Chen Mo carefully scooped up a shovel full of horse manure mixed with urine and poured it into the wheelbarrow.
Ding Bao, the older groom who had been doing this job for over two and a half years, was demonstrating the most efficient way to shovel manure. He showed Chen Mo how to do it in a way that would avoid splashing the feces and urine onto his body, making the job as light and labor-saving as possible.
The cart was soon filled with manure, and Ma Cai, who had been helping, pushed it away. Before leaving, he exchanged a subtle wink with Ding Bao.
Once they were gone, Chen Mo grabbed an apple from the pile meant for the horses and took a couple of large bites.
When one of the horses noticed its fruit was being eaten, it let out a series of angry whinnies. It stamped its hooves in frustration, but of course, it couldn't speak.
Chen Mo quickly finished most of the apple, tossing the half-eaten core to the angry horse as a token offering. He then turned back to the task at hand and began shoveling manure again.
It wasn't long before Ding Bao and Ma Cai returned, pushing an empty cart.
"Let me tell you something," Ma Cai said, glancing at Ding Bao.
Chen Mo didn't need to ask further. He could tell that they had something secret to discuss, something that wasn't meant for everyone's ears.
"Earlier, we didn't say anything because you weren't shoveling manure. But now that you're helping out, you need to know this."
Ma Cai spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper.
"We've been secretly selling the manure for a while now. We make about 40 to 50 coins a day from it."
Horse manure, especially that from warhorses who eat a lot of refined grains, was valuable. The price was higher than regular manure, and they had discovered a way to make a small profit by selling it.
"Wait, you've been selling it?" Chen Mo asked, his eyes widening. "What about the captain's farm?"
All the manure was technically supposed to be sent to the captain's farm, but Ma Cai and Ding Bao had been sneaking some out for themselves.
The two of them had discussed whether or not to bring Chen Mo into the secret. On one hand, if he knew, there would be another person to share the profits. On the other hand, they were afraid that if he found out later, he might report them.
They had decided it was better to bring him in now than risk him finding out later and turning them in.
"Does Master He know about this?" Chen Mo asked, raising an eyebrow.
If He Maguan was aware of their side business, then it wouldn't be a problem for Chen Mo to share in the money. It would be wrong not to.
The two men were silent for a while. They understood that it would have been best to involve He Maguan from the start, but the longer they kept the secret, the less they dared to tell him.
"Are you not worried about getting caught?" Chen Mo asked, his expression full of disbelief.
He honestly hadn't expected them to be so bold. If they got caught, the punishment could be severe.
"If Master He knew about this, we'd be fine," Ma Cai said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "But if he doesn't know... well, we'll get punished by military law, and the penalty for this kind of thing is death."
Ding Bao nodded grimly, his face clouded with worry. They were treading on dangerous ground, and they both knew it.
"We'll be careful," Ma Cai added, lowering his voice even further. "We won't let anyone find out."
Chen Mo wasn't so sure. He didn't believe they could hide this forever. The longer they went on, the more likely it was that the truth would come out. And when it did, they would have nowhere to hide.
"If this gets exposed, what will you do?" Chen Mo asked again, his tone serious.
Ma Cai lowered his head. "My family has some connections, but not enough to protect me if I get caught. If this comes out, I'll probably be beaten to death and kicked out of the camp. Everything I've worked for will be wasted."
Chen Mo nodded. He knew that Ma Cai was in a tough spot. "I won't tell anyone," he said finally. "I don't know anything about this manure business. I only shovel manure and don't get involved with what happens to it after it's gone."
He wasn't interested in getting involved in something that could jeopardize his own safety. With the Transfiguration Pearl in his body, he knew that accumulating energy and blood was far more important than any petty money-making schemes. He couldn't afford to get caught up in something risky.
But Chen Mo wasn't heartless. Over the past few weeks, Ma Cai and Ding Bao had helped him a lot, even if it was just small things like lending him soapberries or giving him a bucket of water. He wasn't about to betray them for something like this.
"You're right," Ma Cai said, his eyes brightening with relief. "We're comrades. You can't just stand by and watch someone fall. So, what do you think we should do? We'll listen to whatever you say."
Chen Mo glanced at the two of them. Ma Cai's desperation was clear, and it was obvious that he was hoping Chen Mo would have some way out of their predicament.
Chen Mo thought for a moment. "I think you should stop doing it," he said slowly. "If you want to keep going, though, give all the money you've made to Master He and tell him everything."
He wasn't telling them to come clean to the captain out of the goodness of his heart. He just felt that it was better for them to come clean and face the consequences rather than continuing the secret.
"If you want to stop, stop. But if you want to keep doing it, you should tell him everything. Otherwise, you'll always be on edge, wondering when it'll come to light."
The two men exchanged glances. They knew Chen Mo was right, but it was hard to make the final decision.
They spent the rest of the afternoon shoveling more manure. By the time they finished, Chen Mo had steamed another batch of buns for the horses. He'd already eaten more than two kilograms of steamed bread by himself. There was only one meal a day in the camp—lunch and dinner—so the remaining eight buns would be saved for the next morning.
Later, when Ding Bao and Ma Cai returned from delivering the manure, they smelled awful.
"Brother Mo!" Ma Cai greeted him with a smile, using a tone that sounded almost too familiar. Even though he was a year older than Chen Mo, he had started calling him "Brother," as though they were close friends.
Chen Mo immediately became cautious. He knew that when someone was too nice, they usually had something to ask for.
"What's going on?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, nothing," Ma Cai replied, sounding casual. "I've been eating nothing but radishes and cabbage all day, so I bought a chicken for us. It's a treat for you."
Ma Cai pulled a braised chicken wrapped in lotus leaves from under his arm. The rich, savory smell of oil and spices filled the air.
Chen Mo took the chicken with a slight frown. He had a feeling that Ma Cai had something more in mind. The gap between his small daily earnings and the price he might pay if they were discovered weighed heavily on him. The two of them had spent a lot of time talking, and it was clear they had come to a decision.
Ma Cai and Ding Bao had realized that they could no longer continue selling the manure in secret. They knew that it was only a matter of time before it was exposed, so they had decided to come clean to Master He.
But the trouble was, they were terrified of the consequences. They knew that if they went to Master He, they'd probably get beaten. They wanted Chen Mo to help them out by speaking to Master He first and softening the blow.
"Please, Brother Mo, help us. If you help, we'll give you an extra penny later," Ma Cai pleaded, looking at Chen Mo with sincerity.
Chen Mo hesitated. Two pennies was a lot of money. It could buy a decent meal or even some valuable supplies for his cultivation.
But the real question was: Did he want to get involved in this mess?
"Brother Mo, if you help us, we'll be brothers forever. I'll even tell you something important. Something you don't know yet," Ma Cai added, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Now, that piqued Chen Mo's interest. What could Ma Cai possibly know that was worth this much trouble?
"What is it?" Chen Mo asked, genuinely curious.
Ma Cai looked around, then leaned in closer. He had something important to tell, something that might change everything for them all.
End