allonlinenovel Chapter 430 Betting on whether the two will return to the mountain
Chapter 430 Betting on whether the two will return to the mountain
"Xiao Tang, thanks to you, I was able to clear my name. I put you in danger a few days ago and almost implicated you, but thankfully you escaped unharmed."
Your father and Manager Su own such a large restaurant. Your family is well-off. You are a pampered young lady who can live a life of luxury. You don't need to suffer in the mountains at all.
"If you were to be convicted by the authorities of colluding with bandits in the future, it would be too much of a loss. If you don't want to go back to the mountain, I won't tell my elder brother and the others. They can't enter the capital, and you don't need to worry about them kidnapping you."
Actually, he was very hesitant. Now that he had cleared his name and was innocent, he could live an upright life and no longer had to go back to the mountains to be a bandit. However, the brothers on the mountain had treated him well, especially his eldest brother and Brother Liang.
If he goes to the capital and never returns without bringing Xiaotang back, it would be incredibly disloyal of him.
Never mind, he can go back alone. It won't be in vain for the brotherhood that his elder brother and Brother Liang have shown him.
But Xiaotang is a young girl, so it's best if she doesn't go back.
Lin Xiaotang knew that Huo Qidong had been hiding for many years and was forced to become a bandit, but he was of noble character and upright, and he certainly did not want to be a bandit who burned, killed, and robbed. Now that he had been exonerated and proven innocent, he must want to be an ordinary person.
She smiled and said, "Uncle Huo, I volunteered to stay on the mountain to teach them how to grow medicinal herbs and get rich. As long as they have the ability to make money, they won't have to resort to robbery anymore. It's a good thing for the people in the vicinity, isn't it?"
Huo Qi was very surprised. Xiao Tang's actions were not only to help the brothers on the mountain get rich, but also to help the people in the surrounding area. He had to admire her foresight and her kindness was truly rare!
"Xiao Tang, I believe that if you were a man, you would surely achieve great things and benefit the people."
Lin Xiaotang smiled slightly and said with great pride, "Who says girls are inferior to boys? My family used to be dirt poor, but I led my parents out of the village and made them rich."
My parents went from being illiterate country folk to restaurant owners. I'm not greedy; I'm content with being wealthy, having more money than I can spend, and having no worries about food or clothing.
Huo Qi's eyes were full of admiration for the younger generation. He smiled and nodded, saying, "You are the real person who is content with what you have. You are willing to endure hardship and live a frugal life despite your family's wealth. I rarely admire anyone, but you are number one in my heart!"
The two chatted for a long time, and finally Lin Xiaotang decided to go back to the mountain. Huo Qi hesitated for a while, and then decided to go back with Lin Xiaotang.
Xiao Tang saved his life by running around for him. Even Xiao Tang didn't abandon the brothers on the mountain, so he couldn't be disloyal.
The Lin Qingchuan couple tried to persuade their daughter to no avail, so they had no choice but to let her go up the mountain.
Before leaving, Lin Xiaotang and Huo Qi went to the market and bought a horse-drawn carriage and a lot of farm tools. They had already returned the horse-drawn carriage they had hired in the town at the foot of the mountain, so they bought a carriage to carry the farm tools back for future convenience.
Lin Qingchuan ordered the cook to prepare a lot of dishes and bought a lot of grain, loaded them onto the carriage for Xiaotang, and told her to take good care of herself and to write to him if she needed any help.
Seeing her father's angry expression but his constant admonitions, Lin Xiaotang was deeply moved.
She and Huo Qi each drove a carriage out of the city, gradually disappearing from sight.
Lin Qingchuan comforted Liu, who was also worried about her daughter, and the two went back to the restaurant together to keep up with business.
The fourth brother, Shen Qianchuan, arrived in the capital with his bundle on his back, seeking lodging at his elder brother's Mingcui Tower, ready to make a big splash in the capital.
……
On the mountain.
With Xiaotang away these days, Big Beard has lost all motivation and feels very uncertain.
With a long face, he asked, "Brother, if Xiaotang doesn't come back, after we collect the medicinal herbs and turn them into money, will we still grow medicinal herbs in the future?"
Scarface glared at the bearded man, his face full of disdain.
"Now that you've learned how to grow medicinal herbs, why not do it? Isn't it better to earn money legitimately than to go out and rob people and get wanted by the authorities?"
What if we push the government too far and they send people up the mountain to suppress the bandits?
But then again, Xiao Tang clearly promised him that she would come back and lead everyone to get rich, so why haven't the two of them returned yet after so long?
Could it be that she and Huo Qi went to the capital and were so captivated by its prosperity that they no longer want to return to the mountain?
So he sent someone to the town at the foot of the mountain to inquire about news from the capital, but the person who came down the mountain brought back a letter.
There were dozens of people on the mountain, none of whom could read many characters, and even when they got together, they couldn't read a letter completely.
Finally, Uncle Liang sighed, "Let's wait until Huo Qi comes back. He teaches everyone to read, but they're all lazy and unwilling to learn. They'll only struggle when they need to use the knowledge."
The bearded man muttered, "If Xiao Tang doesn't come back, then Huo Qi might not come back either. They're living a carefree life, who knows where in the capital they're off to enjoy themselves. Where are we supposed to find someone to read the letter to?"
Uncle Liang snorted coldly and said, "Huo Qi is not that kind of disloyal person. I believe he will come back."
The brothers on the mountain split into two groups. One group believed that Lin Xiaotang and Huo Qi had gone down the mountain to the capital and had been gone for many days, so they definitely wouldn't come back. This group was led by Big Beard and made up the vast majority of the people. The other group was led by Uncle Liang and firmly believed that Lin Xiaotang and Huo Qi would come back, but there were only a few of them.
Suddenly someone suggested, "The brothers are tired and bored every day, hunting, catching fish, picking mushrooms, digging wild vegetables, or weeding in the herb garden. How about we make a bet on whether those two will come back?"
"It's been a long time since I've gambled, and I'm itching to get back to it."
"Alright, let's make a bet. I bet they won't come back."
“I don’t have much silver, just two copper coins. I’ve bet them all that they won’t come back.”
“I’m a little better off than you, just a piece of silver, hahaha…”
"I also bet they won't come back."
"I'll offer one tael of silver..."
"Count me in."
"..."
The more they talked, the more excited they became.
The bearded man reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of fried small fish, regretting that he hadn't saved up some money on the side.
Uncle Liang shook his head in distress when he saw that everyone had fallen into their bad habits again.
Scarface remained silent, coldly watching everyone bet on whether Lin Xiaotang and Huo Qi would return.
Once everyone had placed their bets, he slowly stepped forward and smashed the wooden table to pieces with a single blow, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
Everyone was so frightened by his action that they almost jumped out of their skin and took a step back in fear.
The bearded man asked, looking rather foolish, "Brother, why are you suddenly so angry?"
Scarface's eyes were like knives as he swept over the brothers present, his tone icy and chilling.
"If anyone dares to mention gambling in front of me again, I'll chop him up!"
Only then did everyone belatedly realize that a few months ago, their elder brother had issued an order strictly prohibiting prostitution and gambling, but they had forgotten his words today because they were itching to gamble.
What should I do now that I've angered my older brother?