Mo Sang – CH 191

Chapter 191. Return

After lunch, Li Sangrou, along with Hei Ma, Datou, and Mazha, set off back to Nanzhao City.

In the inn’s courtyard, Da Chang was applying tung oil to the carriage roof. Seeing Li Sangrou, he let out a long sigh of relief.

In a corner of the inn’s lobby, Meng Yanqing, who had been sitting with his hands in his sleeves, seemingly half-asleep, yawned, picked up his tea, drank it, stood up, and slowly went out.

“Uncle Blind’s house—no, their sect, is it alright?” Xiao Lu and Chuantiao rushed out of the room, approaching Hei Ma and the other two, asking with great curiosity.

“Great! The fish in the river, the wild animals in the mountains… everywhere, in swarms and groups, so many and so carefree!

Throw a stick, and even if you do not catch a roe deer, you will at least smash a pheasant. You can grab a fish with ease!” Hei Ma said, clicking his tongue. “The fish are fat, the wild boars are fat, the pheasants are even fatter. Tsk, what a wonderful place.”

“Is everything ready? Old Meng told me several times that you should not have gone.” Da Chang handed the tung oil bowl to Xiao Lu.

“Yes, everything’s ready. We will set off first thing tomorrow morning and try to get back to Ezhou as quickly as possible,” Li Sangrou smiled warmly.

Da Chang breathed a sigh of relief again. “Good, then I will go prepare. What should we eat tonight?”

“Which is the best restaurant in town?” Li Sangrou asked with a smile.

“It’s right across the street. They have a roast goose that they say is their specialty. It takes a while to cook, so it is best to tell them in advance. Have Chuantiao go and tell them first,” Da Chang said, beckoning Chuantiao over.

“I am going to take a nap. We will eat in an hour,” Li Sangrou yawned.

These past two days, she had been completely focused and exhausted.

An hour later, just as the group sat down at the restaurant diagonally opposite, the door to a private room opened, and Blind Mi poked his head in.

“Why are you here?” Li Sangrou sized up Blind Mi.

“I am impatient staying on the mountain. Where are you going?” Blind Mi plopped down in the chair Hei Ma had offered him. “Have you ordered anything? Their goose is delicious.”

“They started cooking it an hour ago. I saw them pick the biggest one! It must weigh fifteen or sixteen jin!” Chuantiao hurriedly replied.

“Have them cook two more to take on the road. Of all the geese in the world, theirs is the best,” Blind Mi ordered without ceremony.

“We are going to Ezhou. Are you coming too?” Li Sangrou poured a cup of tea and pushed it towards Blind Mi.

“Ezhou? No way!” Blind Mi shook his head quickly and resolutely. “I will hitch a ride. I am going back to Jianle City, and I will have Xiu’er’s mother bake me some pancakes. Xiu’er can bake pancakes now.”

“How’s everything in your sect?” Li Sangrou hummed in response and asked.

“Fine! Very fine!” Blind Mi replied irritably, turning his head to the tea and wine vendor, who was carrying a row of over a dozen plates of cold stir-fries from his arms to his shoulders, and ordered, “Has your peach blossom wine come out yet? If not, bring a few more bottles from last year, and also take two jars to the inn across the street.”

The tea and wine vendor gave a crisp “Alright!” and left.

“Uncle Blind’s ‘very fine’ sounds like he’s arguing with someone,” Da Chang, sitting diagonally opposite Blind Mi, muttered.

“You think you are so smart!” Blind Mi glared at Da Chang, annoyed.

“Why were you arguing with them?” Li Sangrou asked.

“It was not me arguing with them! What’s there to argue about? They are arguing amongst themselves. Even if I wanted to, I could not get a word in edgewise!

Just you wait; this is going to be a fight!” Blind Mi grabbed his chopsticks, picked out two dishes from the table full of cold and hot dishes, stood up, and moved them to face him.

“Where’s your Senior Brother Wu? Who’s he arguing with? You?” Li Sangrou asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

“Nobody’s arguing with him! He does not understand what’s going on, and they are all hitting him! He’s hiding in the front mountain.” Blind Mi picked up a piece of stir-fried bamboo shoots, ate it, and smacked his lips, quite satisfied.

The tea and wine vendor brought in a large bowl of roast goose and several bottles of wine.

Blind Mi drank and ate the roast goose, finishing more than a bottle of wine, burped, then scooped out half a bowl of rice, poured on the rich roast goose sauce, mixed it, slurped it down, put down the bowl, and patted his stomach contentedly.

……………………

Meng Yanqing left the inn and, an hour later, took control of Nanzhao County and the elite Qi Army stationed outside the city. Just as he had arrived, he withdrew in the blink of an eye.

The next morning, Li Sangrou and her group of seven, along with Blind Mi, six strong mules, and three large carts, left through the south gate of Nanzhao City.

Meng Yanqing’s group of thirty or forty men, with nearly a hundred horses, gathered together, disguised as a caravan returning from trading, and followed Li Sangrou’s group at a distance.

After traveling all day, it was completely dark when Li Sangrou and her companions finally entered Shunfeng Post Station.

Meng Yanqing’s group stayed at the large inn at the entrance of the town.

Around midnight, Li Sangrou was awakened by several knocks on the door. The voice of Manager Zhang from the post station came through the crack in the door. “Boss, Boss!”

Li Sangrou jumped out of bed, putting on her clothes as she opened the door. “What’s wrong?”

“There are two women, one with a knife, specifically asking for you. They are up ahead.” Manager Zhang looked quite annoyed. “I told her, it is the middle of the night; what cannot wait until dawn?

One is alright, but the other one just drew her knife; she’s completely unreasonable.

Boss, what do you think?

We have plenty of men in our shop, all veterans. How about it?”

“I will go check.” In the short time Manager Zhang could finish speaking, Li Sangrou had already buttoned up her coat. From a nearby room, Da Chang and Hei Ma came out one after the other, carrying knives.

Li Sangrou followed Manager Zhang, hurrying out. Stepping out of the front gate, she saw Lin Sa and a middle-aged woman standing in the middle of the courtyard.

Six or seven grooms and laborers stood around them, holding pitchforks and sticks, glaring menacingly at the two.

“They are friends,” Li Sangrou quickly told Manager Zhang.

Manager Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, quickly squeezing past Li Sangrou and waving to the group of grooms and stablemen gathered around him. “It’s alright, it is alright; go about your business. Look at us here, we just love watching the show.

Quickly lead the horse down to drink some water. Oh dear, look how tired this horse is, covered in sweat! It is about to collapse!

How can you use a horse like that? It is a life too! How can you treat it like that? Really! Lead it down properly…”

Lin Sa had already seen Li Sangrou, pulled the middle-aged woman along, and led her towards Li Sangrou.

“Why are you in such a hurry? What happened?” Li Sangrou asked as she approached.

“No, I arrived in Nanzhao City this afternoon. They said you left at dawn. I thought I could catch up if I rushed, but who knew it would take so long? I finally made it.

This is my Senior Sister Wang, Wang Jin.” Lin Sa sounded a little embarrassed.

Going down the mountain was always a bad thing for her; nothing ever went smoothly, always ending in trouble. Just now, they were almost seized as thieves.

“Senior Sister Wang,” Li Sangrou greeted with a smile, ushering the two inside. “The horse must be exhausted, and you must be too. Come in.”

After letting Lin Sa and Wang Jin in, Li Sangrou instructed Hei Ma, “Tell Blind Mi that Sister Lin is here.”

“Yes!” Hei Ma waved to Lin Sa first, then patted Da Chang. “My Sister Lin is exhausted, so please give her some good food!” Then it turned and ran inside to call Blind Mi.

Blind Mi was woken up by Hei Ma’s slap. Hearing “Sister Lin is here,” he sat up abruptly. “Which Sister Lin? Lin Sa?”

“Which other Sister Lin? I only have one Sister Lin…” Hei Ma did not finish his sentence before Blind Mi jumped out of bed, barefoot, and dashed out.

“Hey! Uncle Blind, your coat, your shoes!” Hei Ma grabbed his coat from the bedside, bent down to pick up his shoes, turned, and left the room. Blind Mi had already disappeared.

“Are you alright? What happened? Something terrible?” Blind Mi rushed out of the courtyard gate, bumping into the three of them. He stared at Lin Sa, quickly sizing her up twice, and with a long sigh, bombarded her with questions.

“What could possibly happen to me? What could possibly happen? What terrible thing could happen?” Lin Sa glared at Blind Mi, hands on her hips, and retorted sharply.

“It’s alright. Ouch, what’s this on the ground? Ouch, my foot!” Blind Mi hopped a couple of steps, clutching his foot, and sat down on the doorstep.

“Uncle Blind, Uncle Blind!” Hei Ma chased after him, carrying his coat and shoes.

Lin Sa glanced sideways at Blind Mi, while Wang Jin smiled, pursing her lips.

Li Sangrou walked past Blind Mi, flicked her middle finger, and tapped him on the head.

Da Chang turned on the stove, first making two bowls of oil tea, handing them to Lin Sa and Wang Jin, then carrying two bowls of bone broth noodles, a large plate of deboned meat, a dish of sesame oil-soaked salted radish cubes, and a dish of pickled green beans to the back kitchen.

This was the post station’s late-night snack for the day.

Lin Sa and Wang Jin sipped their tea, blowing on it as they drank. Having just finished their thin bowl of oil tea, they took the noodles. Wang Jin picked up a piece of dried vegetable with her chopsticks, blew on it, and popped it into her mouth.

Lin Sa took a large bite of the boneless meat, chewing as she looked at Li Sangrou. “We…”

“Eat first; we can talk after you’ve eaten,” Li Sangrou said with a smile, gesturing to Lin Sa.

“There’s too little meat. Our Sister Lin loves meat, so please eat as much as you like. We have plenty of meat at home. I will go get you another plate!” Hei Ma peeked out and trotted off.

“Da Chang, make me a bowl of oil tea; make it a little weak. I need to calm my nerves,” Blind Mi said, sitting next to Li Sangrou. Seeing Wang Jin eating and drinking heartily, he was completely relieved.

After Lin Sa and Wang Jin finished eating and drinking, Hei Ma quickly handed them tea.

“Why the rush?” Blind Mi asked, frowning, looking at Wang Jin before Li Sangrou could finish.

“It’s nothing; Junior Sister Lin was just worried she would not be able to find you,” Wang Jin replied, then bowed slightly to Li Sangrou, saying, “Sorry to have disturbed the Boss.”

“Did I not tell you, you can find us anytime by following the courier service? Why are you in such a hurry? It is the middle of the night, and you are alone, not to mention you are with Senior Brother Wang,” Blind Mi complained, turning his head away from Lin Sa.

Lin Sa glared at Blind Mi. “After all these years, you still have not changed your meddlesome ways! It is none of your business!”

“Is it about Senior Sister Wang?” Li Sangrou asked, smiling as she looked at Wang Jin.

“It’s about us.” Wang Jin glanced at the silent Blind Mi, suppressed a laugh, and looked at Li Sangrou, saying, “Has the Boss ever seen cotton? I heard there’s a lot of it in the south.”

“Yes, Jianle City also sells cotton cloth, but it is very expensive. I heard it all comes from the far south. Senior Sister Wang, do you want to grow cotton or spin and weave it?”

“Grow it. I originally heard it only grows in the south, but five years ago, in Xiangyang City, I saw someone plant a cotton boll in a flowerpot and put it in their courtyard. It survived and produced three or four big cotton bolls. The cotton was really good, so long when pulled.” Wang Jin’s eyes lit up.

“You cannot go to the south for now, but I can probably find some cotton seeds for you.

How about you go to Jianle City first, and I will have someone buy you a small estate. You can try growing it there first?” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

Wang Jin looked at Blind Mi.

“She has plenty of money,” Blind Mi said abruptly.

“Then I will not stand on ceremony. If it grows successfully, I will leave it to the boss to decide,” Wang Jin said with a cupped-fist salute and a smile.

“You will handle this? I will write a letter to Manager Zuo, and you can ask him for the money,” Li Sangrou said, looking at Blind Mi.

Blind Mi nodded.

“Where are you going? Ezhou? I will go with you,” Lin Sa said, looking at Li Sangrou.

“Do you dare kill someone?” Li Sangrou asked Lin Sa bluntly.

Lin Sa choked up. She had never killed anyone, not even a chicken!

“Useless!” Blind Mi replied, his eyes fixed on the door.

“Get lost!” Lin Sa glared angrily.

“You want to find something to do, right?” Li Sangrou asked, smiling as she looked at Lin Sa.

“I cannot really be useless,” Lin Sa said, her shoulders slumped.

“There are many women working at Shunfeng’s delivery stations and post offices. They face far more risks than men when they are out and about, and I am always worried about them.

How about I hire you as an instructor at Shunfeng? You can teach them some martial arts, something for self-defense.

Your skills, which can only be used to fight, not kill, are perfect. If someone actually kills someone, it will be troublesome,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

Lin Sa hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

“The Boss is gifted; she learns everything incredibly quickly. Ordinary people do not have that kind of talent. To achieve even a minor level of proficiency, it would take at least five or ten years.

Martial arts really takes a lot of hard work.

Women mostly defend themselves against men. Men and women are different; a woman cannot train to the point where she can fight men in a short time.

Besides, the Boss’s outposts and such are not all together. They are so far apart that they definitely cannot train together. If they could gather together, even with more people, it would not be a problem. With diligent practice morning and night, it would take two or three years to get close enough.

But now, with everyone here and there, how can they train? I cannot take on this job.” Lin Sa shook her head again.

“We do not need to train them all to be able to single-handedly handle men.

Teaching them some martial arts is primarily for their physical fitness. With practice, they will become stronger and more agile.

Secondly, those who have practiced martial arts have a completely different spirit and energy. If they learn some skills from you, they will feel more confident and less afraid in the face of any situation.

In battle, momentum is paramount, and the same applies to people. Those petty thieves who want to bully others always target the weak. They are unlikely to dare provoke someone with a strong presence.”

She paused, then sighed. “Wild animals, when hunting a herd of gazelles or deer, will also choose the weakest and smallest. It is the nature of living beings to prey on the weak.”

“What the boss says is absolutely right. If a person has a fierce spirit, they can ward off all evil,” Wang Jin added.

“Besides, with some practice, even if they have to run away, they will be faster and more agile,” Li Sangrou continued with a smile.

“Since the Boss says so, then alright,” Lin Sa readily agreed. “If that’s the case, I will have to think carefully about how to teach them; it is very different from what we do in the mountains.”

“Let Blind Mi keep an eye on it for you.

I have two head stewards. Once you arrive in Jianle City, I will have them go there so you can meet them and discuss how to teach them,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.