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The Three Harmonies Gang thugs, who had been so aggressive just moments ago, had left directly after Zhao Feng merely said a few words and nodded. They did not even collect the money.

The surrounding villagers all found it unbelievable.

Was this what becoming a martial master meant? Just saying a few words and nodding twice was enough to make that vicious gang return the money and leave?

"Good thing Youlin's family has him."

"Yeah, good thing he became a martial master. We get to benefit from it too."

"They're both martial masters, so why couldn't Zhao Youfu's son do anything just now? Not only did they refuse to acknowledge him, they even beat them up."

"Didn't you hear what those people said? Zhao Sheng apparently never became a martial master at all..."

"So Qian Shi was bragging. Who knows where her son is messing around." The crowd whispered among themselves.

At that moment, Qian Shi, who had just been deflated, put on airs again. "What nonsense are you all spouting? My son is a martial master. How could the martial arts school possibly send him back? Those people must have made a mistake! Whoever dares gossip again, just wait until my Sheng'er returns—I'll make you pay!" She stood with her hands on her hips and cursed.

"Besides, who knows which Martial Master Zhao it was? Maybe someone was just borrowing his name to throw their weight around!"

Qian Shi clearly meant something by that.

"All right, everyone, disperse. Go back to your homes," the village head said.

"Um, Xiao Feng..." Zhao Youfu rubbed his hands together, wanting to ask about his son's affairs in the county town, but the prideful Qian Shi yanked him away.

Zhao Feng ignored them and had the driver stop the carriage at his family's door.

Then he went inside with his father.

His mother, Yang Shi, and his sister-in-law, Tian Cuihua, had been too frightened to come out and had hidden indoors. Only after the two little ones ran back and told them what had happened did they hurry out to greet them.

"Mother, Sister-in-law!" Zhao Feng greeted them with a smile.

"It's good that you're back. My youngest, you've gotten thinner again." Yang Shi looked at him with heartache.

Tian Cuihua, meanwhile, craned her neck to peer into the carriage. Why had he not brought anything back this time?

Zhao Feng looked around the house. There had been practically no change over the past few months.

"Son, you must be hungry. I'll make you some flatbread right away. There's some salted meat too," Yang Shi said.

Zhao Feng glanced at the stove and saw that there was still white flour mixed with coarse grain flour left over from last time. He could not help frowning.

"Father, Mother, didn't I leave you money and grain last time? Don't be so frugal."

"Feng'er, after we paid our debts and the spring tax with the money you left, there wasn't much left. Your maternal grandparents' family came to borrow some money and grain too. And your Uncle Zhong and Aunt Yuan borrowed some grain as well, then..." Zhao Youlin said.

"Uncle Zhong's little child fell ill, and Aunt Yuan's family had a poor harvest. The old people were nearly starving to death. I really couldn't bear to watch... Feng'er, you don't blame me, do you?" he asked.

"Of course not," Zhao Feng hurriedly said.

He was neither a saint nor particularly generous. But his maternal uncle's family had often helped them before, while Uncle Zhong and Aunt Yuan, their neighbors, had watched the original owner grow up and had always treated him well. Returning favors was one thing; as the saying went, help the needy, not the poor. It was only right to lend a hand when old neighbors faced an emergency.

"Let's not talk about that. Father, Mother, Sister-in-law, pack up a few things. I'll take you to the county town for a look around."

"Ah! We're not eating at home?" Yang Shi asked.

"No, Mother. We'll eat in the county town."

The moment they heard they were going into town, Zhao Bao'er and Zhao Zihuai immediately cheered with excitement, their hearts full of anticipation.

Tian Cuihua hurriedly went to wash her face and change into a new outfit. She tidied up her hair bun and inserted the hairpin from her dowry into it.

His father and mother also changed into the new clothes they had made from the cloth bought last time, then locked the door. After asking Uncle Zhong next door to watch the house, the family got into the carriage and headed for the county town. The moment they left, their fellow villagers came out to watch.

"They're riding in a carriage. Youlin's family really gave birth to a good son."

"We owe it all to him."

Zhao Youfu and Qian Shi watched the carriage disappear into the distance. "Wife, maybe we should go ask Second Brother and borrow some money. We can barely keep food on the table at home, and Sheng'er still needs to pay his tuition," Zhao Youfu said.

"If you want to go, go yourself!" Qian Shi snapped.

Over the years, they had practically monopolized the property left behind by the previous generation—the house and farmland. They had even kept all the betrothal gifts received when Zhao Youfang married. They had ignored their younger brother and sister completely. They treated their children the same way; aside from scolding them, they had never given them so much as a chestnut or a dried sweet potato. Last time they had asked to borrow grain, they had been turned away cold. If they went to borrow money now, it would probably be no different.

"What's so great about them? My Xing'er serves a noble in the inner city, and Sheng'er is a martial master too. Do we live worse than they do? We're just keeping a low profile," Qian Shi said.

"Besides, my Sheng'er is so outstanding that he'll pass the martial examination. He'll be a master someday, so don't embarrass him."

"But Sheng'er is making a fuss about needing money to renew his tuition," Zhao Youfu said.

"Don't we still have land? We can mortgage it to Li the Landowner. Once Sheng'er passes the martial examination, we can definitely get it back," Qian Shi said.

Other than Zhao Feng, it was the first time anyone in the family had ridden in this kind of enclosed carriage. Everything along the way seemed novel to them. They arrived safely at the Willow Tree Alley residence in the county town. Once the carriage stopped, the whole family got out. Zhao Feng told the driver to pick up his aunt and Qiao'er from the embroidery workshop.

"Feng'er, you rented this? It's really nice." Zhao Youlin could not help marveling at the spacious courtyard and rooms.

"This must have cost quite a bit, right?" Yang Shi said painfully.

"It didn't cost much, Mother. Rest for now. Once Aunt and Qiao'er arrive, we'll go eat at a restaurant."

"You child, why go to a restaurant? What nonsense. I see that your pots and utensils are all here. Your sister-in-law and I can buy some vegetables at the market and cook when we get back," Yang Shi said.

Unable to argue with Yang Shi, Zhao Feng could only give his mother and sister-in-law some silver scraps to buy vegetables and meat at the market.

Before long, the driver arrived with Zhao Youfang and Qiao'er.

Zhao Feng paid the driver and sent him away, telling him to return tomorrow to pick them up.

"Second Brother." Zhao Youfang happily called out when she saw Zhao Youlin.

"Uncle," Qiao'er obediently greeted him.

"Youfang, Qiao'er." Zhao Youlin had not seen his younger sister and niece for more than half a year, and he was overjoyed. He pulled them over to sit down and asked after them warmly.

Before long, Qiao'er could not sit still and went out into the courtyard to play with Zhao Bao'er and Zhao Zihuai. Though they were aunt and nephews, they were only four or five years apart in age. They climbed all over the place and had a wonderful time.

Soon, Yang Shi and Tian Cuihua returned from the market with vegetables and meat. Zhao Youfang helped them prepare the food, and the kitchen quickly became a bustle of activity.

Meanwhile, Zhao Feng told Zhao Youlin about some of his recent martial arts training.

"Oh, right, Feng'er. Some of the young men from the neighboring village who went to perform corvée labor with your brother have returned," Zhao Youlin said.

"Hm? What about my brother?" Zhao Feng immediately asked. From the sound of it, something had happened to Zhao Shuo.

"After they finished their corvée labor repairing river channels in You Province, they were returning home together. When they passed through Pine River County, they encountered bandits and were scattered. There has been no news of your brother since," Zhao Youlin said with a sigh.

Zhao Feng's expression turned grave. Pine River County was one of Qingzhou's northernmost counties, even farther north than Three Yang County, where he had escorted goods last time. It bordered Bing Province, where rebellion was raging.

It was also one of the counties where refugees and bandits were most rampant. The notorious bandits of Black Cloud Stronghold and the Blood Wolf Bandits both operated around that area.

"Could he have been taken by Black Cloud Stronghold?" The Blood Wolf Bandits had no fixed stronghold, so Black Cloud Stronghold was the most likely possibility. Small scattered groups of bandits were less likely.

This was bad news, but not the worst possible news. At least they now had a direction to begin investigating.