35: Chapter 35 Five Spirit Stones

The inn where Mo Shoutian stayed was only separated from Dasheng Cargo Firm by two streets.

Although it was already night, the streets of Jiuzhou City were still bustling with people coming and going.

Lanterns were hung in front of restaurants and shops, and there were still many peddlers on the roadside who had not packed up their stalls.

Mo Shoutian had no heart to look at these; he crossed the crowd and walked straight toward Dasheng Cargo Firm.

The courtyard of Dasheng Cargo Firm had already quieted down. Most of the busy hands from the day had gone back to rest, and only the room where they drank tea in the afternoon still had its lights on.

Mo Shoutian walked up to the door and raised his hand to knock a few times.

"Who is it?"

Qiu Wansheng's voice came from inside the room.

"Shopkeeper Qiu, it's me, Shoutian."

Footsteps quickly sounded inside the room, and the door was opened immediately.

"Brother Shoutian is here. Come in."

After Mo Shoutian entered the room, Qiu Wansheng casually closed the door and poured him a cup of tea.

"Brother Shoutian, your luck is quite good this time. That beast core sold for five Spirit Stones."

After speaking, Qiu Wansheng took a small cloth bag from his bosom and poured the Spirit Stones inside onto the table—exactly five pieces.

Mo Shoutian looked at the Spirit Stones on the table and did not speak for a moment.

When he received the seven hundred and fifty taels of silver in the afternoon, although he was happy, he was far from being as excited as he was now.

Qiu Wansheng picked up one of them and pushed the remaining four in front of Mo Shoutian.

"According to what we agreed upon before, this one belongs to me."

"It's only right."

Mo Shoutian picked up the four Spirit Stones, looked at them one by one, and only carefully tucked them into his bosom after confirming there were no issues.

"Brother Shoutian is a straightforward person, doing business with you is effortless."

"In the future, I will still have to trouble Shopkeeper Qiu a lot."

As Mo Shoutian spoke, his gaze fell once again on the Spirit Stone in Qiu Wansheng's hand.

Qiu Wansheng naturally saw it as well.

"What, do you want this one too?"

Mo Shoutian did not deny it.

"Is Shopkeeper Qiu willing to sell it?"

Qiu Wansheng lowered his head to look at the Spirit Stone in his hand.

"I told you last time, this thing is hard to buy even with silver. How about this, one hundred and twenty taels; if you think it's acceptable, I'll give this one to you as well."

Upon hearing this, Mo Shoutian directly took two fifty-tael silver ingots and twenty taels of fragmented silver from his bosom and placed them on the table.

Qiu Wansheng looked at the silver on the table, but did not pick it up immediately.

"Brother Shoutian, last time you already asked whether you could buy Spirit Stones with silver."

"Now you bring out one hundred and twenty taels without even bargaining. Are you planning to give these Spirit Stones to someone?"

Mo Shoutian looked at Qiu Wansheng for a moment before saying,

"There is some use for them at home, and other matters are inconvenient to tell."

Qiu Wansheng also looked at him for a moment, and without continuing to press further, placed the Spirit Stone in his hand onto the table.

"Fine, if it's inconvenient to tell, then don't say it."

"I run a business openly; as long as you deliver the large beasts and beast cores to me, other matters have nothing to do with me."

Only then did Mo Shoutian pick up the Spirit Stone on the table and tuck it into his bosom as well.

Qiu Wansheng put the silver away.

"If you hunt large beasts in the future, still send them to me. Selling the beast cores will also be handled according to the previous rules."

"If you still want to buy the Spirit Stones allocated to me, we can negotiate the price then."

"If I happen to have extra Spirit Stones on hand, I can also save them for you first."

Mo Shoutian asked,

"Why is Shopkeeper Qiu willing to help me?"

"Today you delivered nine hundred taels worth of goods to me all at once, how could I push you away?"

Qiu Wansheng picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Only when you can hunt a few more large beasts can I make more silver; this is a case of each taking what they need."

After hearing this, Mo Shoutian cupped his fists toward Qiu Wansheng.

"Then I will have to trouble Shopkeeper Qiu from now on."

After bidding farewell to Qiu Wansheng, Mo Shoutian returned to the inn.

By this time, the others had already fallen asleep. Perhaps exhausted from days of traveling, all of them were snoring as they slept.

Mo Qingshi was on the first watch. Seeing Mo Shoutian return, he greeted him softly.

Mo Shoutian nodded.

"Qingshi, go to sleep. I'll just keep watch."

Mo Qingshi said in a low voice,

"Brother Shoutian, go to sleep. My dad said the four of us can take turns watching, and you should sleep soundly after coming back."

Hearing him say this, Mo Shoutian glanced at Mo Changlin, who was still snoring.

Along this journey, Mo Changlin had considered many things much more thoughtfully than he had.

Mo Shoutian nodded, and without declining further, lay down on the shared bed.

He originally wanted to carefully plan what to do next, but traveling for days on end was truly too exhausting, and he fell asleep before pondering for long.

Early the next morning, after eating breakfast and packing their things, the few of them started hurrying back.

When they came, the cart was loaded with more things, taking a total of eight days. On the way back, the cart was much emptier, and the journey took only seven days.

On the afternoon of the seventh day, the group finally returned to Mo Family Village.

Just as the few of them were about to part ways, Mo Shoutian said,

"Uncle Changlin, Qingshi, Shouyi, Shoucheng, tonight call the others over as well, and come to my house for dinner and to split the money."

Hearing this, all of them happily nodded.

Along this journey, the silver had always been kept in the charge of Mo Changlin. With the others not around, the matter of splitting the money had not been brought up.

Mo Shoutian said to Mo Changlin again,

"Also, from now on, Uncle Changlin will be responsible for this carriage. Take both the horse and the carriage back. Whenever I need to use them, I will tell you, Uncle Changlin."

Mo Changlin nodded, and afterwards the few of them each returned home.

Before Mo Shoutian even reached his own doorstep, he saw a few villagers delivering medicinal herbs at the entrance of Xu Qiuniang's house.

At this time, Xu Qiuniang also saw Mo Shoutian driving the carriage.

"Brother Shoutian is back?"

Mo Shoutian nodded.

"Were there any issues these past few days?"

Before Xu Qiuniang could speak, Mo Xiaohu's voice came out from her courtyard.

"Brother Shoutian, with me here, what could possibly happen?"

Mo Xiaohu leaned on crutches with both hands, holding a small bundle of herbs in his arms.

Xu Qiuniang turned her head and glanced at Mo Xiaohu.

"Everything is fine, Brother Shoutian."

Mo Shoutian looked at Xu Qiuniang, then looked at Mo Xiaohu, smiled, and did not ask any further.

"It's good that everything is fine. Qiuniang, come over in a little while."

"Alright, Brother Shoutian."

Mo Xiaohu glanced at the empty carriage.

"Brother Shoutian, how much did we sell it for this time?"

"You'll know when you come over tonight."

Liu Chunmei, who was making clothes for Nannan in the room, also heard Mo Shoutian's voice and walked out from the room.

"You're back, dear?"

Mo Shoutian nodded and led the carriage into his own courtyard.

"Was this trip smooth, husband?"

"Mn, it was quite smooth."

As he spoke, Mo Shoutian lifted the straw curtain on the carriage, hoisted the bag of silver on his back, and entered the main room.

Liu Chunmei followed behind and touched the bag with her hand.

"Husband, what is this?"

"Silver."

"Ah? So much?"

Mo Shoutian smiled.

"What, do you think there's too much silver?"

After speaking, Mo Shoutian entered the room.

Liu Chunmei also followed closely inside.

"Husband, how much silver is this?"

"Seven hundred and fifty taels."

Fearing that she had misheard, Liu Chunmei repeated it once,

"Seven hundred and fifty taels?"

Mo Shoutian nodded affirmatively.

"You didn't hear wrong, it is indeed seven hundred and fifty taels."

After speaking, Mo Shoutian took out another sixty-odd taels of silver from his bosom and placed them on the heated brick bed.

"Take some money from this and buy more wine and dishes. Tonight I'm inviting Xiaohu and Uncle Changlin and the others over for dinner to split the money."

Liu Chunmei nodded and gave acknowledgment.

Only then did Mo Shoutian notice that ever since he entered the house, he hadn't seen Nannan.

"Where is Nannan? How come I don't see this girl?"

"She's over at Qiuniang's place, playing with Xiao Niuzi."