Chapter 36: Donkey Cart

Chapter 36: The Donkey Cart

Gazing at the six taels of silver, Li Huowang didn't bother to refuse; he simply reached out and tucked them into his robe, for he was indeed in dire need of the coin.

"Then take your time eating, Little Daoist Master. We'll go make our preparations and continue our journey on the morrow."

Sated with food and drink, the Lü family grew drowsy and retired to catch up on sleep, having stayed awake the entire previous night.

After the Lü family departed, Li Huowang was left alone in the room; staring at the roast chicken before him, which was larger than his own head, he pondered for a moment before asking a nearby servant, "Do you have anything to pack this in?"

Not long after, Li Huowang led a donkey out of Wuligang, the beast pulling a flatbed cart piled high with sack after sack of grain.

Though six taels of silver was not much and had to be spent frugally, it wasn't enough for a horse, but an old donkey was well within reach.

With this beast of burden, at the very least, they would no longer have to carry their provisions on their backs along the road.

When Li Huowang emerged, he saw that the others were still huddled in the haystacks out in the fields.

They had not entered the village, clearly fearing that their bizarre appearances would frighten the locals.

Walking over, Li Huowang found them roasting dried sweet potato slices over a fire.

Reaching up to the cart, Li Huowang pulled out a fragrant, roasted chicken. "Eat this instead."

Having subsisted on dry rations for so many days, the group could hardly restrain themselves at the sight; they rushed over in excitement, and though a dozen people sharing one chicken meant meager portions, everyone gnawed at their share with utmost earnestness, carefully crushing even the bones into fragments to swallow.

"Senior Brother Li, where did this chicken come from? And this donkey cart, where did you go last night?" Bai Lingmiao asked, cradling a chicken neck in both hands.

Sitting on a haystack with his eyes closed, Li Huowang briefly recounted the cause and the course of events.

Upon learning that Li Huowang had risked his very life to obtain these things, Bai Lingmiao set down the chicken neck and, guided by the sound of his voice, crawled to his side, gazing at him with a heartache etched upon her face.

"Senior Brother Li, I'm sorry. We burdens have only dragged you down; if it weren't for us, you wouldn't have needed to risk your life like this."

Li Huowang opened his eyes and looked at the girl before him, her eyes blindfolded with a cyan cloth strip. "It has nothing to do with you. Since that thing could come to the Hu family ancestral hall, it must have had its eyes on us for a long time. Even without last night's incident, we would have run into it sooner or later."

"Besides..." Li Huowang paused here, recalling the time at the Qingfeng Temple when he had completely succumbed to his hallucinations. "Besides, who the real burden will be in the future is far from certain."

After a moment's thought, Li Huowang looked back at the girl before him and reached out to take her hand.

Bai Lingmiao shrank back shyly for a moment, but then immediately stopped.

Yet after a while, Li Huowang reconsidered; lying on the haystack, he closed his eyes, turned his gaze away, and slowly loosened his grip.

However, the very instant he let go, those soft hands swiftly chased after his, clasping them tightly once more.

After a good night's rest, the two groups, each with their own distinct purposes, set off once again.

Their next destination was Jianye Town, which would also be Li Huowang's first foray into a large-scale settlement in this world.

"Little Daoist Master, Wuligang is not far from Jianye Town; at our current pace, we should arrive in about four or five days," Lü Zhuangyuan reported to Li Huowang.

Li Huowang turned to look at Zhao Wu, who was being carried on the fool's back. "Well? You're almost home. Are you happy?"

Zhao Wu had mentioned before that his home was in Jianye, and after these days of interaction, Li Huowang had gained a preliminary understanding of him.

He felt that the man was exceptionally sharp-witted, but his potential remained untapped simply because his physical mobility was impaired and he was illiterate.

"Zhao Wu, you're practically at your doorstep now. How about treating us brothers to a meal at a tavern?" Gou Wa teased playfully from the side.

Yet Zhao Wu's reaction caught everyone off guard; a bitter smile crept onto his face. "What good is it for a cripple like me to go home? I can't lift a hand or carry a load on my shoulders. Hiding away at home would just make me a useless rice bucket."

As soon as these words were spoken, a hush fell over the group, for his words had struck a chord in the hearts of all the medicinal ingredients.

Those who had been kept in the ingredient room, save for Li Huowang, all had something wrong with them to some degree; even if they returned to their original homes, they would still be the feared or loathed outcasts.

Escaping the terror of death by leaving the Qingfeng Temple was all well and good, but returning to an environment filled with contempt and hostility was hardly a cause for celebration.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Li Huowang turned to Zhao Wu. "Who says you're useless? Since we have some free time, I'll teach you alchemy. Memorize as much as you can, so you can at least work as a barefoot doctor when you get home and not starve."

Zhao Wu was stunned by the offer, but soon his expression grew animated, his eyes burning with an intense yearning. "Senior Brother Li, I don't want to learn alchemy. Could you teach me how to read instead?"

"Why learn to read? Wouldn't it be better to memorize a few more pill recipes so you can practice medicine and earn a living when you get home?" Li Huowang found it somewhat difficult to comprehend the sentiments of these locals.

It wasn't that literacy was useless, of course it was immensely useful, but even primary school took five years; teaching an illiterate man who couldn't even write his own name to read was a monumental task that would take years to accomplish.

"It doesn't matter! It's fine if I can't learn much. I'll learn whatever I can."

Though Li Huowang didn't understand Zhao Wu's thirst for knowledge, since the man wanted to learn, he was naturally willing to teach.

"Fool, put Zhao Wu down from your back and onto the donkey cart. I'm going to teach him to read."

Since Zhao Wu knew absolutely nothing, Li Huowang could only begin his instruction with the simplest characters, such as wood, mouth, and person.

As he taught, Li Huowang noticed the surroundings had grown very quiet; looking up, he found that everyone, including the Lü family, was listening with rapt attention.

Not only were they listening intently, but their faces also bore an expression of reverence, as if Li Huowang were engaged in some solemn and sacred ritual.

"Hehehe, well, uh, Little Daoist Master."

Grinning, Lü Zhuangyuan carried two strips of cured meat in one hand and dragged his youngest son along with the other as he sidled over.

Just as Li Huowang waited for the man to speak, a cloud of dust rose from behind the forest path.

Soon, a horse pulled up before them, and a young, hefty boy leaped from the saddle.

Lü Zhuangyuan clearly recognized the fellow from Wuligang and quickly clasped his hands in a respectful bow. "Oh, oh, oh! Young Master Hu, take it easy! Where might you be heading?"

"I'm not going anywhere! I'm going with you all to perform in the opera! That way I can listen to operas every single day!"

The excited Young Master Hu spoke in a very childish voice; despite his burly appearance, his voice had not yet broken.

"Oh, my, please don't joke like that. Hurry back now, don't make your grandfather worry."

"Don't worry, I'll pay to listen to the operas!" A longevity lock cast in pure gold was thrust forcefully into Lü Zhuangyuan's hands.

Lü Zhuangyuan's expression was deeply conflicted at that moment, holding the gold and torn between two choices.

But soon, someone rode up from behind on horseback, rescuing him from his dilemma.

"Father! Stop dragging me! I'm not going back! I want to perform in the opera!!"

"Smack!" A resounding slap across Young Master Hu's face startled everyone around, and the boy's cheek swiftly swelled up.

"You actually want to be an opera actor! You dare become an opera actor, how utterly shameless are you!! That is the lowest of the low! If you dare disgrace the Hu family by becoming an actor, I'll beat you to death, damn it!"

Snatching the longevity lock held high in Lü Zhuangyuan's hand, the man hoisted his son, mounted their horses, and rode off in a cloud of dust.

Once he was gone, Li Huowang turned his gaze back to Lü Zhuangyuan, waiting for him to finish what he had been about to say.

Lü Zhuangyuan stood there awkwardly, holding the two strips of cured meat, opening his mouth several times as if to say something, yet no sound came out.

The usually smooth-talking old man was, for the first time, as helpless and lost as a child.

In the end, he said nothing at all; forcing a smile, he nodded at Li Huowang, then took his son by the hand and walked toward the carriage nearby, his already slightly hunched back bowing even lower.

(End of Chapter)