Chapter 136 – Young Boy, Do You Want to Eat a Pile of Poop? (Part One)
“Speak up, what’s the big deal? The farm got robbed, and you mean to tell me you have no clue and need to bother me with such trifles?” Jiang Pengji felt that Xu Ke still needed more training; she was quite dissatisfied with his level of handling matters.
Seeing Jiang Pengji’s serious demeanor, Xu Ke finally put away his usual laid-back attitude.
“I think, Young Master, you’re still in need of a troop leader.” He said earnestly. Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow at that. Xu Ke wasn’t fazed by her expression and continued, “Although the method you wrote is good, it’s still in the exploratory phase. It’s better to acquire something tried and tested. Moreover, neither you nor I really understand military affairs; it’s best to learn from the seasoned veterans.”
Jiang Pengji narrowed her eyes, “You’re saying that the ones stealing rice, cloth, and a hen are seasoned veterans?”
Xu Ke nodded with certainty, “Yes, I can assure you; they might even have some official title.”
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Even though she felt it was a bit too coincidental, could she say she had an inkling about who had stolen Xu Ke’s rice, cloth, and hen?
“However, these folks are quite cautious and hard to approach. If it weren’t for my intention to stake out and the time I spent as a ranger, learning a bit about stealth, it’d be quite hard to avoid their eyes. If you want to recruit, Young Master, it may take some time.”
“These folks? More than one?”
Xu Ke nodded. “Definitely more than one. From the sounds of their footsteps and conversations, there are about ten of them, and most are injured.”
If they weren’t injured, it’d be tough to pull off something like sneaking into a farm to steal stuff.
Thieving at dawn and dusk was something generally looked down upon by society.
“Now that’s interesting.”
Without seeing the culprits herself, she couldn’t fully ascertain their identity based solely on Xu Ke’s words.
But she trusted Xu Ke’s judgment; otherwise, he could have just taken people to catch the thieves, why come to ask for her opinion?
Even if it wasn’t the people she guessed, they probably had some skills.
“Go to the accounts room and set aside ten taels, buy some more meat, and prepare some medicine for their injuries. If they want to steal, let them steal! Remember, there’s no need to hide this from them; they must know we’ve caught on to their trail and are willing to show mercy.”
Deliver for a day, then the next day, and keep delivering until their injuries are healed; it wouldn’t cost much silver anyway.
Whatever they took from her, they would have to return it in the end.
This was also a test; if they had any sense of shame, they would surely feel embarrassed, generating some gratitude in their hearts. If they had no shame or guilt, Jiang Pengji would change her tactic and severely downgrade her initial impression of them.
After all, just rice and meat; the investment wasn’t high. If all went smoothly, the returns would definitely be great. It was a sure profit.
Xu Ke listened to Jiang Pengji’s instructions with a surprised expression.
How could he not be surprised?
He thought he was being shameless in his schemes, but who knew his Young Master was even more ruthless.
Seeing his silly expression, Jiang Pengji huffed in annoyance.
“Good deeds with no name left behind are either from true good people or brainless good people. Which do you think your Young Master is?”
Xu Ke fell silent. This scheme of the Young Master had nothing to do with being a good person, yet she wasn’t brainless either, so doing a “good deed with no name” wasn’t her style. She wanted credit for her good deeds, and for others to feel grateful and guilty!
By the moral standards of this era, two words were already written on Jiang Pengji’s face.
Shameless!
But he liked it.
Xu Ke broke into a grin.
Jiang Pengji fanned herself and suddenly said, “Xiaoyu should smile more, or he’ll waste such a good facade.”
Xu Ke’s smile faltered as he stiffly replied, “Young Master is teasing me again.”
She scoffed, “Last night I went to Langlang Lane with Father. Even though we didn’t go inside, we stayed around Yichun Tower for half the night. Although Xiaoyu won’t admit it, after careful comparison, I still think Xiaoyu’s beauty surpasses those women by a hundredfold.”
Xu Ke: “…”
That statement held a lot of weight.
“I’ll take you to see it when there’s time.”
Jiang Pengji added with a smile.
How could Liu Zhi suddenly have the idea of taking her to a brothel?
She wouldn’t believe for a moment that Xu Ke wasn’t behind it.
You always have to pay back when mixing in such circles, and wanting to get off without consequences after causing her trouble? Dream on!
Of course, the truth was that Jiang Pengji quite enjoyed herself last night, but that didn’t erase the pits Xu Ke had dug for her.
Xu Ke’s expression remained one of despair; he was beginning to realize that not only was his Young Master dark-hearted, she also had a wicked sense of humor.
Apart from lying down and letting her tease him, what else could he do?
He could only hope that the Young Master wasn’t into men or had no interest in male beauty, or he’d feel enormous pressure.
Although people now had a penchant for male characters, there were still a few straight men, like Xu Ke, who looked down upon such trends.
Jiang Pengji had no idea about Xu Ke’s inner worries. Even if she knew, she probably wouldn’t care.
Firstly, even though she liked “male aesthetics,” she had principles when it came to taboos. Within the dynamics of their superior-subordinate relationship, she maintained a safe distance from male subordinates or any subordinates with partners to avoid any sordid rumors that might cause unrest in others’ families. For someone as demanding as Jiang Pengji, this was utterly intolerable!
Xu Ke had more to say beyond that matter, but it was important, so he brought it up first.
“The remedy you provided previously worked exceptionally well for the household servants. The next day during training, everyone’s spirits were high.”
Those who didn’t exercise regularly would experience severe discomfort after suddenly engaging in vigorous activity; muscle soreness was mild in comparison. This could lead to fatigue affecting training efficiency the next day.
Jiang Pengji previously left a massage remedy, complete with illustrations and instructions highlighting how much pressure was suitable, so nearly anyone could follow it. Xu Ke made the household servants memorize it and apply it on the spot, and the results were indeed excellent.
According to the servants, their limbs had initially felt stiff and sore, as if they couldn’t even find where their arms and legs were. But after applying the techniques from the remedy, their hands and feet felt warm, and the soreness significantly diminished, feeling as if they had taken a hot bath.
Jiang Pengji wasn’t surprised by this reaction.
This massage technique was designed to match with military students’ training, after all; not everyone could afford the luxury of using nutritional solutions to relieve training stress. Most ordinary students relied on this, and the techniques had been rigorously tested and modified, proving to be absolutely effective and safe.
Not only that, but this special massage technique also stimulated muscle nerve activity, albeit slightly. However, over time, it would contribute to physical development, leading to further improvement in physical fitness with plenty of benefits.
