"Brother Hu Ma looks young, but his actions are extremely steady."
As Hu Ma was feeling a bit puzzled, the girl named Wu He glanced over at him.
In this world, women were usually shy, and even village widows would steal glances at men.
But she seemed quite bold.
Her eyes carefully scanned Hu Ma's face, taking in every detail.
She smiled as she pushed a cup of tea toward him, pursing her lips and saying, "I've seen you around before."
"And I heard from my father about how you helped the village deal with those evil spirits. I really admire you!"
"..."
"So it really is her..."
Feeling her gaze, Hu Ma was once again certain.
She was indeed the one who had been secretly observing him from her room all this time, and she didn't even try to hide it in her words.
He found it even more strange and glanced at her, but with the shopkeeper present, he couldn't look too much.
He stood up to take the tea and said with a smile, "Not at all. I came from the village and know nothing. It's all thanks to the shopkeeper's guidance."
"Brother Hu Ma, you're too modest," Wu He said.
"But I won't be polite with you in the future. My health isn't good, and it's hard for me to go out. So I'll need you to bring me things like needles, thread, and cosmetics from outside the village..."
Hu Ma quickly replied, "That's only natural."
As he took the tea, his fingers accidentally brushed against something.
He looked down and saw her hand quickly retract.
Hu Ma sniffed and frowned slightly but didn't say anything, just continued chatting politely with the shopkeeper.
He had thought that with the woman who usually hid in her room finally showing herself, there might be something important to discuss.
But in the end, nothing happened.
The shopkeeper just brought his daughter out to have some tea in the yard, chatted about everyday matters, and then went back inside.
As the sun set, Hu Ma left the inner courtyard and continued arranging for the workers to patrol and feed the horses.
The workers, though reluctant, groaned and got to work when they saw the young lady had gone back inside.
Hu Ma couldn't tell if it was just his imagination, but as he directed the workers, he felt like someone's gaze was fixed on his back...
Before he had seen this girl, he had felt a bit uneasy, and now that feeling was even stronger.
He didn't dare let his guard down and decided to follow the workers out of the village.
This girl was beautiful, but there was something indescribably strange about her.
These days weren't like the past, where well-bred ladies stayed behind closed doors.
The shopkeeper's precious daughter not only looked at him boldly but also sat in the yard, smiling and seemingly unbothered by the workers' gazes.
Strange, no matter how he thought about it, it was strange!
But the other workers didn't share Hu Ma's caution.
They were still lost in the memory of that brief glimpse, their faces wearing foolish smiles, completely absorbed in their recollections.
Once they left the village, Zhou Datong got excited and asked, "Brother Hu Ma, Brother Hu Ma, tell us, what did she smell like?"
"Smell?"
Hu Ma looked at him and the other drooling guys in surprise before understanding.
He sighed and said, "There was no smell..."
Zhou Datong, and even Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu beside him, all looked disbelieving.
From their expressions, Hu Ma guessed they'd be less upset if he withheld half a pound of blood food from them.
"Really, there wasn't," Hu Ma said.
But then he thought of something strange and sniffed his fingers.
"Actually, there was a faint smell of rot, but it was masked by the scent of herbs..."
"Rot?"
Zhou Datong was stunned for a moment, then firmly said, "That's impossible!"
"I could smell her fragrance from ten zhang away, though I didn't get close enough to know how strong it was..."
"..."
"Uh-huh!"
Even the usually honest Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu nodded in agreement.
"Second Uncle said that women smell like steamed buns..."
"Second Uncle said women's steamed buns are fragrant..."
Hu Ma thought to himself but, seeing their serious expressions, decided not to correct them.
What could he say?
The universal law: whether something smells bad or not depends on the face!
...
With Hu Ma firmly established as the manager, everything in the village had settled into a dull routine.
But with the appearance of this girl, everyone suddenly became lively.
Even when Hu Ma treated them to meat and wine, they hadn't been this excited.
Now, they walked with a spring in their step, humming tunes even when going to the latrine.
And hygiene.
Though Hu Ma no longer slept in the communal bunk, he had lectured them to stay clean, not to be covered in dirt, with collars so thick with grime that even Little Hong Tang avoided their room.
Bathing wasn't practical.
Changing clothes frequently wasn't practical for some workers.
But at least they could wash their feet, right?
They listened to everything else but were too lazy for this, as if they subconsciously categorized it as their personal freedom, not the manager's business.
But now, these same people who wouldn't listen to Hu Ma suddenly became neat and tidy...
Not only did they wash their faces, but they also liked to bathe outside the house.
And it was winter...
But there was a problem.
The night patrol duty, which everyone used to fight over, suddenly lost its appeal.
The reason was simple.
Every evening, this girl might come out of her room and take a stroll in the inner courtyard.
It was just a possibility; she didn't come out every day.
But because of that slight chance, the workers were all eager to wait for her.
Hu Ma lamented the downside of the stove but adapted to the situation.
When he had time, he'd point at someone and say, "Go clean the latrine. It's almost full. Scoop it out, put in some fresh soil and stove ash."
"Take the rest to the village and sell it to the village head. You can get three copper coins... Keep the coins for yourself. You can buy some crispy pancakes on the way..."
No one used to want to do this job.
Even if they didn't dare disobey Hu Ma, their reluctance was obvious.
But now, Hu Ma would first notice their displeasure and then add, "After you're done, go to the inner courtyard to deliver something to the shopkeeper."
"Of course, change your clothes first!"
"..."
Suddenly, the workers were full of energy, almost fighting over the task.
And looking at the shopkeeper's daughter now, who would believe the rumors of her being seriously injured?
The workers in the outer courtyard were all infatuated with her.
Hu Ma, however, felt like avoiding her, as he couldn't quite figure her out.
She had stayed in her room for so long before, but now she appeared from time to time.
Most importantly, perhaps sensing Hu Ma's attempts to avoid her, she once even came directly to his small room.
Usually, for his cultivation, Hu Ma didn't even let Zhou Datong and the others in, only speaking to them outside the door.
Now, seeing her barge in, he was a bit surprised.
"Little sister, is there something you need?"
Wu He stood inside the threshold, smiling at Hu Ma.
"Can't I come if there's nothing?"
"Miss, you wouldn't want the shopkeeper to know you sneaked into my room, would you?"
Hu Ma thought of a flirtatious line but swallowed it, forcing a smile.
"I thought you had something to tell me."
"What's with the 'tell'?"
Wu He said, "My father is the shopkeeper of the Lady's Association, and you're the manager. We're equals. Why say 'tell'?"
She smiled.
"But I do have something. Did you promise to buy me some cosmetics?"
Hu Ma felt a bit awkward.
"I haven't seen any peddlers around lately, and I haven't had a chance to go to the city."
"Alright then, but remember."
Wu He took two steps forward, and Hu Ma caught a faint whiff of decay from her.
This time, they were alone in the room, and she was closer than before in the inner courtyard.
The smell of decay was clearer, making Hu Ma tense and instinctively step back.
He suddenly realized this might upset her.
Sure enough, whether she noticed Hu Ma's frown or felt it was inappropriate for a man and woman to be so close in a small room, she stepped back and said, "Actually, I have something else."
"Right now, you..."
She hesitated, bit her lip, and seemed to make up her mind.
"How far have you gotten with the Shousui technique?"
"Huh?"
Hu Ma was slightly startled.
Why was she asking this?
Then he thought, this technique shouldn't be a secret to her, so he slowly replied, "I've made some progress, but it's not easy."
"I've just started, so I'm being careful, afraid of making mistakes. And cultivating this technique requires blood food..."
He had already activated his left hand and was considering whether to activate his right leg, but he couldn't tell her that.
He took the opportunity to mention blood food, quietly observing her reaction.
"Alright..."
Hearing that Hu Ma's progress was slow, she seemed a bit disappointed, as if she didn't want to hear it, and muttered, "You need to work harder..."
She reluctantly walked to the threshold but then seemed to remember something and turned back to Hu Ma.
"Brother Hu Ma, don't be afraid. Everyone's scared of making mistakes with this technique..."
"My father has a notebook with his cultivation insights. He treasures it and usually doesn't let anyone see it."
"If I give it to you, will you progress faster?"
"..."
"What?"
Hu Ma was shocked.
What was she trying to do?
Vote, vote...
(End of Chapter)