OFTLHFRO C70

Chapter 70: A Bit Like Cannon Fodder?

“If there’s something to say, say it now. We’re busy and don’t have time to chat. If not, then leave early.”

Hearing Luo Mingchen’s words, Lin Qingfeng’s expression shifted several times before he finally spoke: “I want to borrow some silver from you.”

At that, Luo Mingchen understood at once. “I wondered why he suddenly remembered having a cousin—turns out he came to borrow money.”

Huo Yan glanced at his spouse and said, “No.”

Seeing how decisively Huo Yan refused, Lin Qingfeng grew anxious. “Cousin! The autumn examinations are about to begin. I just want to borrow some travel funds. Once I pass and become a provincial graduate, I’ll naturally repay the money.”

Huo Yan looked him over and remained firm. “No.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingfeng quickly showed his true colors, gritting his teeth. “Huo Yan, must you be so heartless?”

“I have no ties of affection with your family, so how could I be ‘heartless’? As said before, whether you’re poor or rich has nothing to do with us. Naturally, we won’t lend money.”

“You’ll regret this!”

Honestly, listening to this as a bystander, Luo Mingchen wanted to laugh—and he did. “Regret what? The ones who should regret are the villagers who gave you money before. You don’t review, you spend your days thinking of visiting brothels, get thrown out of one, and now you want to take the exam? Where do you get the courage?”

Fuming at his words, Lin Qingfeng snapped, “So you’re certain I’ll never have a day of turning things around?”

“Haha…”

Luo Mingchen couldn’t hold it in. “Even a salted fish turned over is still a salted fish. Do you really think you’re a genius? If someone like you can pass as a provincial graduate, then I could do it too.”

Since the masks were off, Lin Qingfeng stopped pretending. “You? You can’t even read. You couldn’t pass the child-student exam if your life depended on it!”

“Who says I can’t read? You, a frog at the bottom of a well, should stop hopping—watch you don’t break your leg.”

He didn’t bother hiding the mockery. “Sure, you passed the child-student exam and became a licentiate—but what good is that? Only by passing the provincial exam do you qualify to buy an office. Don’t be seventy or eighty and still spouting ‘don’t bully the young and poor.’ Then again, that would suit the saying ‘a man remains a boy until death,’ wouldn’t it?”

“You!”

Rolling his eyes, Luo Mingchen said, “I’m perfectly fine. Now get lost—far away. Don’t embarrass yourself here.”

Lin Qingfeng stormed off in a rage.

Watching his back, Luo Mingchen pondered and said to Huo Yan, “Why do I feel like a piece of cannon fodder?”

“Hm?” Huo Yan didn’t follow.

“You know, the kind who bullies the protagonist during their lowest point and spews vicious lines—then gets slapped in the face when the protagonist rises.”

After hearing his description, Huo Yan asked, “Someone like him can rise?”

“That’s what cannon fodder always thinks. But protagonists have plot armor—treasures delivered on a silver platter, benefactors lining up in droves.”

After a pause, Huo Yan said, “He seems more like the cannon fodder.”

“Hahaha! True enough. What protagonist wastes time in brothels and won’t improve? If it makes him study properly, he should thank us.”

Luo Mingchen wasn’t worried about Lin Qingfeng actually passing the provincial exams. Didn’t they have the Third Prince’s token in hand?

What’s a minor provincial graduate compared to a prefect?

In short, so long as they had a clear conscience, that was enough.

Back home, after a blissful nap, Luo Mingchen felt revived and rubbed against Huo Yan, snuggling close.

Suddenly, a soft little hand tugged at his ear.

Turning his head, he saw Huo Xinyue sitting on the bed.

He’d almost forgotten the three of them had napped together…

So he rolled over and hugged his daughter. “Yueyue, are you hungry?”

Tilting her head, she patted her tummy and said seriously, “Daddy, not hungry.”

She could tell just by feeling?

Laughing, Luo Mingchen rubbed her belly, making her giggle and squirm.

“That tickles!”

After some laughing and playing on the bed, Luo Mingchen lazily got up.

Seeing the quilt rumpled by father and daughter, Huo Yan could only shake his head and tidy it up.

At that, Luo Mingchen and Huo Xinyue exchanged a look—Huo Yan really did have a good temper.

Perhaps the mutated herb and pill had worked too well, because Xiao Lin didn’t need another one at all.

After a bowl of thick herb juice at noon, by evening he was even able to get out of bed, saying the wound didn’t hurt.

But he earned a smack from an angry Hua Niang and rolled right back into bed.

Judging by Xiao Lin’s condition, Huo Yan figured a few words wouldn’t hurt and asked, “What did you take from the Black Mountain bandits?”

Xiao Lin had already forgotten about it, but the question brought it back. “I wanted to tell you earlier. When we put down those bandits, I stole some things, remember? You told me to put them back. When I did, I saw the headman sneakily hide a roll of sheepskin, so I slipped it away. Didn’t expect those bandits to come all this way asking for the sheepskin.”

After a moment’s silence, Huo Yan asked, “What was on the sheepskin?”

“Not much—just a bunch of odd numbers and lots of little holes. I thought it was important but couldn’t understand it, so I hid it with my other treasures.”

Now it seemed his decision had been right.

The secret on that sheepskin was likely tied to the local authorities. Otherwise, how had his whereabouts been exposed?

Their escort agency was in Yuanzhou Prefecture—over a hundred li away.

If officials hadn’t helped track him, how would they have found him here?

And within just half a year, they’d already released those bandits—clearly there was something wrong with the magistrate of Heishan County.

Coldly, Huo Yan said, “You dared take something you couldn’t read? How many lives do you think you have?”

Hearing his tone, Xiao Lin didn’t dare so much as breathe hard. With a dry chuckle, he said, “Well… since I was already there.”

Seeing Huo Yan’s eyes on him, Xiao Lin wilted. “I was wrong.”

After a moment’s thought, Huo Yan said, “What’s done is done. Best to swagger right into Yuanzhou Prefecture and hand it to the prefect himself. If you stay here, you’ll only bring harm to yourself and others.”

“I could go in a couple of days?”

He wasn’t sure, but with things as they were, the sooner that hot potato was tossed away, the better.

Still, he was injured and couldn’t manage it.

If ambushed on the road, it would be a dead end.

“Why don’t we deliver it?” said Luo Mingchen after thinking it over.

But there were still three children at home…

“Alright.”

After agreeing, Huo Yan added, “We can ask a few constables to lie in wait at our house. If the bandits come, we’ll capture them all. If they put everything into chasing us, so much the better.”

“Can’t we just hand it over to the county office?” asked Luo Mingchen. “They can take it to Yuanzhou.”

“The bandits are colluding with the Heishan magistrate. Who knows how many of them have come. If we send constables with their meager skills, they may be lost along the road.”

This mess was of Xiao Lin’s making—it wouldn’t be right to send others to their deaths.

If the two of them went, they had the means to protect themselves and could capture the bandits. Better than waiting at home for news.

When he finished, Luo Mingchen nodded. “Alright.”

Solving it in one go would be best—no point in letting the night grow long and dreams grow many.

A journey of over a hundred li, plus delays on the road—two days there and back, three at most.

Footnotes for Readers

1. Cannon fodder 炮灰 (pàohuī): Slang meaning disposable side characters used to highlight the protagonist’s growth, often humiliated early and later “slapped in the face” when the protagonist rises.