Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Led by Zhong He, the villagers noisily crowded around the merchant caravan as they walked to the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain.

Sun Yunniang, upon hearing the news, didn't rush back right away. Instead, she first went next door to Zhao Daniang's house to buy a chicken, and showed up right as the big crowd was rolling in.

Because she taught the young men and women embroidery to earn money, Sun Yunniang had become pretty popular in the village. Everyone greeted her, and nobody was jealous about her buying a chicken—they just cracked jokes and said nice things.

Sun Yunniang handed the chicken to Zhong He to put away, then stood out front smiling, shooting the breeze with everyone, inviting them inside to sit.

But everybody had come to check out the caravan, so they all said no thanks.

Just then, the side courtyard door opened, and Pei Mu waved for the first oxcart to enter, saying to those behind, "The courtyard isn't big enough—come in one at a time. Those in the back, wait a moment."

"Understood, Boss." The guys on the carts all answered at once, which made the villagers take notice—this cobbled-together village caravan looked just as good as the real ones from town.

Once the first oxcart entered the courtyard, Pei Mu closed the door behind it. The villagers had wanted to squeeze in and watch, but now couldn't work up the nerve.

When the next cart went in, a few folks still wouldn't quit, but Liu Mingfeng blocked them, with a friendly smile: "They're tallying goods inside. If you folks go in, Brother Pei and Zhu Ge'er will have to stop to entertain you, and that'll hold up the guys from the next village getting home to tell their folks they're safe."

Everyone knew the side courtyard was where Zhong Yizhu made his incense, and anyone with half a brain wouldn't try to push in. Most of the ones trying to sneak in were up to no good anyway, and those around them mostly sided with Liu Mingfeng. The few who'd been pushing forward backed off looking embarrassed, scratching their heads and saying, "I was just curious."

In the warehouse, Pei Mu helped unload the goods alongside Yang Luo and Fang You. With Pei Mu helping, plus Yang Luo and Fang You, and the cart owner himself, four people could unload a cart in no time.

Zhong Yizhu stayed nearby, pen in hand, helping with the inventory. Each time a cart was unloaded and confirmed correct, he'd mark the corresponding spot in the ledger, and Pei Mu would pay the cart owner on the spot.

He paid each of them a full tael of silver, like they'd agreed before setting out. Even so, seeing him pay so readily, the guys who got paid were all grinning ear to ear.

The journey had been tough, but this was a full tael of silver! You couldn't make that in a month doing the hardest work down at the docks.

Almost everyone, before leaving, told Pei Mu to call on them anytime if he needed hands again. Though there was danger, a boss like Pei Mu—generous, quick to pay, never bailing on his crew, and even stepping up himself when things got rough—was someone you couldn't find even with a lantern. Everyone wanted to seize the opportunity.

Pei Mu didn't commit, just said he'd see when the time came. But for Lin Aniu and Liu Mingfeng, he threw in an extra two hundred wen for each of them.

Lin Aniu had come through big during the refugee attack that day, and Liu Mingfeng had been handling all kinds of odd jobs along the way. Pei Mu remembered every detail of the trip—who shirked work, who put in real effort. Li Sun had sworn up and down he was up for it, but when trouble hit, he'd hidden behind others, too scared to even want to go. But at the critical moment, he'd shown real loyalty.

Pei Mu told Zhong Yizhu all about it after everyone left. Yang Luo and Fang You watched their usually quiet, standoffish boss turn into a whole different person in front of his husband, laughing several times in just that short while—they were so shocked they didn't know what to say.

Outside, the gathered villagers saw people emerging one by one with beaming smiles, all saying Pei Mu had paid them on the spot, just like he'd promised before they left. Though Pei Mu had made the terms clear when recruiting—it wasn't a secret to the villagers—saying something and actually doing it were two different things. Guys like Pei Mu were hard to come by. Wages that high, paid out that fast, had the villagers green with envy, and a lot of them wanted to run in and ask if Pei Mu was still taking on workers.

The guys from the next village left happy with their pay, and even Lin Aniu, who lived farther away, didn't linger, hurrying home to let his ma know he was safe.

The crowd out front broke up as people headed off. Still, this was the first time so many from the village had traveled far, and a lot of folks were curious about the trip. Nobody dared go bother Pei Mu with small talk, so they each went off with whoever they knew best to hear the stories.

At the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain, Pei Mu introduced Yang Luo and Fang You to the family. With Pei Mu back safe and sound, Sun Yunniang couldn't stop smiling. After what happened with Zhong He, she wasn't all that surprised Pei Mu had bought two more people. She just threw a few more bowls of rice in the pot. She'd already decided—this year, she wouldn't sell the rice she harvested either. With more people in the house, they needed to keep more grain on hand.

Chen Xiaorong and Wang Pingan had gone up the mountain to cut wood that day and only heard the good news when they got back, and hurried right over.

Dinner had both chicken and fish—a real feast. The fish were ones Wang Pingan had caught in the creek a couple days back and kept alive in a tank, waiting for Pei Mu's return. With good ingredients and the culinary skills of Zhong He and Sun Yunniang, the food smelled so good Pei Mu kept his head down and put away five bowls of rice before stopping.

Yang Luo and Fang You didn't eat at the same table as the boss and his family—they got a little table set up in the kitchen instead. But honestly, that made them more at ease. Sun Yunniang gave them generous portions, and the two boys who'd survived the famine were practically drooling just from the smell. The second they picked up their bowls and took that first bite, they couldn't hold back the tears.

On the way back, they'd eaten and slept with the caravan crew. The food on the road had been simple, but they'd thought it was plenty good. They never dreamed they'd get treated like this at their boss's place. Man, were they lucky to have found a boss like this.

Even while crying, they couldn't stop eating. Tears mixed into the rice, and they swallowed it all down with all the gratitude they had.

After the lively meal welcoming Pei Mu home, Wang Pingan and Chen Xiaorong didn't stay long before taking their leave. There was no room in the small courtyard for Yang Luo and Fang You, so they kindly helped escort the two to the old Zhong family residence to settle in.

Knowing Pei Mu was exhausted from his travels, Sun Yunniang didn't press him for details about the journey. She told him to rest early and soon called Zhong He back to the side courtyard.

Pei Mu lit a candle in the kitchen to bathe, while Zhong Yizhu rolled up his sleeves and helped wash his hair by the tub. Pei Mu watched Zhong Yizhu's profile intently for a moment, then couldn't resist reaching out to flick a string of water droplets onto his face.

Zhong Yizhu wiped his face good-naturedly, continuing his careful work. Pei Mu's heart itched at the sight, and he used his wet fingers to poke at Zhong Yizhu's cheek.

Zhong Yizhu tugged at his hair as retaliation, but the force was so light it barely registered—didn't hurt at all.

Pei Mu leaned in and bit Zhong Yizhu's lip, then before the other could react, took back his hair, rinsed it quickly, and stood up from the tub.

Once out of the water, his body's reaction could no longer be hidden—standing tall and proud, pointed straight at Zhong Yizhu.

Zhong Yizhu startled so badly he jumped up from his little stool, turning red in an instant, frozen in place with no idea what to do. Pei Mu grabbed a towel and dried himself. He didn't plan to do anything outrageous in the kitchen, but his gaze stayed locked on Zhong Yizhu, amused: "Why so shocked?"

Zhong Yizhu looked away, voice very soft: "Aren't you tired?"

Pei Mu put on his clothes and easily scooped the man up, carrying him toward the bedroom.

"You'll find out for yourself."

Zhong Yizhu never expected that "finding out" would last until the middle of the night.

Since the weather had warmed up, Pei Mu wasn't worried about him getting cold, so he tried all sorts of positions—sitting, standing. Afraid their shadows might show through the window, they didn't light a lamp, but the moonlight was bright that night, and they could still see each other clearly in each other's eyes.

Pei Mu brushed aside the hair on Zhong Yizhu's back, and the sight before him made his gaze grow heavier.

Zhong Yizhu gripped the bed frame, watching the sachet containing their tied hair sway back and forth before his eyes. The sounds and their current state made him lower his gaze in embarrassment. He suddenly gasped as Pei Mu turned him around, and they faced each other, nothing left to hide.

Pei Mu called his name as he leaned in to kiss him, his voice soft as a gentle murmur, but his movements were fierce beyond compare.

By the end, Zhong Yizhu had no strength left—couldn't stand, couldn't kneel. Pei Mu carried him back to bed, but still showed no sign of stopping.

Zhong Yizhu curled up in Pei Mu's arms, utterly content and utterly exhausted, eventually falling asleep without even knowing when.

He slept soundly, and when he woke, his memories hadn't yet returned, but his mood was already bright enough to hum a tune.

Opening his eyes to meet Pei Mu's gaze, Zhong Yizhu's ears flushed slightly, but he followed his heart and leaned in to kiss the corner of Pei Mu's mouth, then burrowed into his arms, not wanting to move.

Pei Mu held him, skillfully massaging the sore spots on his body, and softly asked about how things had been during his absence.

Zhong Yizhu paused, then told him about Wang Shun coming to take him and Sun Yunniang back to the prefectural city, and how the village head had led people to stop them, driving Wang Shun and his men out of the village, too scared to dare come back.

"Mm." Pei Mu acknowledged. "And then?"

"And the shop..." Zhong Yizhu chattered on about the incense business—several large orders had come in this past month, and the income looked excellent.

Pei Mu pinched his waist, making him flinch: "You know that's not what I'm asking. What else did the Zhong family do? And what did Zhong He do? Yesterday when I just got back, you didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't ask. Are you still trying to keep things from me?"

"I wasn't trying to hide anything," Zhong Yizhu said.

Pei Mu lifted him up a bit so they could look at each other, and Zhong Yizhu slowly began recounting the robbery case from half a month ago. After Zhong He subdued the men, they'd gone straight back to Songyun County to report it to the authorities.

Once in the government office, the men were so terrified they confessed everything.

They weren't real bandits—just a few local thugs from Chuiliu Town, hired to kidnap Zhong Yizhu. Not to harm him, but to ruin his reputation.

The person who hired them had been careful to conceal their identity, and the men couldn't say who it truly was. But they'd arranged to meet at a ruined temple outside Chuiliu Town to collect payment after the job was done.

The county magistrate ordered the news kept quiet and had Old Zhang and Zhong He return to the village to put on a performance, turning the scheme back on its planner. The next day, they caught Wu Zitian, who'd come disguised to the ruined temple.

Wu Zitian was scared out of his wits, kneeling in the courtroom and kowtowing repeatedly, confessing everything like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

"Your Honor, I'm innocent! It was the Zhong family who made me do this. They said that if Zhong Yizhu's reputation was ruined, Pei Mu would surely divorce him. Once he couldn't stay in the village either, they'd play the good guys and take Zhong Yizhu back to the Zhong mansion, have him make incense for their shop to rake in money. I was forced into this—it was all arranged by people sent from the Zhong mansion..."

That day, after Wang Shun was driven out of Liushan Village, he went to Hebian Village to pick up Wu Zitian and return to the prefectural city. In front of Zhong Laotai, he laid it on thick about how arrogant Zhong Yizhu was, and also spoke of the Bamboo Fragrance Shop's business, saying it was doing so well it was almost giving the shops in the prefectural city a run for their money.

This nasty scheme was Wang Shun's idea too. Zhong Laotai and Zhong Laosan agreed without much hesitation—after all, the girls and the young man of the Zhong family were already married off, so even if Zhong Yizhu's reputation was ruined and he was brought back, it wouldn't affect his cousins much. Besides, compared to the profits Zhong Yizhu could bring them, they didn't give a damn about that kind of thing anyway.

So they went back to Chuiliu Town to find the right people for the job. After all, it wasn't a capital offense like murder—as long as the money was enough, someone would always be willing to do it. Even if the family reported it to the authorities, the county office had so many matters every day; a young man going missing wasn't exactly high-status, and nobody was gonna comb the mountains for him.

Besides, once they slipped into the woods, how could they be found anytime soon?

As long as they released the young man safely the next day, the case of his disappearance would be closed. No young man would go beat the drum at the courthouse over his reputation—any family in that situation would just try to sweep it under the rug. So they were taking some risk, but not a big one. What no one anticipated was that Zhong Yizhu had Zhong He, who was so capable in a fight, by his side.

Those thugs were kicking themselves, feeling like Wu Zitian had set them up. Wu Zitian also looked like a deer in headlights, like everything was ruined. The county magistrate sent men to arrest Wang Shun at his place, but they came up empty-handed, so they could only imprison the five men first and then send someone to Rongyang Prefecture to request assistance from the prefectural office in the arrest.

With this incident, Sun Yunniang and Wang Ping'an and his husband naturally stayed by Zhong Yizhu's side, and even Liu Youzong came along. Not to mention Sun Yunniang and the others—even Old Zhang, who wasn't that close to Zhong Yizhu, called them animals when he heard about it. He never imagined a family could come up with something so poisonous to hurt their own flesh and blood, which was why he'd genuinely thought they'd run into bandits that day.

If Zhong He hadn't been there, they might have actually succeeded...

The matter caused quite a stir, because Old Zhang and Zhong He had put on an act. Once the truth was uncovered, they naturally had to tell the villagers, lest they truly believed something had happened to Zhong Yizhu, so it couldn't be hidden.

The villagers all sighed, saying that even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cub—how could the Zhong family be so vicious as to do such a thing to their own grandson and nephew?

After the incident, the Wu family even tried to come and plead with Zhong Yizhu, hoping he would forgive Wu Zitian for being young and foolish and ask the magistrate to release him. They were barely into the village when Liu Youzong had people chase them out.

It was also because Zhong He had saved Zhong Yizhu that Sun Yunniang and Wang Ping'an and his husband treated him with great warmth. Zhong Yizhu gave him his indenture contract and told him he could leave anytime. Sun Yunniang also gave him a sum of silver from her private savings.

It was probably that little difference that tipped Pei Mu off.

Zhong Yizhu tried to keep it brief, glossing over the parts about the kidnappers, but the hand massaging his waist still stopped, turning into a firm embrace. Even without looking up, he could feel Pei Mu's seething anger.

Even so, after he finished speaking, Pei Mu gently patted his back to soothe him first: "Don't be afraid. I won't let them have another chance."

Zhong Yizhu couldn't help but feel a pang in his nose, and was also anxious about the implication of his words: "Don't do anything rash. They didn't succeed, did they? Thanks to you training Zhong He, and the magistrate has sent people to Rongyang Prefecture—they'll pay for this."

That was what he said, but they both knew that at most, the people sent would catch Wang Shun. The Zhong family could just pin everything on him, and it wouldn't even graze them.

Pei Mu smoothed his hair: "Don't worry. With you here, how could I act rashly?"

His voice was gentle, but his eyes were a dark, churning storm underneath.

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Author's note: Sorry, I'll be entertaining friends this week, so the update schedule might be a bit irregular.