Chapter 21

Cheng Duo didn't want to meddle in their affairs, so he returned the identity token to Meng Ji and took out the jade pendant from his pouch. He asked the two people in front of him, "Do you want this jade pendant? It seems to be of good quality. If either of you wants it, I'll sell it to him."

Cheng Duo asked casually, but he felt somewhat embarrassed, as if he was taking advantage of saving their lives. Although he had already told Meng Ji that they were even, it seemed that Meng Ji didn't think so…

To Cheng Duo's surprise, Meng Ji's expression changed immediately when he saw the jade pendant. "Where did you get this jade pendant?"

Cheng Duo was puzzled, "I took it when I saved you that day, from the leader of the Rong tribe! What's wrong with this jade pendant?"

Wei Ling looked incredulous and immediately turned to glare at Meng Ji.

Meng Ji wanted to cover his face with his hand. He should have thought of it earlier. Cheng Duo had taken the identity jade pendant of Wu Gu. He had speculated about it when he went to find the mysterious person, but unfortunately, he couldn't find it…

He was seriously injured that day, and didn't dare to approach the body when he was searching it. So he didn't expect that Cheng Duo not only took away the silver but also took this important jade pendant.

With this thing, they could completely impersonate Wu Gu's subordinates… Although Wu Gu was already dead, the Rong tribe wouldn't know!

"We'll take this jade pendant. Name your price," Wei Ling said decisively.

"Well…" Cheng Duo instinctively looked at Yong-ge. He was not concerned about such details and was not sensitive to numbers. After being in ancient times for so long and buying things, he still had a vague understanding of prices.

Moreover, he had never been to a jade shop, so he had no point of reference.

Yong-ge didn't know either! As a village ger, he was already envious when he saw others wearing silver jewelry, let alone treasures like gold and jade.

But since Cheng Duo earnestly sought his opinion, he couldn't just stand by and not help… In a moment of impulse, Yong-ge bit his lip and uttered a sky-high price in his mind, "Fifty taels!"

"Deal," Wei Ling immediately agreed.

"…" Yong-ge regretted it. They agreed so readily, they must have suffered a loss!

Seeing his pained expression, Meng Ji quickly comforted him, "Actually, this jade pendant is worth at most forty to fifty taels. We have other uses for it, which is why the young general agreed so readily."

Of course, even if they claimed it was worth forty to fifty taels, they wouldn't get such a high price at the jewelry store or pawnshop. So they still made a profit.

But Yong-ge didn't feel like they made a profit. He had a hunch that if he raised the price by another ten… no, twenty taels, that so-called young general would still agree!

Cheng Duo knew Yong-ge's character well and chuckled, rubbing his head. "Alright, you should be satisfied with what you've got."

Yong-ge gave him an annoyed look. Who was he doing all this for?

Then he angrily pulled his big hand away, returning the words Cheng Duo had said to him, "Just speak with your mouth, don't use your hands and feet!"

After saying that, he saw a flicker of surprise and embarrassment on Cheng Duo's face, and he instantly felt refreshed!

But when he turned his head and saw Meng Ji and Wei Ling, he suddenly became shy again – he forgot that there were other people here! He had learned from Cheng Duo and even said such things!

Cheng Duo also felt a bit embarrassed, he clenched his fist and cleared his throat, saying, "Then let's settle it at fifty taels."

Fifty taels wasn't a small amount, and Wei Ling couldn't possibly carry that much silver on him. As for silver notes, the amount was also quite large. As soldiers, they wielded their weapons every day, and if they wore them out, it would result in significant losses.

So Wei Ling went back to the camp to retrieve the silver notes, and Meng Ji stayed behind to accompany them. Taking this opportunity, Cheng Duo entrusted him with the task of finding Li Da and Li Er.

Meng Ji initially wanted to guarantee that he would do his best, but Cheng Duo saw through his intentions and held his hand, saying, "You can just pay attention to it when you have time. It would be too much trouble for you to go out of your way to find them, and that would be embarrassing."

After saying that, he pressed his hand again, heavily implying something.

Meng Ji, seeing his gaze shift to the direction of Yong-ge, thought that Li Da and Li Er were "rivals" of Cheng Duo. However, due to Little ger's face, he had to help…

So he blinked at Cheng Duo and said, "No trouble, no trouble. It's just that we soldiers have a ten-day rest once a month, so it might take a while…"

At least a few months, to let Cheng Duo and this Little ger become in-laws… In fact, based on the way these two were flirting and bantering, it was clear that Little ger's heart was set on Cheng Duo. Meng Ji didn't need to be so petty.

When Wei Ling came out, both sides exchanged the jade pendant and the silver notes, completing the transaction smoothly.

Cheng Duo was very satisfied with the gains from this trip to the Xiling camp. He left the address of Yang Village for Meng Ji and planned to bid farewell with Yong-ge.

Wei Ling saw an opportunity and quickly said, "You have such excellent skills, have you ever considered joining the military camp to achieve great success?"

Yong-ge was stunned for a moment, then became nervous. Cheng Duo wouldn't agree, right?

Of course, Cheng Duo wouldn't agree and directly refused, saying, "No, I just want to be a hunter."

…

What's wrong with this guy? He has trained his killing skills so well but doesn't want to go to the battlefield to kill enemies? Meng Ji looked at the backs of the two as they walked away, finding it difficult to understand.

Wei Ling was also puzzled, but he furrowed his brow, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.

Meng Ji thought Wei Ling failed to recruit him and felt uncomfortable, so he quickly changed the subject and said, "Let's hurry back and inform the general about the jade pendant!"

Wei Ling nodded and decided to let it go. Cheng Duo and Yong-ge returned to the Twenty-Li Slope, and it was already approaching noon. Cheng Duo had unexpectedly acquired fifty taels of silver, so he waved his hand, intending to treat Yong-ge to a meal at the largest restaurant in Twenty-Li Slope.

But Yong-ge disagreed, "Money shouldn't be spent like this. Whatever you want to eat, I'll make it for you when we get back. I heard from others that the food in restaurants costs several dozen wen for a small portion. With that money, I could buy several jin of pork! I can cook a large amount at home, and it'll be filling… You don't even have your own place yet, so even if you earn money, you can't waste it like this!"

Cheng Duo was getting a headache from his nagging, "Alright, alright, I won't go. Let's go buy rice and meat instead. When we get back, you can cook for me!"

A passerby who was dressed as a young master overheard their conversation and suddenly burst into laughter. After laughing, he noticed that the couple across from him were both staring at him… especially the big man, who had a fierce look on his face.

Xie Yuan couldn't laugh anymore and awkwardly said, "Don't misunderstand, I just envy the good relationship between the two of you… How about this, why don't you come to my family's restaurant to eat? I'll have the kitchen serve you generous portions for each dish, and I'll even give you a discount after you finish. What do you think?"

Originally, he wanted to say that he would treat them at his family's restaurant as an apology. However, seeing that Cheng Duo and the others were dressed plainly, he was afraid that they would take offense, so he changed his wording.

Actually, Xie Yuan overthought the situation. If he had offered to treat them, Yong-ge would have gladly accepted. But when he mentioned the discount, Yong-ge thought he was a "scammer" trying to lure them into the restaurant and take advantage of them.

He cautiously pulled Cheng Duo's arm and said, "No need, we won't eat."

After saying that, as if afraid that Cheng Duo would agree, he hurriedly dragged him away, while lecturing him, "I've seen many people like him before. They dress nicely and claim to own a restaurant, offering discounts to others, but they're all scammers!"

Cheng Duo nodded in agreement and praised him, "You're smart, knowing that seeking small advantages can lead to big losses."

Xie Yuan, the young master who really owned a restaurant, was at a loss for words.

As expected, Cheng Duo took Yong-ge to buy pork. They didn't encounter those people who give out meat bones and scraps to time travelers. Raising a pig these days required feeding it not only with pig grass but also with bran, beans, corn, and other grains. These grains might not be favored by modern people, but in ancient times, they were staple food for people.

Therefore, every piece of meat on a pig could be sold for money. Why would they dream of getting something for free?

In addition to buying pork, Cheng Duo also bought a piece of lard. This time, Yong-ge didn't say anything. With a piece of lard, they could use it for cooking throughout the year, and even adding a little to vegetable dishes would make them more fragrant.

Although Cheng Duo bought a lot, he had money now. Besides, he had previously stopped Cheng Duo from going to the restaurant, so opposing him now might make him angry. So it was fine to buy a lot. After all, everything would be eaten, so it wasn't a waste.

After buying the meat, Cheng Duo went to buy rice and flour. Previously, they had been eating coarse flour that still had the husks in it, but now they finally saw fine flour and wanted to buy it.

The rice was the same. Although it didn't look as white or plump as modern rice, it was free of husks and guaranteed to be natural and pollution-free.

Cheng Duo bought a hundred catties of rice. If it wasn't too heavy for the bamboo basket to bear, he would have bought twice as much.

Yong-ge had nothing more to say. He didn't know where Cheng Duo developed this habit of being extravagant and reckless.

He couldn't stop him, so he could only find an excuse to urge him after he finished buying rice and flour, "It's about time, let's hurry and meet up with Shanzi."

Cheng Duo looked up and saw that the sun was high, but since Yong-ge said it was about time, then it must be.

Upon Cheng Duo's insistence, the two of them bought buns for lunch and hurriedly arrived at the outskirts of the city.

When Yong-ge saw Shanzi waiting for them, he heaved a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Cheng Duo would discover his lie, and he would definitely be unhappy.

When they returned to the village, it was already completely dark. Yong-ge quietly returned home, originally planning to go straight into his room and sleep. However, his father was still awake…

"Where have you been these past two days? You didn't come home to sleep last night?"

"I… I was helping someone in Yangshu Village. The lady there was kind-hearted. Not only did she provide meals, but she also provided accommodation…"

"You're lying!"

Li Wang's voice suddenly grew louder, startling Yong-ge. "No one in Yangshu Village has been hiring workers recently. Be honest, where did you really go?"

In fact, Li Wang was trying to deceive Yong-ge. Since he didn't come home, he couldn't go around asking people. That would blatantly reveal that their ger was out all night.

However, Li Wang did go to Yangshu Village to check. If Yong-ge had been working there, the villagers would have told him. But they didn't, which meant that Yong-ge most likely wasn't there…

Yong-ge was indeed fooled by his father, "I… I'm sorry, Father. I didn't go to Yangshu Village. I went with Shanzi to… to Twenty-Li Slope."

"Didn't I tell you not to go there anymore? Twenty-Li Slope is crowded and full of trouble. What if you encounter bad people? You're still unmarried, yet you're running around all day and not coming home at night. Look at what you've become!"

Yong-ge hung his head dejectedly, "Father, please don't be angry. I won't go there anymore."

"You said the same thing last time! You tell me honestly, did you go to find those two rascals?"