After unloading their bedding rolls from the ox cart, the four young men eagerly entered the east room and laid out their things.
The heated brick bed against the wall was over ten feet long, more than enough to accommodate all five of them.
They looked around at the white paper-covered windows, the sturdy tables and chairs, and the spacious room, each feeling a sense of excitement and novelty about being in a new place.
But soon, they didn’t know what to do next.
At this time of year, there was no need to heat the bed, and the steward hadn’t given them any other tasks.
The city was lively, but they didn’t dare to go out and play.
Should they just go to sleep now?
Second Uncle glanced outside and said, “No one will bring us dinner tonight. Wait here for me.”
He took a bag from the ox cart, slung it over his shoulder, and left the house.
Not long after, he returned with two lotus leaf-wrapped packages of lamb buns and a small jug of liquor.
He sat down at the stone table in the empty courtyard.
The four or five young men quickly gathered around, grabbing the greasy lamb buns and devouring them.
Their eyes sparkled with delight, and if the buns hadn’t been so hot, they would have stuffed two in their mouths at once.
Second Uncle watched them eat with a smile and, on a whim, said, “Come on, have a drink with me.”
Zhou Datong’s eyes lit up, but he was still cautious. “Second Uncle, are you serious? Last time I sneaked a drink at home, my grandpa broke his broomstick beating me.”
“That was before,” Second Uncle chuckled. “Now that you’re in the city, you’re practically grown men. It’s time to learn how to hold your liquor.”
“Remember, you’ve got to make our village proud.”
The boys eagerly grabbed the jug, but the first sip made them stick out their tongues like hanged ghosts, the liquor burning their throats.
Hu Ma also took a sip, finding it hot and harsh, with a muddy taste.
Compared to the smooth, sweet liquors of his past life, this was rough.
But what could he do? He consoled himself: At least it’s real grain liquor, not some industrial alcohol.
After eating the buns and drinking the liquor, and having traveled for so long without proper rest, the four boys quickly grew tired.
One by one, they lay down on the heated bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Only then did Second Uncle pull out a handful of peanuts from his pocket.
He sighed and said, “I’m thinking of heading back in a day or two.”
Hu Ma was slightly surprised. “So soon?”
“Now that you’re settled, it’s time for me to go. I can’t stay here forever,” Second Uncle replied. “I’ve done what I can to help and make arrangements. The village is waiting for spring to start mining again. There’s a lot to do.”
Hu Ma thought about it and nodded.
He picked up the liquor jug and handed it to Second Uncle. “Thank you for all your hard work, Second Uncle.”
“No need for such formalities between us,” Second Uncle said, taking a sip.
He then got up and went to the ox cart, rummaging through a bundle of herbs before pulling out a cloth package.
He handed it to Hu Ma.
Opening it, Hu Ma saw a piece of smoked salted meat, about two or three pounds.
Second Uncle explained, “Before leaving, the village elder entrusted me with four pieces of Tai Sui. I’ve already given three away—whether the steward keeps them or shares them with others, we can’t say anything. We can’t just show up and start handing out gifts, or people will get annoyed and won’t help us.”
“This last piece is for you. I kept it in case you boys don’t get enough to eat here and start losing strength. Keep it safe, and if anyone falls behind, give it to them to help them recover.”
“Out of all the village, only you five made it here. We can’t afford to lose any of you.”
Hu Ma looked at the salted meat, understanding its value.
Even though Second Uncle had already given away three pieces and now handed this one to him, it was still one of the village’s most precious treasures.
Although the Great Sheep Village relied on Tai Sui for their livelihood, most of what they harvested were white Tai Sui or scraps.
A whole piece of green Tai Sui like this was something the village might only have once every few years.
No one dared to touch it under normal circumstances.
“I trust you with this,” Second Uncle said, looking at Hu Ma. “First, you’re used to eating… that stuff, so this won’t tempt you. Second, after what you’ve been through, you’re more reliable than the others. I trust you to handle things properly.”
“And…” Second Uncle lowered his voice. “I know your current level of skill. These boys will be counting on you.”
“That’s a lot of pressure,” Hu Ma said with a wry smile, peeling a peanut and popping it into his mouth.
It was crispy and fragrant.
Second Uncle watched Hu Ma’s natural movements, peeling the peanut skin effortlessly, and sighed inwardly. “You’ve been spoiled by your grandmother. Even eating peanuts, you don’t eat the skin.”
He shook his head, took a sip from the jug, and said, “Back in the village, I could see you had high ambitions. You wanted to learn real skills. Now that you’ve joined the Blood Food Gang, you’ve taken the first step. But I have something to tell you.”
Hu Ma listened attentively.
Second Uncle continued, “People chase gold and silver, but those are just external things. What’s most important? Real skills are what matter.”
“Everyone wants to learn those skills, but it’s not as simple as just wanting to learn. When I was young, an old master saw that I was still a virgin at thirty and offered to teach me.”
“I was thrilled. I followed him around for years, using my pure yang body to help him deal with evil spirits and demons. I thought my hard work would earn me some powerful techniques…”
Hu Ma was surprised. “He didn’t teach you?”
“He did,” Second Uncle said with a bitter smile. “But only the basics, the stuff you’ve already learned.”
“Maybe I’m just too dumb to learn anything more.”
Hu Ma sensed the disappointment in Second Uncle’s voice and felt a pang of sadness.
He understood the deeper meaning behind Second Uncle’s words.
Saying he was dumb was just self-deprecation.
If Second Uncle really was too stupid to learn, why didn’t the master at least teach him the complete set of basic techniques? After all, those were just physical exercises that anyone could master with enough practice.
But the truth was, Second Uncle hadn’t even learned the full set.
“Anyway, be careful. Maybe the Red Lantern Lady’s organization is different from the wild master I followed back then,” Second Uncle said with a heavy sigh.
He lowered his voice. “For the village kids, just getting a job with the Red Lantern Lady is a big achievement. But you’re different. You’ve got high ambitions. You’ll want to climb higher.”
“I don’t have the skills to teach you, but I want the best for you.”
“That piece of green Tai Sui I gave you—there’s a thumb-sized piece at the tip, covered in black ash. Cut it off and keep it hidden. It’s valuable. Use it when you need to, to show sincerity and get someone to teach you.”
Hu Ma was stunned.
He realized Second Uncle had given him the best part.
A wave of gratitude washed over him, but all he said was, “Second Uncle, when I’ve learned some real skills, I’ll repay you.”
“I’ll get you a young bride and build you a big house!”
Second Uncle’s face turned red with embarrassment. “What nonsense are you talking about? I’m too old for that…”
“I don’t need a young bride!”
That night, after their conversation, Hu Ma and Second Uncle went inside to sleep.
The next morning, Second Uncle packed up some herbs and a few jars of the village’s homemade black ointment.
He went to the herbal medicine shop in town to sell them, returning with some silver coins, salt, and sauce.
He left one jar of the ointment for Hu Ma, reminding him that the village’s homemade ointment was top quality.
The shops would dilute it with who-knows-what before selling it.
After finishing his tasks, Second Uncle hitched up the ox cart and left before sunset.
The boys were now the Red Lantern Lady’s people.
The village boys hadn’t expected Second Uncle to leave so quickly.
They felt uneasy, like children suddenly left without an adult.
Hu Ma, however, had been prepared.
He waited patiently.
They stayed in the empty house for a couple of days, and soon more groups of boys arrived.
Some wore fine clothes and looked impressive, while others were strong and sturdy.
The village boys felt out of place around them and didn’t dare to cause trouble.
But then, a few days later, another group of boys arrived, dressed in rags, barefoot, and thin as sticks—even poorer than the Great Sheep Village boys.
With more people, the place became livelier.
The boys fought over sleeping spots, scrambled for food, and sneaked out to buy sweets and watch street performances.
Only the village boys and the ragged group stayed quiet, not daring to compete with the well-dressed boys for food or anything else.
“The Red Lantern Lady’s organization seems to take in all sorts of people,” Hu Ma observed silently.
He didn’t let his reincarnated status make him underestimate the people or things in this world.
He just wondered about their backgrounds.
A few days later, as Hu Ma was drifting off to sleep, he found himself back in the fog-shrouded temple, hearing a familiar voice.
“Old Bai Gan, have you arrived?”
“I’m here,” Hu Ma replied, both surprised and relieved to hear Er Guo Tou’s voice.
He joked, “Where are you? Should we meet?”
“Now that you’re here, you’ll see me within three days,” Er Guo Tou said with a laugh. “But whether reincarnators meet or not isn’t important. What’s important is that I need to warn you about some things, so you don’t fall into the Red Lantern Lady’s traps.”
(End of Chapter)