Chapter 380: Little Husband

"As long as it's within the normal stopping time, the door will be open." Leaving Leaving Suishenju offered a solution.

Li Banfeng was overjoyed.

Now that there were rails, Leaving Leaving Suishenju could take Li Banfeng to a designated location based on his thoughts.

But this had a serious drawback: the key was outside Leaving Leaving Suishenju and couldn't travel along with it. Once Li Banfeng went out, Leaving Leaving Suishenju would close its main door, and Li Banfeng couldn't get back home.

But if the main door wasn't closed, this drawback would be solved.

Li Banfeng asked Leaving Leaving Suishenju: "How long is the normal stopping time?"

"It depends on whether it's a big station or a small station."

"How do you tell a big station from a small station?"

"It depends on the size of the platform."

Li Banfeng rose and said: "I'll build a big station, the kind that can stop for a whole day."

"Where is there such a station? Unless the train breaks down, it won't stop at a station for a whole day."

"Then how long can the station with the longest stopping time hold?"

"A big station can hold for at most one hour, a small station at most half an hour."

This amount of time was indeed limited, but considering the stopping time of a normal train, Leaving Leaving Suishenju's parking time wasn't short.

Li Banfeng took out a map and began planning.

"I want to build a big station on my territory, a big station in Green Water City, a big station in Medicine King Gully, and a big station at Black Stone Slope too,

the soda at Soda Kiln is very tasty, I could consider building a big station there, the food at Hai Chi Ridge isn't bad either, I could build a big station there too. At Trousers Belt Ridge, I reckon I won't need a whole hour, but having a big station there would also be excellent…"

Li Banfeng was drawing away with great enthusiasm when the gramophone reminded him from the side: "Dear husband, ask our house first how much material a big station needs. That material may not be easy to find."

He'd almost overlooked this matter.

"What kind of material is needed to build a station?"

Leaving Leaving Suishenju answered: "To build a big station, you need stone."

Li Banfeng laughed: "Stone is no problem, there's stone everywhere here. There are several mountains on my territory, dig wherever you like."

"Ordinary stone can't build my station. A big station has to be built with Celestial Heart Stone."

Celestial Heart Stone?

Li Banfeng had never even heard of it.

His wife reminded him: "Husband, Celestial Heart Stone is very expensive."

"How expensive?" Li Banfeng said with a look of disdain. "Does your husband look like he's short on money?"

Leaving Leaving Suishenju replied: "The price of one Celestial Heart Stone is equivalent to a pair of rails. Building one big station requires three Celestial Heart Stones."

Li Banfeng was silent for a moment, then said: "Building such a big station in such a remote wasteland, I feel it's a bit too showy.

Let's talk about small stations first. Do small stations also need Celestial Heart Stone?"

"Small stations can be built with earth, but you need Celestial Spring Joy Soil."

"Celestial Spring Joy Soil…" Li Banfeng rubbed his hands and said, "Judging by the name, it's not cheap either, is it?"

"Whether it's cheap or not aside, do you have anywhere to buy it?" Leaving Leaving Suishenju's tone carried a hint of mockery.

Buy?

Would the general store sell it?

Li Banfeng hadn't even heard the name before—where could he possibly go to buy it?

After a moment of silence, his wife spoke.

"This servant has seen Celestial Spring Joy Soil before. If Husband is lucky, perhaps she could gather some back."

Li Banfeng's eyes lit up: "Where do we gather it?"

"This servant used to know a few locations, but the Celestial Spring Joy Soil there has all been gathered. This soil is an ingredient for a medicine; once eaten, it can boost a man's vigor and add a woman's tenderness."

"Then I'll just go buy it at a medicine shop, won't that work?"

"Husband, ordinary medicine shops don't carry such a rare thing. Even if they did, how much could they have?

Others use it as medicine to eat; we're using it to build a station. How could three to five taels of soil be enough?

This servant knows a type of bug from the New Land, called the Three-Joy Bug. These bugs have a lifespan of about a hundred years, mate three times a day, and are extremely fond of this kind of medicinal ingredient.

If we could catch a few Three-Joy Bugs in the New Land, perhaps we could ask them about the whereabouts of Celestial Spring Joy Soil."

"Wife, what does this bug look like?"

"Its body is glossy, its antennae are very long, and they come in different sizes—small ones are like fingernails, big ones are around three feet…"

His wife gave a detailed description, and Li Banfeng went out immediately to catch bugs.

Before long, Li Banfeng brought one back. After looking at it, his wife said: "Husband, this is a cricket."

Li Banfeng went out again and brought back another.

"Husband, this is a longhorn beetle."

Li Banfeng brought back another one.

"Oh dear Husband, throw it away quick. Cockroaches—things like that can't be brought into the house."

Relying solely on a description to find a single bug was really too difficult.

The gramophone said: "The Three-Joy Bug isn't rare, but it does have some spirituality, so it's not that easy to find.

I'll teach Husband a little tune called 'Little Husband.' This servant used to use this tune to lure these bugs before, and it never failed. Husband might as well give it a try too."

The pipa sounded, and his wife began singing a ditty: "The sun climbs the flower tips, she faces the mirror to dress her hair, missing her lord her thoughts grow sharp, only hating her lord for being fickle.

When her lord comes home, she keeps her lord within the house, her silk skirt she undoes for her lord, her sash she loosens for her lord, a pair of red lips press into her lord's embrace—all she wants is her lord, her little husband…"

No wonder they say this tune never fails.

Setting aside the Three-Joy Bug for now, Li Banfeng had already arrived behind the gramophone with the machine oil can in hand.

The gramophone took a sip and said, "Heya, husband, let's attend to business first! Have you learned that tune yet?"

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "Heya, wife, you're really making things hard for me — do you think I could possibly learn it? Even if I did learn it, would it sound any good when I sing it?"

The gramophone said, "No matter, I'll cut a record for husband. Husband find a suitable place to play it, and when you see a bug that looks similar, catch it and bring it back,

The Sanhuan Bug doesn't have much spiritual intelligence, and there are very few people in the world who can speak with it. Husband's mastery of Tianhe Zhi Ji hasn't yet reached the proper level,

This servant can speak with the bug. As long as husband catches the right one, this servant can ask it..."

Li Banfeng waved his hand and said, "That's too much trouble. Wife, come out with me to catch bugs."

The gramophone was stunned for a long moment: "Husband, did you just say, let this servant go out?"

Li Banfeng knew that a house spirit could not casually leave the house: "Wife, don't misunderstand, I'm discussing this with you. If you're willing to go out for a stroll, the two of us can wander about together. Whether we catch any bugs or not doesn't matter — I just want wife to get out and take a breath of fresh air,

If wife doesn't want to go out, just pretend I never said anything."

The gramophone was very eager. Ever since she had entered Leaving Leaving Suishenju, she had never gone out again.

Li Banfeng picked up the gramophone and was about to head out. The gramophone called out, "Husband, wait a moment — do you truly trust this servant?"

Taking a house spirit out of the house is equivalent to releasing the house's binding.

A house spirit can kill the house cultivator, and after killing the house cultivator, the house spirit can kill anyone it wishes to kill. At such a time, the house spirit is no different from an evil spirit.

Li Banfeng smiled: "What's there about my own wife that I wouldn't trust?"

"But..." the gramophone had some concerns.

Li Banfeng knew why his wife was worried. For a house spirit to go out, it needs the house's permission.

Li Banfeng said to Leaving Leaving Suishenju, "The two of us are going out for a bit of fresh air, we'll be back in a little while."

Leaving Leaving Suishenju was silent for a long while, then said, "Just this once, and it won't happen again. You must return within two hours, and combat power is not to be taken out."

Combat power is not to be taken out?

There's such a rule?

Li Banfeng looked at his wife and said, "Precious wife, are you still willing to go out?"

"This servant... wants to go out and see."

Li Banfeng carried his wife out the door.

The instant she left the door, the wife's combat power vanished entirely, leaving only a few combat-less techniques. Even moving was difficult.

She took a breath of the New Land's air, and her body couldn't help but tremble. The three trumpet mouths swayed about in the night, as if greedily taking in the scenery around them.

Actually there was nothing special about the scenery around — just a stretch of barren hills — but the wife earnestly looked about for a long while.

A melody sounded, and the wife began singing that tune "Little Husband" again. She had only sung half of it when a bug, the length of a finger, glossy all over, with long antennae, perched on a tree, quietly listening to the song.

The gramophone extended its needle, and the bug obediently landed on the needle's support. The wife used Tianhe Zhi Ji to exchange a few words with the bug.

"Heya, husband, this bug doesn't know much. Twenty li to the east, there's a gorge, and there's an old bug over sixty years old there — it should have some knowledge. Let's go over and have a look."

Li Banfeng carried his wife eastward. The gramophone sang with a touch of shame: "This servant's body is a bit heavy, truly putting husband to a lot of trouble."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "Carrying my own wife — how could that feel like trouble? My steps are a bit quick, wife doesn't find it too bumpy, does she?"

"This servant would be willing to be jostled in husband's arms for a lifetime."

Through the hazy mist, Li Banfeng raced along carrying the gramophone. The gramophone, afraid Li Banfeng was tiring himself, urged him to put her back in Leaving Leaving Suishenju: "Husband, if this servant returns to the house, and the house follows husband, isn't that the same as this servant following husband?"

If they went back now, getting out again would be hard.

But the gramophone was content. Pressing close to Li Banfeng's ear, she said, "Husband, just getting out for one look is enough. There'll be plenty of chances in the future."

Today it was because Leaving Leaving Suishenju was in a good mood, and because of the matter with the station she agreed to this once. Whether there'd be a chance in the future was hard to say.

"That won't do!" Li Banfeng smiled. "Precious wife, it's not often we get out — you must have a proper wander with husband."

The night wind was bitterly cold. The gramophone hung her trumpet mouths over Li Banfeng's shoulder, gently puffing out steam — too close and she'd scald husband, too far and she'd let him catch cold. As she carefully measured the distance, Li Banfeng would occasionally pinch a peach, pinch his spine, pinch an armpit, tickling the gramophone until she nearly laughed herself out of breath.

Running all the way to a mountain stream, Li Banfeng set his wife down. The wife wiped the sweat from Li Banfeng's brow and began singing "Little Husband" again. This time she had only sung two lines when a bug nearly three feet long burrowed out of the earth and stopped beside the wife.

This was an aged Sanhuan Bug. After the wife finished her song and exchanged a few words with the Sanhuan Bug, she turned to Li Banfeng and said, "It knows where there's Tianquan Huan Earth — over eighty li from here. As long as this servant sings it two more tunes, it'll lead us there."

Li Banfeng nodded slightly. While his wife sang, he first returned to Leaving Leaving Suishenju, changed into a coarse cloth outfit, put on a pointed-brimmed bamboo hat, and dressed himself up as a New Land hunter.

Leaving Leaving Suishenju was getting a bit impatient: "It's about time to bring that girl back!"

Li Banfeng smiled and said, "Don't rush — two hours aren't up yet."

The wife sang two more little tunes. The Sanhuan Bug was quite pleased, and led Li Banfeng and the gramophone off toward the southeast.

After ten-odd li, they had already reached the edge of Li Banfeng's territory. The Sanhuan Bug wasn't fast, and quite a bit of time had been used up.

The gramophone said, "Husband, time's almost up. Take this servant home. Don't make the house angry. Once we're on someone else's turf, it's best this servant doesn't show herself either."

Li Banfeng sent his wife back to Leaving Leaving Suishenju, and followed the Sanhuan Bug out of his own territory.

After another ten-odd li, he came to a small stream. A man with a cloth wrapped around his head was leading a single-humped camel, and called out to Li Banfeng, "Passing brother, come have a look here — I've just got a fresh batch of good goods, killing-cost prices, take your pick!"

A peddler?

This was indeed a peddler, but not the peddler Li Banfeng was familiar with.

This sort of peddler only did business in the New Land, selling daily necessities to pioneers and hunters. They were also called New Land traveling merchants.

The hawking voice sounded rather familiar, so Li Banfeng went up and bought a hairpin flower for his wife, two hair cords for Hong Ying, and a rag for Copper Lotus.

In the New Land, supplies were terribly scarce, and prices were far higher than in the Proper Land. Li Banfeng only bought out of a sense of familiarity to support the business — he didn't buy much.

After paying, Li Banfeng continued on with the Sanhuan Bug to look for Tianquan Huan Earth. After a little over two li, Li Banfeng bent down to tie his shoelaces and tossed two silver dollars onto the ground.

After Li Banfeng had walked far away, the traveling merchant led his camel over and saw the silver dollars on the ground.

This was Li Banfeng's warning to him — advising him to quit while he was ahead and not keep following.

The traveling merchant paused for a moment, but the camel beside him urged, "What are you dazing for? Follow him, keep going. When the time seems right, take his life."

The traveling merchant nodded, felt the cargo rack on the camel's back, checked the position of his weapon, his face taking on a murderous look, and continued following Li Banfeng forward.

After walking not far, Li Banfeng's figure suddenly vanished. The traveling merchant didn't notice at all.

By the time he noticed, his body instantly swelled up, then exploded into a mass of flesh and blood.

Li Banfeng did not keep moving. He stood a dozen or so meters away, looking at the dromedary beside the traveling merchant.

The camel was also looking at Li Banfeng, and said in a calm tone: "My friend, what fine skill you have. May I ask what brings you to this place?"

Li Banfeng's tone was equally calm: "I haven't yet asked who you might be?"

While they spoke, the Three-Joy Bug had already run off into the distance.

The dromedary gave a snort and said to Li Banfeng: "I've only got the one hump on my back. Some folks like to call me Old Single-Hump, others call me Peerless Hump."

PS: Truly, enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road.

(End of chapter)