Chapter 209: Glutton

In the darkness, a small paper ball was thrown over the high wall of the Chen residence, landing in a secluded small alley outside.

In the darkness, a hand full of old calluses steadily caught it.

A middle-aged man carrying a bamboo pole, who sold hot douhua while walking the streets and alleys, put down the bamboo pole on his shoulder and carefully unfolded the paper ball. As his calloused hands rubbed against the paper, they made a rustling sound. When he clearly saw the content on the paper, he immediately put down the bamboo pole on his shoulder.

The bamboo pole carried two wooden boxes. The front box held a small clay stove, with a small fire inside to keep the douhua warm. The back box contained pots, bowls, ladles, and basins. These were all the possessions of a peddler earning a living.

The middle-aged man opened the back wooden box, reached in, and dug for a long time. He actually dug out a gray pigeon.

He tied the paper ball to the pigeon's leg, suddenly lifted his hand, and released it into the air. The pigeon flapped its wings, flew over the tall buildings, and flew toward the north.

Watching the pigeon disappear into the night air, the middle-aged man again carried up the bamboo pole and swayed away toward the entrance of the alley.

On the distant rooftop, a black, dark, and furry Hei Yun stood up, following behind with light hands and feet, its claws on its paw pads stepping on the gray tiles without making a sound.

The middle-aged man was completely unaware.

However, just as he was about to walk out of the alley, he suddenly turned his head. The simple and honest look of a peddler in his eyes was gone, replaced by the sharpness of an eagle or falcon. "Who?"

Hei Yun stopped in its tracks and shrunk into a ball.

It was doubtful in its heart. Could it be that it had been discovered? Impossible. It was several zhang away. How could the other side possibly discover it? Moreover, the direction the other side was looking was not this side.

Hei Yun thought that perhaps this middle-aged man wanted to trick out the person secretly following him, seeking an enemy out of thin air.

The next moment, the middle-aged man’s shoulder lightly shook, and the two wooden boxes on the bamboo pole responded by falling to the ground.

Then, he held the bamboo pole and threw it with force. That bamboo strip making up the bamboo pole actually flew into the darkness like a long spear. However, the bamboo pole thrown into the darkness was like a stone sinking into the big sea, leaving no trace.

The alley was completely quiet, as if the bamboo pole had already escaped into thin air.

Hei Yun overlooked from the rooftop of the building in the distance, its heart shocked. It looked left and right... Where did the bamboo pole go? Could it be that there were really other people in the alley?

In an instant, it heard a buzzing sound. That bamboo pole had gone and returned. As fast as it went, it returned just as fast.

The middle-aged man’s face changed, and he lifted his hand to block with the edge of the wooden box.

With a bang, the front end of the bamboo pole stabbed into the wooden box, smashing the clay stove and iron pot inside. The back end, unable to bear this huge force, bent and broke into bamboo strips inch by inch, twisted like hemp flowers.

The middle-aged man suffered this blow and staggered back five or six steps before stopping.

There really were other people in the alley!

Hei Yun was somewhat bewildered. Not to mention that Chen Ji had just returned to the Chen residence and was being watched, who was this other person in the alley?

Who was monitoring Chen Ji, and who, like itself, wanted to ascertain the identity of the monitor?

Hei Yun was confused. Where did these people pop out from?

At this moment, a black shadow as tall as a person walked step by step from the darkness in the alley to under the moonlight. Hei Yun’s eyes widened. What walked out was not a person, but a strange-looking black monster.

It had a sheep's body and a human face. The human face was located on its chest and abdomen. A huge blood-basin mouth spread from its left armpit to its right armpit. The four hooves had curled black hair, like four clusters of black auspicious clouds.

The monster's whole body steamed with black mist, seemingly having walked out of the underworld.

The middle-aged man’s face was shocked. "Esoteric Sect Mandala Secret Seal!"

Having said that, he turned around and ran.

That black monster lightly leaped onto the roof, following closely.

The night was deep and quiet. The man shuttled through the alleys, but he could never shake off the black monster on the roof. The other side was like an antelope, moving over the undulating rooftops as if walking on flat ground.

Ferocious!

Hei Yun did not dare to get too close, only following from afar.

It saw that the man had been running for a long time and was already out of breath. He took out a short knife from his sleeve, gasping, and turned to face the monster.

The pitch-black monster stood on the eaves, quietly examining the man, as if thinking about how to deal with the other side.

A moment later, the monster suddenly pounced down, opening its blood-basin mouth on its chest, and swallowed the middle-aged man, along with the short knife, whole.

Inside Ming Quan Yuan, Xiao Man, curled up on a small stool, let out a full burp.

The full and solid burp startled her awake.

Xiao Man opened her sleepy eyes, then turned her head to look at the honey three knives on the table, muttering in annoyance, "Can't eat anymore... Young master said it will accumulate food."

But even as she said this, she still tiptoed up, pinched three honey three knives from the table, and stuffed them into her mouth. "Hehe, I might not accumulate food."

Xiao Man’s eyes rolled. She puffed out her cheeks and looked at Chen Ji, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. She stood on tiptoe and came to the bedside, waving her palm back and forth over Chen Ji's face.

Seeing that Chen Ji had no reaction, the corners of her mouth curved slightly. She carefully turned to the clothes rack and felt around for Chen Ji's clothes. As she felt, she vigilantly looked back.

On the bed, Chen Ji opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Man's back. When Xiao Man looked back, he closed his eyes again.

A moment later, Xiao Man took out two strings of Buddhist treasures from Chen Ji’s clothes. One string was the two thousand five hundred taels given by Jing Wang, and the other was given by Chen Wen Zong, which was the leftover one thousand one hundred taels after Chen Ji bought ginseng.

She carefully felt the micro-carved patterns on the Buddhist treasures and kissed them. Then her eyes showed a tangled look, and she stuffed the Buddhist treasures back.

Xiao Man sat back on the small stool dejectedly, holding her face in her hands and looking at the suddenly bright and suddenly dark charcoal fire, muttering in a low voice, "Maybe I'll be tricked away again..."

As she spoke, the window moved, and Hei Yun drilled in through the gap like a stream of liquid.

Xiao Man put her finger to her lips and shushed. "Speak softly, okay? Young master is still sleeping."

Hei Yun glanced at Xiao Man, lightly jumped down from the window, then jumped onto Chen Ji's bed, and let out a soft meow.

Xiao Man glared at it. "Didn't I say, don't disturb young master's sleep? You're not cute like this!"

Just then, the sound of a rooster crowing rang out from outside the room. Immediately after, someone in Cui Yun Alley set off firecrackers, the crackling sound tearing apart the night curtain.

Chen Ji got up and said doubtfully, "Who's setting off firecrackers so early in the morning?"

Xiao Man explained, "Young master forgot? Today is the promotion banquet for the Zhang residence and the Chen residence. According to the rules, for a major celebration, you set off a string of firecrackers at Mao Shi, another string at noon, and another string at Zi Shi in the evening. It's the same as setting off firecrackers at the end of the year, all symbolizing bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, as you're about to take up a new official position."

Chen Ji let out a long "Oh."

At this time, Xiao Man's eyes rolled. She clearly knew but pretended to ask, "Young master, I heard you received two thousand five hundred taels of silver from the Ministry of Works. Is that true?"

Chen Ji looked at Xiao Man with a half-smile. "It's true. Why?"

Xiao Man suddenly looked up at Chen Ji expectantly and said, "Then why don't you hand this silver over to me to manage?"

Chen Ji was startled. He didn't expect Xiao Man to be so direct. "What are you going to do with so much silver?"

Xiao Man lowered her head and looked at her toes. "I'm really afraid your silver will be coaxed away by someone again. By then, when you want to marry a legitimate daughter from another family, you won't even be able to afford the betrothal gifts. Mama Li said that a concubine could originally marry into a small family as the principal wife, but just to give you a better family background and reliance, she condescended to marry into the Chen family as a concubine."

Chen Ji was silent. He knew that Lu Shi marrying into the Chen family might not have been so simple. That year, the Chen family lost a Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Xiao Man counted on her fingers. "You want to marry a legitimate daughter from a noble family, and not to mention the ten-li red makeup, first of all, the ritual silver is six thousand four hundred taels, the colored silver for welcoming and sending off is eighty taels, the colored silver for knocking on the door is forty taels, the net addition colored silver is sixty taels, the ritual for holding the pen is ten taels, and the colored silver for the welcome book is eight taels. Then there are eight pieces of goldware, two wild geese, four chickens and ducks each, two cows and sheep each, twelve bolts of silk... Master and Madam definitely won't prepare so much for you. You can only save some family fortune yourself."

Chen Ji was dumbfounded. "Stop, stop. Why do you need so much?"

Xiao Man looked at him doubtfully. "This is the rule for noble families in the capital. This is called 'face'. But you can also rest assured, the bride from the other family will bring a dowry no less than your betrothal gifts."

Chen Ji waved his hand. "Don't say it. I have no plans to marry a wife, much less to marry a legitimate daughter from a noble family."

Xiao Man thought for a moment. "Then not marrying a legitimate daughter from a noble family is also fine. You can just marry a little home jade from a small family. By then, I'll help you manage the silver, buy some good fields and shops, and you can be a rich man for the rest of your life... You can let me take care of the silver. You don't need much. When you arrive in the capital, just give me five hundred taels of silver. If I can make money for you, you can hand over the rest to me to manage."

Chen Ji refused without mercy. "No, give up on that idea. I can manage it myself. Moreover, who knows, maybe one day I'll become a big official and take back the industries of my aunt."

Xiao Man said full of expectation, "Really? I just heartache for you about those industries. I feel blocked and panicked in my chest."

Chen Ji hummed in agreement.

Xiao Man’s eyes rolled again. "Then when you take back the industries, how about Xiao Man helping you manage them?"

Chen Ji sighed. "Why are you so persistent?"

Xiao Man muttered in a low voice, "I've had some good days, but my heart is tight with no silver in hand... Forget it, I'll go boil water for you to wash your face and comb your hair. Many important figures will be coming today. I heard that the Zhang residence transported back several carts of seafood from the east market yesterday, including palm-sized shrimp and crabs. You'll take me with you, right?"

Chen Ji laughed. "Okay, I'll take you with me."

Xiao Man hummed a tune and hopped out the door. Chen Ji watched her back in the room and asked Hei Yun in a low voice, "Sheep body, human face?"

Hei Yun meowed, "Absolutely certain."

Chen Ji lowered his head and pondered for a moment. "Taotie?"

《Shan Hai Jing》 records: Taotie, its shape is like a sheep's body with a human face, its face's eyes are in the armpits, it has tiger teeth and human claws, and its sound is like a baby. This monster that popped out from who knows where is clearly extremely similar to the description of Taotie.

But who is driving this Taotie?

He had no relatives by his side in this world. Who was it that discovered someone was monitoring him at the first opportunity and wanted to find out the mastermind behind it?

While pondering, Xiao Man's humming came from the room to his right.

Chen Ji seemed to have an idea.