The two seniors were startled when Armin carried two baskets of hens as he followed Lisa into the couple’s broke courtyard.
“This… This is…”
Leo stood up from the bench.
Ruby walked out from the kitchen too. She wiped the water from her hand as she walked, looking at Lisa with a shocked face.
“Mrs. Kim, this young man sure knows how to repay favors. He bought quite a number of hens from my place, I’ve brought it over for the two seniors first. My son will come and set up a coop for the two seniors later, it won’t take very long. The two seniors will now have eggs to eat every day! If you can’t finish them, you can take them to my place. We’ve been neighbors for so many years, I’ll count one zhu for twelve eggs as usual!”
“Sir, ma'am… Do you still remember me?”
“Of course, of course! Aren’t you that young lad who lent a night’s stay at our place some time ago!”
“Yes!”
“Mr. Kim!”
Lisa was just talking to the old couple when Erin pushed the bamboo fence’s gate open.
He walked in with a face full of smiles as he carried a sack of white rice.
“Ai! Erin, what are you…”
“Aiyo, Mr. Kim, I’m here to deliver your rations. I’ll bring a bucket first, I’ve just milled it! When you two seniors finish it, just send me a word. I’ll bring new rice! This young man has paid for two kilograms of rice, enough for you two seniors to eat for a year!”
Leo was stunned.
He watched as Armin put the two baskets of hens down properly, then he turned to walk out while smiling the whole while.
Then he watched as Erin carried that bucket of white rice into the kitchen.
He poured a waterfall of rice into the empty rice barrel.
Once Erin had left the courtyard too, Leo finally regained his senses.
His white beard was twitching as he grabbed on Lisa's arm, extremely moved: “You young lad, what are you doing! Us two seniors just let you stayed the night, how could it be worth such a big repayment!”
Lisa smiled shyly. She did not answer.
Ruby walked over too.
She wiped her tears with dry and coarse hands, then she said vehemently: “Young lad, you have such a good heart. Don’t go today, stay and have dinner together. Our home doesn’t have anything good, I hope you don’t mind.”
“Yes yes yes, don’t go today. The day is getting late, just stay here tonight!”
Lisa raised her head to look at the sky, then she nodded: “Then I’ll trouble the two seniors.”
“You young lad, it should be us old things thanking you!”
The cleverest housewife couldn’t cook without rice.
Now that there’s rice, they couldn’t not have any dishes.
Lisa had settled their year of rations. Although they were poor, they shouldn’t be stingy.
Thinking it through, Ruby went to Armin's house to lend some chicken eggs without discussing it with Leo.
Ruby had just wanted to borrow two to fry them just for Liam, but Armin laughed cheerily: “Mrs. Kim, how could two eggs be enough!”
Then he shouted for his son to bring ten eggs carried in a bamboo basket, including an extra slice of cured meat!
Ruby turned it down several times. She could borrow these eggs, because her house had hens now.
They could pay back the eggs once the hens have matured. But she absolutely would not dare to take the cured meat.
When could she pay that back?
Ultimately, Armin just said that once the hens were grown, the eggs that they lay can be used to pay back.
And the meat does not need to be paid. He just gave it as his thanks to Liam.
Ruby finally accepted it.
Armin was not stupid. He had covetous eyes; he saw that although Lisa wore peasant clothes, that big and tall horse of her was of premium quality.
Without thousands of zhus, or even without some gold, such a quality horse couldn’t be bought.
That horse also carried bulging bags, and the money bag that Lisa took out from her rucksack was even more packed.
Lisa counted money without any hesitation, and she even gave more than the actual price!
With such a manner of handling things, he could tell that this was a young master who does not know how to live in one look.
But maybe! He could even be some young master from some big aristocratic family, eloping with a little lover!
Armin snorted, then he instructed his son to hurry up and prepare the materials, go and build the coop for the Kim family!
----
Two hours later, the meal was ready.
For the first time in ages, the Kim family had steamed white rice, four cooked potatoes, a stir-fry of wild vegetables with cured meat, a big plate of fried eggs, and a plate of bean sauce with spring onions.
Leo set the table right in the courtyard, then he arranged three wooden stools.
The three of them had just settled down around the table when an ‘uninvited guest’ arrived.
“Boss! Boss! I’ve finally found you!”
Bambam was panting in coarse breaths. He held a club in his hand, and he carried a rucksack on his back.
The peasant clothes on his body were half soaked with sweat.
He pushed the bamboo gate open to walk into the courtyard.
Lisa looked up at the mountain bandit from where she sat on the stool.
She raised an eyebrow as she asked: “How did you find your way here?”
Hearing this, Bambam smiled proudly: “Boss, you’re testing me aren’t you. Didn’t I say before, I’ve been a horse… specialist, for a period of time. I’ve followed the hoof prints all the way here.”
Hearing that from the mountain bandit, Lisa looked at him with some surprise.
“Liam, who might this be?”
“Ah…”
Before Lisa could answer, Bambam cleverly went up to give Leo a salute first, then he answered: “Sir, I’m Bambam. I’ve had a misunderstanding with boss Liam before, and I want to follow him. Could this old senior say a few good words for me?”
“Ma'am, could I trouble you to bring another set of bowl and chopsticks?” Lisa turned to say.
“Ai, I’ll go get it right away!”
“Come sit down and eat first, we’ll keep talking after the meal.”
Lisa did not expect that Bambam would have the ability to find her even when she had gone so far.
But no matter what, Bambam was still an ex-bandit.
Now that he had encountered the Kim family, it could result in disaster if she did not take him away.
If this man returned to his old ways, wouldn’t she have harmed the two seniors?
“Liam, where’s that wife of yours? Isn’t she with you?”
Hearing the old man’s question, Lisa fell in a trance for a moment.
She remembered how they were escaping together some time ago, riding on the carriage pulled by a donkey, pretending to be husband and wife for the journey.
And now, Jennie was back in the palaces, while she herself is also returning to the military camp.
Each back to their own lives.
“Boss, that day… I saw the lady from afar too. When Baron opened the carriage curtain, I took a look from far away. She sure is beautiful! I’ve never seen someone that beautiful in all my life. Boss, you sure are fortunate!”
As Bambam talked, he took up a stick of spring onion, dipped it in some sauce, crunched it in his mouth, and then chomped a bite of white rice.
“She is… at home. I’m out on a trip to do some sales, so I did not bring her along.”
Leo nodded: “Oh… that sure is a good lady!”
Lisa curved the corners of her lips, then she lowered her head to look quietly at the table before her.
She slowly put down a half-peeled potato in her hand, then she reached her hand inside her clothes, feeling that jade pendant that was still laying obediently by her chest.
She reached out her fingers, lightly caressing it.
Although we weren’t that far apart yet, I miss her...
Lisa smiled as she stayed silent, while Bambam joked and rambled.
Ruby had a face of contentment, and Leo's eyes were filled with affection.
The meal ended pleasantly like this.
Ruby cleaned up the table while Lisa engaged in small talk with Leo as they sat by the tree in their courtyard.
Lisa had Bambam go to chop wood and fetch water. He undid his rucksack, threw it inside the west house, then he started his chores happily.
“Liam, I can see that Bambam does his chores quite efficiently, and he has his wits about him too. Chasing you all this way counts as sincerity. If you don’t mind, how about bringing him along? It’ll count as having a helper at least.”
“Ai, you can rest assured.” Lisa nodded in agreement.
***
Next day.
Lisa brought Bambam along to say their goodbyes to the old couple.
Lisa told Bambam to wait in the village while she buys a horse at Lian city.
But Bambam refused fervently, as he feared that he would be thrown off.
He insisted on following her.
Lisa shot a cold look at Bambam: “I mean what I said. I said I’ll bring you along, so I will bring you along. If you want to follow me then go ahead and follow.”
Once that was said, Lisa spurred the horse to leave.
She picked a horse at Lian city, then she led it as she rode her way back.
When she returned, she saw that Bambam was still holding his club and carrying his rucksack as he waited for her at the village entrance.
Lisa nodded: I don't like people who do not trust me.
“Boss, you came back!” Bambam came up to Lisa at once.
“Get on!”
Lisa threw the reins over to Bambam. He walked around the horse excitedly, then he patted the horse’s neck before he mounted it.
The two of them rode for several miles, then Lisa held up the reins to come to a stop: “You can follow me, but there are some things I must tell you clearly beforehand. If you still want to follow me after that, I’ll bring you along.”
“See, I just said that boss' identity isn’t average! Go ahead and say it, I’ll surely still follow you!”
“I am Liam Manoban, the Battalion Commander of Flying-Feather under Commander-in-Chief General Windsor. I’m in the military, and I’m now returning to the military camp. I think that you would know of General Windsor's forces. We are in a battle against the Huns throughout the year, with the highest count of dead and injured among all of the Kingdom’s military forces.”
Bambam gulped as he looked at Lisa.
Lisa stared at Bambam as she continued: “You can change your ways, that’s great. If you don’t wish to follow me anymore, I won’t force you to. I can give you this horse, along with some travel expenses. But I won’t let you off easily if I ever find you harassing the two seniors!”
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