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"Junior Compiler Zhuang, is this done?" The Minister of Revenue asked as a reminder.
"It's almost done." An Junwang came back to his senses. After a moment, he finished balancing the accounts and handed the final page to the Minister of Revenue. "It's done. Please have a look."
Xiao Liulang and the villagers worked until the sun set. The villagers made pancakes, steamed buns, and mixed vegetables for everyone. They were going to slaughter a chicken as well, but the Minister of Revenue refused, saying, "The imperial court does not seize the wealth of the people, does not take a single penny from the people, and does not covet a single grain of rice from the people!"
The staple foods were already paid for by the villagers.
An Junwang wasn’t used to eating them. Even during the toughest days in the State of Chen, he had never eaten such things. On the other hand, he saw Xiao Liulang enjoying them.
Xiao Liulang and the villagers sat together on the edge of the field, without the pretense of being a court official.
An uncle from the village came over and sat next to Xiao Liulang, asking with a smile, "Lord Xiao, are you used to the food?"
"It's good." Xiao Liulang replied.
Xiao Liulang was always reserved in his interaction with people, unlike An Junwang, who always appeared gentle and polite like a young gentleman. But Xiao Liulang was the hardest worker and had the least air, and the villagers found him the most approachable one.
The uncle took out a boiled egg from his pocket and gave it to him when he wasn't paying attention, "It's hot, eat it quickly! I see that you've worked harder than even those of us who have to dig in the fields all day long! My wife cooked it for you!"
Xiao Liulang declined, "No, I'm full. Uncle Zhang, you should eat it."
The uncle forced the egg into his hand, saying, "Come on, just eat it. Last time our Goudan had a stomach ache, and it was you who gave him medicine, or else he wouldn't have gotten better so quickly. And before that, the Village Chief was bitten by a poisonous bug, and you treated him too. These things have nothing to do with the imperial court, they're your own medicine!"
Goudan was the uncle and his wife’s youngest son.
Even the uncle, who lacked knowledge, knew that the medicine was expensive. Xiao Liulang had emptied his own medicine bag to treat the villagers' illnesses. He didn't know how much money it was worth, but it definitely couldn't be repaid with just an egg.
The uncle sighed, "If you don't eat it, when you go back later, my wife will nag me again. You know how much this woman can nag..."
In the end, Xiao Liulang accepted the egg.
The uncle was very happy and talked with relish about many things in the village until Goudan came to call him. Only then did he reluctantly leave, saying that he would come back tomorrow to look for Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang also returned to the temporary shed where he stayed.
The shed was a makeshift one and only had a table, a cabinet, and two beds made of wooden boards stacked on top of stools, one for him and the other for An Junwang.
An Junwang was more particular about his bedding and even had a mosquito net.
Xiao Liulang didn't use one because he had mosquito incense made by Gu Jiao and didn't need a net.
It wasn't too late in the day, so he planned to go to the nearby woods to gather some medicinal herbs for Gu Jiao.
He couldn't name them but he had seen Gu Jiao drying them in the yard several times.
He picked up a basket and his crutch and was about to leave when he heard a carriage coming towards his direction. It stopped, and a middle-aged man in official attire got out.
Who else could it be but Marquis Gu?
Marquis Gu came to inform their party as soon as the road was repaired. He first went to greet the Minister of Revenue.
An Junwang was here as well.
Considering that the two families were now related by marriage and An Junwang was now his son-in-law, Marquis Gu was very enthusiastic and polite to An Junwang. On the other hand, when Xiao Liulang walked past him with a basket, Marquis Gu didn't even look at him.
An Junwang reminded him, "Marquis Gu, that was... Senior Compiler Xiao."
"This Marquis know.," Marquis Gu said dismissively.
He had met him in the countryside before and recognized him even if he turned to ashes!
He didn't understand any manners at all. Clearly, he was just a poor country boy and yet he didn't put his own father-in-law in his eye. On the contrary, it was the noble An Junwang who didn't look down on anyone.
An Junwang felt Marquis Gu's disdain for Xiao Liulang and said in confusion, "He is Marquis Gu's son-in-law."
Marquis Gu thought to himself, I haven't even acknowledged that girl, what son-in-law?!
Besides, even if he did acknowledge her, he wouldn't accept a poor country boy as his son-in-law!
So what if he was the top scholar in the imperial examination? So what if he entered the Hanlin Academy? He was just a country bumpkin!
An Junwang was his son-in-law, not this Xiao Liulang!
"I heard that you’re not used to the food in the countryside, so I brought some delicious food for you!" Marquis Gu didn't want to talk much about Xiao Liulang, so he took out some roast duck, crispy chicken, and jerky that he had bought on the way and gave them all to An Junwang without leaving any for Xiao Liulang.
Xiao Liulang didn't know that Marquis Gu was trying to curry favor with An Junwang and made his way into the woods.
He had collected herbs here a few times before, so he was somewhat familiar with the paths in the woods. After walking for about half an hour, he found the herbs he needed.
He crouched down and started collecting the herbs.
Gu Jiao had once told Yuya'er that this type of herb was hard to find in the capital and that it had to be carefully dried and sifted.
When Xiao Liulang went to deliver medicine for Goudan, he had actually seen a few of these green plants lying on the ground of their home. Upon asking, he found out that there were many of them growing on the slope by the small river in the woods to the east of the village.
He quickly filled a basket with the herbs and decided that he had collected enough for today. It was time for him to head back.
Just as he turned around to walk down the hill, he suddenly heard a rustling sound behind him. He felt a chill down his spine and quickly looked back.
It turned out to be a hungry wolf with glowing green eyes!
This was the edge of the woods, and the villagers had never seen a wolf here before. Today, he had the misfortune of encountering one.
Indeed, his luck never failed him...
This was a lone wolf that had become separated from its pack. It was starving and drooled at the sight of its prey. Without hesitation, it opened its jaws wide and pounced at Xiao Liulang!
In the nick of time, Xiao Liulang grabbed a small round bead and hurled it at the wolf's head!
With a loud bang, the wolf was hit by the explosion and blood splattered everywhere. It let out a howl and fell back before glancing back at Xiao Liulang and running away with its tail between its legs!
Xiao Liulang was soaked in cold sweat.
He looked at the injured lone wolf that had fled and breathed a sigh of relief, "It seems like my luck isn't that bad after all..."
Gu Jiao had given Xiao Liulang three black gunpowder balls. She was afraid that he might blow himself up if he carried too many.
After all, he always has such bad luck, right?
Xiao Liulang came to the bank of the small river and squatted down to wash his face.
But as he washed, he instinctively felt that danger was approaching again.
Was it possible that the lone wolf had returned?
Not right.
This time, the aura was much more terrifying than that of a lone wolf.
He frowned vigilantly, turned around, and reached into the bag containing the black gunpowder balls.
Not far away, two masked men in black stood with swords on the riverbank, staring at him fiercely.
The eyes of the two men were full of killing intent.
Good thing he still had two pieces of black gunpowder balls left. He thought he really was lucky today——
As soon as the thought flashed through his mind, the money pouch loosened and the black gunpowder balls fell into the water with a splash.
Xiao Liulang: "..."
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