"Manager Ji, you may not know this, but we don't share white raw yarn with outsiders."

When the white silk was mentioned, Sun Miao'er couldn't help but think of Wang Xueru, who was far away in Licheng. She wondered how things were in Licheng and thought that the governor would not allow refugees to enter the city.

Ji Changru smiled respectfully and said with a sigh, "That's a real pity."

A short while later, another oxcart left the city. Liu'er drove the oxcart and greeted his boss from afar.

The oxcart was loaded with goods at the back. Sun Miao'er knew that it would be difficult to leave the city in the future, so she wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of going out of the city on official business today to go back to Fushui Village to send some things to Grandma Sun.

"Manager Ji, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

The oxcart was loaded with some quilts and food for the winter. Sun Miao'er knew that Old Lady Sun was stubborn and had refused to come back with her last time.

However, things are different now. If the refugees cannot enter the city, they may rob the unarmed villagers, and the nearby villages will suffer as a result.

Ji Changru squinted and said with a smile, "Manager Sun, I have some knowledge of astrology. I observed the stars last night and I'm afraid there will be rain or snow on the road today. Your oxcart is not suitable."

"Why don't we use the carriage in my residence?" Ji Changru pointed to the carriage not far away. Indeed, compared to the carriage, even the simplest carriage was much more luxurious than Sun Miao'er's oxcart.

“I happen to have some farmland in Fushui Village, so I can go with them.”

Sun Miao'er didn't know whether Ji Changru was doing it intentionally or unintentionally, but compared to traveling with him, Sun Miao'er was more unwilling to risk getting soaked in the rain and snow. Only a fool would choose an oxcart when there was a horse-drawn carriage.

She smiled and nodded, "Then thank you very much, Manager Ji."

Suddenly, Sun Miao'er remembered something and hurriedly ran to Shan Qiu's side, instructing him, "Officer Shan, I'm entrusting Xiaoxiao to you. You must take good care of her. I'll go back to Fushui Village when I have time, and you must send her back before dark!"

"Don't worry, Miss Sun, even if you didn't tell me, I would still protect Xiaoxiao." As Shan Qiu spoke, his eyes would occasionally glance towards Xiaoxiao in the east. She was surrounded by a group of children, and they were getting along very well.

The Ji family's carriage was very spacious, with a tea table inside, on which were placed dried fruits and pastries, clearly the style of a wealthy family.

Ji Changru joked, "Manager Sun is a rising star in Pingnan City, shouldn't you get a few horses and carriages?"

Sun Miao'er helplessly spread her hands and said pitifully, "I have a big creditor above me, where would I get spare money to buy these things?"

"Manager Sun is too kind. With your intelligence and talent, your businesses will probably be all over the borders of our Great Shang Kingdom within three years."

Ji Changru leaned back against the cushion behind him, then closed his eyes to rest, thoroughly enjoying himself.

The carriage drove into Fushui Village and stopped outside the Sun family's house.

The deserted streets made Sun Miao'er feel extremely strange, so she stuck her head out of the car.

The sight that came into view made her heart skip a beat—the fields by the roadside showed signs of being burned, with wisps of smoke rising from them, as if they had just been burned recently, and smoke was also rising from the houses in the distance.

There were still some hoofprints on the roadside.

How could this be? What exactly happened in the village?

Oh no! Old Mrs. Sun!

"What's wrong?" Ji Changru, sitting in the car, was unaware of what was happening outside and asked.

Sun Miao'er patted the driver on the shoulder, "Turn east, hurry up!" She glanced into the carriage and said anxiously, "I suspect the village has been looted!"

Judging from the situation, it is very likely the work of mountain bandits.

However, there were no bandits in Fushui Village before, because the village is surrounded by mountains, the road into the village is rugged and difficult to travel, and the surrounding mountains are towering and steep, so few bandits would choose to set up camp in such mountains.

But the current situation is different. Those desperate people who have lost their homes and are desperate to fill their stomachs are capable of anything. Once they are driven to the brink, it is not impossible that they will band together for warmth and seize a mountain to start robbing and looting.

Sun Miao'er simply got off the carriage and walked along the path, thinking of finding someone to ask about the situation.

As a man, Ji Changru felt embarrassed to stay huddled in the carriage, so he got down and came with her. "Be careful. We don't know the situation in the village right now. If you get down rashly and there's danger, you won't have time to escape."

"If Manager Ji is afraid of danger, then turn back here. My family is still in the village, and I don't want to be a burden to Manager Ji!" Sun Miao'er walked quickly forward. The once bustling village was deserted. She walked for quite a distance before encountering someone.

They were either imprisoned by bandits or fled the village to escape.

But there are quite a few men in the village, so they shouldn't be easily captured. Someone with Uncle Liang's physique should be able to handle three or four bandits without any problem.

The real problem is that the bandits might have weapons; that would make things difficult.

Ji Changru followed behind and said seriously, "Manager Sun, you underestimate me too much. I am a dignified man. If I desert in the face of battle, wouldn't I be laughed at?"

"Go back from here and report to the yamen," Ji Changru instructed the driver, seemingly determined to go deep into the village with Sun Miao'er.

"The government is probably unaware of this yet. I came in a hurry and didn't bring any men with me. The two of us definitely can't fight the bandits. We can only hope that the government will send troops over."

Ji Changru pulled a longsword out of the carriage. "Take it with you for now."

Sun Miao'er was secretly delighted. Having a weapon for self-defense was better than nothing. "Manager Ji is so thoughtful!"

Ji Changru's face darkened. "It's something I keep in the car to ward off evil spirits."

Sun Miao'er's words of praise stuck in her throat. Without saying a word, she snatched the sword away. Good heavens, it really hadn't been sharpened. Oh well, it'll do for show. Maybe it can even scare those bandits!

The coachman turned around and left the village. The carriage gradually disappeared on the official road. The dark sky pressed down, like a huge net, trying to capture everything in the world.

Fortunately, the moonlight tonight was bright enough to illuminate the road ahead, preventing them from groping in the dark.

"Follow me, we'll take the shortcut."

Sun Miao'er checked several houses, and almost all of them had their doors wide open. Although the courtyards were messy, there were no signs of ransacking inside the rooms, so the option of escaping for her life could be ruled out.

After all, if you're fleeing for your life, why wouldn't you take your valuables with you? Why would you be so unusually well-organized?

She guessed that the bandits must have kidnapped everyone, which was why they were able to do so without leaving a trace. Logically, the bandits most likely hadn't left the village, but had instead gathered the villagers somewhere in the village.

Because the timing didn't match, kidnapping so many people would take at least an hour or two to take them away, and when she arrived, the fires had only been burning for a short time.

Where could it be?

Only the Li family ancestral hall in the village has such a large space, and the Li family ancestral hall is located in the very center of Fushui Village, so it's probably the largest one there.