Chapter 7: With Good Intentions

Thirteen years later.

On the official road of Qingzhou, an old man and a young boy were hurrying along with their backs to the setting sun. The old man appeared to be in his fifties, limping as he walked. He was not only short but also had a face full of pockmarks. The boy, around thirteen or fourteen years old, although his face was still a bit immature, had handsome features. At this moment, he was struggling to push a one-wheeled wooden cart, which carried tools like a forge, hammer, and grinding stones.

"Little brat, hurry up. We need to get to the town ahead before dark," the old man urged.

"Easy for you to say," the boy glanced at him. "This cart weighs several hundred pounds. Why don't you try pushing it?"

The old man casually replied, "It's not like I haven't done it before. I've been pushing these things for over ten years. Back then, I had to push all this and also carry you. Never once did I complain."

The old man had probably said this many times before, and the boy, feeling helpless, could only stay silent and continue pushing the cart.

Unexpectedly, the old man started nagging again. "What's the point of you looking for your roots and ancestors? You traveled all the way to Qingzhou. How could I fool you? You're really from Laizhou. Your name is Li Ermao. Your father, Li Shuan, was a fisherman from Wanghai Village. The year there was a heavy rain and windstorm, causing widespread disaster. Your house collapsed, and your father, mother, and older brother were all killed. Only you survived, trapped in a corner, and somehow lived."

"I never said you were lying. I just want to go home and take a look," Li Ermao casually said.

"Do you think I kidnapped you or something?" The old man retorted angrily. "If I were to kidnap someone, I'd take a young girl, not a little brat like you. What would I do with you?"

Before Ermao could respond, the old man continued his endless chatter. "You don't know how hard it was to raise you. All these years, I've lived frugally, feeding you with my own hands, raising you with my sweat and tears. Do you know how hard it was?"

"Hey, hey, hey, limpy, are you speaking properly? What do you mean, 'fed me with your own shit and piss'?" Ermao looked at him with disgust.

The limping old man was about to retort when suddenly the sound of galloping hooves came from behind. He turned around, then pulled Ermao to the side to make way.

A moment later, three fine horses galloped past them, ridden by three young people dressed like martial artists—two men and a woman.

As the horses galloped past, they stirred up a cloud of dust. The old man frowned and waved his hand, coughing. He muttered under his breath, "Running so fast, are they rushing to die?"

Whether they heard the old man or not, the three riders actually slowed down, then turned their horses around and rode back toward them.

"You're done for, they heard you. Get ready to be beaten," Ermao said with a grin, clearly enjoying the moment.

"No way! I didn't shout that loudly," the old man scratched his head nervously. "Hey, you tell them it was you who said it. You're just a kid, they won't bother with you."

"No way, I'm not taking the blame for you," Ermao seized the opportunity to blackmail him.

Just as the old man was thinking of how to bribe Ermao, the young woman riding the horse spoke up, "Blacksmith, can you fix a horseshoe?"

Realizing that the return of the three riders was not a confrontation but a business opportunity, the old man immediately put on a smile and approached. "Yes, yes, we can not only fix horseshoes, but we also have spare horseshoes on the cart."

"Great, fix the horseshoe and replace it with a new set," the young woman dismounted from her horse.

The old man went to lead the horse, while Ermao began preparing the tools.

Noticing Ermao was about to start working, the young woman seemed a bit unsure. She frowned and asked the old man, "Can he do it?"

"He's better than I am," the old man said confidently.

Ermao then chimed in, "Your steed is no ordinary horse; it's the legendary black steed that travels a thousand miles a day. Don't worry, beautiful lady, I will put in my full effort and show you my best skills."

Hearing Ermao's words, the young woman seemed quite pleased. She casually tossed a copper coin to him. "You know your stuff. I'll give you a little extra."

Ermao caught the coin and thanked her profusely. At that time, coins were shell-shaped, made of three different materials. The common shell coins were made from the teeth of shells, with ten shell coins equal to one copper coin, and ten copper coins equal to one gold coin. Repairing horseshoes and fitting new ones only cost five shell coins, but the young woman was generous and gave him double.

Before Ermao could tuck the copper coin into his pouch, the old man snatched it out of his hand. "Get to work."

Ermao was used to this and wasn't angry. He took the tongs and removed the worn horseshoe, then took a scraper to refine the horseshoe.

While Ermao was busy, the young woman and the two men spoke softly not far away. Their voices were too low to make out the details, but Ermao overheard them mention something about heading to Donghai to search for something.

Soon, Ermao finished repairing the horseshoe and began nailing the new horseshoe onto the hoof. The young woman was very particular about her steed, so she walked over to inspect it. Upon seeing how carefully Ermao worked, she seemed reassured.

Ermao finished the job and noticed that the stirrup on the right side was a bit loose, so he tightened it. He then brushed the horse's mane and said, "Alright, beautiful lady, safe travels."

The young woman nodded with a smile and tossed another copper coin to him. "Thank you for your hard work."

One of the young men looked at Ermao and remarked, "Such a young boy, but so smooth-talking."

The other young man laughed and said, "Master, you're being too harsh. He's just a poor craftsman trying to make a living, of course, he'll say something nice."

The three riders mounted their horses and left.

Before they had gone far, the old man tried to grab the coin from Ermao. Ermao refused to give it to him, but the old man, though small in stature, had great strength. After a few rounds of tugging, the copper coin was finally snatched away by the old man. "No money for kids. If you have money, you won't learn well."

"Sticking with you, I won't learn anything good," Ermao said, fuming as he packed up his things.

"I'm saving it for you. One day you'll need money," the old man said.

"Go away. You can save it for your own coffin," Ermao retorted.

The old man wasn't upset by the insult and simply smiled, helping Ermao pack up. The two of them continued on their way.

Due to the delay, when they reached the next town, it was already late at night, and the sky was completely dark.

Having walked all day, both were hungry, but the inn was about to close, and the only food left was some salted fish and flatbread. The old man paid for the food and led Ermao to rest under the eaves of a large house.

For years, Ermao had traveled with the old man, rarely staying in inns and mostly sleeping outdoors. Only when the old man was sick did they stay in a few inns. Over the years, Ermao had gotten used to it.

The cart had bamboo mats and simple bedding. After eating, the two of them lay down to sleep, fully clothed.

Ermao, exhausted, was about to fall asleep, but the old man kept tossing and turning, sighing loudly.

Noticing the old man get up, Ermao sighed helplessly. "Don't go spying on people taking a bath again. Just sleep quietly."

"You little brat, how dare you talk to me like that, disrespecting your elder!" the old man scolded.

"Then act like an elder," Ermao rolled over, "How many times have I told you? In the middle of the night, you've gotten us chased away."

The old man, with a dirty past, didn't have the courage to argue with Ermao and could only sit back down, sighing deeply.

Ermao, disturbed by the noise, couldn't sleep. "I don't understand why you care. What's the big deal about seeing a couple of extra pieces of flesh?"

"You don't understand," the old man grumbled.

Ermao said, "If you like women so much, just get a wife. You've saved up some money over the years. You should have enough to get one."

The old man sighed, "Sigh, it's not possible. With the kind of work we do, how could we stay in one place for long?"

"Following you has cursed me. Even a donkey turning a millstone has walked more than me," Ermao complained. "We have the skills to work metal and sharpen knives. We could open a blacksmith shop in a busy place."

"Open a blacksmith shop? Staying in one place for too long doesn't lead to success," the old man replied. "You need to travel and see the world to understand the true nature of people. How can you gain experience if you stay in one place?"

Ermao didn't want to argue and closed his eyes, falling into a half-sleep.

After some time, the silence of the night was suddenly broken by a sharp, angry woman's voice. "Which bastard is out there…"