Chapter 10, Sending Letters through Others and Chicken Soup.

In this case, rather than losing one's life, it is better to feign compliance with Master Wu.

The young carpenter left the thatched cottage and walked towards the street. After walking for a while, he wanted to find an opportunity to leave the town and depart from this place, but after a short while, he stopped in his tracks again

Escape, can one escape?

Upon hearing these words, the young carpenter finally let out a sigh of relief

However, he did not want to drive anyone away. After thinking for a moment, he returned to the room and took out the wooden carving he had been using to pass the time these days, which was the statue of the child. He handed it to Liu Xiaoya and said: "Did you not want this last time? Here it is for you. Although it has not been polished or smoothed, it still represents a part of my heartfelt intention"

However, what she said only represents her own position and has nothing to do with the Liu family. The carpenter is already worried about his own situation, and his anger has long dissipated, so he speaks in a perfunctory manner. When Liu Xiaoya sees the carpenter, she genuinely feels happy. After apologizing, she asks the carpenter if he is living at Wu Bansian's place

The mute man pointed at the clay pot, urging the young carpenter to eat. The young carpenter invited him to join, but the mute man shook his head and began to eat the corn rice and pickled vegetables beside him.

A kind word warms the coldest winter, while harsh words wound like the chill of June. After the incident that day, the young carpenter endured much grievance, and at this moment, upon hearing Liu Xiaoya's words, his eyes suddenly turned a bit red.

Do not eat; if the mute person informs Wu Banjian, then the old fox is very likely to realize that he has been exposed. At that time, he will seek help, and it will still lead to a dead end.

Such a Liu Xiaoya will only evoke sympathy in people

Liu Xiaoya is indeed a child at heart; upon receiving this item, she was extremely delighted, took it in her hands to examine it, and walked away in high spirits

If it were an ordinary day, the little carpenter would have politely declined and then gladly accepted, indulging in the meal. However, after overhearing the conversation between Wu Bansian and that man last night, he couldn't help but feel afraid, fearing that the medicinal ingredients in the chicken soup might be poison that could silence his voice.

I only hope that the address he left before can still be contacted

Consuming it may result in being poisoned and rendered mute

He is ultimately not a ruthless and desperate person. After lingering on the streets of the town for half a day, he wandered around the construction site of the Liu family's new residence. By the afternoon, he noticed that the person had been following him, so he returned to Wu Banshen's cottage. Just as he entered the house, he saw that old fox waiting for him. After exchanging greetings, the old fox cheerfully asked, "Was the chicken soup good at noon?"

It is evident that this pot of chicken soup is meant for the little carpenter, and the mute has no share.

It had been several days since they last met, and she appeared even more striking, with a shiny, sleek braid, gazing at him with a look of surprise.

He sensed that someone was following him, so he seized an opportunity to casually look back and caught sight of a young man with a fierce appearance and a robust build, trailing him from a distance. Although there was not much evidence, the young carpenter still felt that this person was very likely the apprentice mentioned by his cheap master uncle.

Liu Xiaoya no longer spoke, and the carpenter immediately returned to the thatched cottage. He found paper and pen on the table where Master Wu was issuing documents, and began to grind ink and write. He could read and write, having been taught by his master, Lu Da. Due to Lu Da's frequent need to draw talismans, he had developed a beautiful cursive script, which he inadvertently passed on to the carpenter.

The carpenter said, I have a friend with whom I have a good relationship. From time to time, we always correspond and inquire about each other's well-being. However, nowadays, all the money belonging to my master and me has been taken by your Liu family. I have no postage, and I can only ask you to help send it out.

At noon, the mute person stewed chicken soup, and when it was served on the table, it was rich and fragrant, with a hint of sweet traditional Chinese medicine aroma

The little carpenter said helplessly: "It's not something to be anxious about; whether it can be received or not, I will leave it to fate."

The carpenter recalled Dayong's prejudice against him and specifically instructed: "This matter must be handled by someone trustworthy, and do not let Dayong know; otherwise, he will surely complicate things in the middle."

The carpenter said yes, and Liu Xiaoya then remarked: "Wu Bansian is a person of extraordinary character, often regarded as a diviner with remarkable accuracy. He can predict events from five hundred years in the past to five hundred years in the future, and his reputation is very high. As long as you are here, Dayong and the others will not trouble you, which is good."

That guy is indeed a habitual murderer, even Wu Banshen is somewhat afraid of him

If he could be informed, with his intelligence and talent, he would surely be able to find a solution

The carpenter replied: "Do you need something from me?"

The carpenter replied: "Send it to Guangzhou, it is male."

The little carpenter asked Liu Xiaoya, saying, can you help me by sending a letter?

If that is the case, then what difference is there between him being alive and being dead

After finishing the letter, the young carpenter signed it and handed it to Liu Xiaoya. Liu Xiaoya took it, blew on the ink, then glanced at it and said: "Your handwriting looks like a ghost's scribbles, all messy and not neat at all"

In this chaotic turmoil, who would pay attention to a young man of no significance

However, the young carpenter did not harbor many negative feelings towards the girl before him. After spending these days together, he gained a better understanding of this illegitimate daughter of the Liu family. He knew that her status in the Liu household was low, that she was not favored by Old Master Liu, and that no one restrained her, making her more like a wild girl.

The meaning within is "I am in difficulty, hoping for rescue"

Liu Xiaoya said it is fine, I will hand it over to my uncle to handle, rest assured, he will definitely not make any mistakes

The little carpenter was bewildered, not knowing what to do

As for Lin Yimin's statement that he cannot leave Sandao Keng, it seems less significant in the face of life and death

Liu Xiaoya nodded without hesitation and said: "Sure, I can help you. However, there is no post office in the town; you can only send someone to the county. Moreover, the current situation is quite unstable, and the postal route to Guangfu may not be open, so I fear you might not be able to send it there."

The young carpenter looked up and discovered a girl in a blue shirt standing outside the wall, who was none other than Miss Xiao Ya from the Liu family

In that moment, the young carpenter Gan Shisan experienced for the first time the hardships of life and the difficulties of choice

For the Liu family, the young carpenter naturally felt a deep sense of worry and resentment. After all, his master was plotted against due to the Liu family. However, in the aftermath, not only did the Liu family fail to offer any assistance, but they also added insult to injury by driving him away and seizing all of his master's wealth, leaving him to wander the streets. Ultimately, he "fell into" the hands of Wu Bansian.

Naturally, one cannot fully entrust everything in the letter; instead, I briefly mentioned my current situation, as if expressing my troubles and grievances in a casual manner. Even if others were to see it, they would not discern much of a problem.

Seeing his behavior, the carpenter was even more puzzled and began to harbor some doubts—could it be that there was no poison in this chicken soup, and that it was truly Master Wu who had restored his health?

However, at the end, he uttered two greetings that were unrelated to the main text, and it was these two sentences that served as the agreed-upon code between the two.

However, in the next moment, he came up with an idea

Or perhaps the mute is unaware

The officials in the county are untrustworthy, the Liu family is also untrustworthy, but in this world, there is still one person he trusts the most

He does not know whether Wu Bansian has truly deceived him; if that old fox really went to the county town, he could take this opportunity to escape, and perhaps he might evade the clutches of his enemies

For the first time, he lost his appetite in front of a pot of fragrant, oily chicken soup

Having finished these tasks, with no one at home, the young carpenter felt it was a good opportunity, and his heart couldn't help but race. Immediately after, he inexplicably stepped out of the door

A full quarter of an hour passed before the mute finally entered. The little carpenter pretended to be stuffed and walked out of the room in front of the mute. Shortly after, he quietly returned, only to see the mute walk up to the table, pick up the remaining chicken soup, and gulp it down. Then, he picked up the chicken bones from the floor and began to chew them.

Seeing him so serious, Liu Xiaoya assured him that she would find someone to take care of it as soon as she returned

After seeing off Liu Xiaoya, the carpenter returned to the room and went to check on the mute again. He noticed that the mute was busy in the back kitchen, boiling water and plucking the feathers from the chicken they had caught, which finally put his mind at ease

Liu Xiaoya asked: "Do you still know how to read? Where should it be sent? Male or female?"

The little carpenter could not help but hum softly, pondering what was so good about it; if he could not find a way to escape, he would soon become a mute and a cripple.

The carpenter did not provide her with much explanation, but entrusted her with it and repeatedly urged her, stating that it was very important to him and that she must ensure it is mailed out

The little carpenter was filled with questions but did not dare to speak much. When the mute had finished and went out to gather firewood, he finally took out the hidden clay pot. Looking at the fragrant chicken and oily broth inside, he swallowed hard but ultimately did not dare to eat it. Instead, he poured it into the medicinal herb garden in the backyard and covered it with soil

After hesitating for half a minute, the young carpenter finally made a bold decision—he took out a ceramic basin from the cupboard, poured most of the chicken soup into it, dismantled the whole chicken, placed the bones on the table, and tossed the chicken meat into the basin. After making a bit of a mess, he applied some oil to his mouth, hid the basin, and scooped half a bowl of corn rice into his stomach

The little carpenter kept an eye on the outside while working on these, fortunately, the mute did not seem to come in and did not uncover the truth

Thus, he insisted on feeding the mute person, yet the mute person appeared to be quite resistant, even directly moving the bowl of food and walking out to the courtyard

Liu Xiaoya is strange, saying to send a letter, but what letter is she sending

Liu Xiaoya said: "After the incident at the new construction site, I couldn't find you. I inquired everywhere, but they were unwilling to tell me anything. However, I know that the officials in the county would not let you go; you must still be in the town. They all say that the person who killed Er Niu and Old Ma is your master, but I think they are talking nonsense. Your master is such a good person and so capable; how could he act recklessly? Even children understand this; how could the adults not know? They are just speaking nonsense with their eyes wide open. I am afraid you are feeling wronged and want to apologize to you... Even children understand this; how could the adults not know? They are just speaking nonsense with their eyes wide open. I am afraid you are feeling wronged and want to apologize to you..."

His appearance here must be due to his master uncle's concern, specifically coming to follow him. One can imagine that if he were to run away, that person would follow and deal with him.

It is evident that he believes the little carpenter eating is truly a waste

Liu Xiaoya still had more to say to the carpenter, but the carpenter was anxious to send the letter out, for it was not merely a letter, but a beacon of hope