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"Conscripting men? That's a bit troublesome."
“The gathering area is going to become a place of trouble.”
Old man Liu sighed as he picked up the herbs that were thrown all over the floor.
"What are your plans next?" Chen Mu suddenly asked.
"What else can we do? Just pack up and go."
"Being beaten three times a day is too much for my old bones to handle." Old man Liu shook his head dejectedly.
He was old and had originally wanted to make some money and then settle down in a country village for the rest of his life.
As a result, the yamen runners suddenly came and robbed me three times in a day, and even the money for my coffin was gone. Thinking about my future life, I was at a loss for a moment.
Continue to work as a traveling doctor? Then die in a foreign land one day? The future is uncertain...
Chen Mu looked at the herbs on the ground thoughtfully: "I need a batch of herbs."
"You're not going to leave?" Old Man Liu was stunned.
The gathering area is clearly no longer suitable for living.
Unless you want to work as a laborer in the mountains.
"The demand is huge, can you find it?" Chen Mu said calmly.
With his current strength, if he hides, it will be difficult for the yamen runners to find him.
"Are you serious?!" Old Liu was overjoyed.
"The collected herbs will be sent to my cabin and payment will be made upon delivery." Chen Mu said.
"Don't worry, brother Yang. I will risk my life to deliver the goods." Old Liu rubbed his hands excitedly.
The things Chen Mu wanted included medicinal herbs and inconspicuous plants on Xiaodong Mountain.
He bought it cheaply from the laborers and sold it to Chen Mu at a high price.
He made a lot of money in the last transaction!
Chen Mu doesn't care about this little premium.
Many of the preservative materials used in Fantuan Bigu Pills are local vegetation from Xiaodongshan.
He needed to collect a large quantity as soon as possible to facilitate the preparation of food reserves.
……
Outside the wooden house at the foot of Xiaodong Mountain.
Chen Mu looked unhappy.
The pots and pans were scattered all over the floor, and the books on the table were torn to pieces, as if someone had been flipping through them unwillingly.
The two dried rabbits hanging under the eaves also disappeared.
The greedy yamen runners, under the pretext of overseeing the work and conscripting able-bodied men, plundered the gathering area mercilessly. Even my family was not spared.
"We can't stay here any longer."
Fortunately, he put the important things into the Five Ghosts Bag, otherwise the loss would be huge.
the next day.
Chen Mu packed up the stove and bedding and took the tent that was left over from pasting wallpaper on the Five Ghosts Bag.
As soon as the sun rose, he carried a bamboo basket and went into the foggy Xiaodong Mountain.
He will leave in ten days or so.
There is no need to conflict with the government.
Find a place on a nearby mountain, hide from the supervisors, and say goodbye to this place when the departure date arrives.
……
Two days later
On the north side of Xiaodong Mountain, behind Qingfeng Temple, there is a pool of water under a small stepped cliff.
Bubbles gurgled on the water surface from time to time, and spring water gushed out.
A small stream protrudes from the edge of the pool and flows down the mountain.
There was smoke rising from the kitchen beside the pond. Chen Mu was wearing a grey scarf and waving a spatula in his hand.
The fish meat, which has been torn into thin strips, is turned over as soon as it comes into contact with the bottom of the pot. The residual heat penetrates inward, evaporating the water and charring the surface.
Spices, honey, medicine, all kinds of flavors slowly blend together, and the tempting sweet and slightly burnt aroma permeates.
He has been secluded here for two days.
Set up a tent and create a simple residence.
I didn't plan to stay here for long, I just wanted to prepare some food for the journey and wait for the departure date.
He tried to ask Jiejia if he could leave early, but Jiejia flatly refused.
Chen Mu was very confused. Are there really so many assassin missions in Qingshan County?
He was concentrating on frying meat floss and making fasting pills.
A childish voice suddenly came from above: "What are you doing?"
Chen Mu looked up.
On a four-meter-high cliff, there was squatting a little Taoist child who looked as delicate as a piece of jade.
Honest and clear?
How did this little Taoist boy find this place?
Discovered by Qingfeng Temple?
Will they send someone to capture me and force me to repair the altar?
Chen Mu felt helpless. Were we going to move again after just two days of settling down?
These days of hiding are really embarrassing for a time traveler.
"It smells so good." The little Taoist boy didn't get a reply. He stared at the pot and swallowed his saliva greedily.
"Do you want to eat?" Chen Mu asked with a smile.
"I want to!" The little Taoist boy Chengming's eyes suddenly lit up.
Chen Mu's smile faded and he said coldly, "Go back and ask the pyrotechnician Fatty He to do it for you."
Chengming: "..."
"Brother Chen, just let me have a taste. I promise, just one bite!" The little Taoist boy was not discouraged at all. He took a step with his short legs and ran to Chen Mu along the path beside the cliff like a rabbit.
"Do you still remember me?" Chen Mu was surprised.
The last time they met was a year and a half ago.
As people, they didn't have much interaction with each other and could only say a few words a day.
And the other party was just a little Taoist boy of eight or nine years old.
"Of course!" Cheng Ming held his head high with a proud look on his face: "Master said that I have a special talent. This is called photographic memory!"
Chen Mu: “…”
What to do if you're a little envious.
I, a time traveler, don’t have a photographic memory, so how can a little Taoist boy like you have this ability?
"Brother Chen, give me something to eat. I promise, I'll just eat one bite!"
……
On the stone table next to the stove, Cheng Ming was holding a large bowl the size of a human head, filled with boneless fried fish fillets.
"That is to say, you came here on your own." Chen Musong said in a breath.
Cheng Mingli ignored him and just kept stuffing the food into his mouth, with his cheeks puffed up like a hamster.
Chen Mu snatched the porcelain bowl.
Cheng Ming looked at Chen Mu aggrievedly and nodded: "Master and the brothers are busy all day long, so I ran out to play by myself."
Chen Mu returned the bowl to the little Taoist boy.
At least you don’t have to worry about being driven away or arrested.
"Don't tell the Taoist temple about what happened here." Chen Mu threatened with a stern face.
"Then can I still eat fish fillets tomorrow?" Cheng Ming was not afraid at all. Instead, he looked at Chen Mu with bright eyes.
"Yes!" Chen Mu rolled his eyes. You are really good at extortion at such a young age.
"It's a deal!" Cheng Ming continued to eat.
After eating a big bowl of fish, my stomach was still flat.
"Uncle He said I'm a glutton." The little Taoist boy looked proud.
See what you can!
"Come, have two good things." Chen Mu smiled and put two fasting pills on the ground.
"What is this?" Cheng Ming took it and put it into his mouth.
How naive! He dares to eat it if it's given to him.
"Fasting Pills." Chen Mu said solemnly.
Cheng Ming had a tense face and stared at Chen Mu without saying a word.
"Rice balls, rice balls, meat floss rice balls!"
"If you don't want to eat, give it back to me!"
"Eat!" The little Taoist boy immediately stuffed another one into his mouth.
He ate three in a row and wanted more, but Chen Mu didn't dare give him any, fearing that he would get bloated.