consider this piece of meat my thank you gift.”
"That's not enough. Such a big piece of meat is worth more than ten coins!"
"Just take it!" Lu Qing forcefully stuffed the meat into Wang Da'an's hand. "If you don't take it, I'll be too embarrassed to ask you for help again if I ever need it."
"Well... okay."
Seeing that Lu Qing had said so, Wang Da'an had no choice but to accept the meat.
"Alright, don't be shy, hurry back. We've been gone for so long, Grandpa Wang might be worried. Brother Da'an, you should go back and let him know you're safe."
Seeing that Wang Da'an seemed a little embarrassed after accepting the meat, Lu Qing pushed him out.
After Wang Da'an left, Lu Qing cut off a small piece of meat.
Then, carrying the meat, they prepared to go to Grandpa Zhang's house next door to bring Xiaoyan back.
