Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Thousand-Mile Donkey, Liu Wuhen

Yuan Li had originally wanted to have Madam Liu prepare a couple of fine dishes so that later he could keep company with the two old brothers, Duke Sun Wuda and Duke Sun Wenda, over a drink, draw closer to them, and build a relationship. That way, if anything ever came up in the future, he would at least have someone to rely on.

But Sun Wuda, the old fellow, could not swallow that bitter grievance. He kept insisting that the one pulling the strings in the shadows had to be dragged out into the open. After only a short while of conversation, the two men hurried off with Sun Wenda in tow.

Yuan Li escorted them respectfully to the gate and watched them depart. Only then did he begin to ponder what had been discussed earlier. Who, exactly, wanted to kill him? What were the reason and motive? Surely no one would want his life for no reason at all.

He thought back carefully. Ever since his arrival in this world, aside from the Wang family, he seemed not to have offended anyone. On the contrary, he had helped many people, directly or indirectly, and was nearly being called a great benefactor.

He could not make sense of it, and he could not guess.

So Yuan Li simply stopped thinking about it. He left the troublesome matter to that old fellow Sun Wuda. After all, the old man was fired up now, determined not to rest until he had caught the villain behind it.

This was not because Yuan Li did not care about his own safety. Rather, he saw the matter clearly. If even Sun Wuda, the Left Gate Guard General, could not investigate it, then what could a small, powerless commoner like him possibly do? So before there was any result, he might as well live his life in peace. With Sun Wuda watching ahead, that hidden villain would hardly dare strike again.

He picked up the basin he had set aside earlier, added some warm water, and once more began grooming his little donkey.

The donkey's coat was white, but because it had not been washed for a long time, some places had dulled and even clumped into little knots. This greatly damaged the image of the Hundred-Mile Donkey as a magnificent steed, and riding it felt somewhat less satisfying. This was not because Yuan Li was vain and flashy, but because traveling on a filthy little donkey always felt a bit awkward.

He took a cloth and carefully wiped through the donkey's fur inch by inch. The little donkey was also remarkably cooperative. From the very beginning it stood obediently in place, allowing Yuan Li's great hands to do as they pleased upon its body. When it was pleased, it would even blink at him, or stick out its tongue to leave its saliva on Yuan Li's hands and face.

Indeed, it was very spirited and intelligent, almost comparable to the big yellow dog Yuan Li had kept in the past. Smiling, Yuan Li stroked the donkey's head and said, "A Hundred-Mile Donkey is a Hundred-Mile Donkey. Since you're this clever and have entered the Liu family, I'll give you a name. Hmm, let's call you Wuhen. Liu Wuhen. Much better than all those Beckys and Littles, all those Big Yellows and Whites. Hundred-Mile Donkey Liu Wuhen. Hmm, not bad, not bad." Yuan Li smiled smugly to himself.

By the time Yuan Li had finished wiping Liu Wuhen clean from head to hoof, its true appearance finally emerged.

In a word, handsome.

It was like a flower girl covered in ash, suddenly washing the grime from her face; the result was dazzling.

Yuan Li stroked his chin, clicked his tongue, and walked around Liu Wuhen twice. Yes, pure white and flawless, full of spirit. Not bad at all. Now that looked like a true steed.

"Yuan Li, I didn't say anything yesterday, but if you were going to buy a donkey, couldn't you at least buy one strong and sturdy enough to be ridden and used for plowing when needed? But look at you. You brought back a skinny little donkey so weak it can barely carry a person. Fine to look at, useless in practice. Is that not just wasting silver?" Old Liu had somehow come out from the house. Seeing Yuan Li fussing over the donkey, he felt a little displeased and spoke in reprimand.

"Father, you're up," Yuan Li greeted him. Seeing the old man with a sullen face, as though someone owed him money, he knew he was in a bad mood and did not mind. He casually untied Liu Wuhen's reins and said with a smile, "Father, don't judge a donkey by its looks. If you don't ride it and try it, how do you know it's useless?"

Leading Liu Wuhen to Old Liu, Yuan Li handed him the reins. "Father, try riding it. Take it out for a few rounds and clear your mind. I guarantee you'll like this little donkey when you come back."

"What? Even this donkey has some extraordinary quality?" Old Liu did not believe it. It was only a thin little donkey; it was not as though he had never seen one before. Could it really bloom into anything special?

Still, seeing how earnest and sincere Yuan Li sounded, unlike someone trying to fool him, and since he happened to want to go out and take a look around, Old Liu accepted the reins and said to Yuan Li, "Then I'll give it a try and see just how useful it really is."

Yuan Li helped Old Liu mount the donkey, then slapped its rump. Liu Wuhen immediately bolted forward, running with the same steady speed as before. Old Liu did not so much as sway once on its back.

"Yuan Li, is your father dealing with some difficult trouble?" Madam Liu also came out from the house at that moment. Looking at Old Liu's receding figure, she said with great concern, "He seems so unlike himself today, as if a huge stone is pressing down on his heart. First he slept all day in broad daylight, then he skipped lunch. And just now when he got up, I called to him twice and he didn't even answer. Tell Mother, has something happened?"

Indeed, after more than twenty years of living as husband and wife, Madam Liu could detect something amiss from even such a slight change in Old Liu.

"It's nothing, Mother," Yuan Li said with a smile, reassuring her. "Father is only worried about my spring plowing. The weather is getting warmer now, and spring plowing is about to begin. Father is afraid I'm too young and won't be able to keep those tenant farmers in line, or manage the more than thirty mu of fields. But he's worrying needlessly. With just over a hundred tenant families, I'm still confident I can handle it. There's nothing to worry about. I just persuaded him to go out and take a walk so he wouldn't stay shut up at home and make himself ill."

"Hm, that is indeed a problem. No wonder your father is worried." Madam Liu also furrowed her brows lightly and began to worry about Yuan Li as well. "Yuan Li, can you really manage it? That's more than thirty mu of land, and that's no small matter. In the past, when our whole family tended just over one mu, we were exhausted to the point of collapse. Now you're taking on thirty mu at once; can you bear it? And your mother has heard that many of those landless tenant farmers are vicious sorts, people who have already broken the law. Such people are the hardest to discipline. If things go wrong, someone could even lose their life. Can you really do this alone?"

The more Madam Liu spoke, the more worried she became, growing increasingly uneasy as she went on to fuss endlessly before Yuan Li.

"Mother, don't worry," Yuan Li interrupted, gently steering her shoulders as he led her toward the house. "It's only a small matter. It won't be difficult for your son. Those tenant farmers are not as frightening as you think. Most of them are just pitiful people. Give them a bowl of rice, and they will already be grateful. How would they dare stir up trouble?"

"Mother, your son is quite capable. I can manage them, so you needn't worry. For now, just go inside and rest. In a little while I still need to prepare fodder for the oxen. These oxen are the capital on which I will depend for success in the future, and I can't neglect them."

"Heh... you," Madam Liu said with indulgent affection, giving him a light tap on the forehead. "You're almost old enough to marry, and yet you still act like a child. All right, all right, I won't pester you anymore. As long as you think it's fine, then it's fine. Mother believes you. That little girl Xiaohui is still sleeping inside, and she can't be left alone. I'll go back into the house. You get on with your work. No need to worry about Mother."

With that, smiling, Madam Liu went straight into the inner room.

Yuan Li touched the spot on his forehead where she had tapped him, and a faint smile appeared on his face. It had been a long time since he had felt such pampering. This feeling was very good.

He returned to the courtyard, picked up the small chopper, and began cutting fodder for the twenty-one draft oxen.

Before he had finished even one basket, Old Liu rode back from outside on Liu Wuhen. Seeing the radiant look on the old man's face, Yuan Li asked, "Father, how is the donkey? Pretty good, isn't it?"

Old Liu dismounted, tied the donkey aside, patted Liu Wuhen's head, and said with a smile, "This donkey is worth having!"