36 – Ma Gu’s Thoughts

The grand shopping spree by Lu Qing and his companion naturally attracted quite a bit of attention at the marketplace.

So, when the two of them left, several people gathered outside the market, whispering among themselves.

‘Boss, those two kids bought a lot of stuff. They look like fat sheep. Should we go and take some money from them?’

A young man with a sneaky look in his eyes first proposed.

But as soon as he spoke, he was met with scorn from the others.

Especially the man referred to as the boss, who looked at him as if he were an idiot.

‘Has your brain been kicked by a donkey? Didn’t you see even Master Ma was polite to that kid, and you want me to rob them?’

Feeling unjustly scolded, the sneaky-eyed underling felt a bit aggrieved.

‘I just think they look fat… Look at the stuff they’re carrying, it must be worth at least a few hundred coins. Such fat sheep, even if we get a little, we could have fun for several days.’

Hearing this, the boss fell silent.

How could he not be tempted? Aside from anything else, the meat those two kids were carrying was enough to make him drool.

Recently, they hadn’t been doing well and hadn’t had a taste of meat in several days.

But thinking of Master Ma in the market, he felt a bit afraid.

That man was not easy to provoke. Offending him would get them all in serious trouble.

But thinking of the stuff Lu Qing and the other were carrying, the boss couldn’t help but be tempted again.

As they hesitated, inside the market, Master Ma was also waving over a subordinate.

‘Xiao Tian, I remember Old Doctor Chen lives in Jiuli Village, right?’

‘Yes, the old doctor lives halfway up a small hill next to Jiuli Village. People from several nearby villages know this,’ Xiao Tian replied respectfully.

‘Then find some time to go to Jiuli Village and check if Old Doctor Chen has recently taken on a student named Lu Qing.’

‘Yes, Master Ma,’ Xiao Tian responded respectfully.

He knew Master Ma wanted to investigate the boy who had just brought silver to the market to buy things.

Suddenly remembering something, Xiao Tian quickly reported, ‘Master Ma, when I came in just now, I saw Chen San and his gang acting suspiciously outside. They seemed to have some ideas about that boy named Lu Qing.’

‘Chen San? What are those little brats doing on my turf?’ Master Ma’s eyes narrowed.

‘I heard they recently stole some things in Damulin Village and the village head there ordered them not to come near again. So, they came here instead.’

These little brats never do anything proper, just thinking about stealing and cheating all day. Go warn them, if they dare to touch any of our market guests, I’ll break all their dog legs!’

‘Yes, Master Ma!’

Xiao Tian left excitedly.

He had long been displeased with Chen San and his gang. They never do anything good, only know how to steal and cheat, tormenting the villagers.

His cousin married into Damulin Village and had complained to him before about Chen San stealing several chickens from her home.

He hadn’t had the chance to deal with them before, but now with Master Ma backing him, he would surely teach them a lesson.

After Xiao Tian went out, the sound of commotion and pleading for mercy quickly came from outside the market.

Master Ma ignored these minor issues and sat in his chair deep in thought.

Today’s appearance of Lu Qing had given him quite a surprise.

If this boy was indeed Old Doctor Chen’s disciple, it would be great news for him.

The villagers outside only knew that the old doctor had amazing medical skills and was a benevolent miracle doctor.

But in the city, this old doctor was equally influential.

Many prestigious and wealthy people considered him a honored guest.

Because not only was the old doctor incredibly skilled in medicine, but he was also a martial arts master.

Even the county lord had praised his profound skills, almost reaching the peak of the acquired stage as a grandmaster.

He had long wanted to make connections with such a person but never found the right opportunity.

Now, with the appearance of Lu Qing, he saw a glimmer of hope.

If he could befriend Lu Qing and establish a connection with Old Doctor Chen, he might even have the chance to return to the city in the future.

In this godforsaken market, he really had enough.

If not for the mess he caused earlier, resulting in his father’s decree to keep him here for five years, he would have thrown in the towel and gone back long ago!

Master Ma was silently making calculations by himself.

Lu Qing and Wang Da’an, however, had no idea what transpired at the market after they left.

But Lu Qing remained vigilant; he knew that their procurement at the market had drawn some attention.

Yet, there was no other way. He had a lot on his plate coming up, and he couldn’t afford to make trips to the market every other day, so he had to take the risk.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened by the time they returned to the village entrance.

The two took down the red ropes from the big tree, placed them back under the slate, and continued carrying their burdens to Lu Qing’s home.

By now, it was nearing noon, and the villagers were mostly resting at home, with few people walking around the village.

So when Lu Qing returned home, he didn’t meet anyone.

‘Phew, finally home.’

Putting everything down, Wang Da’an said, a bit out of breath.

‘Thank you, Brother Da’an. Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to bring back so much stuff,’ Lu Qing gratefully said.

The items they bought, the heavier grains and meat, were with Wang Da’an.

Lu Qing carried the relatively lighter daily necessities.

‘No need to thank me; it was my duty. In fact, I should be thanking you. Today was the first time I spoke so closely with Master Ma, and he even remembered my name!’

At this, Wang Da’an got excited again.

‘Is this Master Ma really that impressive?’ Lu Qing asked curiously.

‘Of course he is!’ Wang Da’an replied, ‘You must know that the entire market is managed by Master Ma, and he has a group of subordinates. In this area, he’s the most prestigious person!’

This made Lu Qing even more puzzled.

In his opinion, the market’s prosperity was somewhat unexpected.

But ultimately, it was just a small market.

The things sold there weren’t luxury items—mostly agricultural and sideline products.

A market like this couldn’t make too much money.

And judging from Master Ma’s demeanor, he didn’t seem like someone who cared about small amounts of money.

Then why would he stay in the market?

Could there be another mystery?

Lu Qing couldn’t make sense of it.

‘Brother Da’an, has this market always been managed by Master Ma?’

‘No, it wasn’t. It was managed by an older man before; everyone called him Uncle Li. It’s only been about two years since Master Ma took over.’

‘I see…’ Lu Qing pondered.

‘Okay, I should go now. Ah Qing, you take a rest first; carrying so many things back, you must be tired.’

Seeing Wang Da’an about to leave, Lu Qing quickly stopped him, ‘Wait a moment, Brother Da’an!’

Then he took out a piece of half-fat, half-lean pork from his basket.

‘Take this meat home and cook something delicious tonight. Let Grandpa Wang have a taste too.’

‘No way, no way!’ Wang Da’an waved his hands repeatedly, ‘This meat is expensive. You should save it for yourself and Xiao Yan!’

‘I still have a lot here; you saw it too. Besides, you guided me and carried so much stuff back for me this time. Take this meat as my token of appreciation.’

‘But this meat is worth quite a lot, at least ten coins!’

‘Just take it!’ Lu Qing forced the meat into Wang Da’an’s hands, ‘If you don’t accept it, I won’t feel comfortable asking for your help in the future.’

‘This… okay then.’

Seeing Lu Qing insist so much, Wang Da’an had no choice but to accept.

‘Alright then, don’t feel bad about it. Hurry back home. We were out for a long time; Grandpa Wang might be worried. Brother Da’an, you should go report your safety quickly.’

Seeing Wang Da’an still a bit embarrassed even after accepting the meat, Lu Qing urged him out.

After Wang Da’an left, Lu Qing cut off another small piece of meat.

Then he took the meat and prepared to go next door to Grandpa Zhang’s house and bring Xiao Yan back.