Chapter 255 Money Is Not Important, but Having Money Is Important

"We need supplies, food, and weapons." Thorin looked at the man and asked, "Can you help us?"

"You are desperate and will do anything!" Aaron shook his head, speechless.

To be honest, he understood Thorin's feelings. After all, they were about to reach the Lonely Mountain. Facing the dragon without preparation was no different from giving it away for nothing.

However, if you ask for help, at least find someone with a little financial conditions!

It is not easy for this brother to support their family. Supplies and food may be a problem, not to mention weapons.

The man did not answer, but touched the arrow marks on the barrels, "I know the origin of these barrels."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know what kind of business you did with the elves, but it seems that the result is not good.

Only the mayor can bring people into the town. Doing business with the King of the Woodland is his only source of income. In order not to make Thranduil angry, he will put you in jail."

The man prepared to pack up and sail. He could bring ordinary merchants into the town, but these people were obviously not merchants. Bringing people who offended the elves into the town would take certain risks.

"Wait a minute." Aaron suddenly said, then took out a gold coin from his pocket and threw it to the man, "What's your name?"

"Bard."

"Okay, Bard, I fully understand your difficulties, but wealth and honor are sought in danger..."

Bard looked at the gold coin in his hand, and a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes, "I have children to raise, and I don't want to take risks."

"Understand." Aaron snapped his fingers and stuffed another gold coin into his hand, "Risk and return are proportional, aren't they?"

"But if you are caught by the mayor..."

"There will always be other ways to enter the town!" Aaron patted his shoulder meaningfully, "I don't think a man who knows that kind of archery is really a nobody."

Bard looked at Aaron in surprise, as if he had made up his mind, "How much can you pay me?"

"We'll pay double." Balin said immediately.

......

On the other side, the Woodland Kingdom.

The captured orcs were taken to the throne by Tariel and Legolas.

After Thranduil finished his polite speech, Legolas began to question the purpose of the orcs.

This half-orc behaved extremely arrogantly, without any awareness of being a prisoner, but in some ways he was particularly cooperative.

First, he told several people that the dwarves were about to be reduced in number, and Kili was shot by Morgul's arrow and would not live long.

This news made Taril uneasy. If it was not for the king's order, she would kill the half-orc in a minute.

After that, he despised Thorin Oakenshield: That dwarf would never become king.

This view made Legolas agree more. As long as Smaug was alive, no one dared to enter the Lonely Mountain.

Finally, he bluntly said that the era of the half-orcs was coming, and his master served the Supreme.

Hearing the "Supreme", Thranduil was no longer calm. He had lived for a long time and figured out a lot of things in an instant, and directly cut off the head of the half-orc.

"The borders, all roads, and rivers must be guarded twice as much. No one is allowed to move without my order.

No one can enter or leave this kingdom."

Thranduil issued an order to close the country. He knew that the world might not be peaceful in the future, but this had nothing to do with the Woodland Kingdom. As long as the war did not reach here, he did not need to get involved.

Although Legolas was puzzled, this was the order of the king and his father, so he had to obey.

However, when he ordered people to close the gate, he learned from the guards in the air that Tariel had gone to the forest fully armed, which made him feel bad.

In desperation, he could only leave the Woodland Kingdom and find Tariel back.

......

Bard drove the boat, carefully bypassing the thin ice on the lake, and slowly moving forward in the thick fog.

"Be careful."

Bofur suddenly shouted, and saw a large area of ​​broken walls and ruins in the thick fog.

Bard immediately controlled the direction and avoided these obstacles.

"Nice skills!" Aaron said meaningfully, "It's impossible for someone like you to be so bad that even your clothes are torn like this."

"It's none of your business."

"But I want to know." Aaron said, "At present, I only know that there is an incompetent mayor in Changhu Town. I need to know more information."

Bard sighed helplessly, "It's none of your business. Don't make me say it for the third time."

"Okay! I will figure out what I should figure out.

But before that, I have something else to trouble you with."

"What is it?" Bard frowned.

"I need medicine, all the medicine you can find.

Because there is a fool among us who doesn't want to drag the team back. He is injured and bears it alone. I have to find a way to cure him."

Bard glanced at Qili, "Is it him?"

"It's obvious." Aaron spread his hands, "I still need tools to make medicine. Of course, I will pay you accordingly. I promise not to let you down."

"I know."

"Brothers, take out the money." Balin said, "We have to pay for the ship."

The dwarves took out their wallets and collected a pile of silver coins.

Balin counted them and his face was slightly gloomy, "There is a little trouble here. We are still short of ten silver coins."

After the voice fell, everyone turned their eyes to Aaron who was talking to Bard.

"Hey, hey, hey, why are you looking at me like this?" Aaron subconsciously covered his purse, "I paid for more than half of the expenses along the way. Even if I made a small fortune halfway, you can't always grab a child like this!"

No one said anything, just stared at him.

Aaron rolled his eyes and realized that he might not be able to do it without paying the money.

"It turns out that money is not important, but having money is important." Aaron said with emotion, and then took out ten gold coins and put them into Bard's pocket, "The extra money will be used as a deposit for finding medicine."

Bard did not refuse, he really needed money.

The boat continued to move forward on the lake until he could see the town through the thick fog, and then he stopped.

"There are guards ahead, get into the barrel quickly.

If you don't want to be discovered, do as I say."

Everyone looked at each other, but decided to trust him for the time being.

Bard walked to the shore, and Bilbo observed from a distance through a hole in the barrel.

"What is he doing!" Dwalin asked.

"He's talking to someone... He's pointing at us... They are shaking hands."

"Can you say less?" Aaron said speechlessly, "It's as if Bard has sold us out."

"Maybe he has already sold us out." Dwalin said unhappily.

"Calm down, this is a normal negotiation, don't be impulsive." Aaron said immediately, "Don't do bad things before you are sure he betrayed us."

As soon as the voice fell, everyone heard the sound of pulling the iron chain, and then a large number of fish were poured into the barrel to cover them.

Now everyone understood what Bilbo meant by those three sentences, but this method was too uncomfortable.

With these fish as cover, Bard dared to take them into the inspection station.

"Stop the ship, cargo inspection, please show the documents." The person at the inspection station came out of the house with a lamp, "Oh, it's you, Bard."

"Good morning, Percy."

"Is there anything to declare?"

"No, but I'm cold and hungry." Bard handed him a document, "I just want to go home."

"Same here." Percy took the document and went back to the house to stamp it, "Okay, everything is fine."

"Wait a minute." A pale, hunched man took the document. The moment Bard saw him, his face became ugly.

"Commissioned to transport barrels from the Woodland Kingdom.

It's just that the barrels are full now, right, Bud?

If I remember correctly, according to the registration, you are a boatman, not a fisherman."

"That has nothing to do with you."

"You are wrong, everything related to the mayor has something to do with me."

A lackey, a pure lackey.

Aaron directly labeled this person, and secretly cursed that he was unlucky to run into such a person to check on him.

I hope Bud can get away with it! Otherwise, he will have to take action.

He hasn't learned the Imperius Curse yet, but he is very familiar with the Amnesia Curse.

"Come on, Alfred, be kind, everyone has to eat." Bud said helplessly.

But Alfred didn't have the so-called kindness. He directly labeled these fish as illegal and ordered his men to empty the fish.

No matter how much Bud talked about the food and clothing of the townspeople, Alfred remained unmoved.

Seeing that Alfred was still stubborn, Bard could only talk to the mayor, "What if people heard that the mayor dumped the fish into the lake?

If they revolt, it will be your business!"

Hearing this, Alfred's already pale face became even paler, and he immediately waved his hand to stop dumping the fish.

"Always want to be a hero, right, Bard?

Always want to protect the people. They may support you now, but the good times of rowing will not last long."

The gate opened and the boat passed the security check smoothly.

"The mayor has been watching you. You'd better remember it. We know where you live." Alfred said coldly.

"This is a small town." Bard directly retorted, "Everyone knows each other's residence."

When the boat rowed to a safe place, Bard kicked over the wooden barrel, and the members of the expedition team climbed out of the fish pile one after another, their bodies full of fishy smell.

Bard used a silver coin and a boatload of fish to send away an acquaintance on the shore, asking him not to tell anyone what he saw.

Aaron took a deep breath of the not-so-fresh air, and then he really looked at Changhu Town.

The whole town was built on the lake, but there was no life at all. Dirty, messy, and poor were his first impressions of this place.

"I understand why you are so poor. People who can live in such a place probably just want to get by!"

"At least I'm still alive." Bud said lightly.

"Oh! People like you shouldn't be buried here." Aaron said earnestly, "You should also have a broader world, and you will have a place in the capital of mankind."

Bard smiled and shook his head, and changed the subject inconspicuously, "Let's go to my house first!"

"No, your house is probably under surveillance now.

That lackey doesn't have much ability, but the harsh words he says are usually true." Aaron murmured, "For the safety of you and your family, I suggest changing places."

"Others can't take in so many of you." Bard shook his head, "You can only go to my house."

"Aaron, it's okay." Balin said calmly, "I believe Mr. Bard must have a route to avoid the surveillance."

"Yes, there is, but..." Bard looked embarrassed, "You may not accept it."

"It can be accepted, it can be accepted, and it must be accepted." Bilbo said. They have suffered all kinds of hardships and sins along the way. Safety is really more important than anything else.