Scaring Wu Guihua didn't bother Cheng Duo much, so he continued to wander around the village until he reached the edge of a pond behind the village.
There was a person squatting on a flat, large stone washing clothes. Although it was already spring, the water in the pond was still cold, and the person's hands were freezing red from washing clothes.
Cheng Duo stared at his obviously weaker physique than an ordinary man and recalled Village Head Li's words. Unexpectedly, he spoke out suddenly, "You are a gèr."
No wonder he saved him but didn't dare to admit it. Was he worried about misunderstanding from the men in his family? Cheng Duo noticed the adult men's clothing in the large wooden basin behind him and remembered the two strong men he fought with. He suspected that one of them was his… husband?
Yong-ge was busy pounding clothes, and he was startled when he heard someone speak, nearly falling into the pond. He tightened his grip on the wooden stick in his hand and looked up, only to find that it was that strange outsider.
He unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Yong-ge didn't realize it himself, but he wasn't as afraid of Cheng Duo as the villagers were, perhaps because he had seen the other lying weakly in bed, running a high fever and unconscious. Therefore, even though Cheng Duo was tall and imposing and had beaten his two brothers, he wasn't very afraid of him.
Cheng Duo stared at his face and observed it carefully for a while. Sure enough, on his dark yellow skin, he found the red birthmark used to identify gèrs. But he quickly frowned and said, "What's wrong with your face… have you disguised it?"
To Cheng Duo, this disguise seemed a bit rough. But during their first two encounters, either Yong-ge had his back turned or he had his head down… It was only because he was curious about Yong-ge's identity as a gèr that Cheng Duo scrutinized someone's face so carefully.
"!!" Yong-ge was just a young boy who hadn't experienced much. Upon hearing Cheng Duo's words, he instinctively widened his eyes and covered his face with his hand… essentially admitting it unintentionally.
He quickly realized what he had done and lowered his head, shrinking his neck. "No, I don't understand what you're talking about!"
"If you don't understand, then forget it." Cheng Duo didn't have the intention to dig deeper and straightforwardly asked, "You saved me. How do you want me to repay you?"
Yong-ge didn't expect such a good opportunity. When he saved Cheng Duo, he only did it because he couldn't bear to let a living person be devoured by wolves. He thought Cheng Duo would leave after recovering from his injuries, but he didn't expect that he not only didn't leave but also came to the village.
Yong-ge was somewhat tempted by Cheng Duo's proposal. With his eyes lowered and his gaze flickering uncertainly, just when Cheng Duo thought he was about to make a big request, the young boy timidly glanced at him and gathered his courage. He said, "Then, could you give me… five… two taels of silver?"
"…" Cheng Duo was speechless. This was probably the most straightforward repayment condition he had ever heard in his life. Although he didn't have any money on him now, he didn't think his life was worth five taels of silver.
Oh, no, he was wrong. The other party was afraid he wouldn't agree and even automatically bargained down to two taels…
Should we say they come from different living environments? Coming from the modern era, he didn't think that a couple of taels of silver were a big deal, and even because in the post-apocalyptic world, gold, silver, and jewelry had become useless items that could only be looked at and not used, his mindset hadn't completely changed yet.
Yong-ge thought that Cheng Duo was hesitating, so he felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Then… how about you compensate me with the food in the cave? That way, we'll be even?"
He initially wanted to mock Cheng Duo for being stingy, but then he remembered that when he saved him, he didn't find anything valuable on him. At that time, he almost stripped the man naked…
Thinking of certain scenes, Yong-ge's face suddenly flushed. At that time, he was busy saving a person, so he didn't think much of it. But now, with this man standing alive in front of him, he suddenly recalled looking at someone else's body… Yong-ge's sense of shame as a gèr, which had remained dormant for a long time, suddenly emerged.
He dipped his hand into the water and stirred the clothes haphazardly, hoping that the cold lake water would cool down the burning sensation on his face.
Cheng Duo didn't notice anything wrong with Yong-ge's expression. He just felt that this person was more innocent than he had imagined. However, the more innocent he appeared, the less Cheng Duo could casually dismiss him with a couple of taels of silver.
Since he didn't have any money at the moment, Cheng Duo pondered for a moment and asked, "Are your family members treating you poorly?"
Otherwise, why would he go through all these extra efforts, finding a cave and hoarding food? Could it be that he was kidnapped from outside? Cheng Duo's imagination ran wild.
Cheng Duo neither agreed nor disagreed. Yong-ge looked a bit disappointed and pursed his lips, but he quickly adjusted his mindset. After all, he wouldn't lose out. They had agreed from the beginning that he would take the remaining silver from selling wolf skins, and Cheng Duo could have the food he stored in the cave.
Moreover, the amount of food he had stored wasn't worth more than a hundred wen…
Yong-ge confidently thought to himself that he had put in a lot of effort in dragging this person back, selling game for him, and fetching medicine while taking care of him. It should be considered even!
If he didn't want to give it, then so be it.
As for the question Cheng Duo asked afterward, "No, my family treats me well."
"If they treat you well, why did you prepare that cave?" Cheng Duo asked in response. Seeing the young boy bowing his head and refusing to speak, he softened his tone and said, "Don't hide it from me. I saw how that man treated you in the morning, and if I casually ask around in the village, I'll find out how you're really doing…"
Cheng Duo felt strange as he said this, as if he was the adulterous partner of this gèr in front of him, planning to persuade him to elope together?
In fact, Cheng Duo had indeed considered the possibility that if this young boy was really abducted, he could send him back to where he came from.
He had long noticed that the boy's appearance was different from the people around him, clearly not a local. Perhaps it was because of this that he had resorted to those disguises, trying to hide himself.
"No!" Yong-ge's face changed, and he was afraid that Cheng Duo would really inquire about him in the village, which would complicate their situation.
Cheng Duo was just an outsider; he could easily leave it behind, but Yong-ge had to continue living his life.
Cheng Duo was startled by his fierce appearance, and he rarely spoke to appease him, saying, "Okay, if you don't want to tell me, then I won't ask. Don't be afraid."
He could roughly guess the terrifying nature of ancient rumors. This young boy was equivalent to a high school student before the apocalypse and was still just a child. Moreover, he had saved his life, so Cheng Duo couldn't help but become more patient.
Cheng Duo was about to tell him that he could come to him if he ever faced difficulties in the future when he saw the young boy swiftly packing his belongings without even washing his clothes, holding a large wooden basin, and running away.
"…"
Cheng Duo didn't chase after him. He was here to repay a debt, not seeking revenge. If the people in the village saw him chasing after a gèr… He had already fought the man's husband in the morning, and the man already held a grudge. If he found out that Cheng Duo was entangled with his gèr, Cheng Duo couldn't imagine what he would do to him. But judging from the boy's impolite behavior towards him, a beating was definitely in store.
Cheng Duo didn't want to harm him.
He waited in place for a while, estimating that the young boy had already disappeared with his fast pace, before turning around and walking towards the village.
Passing by the Li family again, he found that the two strong men who were involved in the fight with Wu Guihua earlier were now arguing with her.
"Aunt, the two of us suffered a beating for your sake. If you don't want to compensate us for the medicine expenses, at least give us a few pounds of meat for killing the cow, right?"
Wu Guihua's face drooped. A few pounds? Dream on. She didn't even want to give them one tael!
She plopped down directly on the ground. "Heavens, is there no justice left? Our cow was beaten half to death, and our own nephew comes to our house asking for meat to eat. Is there no fairness anymore?"
They were all family, and everyone knew each other. Li Da was not fooled by her trick. He and his younger brother, Li Er, were ruffians to begin with, so they shamelessly smiled, "If Aunt doesn't give it, then we'll just go in and take it ourselves."
Saying that, he signaled to Li Er, and the two brothers lifted their legs and headed into the house.
Wu Guihua's face changed. "Changsheng, stop them!"
While shouting, she urgently got up from the ground and rushed forward to grab and pull Li Da and Li Er. She had a large, round waist, and Li Da and Li Er were not Cheng Duo. Moreover, Li Changsheng and Li Mancang, two strong men, were blocking the doorway. Li Da and Li Er ended up with their faces covered in blood fingerprints from being grabbed by her.
Of course, she didn't come out unscathed either. Her bun was messy, and she secretly suffered numerous punches.
Cheng Duo had initially just wanted to watch the commotion with the other villagers. He didn't expect that when the others saw him, they automatically made way for him, creating a path.
Cheng Duo: "…"
Why did they make way for him? He didn't want to get into a fight, nor did he want to mediate a fight. Couldn't they let him peacefully watch the dogs fight?
"You, why did you come!" Li Changsheng's younger brother, Feng-ge, saw Cheng Duo and shouted, whether in surprise or fear, because the gèr's voice was higher and thinner than a man's. The several people who were engaged in a lively brawl even heard it.
They turned around and saw Cheng Duo, and their faces changed color, stiffly standing aside.
Li Da and Li Er felt a faint pain in the areas where they were beaten in the morning, and when they realized that their excuse was being beaten by Cheng Duo and now they were caught by this ill-fated star, their expressions became extremely vivid.
The two of them often engaged in mischief in the village and were experts at escaping. Seeing Cheng Duo blocking the doorway, they took advantage of his inattention and quickly climbed over the low gap in the Li family's wall and ran away.
Cheng Duo: "…"
Alright, the troublemakers have all fled, and there's nothing more to see in this farce. Cheng Duo didn't say a word and left.
However, even though he didn't speak, the villagers felt that he was even more unfathomable. After he left, they speculated about his intentions and even thought that Wu Guihua's foul mouth might have offended him, which could invite retaliation…
They were thinking too much. Cheng Duo, as a grown man, couldn't do much even if Wu Guihua scolded him a couple of times. Watching their argument only brought him a sense of satisfaction.
Cheng Duo returned to Third Uncle Li's house, changed back into his own clothes, and bid farewell. After all, Third Uncle Li's family didn't seem well-off, and it would be excessive for him to keep lingering in their home.
Because of the strong wind, although his clothes hadn't dried completely, he could simply roast them in his cave. It didn't matter.
Cheng Duo made an appointment with Village Head Li to come back and hear the result in a couple of days. Of course, he didn't disclose his actual dwelling place because the cave didn't belong to him. That ger might still need to use it.
Cheng Duo didn't know that there was a little twist in the events that happened while he stayed in the village this afternoon…