Chapter 880: Scarface, I want to be a good man

"We common folk are truly happy today, this little life is truly beautiful!"

At this moment, at the other end of the street, a middle-aged man in brocade robes walked forward with large strides, his face full of smiles and his mood exceptionally good.

On his face was a hideous scar; he was none other than the bandit leader who had witnessed the 800-li urgent dispatch outside the city—Scarface!

During the Battle of Chang'an, Wu Zhao mobilized all the citizens to defend the city. Upon hearing the conscription order, Scarface did not hesitate to lead his subordinates to join the defense ranks.

Thanks to his unique "professional" background, Scarface stood out among the crowd of raw recruits, displaying peerless combat prowess and establishing illustrious military merit.

Afterwards, for those with merit, Wu Zhao bestowed rewards: either silver per head, or a smaller amount of silver plus enlistment into the army with a monthly salary based on their battlefield achievements.

Scarface disliked being constrained, so he decisively chose the first option. Because of his peerless combat prowess—having smashed the Great Chu General Chu Kuang to death with a single hammer and killed dozens of ordinary Chu soldiers—he received a large sum of silver.

With money, why still be a bandit?

Killing and fighting could no longer be done; it was time to enjoy life!

He directly settled down in Chang'an, bought a residence, and through a matchmaker, married a wife with wide hips. Two days ago, he even took a concubine. This little life was so beautiful that he thanked Chu Kuang's ancestors for eight generations every day!

Refreshing!

Too refreshing!

Having attained a stable life, Brother Scarface swore to be a good man.

"Eh!"

"Why is there an old man fallen over there?"

"At such an advanced age, this is no small matter."

Scarface looked at the fallen Old Man Chu from afar and hurried over. He lowered his body and said, "Old man, why did you fall?"

"Who the hell did this?"

Scarface suddenly flew into a rage and shouted loudly.

This Saddle Street was remote, and since it was early in the morning, there was hardly anyone around.

Old Man Chu was in such pain that cold sweat broke out on his forehead. When he saw the murderous aura radiating from Scarface, he was initially somewhat fearful.

But when he saw the brocade robes on the burly man, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"This kind-hearted person, I fell by myself. I'm old and useless; I didn't see clearly and accidentally took a tumble."

Old Man Chu lowered his voice. The hand he raised was also bleeding from the friction against the ground, making him look extremely miserable and pitiful.

"Alas!"

"Old man, at such an advanced age, why are you still out selling vegetables alone?"

Scarface said, feeling somewhat unbearable.

At such an age, falling like this, it couldn't be light!

Old Man Chu sighed and said, "My children are unpromising; they each have their own families. Who cares about this old bag of bones? If I don't come out to sell vegetables, what will I eat and drink?"

Hearing this,

Scarface also nodded in sympathy.

Although he was cruel, those he killed were all the rich and unrighteous. He still had a heart of hot blood, otherwise, he wouldn't have come out to resist the Chu army.

Moreover, he had too many past sins. Now that he had a family and would have children in the future, he wanted to be a good man and accumulate virtue.

"Kind-hearted person, my waist seems to be injured. Can you send me to a nearby pharmacy? And this shoulder-pole of Chinese cabbage, you are strong and sturdy, can you help me carry it?"

Scarface hesitated; he still had things to attend to.

Seeing the hesitation on Scarface's face, Old Man Chu looked dim, but said with great reluctance, "Kind-hearted person, it's fine."

"If you have things to do, you go first. This old man will wait a while; this little pain is nothing."

But the next second,

Old Man Chu let out a hissing sound.

"Hiss!"

"It hurts!"

"It hurts too much. This old bag of bones is truly useless; it's a piercing pain..."

Upon hearing this, Scarface could no longer care about the matters he had to attend to.

"Old man, I will send you to the pharmacy right now. At your age, you must not delay!"

Saying this, Scarface helped Old Man Chu up, picked up the Chinese cabbage scattered on the ground, put them into the baskets, and took the initiative to shoulder them.

He also carefully supported Old Man Chu with one hand.

Old Man Chu was sweating from the pain, but still said to Scarface, "This warrior, you are truly a good person. You will definitely be rewarded in the future."

Scarface smiled and said, "Old man, look at what you're saying. In our Da Qian, the folk customs have always been simple and honest. Helping those in need and respecting the elderly and loving the young are virtues every Da Qian person should have!"

"Seeing that you aren't having an easy time, I have 100 copper coins on me. You take them later; it's quite pitiful to be alone."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Chu's eyes first surged with a complex emotion, but it immediately turned into a firm resolve.

Soon,

Scarface helped Old Man Chu walk to Zhu Que Street and found the nearest pharmacy.

On Zhu Que Street, people were coming and going.

"Old man, this is the pharmacy. I'll put your two baskets of cabbage on the ground here. Here is 100 coins, you take them."

"I have matters to attend to, so I'll be going."

Scarface wiped the sweat from his forehead, then put down the vegetables he was carrying and took out 100 coins from his clothes to hand to Old Man Chu.

Old Man Chu looked at these 100 coins, the wrinkles on his old face almost piling up. He weighed the copper coins in his hand.

This was truly a big fish!

Just as Scarface was about to leave, Old Man Chu suddenly grabbed him.

"Old man, is there anything else?"

Old Man Chu's face changed; it became extremely cold.

He said to Scarface, "No, you can't leave!"

Scarface looked stunned, somewhat unable to make heads or tails of it. "Old man, what do you mean by this?"

He vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

In Old Man Chu's mind echoed the words of the middle-aged man in white robes, like a great bell.

"If you fall, you go to the pharmacy yourself, then you have to bear the medical expenses yourself. Your son will beat you, your daughter-in-law will curse you as an old immortal thing. Old Wang from the next village extorted a rich man, got 50 taels, didn't have to work for years, and at 60, even took a new concubine."

A sense of greed surfaced in Old Man Chu's heart.

These words made sense. If he let him go, he would have to bear the cost himself. How would his unfilial son talk about him as a burden, and how would his daughter-in-law curse him?

A useless person, what dignity did he have!

Old Man Chu immediately shouted loudly.

"Heaven-killing thief, you hit me, and now you want to walk away after giving 100 coins?"

"You want to leave? 100 coins isn't enough, you must give 50 taels of silver, otherwise, don't even think about leaving today!"

Upon hearing this, Scarface couldn't believe it.

He understood.