A Mortal’s Immortal Gourd
Chapter 13: Handsome Young Man

Ergouzi returned to Shekou Mountain and began preparing for his trip.

First, he moved some stones and thorns to block the already difficult mountain path, making it even harder to climb.

Even he needed a rope to get up and down Shekou Mountain now.

He packed all his valuable belongings—hoe, hatchet, iron pot—into the gourd.

He also counted the unhulled rice and copper coins stored inside.

He now had over 150 shi of unhulled rice and one dou of Strength Pills in the gourd.

But what he needed most—copper coins and silver—was pitifully scarce, with barely over five guan in total.

At current market prices, one mu of land could sell for 20 guan, so just the three mu he was farming would cost at least 60 guan.

And Huang Laocai might not even be willing to sell.

Ergouzi planned to find an opportunity this time to ask if Huang Laocai would sell the land on Shekou Mountain.

After all, it was full of rocks, the mountain path was getting harder, and watering was inconvenient.

To others, the land on Shekou Mountain was worthless—but to Ergouzi, it was perfect.

He just hoped that on this trip to the city, he’d meet someone who could recognize the value of the Strength Pills and offer a good price, so he could buy the land.

To prepare for the trip, Ergouzi washed the only thin hemp outfit he owned a day in advance.

He carefully stitched the cuffs and underarms where the seams had come loose.

He also jumped into Shexi Stream and scrubbed himself clean.

Then he combed his hair neatly and put on a new pair of straw shoes. He looked refreshed and full of energy—handsome like a new groom.

When Ergouzi carried five dou of unhulled rice to Huang Laocai’s house to pay rent, he could feel the second daughter of Huang Laocai's gaze brighten.

Their eyes met for a second, and Ergouzi blushed all the way to his neck, quickly looking down and not daring to make eye contact again.

Huang Laocai’s second daughter had a round face, round waist, and round butt—one of the village’s top beauties, envied by many idle men.

A woman like her would be excellent both in the fields and for raising children.

But she was the daughter of the richest man in the village—no way a poor tenant like him could aim so high.

“Oh! It’s Ergouzi!”

“At first glance, I thought it was a groom coming over.”

“This boy’s getting more handsome!”

“So tall now—time to get a wife.”

There were already a dozen strong men gathered at Huang Laocai’s home, all tenants of his.

They had nothing to do at the moment, so when they saw Ergouzi arrive, they started teasing him.

“Look, he’s even blushing!”

Tenant Laifu patted Ergouzi on the shoulder. “When we get to the city, I’ll take you to the backdoor alley. A few coins, and you’ll get to feel like a real man!”

“Go a few times and you’ll never blush again.”

“Uncles, I’m still young—not yet old enough to marry.”

Ergouzi thought to himself, he’d just turned 14. Still a bit early to be thinking about marriage.

“What do you know, kid?”

“As the old saying goes, sleeping with a woman makes you grow three inches in a night! Get a wife and you’ll shoot up!”

“Hahaha…”

While the rowdy men were laughing and joking, a creak came from the inner room as a door opened.

Ergouzi turned his head and saw his older male cousin, Zhang Youliang, walk out with a grim expression.

Zhang Youliang also saw him but only gave him a glare before walking away.

Some tenants quickly stepped forward, trying to flatter him.

“Master Zhang!”

“Master Zhang…”

But his cousin just gave a grunt through his nose and left without giving anyone another glance.

“What’s he so stuck-up for? We’re all from the same village!”

Once he was out of sight, one tenant muttered discontentedly.

His friend quickly shushed him.

“Shh! Don’t talk nonsense—he’s a Scholar now. We tenants can’t afford to offend him.”

At that moment, Huang Laocai also came out of the inner room.

“Thanks for waiting, everyone. Let’s eat breakfast first—gotta fill up to work hard!”

Huang Laocai was a considerate man—he even served everyone breakfast: steaming white rice with shredded pickles.

Usually, even during the New Year, they couldn’t eat to their fill at home, but now everyone stuffed themselves.

Getting a full meal each time was one of the reasons the tenants liked working for Huang Laocai.

After eating, Huang Laocai instructed everyone to bag the grain and tie it onto wheelbarrows.

Each cart held three shi of unhulled rice. They loaded over 30 carts.

Only then did Ergouzi realize that more than half the rent Huang Laocai collected had to go toward paying taxes.

And this wasn’t even all of it—just a portion of the total tax.

They had to pick the best grain and deliver it to the county office. If they missed the deadline, the government would send constables to collect by force.

When that happened, things would turn ugly—beatings, smashing things, seizing property—it wouldn’t end well.

There were 50 people in their group, including Huang Laocai, pushing over 30 wheelbarrows, with the rest rotating in shifts.

They first followed a narrow trail to Sanchazi Town, then turned onto a main road.

Over the past half year, Ergouzi had not only grown stronger but also taller.

Each cart of three shi weighed over 300 jin, but he could push one alone for more than ten li without feeling tired.

When his arms felt sore and numb, he secretly directed Yuanqi into them and the fatigue vanished.

His arm strength would immediately surge as well.

Same with his legs—when tired, he channeled Yuanqi through his meridians, and the exhaustion disappeared. He could walk briskly again.

Everyone else had changed shifts several times, but he hadn’t changed once.

The other tenants thought he was just brimming with youthful energy, trying to show off.

But in truth, he was using the opportunity to secretly practice channeling Yuanqi while walking.

These techniques had never been taught by his master—he was figuring them out on his own.

Focused and undistracted, he kept refining the process and found it increasingly effective. Instead of tiring, he felt lighter and more energetic.

“Dang dang dang…”

Suddenly, the sound of a gong rang out, and a group of men jumped out from both sides of the road—brandishing knives and sticks, blocking the path.

Ergouzi had never seen such a scene before. He immediately dropped the wheelbarrow and blended into the crowd, quietly gripping the small knife hidden in his coat.

But the other tenants didn’t seem frightened and remained calm.

Then Huang Laocai walked up with a cheerful smile and clasped his hands in greeting toward a middle-aged man with a pork-chop face.

“Well, if it isn’t Lord Zhao. What an honor!”

“This mountain is mine, and this tree I planted…”

The pork-chop-faced man was strangely devoted to robbery slogans, reciting them word for word with a solemn expression.

Only then did he raise his butcher knife and chop at a nearby tree.

The trees by the road were covered with slash marks—clearly his handiwork.

“You know the rules?”

“Of course, of course!”

Huang Laocai kept smiling and clasped his hands, pulling a silver piece from his sleeve and offering it with both hands.

“Lord Zhao works so hard maintaining peace in these hills—eating wind and sleeping under the stars. Please accept this humble token of appreciation!”

“Spare me the flattery—I’m just a bandit!”

The pork-chop-faced man grabbed the silver, weighed it in his hand, completely ignoring Huang Laocai’s polite words.

“Alright boys, let’s go!”

He yanked his butcher knife from the tree and called out. The bandits hollered and melted back into the woods.

They came fast and left faster. The group continued pushing their carts toward the county.

Though they hadn’t been too scared at the time, everyone felt a little shaken afterward.

“This Lord Zhao may be a bandit, but he’s got class,” Laifu said with admiration.

“I’ve been on this road with the master for over ten years—he never hurts anyone as long as we pay up.”

“Not only that, but I heard this whole road is his turf. Once you pay him, no other bandits will bother you…”

From how the tenants spoke, this bandit had a pretty good reputation. Some of them even seemed to admire the bandit lifestyle.