Chapter 40: Serialized Novel
After returning to the camp, Johnny slowly walked toward "my dog," grabbed a large handful of hay from the side, and gently placed it in front of it.
Watching it happily munch on the hay, Johnny loosened the reins and tied it to the water trough, ensuring it could drink water at any time.
Next, Johnny dragged his exhausted body, which felt as if it were weighed down by a thousand-pound burden, and moved step by step toward that worn but soft mattress.
When he finally lay down on it, he felt like a deflated ball and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
This day had been so busy for Johnny that it was almost suffocating.
In the morning, he first hurried on his way, then went to Valentine to shop, and immediately after, he dealt with Anthony Foreman;
At noon, he rushed back to the camp without pause to organize the various supplies he had purchased. Under the blazing sun, the heat was unbearable, but Johnny still did not rest, continuing to work hard to arrange the cluttered supplies neatly.
In the afternoon, he thought he could go to the saloon to relax for a moment. However, a fierce conflict broke out in the saloon; then, before he could catch his breath, he had to participate in a stagecoach robbery;
Finally, he had to go and rescue the Reverend. Just like that, the entire day was packed with tasks, with almost no chance for a moment's respite.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and fell on Johnny's face, waking his long-slumbering consciousness. In his daze, he vaguely heard a burst of chattering noise coming from the camp.
Johnny rubbed his eyes, trying to force himself awake.
When he finally opened both eyes, the scene before him took him by surprise—he saw that Arthur's bed was surrounded by all the women of the Gang, whispering and discussing among themselves.
Johnny curiously approached, wanting to see what was going on.
"Mr. Morgan! Hurry up and sell these extra horses; feeding and watering them every day is far too much work!"
"Mr. Morgan, please do it today, alright? I'm almost at my limit with shoveling horse manure!"
"Mr. Morgan!..."
Good grief! Arthur had also just woken up, and seeing such a spectacular scene the moment he opened his eyes, he was immediately left in a state of utter confusion.
Facing the concerned gazes and the barrage of questions from so many women, Arthur felt a bit at a loss for what to do.
After some explanation and confirmation, Arthur promised everyone that he would go to Emerald Ranch today to sell them all.
But before that, he planned to eat something to fill his stomach, wash his face properly, and then set off in high spirits.
While eating, Arthur put food into his mouth while looking at Johnny, who was sitting opposite him, and asked,
"Johnny, do you want to come with me to Emerald Ranch today?" However, Johnny shook his head without hesitation, indicating his refusal.
He put down his utensils and said with a serious face,
"No, Arthur, I have to properly organize my newly bought tent today. I was tortured by those wretched mosquitoes last night and couldn't get a peaceful night's sleep!"
Hearing Johnny's answer, Arthur couldn't help but feel a bit helpless, but there was nothing he could do.
After all, they had a large number of horses on hand, and if he relied only on his own strength, he wouldn't be able to take care of them all properly.
With no other choice, he had to turn his head toward Bill, who was wolfing down his food nearby, and shouted, "Bill, then it's just the two of us going to sell the horses today.
Sigh, if I had any other choice, I wouldn't want to bring a guy like you along!"
After finishing his meal, Johnny stood up, stretched, and as his gaze swept around casually, he saw Karen sitting alone in a corner, looking quite unhappy.
His heart stirred, and he slowly walked to Karen's side, asking softly, "Hey, Karen, what's wrong? You look so distressed; is something bothering you?"
Karen looked up, a trace of worry revealing itself in her eyes as she sighed and said,
"I've been worried about Sean's situation. Yesterday Dutch said he had already organized people to rescue him, but I still can't put my mind at ease, fearing that something unexpected might happen..."
Johnny hurried to comfort her: "Don't worry too much, Karen.
Those Bounty Hunters are all in it for the money; before they get the ransom, they certainly won't dare to do anything to Sean.
They definitely won't let him come to even the slightest bit of harm. So, just relax!"
After hearing Johnny's words, Karen's mood seemed to improve slightly. At this point, Johnny patted her shoulder and urged with a smile,
"Alright, now that you're feeling better, hurry back to your room and get some sleep. You were on night watch for so long last night; you should have rested properly a long time ago."
After saying that, Johnny watched Karen get up and leave, then he walked straight toward Mary-Beth.
Johnny walked up to Mary-Beth with a sincere expression and said softly,
"Dear Miss Gaskill, please do me this small favor! Help me write a short story."
Then, he described the theme of this short story to Mary-Beth in detail:
An originally ordinary and happy family unfortunately encounters a cruel serial killer.
The mistress of the house loses her husband and children over several consecutive days. After she chooses to report it to the police, the local sheriff remains indifferent, and finally, her mental state completely collapses.
Faced with the tragic scene of her family destroyed and her home gone, she feels hopeless and helpless, eventually choosing to end her painful life through suicide.
After hearing this tragic synopsis, Mary-Beth looked troubled, expressing that she feared she might not be up to writing such a horrific subject.
However, Johnny didn't hesitate to take $20 out of his pocket and hand it to her, insisting,
"This payment is absolutely what you deserve. I believe in your ability; you can definitely do it!"
Although Mary-Beth declined repeatedly, thinking her skill wasn't worth that much money, Johnny remained firm in his attitude and insisted she take the payment.
After arranging this matter, Johnny didn't rest for a moment. He quickly went to the wagon parked nearby and began to unload the goods in an orderly fashion.
He moved the heavy boxes of supplies out of the wagon one by one and stacked them neatly on the ground.
Once all the supplies were unloaded, he turned toward the hitching post where the two Shire Horses were tied, skillfully untying the ropes, leading them to the wagon, and carefully putting on the reins.
With everything ready, Johnny nimbly leaped onto the wagon, the whip held firmly in his hand.
At that moment, he suddenly recalled the transaction he just had with Mary-Beth and his own hurried, busy figure, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
He muttered to himself, "Since transmigrating to this strange yet familiar world, I thought I could enjoy a life of freedom and vengeance to my heart's content, but instead, I'm busy all day long like a donkey in a production team!"
After a brief moment of self-mockery, Johnny quickly snapped out of it. He gave the whip a forceful swing, driving the wagon at high speed toward Valentine.
The wheels rolled, kicking up a cloud of dust. As the wagon crossed the train tracks, Johnny thought to himself:
The first thing to do after arriving at the destination was to go to the Post Office to see if there was any mail for him. Perhaps he might even receive a letter... After confirming Johnny's name, the Post Office staff went to the nearby warehouse, successfully found the tent according to its serial number, and handed it to Johnny; Johnny picked up the massive object and put it into the wagon.
Unfortunately, there were no letters besides the tent.
Then he set off for the next stop—the Carpenter's Shop, where he picked up his long-awaited wooden double bed and wardrobe.
After paying $10, he immediately went to the Gunsmith, where he bought several accessories for his revolver to practice his skills.
Finally, he set off back to the camp. On the way, Johnny took the Gunsmithing Workbench out of the System in advance and put it into the wagon, preparing to properly furnish his tent once he got back.
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