Chapter 11: A Life-Threatening Task

As soon as Xu Youshan spoke, the expressions of everyone in the Marquis family changed.

Sister-in-law Chen glanced at the bedridden Madam Yang. The food sent by Jiang Lili’s maternal grandfather had indeed improved Madam Yang’s complexion considerably, but it was no long-term solution.

The condition proposed by Xu Youshan was undeniably tempting.

If it could save her mother’s life, what harm was there in kneeling?

Meanwhile, Jiang Lili, upon hearing Xu Youshan’s terms, had a glimmer of contemplation flash through her eyes. Immediately, she quietly tugged at Xin Che’s hand and wrote the words “buy time” in his palm.

On the other side, Wang Zifu, after hearing Xu Youshan’s words, asked inquisitively, “Is Young Master Xu planning to travel with our exile team?”

The road to exile was treacherous, growing increasingly desolate as it progressed. It was certainly no route for leisure. If this Young Master Xu were to join them, they would inevitably feel obliged to take care of him, considering the Magistrate of Yanzhou’s influence, which would only add to their burdens.

“Rest assured, this young master has brought along highly skilled guards for protection,” Xu Youshan said with a shake of his fan. “Additionally, the top chef from the Haiwei Restaurant is accompanying us, and we’ve prepared ample wine and food. Along the way, we can improve the meals for everyone.”

“Of course, traveling together may cause some inconvenience for Captain Wang, so please accept this small token of appreciation for your trouble.”

He signaled to the beautiful maid beside him, who promptly retrieved a heavy pouch of money from her waist. She walked over to Wang Zifu and the group of bailiffs, distributing gold leaves.

The bailiffs grinned from ear to ear as they accepted the gold. Wang Zifu, as their leader, received a larger share and became even more polite toward Xu Youshan.

Among their group of bailiffs, no one knew how to cook properly. They were rough men whose cooking standard was simply making sure the food was edible, with no regard for taste. Now that Young Master Xu had brought a chef along with wine and meat, their living conditions on the road would improve significantly.

Xu Youshan’s visit, however, was clearly intended to humiliate Xin Che.

Directly beating Xin Che wouldn’t be satisfying enough, and besides, if the injuries were too severe, Xu Youshan would have to tend to him. If he failed to save him, it might bring trouble, as the late emperor had decreed that founding heroes and those who quelled rebellions must not be executed.

What Xu Youshan truly wanted was to see Xin Che utterly helpless, forced to abandon his pride and kneel before him, only then could he appease the hatred he had harbored for years.

“So, what have you decided?” Xu Youshan asked with a smile, looking at Jiang Lili. “Speak up! Weren’t you quite vocal just now?”

Having regained the upper hand, Xu Youshan calmed down slightly and sneered, “What’s the matter? Are you so concerned with your so-called dignity that you would ignore your mother-in-law’s life and refuse to kneel?”

Jiang Lili actually responded, “I have some questions.”

“If you can truly fulfill your promise to make my mother-in-law recover, then your terms are acceptable. However—”

Her tone turned skeptical. “However, how can I trust that after our entire household kneels to you, you’ll make an earnest effort to treat her?”

“Where is this doctor you speak of? How skilled are they?”

“What I fear is that you’ll pretend to treat her, only to fool us and make a mockery of our family.”

Jiang Lili’s words awakened Sister-in-law Chen and the others. Indeed, considering Young Master Xu’s nitpicky and mischievous nature, would he really go through with curing Madam Yang?

Xu Youshan found Xin Che’s wife to be unexpectedly difficult to handle. “The doctor from my residence was delayed by some business and set off later than me. She hasn’t caught up yet.”

“Not here? If she’s not here, then she doesn’t exist. Let’s talk when she arrives. Mother’s illness isn’t acute; it requires long-term care and recuperation, so there’s no rush for the moment.”

Jiang Lili’s face showed disbelief. “Besides, Mother’s illness needs warm nourishment and quiet rest. Along the way, she’ll surely require a variety of precious medicinal ingredients. Have you prepared those?”

“My maternal family runs a pharmacy business, of course I’ve prepared them!”

“My family’s doctor is bringing the medicines along. Just wait and see! They’re no worse than what’s used in the capital!”

“Wait and see,” Xu Youshan repeated confidently.

Xu Youshan found himself trapped in a self-imposed dilemma under Jiang Lili’s questioning, and the two reached an impasse.

Meanwhile, Wang Zifu had already taken the iron pot, ladle, and other cooking utensils off the cart to prepare the evening meal. He walked to Xu Youshan’s side and said, “Young Master Xu, we’re about to start dinner preparations. If you don’t mind, would you like to try our brothers’ cooking skills?”

Though Wang Zifu’s tone appeared polite, his words were a subtle reminder, which Xu Youshan naturally understood. “Captain Wang, you’re too modest. Let my chef take care of dinner tonight.”

“Ahai!”

Xu Youshan called for his traveling chef, but the young servant beside him responded instead, “Young Master, Chef Hai said the wild mushrooms and game on the nearby hills are exceptionally fresh, so he went to gather some.”

“He plans to make a wild mushroom, ginseng, and pheasant soup tonight, with fresh vegetables for hotpot. It’ll be incredibly delicious!”

Upon hearing this, Wang Zifu and his men couldn’t help but salivate.

The exiles were equally tempted but understood that all they would get were coarse cakes and thin rice soup.

At this moment, a loud grumble came from the stomach of Xin Yan, whom Sister-in-law Chen was holding. The sound was particularly loud, as the group had been on the road all day after their early morning meal, and children tended to get hungry quickly.

“What’s this? Are you craving it, boy?” Xu Youshan’s sly, upturned eyes swept over, brimming with mischief, and Xin Yan immediately shrank back in fear.

Seeing this, Xu Youshan suddenly had an idea. He turned to Wang Zifu and said, “Captain Wang, look at these people. They’re criminals, yet they’re lounging around in this temple. Don’t you think they’re living a bit too comfortably?”

“Chef Hai is out gathering mushrooms alone, and with nearly twenty mouths to feed, he might not manage on his own.”

Suppressing a malicious grin, Xu Youshan continued, “The elderly can’t go out in the rain, but these young folks sitting idly—it’s just not right. How about letting the able-bodied members of the Marquis family help gather mushrooms?”

Wang Zifu, knowing Xu Youshan’s grudge against the Marquis family, played along. “Brilliant idea, brilliant idea. Jiang Lili, Chen Fulan, Xin Che, Xin Cheng, step forward!”

“You four go help Chef Hai gather the mushrooms.”

Wang Zifu wasn’t worried about Jiang Lili and the others trying to escape. After all, the Marquis and his wife were still in his hands as h*stages.

“Hold on,” Xu Youshan quickly added. “You have half an hour. Make sure to gather enough for twenty people.”

“If you fail to gather enough…” Xu Youshan paused, thinking of an appropriate punishment, when Lin Gong, the bailiff who had previously harassed Jiang Lili, approached and whispered something in his ear.

Xu Youshan’s face immediately brightened with delight. “Good, good!”

“If you don’t gather enough, Madam Jiang will have to partner with Lin Gong and take charge of the meal preparations, assisting him!”

Lin Gong grinned lecherously at the idea of having Jiang Lili assist him, thinking there would be many opportunities to take advantage of the situation.

Xu Youshan continued, “Wild mushrooms can be poisonous, and eating them could be fatal. So you’d better be careful. If, when Chef Hai checks the ingredients, he finds any poisonous mushrooms among what you’ve gathered…”

Xu Youshan’s gaze swept toward Xin Che. “Then the people of the Marquis family will be responsible for eating them!”

Hearing this, the Marquis family grew anxious. Even locals could easily confuse mushrooms in the forest, let alone outsiders like them.

Xu Youshan had predicted exactly this and came up with this underhanded plan.

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