The sky is cold and the ground is freezing, and the night is as heavy as water.
In the dilapidated Taoist temple, two fires were burning in the largest room.
Drive away all the chilly air.
Most of the people gathered around the fire and closed their eyes to rest. There were also some energetic people who couldn't sleep and gathered together to whisper.
Wei Xin yawned and put down the needle and thread in his hand.
He glanced at his parents who were sleeping soundly beside him, with a slightly sad look on his face.
"Mei Xie, what are you thinking about?"
Qu Shang came over quietly and asked in a low voice.
"I didn't think about anything."
Wei Xin sighed, but then asked, "Has Sister Qu Shang been to Fucheng?"
"Went there once a few years ago."
"So, in Sister Qushang's eyes, how does Fucheng look like?"
"Compared with the remote and cold Cangyuan City, Fucheng is naturally better. It is not only more prosperous, but also safer."
Qu Shang laughed, "I just want to settle down there and live a truly stable and prosperous life, but it's not easy."
"Does it cost a lot to buy a house there?"
Wei Xin sighed and tightened the money bag sewn inside the cotton-padded coat.
There was less than one tael of silver in it.
It was the savings I had saved by working day and night in the jade workshop these days.
She was a little distracted, thinking of her yard in Cangyuan City.
When Brother Tao bought it, he spent dozens of taels of silver.
Then settling down in Fucheng would cost several hundred taels of silver.
"When you buy a house, it depends on the area you buy it in."
Qu Shang fell into recollection, "I can't remember clearly what happened a few years ago. It seems to be somewhere a little better. A larger house would cost at least a thousand taels of silver.
Of course there are cheaper places, but after all, this is a city with a state, and even if it is a narrow courtyard on the edge of the city, I am afraid I won’t be able to get it without a few dozen taels of silver.”
Wei Xin sighed secretly, and then asked, "What if we rent a yard, how much does it cost per year?"
"I don't even know about that."
Qu Shang shook his head, "When I went to Fucheng, I either stayed in an inn or went to my uncle's house. I didn't look for a house to rent."
At this point, she suddenly laughed, "Is Sister Xie worried that she will be homeless in Fucheng?"
Wei Xin hesitated and nodded.
"If you want to settle in Fucheng, it's naturally difficult to have money, but more importantly, you still have to have the ability to really make a difference."
Qu Chang sighed, "Don't worry, Sister Xin. With a master like your brother here, even if you can't become famous and rich after arriving in Fucheng, we can still keep our family's food and clothing secure."
"Is my brother really that powerful?"
"Even Grandma Pan said he is very powerful, so of course he is very powerful."
Qu Shang had no doubts about this, "Why else would I be so confident and bold, eating and sleeping when I should, without ever considering safety issues along the way?"
"Why?" Wei Xin lowered her head to think about things and asked subconsciously.
"Of course, if the sky falls, and your Tao brother is on top, it won't be the turn of weak girls like us to cry for help and give away our lives for nothing."
"Brother Tao, he is really so powerful."
When Wei Xin heard someone praising his younger brother, he immediately laughed and rolled his eyes.
After a moment, he became depressed again, "I just don't know what I can do to help him."
"This is not simple, just do whatever he asks you to do.
If he doesn't speak, just stay quietly and don't move, do you understand?"
Suddenly, a crunching sound came from far and near.
The conversation between the two women was immediately interrupted.
They came to the door with some curiosity. As soon as they looked around, they were blocked by two Qingshan Club disciples.
It was a team with more than ten carriages.
The disciples of the Qingshan Society who were on guard duty at night reacted immediately. One of them ran into the temple to wake up the others. The other three people covered each other, hiding themselves and approaching for reconnaissance.
"Who!"
There seemed to be experts in the convoy, and the whereabouts of the three people were immediately discovered.
Immediately he shouted lowly and raised an iron mace with his backhand.
The sound of drawing swords sounded one after another.
There were even a few people who bent their bows and nocked arrows, aiming at the front gate.
Inside the Taoist temple, the fire has been extinguished.
Everyone grasped the long sword tightly, buckled the concealed weapon, and quickly occupied a favorable position.
The battle is about to break out.
At this moment, a fat, white, wealthy middle-aged man walked out of the motorcade.
He cupped his hands and clasped his fists, with a smile on his face, "If the hexagram goes high, we are all one family; if we are friends, we will eat all over the world."
We are the convoy of Nanming Trading Company, and we have accidentally disturbed the dreams of all the brothers. It would be disrespectful to apologize at all."
As soon as the voice fell, a young man in green clothes and a felt hat walked out of the motorcade, holding a small red cloth bag in his hand, and placed it ten steps in front of the door.
The man opened the cloth bag and slowly backed away until he disappeared deep into the convoy.
"Sir, it's a bag of silver coins."
Shang Bian's eyes flashed and he whispered.
"This is treating us as a target."
Wei Tao smiled slightly and asked, "Has anyone heard of this Nanming Trading Company?"
It was quiet all around, no one spoke.
"Mr. Wei, I have heard of it."
Qu Chang's voice sounded from inside the house, "This is a trading company in the capital city of Qizhou. It mainly travels between the Central Plains and the Northland. It deals in fur, medicinal materials and other businesses. I have a shop in Cangyuan City and I have had dealings with them before.
Transactions."
Wei Tao asked, "Are you sure it's real, or a bandit pretending to be a trading company?"
"This...I can't guarantee this."
Qu Chang looked through the crack in the door and carefully observed the convoy on the opposite side, "But looking at their flags and clothes, they are exactly the same as the Nanming Trading Company in my memory."
Wei Tao thought for a moment, "Then take the money and let them leave as soon as possible."
"Sir, let me go." Black Crow gritted his teeth and volunteered.
He had just taken a few steps when Wei Tao's voice came from behind again.
"If they are really from Fucheng, then ask if they can go together and have someone to look after them on the way."
Accompanied by the creaking of the door, the convoy guards became visibly nervous.
But only Black Crow came out alone.
He threw away the long knife and raised his hands high to show that he had no hostility.
"Friends from Nanming Trading Company, we are from Qu's Leather Goods Company in Cangyuan City. We have cooperated in business before..."
"Qu's leather goods?"
Suddenly a clear female voice sounded from the motorcade, "Who is your shopkeeper and what is his name?"
"Sister Nanling!"
Qu Chang's eyes suddenly lit up and she shouted loudly, "Sister Nan, I am Qu Chang!"
……………………
The two convoys, one behind the other, slowly moved forward on the official road.
Wei Tao and the rich middle-aged man had a very pleasant conversation.
This man's name is Luo Cheng, and he is the head of the Nanming Escort Agency, a subsidiary of the Nanming Company.
Following the caravans in these years, Wei Tao has gained rich experience in the world, allowing Wei Tao to learn a lot of information that he has never been exposed to before.
Luo Cheng was also very interested in Wei Tao.
Especially with a height of over two meters and a strong figure that even clothes could not completely conceal, Luo Cheng wondered more than once what kind of strength this person was.
The sky gradually darkened.
The two teams stopped by a small river.
Gather firewood for the fire and water for cooking.
Nan Ling held a porcelain bowl and sipped the hot medicinal porridge.
Luo Cheng was smoking a dry cigarette at the side, and the red flames flickered on and off under the night.
"Uncle Luo, after a day of contact, what do you think of Wei Tao's strength?"
Nan Ling slowly finished a bowl of medicinal porridge and turned his head to look over there.
Luo Cheng blew out a smoke ring and frowned involuntarily, "Miss Third, I'm a little unclear."
"You can't even figure it out?"
She said in surprise, "Uncle Luo has the ability to transform Qi and blood twice. Even if it were placed in the top five of the entire escort agency, he still can't see through a warrior who comes from a remote town?"
"I really can't see through it."
Luo Cheng thought slowly and said, "At the beginning, I thought he was just born with very good physical condition, and even if he trained his qi and blood internally, he was just an ordinary warrior;
Later, I felt that this person was at least capable of transforming Qi and blood, and might even have exceeded the level of Level 2 or even Level 3.
But after being in contact with him for a whole day, I became suspicious again, thinking that he did not seem to have practiced any advanced internal training methods, and that he really just had superior physical fitness."
Speaking of this, he was a little confused, "Also, they are fighting under the banner of the Cangyuan Qu Family, but the core of the entire team is actually a martial artist named Wei.
The attitude of those young people in Tsing Yi towards him is definitely not comparable to that of superiors and subordinates in the ordinary sense, and even gives people a vague feeling of being a dead soldier."
Nan Ling thought thoughtfully, "Then Uncle Luo, do you think we can take this person under our command?"
"After all, the situation is getting chaotic now. Even though we are in Fucheng, we must take precautions and make some preparations in advance."
Luo Cheng replied, "Since Third Miss is interested, I can make some insinuations first.
Anyway, it’s still a long way to get to Fucheng, so there’s no need to act too hasty.”
"Also, his parents and sister are also in the team. Miss San can start with his family members and slowly build a closer relationship."
Nan Ling stroked his palm and smiled and said, "Uncle Luo reminded us that we should work together to capture him before returning home."
"But before that, it's best to test out what his level of strength is.
Don't be a silver pewter gun tip, it's a waste of our precious resources."