Hu Ma didn't just contribute effort; he put in a lot of effort.
He understood the importance of opportunities, and after receiving this promise, he diligently handled the affairs of the estate.
To put it simply, the estate wasn't large, and it was a quiet place, but the tasks were indeed numerous and complex.
He had to take care of the needs of the inner courtyard, as well as the livestock and cleaning in the outer courtyard.
There was also the firewood to chop, rice to buy, and nightly patrols.
Occasionally, people from nearby villages would come by to discuss matters, and someone had to be sent to investigate.
The shopkeeper didn't like to manage things, so all these responsibilities fell on Hu Ma's shoulders.
And Hu Ma didn't shirk them; he arranged everything meticulously every day.
He knew he couldn't afford to make mistakes now, so he personally handled every task, deliberately distinguishing himself from Xu Ji's previous arrogant behavior.
Whether it was night patrols or other chores, he distributed the work evenly among everyone, without favoritism, taking turns to do various tasks.
At first, he was worried that Zhou Datong and his companions from the Dayang Village would be dissatisfied.
After all, when Xu Ji was in charge, his two lackeys not only didn't do any chores but also expected others to curry favor with them in private.
Now that Hu Ma held real power, no one was currying favor, and even the night patrols were assigned fairly.
Sometimes, they still had to do tasks like fetching water and feeding the horses.
But when Hu Ma asked, Zhou Datong surprisingly said, "What are you talking about, Brother Hu Ma? Isn't this what my grandpa does every day in the village? If there are benefits, they're shared privately. Who would flaunt them openly? That would just make the villagers resentful."
Hu Ma was impressed by Zhou Datong's insight.
The grandson of a politician indeed had a different perspective.
Although he came from a village, Zhou Datong's way of handling things was even better than Xu Ji, who came from a family of offerings.
After a period of busy work, the estate's affairs were in good order, and the workers practiced their skills and did their tasks without complaint.
It was even better than when Xu Ji was in charge.
Gradually, the workers began to see Hu Ma as the real manager, reporting matters to him first.
Hu Ma, in turn, would report everything to Shopkeeper Wu every night after the patrols.
Shopkeeper Wu didn't show his emotions, but it was clear that he was very satisfied with Hu Ma's work.
He handed over both major and minor matters to Hu Ma and occasionally gave him tips on what to pay attention to.
By the tenth of the month, it was time to distribute the blood food to the new workers, and he even gave Hu Ma the key to the outer warehouse to fetch it for them.
"Take an extra half a catty for yourself," Shopkeeper Wu instructed Hu Ma without expression.
"Nourish yourself well and improve your skills. Once you've mastered the craft, you'll be able to stand on your own by next spring and truly help us."
Hu Ma naturally understood the implication of these words, but he didn't dare to relax.
He had been fed enough empty promises in his past life.
He remained vigilant, handling affairs carefully and silently calculating his time.
His cultivation was now approaching the level of three incense sticks, and the jar of blood food pills was almost empty.
But the more critical the moment, the more he couldn't afford to panic.
After taking over the actual managerial duties, the only real change he made was to evict Xu Ji's two lackeys from the small room and move in with Zhou Datong, so they didn't have to squeeze in with the others.
Of course, this was also to let Little Hongtang sleep comfortably on the beam every night.
As things progressed step by step, the workers became more and more familiar with the estate's affairs.
Coincidentally, at this time, the young master Xu Ji, who had previously taken leave and left the estate, quietly returned, causing a stir among everyone.
After this young master fled, Hu Ma naturally took over the management.
Now that he was back, wouldn't the two of them have to compete again? Especially his two lackeys, who thought their time had come, were eager for a fight.
But surprisingly, Xu Ji, who had returned this time, was listless and showed no intention of competing with Hu Ma.
When he found that his bedding had been moved to the side room, he didn't object.
Even the next morning, when Hu Ma assigned him to work in the kitchen like everyone else, he silently nodded in agreement, showing no sign of dissatisfaction.
The workers were all stunned.
"What's going on? Has this arrogant young master just given up?"
"It's probably not that simple..."
Hu Ma appeared calm on the surface, but he was fully alert inside, instructing Little Hongtang to keep an eye on Xu Ji.
Until he learned the techniques, he couldn't afford to relax.
Sure enough, although Xu Ji seemed to have given up and showed no intention of competing with Hu Ma, on the third afternoon after his return, while Hu Ma was out with the workers, Xu Ji, after some deliberation, quietly entered Shopkeeper Wu's inner courtyard.
Hu Ma, fearing that Little Hongtang might cause trouble and get hurt, had forbidden her from entering the inner courtyard casually, so she could only watch from outside.
When Hu Ma returned, she told him about it.
Hu Ma's heart stirred slightly, and he asked, "How long was he in there?"
Little Hongtang thought for a moment and said, "About the time it takes to eat a bowl of meat."
"Very vivid!"
Hu Ma nodded, indicating he understood, and gave Little Hongtang a piece of Qing Taisui to play with.
He knew that Xu Ji's situation was precarious, and logically, there was nothing he could offer to sway the old shopkeeper.
But Xu Ji had a strong background and a wealthy family, so Hu Ma couldn't afford to think too simply.
He pretended not to know and continued managing his affairs.
Sure enough, that night, just after returning from the patrol, he heard the old shopkeeper's servant come out and say, "Brother Hu, Second Brother Xu, the master wants you to come in."
Hu Ma was an only child, while Xu Ji was the second son in his family, so the servant addressed them accordingly.
It sounded like Hu Ma had the upper hand.
Hu Ma glanced at Xu Ji and saw that he wasn't looking directly at him, just nervously clenching his fists as he stood up to go inside.
"You all go back and rest," Hu Ma instructed Zhou Datong, then followed Xu Ji into the inner courtyard.
Inside, they saw the old shopkeeper waiting for them.
On the stone table were a few small dishes, likely prepared by the servants in the small kitchen—peanuts, broad beans, a fried egg, and a plate of fatty beef that looked like flower paste.
There were three cups set out, and when they entered, the shopkeeper said, "Sit down and join me."
Hu Ma and Xu Ji sat down, neither in a hurry to speak, but Xu Ji quickly poured wine for the old shopkeeper.
"Counting the days, you've been in this estate for almost a month," the old shopkeeper said after drinking a cup of wine.
"In terms of time, it's still short. You haven't followed the Tai Sui for many years, so in our Red Lantern Lady's Society, you're not considered old-timers yet."
"But I won't hide it from you—both of you are lucky. I'm short on hands, and this estate needs a proper manager. So, it's a good opportunity for both of you."
"Yes, yes..."
Xu Ji eagerly stood up, holding his cup with both hands, and said, "Thank you, Grandpa!"
"Sit down first," the old shopkeeper said, glancing at him with some displeasure.
Xu Ji quickly sat down.
His actions and the way he addressed the shopkeeper made Hu Ma's heart stir slightly.
"I won't hide it from you," Shopkeeper Wu pondered for a moment and then said directly, "They say that joining our Red Lantern Society allows you to learn skills, and that's true. The techniques I usually teach you are solid skills that can earn you a living."
"But these skills are still superficial. I have some more profound skills here, and I plan to find someone capable to teach them properly."
At these words, not only Xu Ji but also Hu Ma looked up slightly.
After being here for so long, this was the first time Shopkeeper Wu had openly mentioned this matter.
So, what did he mean?
"After observing for so long, I've found that among the dozen or so people in this estate, only you two show some promise," Shopkeeper Wu said, looking at them.
"If I had to choose, I'd like to take both of you as disciples, but that's not possible. At least, I can't teach two people at the same time."
"Even if I did, the blood food in this estate couldn't sustain two people. So, I plan to give you two a task. Whoever performs better will become the manager of this estate's workers, and I'll teach them my skills."
"As for the one who doesn't perform as well... don't worry, when the estate's foundation is stronger, I'll teach you then."
Hu Ma listened and suddenly understood.
He had heard similar promises before when the Red Lantern Lady's Society was selecting people.
Between him and Xu Ji, only one could become the real manager, and only one could learn those skills.
But he had already given a precious gift, and Xu Ji's family had lost their influence.
What had Xu Ji said to sway the old shopkeeper and make him propose a fair competition?
"The task is simple," Shopkeeper Wu continued without waiting for their reactions.
"Twelve miles west of this estate, there's a village called Huang Gou. It's not within our patrol range, but when spring comes, it can be a dangerous place."
"From what I know, there's a well there with something that has gained sentience. We can't let it cause trouble there. You two, go and deal with it. Whoever does a better job will return as the manager. How about that?"
Xu Ji was overjoyed and immediately stood up to agree.
But Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat, and he sneered inwardly, "So I was overthinking it... This isn't a fair competition at all!"
(End of Chapter)