activa-t Chapter 86 Awakened by Scolding
Chapter 86 Awakened by Scolding
The three of them walked out of the side hall.
They remained silent the entire way, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
Leaving aside Liu Sheng's situation, for Wang and Li, the real silver they used to receive every day suddenly had to wait until the end of the month.
This undoubtedly adds a layer of uncertainty for Wang and Li, who rely on this income to barely sustain their studies.
After walking for a while, Wang Zheng finally couldn't hold back any longer.
He asked in a low voice:
"Brother Li, Brother Liu, why did you suddenly change the time? Would the Yan family be short of such a small amount?"
Li Ying hesitated for a moment. He knew more about the inside story and whispered:
"I have a distant cousin who works as a shop assistant in one of the Yan family's shops. He told me that in just this month, including our trip, the Yan family's caravans leaving the city have been robbed six times in a row. Nearly twenty of them are martial artists of the first rank, and countless martial arts masters have been killed or injured. The loss of goods... is said to be no less than ten thousand taels of silver."
Ten thousand taels!
Liu Sheng was shocked; this was no small sum! Even for a family like the Yan family, which had been established for hundreds of years, silver was not something that came easily.
It's enough to cause serious injury.
Wang Zheng gasped in shock:
"Six trips? How is that possible? Are those rebel troops only targeting the Yan family to rob them?"
"Who knows?"
Li Ying also gave a wry smile:
"I heard that last night, Second Master personally led the team, with Fourth Master and Sixth Master following along. In the end, only about twenty people escaped. Second Master was also hit by an arrow, and all the goods were lost."
No wonder, Liu Sheng suddenly realized.
This crushing defeat not only resulted in a significant loss for the Yan family, but also incurred substantial expenses in compensating the dead and wounded.
The family was experiencing cash flow problems, to the point that they had to cut back on their own savings.
That seems pretty normal.
All three of them walked very slowly.
Wang Zheng and Li Ying's expressions both turned serious. Unlike Liu Sheng, they were just ordinary people from poor families who relied on their skills and hard work to support their families and make a living on the side.
Li Ying already had a younger brother suffering from a sleeping sickness who needed tonics to maintain his health year-round. The herbs were also quite expensive. He had reached the ninth rank of perfection and now needed meat and medicinal supplements to solidify his foundation in order to break through to the eighth rank.
Every penny had to be carefully calculated.
Wang Zheng's burden was slightly lighter, but still limited. He sighed.
"It's fine if the wages are postponed until the end of the month, we can always wait, but the Yan family caravan is going less and less frequently, and it's prone to accidents, and now another route has been cut off."
On the other side, Li Ying suddenly raised his head, clearly having thought of this as well, and his expression became even more unpleasant.
Yes, the work of escorting caravans is usually not dangerous and the pay is high, making it a good way to supplement their family income. Moreover, the two of them can also take advantage of each escorting opportunity to visit their home in Qili County regularly.
Another silence followed.
Their breathing became heavy.
Li Ying seemed to have suddenly made a huge decision:
"We're looking for other jobs, short-term ones, things that pay quickly... A couple of days ago, I saw a notice from the Black Fox Gang; they're hiring and offering pretty high prices."
"The Black Fox Gang?!"
Upon hearing Li Ying mention it, Wang Zheng seemed to be pricked by a needle, glaring at Li Ying with his face instantly darkening.
His tone that followed.
It was more severe than ever before:
"Li Ying, have you lost your mind? You don't know what kind of scum the Black Fox Gang is? They run gambling dens, lend money at exorbitant interest rates, and force women into prostitution. You actually dare to dream of making that kind of money?"
As he spoke, Wang Zheng grabbed Li Ying's arm with such force that Li Ying winced in pain. After hearing Wang Zheng's words, Li Ying's face turned even paler.
He hurriedly offered his explanation:
"I... I was just saying, I really don't want to go."
"Talking won't work! Li Ying... I'm telling you this right now: we may be poor, our families may be struggling, but a person has to have a bottom line! If you really step into the Black Fox Gang's door, from this day forward, our brotherhood is over!"
Wang Zheng remained unmoved, his tone resolute and his words were extremely harsh, his eyes filled with genuine anger and disappointment.
Seeing this, Li Ying's eyes immediately reddened, feeling both wronged and ashamed, and he apologized repeatedly.
Liu Sheng watched from the side, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
He could tell that Li Ying was not a bad person at heart, but the difficulties he had faced, coupled with today's unexpected turn of events, had left him in a state of mental turmoil as he continued to need money.
Moreover, Wang Zheng and Li Ying were unaware of this.
The recent child disappearances were the work of the Black Fox Gang, and they were unaware that their leader, Fox Jesse, and several other leaders had already gone missing.
The news was suppressed by the authorities.
So even if Li Ying went, he wouldn't earn that money, but he couldn't say it out loud.
So Liu Sheng could only step forward, pat Li Ying on the shoulder, and say gently:
"Brother Wang's words are harsh, but they make sense. I heard from Constable Yin that the yamen is keeping a close eye on the Black Fox Gang. At a time like this, it's even more important not to try to make money that's both dirty and dangerous."
Wang Zheng only loosened his grip after Liu Sheng stepped in to smooth things over, still glaring angrily at Li Ying.
Li Ying rubbed his slightly reddened skin and nodded repeatedly: "Brother Liu is right, I was confused."
Looking at his two friends who were worried about money, Liu Sheng touched the few silver notes in his pocket. He had saved 350 taels before, of which Yin Ruyu gave him 200 taels, and his senior brother had given him another 100 taels from the silver notes he received from Yin Ruyu, for a total of 650 taels.
That sounds like a lot.
I've heard that old ginseng is very expensive, and I don't know how much I can buy, so I should try to save as much money as possible.
Liu Sheng had also been to their house for a meal before, and he still wanted to help these two friends.
He was also thinking about whether he should take out fifty or one hundred taels of silver to help the two of them get by.
After thinking about it, I ultimately decided not to do it.
Based on his experience from two lifetimes, giving money directly would not only fail to solve the fundamental problem, but might also hurt their self-esteem.
Not to mention the saying, "A small favor is appreciated, but a large one breeds resentment."
The atmosphere was somewhat somber as we walked.
Liu Sheng pondered for a moment before speaking, "Brother Wang, Brother Li, we are friends and should look out for each other. I'm currently short of money and looking for a clean, suitable path that won't interfere with my martial arts examination. Once I find one, I will definitely consider having you two join me, so we can support each other."
Upon hearing this, both Wang Zheng and Li Ying perked up.
"Brother Liu is so loyal!"
The two bowed respectfully to Liu Sheng, thanked him, and then left the Yan residence.
Liu Sheng finally arrived at the training ground.
Then we waited for the young master to arrive.
He thought that after today's sparring session was over, he would ask Steward Yan privately to consult with the head of the Yan family or the Fifth Master of the Yan family first.
He explained that his special technique required special eye training skills.
Although he knew Yan Sixian, the loom was something that was kept in her private room. If things weren't explained clearly, a misunderstanding might arise.
It ruined the young lady's reputation.
Not to mention losing this rare part-time job, he'll probably get a beating anyway, and his reputation will be ruined.
Since I started practicing martial arts in this lifetime.
Liu Sheng believed that he had done a lot of good deeds and had a good reputation.
He didn't want anything to happen because of some accident.
He ruined his good reputation for nothing.
It's all about connections; you'll need to rely on your reputation to make a name for yourself in the future.
As for finding other ways to make money, we'll talk about that after we've sorted out the flying shuttle thing; after all, the progress of my training is the most important thing.
Besides, he wasn't in a hurry to use the money.
Help Wang and Li with their affairs.
I'll do it when he has some free time.