Hu Ma didn’t just contribute; he contributed greatly. He understood the importance of opportunity, and after receiving this promise, he diligently attended to the affairs of the Manor. In retrospect, the Manor might not have been large, and it was indeed a slack period, but its affairs were genuinely complex. It required overseeing the needs of the inner courtyard, managing the livestock and sweeping of the outer courtyard, chopping wood and procuring rice for the kitchen, conducting nightly patrols, and occasionally sending someone to investigate when people from nearby villages came to report something. The Shopkeeper disliked managing affairs, so all these tasks naturally fell to Hu Ma. Yet Hu Ma didn’t shirk responsibility and arranged matters earnestly every day.
He knew that in his current position, he couldn’t afford any mistakes, so he personally attended to every matter. He also made a conscious effort to differentiate himself from Xu Ji’s previous arrogant behavior by distributing night patrols and other chores evenly among everyone, regardless of rank, ensuring tasks were rotated. At first, he worried that Zhou Datong and the others from Dayang Village might be dissatisfied. After all, when Xu Ji was in charge, his two followers not only avoided menial tasks but also demanded respect from others in private. Now that Hu Ma held real power, Zhou Datong and his companions received no special treatment. Even night patrol duties were assigned on a rotational basis, and sometimes they still had to do tasks like fetching water and feeding horses.
When Hu Ma asked about it, Zhou Datong surprisingly replied, "What are you talking about, Brother Hu Ma? This stuff you’re doing now, isn’t it how my dad handled things in the village every day? Benefits are divided privately; why would you do it openly? Wouldn’t that just make the villagers resentful?"
Hu Ma began to see Zhou Datong in a new light.
The grandson of a politician truly has different insights compared to others... Although he was from a village, Zhou Datong’s way of dealing with matters was even more competent than that of Xu Ji, the child of a Worship family.
After a busy period, the affairs of the Manor were well-organized. The hands were practicing their skills while working, and there were no complaints; things were faring better than during Xu Ji’s time. The other workers gradually began to regard Hu Ma as the real manager, reporting matters to him first. No matter how he handled them, Hu Ma would report each issue to Shopkeeper Wu every night after the patrols.
Shopkeeper Wu rarely showed emotion but was visibly pleased with Hu Ma’s way of handling matters. He entrusted both major and minor tasks to him and would occasionally point out areas needing attention. When it came time to distribute Blood Food to the new group of hands on the tenth of the month, he even gave Hu Ma the key to the external storeroom, allowing him to retrieve it and distribute it to the workers.
"Take an extra half-jin for yourself," he discreetly advised Hu Ma. "Nourish yourself well and elevate your skill level. Once you’ve achieved cultivation, come next spring, you’ll be able to truly stand on your own and be of help to us."
Is this a different kind of promise?
Hu Ma naturally caught the implication but didn’t dare to relax his internal vigilance. Heh! Haven’t I been fed enough empty promises in my past life? He just remained attentive to everything, handled affairs diligently, and silently calculated his time.
Currently, his cultivation was approaching the level of Three Incense, and the jar of Blood Food Pills was nearly empty. But the more critical the time, the less he could afford to panic. After taking on the actual managerial role, the only significant move he made was to evict Xu Ji’s two followers from their small room, allowing himself and Zhou Datong to move in. This way, they no longer had to squeeze in with the others. Of course, even this was primarily to ensure Little Hongtang could sleep soundly on the beam every night.
As everything progressed steadily, the other workers became increasingly familiar with the Manor’s affairs. Just then, the richly-dressed youth Xu Ji, who had previously taken leave from the Manor, quietly returned, causing a stir among everyone. After his desertion, Hu Ma had naturally taken charge. Now that Xu Ji was back, wouldn’t they clash again? His two followers especially thought their time to rise had come, eager for a confrontation.
Unexpectedly, the Xu Ji who returned this time appeared listless, showing no sign of wanting to compete with Hu Ma. When he found that his bedding had been moved to a large side room, he raised no objections. Even the next morning, when Hu Ma assigned him tasks in the kitchen just as he did for everyone else, Xu Ji silently nodded in agreement without a hint of dissatisfaction.
The other workers watched, dumbfounded. "What’s going on? Did this arrogant Eldest Young Master just give in like that?"
I’m afraid it’s not that simple... Hu Ma appeared unfazed, but internally, his vigilance was at its peak. He asked Little Hongtang to keep an eye on Xu Ji. There can be no relaxation before learning the dharma method.
Sure enough, on the afternoon of the third day after his return, the richly-dressed youth Xu Ji, who outwardly appeared docile and showed no desire to contest Hu Ma’s management, quietly slipped into the Shopkeeper’s inner courtyard. This happened while Hu Ma was out on a task with others, and Xu Ji seemed to have deliberated before acting. Fearing Little Hongtang might inadvertently cause trouble and get hurt, Hu Ma hadn’t permitted her to enter the inner courtyard casually, so she could only watch from outside.
When Hu Ma returned, she reported this to him. He asked, "How long was he inside?"
Little Hongtang thought for a moment and replied, "About as long as it takes to eat a bowl of meat."
...That’s very descriptive! Hu Ma nodded, indicating he understood. He then gave Little Hongtang a piece of Green Tai Sui and told her to go play.
Hu Ma knew Xu Ji’s current situation was precarious. Logically, Xu Ji had nothing left to entice the old shopkeeper. However, considering Xu Ji’s significant background and resources, Hu Ma couldn’t afford to be complacent. He pretended to be unaware and continued to manage his own affairs.
Sure enough, just as the night patrol was returning, the old shopkeeper’s servant came out and called, "Brother Hu, Second Brother Xu, the Old Master wants to see you both." Hu Ma was an only child, while Xu Ji was the second son in his family, hence the forms of address. It sounds as if I have some advantage.
Hu Ma looked at Xu Ji and noticed he didn’t meet his gaze. Xu Ji simply rose and walked inside, nervously clenching his fists. "You all can head back and rest," Hu Ma instructed Zhou Datong, then followed Xu Ji into the inner courtyard, one after the other.
Inside, the old shopkeeper was already waiting. A few small dishes were on the stone table—likely prepared by the servants in the small kitchen—including peanuts, broad beans, a fried egg, and slices of jellied beef. There were even three cups. Upon their entry, the Shopkeeper said, "Both of you, sit down and join me."
Hu Ma and Xu Ji sat down, neither of them speaking first. Xu Ji, however, scrambled to pour wine for the old shopkeeper.
"It’s been almost a month since you came to our Manor," the old shopkeeper said slowly after taking a sip of wine. "Thinking about it, this isn’t very long. After all, if you haven’t spent years worshiping Tai Sui, you’re not considered an old-timer in our Red Lantern Lady’s Club."
"But I won’t hide it from you; you two are quite fortunate. I’m short-handed right now, and our Manor also lacks a proper manager. So, this is advantageous for both of you..."
"Yes, yes..." Xu Ji couldn’t wait. While Hu Ma continued to listen quietly, Xu Ji stood up, holding his cup with both hands. "Thank you, Master!"
"Sit down first," the old shopkeeper glanced at him, not acknowledging the thanks, his expression somewhat displeased. Xu Ji hurriedly sat down. His actions, along with that form of address, made Hu Ma’s heart stir slightly.
"I won’t hide this from you either," Shopkeeper Wu said straightforwardly after pondering for a moment. "It’s said that joining our Red Lantern Society allows one to learn skills, and that’s true. The techniques I usually teach you are real abilities, enough for you to make a living. But those skills are still superficial. I possess more profound skills here, and I plan to find someone capable to instruct thoroughly."
At these words, not only Xu Ji but also Hu Ma looked up slightly. In all their time here, this was the first instance Shopkeeper Wu had stated this matter so clearly and directly.
"And after observing for so long, I’ve found that out of the dozen or so people in this Manor, only you two show real potential," Shopkeeper Wu said, looking at them both. "If you ask me, I’d like to take both of you as apprentices, but I can’t. At least not right now; I simply can’t teach two people simultaneously. Even if I could, the Manor’s Blood Food couldn’t support two individuals. So, I’ve decided to set a task for you two. We’ll see who handles it better, and that person will become the manager of the hands here in the Manor."
"My skills, of course, will also be passed to him. As for the one who doesn’t do as well... don’t worry. When the Manor’s foundation is stronger, I’ll teach you then..."
This is just messing with people...
Listening, Hu Ma suddenly understood everything. He had heard talk of "coming back next year" and similar excuses during the Red Lantern Society’s selection process. Between him and Xu Ji, only one could truly become the manager, and inevitably, only one could learn those skills. However, Hu Ma had already presented a treasure, and Xu Ji’s family had lost favor. So what could Xu Ji possibly have said to sway the old shopkeeper into giving him a chance at ’fair competition’?
"The task is quite simple..." Shopkeeper Wu continued, not looking at their reactions. "Twelve li west of our Manor is Yellow Dog Village. Technically, it’s outside our patrol range, but come spring, it will be a dangerous place. As I understand it, there’s a well there, and something inside it has gained considerable power. We can’t allow it to continue causing trouble there. The two of you will go and resolve it."
"Whoever does a better job will return to be the manager. How about that?"
Xu Ji was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately promised to undertake the task.
But Hu Ma felt a slight jolt internally, a cold smirk forming in his mind. Turns out I was overthinking things... This isn’t a fair competition at all!