From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 702: Chapter 704: Lai San

Aunt Lai glanced up. In the past, she would have definitely started picking through the goods, but today she truly wasn’t in the mood.

"You’re getting older now. Do you really plan on living like this forever?"

Lai San chuckled playfully. "Auntie, isn’t it fine like this? I don’t have to pay taxes, and I don’t have to do corvée labor. Sure, I don’t have a fixed place to live, but the best part is not having to worry about anything.

"Auntie, I know what you’re going to say, but I think this is great. As long as I’m fed, my whole family is fed. Otherwise, even if you managed to find me a wife, I wouldn’t have the means to provide for her."

With a smile, he looked at his cousins standing behind her. "If any of my cousins here have some happy news, as their cousin, I can at least chip in for a wedding gift."

That was the absolute most he could offer, and even then, the gift would be quite meager.

"Wipe that grin off your face," Aunt Lai scolded. "Didn’t your younger cousin tell you about the government notice last time? I’m asking you now, what do you think about it?"

"What else is there to think? It’s probably a scam. Auntie, you shouldn’t trust them too much.

"Who knows, maybe they’re short on corvée laborers around here, or the officials just want to pad their performance records and are trying to trick us into coming down from the mountains."

"Couldn’t you at least ask around?" Aunt Lai said through gritted teeth. "I’m telling you, it’s absolutely not a scam.

"I specifically had your eldest cousin look into it. The government is actually putting people to work.

"Word has it that a new official was appointed higher up, and the Emperor allocated a massive sum of silver. Things are in full swing down here.

"If you could take this chance to restore your household registration and be allotted a few acres of land, why would you choose to hide out in the mountains instead of living a proper life?"

Lai San turned to his older cousin, the one who had dragged him inside. "Eldest Cousin, is what my aunt says true?"

The eldest cousin, a man of few words, nodded silently.

"He doesn’t have a lying bone in his body," Aunt Lai said. "Are you still going to doubt it?"

Lai San suddenly felt a rush to his head, his heart pounding erratically. If it was true, who would willingly stay up in the mountains?

"I don’t care if you want to or not. This time, you have to listen to me," Aunt Lai declared. "You’re not going back up that mountain. In a moment, I’ll have your cousin take you straight to the government office."

At the mention of the government office, Lai San snapped out of his daze and shook his head vigorously. "I’m not going to the government office."

He wasn’t even sure if he’d make it back out after going in. Just the thought of it was terrifying.

Seeing her nephew’s cowardly display, Aunt Lai scolded, "You foolish boy! Would I make you go if I wasn’t absolutely certain?

"Out of my maiden family, you’re the only blood relative I have left. Of course I’m looking out for your best interests.

"I already had your younger cousin go to the government office to ask, and those Lords were incredibly polite.

"They even promised that if you’re the first to register and claim land, they won’t just give you an extra two acres and a full set of farming tools—they’ll also give you two taels of silver as a settlement allowance.

"But if someone beats you to it, all those perks will be gone!

"I figured if you didn’t come down in the next few days, I’d send your cousins up the mountain to find you. I would have dragged you down with gongs and drums if I had to."

Lai San lowered his head and pursed his lips. He highly doubted his aunt would actually dare to go that far.

"I’m talking to you, do you hear me? Stop worrying about trading these goods. The day is still young; let your cousins take you to the government office right now."

Seeing his aunt already standing up to make arrangements, Lai San hurriedly spoke up. "Auntie, even if I’m going, it doesn’t have to be this exact second. I still need to finish trading for salt and deliver it up the mountain."

Even if he was going, he had to bring his brothers from the mountain along for such a good deal.

"Can’t you just listen to me for once? It’s almost the New Year, and I want us to celebrate together as a whole family.

"I also want to have a maiden family to visit on the second day of the New Year. Besides, delivering the salt a day late won’t be a big deal."

"Auntie," Lai San pleaded, "I want to tell the brothers up on the mountain. They’ve looked after me all these years. I can’t leave them out when something good like this comes along."

Aunt Lai fell silent. As locals, they knew better than anyone that those forced into the mountains to become bandits had no other choice. If they could have survived in the villages, none of them would have willingly chosen a life without a home.

She sighed. "Then go quickly and come right back. Even if they don’t want to, you still have to come down to me. I’ve made the decision for you on this matter, and you better not lie to me."

Lai San nodded hastily. "Then, Auntie, why don’t you see if there’s anything here you want to trade for? I just caught this rabbit and pheasant this morning, so they’re quite fresh."

"...Then I’ll take the rabbit!" Aunt Lai said. "I can smoke it and add an extra dish for the New Year."

In the past, she would never have dared to be so extravagant. With so many boys in the house, she couldn’t let them remain bachelors forever.

Turning to look at her sons behind her, a thought stirred in her mind. She really did need to go to the government office and ask. Who knew if a family in their situation could also claim a few acres of wasteland?

Lai San traded for the salt very quickly. It was mostly because the New Year was approaching, and everyone wanted to prepare a couple of meat dishes at home so they would have something presentable to serve when guests arrived.

Carrying the exchanged salt on his back, he twisted and turned along familiar winding paths, making it back to the mountain cave just before dark.

"You made good time, kid. You’re just in time for dinner." The one cooking was Lai Dafu, an older clansman from his village, who breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him walk in.

It was a good thing he had arrived before nightfall. Once the sun went down, the mountains were far less safe.

Lai San carefully placed the salt jars in the corner. "I jogged all the way up. The days are shorter now with this weather. Why isn’t everyone else back yet?"

To his surprise, other than Lai Dafu, the entire cave was empty.

"They went to the ditch up ahead to wash the game," Lai Dafu explained. "Not long after you went down the mountain, a small wild boar fell into one of the traps.

"Just as everyone was retrieving it, a massive wild boar suddenly charged out. It took everything we had to finally pin the beast down.

"However, Zeng Xiaowang got injured. He’s lying down inside."

The "inside" Lai Dafu referred to was merely an area behind a pile of hay, which explained why Lai San hadn’t noticed him earlier.

"Is it serious?" Lai San asked worriedly. Up here, where doctors and medicine were scarce, a severe injury meant one could only leave it up to fate.

"He got gored in the thigh and lost some blood. We managed to find some herbs and barely stopped the bleeding.

"I just don’t know if we can save that leg." Lai Dafu’s voice grew heavier as he spoke, and he was only putting it optimistically.

In the past, whenever something like this happened, the person would usually develop a fever, grow increasingly delirious, and slowly slip away.

They wanted to take him down the mountain for treatment, but they had no silver on hand. Even those doctors wouldn’t work for free, nor would they just hand over medicine.

"I’ll go take a look," Lai San said, his expression grim. Seeing Zeng Xiaowang, who had been laughing and joking with him just yesterday, now hovering between life and death left a bitter taste in his mouth.

His aunt’s words involuntarily surfaced in his mind, making his thoughts even more tangled.

Zeng Xiaowang lay pale in the hay, completely oblivious to Lai San’s arrival.

With reddened eyes, Lai San blinked rapidly. Not daring to make a sound to wake him, he slowly backed away.