“What do you want me to do?” Back at home, Xiao Qiao set the wooden basin down on the ground and hung up the wrung-out clothes to dry.
Since the boss said it was to help out, it probably wasn’t something to do with the stronghold.
Chu Xiangtian brought up Fu Tian’s situation, “The Fu Family doesn’t have a trustworthy accountant right now, so I want you to help check their accounts.”
Xiao Qiao pondered for a moment, then agreed readily, “I don’t mind going, but will Young Master Fu have any concerns? After all, our identities…” A bunch of bandits like them didn’t exactly look trustworthy.
“If I came to ask for your help, it means Fu Tian trusts you.”
Xiao Qiao found his words a bit odd. Since when did the boss become so close to the Fu Family?
Especially since they’d kidnapped the Fu Family’s Young Master before. Now, instead of being at each other’s throats as enemies, they were actually on friendly terms. This development was truly hard to figure out.
“Alright, then I’ll make a trip down the mountain. When do we leave?” Xiao Qiao asked.
“Right now,” Chu Xiangtian replied. “The Fu Family is in a hurry.”
“Okay.”
Xiao Qiao went inside to pack up her things, slung the bundle over her back, and followed Chu Xiangtian to the stables to get the horses. On the way, they ran into Chang Xi, who was patrolling the stronghold.
At the sight of Chu Xiangtian, Chang Xi instinctively shrank his neck.
While the boss was away, he’d been living quite comfortably, not having to worry about getting beaten every day—life was like that of an immortal.
Now, seeing Chu Xiangtian walking toward him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit timid.
But soon, he saw Xiao Qiao following half a step behind, with her bundle slung over her arm.
“Xiao Qiao, where are you going?” Chang Xi craned his neck to look their way, hesitated, then shuffled over.
Chu Xiangtian shot him a glance, noting his timid look, and went to fetch the horses.
Xiao Qiao adjusted her bundle onto her back, tucked the stray hair by her cheek behind her ear, and nimbly mounted her horse. “Going down the mountain with the boss to take care of something.”
“What for?” Chang Xi asked eagerly, “And how long will you be gone?”
Xiao Qiao tightened the reins and said she didn’t know, “Just following the boss’s orders.”
Chang Xi immediately turned to Chu Xiangtian, the big, burly fellow suddenly looking like a cowering bear, huffing and puffing, “Boss, I want to go too.”
Chu Xiangtian narrowed his eyes. Under that gaze, Chang Xi shrank into himself, his mustered-up courage deflating with a “pfft”—he nearly turned to run.
“Get on your horse.”
After a moment’s thought, Chu Xiangtian figured bringing him along wasn’t a bad idea. Chang Xi might not be the brightest, but he was strong and good in a fight.
With Xiao Qiao there, as long as he didn’t do anything foolish, he could be useful.
Chang Xi was delighted. He hadn’t expected the boss to be so agreeable this time. He quickly brought out his horse and went down the mountain with them.
***
The previous night had been rough, and Fu Tian, for once, slept in. When he woke up groggily, it was nearly midday. Rubbing his eyes and sitting up, Fu Tian stretched lazily and let out a contented yawn.
Hearing movement from outside, Dai Fu came in carrying the washing basin and toiletries to help him get dressed.
After rinsing his mouth with salt water, Fu Tian wrung out the cloth and wiped his face. As his palm brushed his cheek, he caught a faint scent of medicinal ointment.
The smell was familiar—whenever he’d gotten bruised before, Dai Fu would always use this ointment on him, saying it helped promote circulation and heal bruises. It worked really well.
He sniffed carefully again, making sure he wasn’t mistaken, and then asked in surprise, “Did you put the ointment on me last night?”
He remembered vaguely that his fingers had hurt yesterday, but he’d been so absorbed in the accounts that he’d forgotten about the pain. Now, smelling the familiar medicine, he finally recalled it.
“What ointment?” Dai Fu looked a little puzzled, then grew anxious, “Young Master, are you hurt?”
Fu Tian froze, “You didn’t put the ointment on me?”
Dai Fu shook his head, “You fell asleep in the Great Study yesterday. It was Young Master Chu who carried you back.”
Fu Tian examined his fingers carefully—the slight redness and swelling had vanished, and even his wrist felt better than before, without the usual soreness and fatigue.
Pressing his lips together, Fu Tian put the cloth back on the tray. A small wave of warmth rose in his heart, spreading through his limbs like a school of fish.
He tied up his hair, changed into fresh clothes, and decided he needed to thank Chu Xiangtian. Just as he was about to leave, he remembered the little pouch Chu Xiangtian had given him yesterday.
He turned back to find it, took out a crystal-clear Pear Pine Nut Candy, and popped it into his mouth.
The sweet flavor of the Pear Pine Nut Candy spread through his mouth. Fu Tian squinted his eyes in delight, hung the pouch on his waist, and headed out to find Zhou Chuanqing for his lesson.
In the guest courtyard, Zhou Chuanqing, Xiao Qiao, and Chu Xiangtian were sitting together drinking tea.
Chang Xi couldn’t sit still, wandering around the courtyard, repeatedly marveling at how wealthy the Fu Family was, looking as if he wanted to snatch something to take back.
As soon as Fu Tian entered, he ran into the big bear Chang Xi, who seemed to have completely forgotten about kidnapping him before and greeted Fu Tian with a cheerful grin.
Fu Tian nodded calmly in response, walked past him, and saw the other three drinking tea.
“Did you rest well?” Chu Xiangtian checked his complexion, saw that he looked fine, and felt relieved. Remembering Fu Tian’s hand, he asked, “Does your hand still hurt?”
So it really was him who applied the ointment. Fu Tian pressed the last bit of Pear Pine Nut Candy against his tongue, his eyes curving into little crescent moons.
Chu Xiangtian poured him a cup of tea and invited him to sit beside him.
Pointing at Xiao Qiao, he said, “Didn’t you say you couldn’t find a trustworthy accountant? Xiao Qiao is good with numbers, so I asked her to help you out for a few days.”
Fu Tian had thought that Xiao Qiao and Chang Xi had come down the mountain to see Chu Xiangtian and Zhou Chuanqing. He hadn’t expected Chu Xiangtian to bring them over to help him.
He blinked slowly, still not quite processing it.
Seeing his dazed expression, Chu Xiangtian rubbed his fingers together, resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks, and explained, “Didn’t you say you couldn’t find a reliable accountant? With so many account books, you’d be at it until the end of time.”
So it was all for his sake… Fu Tian stared at Chu Xiangtian without blinking, and after a long while, sniffed and quietly said thank you.
Besides his mother and sister, Chu Xiangtian was the first person to be so thorough and considerate toward him.
When his hand hurt, Chu Xiangtian applied medicine for him; when he was short-handed, he sent help… and there were all the little things before, too. Fu Tian felt touched, his nose a little sore.
But crying in front of so many people would be too embarrassing, so he suppressed the urge and lowered his eyes, thanking Chu Xiangtian again.
“Still being so polite with me?” Chu Xiangtian reached out and ruffled his hair, smiling.
Fu Tian nodded, then shook his head, and said seriously, “I should. Some things need to be thanked for.”
Chu Xiangtian was a little distracted by his gentle and earnest demeanor.
The little young master’s temperament was soft; when he wasn’t angry or glaring, he was even more obedient than the tamest rabbit—soft like a ball of cotton, making people want to poke and squeeze him, then watch as he widened his eyes without daring to resist.
Lost in thought, Chu Xiangtian’s gaze landed squarely on Fu Tian’s face. Feeling a bit uneasy under that stare, Fu Tian turned his face away and forced himself to change the subject.
“There are still lots of account books left. These next few days will be hard on Miss Xiao Qiao. If there’s any reward you want, just say so.”
Xiao Qiao was straightforward. She had a good impression of Fu Tian, and now that he was clearly a friend of the boss and the strategist, she treated him as one of their own.
“We’re all family here, no need to be so polite. It’s just a few days of help.”
Chang Xi, finally done wandering, chimed in, “Xiao Qiao is right. We’re all one family, no need to split hairs.”
Fu Tian was taken aback by his odd choice of words, but thinking about it, he, Chu Xiangtian, and Zhou Chuanqing were indeed good friends now. So he let it go and continued trying to persuade Xiao Qiao.
Snapping out of his daze, Chu Xiangtian actually gave Chang Xi an approving look and spoke up, “Didn’t you say there’s a Zhuangzi near West Mountain? We’ll use that as a thank-you gift.”
Fu Tian was surprised, “Wasn’t that Zhuangzi already given to…”
Chu Xiangtian raised an eyebrow and smiled, “I never said I’d take it.”
With that, Fu Tian remembered that Chu Xiangtian had indeed never agreed to accept it back then. His gratitude toward Chu Xiangtian deepened, and he even felt a bit guilty.
Chu Xiangtian had helped him so much, yet he’d given nothing in return.
“That Zhuangzi is in a good spot—outside Sifang Town and close to West Mountain, with plenty of farmland. If the people from the stronghold move down, it’s more than enough to go around.”
Chu Xiangtian was speaking to Xiao Qiao.
Accepting the Zhuangzi, first, would let the young master accept their help with peace of mind, and second, he did plan to let the people from the stronghold live a more stable life.
Before he and Zhou Chuanqing arrived at the stronghold, West Mountain Stronghold was just a refuge for those with nowhere else to go.
The stronghold was up in the mountains, the land was barren, and farming yields were poor. Most of the people there were the old, weak, women, and children, with few able-bodied men.
To avoid starving, the men had become bandits, preying on wealthy travelers during lean times, then trading the loot for food in town.
After Chu Xiangtian arrived, to cover their tracks and draw the authorities’ attention, he led them to target large, wealthy households, making the West Mountain Stronghold’s bandit reputation infamous.
But in the end, they were just desperate commoners. Once Chu Xiangtian left and a new magistrate took office, the West Mountain Stronghold would eventually be wiped out.
He felt partly responsible for this, so he was planning to pave a way for them as a form of compensation. As for how they lived in the future, that would be up to their own fate.