Lu Liu listened, and reached for a stone as well.
“You gave it to me, so I treasure it. It’s all locked in my little wooden box.”
Lu Yang took it out and handed it over, saying, “You can play with it whenever you’re bored.”
“It’s quite interesting,” Lu Liu said. “Look at the stones by the river, smoothed and polished by the water—they’re beautiful. Even if they never yield jade, we can rub away their rough edges ourselves.”
He turned the stone this way and that, holding it up to the window to let the light fall on it.
“Brother, have you been reading a lot again recently?” he asked.
Lu Yang admitted, “I’ve been copying sutras with mother. We need them for my father-in-law’s grave relocation, to pray for blessings. Why? Was I speaking a bit absent-minded?”
Lu Liu said, “When you talk about some things I don’t understand, it’s when you’ve been reading.”
Lu Yang laughed. “That obvious, huh? No wonder Ayan seems a little slow—he reads even more than I do, and faster too. No matter what I teach him, after reading, he goes back to being a little dazed.”
Lu Liu put the stone down, holding it in his palm, and smiled sweetly at Lu Yang. “There’s an even clearer sign. You miss brother-in-law so much that you keep talking about him, always thinking of him. I hear it and feel a bit sour—but why do you keep mentioning him to me? Do you say that to him?”
Lu Yang didn’t even blink. “Of course not! You’re my dearest little brother!”
Lu Liu just smiled.
Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, taking the upper hand teasingly. “Oh? Don’t you talk about me at your house with Da Feng? Don’t you miss me? Ah, now I see why you were smiling—so that’s what you’ve been up to!”
Lu Liu’s eyes went wide. How could this be?!
Li Feng and his group set out on the tenth of November, reached the prefectural city on the seventeenth, and were supposed to leave by the twenty-third.
It was too rushed. Xiao Hong, the steward, came over to ask about the situation. Li Feng admitted, “Last time we captured some bandits. From what I heard, they were avenging people from the waterways. The roads at the end of the year are difficult, and my husband’s about to give birth. I plan to head home early.”
The flood of bandits near the shore had already been reported. Hearing this, Xiao Hong felt they couldn’t detain them longer and went to fetch Hong Laowu.
Hong Laowu, hearing that Li Feng’s husband was about to give birth, brought over a longevity lock.
“Take this home for your children to play with.”
Li Feng tried to refuse three times but eventually accepted it half-heartedly.
Wang Meng chuckled foolishly. “One isn’t enough—they’re expecting twins.”
Li Feng glared at him. “Why say such things? Making yourself look silly.”
Hong Laowu paused, understood, and laughed heartily. “Li, you’re lucky. Good things come in pairs. Wait a little longer.”
He instructed Xiao Hong to fetch another longevity lock.
Near the docks were gold and silver shops, mainly exchanging currency, with jewelry sales as a side business—part of the Hong family enterprise.
After waiting a bit, Li Feng took another longevity lock.
After some brief greetings and early New Year wishes, the group loaded their empty cart and rushed past the city gates as if pursued, urging their mules as fast as horses.
After a day and a half, they were caught up by pursuers.
Li Feng and the others, hearing the sounds behind them, didn’t hesitate and turned to fight.
They had set some small traps along the way—shallow pits covered with grass leaves, spaced about five meters apart. Though crude, in the mountains, it could still catch prey.
The pursuing bandits didn’t expect the “fishing trap.” Charging recklessly, their horses stumbled over the pits, falling easily.
Li Feng held off using bow and arrow, opting to use hemp ropes to subdue the bandits, pulling them out of the pits and tying them up. Then, without lingering, they traveled through the night and the next morning delivered the captives to the magistrate for reward.
The officials recognized them, wondering why they kept catching bandits—the roads were dangerous indeed.
They received a few taels as bounty and some praise. Li Feng didn’t stay overnight in the prefectural city, fearing revenge, and left immediately.
After another day and a half, in the same area, they ambushed a second batch of bandits in the same way and brought them back to the city.
By late November, Li Feng decided not to leave. At the magistrate’s office, he recounted his troubles—this burly man, speaking as if about to cry, told how difficult it was to do business in the prefectural city, about leaving his mother at home, his husband about to give birth, and having responsibilities both above and below. He swore he wouldn’t come back again.
Recently, water bandits had raided ships; coming ashore twice already, ignoring the authorities.
The prefectural magistrate ordered all city gates on alert—easy to enter, hard to leave.
After “performing” this little act, Li Feng bought some gifts for Hong Laowu for the New Year, and some for the medicine vendor, asking if he had any letters for Doctor Hu.
The medicine vendor, surnamed Huang, called Huang Mazi, accepted the gifts but looked puzzled. “I thought you’d already left?”
Li Feng explained, “Someone didn’t want us to leave. We were pursued after leaving the city, captured a few, reported to the authorities, and left that day. Then we were chased again. So now, we’re not leaving.”
Huang Mazi: “……”
Just kidding.
After chatting briefly, Hong Laowu came over to the market area, found Li Feng, and took him for drinks, settling in to talk.
Hong Laowu, better informed, already knew Li Feng had captured two batches of bandits—he was a true hero.
He asked for details, and Li Feng told him everything. Hong Laowu laughed heartily. “You were faking leaving before!”
Li Feng denied it—they truly intended to leave, but were forced back.
Hong Laowu, having seen many hunters but not anyone as brave as them, was curious about the western mountains.
“Your ancestors—military household? Served as soldiers?”
Li Feng said, “My ancestors were mountain bandits.”
Hong Laowu: “……”
Hong Laowu, managing the docks and worldly-wise, wasn’t fazed. Ancestors being bandits was no problem.
He asked Li Feng about his plans. “Next year, want a steward position? No extra work, just train the guards here.”
Li Feng sensed the implication—training guards seemed minor, but the steward title mattered. Having it meant a formal connection to the Hong family; benefits and obligations were obvious.
With the steward title, in this dock area, only the Hong family could bother them; others would show respect.
But if the Hong family had business, he’d have to take his brothers along. The future was uncertain.
Previously, when Li Feng mentioned renting a shop, Hong’s steward had suggested it. Refusing again would be awkward.
He asked what stewards actually do—besides training guards, any other duties?
Hong Laowu, shrewd, answered directly.
“No need to go elsewhere and clash with others. Guarding your family business here is enough. Along this canal, many docks exist. Merchants travel frequently, using this canal. Goods in and out are handled at the docks. Grains, cloth—nothing rare. Why come to our dock? Fair prices, convenient access, safe.
“Our Hong family may not be a noble house in the city, but everyone on the streets knows my father’s name. Yet pickpockets and thieves abound; some deface goods even on the boats. Guards handle these petty issues, maintaining market order. Bandits coming ashore is rare. If it happens, you help, but we don’t chase them on the waterways—that’s the court’s business.”
Li Feng felt reassured. “I can’t confirm anything now. Next year, when I rent the shop and settle in, we can finalize plans.”
This was a tentative agreement—likely to succeed.
Hong Laowu raised a cup. “The shop is set aside for you. Come rent it whenever ready.”
