Chapter 143 – The Correct Posture for Building Favor (Part One)
The burliest man wiped the sweat off his face, and his striking black-and-white eyes glimmered with determination in the dark. A few fresh scars marred his countenance, with dried blood clinging to his skin, making him look like a fierce night demon.
“It seems this farmer isn’t an ordinary person… These are all left deliberately for us…”
“Have our movements been exposed? What should we do now, Captain?”
They loathed petty thievery, but now, cornered with no other options, they had to steal just to survive. If they didn’t, the brothers who had escaped with them would either fall sick and die or succumb to their old wounds.
They were careful, only taking a little from each household; logically, this shouldn’t raise suspicions for a while.
“What else can we do but take it?” the man referred to as Captain bent down to lift a bundled item. “If the farmer had any ill intentions, the local officials would be waiting for us by now. It wouldn’t be so quiet here…”
“And these?” One of the men hesitated slightly.
The Captain replied, “Perhaps the owner is kind-hearted, seeing that we didn’t steal everything but only took some. They might have guessed our plight and offered secret assistance. Let’s remember this kindness and find a way to repay it in the future.”
It was no wonder the Captain thought this way; they had been to many farms, but none were as prosperous as this one, with the most supplies stocked up.
This particular farm had a few tenant farmers living just well enough to get by, with even some surplus to save money.
He’d seen plenty of tenant farmers before, each one skinny enough to look like a walking skeleton, their hands and feet cracked from labor. They were exploited by local gentry while being burdened by numerous taxes from the government, rarely eating a decent meal all year round, let alone saving up any money.
From the contrast alone, he could surmise that this farm’s owner, if not a great benefactor, was certainly no villain.
The Captain held significant authority among the group, so when he spoke, the others immediately felt reassured.
After they returned with the large bundle and unpacked it, they discovered the farmer was even kinder than they had imagined.
Not only were there warm clothes and bedding to fend off the night chill, but also life-saving herbs, clean white cloth, and even two parcels of fatty pork wrapped in lotus leaves, weighing at least five pounds, along with some small chunks of bones perfect for soup.
In addition to these scattered food items, there were also a few earthen bowls and chopsticks, a herbal steaming pot, and over two doud of rice.
These items didn’t look precious, yet they were diligently put together.
“This…” One of them, quick-eyed, pulled out half a tael of silver from the folded bedding.
If this hadn’t happened, any of them could afford to buy these items, but having fallen to such depths, they could only endure hunger and suffer from their wounds. It’s easier to add flowers to a brocade, but much harder to send charcoal in snow; in this moment, they truly understood the meaning behind those words.
In an instant, even the least sentimental among them felt a stinging in their eyes.
“Why are we all just dawdling? You go boil the meat, make soup from the bones, and brew the herbs without delay!”
The Captain, also known as Meng Hunyun, snapped back to reality, distributing the new bedding to the injured brothers. Their current hideout in the cave, though concealed, was damp and chilly, with moisture pooling on the ground.
With no choice, they could only cover the damp ground with dry branches and straw, but such a crude environment was highly detrimental for recovery.
Now, with good herbs, white cloth for bandages, and warm bedding, it felt like a dream.
At least the brothers in the cave gained a bit of vitality.
He no longer wanted to wake up the next day to find his once lively brothers lying dead and pale.
Though lacking spices, fresh, fine pork boiled in plain water tasted exquisite. Drinking hot broth made from bones, accompanied by thick rice porridge, sent a warm current flowing through his limbs, making him feel as if he had returned from hell to the world of the living.
Meng Hunyun’s previously dangling heart gradually settled. Although he appeared calm on the surface, inside, he was uneasy, worried that the food had been tampered with. However, after checking, he found everything to be fine, leaving him feeling a bit ashamed.
He had misjudged the farmer’s intentions.
“Captain, should we send someone to inquire about that family’s situation tomorrow?”
Receiving kindness naturally requires repayment, particularly when it is akin to life-saving mercy.
Meng Hunyun gulped down the hot rice porridge and gritted his teeth, “Of course we should ask! I, Meng Hunyun, may not know many characters, but I understand the principle of repaying a drop of kindness with a fountain of gratitude… Today, he saved my brothers. Once we have our revenge, this life is his!”
Though he said this, given his current status, he couldn’t be seen openly interacting with such kind-hearted people; doing so might bring trouble to them instead of gratitude… Despite his name having ‘Hunyun’ in it, he was not simple-minded.
Regarding revenge, one of the men ground his teeth, “That little brat is sly; who knows where he’s hiding now.”
Meng Hunyun replied without batting an eye, “A dog can’t change its nature; that scoundrel, even if he’s moved elsewhere, will still be a scoundrel. Hejian County is a necessary route from Cangzhou to the capital. Although it’s small, it’s a place that nurtures beautiful people. That rascal hates being restrained by family elders. Now that he’s left Cangzhou, with no one to limit him, how could he resist the temptation?”
As long as they stayed here, they were bound to catch that scoundrel. Also, he and his brothers had done some scouting in the past few days and had indeed gathered some useful intel; with the evidence at hand, it was highly likely that Meng Liang was already in Hejian County!
Thinking of his brutally murdered wife and daughter, Meng Hunyun clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead bulging, wishing he could tear Meng Liang apart with his bare hands right now!
He was a loyal servant of the Meng Clan, destined to plunge into fire and water for them.
Each scar on his body was earned for the Meng Clan.
How many times had he teetered on the brink of death, every time to protect the Meng Clan?
He might not be the smartest or the quickest learner, but he understood the need to be grateful, to never be double-faced or treacherous!
Grateful for the Meng Clan’s care over his family, Meng Hunyun would gladly offer his heart in return. In this life, he’d serve as a front-line soldier for the Meng Clan, and in the next life, he’d be their loyal beast of burden. Yet… all that sincere loyalty only resulted in the loss of his wife and daughter!
Meng Hunyun didn’t resent the Meng Clan, but he loathed that scoundrel, Meng Liang!
