Seeing the Darts, a trace of surprise flashed in Qin Fang’s eyes... ’They really found them?’

He reached out, took them, and nodded. "Thanks for your trouble."

"It was no trouble, no trouble at all."

Good-natured smiles appeared on their faces as they quickly shook their heads.

Qin Fang paused for a moment, then asked, "What should I call you?"

The three men were momentarily stunned, then their eyes lit up slightly.

The dark, skinny one said, "My name is Chen Kuo, but Master Qin can just call me Monkey!"

"I’m Fang Yan, but everyone calls me Shi Tou," the sturdy man beside him quickly added.

"My name is Jiang Hao, and everyone calls me Haozi..." said the last and shortest of the young men.

Qin Fang mentally filed away their names and nodded.

’Since I’ll be staying here for a while, it’s necessary to get to know some of the locals.’

He didn’t know these three well, but they had done what they said they would and helped him find his Darts. This showed they were quite reliable in certain matters.

’I’ll hold off on anything major... but I can still entrust them with some minor tasks.’

’After all, he had no idea how long he’d be staying in this market. Knowing a few local players wouldn’t be a bad thing.’

He looked at the men. They were all injured, but their wounds had clearly been treated and were wrapped in bandages.

"Are your wounds okay?"

he asked with a nod.

Qin Fang’s question left the three men feeling rather flattered. Monkey quickly grinned and said, "It’s nothing, nothing at all. Just some flesh wounds. We’re tough-skinned and used to it. They’ll heal up in a few days."

Qin Fang nodded. Just as he was about to chat some more to get to know them better, his gaze swept past and he saw someone outside the courtyard.

"Having a chat?"

Xu Meng’s laughter rang out.

Monkey and the other two quickly turned their heads at the sound of his voice and saw Xu Meng approaching with several men.

They quickly greeted him, "Boss."

Xu Meng nodded, walked over, and smiled at Qin Fang. "Younger Brother Qin, are you finding the house comfortable?"

Qin Fang nodded. "The house is great. Thank you for your concern, Brother Xu."

"As long as you’re comfortable... But this place is close to the Chujiang River, so the air is a bit damp. I bet you didn’t sleep too well last night, did you? Look, I’ve brought you some new bedding. And some food and other things..."

Only then did Qin Fang notice that the men behind him were pushing a flatbed cart loaded with a large quantity of supplies.

Qin Fang quickly said, "Brother Xu, you’re too kind. I can’t possibly accept all this..."

"We’re brothers, no need for such formalities... Shall I have them move the things inside?"

But Xu Meng just smiled and waved his hand.

Qin Fang went along with it, saying, "Then... this younger brother gratefully accepts."

"It’s nothing, it’s nothing... Move it in, move it in."

At Xu Meng’s command, a few of his men pushed the cart into the courtyard and began carrying the items on it into the house.

"Younger Brother Qin, I already said what needed to be said yesterday. While you’re staying here, don’t be a stranger with me. If you need anything, just ask. If it’s something I can do, I’ll do my best to make it happen. And if it’s something I can’t do, I’ll find a way to make it happen anyway."

Xu Meng smiled at Qin Fang, his tone utterly sincere.

After a moment’s thought, Qin Fang said, "Actually... there is one thing I’d like to trouble Brother Xu with."

"Oh? Go on." Xu Meng’s eyes lit up. He wasn’t the least bit impatient; on the contrary, he seemed almost eager.

"It’s about these courtyard walls... Could Brother Xu find a way to make them a little higher and sturdier?"

Qin Fang stated his request directly.

"The courtyard walls?"

Xu Meng was stunned for a moment, but after turning to look at them, understanding dawned.

"You call that a problem? It’s a small matter. I’ll arrange for it immediately. It’ll be done in two days, tops."

Xu Meng said with a laugh.

"In that case, my thanks to Brother Xu."

"We’re all brothers here, no need to be so distant..."

Xu Meng said with a hearty laugh.

He stood outside and chatted with Qin Fang for a little while longer as his men finished arranging the supplies inside.

Seeing that they were done, Xu Meng smiled. "I’ll send some people over right away..."

After a pause, he suddenly turned his head and said, "Monkey."

Monkey, startled, quickly replied, "Boss."

"Mm, you all need to recover from your injuries for a while anyway, so you’ll stand guard here in the vicinity. You all know Brother Qin, and if Brother Qin has any tasks for you, you are to carry them out to the best of your ability. Seeing Brother Qin is the same as seeing me."

Monkey and the other two were stunned for a second, then their eyes lit up. "Yes, Boss!"

Xu Meng nodded, then turned back to Qin Fang. "Younger Brother Qin, I’ve arranged for these brothers to wait for you nearby. If you need anything done, just order them to do it. If you need to find me, they know where I’ll be... I might be a bit busy for a while, so please don’t take offense if I seem to neglect you."

Qin Fang’s mind stirred. He quickly nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Xu, but there’s no need to go to such trouble. I’m not a child, I can..."

"Eh, a guest should defer to his host. You’ll listen to me on this. It’s settled..."

But Xu Meng cut him off with a smile.

Then he said, "Alright then, I’ll be going. If you need anything, just have Monkey and the others let me know."

After saying his piece with a smile, Xu Meng took his men and left.

Monkey and the others, however, stayed behind.

They spoke a few more respectful words to Qin Fang, telling him where they would usually be stationed and pointing in that direction—it wasn’t far from his place at all. Then, they tactfully took their leave.

Qin Fang watched them go before closing the courtyard gate, entering the house, and inspecting the supplies Xu Meng had brought.

Despite Xu Meng’s gang background, he was surprisingly thoughtful. He had brought a brand-new set of bedding—soft, dry, cotton fabric that was far more comfortable than the set from the night before.

He had also brought dozens of pounds of meat and fish, as well as over a hundred pounds of sorghum rice... but no vegetables.

’The lack of vegetables was normal. In this era, there were no greenhouses. And since it was winter, where would you even find vegetables to eat?’

A glint appeared in Qin Fang’s eyes.

A batch of supplies like this had to be worth at least several taels of silver. Xu Meng’s generosity was partly out of respect for his Senior Brother, but a much bigger reason was likely... what happened last night.

It seemed his theory was correct.

Only by revealing a portion of your strength could you earn respect.

After looking everything over, Qin Fang decided to just start cooking... It was about time for a meal anyway.

The kitchen was fully stocked with all sorts of seasonings, which suggested someone had lived here before.

As for who that was... Qin Fang couldn’t be bothered to care.

Soon, a large bowl of braised pork was ready, the congee was cooked, and he began to feast heartily.

At noon, Monkey and his two companions returned. They brought a group of masons who, at a glance, were clearly from poor backgrounds. After finding Qin Fang to report to him, they began raising his courtyard walls.

With so many people around, it was obviously not a good time to practice his fist techniques or his Darts. Qin Fang sat in the house watching the men work outside and decided to make small talk with Monkey and the others.

He asked about the basic situation in Fisherman City.

After all, he would be staying here for some time; it was always best to understand the lay of the land.

Monkey and the others were more than happy to talk about these things. The three of them started chattering all at once, and through their conversation, Qin Fang began to get a general understanding of Fisherman City...