Chapter 265: Chapter 265 A Few Words of Advice
Hoo Die, with a dirty face, was dragged outside by Su Luo, feeling resentful in his heart.
"Today, itâs the master treating the guests. It would be okay if you just quibbled, but you dared to speak arrogantly. Doesnât that make the master lose face? Others will see and think that the master canât control his subordinates. And whatâs this about a âvixenâ? Sheâs just a young lady, how can she bear your cursing?" Su Luo chided in a low voice.
Hoo Die muttered, "I wasnât cursing her. I was just saying sheâs crafty."
Su Luo snorted, "So what if sheâs crafty? Havenât you heard that all is fair in war? The master is right; you were simply outplayed. I heard it took only five days for that girl to find the person. And you?"
Hoo Die was not convinced and said, "I was just delayed halfway through."
"Anyway, you were slower; she found the person before you and naturally deserves the reward." Su Luo patted his shoulder and said, "I know you donât care about those five hundred taels. Youâre just annoyed because she outwitted you. Men shouldnât be so petty."
"Who said I donât care? Thatâs my hard-earned money. Just you watch, the master will definitely dock half a yearâs monthly salary from me."
Su Luo said with a smile that wasnât quite a smile, "Do you still live off that monthly salary?"
Hoo Die glared.
"This time, although you were played, which is frustrating, Hoo Die, one should learn from their mistakes. This is just an external affair; we didnât suffer any loss. But if it were our own task, and you were deceived like this, it wouldnât be just five hundred taels youâd lose, but possibly many brothersâ lives," Su Luo patted his shoulder, speaking earnestly, "Great carelessness can lead to the loss of Jingzhou; we cannot afford any negligence."
Hoo Dieâs face turned solemn, and then his shoulders slumped, "I understand."
Su Luo said, "This time, our combat abilities disappointed the master. When we return, weâll face the consequences."
Hoo Die suddenly felt a toothache.
Through the crack in the door, he glanced at Wufu, who was laughing and chatting inside, and said, "How can that girl be so crafty at such a young age?"
Su Luo also looked over, but what he saw was the masterâs smiling face. He said, "Some people are indeed as cunning as a demon," not specifying whether he was referring to their own master or someone else.
Hoo Die let out a soft snort.
...
Ah Jiu, chatting about all sorts of things with Wufu, blended in well with the conversation. He said with a smile, "You donât seem like a typical farmerâs daughter."
With such broad knowledge, not something a girl confined to her household would possess, and now able to solve cases as well, the more he interacted with her, the more secrets he found â truly intriguing.
Wufuâs heart skipped a beat, but she laughed, "Iâm smart, you see!"
"Indeed. So how exactly did you manage to find the Flower-Picking Thief? Hoo Die spent almost ten days on this task and just when he was close to the end, you cut him off. Iâm curious."
Wufu looked at him, their gazes meeting.
Ah Jiu, losing his composure, laughed, "You neednât worry; Iâm not one to hold a grudge over five hundred taels. I can afford to lose that much."
Wufu raised her eyebrows and said, "Even if you were taking sides, it wouldnât be justified. In a battle between two armies, itâs all about who gains the advantage first. Ever heard of âthe early bird catches the wormâ?"
He acknowledged it; she was the sly fox.
Ah Jiu laughed and replied, "Thatâs why I said he was outplayed, nothing to argue about." Wufu sipped her tea, which was indeed a tribute-quality tea, rich and fragrant, lingering in the mouth. She couldnât help but smile, "What fine tea!"
Ah Jiu poured her another cup and then said, "In the spirit of this tea, you might as well give me a few pointers to save him from getting too arrogant."
Wufu looked at him, a profound light in the depths of her eyes.