The Mouse

Xu Hao began to consider the matter in his mind. If he ignored the matter of drugging Lai San and let him succeed, there would be very few people left standing in the shop.

The fact that the assessment the day after tomorrow cannot be conducted is a minor matter; the real problem is if the employer thinks these menial workers are too weak and wants to get rid of them all. That would be cutting off their livelihood.

Moreover, if someone like Lai San really becomes a bodyguard and gains power, will he still have a good future?

Xu Hao sat up and, using the faint moonlight streaming in from the window, glanced at the others who were still fast asleep, then looked at the empty bunk in the corner—Ma Gan had already gotten up and left.

A moment later, the sound of the wooden lid of the water vat being lifted came from the yard, followed by the sound of water being stirred with a ladle.

When the sound of water stopped, Xu Hao quickly lay down.

Watching Ma Gan tiptoe back into the house, climb onto the communal bed and lie down, I watched as he did so.

Xu Hao lay in the darkness, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Exposing Lai San? Only a fool would do that.

Without any evidence, if Lai San were to accuse Xu Hao of trying to harm people, who in this shop would believe him, a half-grown kid with no connections?

Since Lai San and his gang want to play dirty tricks, then don't blame us for being disgusting.

After waiting for about half an incense stick's time, and confirming that Magan and the others were really asleep, Xu Hao quietly rolled over onto the lower bunk.

Walking to the corner of the backyard wall, there was a dead rat lying on the ground with its belly up.

This is what the neighbor's tabby cat caught while playing in this yard yesterday. It got tired of playing with it and threw it on the ground. Now it's hardened and smelly.

Xu Hao pinched the bald rat's tail, suppressing the churning in his stomach, and slipped to the large water vat.

"Thirty large coins, right?"

Xu Hao loosened his grip, and with a soft "plop," the dead rat fell into the vat and sank to the bottom.

He picked up the ladle and stirred the water a couple more times, watching the mouse swirl in the water before finally going back to sleep, satisfied.

As dawn broke, the servants got up one after another, and the shop began to get noisy.

Lai San and Ma Gan got up earlier than anyone else. The two squatted on the threshold, picking their teeth while glancing at the water vat out of the corner of their eyes, their faces showing expressions of waiting to see a good show.

Li Da didn't sleep well last night. When he woke up, he felt a bit thirsty. He grabbed a large water ladle from the side and threw it into the water tank. With a splash, it disappeared into the water. He scooped up a full ladle and was about to drink it.

"Brother Li, wait a minute!"

Xu Hao stood next to Li Da, holding a tattered face towel, pretending to wait in line for water to wash up. He glanced casually into the tub, then suddenly shrank back: "What's that thing in the water? Why is there hair in it?"

"Huh?" Li Da paused in his drinking, holding the ladle closer to examine it. "Where did this hair come from?"

Li Da was alarmed when he saw that the water in the ladle was murky and yellowish. Before he could see clearly, a bubble rose from the water tank, and a large rat, bloated and belly up, slowly floated to the surface. The rat's gray, wet fur spread out in the water like a clump of rotten water plants.

"vomit--"

Li Da almost spat out his leftover food from the night before. His hand trembled, and the water ladle fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

"There are dead rats in the water tank! They're all rotten!"

That shout attracted everyone's attention.

When everyone gathered around the water tank, a strange smell assaulted their senses, and they all covered their mouths and gagged uncontrollably.

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Steward Wang threw on his clothes and came out. He glanced into the vat, his beard bristling with rage: "Which bastard drank from it and forgot to put the lid back on! This whole vat of water is ruined!"

Steward Wang beckoned to the surrounding servants, "Pour it out! Pour out all the water! Go to the river and fetch fresh water, then clean the vat thoroughly!"

With a splash, a vat of water laced with "ingredients" was poured onto the muddy ground in the yard.

Lai San and Ma Gan stood at the back of the crowd, looking over here, their faces as green as the moss at the bottom of a jar.

Thirty big coins in total!

So you just fed the land like that?

Lai San stared intently at the dead rat lying on the ground, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets, yet he still had to pretend to look disgusted along with everyone else.

He scolded Ma Gan in a low voice, "You can't even handle this simple task."

Ma Gan shook his head and whispered in protest, "I'm innocent, Third Brother! I remember there were no rats in the jar when I put the poison in last night, and I put the lid back on after I finished!"

After hearing this, Lai San turned his head sharply and looked at Xu Hao with surprise and uncertainty.

Xu Hao was squatting in the corner, poking at the dead rat on the ground with a twig, his face still showing lingering fear: "That rat was disgusting. Luckily I took a look, otherwise Brother Li would have bitten it..."

Li Da, who was rinsing his mouth and gagging, started cursing even more after hearing this.

"Who's so stupid as to not put the lid back on their water after drinking it? Damn it, ugh!"

Lai San gritted his teeth, but could only swallow his anger.

Seeing that breakfast couldn't be made, everyone was sent to the river to fetch water.

Xu Hao mingled in the crowd, watching Lai San and Ma Gan carrying their loads on shoulder poles, pretending to complain along with the others, and felt incredibly satisfied.

After all that fuss, Xu Hao and Manager Wang made an excuse to go work at the temple and slipped out of the shop.

Only one day left.

It was past noon, and the temple was deserted.

Xu Hao closed the temple door tightly, picked up a broken piece of wood from the side and used it to prop the door shut, instantly calming himself down.

Now that we know someone is up to no good, we need to be even tougher.

Xu Hao assumed a stance inside the Martial Temple and began practicing the martial arts moves he had secretly learned. His punches and swung hands with practiced ease, each move accompanied by the sound of wind.

One hundred punches, two hundred punches...

Xu Hao's entire body was flushed red, and the skin on his arms had a faint sheen, a sign that his muscles had become tougher through repeated tearing and rebuilding.

As dusk fell, Xu Hao felt the last bit of strength drain from his body. He immediately used the "lock" technique to lock his blood and qi, and collapsed in front of the statue.

[Martial Realm: Quasi-Martial Apprentice (skin film initially hardens)]

Looking at the changes on the panel, Xu Hao let out a long sigh of relief.

He casually picked up a broken blue brick from under the offering table, gripped the edge with his five fingers, and exerted force.

"Click."

The hard corner of the blue brick shattered with a sound, turning into stone dust that fell down in a flurry.

It became.

Although he hasn't reached the true level of skin-sharpening yet, with this strength, even against someone like Lai San, breaking his wrist wouldn't be a problem.

As night fell, Xu Hao bought a few flatbreads before Brother Sun closed his stall and quickly ate them in a secluded corner.

Then, dragging his weary body, he returned to the shop.

Inside the shop, everyone was drinking porridge and discussing tomorrow's assessment.

The strong and healthy man looked expectant, wondering if he would get a raise if he passed the assessment.

Already in poor health, he looked distressed and had already started packing his luggage.

Xu Hao didn't participate in their discussion. He sat down under the eaves with his bowl of porridge, drinking it while thinking about how to deal with tomorrow.

Suddenly, the listening talisman on his chest felt hot again.

"...We're out of medicine, so we'll have to get serious during tomorrow's assessment."

Lai San's voice came from behind the house, "Master Sun instructed that we must secure the quota this time. Tomorrow, when we're carrying grain sacks, as long as we follow behind Li Da and the others carrying the sacks, we should find an opportunity to trip them up..."

"Third Brother, what if the master sees us..."

"What are you afraid of! There will be so many people tomorrow, it will be so chaotic, who can see clearly? If they break their legs, it's their own fault for being useless! As long as the top few eyesores are crippled, we can select them to go in, and this matter will be settled."

After hearing this, Xu Hao slowly opened his eyes and tapped the bowl lightly with his fingers twice.

Grandpa Sun? Which Grandpa Sun?