"You're going to?"

Just as he was hesitating and feeling troubled, Hu Ma's words immediately attracted the attention of both of them.

Hu Ma met their gazes and said with a smile, "Yes, I have a connection with Xiang丫tou. I picked her up from the river, and she's diligent and gets along well with the guys in our village. Now we're all friends."

"Saving her is a good deed for me. My婆婆 taught me to help people to the end. If Old Shopkeeper has a way to save her, just use the medicine. At worst, I'll cover the medicine fee for her."

As he spoke, he smiled, quite proud of himself, and said, "Fortunately, the heavens are helping me. Now I'm not begging for food in the village anymore. I've joined the Blood Food Society, and I get dozens of taels of silver in salary every month. I think that should be enough to cover her medicine fee."

"This…"

After Hu Ma said this, the old steward's face was filled with excitement, while the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper was taken aback. His expression was slightly awkward, and he coughed before lowering his voice and saying:

"Little brother, you're a kind-hearted person, but your experience is still shallow."

"Now that you're doing well, you're indeed earning a salary from the Blood Food Gang, but do you know how much silver it will take to treat her?"

"…"

"Is it very expensive?"

Hu Ma asked curiously, "I've seen a lot of blood food."

"It's different."

The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper smiled helplessly and said, "Blood food is certainly precious, but it can be harvested from various blood food mines. If it can't be harvested this year, it can be harvested next year. But if you want to treat this girl, what you need is Jin Si Tai Sui (Golden Silk Flesh Fungus)."

"This isn't like black, white, blue, and red, which can be harvested every year. It's occasionally harvested from a blood food mine, but it doesn't grow the second year. It's something that has a price but no market."

"To be honest, we don't usually keep this kind of thing in our shop, because it's not that widely used. Only our小姐 has a little, but it's being kept for a reason."

"She's agreed to give it up, which is already giving face to her peers in the Jianghu."

"…"

Hearing this, the old steward became worried again, his face bitter, but he couldn't say anything, obviously knowing that this was the truth.

"Ah?"

Hu Ma was also slightly stunned, "Then how much does it cost?"

"Price?"

The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper smiled and slowly said, "We won't sell it for less than ten times the price of blood food."

"What?"

Hu Ma was shocked…

…He wasn't acting now; he was genuinely shocked.

Miss White Wine is too black, isn't she?

The Jin Si Tai Sui can be sold for ten times the price of blood Tai Sui? She said she wanted to do me a favor, but isn't this favor a bit too exaggerated?

If it can be sold for ten times the price of blood Tai Sui, doesn't that mean that the piece of Jin Wen Tai Sui (Golden Vein Flesh Fungus) that I and Er Guo Tou and the others got back then would be worth hundreds of catties of blood Tai Sui?

His shock seemed very reasonable to the other two.

A kind-hearted little shopkeeper, only lacking in experience, was willing to bear the medicine fee, but didn't expect it to be so expensive and was frightened.

"But…"

Even the old steward couldn't persuade Hu Ma at this time. He just looked anxiously at the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper and said, "Saving people is always the most important thing. Please, Shopkeeper, have mercy…"

"Can you give me the medicine on credit first? I'll pledge my life here. After reporting to my master, even if it's ten times higher, the Dongzi Li family can pay it."

"…"

He actually knew that the Cao Xin Tang was asking for a sky-high price, but they weren't being excessive, because the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper was right. Jin Wen Tai Sui isn't harvested regularly; it's a kind of thing that has a price but no market.

It's not a question of whether they're asking for a price, but that he's spending money to buy a life. Only they have something that can save your life, so it's reasonable to ask for any price.

"Old brother, don't say that…"

But the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper shook his head when he heard the old steward's words and said, "You're making things difficult for us. The Jianghu has its own rules."

"We've already broken the rules by examining your小姐 and giving her the longevity lock."

"But now we can't be sure of your identity. You don't have any credentials. You just say a word and want to get Jin Wen Tai Sui from us on credit. That's a bit…"

Speaking of this, he stopped and just sighed, "Although your Ghost Cave Li family is far from here, perhaps you have some distant relatives and friends here? Otherwise, you can ask the Little Messenger Ghost to send a message. If you can find someone to vouch for you, we'll feel more at ease!"

"Vouch…"

The old steward hesitated obviously, seemingly unable to think of anyone who could help here. Suddenly, he reacted and turned to look at Hu Ma, hesitating to speak.

"The time has come…"

Hu Ma noticed it, but he just pretended to be embarrassed, deliberately turning his head away and not looking at him.

"You two discuss it; I have to go back to my小姐 to report."

The Five Ghosts Shopkeeper noticed something, shook his head, sighed, and said to Hu Ma, "Little brother, knowing your婆婆 back then, I knew she was kind-hearted, but… it's not easy to make a living!"

He didn't know what Hu Ma and Miss White Wine had discussed. He was just kindly reminding him at this moment.

Even this reminder could only be subtle. How could he say it?

Should he explicitly tell Hu Ma not to save people?

After the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper went out, the old steward of the Li family finally made up his mind and suddenly turned to look at Hu Ma.

"Hey, don't kneel…"

Hu Ma anticipated his kneeling and quickly reached out to stop him, saying, "Old sir, I understand what you mean."

"But don't make things difficult for me…"

As he spoke, he showed a wry smile and said, "I was planning to cover the medicine fee, but… I only thought it was a matter of dozens of taels of silver. What can I do if it's higher? I've climbed to this position of little shopkeeper in the Blood Food Gang, and I only earn that much a month."

These words weren't pretentious. Dozens of taels of silver was already a huge sum for ordinary people.

Hu Ma wanted to agree directly, but he had to put on a full act. They weren't fools. If a little shopkeeper like him came up and offered to cover such a high medicine fee, it would be strange if they didn't suspect him.

The old steward was also a little embarrassed to speak. He didn't have any doubts about Hu Ma now, but he was struggling in his heart.

After a long time, he suddenly gritted his teeth, as if he had made some kind of determination.

Hu Ma didn't let him kneel, so he cupped his fists and said solemnly, "Benefactor, my name is Dong Liangshun, and I used to be a well-known figure in the Jianghu. Later, I was saved by the Ghost Cave Li family, so I willingly joined the Li family as a steward."

"I'm not a person of great influence, but I've never done anything against my conscience in my life."

"Now, I just want to save our小姐. I only hope that the benefactor will help us to the end."

"I'm willing to write an IOU, make a poisonous oath, and even hand over my birthdate to use this old life as a guarantee. As long as the benefactor saves our小姐, I will definitely repay this debt three times over in the future."

"If I'm short even half a point to the benefactor, may I be struck by lightning and die a terrible death."

"…"

Even in his previous life, making such a poisonous oath made people feel uneasy.

It was even more serious in this world. Hu Ma could see how determined the old steward was.

But he still wore a wry smile on his face and hesitated, "No matter how harsh you make your words, no one can say for sure about the future. I only know that if I bear such a large sum of money, if something goes wrong, my livelihood in this life may be ruined here."

His words were sincere, and the old steward naturally understood.

Listening to his conversation with the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper, he also heard that the little shopkeeper was still begging for food in the village last year. Now, he was able to join the Blood Food Gang as a shopkeeper, which could be said to be blessed by his ancestors.

For the people in the village, it was more difficult than passing the imperial examination.

If such a precious future was ruined, no one could bear it.

He couldn't force him to help, so he lowered his head deeply.

On the other hand, Hu Ma looked very embarrassed now. After a long time, he sighed and looked down at Xiang丫tou, who was still unconscious, and said in a low voice, "But after all, it's a human life…"

"I'm not doing it for you, but for Xiang丫tou. I rescued her with my own hands, and I don't want to see her lose her little life in such a muddleheaded way. To gamble on such a thing for her…"

"…I really don't know if it's worth it."

"…"

"Ah?"

The old steward suddenly heard these words and saw that Hu Ma was somewhat willing to help. His face was filled with excitement, and he said repeatedly, "It's worth it, it's worth it. Benefactor, don't worry. The Ghost Cave Li family doesn't go back on its word. You saved our小姐's life. The entire Li family is grateful for your great virtue."

"Have you come to an agreement?"

As they were talking, the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper came down and saw that one was sighing and the other was grateful, so he understood.

He sighed and said, "I just asked the小姐. The小姐 said that you, the little shopkeeper of the Blood Food Gang, are a righteous person, and our Cao Xin Tang is willing to be your friend."

"Of course…"

"I admire you, but if you really want to be the guarantor, if the medicine fee doesn't come back, the Cao Xin Tang will also have to collect the debt from the Red Lantern Society. I don't think your Niangniang will help you to default on this debt."

"…"

Hu Ma sighed helplessly and said, "But what else can I do? Just watch people die?"

"Old senior, don't say anything more, lest I change my mind again. Bring the IOU, I'll sign it!"

"…"

Hearing this, the old steward's previous trace of arrogance in his heart and eyes shattered, leaving nothing behind. He had knelt down several times before, but Hu Ma stopped him. This time, he didn't kneel, but just bowed deeply to the end, and two streams of old tears gushed out:

"Our小姐 has had many misfortunes and has just experienced this disaster, but to be able to meet a righteous person like you and turn misfortune into good fortune is really…"

"…It's really the heavens taking care of my Li family's hard work!"

"…"

For a time, not only the Five Ghosts Shopkeeper was moved, but the old steward was also touched, and even the guys in the shop heard what was going on.

Although it seemed like they were guaranteeing something for someone, and they would get at least three times the income in return, which seemed like a sure profit, how could there be so many good things in the Jianghu?

They all peeked at Hu Ma, wondering if the little shopkeeper had hit the jackpot or jumped into a big pit.

(End of chapter)