Chapter 240: Chapter 240

The two people entered the main house.

Mu Yuanxiu pointed to the room on the left, "This is the kitchen, and the right side room is my bedroom. My place is small, there’s not much space for you to sleep. You can sleep in the kitchen at night, there’s a bamboo bed there made by my grandfather before he passed away. It’s quite sturdy; you can wash it and use it."

Li Lixing immediately exclaimed, "I’m sleeping in the kitchen?"

Mu Yuanxiu raised his eyebrows at him, "Of course, you can also sleep in the middle of the courtyard; the courtyard is cooler than inside the house."

Li Lixing hung his head disconsolately, "I’ll sleep in the courtyard then."

He looked around, the ground of this small courtyard was neat and tidy, without a single weed.

Pretty flowers were planted outside, making the whole courtyard look clean and refreshing.

Mu Yuanxiu put down his basket and bow with arrows and said, "I’ll make lunch. If you’re going to wash the bamboo bed, you won’t need to help."

Even if he was asked to help, he wouldn’t; he didn’t know how to cook, Li Lixing muttered to himself.

He followed Mu Yuanxiu into the kitchen.

Sure enough, behind a pile of firewood, he saw a bamboo bed covered with dust.

Two feet wide, five feet long, it was plenty of space for someone like Li Lixing to sleep.

"I used to sleep on it as a child, now it’s yours. I’ll help you move it outside to the courtyard so you can wash it clean." Mu Yuanxiu rolled up his sleeves and moved some firewood off the bamboo bed.

Li Lixing widened his eyes, "So dirty! Can it be cleaned?"

"You haven’t washed it yet, how do you know it can’t be cleaned? Come help me lift it." Mu Yuanxiu looked at him, his voice stern.

Li Lixing sighed, he ran away from the Li Family, going back would mean more work, staying here was better.

He decided to wash it.

Li Lixing and Mu Yuanxiu together carried the bamboo bed into the courtyard.

"There’s no water here. You have to go to the slope in front to fetch water." Mu Yuanxiu found a carrying pole and two small buckets, placed them in the courtyard, and pointed in the direction ahead.

"Wha... what? I have to fetch water?" Li Lixing was shocked, the living conditions here were even worse than the Li Family’s, at least the Li Family didn’t have to fetch water.

"This is the mountain; there are no streams or ponds, no water to fetch, what do we drink? There’s a spring over there; go fetch water from there." Mu Yuanxiu said.

Li Lixing complained, "Then why didn’t you build the house next to the spring? Why build it so far away?"

"Why? Heh, go have a look by the spring, and you’ll see." Mu Yuanxiu entered the kitchen, ignoring Li Lixing.

Li Lixing frowned, unwillingly carried the pole to where Mu Yuanxiu said the spring was.

When he got there, he finally understood why Mu Yuanxiu said no house could be built there.

The spring flowed from a crevice in the cliff, surrounded by stones and weeds, no flat ground, unsuitable for building a house.

Besides, the spring wasn’t far from Mu Yuanxiu’s house, building there would be the same.

Li Lixing placed the buckets under the spring to collect water.

The spring was as thin as a finger; after half a bowl of tea time, he collected one bucket of water.

Once both buckets were full, Li Lixing imagined himself as a villager, lifted the pole and carried the buckets.

The spring was downhill; carrying the pole uphill, his foot slipped, and he almost fell several meters down the cliff.

Li Lixing shivered with fear.

He gritted his teeth, carefully carrying the pole uphill.

But then, his foot slipped again; though he didn’t fall, one bucket tipped over, spilling all the water.

Just as luck would have it, the water spilled on the downhill path.

How could he climb the slope on muddy ground?

What if he slipped off the cliff?

He didn’t want to fall to his death.

One bucket was empty, the other was full, unbalanced, making it hard to carry water.

Li Lixing had an idea, he poured half the water from the full bucket into the empty bucket, making both buckets weigh the same.

Feeling defeated, he carried the water back to Mu Yuanxiu’s place.

The bamboo bed was terribly dirty, one bucket of water wasn’t enough, washing just four bed legs.

He walked to the kitchen door, and asked Mu Yuanxiu, "The spring is on the slope, it’s hard to fetch water; I almost fell down the cliff. Is there anywhere else nearby to get water?"

Mu Yuanxiu said, "Yes, at North Hillside. If you find the cave, you’ll find the spring. But, you don’t know the mountain paths. I’m worried you’ll go to North Hillside and not be able to find your way back."

"Then what do I do? How can I wash the bamboo bed?" Li Lixing became agitated.

"Li Lixing, I always fetch water . I started fetching and carrying water at seven years old; you’re over ten, aren’t you? Still can’t carry water?" Mu Yuanxiu lightly raised his eyebrows, coldly said with a laugh.

The words were quite a blow.

Li Lixing stiffened his neck, "Who says I can’t? I was just asking."

"Then go carry water yourself." Mu Yuanxiu didn’t pay him any attention.

Li Lixing, feeling dejected, had no choice but to go back to the spring.

This time, he didn’t dare carry the pole downhill, taking just one bucket down instead.

After filling one bucket at the spring and bringing it uphill, he took the empty bucket down.

It was a bit troublesome, but at least it was safe.

Li Lixing was pleased with the good idea he had come up with.

Feeling happy, he carried water back to Mu Yuanxiu’s small courtyard and continued washing the bamboo bed.

After running back and forth five times, Li Lixing finally got the bamboo bed cleaned.

By then, Mu Yuanxiu had finished making lunch.

"Come eat." he called from the kitchen.

Li Lixing dusted off his clothes and entered the kitchen.

Seeing the food on the table, he widened his eyes, exclaiming, "How can you eat this?"

"Can’t I?" Mu Yuanxiu picked up chopsticks, starting to eat.

"This, this... isn’t this grass?" Li Lixing pointed at one plate.

"This is Ku Ding vegetable; it stimulates appetite, helps digestion, it’s a medicinal vegetable, not just grass." Mu Yuanxiu said flatly, "Sit down and eat, don’t be picky."

There were only two dishes on the table, one was Ku Ding vegetable that Li Lixing had exclaimed about, the other was lotus root.

The lotus root was sliced and stir-fried.

Li Lixing’s chopsticks directly ignored the Ku Ding vegetable, reaching for the lotus root.

Though the dish was a bit bitter, there was some sweetness mixed with it, Li Lixing managed to eat it.

"Aren’t you a hunter? Why don’t you hunt wild game to eat?" Li Lixing asked.

Mu Yuanxiu glanced at him, "Do wild animals just stand around waiting for me to hunt them every day?"

"Your skills must be lacking." Li Lixing sneered, "My father has a hunter, he hunts wild game every day, my family always has meat to eat."

"Things are so good at home, why did you run away?" Mu Yuanxiu asked deliberately.

Li Lixing, "..." He pursed his lips, said nothing more, and continued eating in silence.

Down the mountain, Li Xing’an discovered that Li Lixing had secretly run away to Mu Yuanxiu’s mountain.

He rushed to get him back.

After all, the reward money would be lost if he ran away.

But Li Yuzhu stopped him, "Let him go."

Li Xing’an was surprised, "Why? That’s silver! Worth eight hundred taels!"

Li Yuzhu said, "He didn’t run off somewhere else; he just went to Mu Yuanxiu’s place. Don’t worry."

"I’m very worried. What if Mu Yuanxiu sends the kid to the county town, then won’t the eight hundred taels of silver belong to him?" Li Xing’an waved his hand frantically, "No way, anything of value, I need it close by to feel at ease."

Li Yuzhu chuckled, "Third brother, who told you that the County Magistrate’s son went missing and there’d be a reward for finding him?"

Li Xing’an said, "Mu Yuanxiu."

"Right, he told you about the money-making opportunity, indicating he doesn’t intend to earn that money himself. Why are you afraid he’ll take your reward?" Li Yuzhu laughed.

"He’s that generous?" Li Xing’an raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, I’m sure." Li Yuzhu nodded.

Li Xing’an rubbed his chin, "I need to see for myself; I need to tell Mu Yuanxiu in advance that we were the ones who found Li Lixing first."

He went up the mountain.

On the way, Li Xing’an saw Mu Yuanxiu with Li Lixing hunting.

Li Xing’an pulled Mu Yuanxiu aside and whispered, "You’re keeping the kid at your place?"

Mu Yuanxiu said, "He ran here himself; if he wants to leave, I won’t stop him."

Li Xing’an squinted, "We found him first. If the County Magistrate gives a reward, how about I give you thirty percent? He’s bothering you for a couple of days; I can’t let you suffer from this for nothing, can I?" Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on noᴠelfire.net

Mu Yuanxiu smiled, "Alright."

Li Xing’an sighed with relief, "You’re a true brother; we’re agreed then."

"Yes, agreed." Mu Yuanxiu said generously.

Li Xing’an went back home and told Li Yuzhu about the arrangement with Mu Yuanxiu.

Li Yuzhu said, "See, he is indeed generous."

"The kid only stays at his place for a day or two; we’re doing the heavy lifting, taking seventy percent is fair." Li Xing’an said as if it were natural.

"You’re just bullying people." Li Yuzhu was speechless.