"Brother Hu Ma seed young, but his actions were very steady."
As a slight doubt crept into Hu Ma’s heart, the girl nad Wu He also looked over.
In this world, won were mostly shy. Even the widows in the village would steal glances at n, but she seed quite bold.
Her gaze scrutinized Hu Ma’s face very thoroughly, sizing him up while pushing a cup of tea towards him. Smiling, she said, "I see it all the ti."
"And the ti you helped deal with the evil spirit in the Manor, Datong told about it. I really admire you!"
...
It really was her...
Feeling her gaze, Hu Ma reaffird his suspicion. She was indeed the one who constantly hid and observed him from her room, and she didn’t even bother to hide it in her words.
This only fueled his curiosity further. He glanced at her, but with the Shopkeeper nearby, it was not appropriate to look more.
He stood up to take the tea, smiling as he said, "Oh, it’s nothing. Coming from the village, I knew nothing; it was all thanks to the Shopkeeper’s guidance."
"Brother Hu Ma, you’re too modest," Sister He said. "But from now on, I won’t be so polite with you. I’m not in good health, and it’s inconvenient to go out. In the future, I might trouble you to bring so needles, threads, and costics for from outside the Manor..."
Hu Ma quickly replied, "It’s no trouble at all."
While accepting the tea, his fingers accidentally brushed against sothing. He looked down; her hand had already retracted swiftly.
Hu Ma sniffed and furrowed his brows but said nothing, only conversing politely with the Shopkeeper.
He had thought that a woman who usually hid in her room finally showing herself would have sothing to say, but it turned out there really wasn’t anything. The Shopkeeper just brought his daughter to the courtyard to drink tea and chat about everyday matters before they returned inside.
Seeing the late hour, Hu Ma left the inner courtyard as well and continued organizing the workers for their patrol and to feed the horses.
Although the workers were unwilling, seeing that the Junior Sister had already retreated to her room, they all groaned in unison, reluctantly coming over to work, still feeling like they hadn’t had enough.
Hu Ma didn’t know if it was his imagination, but as he directed the workers, he felt a constant gaze on his back... This sensation had beco even more pronounced since eting this girl. He felt a bit uneasy, not daring to be careless, and decided to head out of the Manor with the workers.
He thought this Junior Sister looked pretty, but there was sothing inexplicably odd about her. These tis weren’t as enlightened as his past life; well-bred young ladies typically wouldn’t leave their inner courtyards. The Shopkeeper’s precious daughter not only dared to look at him boldly but also seed unbothered by the workers’ attention while sitting in the courtyard with a light smile.
Weird, it all seed so weird!
But the other workers lacked Hu Ma’s cautious awareness; they remained lost in dreamy smiles, imrsed in the mory.
Once they exited the Manor, Zhou Datong got excited and repeatedly asked, "Brother Hu Ma, Brother Hu Ma, what did she sll like?"
"Sll?"
Hu Ma looked at him in surprise, then at the drooling fellows beside him, before understanding.
Sowhat helplessly, he said, "There’s no particular sll..."
Zhou Datong, and even Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu beside him, all looked skeptical. Seeing their expressions, Hu Ma figured that even if he deducted half a pound of their Blood Food, they wouldn’t be this dissatisfied.
"Really, there isn’t."
Thinking for a mont, Hu Ma found it quite peculiar. He sniffed his fingers and said, "To be honest, there seed to be a faint stink, just masked by the sll of herbal dicine..."
"A stink?"
Zhou Datong was stunned for a mont, then resolutely said, "That’s impossible!"
"I slled that fragrance from ten yards away! I just didn’t get close enough to know how good it slled..."
"Yeah!" Zhou Liang and Zhao Zhu, the honest ones, nodded along, deeply agreeing. "Second Master also said that won sll like stead buns..."
Second Master probably ant that the stead buns won carry sll nice... Hu Ma thought. But seeing their earnest and serious expressions, he swallowed the correction he intended to make.
What more could he say?
It’s a universal truth: whether sothing stinks or not depends on the face!
...
Initially, as Hu Ma settled into the manager’s position, everything in the Manor had fallen into a dull and orderly routine. But with the arrival of this Junior Sister, everyone suddenly beca lively. Even when Hu Ma paid for their als, treating them to wine and at, it never got them this excited. Each one seed to practically float as they walked and couldn’t help but hum tunes, even in the latrine.
Hygiene improved too. Though Hu Ma no longer lived in the communal dormitory, he had lectured them to stay clean and not be covered in mud, with dirt thick on their collars. The young n’s scent had gotten so bad that even Little Hongtang would give their room a wide berth. Bathing wasn’t practical, and changing clothes frequently wasn’t feasible for so of the workers either. But at least they could wash their feet, right? They might listen to other requests, but this particular one they usually categorized as a matter of personal freedom, outside the manager’s purview. Yet now, those who never heeded Hu Ma had suddenly beco clean and tidy. They not only loved to wash their faces but even enjoyed bathing outside the house—and this was winter!
But another issue arose: the night patrol work that everyone used to compete for suddenly lost its appeal. The reason was simple: at dusk, this Junior Sister might co out of her room and roam around the inner courtyard. It was just a possibility, as she didn’t co out every day. But for that slight chance, the workers would eagerly wait.
Hu Ma, lanting the disruptive influence of this ’burning furnace,’ cleverly ca up with a few ideas. When he had a mont, he would casually point at soone, saying, "Go clean out the latrines; they’re almost full. Scoop them clean, then replace the contents with fresh earth and stove ash."
"Take the rest to the village chief’s house; you can trade it for three copper coins... You can keep the coins for yourself and buy so crisp, golden flatbreads on the way..."
This task was sothing no one had ever wanted to do. Even if they dared not ignore Hu Ma’s orders, their reluctance was always evident.
But now, seeing their discontent, Hu Ma would add, "And after you finish, deliver sothing to the Shopkeeper in the inner courtyard."
"Of course, change your clothes before you go!"
Suddenly, their enthusiasm spiked, and they nearly began fighting over the task.
Looking at the Shopkeeper’s daughter now, she didn’t seem to be as severely injured as the rumors suggested. The workers in the outer courtyard were all infatuated with her, while Hu Ma found himself wanting to avoid her. He truly felt he couldn’t see through her. She had stayed hidden in her room for so long, yet now she occasionally appeared to show her face.
The most crucial thing was whether she knew Hu Ma was intentionally avoiding her. Once, she even ca straight into Hu Ma’s small room.
Normally, when practicing the Living-Refining dharma thod, he didn’t even allow Zhou Datong and the others inside, having them call him from outside the door if there was any business.
Seeing her barge in directly, he was sowhat surprised. "Junior Sister, is sothing the matter?"
Sister He stood just inside the doorway, smiling at Hu Ma. "Can’t I co if there’s nothing wrong?"
"Miss, you wouldn’t want the Shopkeeper to know you secretly ca to my room, would you?" Hu Ma thought, but he swallowed the risqué words. Forcing a smile, he said, "I just thought you might have sothing you needed to do."
"What’s this about needing or not needing things done?" Sister He said. "My father is the Shopkeeper of the Lady’s Society, and you’re its manager. We’re all on the sa side, so how can it be called an order?"
She laughed. "But I do have sothing. Where are the costics you promised to buy ?"
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Hu Ma replied, "I haven’t seen any peddlers pass by recently, and I haven’t had a chance to go into the city."
"Alright then, just make sure you rember."
As she spoke, Sister He took two steps forward, and Hu Ma could faintly sll a rotting odor emanating from her. This ti, only the two of them were in the room, and she was much closer than she had been in the inner courtyard. The stench was clearer, causing Hu Ma to feel a chill and subconsciously step back.
He suddenly realized this might upset her.
Indeed, Sister He, perhaps noticing Hu Ma’s frown or realizing the impropriety of a young man and woman speaking so closely alone in a small room, also stepped back slightly. "Actually, I have sothing else," she said.
"The current you..."
She hesitated briefly, biting her lip as if steeling her resolve, then said, "How far have you progressed with the Shousui dharma thod?"
"Hmm?"
Why is she asking this? Hu Ma was slightly surprised. He figured this dharma thod shouldn’t be a secret to her, so he slowly responded, "I’ve made so progress, but practicing it isn’t easy."
"I’ve only just started, so I’m being very cautious, afraid of making mistakes. Besides, cultivation of this dharma thod requires relying on Blood Food..."
I’ve already completed the refining life process for my left hand and am debating whether to do the sa for my right leg, but I can’t tell her that, he thought. Taking this opportunity, he ntioned "Blood Food," quietly observing her reaction.
"Alright then..." Hearing Hu Ma say that his progress was slow, she seed a bit disappointed, muttering, "Then you better keep at it..."
Seeming sowhat reluctant, she walked to the threshold but then, as if rembering sothing, suddenly turned back to Hu Ma. "Brother Hu Ma, it’s good to be cautious. Everyone fears making a mistake when practicing this dharma thod..."
"My father actually has a notebook. It contains the insights he jotted down during his daily cultivation. He treasures it greatly and usually doesn’t let anyone see it."
"If I get it for you, will that help you cultivate faster?"
"Huh?"
What is she trying to achieve? Hu Ma was thoroughly taken aback.
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