Chapter Twelve: The Veteran's Hotpot, the Noodle Shop's Rescue

Those refugees were like nails embedded deep within the mountain range, illustrating just how daunting this task truly was.

Fortunately, unlike the nomads who drifted like the wind, these refugees had settled in the mountains year-round and would inevitably purchase daily necessities.

Therefore, Chen An set his sights on Qingyuan Village at the foot of the mountains.

Though called a village, Qingyuan was almost the size of a small town, and it had once been a bustling trade hub.

Chen An and his companions decided that instead of aimless searching, it would be better to find some leads.

With many mouths to feed, Chen An only brought along the silver-tongued Wu Ergou as they entered the town.

They arrived at the bustling crossroads in the heart of the village, right at the busiest hour.

There were cattle, sheep, pork, iron tools, seeds, and spices.

This was Chen An’s first time visiting a market since arriving in this world.

The traditional hawking and fresh produce were just as novel to Chen An as he was to them.

“Fresh offal, cheap and fresh! Three copper coins per jin!” called a nearby vendor.

Hearing this, Chen An turned to Wu Ergou and asked, “Offal is this cheap here?”

“Offal is tasteless but wasteful to discard,” Wu Ergou explained. “Some households find it troublesome and just throw it away.”

“Why do you ask?” Wu Ergou inquired.

“Just curious,” Chen An shook his head. “Don’t you usually eat hot pot?”

“Hot pot? What’s that?”

“It’s a kind of meal, usually eaten leisurely.”

“How is it made?”

“Different in the north and south. Up north, it’s usually boiled in clear water; down south, it’s heavy on oil and spice. When I have time, I’ll show you how to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, turning what seems foul into a delicacy.”

Wu Ergou’s eyes gleamed with surprise at Chen An’s words.

“No wonder Captain Zhang said you’re a prodigy. I can feel it too now. Chen An, you’re no ordinary man. I have a good feeling that following you is the right choice.”

“All right, when the time comes, I’ll teach you this craft word for word. After you leave the military, you can open a hot pot restaurant. I’ve even thought of the name.”

“Old Soldier’s Hot Pot!”

“Simple and clear! Great name!”

Wu Ergou laughed heartily.

As they chatted, the two arrived at a grain store.

Three to five ox carts caught Chen An’s eye.

The buyer was a woman.

She was about Chen An’s age, dressed plainly, yet her refined bearing betrayed her noble origins.

Seeing Chen An pause, Wu Ergou asked curiously, “What did you notice?”

“Why is she hoarding so much grain?”

“That’s nothing strange. The trade hub has closed, and the eighteen tribes of the steppes have moved south. People are uneasy, so it’s wise to stockpile food.”

“No, that’s not it.” Chen An frowned. “Her demeanor is noble, her clothes simple, and her generosity evident. Are there any wealthy households in Qingyuan Village?”

“I’ve never heard of any. This place is more of a trading center, not home to wealthy families…” Wu Ergou hesitated. “Are you suspecting something?”

“Yes. The mud on the wagon wheels is thick and dried, showing she came from deep in the mountains.”

Chen An’s words awakened Wu Ergou’s excitement.

“They must be that group of refugees!”

“Not confirmed yet. Old Wu, go fetch Captain Biao and the others. I’ll go scout ahead.”

“No, you’re the leader. If something happens to you, how would I explain?”

“No worries. Time is pressing. Do as I say.”

As Chen An approached, he saw the woman pull a gemstone the size of a pigeon’s egg from her pocket.

Such a precious item left the grain store owner dumbfounded, but the woman remained indifferent.

The stark contrast only confirmed Chen An’s suspicions.

Just as Chen An pondered how to approach her, a group of village ruffians arrived uninvited.

“Little miss, you’ve got a big heart! Dare to cause trouble on your Ma’s turf!”

Chen An glanced over to see a middle-aged, lecherous man in a short shirt and shorts swaggering forward.

Many merchants fled as if from plague. The lecherous man twirled two silver iron balls in his hand.

His sneer revealed two gleaming gold teeth.

This man was Ma Hanshan, the village bully of Qingyuan.

Once a laborer, he later took up protection rackets and, with his thick-skinned toughness, became the local tyrant.

Ma Hanshan waved his hand, and several underlings brandishing knives and axes seized several cart drivers.

“I’m Li Duo. May I ask what you want, sir?” the woman said calmly.

“Nothing major. The area’s unstable lately. My men and I offer to escort you safely out of Qingyuan’s territory,” Ma Hanshan chuckled.

“But as custom dictates, we’ll take a ten percent cut.”

“On what grounds?” the cart drivers protested.

Ma Hanshan ogled Li Duo lasciviously. “Little miss, Qingyuan isn’t as safe as you think.”

“Then I suppose we’ll have to rely on your skills, Ma,” Li Duo replied, clearly unwilling to cause trouble.

“Ah, that’s the spirit,” Ma Hanshan glanced at the grain store owner, then stopped abruptly. “You’re generous buyers, but where exactly are you sending this grain?”

“That’s none of your business,” Li Duo tutted.

“Can’t say that. Things near Huyang Pass have been rough. I heard the Yuling tribe’s gifts were robbed. We’d best be cautious.”

Chen An sighed inwardly. Was his chance about to be spoiled by these troublemakers?

“What do you want?” Li Duo wanted to avoid conflict.

“Nothing much, just hoping little miss will cooperate,” Ma Hanshan grinned. “How about a trip to the magistrate’s office with us?”

Li Duo frowned. “Not interested.”

“Since you won’t be so kind, don’t blame us for being rough.”

In broad daylight, an attempt to forcibly seize a woman!

Just as a dirty hand was about to touch Li Duo’s garment, a large foot suddenly swung in.

The ruffian cried out in pain and sprawled on the ground.

“Oh? What’s this today?” Ma Hanshan sneered at Chen An. “Another challenger?”

“Here’s three taels of silver. Take this and leave, don’t trouble them further.”

Seeing Chen An’s stern expression, Ma Hanshan still didn’t realize disaster was imminent and jeered on:

“Kid, you think you can play hero here?”

“We gave you silver. Why not take it and go?”

“Go?” Ma Hanshan laughed coldly. “Little brother, that’s a joke. If you’d left earlier, I wouldn’t have stopped you. But now you’ve hurt my men. Don’t you owe us medical expenses?”

Li Duo was pushed to the edge by these scoundrels.

“You’re nothing but thugs!”