The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 97 A Brief Encounter

The old Taoist priest wasn't really sure what to expect.

I just learned that the refugees in Nanhe Prefecture are currently fighting with the prefectural army.

He was very worried about where his eldest apprentice was.

This guy is a martial arts prodigy; he's quite skilled.

But the 23-year-old giant has the mental capacity of a 10-year-old.

The fear is that if he goes down the mountain and finds that the copper coins he brought are not enough to buy food, he will not know how to adapt and will stay in the city wandering around aimlessly.

Natural disasters and man-made calamities are occurring simultaneously, and it's unimaginable how high grain prices have risen to.

What he fears most is that someone will discover his skills and intelligence, and he'll be used as a pawn or something.

Fifty catties of mixed flour is truly an immense favor!

As for the information the officials wanted to inquire about, the old Taoist priest naturally answered all their questions without reservation.

Finally, they were also given a machete as a gift.

The two leaders: They gained a living map and a good tool!

We only stayed for half a day, so we let them avoid the pitfalls that only locals know about. The fifty catties of mixed flour were well worth it, very well worth it!
Interactions among adults are often based on mutual benefit.

Children are the purest of all.

They all quickly grew fond of the timid and seemingly malnourished young Taoist priest, Yuantong.

Unlike the domineering and mischievous boys in Stone Village, the soft and cute little Taoist priest had a clear and endearing look in his eyes.

His obedience is heartbreaking.

Fatty had only played with him for less than half an hour when he was already calling him "brother Yuantong" repeatedly.

His affection for Da Tou Yuan Tong was evident in his words.

He insisted that he held the same place in his heart as Xia-gege!
When they parted, both little ones had tears in their eyes.

The young Taoist priest gave Fatty a stone he had treasured.

Fatty borrowed his mother's advance on the maltose for the next half month to give back to his good friend.

Yes, only the amount available for the second half of the month.

Because the maltose for the first half of the month had already been promised to Zaohongma Sugar.

A fleeting encounter, and perhaps never to meet again in this lifetime.

It's just so pleasing to the eye, and I'm just so reluctant to leave.

The little guy was still feeling the sadness of parting when they camped out that night.

He buried his head in his mother's arms, which were covered in incense, and whispered to Gan Minglan, "Mother, how about we name my little sister Yuanyuan?"

Gan Minglan: "Why don't you go and discuss it with your father?"

When your sister grows up and realizes that you named her after a Taoist priest, she'll probably beat you until you cry, right?

Her brother, however, paid no attention to any of this; his mind was completely focused on that young Taoist priest, Yuantong, and he stubbornly argued on his own:

"My name is Fatty, and my sister's name is Round. Just by hearing our names, you can tell we're siblings!"

His dad would never give his little sister such a cute name!
The mother made a final effort for her unborn daughter:

"They're not that alike. How about we call the second one Dudu? You're chubby, and she's plump, that's what real siblings look like!"

"A younger sister should be a lady; chubby doesn't sound good!"

"Hey, then why do you seem to enjoy it when everyone calls you Fatty?"

"Hehe, Mommy calls me 'Little Boy'."

"You always choose what you want to hear, huh? Do you want to remember your new friend today by your sister's name? You like him that much!"

"Yes, yes, Yuantong is very good! He gave me all the precious stones that his senior brother gave him!"

A friend's kindness is precious! Gan Minglan: Okay, okay!
With Ah Tu, Fatty, and Yuan Yuan, it's time to come up with a group name for you!
The unborn second child, her nickname.

With her brother simply wanting to remember his friend Yuantong, her mother's boundless indulgence, her father's ineffective opposition, and her grandmother's approval, a preliminary agreement was reached.

The chubby boy happily patted his mother's belly, trying to coax his sister:
"Round round, round round, hurry up and crawl out of Mommy's belly button, brother will give you some sweet candy."

The second child punched her brother and gave him a chubby foot from afar.

"Mother, my sister agrees! She also likes to be called Yuanyuan!"

Gan Minglan: Ouch! Such a touching sibling bond, but it's a bit of a burden on their mother.
The next day.

The main road was diverted to a very narrow path.

If it weren't for the crooked pine tree at the entrance of the path, which the old Taoist priest had mentioned very clearly, no one would have noticed that there was a path to follow.

The leader, surnamed Mao, addressed the crowd with a very solemn expression:
"According to our previous plan, we'll reach Seven Tiger Ridge after crossing two more mountains! It's said that over a hundred years ago, more than seven tigers appeared on that ridge. The old Taoist priest and his companions even faintly heard tiger roars about half a month ago."

There's a tiger?

We have to take a detour!

Nobody wants to become the tiger's meal!

Having just escaped the clutches of wolves, they deeply realized how fragile human life truly is.

Gan Minglan: I'm a little worried about the tigers at Seven Tiger Ridge.

After all, King Atu's fighting prowess is truly formidable.

Last night, if she hadn't repeatedly urged that the three wolf packs be given some chance to reproduce and that the local food chain balance not be disrupted, the situation would have been much better.

She can add at least ten more wolf pelts to her space.

Unaware of the group's plan to change course, King Atu had already led his mouse minions ahead before dawn.

Lighting candles for the big tiger
Little did they know, the two leaders were only telling everyone the superficial reason.

For the sake of those fifty catties of life-saving rations, the old Taoist priest secretly told them a top-secret message.

He said that not only are there tigers in Qihuling, but there are also unusual things.

His eldest disciple once found several stones with gold dust particles in the valley of Seven Tiger Ridge.

He was blind and couldn't see, nor did his childish eldest disciple recognize him.

It was his junior apprentice, Yuantong, who once described to him how beautiful the stones his senior brother had picked up were, and how gorgeous the golden sands were, sparkling in the sunlight.

He then learned that there was a gold mine nearby.

In the past year, there have been occasional pilgrims visiting the Ancestral Temple to inquire about the Daoist teachings.

Inadvertently, she mentioned that many adult men in their village had found good jobs in Nanhe Prefecture.

It's still the kind of good job that you can do for ten months of the year.

The employer paid them exceptionally generously, and the men returned to the village trembling with pride.

Not only did every household build a large house with blue bricks and tiles, but they also bought their wives jewelry such as gold bracelets and gold earrings.

The old women in the village who didn't have sons to work with were incredibly envious.

The old Taoist priest combined the gold ore that his eldest disciple had picked up.

There is strong suspicion that someone organized those villagers to secretly mine gold in Qihuling.

According to the laws of the Bei Kingdom, private mining of minerals such as gold, silver, copper, and iron is prohibited, and serious offenses can result in the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

Just imagine.

In this remote, desolate mountain forest, where no one can hear your cries for help.

What happens when a group of people in official uniforms encounter a large number of villagers engaging in illegal and disorderly activities in private?

Even refugees dare to slaughter the garrison soldiers, who do they think they are?

I reckon one look at him and he'd be buried in this deep forest.
(End of this chapter)