Chapter 7: 7. Chapter 7: Take the Exit Offered

Chapter 7: Taking the Offered Step Down

Hong Xiaoduo shook her head, indicating she wasn't curious.

What was there to be curious about? Regardless of their motives, they would say it themselves eventually.

"Let me state this first: I won't be paying for that man's front teeth. He had a foul mouth, so he deserved it." After a moment's thought, she felt this Fan Wu seemed like a decent person, so she made a casual joke.

She didn't say she had no silver to pay, because if she did, the other party might climb up the pole she provided and ask her to use the game as compensation. Should she give it or not?

Hearing this, Fan Wu laughed and asked, "It won't come to that; it was indeed his own fault. But, now that things have reached this point, don't you think you bear some responsibility, young lady?"

"Me?" Hong Xiaoduo laughed at his words. "What responsibility do I have? We were resting here, roasting some game to satisfy our hunger; we didn't block the road or hinder your travel. He came over and said he wanted to buy the game, and I said we needed it for ourselves and weren't selling. Is that wrong?"

*Hmm, you aren't wrong, you're just a bit too infuriating.*

She looked like a pure and kind young lady, yet she was a bit wickedly clever! Fan Wu smiled at her words and didn't argue.

"On behalf of my master, I apologize to you, young lady. He didn't discipline his subordinate well, causing you offense. I hope you can be the bigger person." Having said this, Fan Wu straightened up on his horse and cupped his hands in a salute toward Hong Xiaoduo.

*Leave a path for others, and you'll have a way to meet again later.* Hong Xiaoduo understood this principle. So far, neither she nor the children had suffered any losses, and besides, she had already given that man a small lesson.

Moreover, their master had also stepped in to discipline him at the critical moment, so why should she be unforgiving?

Since they offered a step down, she might as well take it. Hong Xiaoduo mimicked his gesture and cupped her hands, saying, "Easily said, easily said." As she did, she remembered there was a specific etiquette to the salute—which hand went inside and which went outside?

She opened her hands and switched them, unsure which was correct. Realizing this wasn't the time to ponder such things, she quickly gave up.

Fan Wu didn't understand at first. He thought about it for a moment and wanted to laugh, but felt it was inappropriate, so he held it back. "My master asked me to inquire if you would be willing to sell us some of your extra game?"

Listen to that—the tone of negotiation was so polite it was hard to refuse. Hong Xiaoduo felt this man was decent, spoke well, and was generally pleasing to the eye.

"Actually, you could go in and hunt yourselves. There's plenty of game in this forest; why spend silver?" Hong Xiaoduo offered a well-intentioned reminder.

"Well, we are in a hurry," Fan Wu said quickly.

Hearing this, Hong Xiaoduo shook her head and teased, "In a hurry? I really couldn't tell."

If they were truly in a hurry, would that guard have spent so long bickering with her? No, that man was just a fool. The key was their master—what was he thinking, tolerating them delaying the journey?

"Cough, cough. I don't mind telling you, young lady, but we aren't actually very good at hunting, so..." Fan Wu didn't usually interact much with others; his master had many eloquent people around him, so he was never needed. Today, he didn't know what had happened—his mouth had suddenly been "unlocked," and he found he actually enjoyed talking to people. It was quite pleasant.

"Don't be modest. Alright, I won't ask further. It's not that I don't want to sell to you, but as you can see, there are so many mouths to feed. I don't have a single copper coin in my purse right now. I'm truly worried that after this meal, there won't be a next one. It's fine here, there's a forest to try our luck in, but further ahead, if there's no forest and no game to hunt, what will we do?" Hong Xiaoduo started playing the victim, her words flowing smoothly without a hint of embarrassment.

Because, it was the truth—she really had no money!

"We've traveled this road before; there are forests ahead. Why don't you sell these to us? You name a price. There's a village about ten miles ahead where you can use the silver to buy dry rations and such." Thinking about how his group was truly in a hurry, Fan Wu didn't dare chat anymore.

"Is that so? Alright then." Hong Xiaoduo beckoned the eldest boy over, tilted her head, and lowered her voice to ask, "Do you know how this game is sold? What kind of price should I ask for?"

The eldest boy shook his head. The "wicked man" had always hunted game for his own drinking snacks and had never sold any.

*He doesn't know?* Hong Xiaoduo looked at the other six children, who all shook their heads slightly. If the oldest didn't know, asking them was useless. It wouldn't do to ask the buyer directly, would it?

She looked back at the string of uncleaned game. *Ask for ten taels of silver?* She didn't know what the prices were like in ancient times. What could ten taels of silver buy?

The seven children were all in rags; they needed new clothes, right? She didn't know when she'd have money again, so she needed to set aside food money for their daily meals, right? If they encountered an inn on the road, even the worst room would cost money, right?

Fan Wu watched Hong Xiaoduo counting on her fingers and muttering to herself, patiently waiting without urging her.

"Fifty taels," Hong Xiaoduo said, looking up.

"Ah?" A chorus of surprised gasps came from beside her.

*What, was that too low?* Hong Xiaoduo looked at the children and immediately changed her tune: "One hundred taels. Not a penny less. Final price, no haggling. If you want it, buy it."

*She really dares to ask for that much.* Fan Wu couldn't determine if this young lady was truly ignorant of the market or just playing dumb. "Young lady, please wait a moment. I will go ask my master." His master wasn't short on silver, but being a sucker? Fan Wu didn't dare make that decision. He finished speaking and rode off.

In the meantime, Hong Xiaoduo turned to the children and whispered, "How about that? That's not a low price, right?"

*Huh? What's with these kids' expressions? One hundred taels, that's not a small amount, right? This game isn't even that valuable. If she had the time, she could hunt much more before sunset today.*

The eldest boy tried hard to close his gaping mouth and steadied his breathing. "Mother, it's not low, it's not low at all. All these things together probably wouldn't even sell for one tael in the city."

Otherwise, the hunters' lives would be very comfortable, and they wouldn't be wearing patched clothes.

*Could it be that this "Mother" has never stepped out of the front door in her life?*

Hong Xiaoduo was stunned. *Is the difference that big? Was I too heartless?*

"It's fine, it's fine. They don't look short of money. Besides, they were the ones who offered to buy from us, we didn't force them. And if they think it's expensive, they don't have to buy it," Hong Xiaoduo said, not knowing if she was making excuses for herself or convincing herself she wasn't a profiteer.

"Mother, that man is back," a little girl tugged at Hong Xiaoduo's sleeve, reminding her with a hint of excitement.

After Fan Wu rode back, he felt the expressions of this one adult and seven children were a bit strange. He didn't have time to think about it, so he dismounted, handed a heavy bag to Hong Xiaoduo, and went to pick up the string of game.

Hong Xiaoduo opened the bag and saw the silver ingots she had seen on TV. She pulled the drawstring and tied it back up.

"Not counting it?" Fan Wu, who had taken the game and mounted his horse, asked with a smile.

"No need. You don't look like the type of person who would use underhanded methods to cheat a weak group like us." With one hundred taels in hand, she could easily spout some sweet words.

Fan Wu, who had never been flattered like this in his life, felt very pleased. His back straightened involuntarily. He wanted to say, "Let's meet again in the martial arts world," but thinking she was a young lady, that sounded a bit reckless.

"I shall take my leave." After these four simple words, he signaled to Fu Gang, who was on horseback, and the carriage, and they continued their journey.

The carriage passed by Hong Xiaoduo. It wasn't moving very fast; the door was closed, and the window curtains were drawn tightly.

However, Hong Xiaoduo could feel that the person inside the carriage was looking at her—or rather, observing her.

She didn't turn her head or raise her hand to block them; instead, she looked at the carriage with a calm, half-smiling expression.

Since that person had ultimately stepped in to stop his subordinate and had allowed her to earn her first pot of silver, she would let him look all he wanted. It wouldn't cost her anything.

The window curtain had been specially made for him by an old woman at an embroidery shop; it was impossible to see in from the outside, but one could see out very clearly from the inside.

"That young lady just now—did you see what her background might be?" After the carriage had traveled two miles, the person inside checked the game piled at his feet and asked the guard outside...

*The little demon is here to quietly ask for follows and recommendation votes, fairies.*

(End of chapter)