With the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, Qin Sanniang's courage increased greatly, and she could finally replace her single-shot repeating crossbow. As for firearms, she would not use them unless absolutely necessary, as they were beyond the reach of this era, and their careless use might lead to her death.

"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext." "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime"—this is an eternal truth.

Firearms and ammunition will eventually run out, but the open and hidden attacks of this world cannot be avoided. The wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated. If they had known the power of ammunition, the land of Dasheng would likely have been plunged into even more war and displacement.

Qin San Niang disliked war. If possible, she desperately hoped that the Great Sheng Dynasty would produce an outstanding ruler who could lead the people out of suffering and into a peaceful and prosperous life. Otherwise, although she could temporarily live in peace in her secluded corner, who knew when this paradise would be invaded? She truly did not want to live a life of constant fear.

He couldn't help but sigh, realizing he was truly no good transmigrator, unlike those powerful figures in the imperial court who could effortlessly obliterate everything with a mere flick of their wrists...

Alright, I should just get back to work! Making the most of my current life is the greatest success.

If one can accumulate more wealth and lead one's family to live happily in this chaotic world, that would be another kind of success. If one is even more ambitious and can help the poor but kind people around them, that would be a great deed.

No matter what I thought, the sun still rose in the east and set in the west, not losing any of its majesty because of the solar eclipse a few days ago.

The autumn afternoon was still scorching hot, but there was a faint coolness in the air, which was completely different from the sweltering heat of summer.

They thought that He Yingyuan and the others wouldn't be able to return home until tomorrow at the earliest, but unexpectedly, the three of them returned without warning that night.

However, the three of them were not in good condition. Even the valiant Gu Qingshan had suffered some minor injuries, not to mention Luo Huan, whose martial arts skills were not very good, and He Yingyuan, who was weak and powerless.

Mrs. Liu was old and a light sleeper at night. Around midnight, she vaguely heard some noise, not very loud, as if they were deliberately trying to avoid something.

Could it be a thief? Liu was jolted awake and could no longer sleep. She thought she should put on her outer clothes and sneak out to peek first. If it really was a thief, she would shout loudly, and Third Sister and Da Wa would definitely hear her. She couldn't let them into her room. The two little girls, A-Zhi and A-Nan, had been sleeping around her these past few days.

Upon seeing who it was, Liu did indeed shout—how could she not? All three were covered in blood. But from their figures, Liu recognized them immediately; they were all her own children!

"What's wrong, Mother?" Hearing the shout, Qin San Niang rushed into the courtyard. Upon closer inspection, she was also stunned.

Coming to my senses, I didn't bother to say anything and quickly helped them inside.

Although all three had bloodstains on them, they were clearly all superficial wounds. The bloodstains on He Xiucai's robes were probably splattered on someone else. The most seriously injured were probably the two they brought back.

Three went out and five came back. Is that considered a profit?

Qin San Niang didn't have time to think about the two men's identities. Although she was worried that they might cause trouble for her family, she couldn't scold them at this time. On the other hand, she thought that He Yingyuan, who was a self-centered person, probably wouldn't save people for no reason.

Seeing her expression, He Yingyuan guessed what she was thinking and said, "Third Sister, we met these two by chance on the road. There were five of us traveling together, but we didn't expect to be ambushed by bandits. We escaped death by the skin of our teeth."

This story was half true and half false. It was true that they did "encounter" each other on the road and were indeed ambushed by a large number of bandits. After a fierce battle, they escaped death. As for the false part, only He Yingyuan himself knew the truth.

There was no flaw in his statement, and Gu Qingshan and Luo Huan had no objections, indicating that this was likely the truth. Looking at their injuries, he frowned and asked, "Are all three of you alright?"

“Sister, we’re all fine, just some minor injuries. But this young master and his guards are probably seriously injured,” Gu Qingshan said. He was also puzzled; bandits usually operated on land, so why were they at the dock?

Moreover, their actions were solely for the purpose of robbery, yet this time they employed ruthless tactics. In truth, the master and servant were not weak fighters, but two fists cannot fight four hands, especially on a ship, and they were quickly put at a disadvantage.

They were dragged down with them, and if he hadn't been there, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Regardless, these two had shared their hardships, and it was neither morally nor logically right to abandon them to fend for themselves.

Qin San Niang nodded, "Then go and clean their wounds. Get some medicinal wine from the medicine box. These two are seriously injured, and I can't handle them myself. I can only bandage them and stop the bleeding for now. I'll ask Doctor Cao to come and take a look at them tomorrow."

"Okay." Gu Qingshan agreed and quickly pulled Luo Huan to treat her wounds. If his daughter saw him covered in blood, she would be terrified.

After the two had walked away, He Yingyuan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Third Madam. These two are not simple people, and they may be of help to me in the future. Speaking of which, although this is our first meeting, this young master speaks eloquently and has a compassionate heart for the world. We are very compatible. That's why..."

"So that's how it is," Qin San Niang thought, feeling somewhat relieved, and able to understand him.

Although He Yingyuan is a difficult person to understand, he is a man of integrity and principle. If it were me, I probably wouldn't have stood idly by.

“In that case, I can understand. But the identities of these two... If those bandits only wanted money, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths. They probably wanted them dead. I wonder what to do next?”

"Don't worry, Third Sister, the tail has been taken care of," He Yingyuan said confidently.

The river was in chaos. The boat captain and his crew also joined the fight. Perhaps the thieves did not expect to encounter so many people, and in the end, they lost their composure.

After the master and servant fell into the water, Gu Qingshan and Luo Huan secretly dived in and rescued them. The thieves must have thought the two were dead.

To make things easier, after rescuing the people, they switched to the land route and traveled quickly under the cover of darkness, finally arriving at Shiligou.

However, what worried He Yingyuan was that, having stayed underwater for so long, he didn't know if the person's injuries could still be saved. Fortunately, he had brought some hemostatic and energizing medication with him, which they took and barely managed to keep alive.

Hearing his assurance, Qin San Niang felt much more at ease. He Yingyuan wasn't the kind of person to be rash; if he could be so certain, there must be no problem.

Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda, so I should save it! I've already boarded this sinking ship; there's no turning back now! I can only hope that the end will bring starlight…