"Sis, not all of it. We have some left, we do…" Tang Wen quickly tried to reassure her.
"How much is left?"
Tangtang suddenly grabbed her brother's arm.
Her grip was so strong that even Tang Wen, whose Body attribute was a high 1.09—in no way inferior to a healthy adult man—felt a sharp pain.
"The moving fee is 300 pounds of grain, and the annual rent is 240 pounds. But the place is a courtyard with a water well and a woodshed. It's very safe…" he said cautiously, watching his sister's expression.
Tangtang shot to her feet. "300 plus 240 is 540 pounds! You scared me to death! That means we still have a good amount left. I've already packed the pheasant. We'll give them the Maize for the payment; it'll be a pain for us to move it anyway."
Tang Wen was speechless.
A few minutes later, he came out carrying a small burlap sack and handed it directly to Xiaoliang.
"A pheasant? So you're a Hunter?" Xiaoliang took the sack, a wide smile returning to his face.
The driver took a scale down from the donkey cart.
Tang Wen stared at it for a moment. No matter how he looked at it, the scale seemed like a piece of technology.
He asked casually, "This is a scale? I've never seen one before."
Xiaoliang said proudly, "It's a new gadget from the merchant caravans. They bring clocks and looms, too. You'll see for yourself in a couple of years when you join the Guards."
As they spoke, the siblings brought out the Maize from their hut, jar by jar and bucket by bucket, pouring it into the large burlap sacks provided by the driver.
Once one sack was filled and tied shut, it was time to weigh it.
The driver and Tang Wen worked together to lift the huge sack onto the scale.
Tangtang stared intently at the scale.
The driver squinted at the numbers and read, "One hundred and seventeen… uh, one hundred and eighty-nine pounds."
Just as he was reading the number, Xiaoliang, who was standing nearby, suddenly rested his foot on the scale and asked calmly, "Did you see that clearly?"
"Saw it loud and clear! One hundred and eighty-nine pounds! A generous reading," the driver said with absolute certainty.
Tangtang glanced from the scale to the foot, her clear eyes filled with a look that seemed to say, 'So you can do it like that, huh?'
"Alright, 189 pounds of Maize!" Xiaoliang shouted, his voice loud enough for passersby to hear.
The passersby saw his red armband and didn't dare to linger, as if staying an extra second would get them charged for rent.
A few minutes later, the second sack of Maize was placed on the scale.
Xiaoliang pulled the same trick. One hundred and fifteen pounds became one hundred and ninety-three!
A brilliant light shone in Tangtang's eyes. 'Giving him that one pheasant was so worth it!'
In total, the weight of the grain Tang Wen turned over reached an astonishing three hundred and eighty-two pounds.
That left only one hundred and fifty-eight pounds.
Xiaoliang pulled Tang Wen aside. "Brother Tang, for the rest, it'd be best if you could pay with chicken."
"Sure, sounds good."
Xiaoliang smiled and explained in a low voice, "Chicken doesn't keep. This way, I can arrange for everyone to eat it tonight."
"I see, I see!" All of Tang Wen's doubts vanished. 'Just a moment ago I was worried. Could they even balance the books with a scam like this? It's not like I'm short on grain. I'd rather not cause some unfixable trouble.'
Hearing this, he understood completely. It also made him look forward to joining the Guard organization even more.
He went back inside, brought out two more pheasants, and put them on the scale. Eleven pounds, a generous reading.
"One pound of meat is worth fifteen pounds of grain. Plus, Brother Tang, you already paid a 30-pound deposit. You've overpaid!"
Xiaoliang looked at the driver and said, "We can't take advantage of Brother Tang like this. Let's do him a favor. You can help Brother Tang move."
"You got it, whatever you say!" the old driver readily agreed.
He drove the donkey cart to the Guard Battalion encampment, dropped off the Maize, and then hurried back to help Tang Wen and Xiaoliang move.
The donkey cart had a large capacity, so one trip was all it took.
When the small hut was empty and it was time for the siblings to leave, Tangtang looked back several times, her eyes filled with reluctance.
"Fifth Street, House Number 6. This is the place."
Liang Min, also known as Xiaoliang, took out a key, unlocked the bronze lock, and pushed the gate open.
Tangtang looked all around, full of curiosity.
The courtyard was spacious. A donkey cart could enter and turn around with ease, making it about the same size as the nearby blacksmith's backyard.
The latrine was in one corner of the yard, and next to it was an empty woodshed.
The house was built of gray brick. It was a single structure with three rooms, complete with doors and windows.
Inside, there was nothing but dust and cobwebs.
Liang Min handed a set of keys to Tang Wen and left with the driver.
Before they left, Tang Wen discreetly slipped the old driver three Red-beaked Sparrows.
"Brother Tang, anytime you need the cart, just come find me at the Guard Battalion!" The old driver grinned so wide his eyes disappeared.
"Will do. Take care, Brother Liang, take care."
Tang Wen went to the blacksmith's to borrow tools to clean his new home. When he explained the situation at the smithy, Li Daniu lit up. "Brother Tang, you moved in? To Number 6 on Fifth Street? Great, that's great! I'm at Number 18, so we're neighbors now! Hold on, I'll close up shop and come help you clean."
"No, you can't do that. Your wife is pregnant, she can't be home alone!"
"Ahem," Li Daniu's face suddenly flushed red. "She's not alone. I… bought a handmaiden to attend to her."
"Oh!" Tang Wen's eyes lit up with understanding. He gave him a knowing smile. 'So a seemingly honest guy like you has taken a concubine.'
'How enviable.'
In the settlement, men were scarce and women were plentiful, so it was normal for a strong worker to have multiple women.
"It was your sister-in-law who insisted I buy her. She's a girl from a poor family, a quick worker."
"Right, right, I get it," Tang Wen said, giving him a knowing look.
Old Li got flustered. "It's true!"
"Uh-huh, of course it is…"
The two of them, carrying brooms and holding dustpans, arrived at Tang Wen's new home.
The three of them worked until dark, and by the time they were done, the place was spotless.
Li Daniu didn't stay for dinner. The Tang siblings built a simple stove in the courtyard and managed a quick meal.
"We still have two pheasants, two sacks of Maize, half a sack of potatoes, half a sack of sweet potatoes, and five bundles of firewood…" Like a little squirrel preparing for winter, Tangtang carefully took stock of their remaining supplies, insisting that all the food be stored in their bedroom.
As the weather grew colder, Tang Wen planned to build a heated brick bed, known as a kang, inside the house in a few days.
He had never built one himself, but he'd seen others do it back in his hometown when he was a child.
He understood the principles, the materials weren't hard to find, and it seemed feasible.
The next day, a thick fog rolled in.
Tang Wen braved the thick fog and went to the carpenter's house.
For the price of one pheasant and thirty pounds of Maize, he left with a table, chairs, a bench, a cabinet, and two single beds.
Once the furniture was moved in, the empty house finally felt like a home.
Li Daniu brought them a large iron wok, along with other useful items like an iron kettle and a shovel.
As a gesture of reciprocation, Tang Wen gave him their last pheasant.
'I'm getting the better end of this deal, but I can pay him back slowly over time.'
He had made a friend in this new world.
The siblings were thrilled to have moved from a shack into a brick house.
At night, Tang Wen was in the courtyard doing his Sword Practice, training in the Eight Vajra Techniques, and practicing with his Flying Blades.
After finishing his practice, he boiled water and took a bath.
Although he only had wood ash and the water from washing rice to clean himself, he still felt completely refreshed after the bath.
Before bed, Tangtang suddenly said: "Xiaowen, this is even better than our old home."
After a moment of silence, Tang Wen said softly: "It will get better. Go to sleep."
"Mhm. Now that we have a house, it's time to find a wife for you."
"Huh?" In the darkness, Tang Wen shook his head vigorously. 'In these chaotic times, getting stronger is the only thing that matters. Women can wait!'
[Name: Tang Wen]
[Age: 14 years 10 months]
[Body: 1.09]
[Essence: 1.05]
[Skill: Farming Mastery (719/1000)]
[Skill: Flying Locust Stone, Mastery (1999/3000)]
[Skill: Eight Vajra Techniques, Beginner (967/1000)]
[Skill: Flying Knife Skill, Master (901/1000)]
[Skill: Wind-breaking Blade, Beginner (451/500)]
After many days of hard training, Tang Wen was about to undergo another transformation.