The sun was already high in the sky.
Lu Ye and the others were feeling hungry, but the house, apart from a newly fenced plot of free land for building, had nothing.
Fortunately, they were accustomed to hunger, and this slight hunger could be endured a bit longer.
Lu Ye had not forgotten Bai Sheng’s words about finding seeds, so after marking the location of their home, he prepared to take everyone to town.
Before they departed, Bai Sheng went to find Feng Pingyuan and Du Min, wanting to ask them to look after their "home."
Du Min appeared slightly flustered but readily agreed to Bai Sheng's request.
As Bai Sheng turned to leave, her gaze inadvertently swept over the grass pavilion and she saw a half-naked corpse.
Her heart skipped a beat. Had they…
Bai Sheng dared not think further, afraid she might vomit, and hurried away from Du Min’s house.
Du Min watched Bai Sheng’s retreating back, a look of sadness appearing on her face.
What choice did they have? If heaven did not let them live, they could only find their own way to survive!
After Bai Sheng returned to Lu Ye, she did not mention Du Min and Feng Pingyuan eating the corpse.
The group of five headed towards town.
Tianshui Town was about eight or nine li from Hongshu Slope. They only arrived in town around noon.
As the entire Tasha County was relatively poor, Tianshui Town was no exception.
The town was not very large. However, there were inns, eateries, grain shops, carpentry shops, and general stores. Occasionally, there were small vendors selling various goods on the street.
There were even people pushing carts and selling water. The water was truly expensive; a small bamboo cup cost 200 wen. Ordinary families could not afford it.
The streets were sparsely populated. The people were uniformly thin, dark, and dusty, with no trace of joy in their eyes.
Lu Ye had two main tasks for this trip: first, to pawn a small item his mother had left him, and second, to buy seeds.
Therefore, upon arriving in town, they went straight to the town's only pawnshop – Wendang.
The pawnshop was also quite desolate. The counter was very high; even when Lu Ye stood there, the tabletop reached his eyebrows. If Bai Sheng stood there, she would have to stand on tiptoe to see the tabletop.
A thin old man sat lazily inside the counter, dozing.
Bai Sheng, knowing her appearance was too shabby and fearing being judged by her looks, which might affect the pawn price, kept Lu Hua and the other two below the counter. Because they were too short, the person sitting inside could not see them at all when looking out through the gaps in the wooden panel.
Lu Ye stepped forward, tapped the counter, and asked loudly, "Shopkeeper, are you open for business?"
The old man was startled and stumbled, then opened his red-rimmed eyes and looked at Lu Ye, scrutinizing him. Impatiently, he said, "Of course, we are open. What do you want to pawn?"
Lu Ye said, "How much for a top-grade jade pendant?"
"Top-grade jade pendant?" The old man’s spirit lifted. However, after scrutinizing Lu Ye again, a hint of disdain appeared on his face. "Hmph, what top-grade jade pendant could you possibly have?"
Lu Ye paid no mind to the old man's dismissive attitude. He took out a small cloth bag from his怀, and poured out its contents.
It was a pale purple jade pendant, about an inch in size. The jade was crystal clear and very lustrous. The front was carved with a lotus flower, and the craftsmanship was exquisite.
The old man’s eyes immediately lit up, but he quickly masked it with a look of contempt.
However, the fleeting gleam did not escape Lu Ye’s eyes. He calmly placed the purple jade pendant into the old man’s hand.
The old man pretended to examine it, then pouted and held out two fingers to Lu Ye.
"Two hundred taels?" Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.
The old man snorted, "Two taels of silver, for one month. Take it or leave it!"
Lu Ye also snorted and reached out his hand, "I won't pawn it. Give me back the jade pendant!"
But the old man clutched the jade pendant tightly in his hand, showing no intention of returning it. After scrutinizing Lu Ye again, he taunted, "Looking at your clothes, you don't seem to be from a wealthy family. Tell me honestly, did you steal this jade pendant?!"
Preposterous! How dare he judge people by their appearance and make such a baseless accusation!
Bai Sheng and the other three hiding under the counter were all furious.
Alas, they were too short, and the old man couldn't even see them.
Lu Ye's gaze suddenly sharpened. He reached out and grabbed the old man's collar, forcefully pulling him tight against the wooden counter. Then, with his other hand, he grasped the old man's neck and said sternly, "Say that again, return the jade pendant immediately! Otherwise, I'll break your neck!"
"You… you—" the old man still refused, holding the hand with the jade pendant far out.
Lu Ye suddenly increased the pressure, and the old man's face began to turn purple, his eyeballs bulging.
"Let… let go… give…" The old man, using his remaining consciousness, immediately handed the jade pendant to Lu Ye.
Lu Ye released his grip. The old man slumped onto the counter, clutching his neck and coughing.
"You refused the offer of wine, but chose the punishment!" Lu Ye said coldly, looking at the old man.
"Greedy old—thing! You actually tried to—embezzle my family's—heirloom! And you don't even know your own—weight!" Even though Bai Sheng jumped up and cursed, the old man could only see the top of her head appearing and disappearing.
Lu Ye saw her hopping and struggling to curse, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. He suddenly walked behind Bai Sheng, scooped her up around the waist, and said gently with a smile, "Will it be more comfortable to scold like this?"
Bai Sheng felt her ears grow hot and, as if possessed, nodded obediently, "Yes… it is more comfortable."
Lu Ye slightly curved his lips and said with considerable affection, "Then, scold to your heart's content."
Bai Sheng took a deep breath and yelled at the still coughing old man, "People need face, trees need bark. You old thing have no shame, no skin!
The sage said, 'A person without trust cannot stand.' The most important thing in doing business is integrity. You are untrustworthy, with malicious intentions, judging people by their appearance, looking down on others, and being greedy. How dare you name your pawnshop 'Wendang' (stable), I think it should be 'WaiDang' (crooked) or 'HeiDang' (black)!
With your wicked character, this shop of yours will collapse sooner or later! If you are the boss, you deserve to go bankrupt. If you are an employee, I will find your boss one day and report your evil deeds, so you will lose all face in the pawn industry!…"
The old man was stunned by this sudden barrage of scolding and forgot to cough for a moment, his mouth half-open, staring blankly at Bai Sheng's moving lips…
When Bai Sheng was tired of scolding, Lu Ye put her down.
At this moment, Lu Yun tugged Lu Ye's sleeve and said, looking up, "Big brother, I'm still here."
Lu Ye smiled and picked up Lu Yun as well.
Lu Yun also took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, "You ugly old monster! Your shop will close down soon! You'll just starve to death! Ptooey!"
Then came Lu Yu.
Lu Yu looked at the old man, and after a long time, remembered what to scold, "You… you are a bad person!"
After Lu Ye put Lu Yu down, he looked at Lu Hua. Lu Hua covered her mouth and smiled. At Bai Sheng's strong encouragement, she also nodded.
Lu Hua's clear eyes looked at the old man inside the counter, whose face was gradually turning extremely grim. She softly scolded, "Good deeds are rewarded, you will not be rewarded."
The old man finally understood that these little beggars were with the person who had choked him. He finally exploded. He retreated a few steps from the counter, pointed at the doorway, and yelled in his aged voice, "A bunch of beggars, get out of my shop! Don't dirty my place!"
"We are leaving right away, old man. We don't care for your broken shop! Staying here any longer will dirty our feet!" Bai Sheng, whose voice was heard but not seen, retorted loudly.
As they reached the doorway, they turned back and made a few faces at the old man, who was gasping for breath in anger.