Rebirth: Not Being a Waste - Chapter 122

Zhang Shu walked over and picked up Qianjin, who rocked on the wooden horse, then turned to Prince Cheng and said, “I did not know such an esteemed guest was arriving, and for that, I apologize for not offering a more proper welcome. Please forgive me.”

This man sat at the lower bench during the trial earlier, and regardless of who he was, he was still a distinguished guest.

Prince Cheng stood up from the small bench and replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I came here to visit your vermicelli workshop and, while I’m at it, to buy some.”

Prince Cheng recognized Zhang Shu. He didn’t expect this to be the man’s home. He still remembered the feeling of déjà vu when Zhang Shu looked at him in the court.

Zhang Shu smiled and said, “Thank you for your kindness. We’re working in the backyard now. If you’re interested, you can come in and take a look.”

Prince Cheng smiled and nodded in agreement.

Qianjin, who lay on Zhang Shu’s shoulder, squirmed and said, “Father, put me down. I’ll take Uncle to see it.”

Zhang Shu gently set him down and took his hand. “Alright, Qianjin, Father and Uncle will go together.”

“Yeah!” Qianjin nodded excitedly, his little bun swaying, then turned to Prince Cheng with a concerned look. “Uncle, you follow me.”

Prince Cheng chuckled. “Don’t worry, Uncle will follow closely.”

The three of them walked around the main house and into the backyard, which brick walls separated into a maze. If a stranger entered, they might have trouble finding their way out.

Prince Cheng watched attentively as Zhang Shu demonstrated each step of making vermicelli. Of course, Zhang Shu didn’t show the final step, but even so, Prince Cheng was impressed. “So this is how vermicelli is made. When I ate it before, I never imagined the process was so complicated.”

Zhang Shu smiled modestly. “In fact, this process is relatively simple. Other methods can be more complex, and they’re not easy to learn. Every craftsman relies on their own skills to make a living. It’s common for a master to starve to death while teaching apprentices. Unless the master is truly capable and possesses many skills, he will rarely share everything he knows.”

After showing Prince Cheng the vermicelli-making process, Zhang Shu excused himself to check if there were any good dishes to serve. However, he ate too much the previous day, and no meat remained at home. If he went to buy some now, it would likely be sold out. Zhang Shu decided to visit his father-in-law’s house instead.

Unexpectedly, Prince Cheng, knowing that Zhang Shu’s brother-in-law was a hunter, expressed interest in joining him to see the traps.

Zhang Shu was surprised. What kind of person was this? Did he never see a hunter before? He nodded, though his expression stayed puzzled.

Just as they were about to leave, Qianjin ran out. “Father, I want to go to my uncle’s house too!”

Zhang Shu laughed. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t go to my uncle’s house anymore?”

The last time Qianjin played with his twin cousins, the two boys caused a flood that soaked him while they napped.

When Zhang Qianjin woke up, he cried, and everyone knew how much he loved being clean. Seeing him crying while clutching his clothes made everyone laugh. This made him angry, and when Zhang Shu came to pick him up, he was still sniffing, saying that his uncle’s house was full of bad people, and he would never go there again.

Zhang Qianjin’s face flushed. “I didn’t say that. I just want to play with my little brothers, and they’re always sleeping at home.”

“Alright, Father will take you there,” Zhang Shu said, lifting him up and placing him on his shoulders. “Ride the big horse!”

Qianjin giggled and urged Zhang Shu to hurry.

Prince Cheng looked on with interest. He didn’t expect Zhang Shu to allow his child to ride on his neck. At home, he never let his own child ride on his back, let alone hold him. No wonder that brat wasn’t as considerate as this ger.

Li Yan wasn’t home; he was still on the mountain, but Father Li was home today.

Qianjin sweetly greeted him as “Grandpa,” and his father-in-law smiled warmly. Though there were two chubby boys at home, they couldn’t compare to Qianjin, who was sweet-tongued and even sweeter at heart.

Zhou Nan emerged from the kitchen and smiled when he saw Qianjin. “Qianjin, your cousins are in the room. They miss you so much. Come inside and play.”

As soon as someone picked them up, the two boys would point outside and ask to go downstairs to play with their brother.

Qianjin hummed happily and ran inside.

The yard grew quiet as Zhang Shu introduced Prince Cheng, explaining that he was there to buy some vermicelli. Then he asked about Li Yan.

Zhou Nan replied that Li Yan stayed up in the mountains for a while and hadn’t checked the traps he set down below. He should be able to bring back a lot of things soon.

Hearing this, Zhang Shu decided to go up the mountain to help. The hunting season just started, and there were many prey; one person alone might not be able to carry everything down.

Prince Cheng slapped his folding fan against his palm and expressed his desire to join him.

Zhang Shu wasn’t sure who this gentleman was, but he found his confident demeanor quite memorable, though he couldn’t quite place it. Since Prince Cheng wanted to accompany him, Zhang Shu saw no reason to stop him.

However, just as they were about to leave the door, Zhang Shu noticed two guards standing outside. They followed from Zhang Shu’s house. When the guards saw that Prince Cheng wanted to join Zhang Shu on the mountain, they frowned.

“Master… are you really going up the mountain?”

“Why? Is it that this master can’t go?” Prince Cheng raised his eyes, his tone sharp, almost threatening.

“Of course not.” The man cupped his hands and stepped back, exchanging a worried glance with the guard beside him.

In truth, their journey was not uneventful. Despite the prince’s departure from the palace, they encountered numerous “coincidences” along the way. While there was no direct pursuit, danger still lurked nearby.

Although nothing happened here, there were too many unknowns on the mountain. They couldn’t feel completely at ease.

Prince Cheng understood what they were thinking, but he wasn’t afraid of those people. Instead of hiding and waiting for misfortune to strike, he preferred to move forward openly. No one could predict who would come out victorious in the end.

Prince Cheng and the two guards followed Zhang Shu along winding, hidden paths. After some time, they finally found Li Yan.

Li Yan, upon hearing footsteps, turned around. He relaxed when he saw it was Zhang Shu and the others.

Zhang Shu noticed the serious expression on Li Yan’s face, and his heart skipped a beat. What happened?

“You came at the right time,” Li Yan said. “I went up the mountain today and found a piece of cloth. Someone broke into the mountain—”

“Isn’t it normal for people to come up the mountain? Woodcutters and farmers often do,” Prince Cheng interrupted suddenly.

Li Yan gave him a sharp glare. “If it were an ordinary person, would I have mentioned it? This cloth is smooth and fine. People who wear such clothes to go up the mountain are generally not ordinary. Besides, ordinary folk wouldn’t go up the mountain alone. From the footprints, it seems there were about two people. The prints are deep and scattered, as if they were in a hurry. So, I think someone stole clothes and wore them, then fled into the mountains.”

Once Li Yan finished speaking, Zhang Shu understood. The two people, having fled without clothes, were likely the two bandits everyone heard about. They escaped from imprisonment and were likely here for revenge.

Zhang Shu already mentioned his encounter with the water bandits at sea, and he learned that two of the bandits escaped. That’s why Li Yan stayed so cautious, checking everything thoroughly.

In recent days, most of the people traveling around were from the county town, with few outsiders in the village. The river bandits wouldn’t dare to return to the village after escaping from the town, for fear of being recognized.

Zhang Shu asked, “Do you know where they went?”

Li Yan nodded. As a hunter, he possessed the skills to track prey. Even though the two men left no footprints when they entered the bushes, he could still determine their direction from the way the grass and branches bent.

“There’s no thief who can escape forever. Since we suspect these two are headed here, we need to check it out. If they are indeed the ones we think, we’ll have the upper hand. If not, we can rest easy,” Li Yan explained.

With that, Li Yan led the way, with Zhang Shu and the others following behind. The path they walked was rough, with tall weeds on both sides, some with small thorns that could catch clothes or hair.

Li Yan and Zhang Shu, both experienced, used their arms to clear the branches in front of them. But for the three behind them, the journey was far from easy. The guards, sandwiched between Prince Cheng, ended up with their clothes and hair covered in grass and twigs. Some had scratches on their faces from the branches.

After about half an hour of walking, Li Yan paused occasionally, changing direction, before finally stopping behind a bush. He signaled for them to lower their bodies.

The five of them crouched down, peering through the gap in the bushes. Sure enough, they saw two men sitting in an open space, a fire pit in front of them, which had been extinguished. It seemed they spent the night there.

Zhang Shu’s pupils contracted. The escaped bandit leader was among them. No wonder the man held such a grudge against him.

“Brother, why haven’t those people arrived yet?” one of the men muttered.

Zhao Lao’er, a cautious person, grew nervous at the delay.

Wu Laoda glanced at him and replied, “Why are you in such a hurry? Those people will come when they come. They still need us to guide them up the mountain.”

“Brother, those people look very dangerous. They’re quick on their feet and ruthless. When they look at me, I feel a chill down my spine.” Zhao Lao’er hesitated. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were eyeing him like he was already a dead man.

“Those people are likely the death warriors of a wealthy family,” Wu Laoda explained with a cruel gleam in his eyes. “They’re skilled, but as long as they help me kill the whole family of the boy who ruined my business, I’m willing to cooperate.”

Zhao Lao’er felt uneasy, but he couldn’t bring himself to object.

It all started two days ago when they escaped from the night soil cart, jumped into the river to wash, and, before they had a chance to dress, heard voices. Panicked, they ran into a yard and snatched a few clothes from the shelves before fleeing.

They took refuge behind a dead vine at the edge of a cliff. Moments later, a group of people arrived. Armed with daggers, they intended to kill them, but unexpectedly, the group paused nearby and began discussing using white foxes to lure someone into a trap.

Zhao Lao’er sensed something was off. It seemed as if the person they were targeting held great importance. He instinctively shifted slightly, but the rustling of the leaves gave away his position.

The group originally planned to silence them, but Wu Laoda immediately dropped to his knees and begged for mercy. He claimed they were bandits, hoping to gain favor. After all, these people seemed more interested in eliminating someone from the government.

The group exchanged looks. Weren’t they staying here to deal with the remnants of the bandits? If word of the banditry got out, wouldn’t it attract more attention than the white fox?