Chapter 10 Encountering Bandits
"Good." Old Madam Xiao patted her hand with her skinny hand and praised: "Yue'er, you did a great job."
Madam Xiao said, "Let's go, don't waste time."
Xiao Jiuyue looked towards the city gate. There were many people coming and going, but no one they wanted to see. She said, "Grandma, how about we wait a little longer? Maybe Second Aunt is still on the way?"
"No need." Old Madam Xiao lowered her eyes. Half of her body was buried in the earth. She could see some things more clearly than Xiao Jiuyue, but she was just heartbroken.
"Yuer, it's a thousand miles to Hongdu, so be careful on the way." Old Madam Xiao reminded.
"Grandma, rest assured. I understand." Xiao Jiuyue said to Manager Jin, and the carriage began to sway and set off.
Shengjing gradually disappeared behind them. Xiao Jiuyue looked back at the ancient and majestic city wall. One day, she, Xiao Jiuyue, would return with dignity!
Xiao Jiuyue, who grew up in an orphanage, didn't feel how tiring it was to ride in a carriage. However, several female members of the Xiao family looked so frail after only three days of walking that they looked like they were about to get sick at any moment.
The beautiful mother was a crybaby, wiping away tears the entire way. Xiao Jiuyue couldn't stand it any more. She was really worried that the beautiful mother would cry herself blind before she even reached Hongdu. She said, "Mom, Daddy said the shoes you make are especially soft. When you have time, why don't you make a few more pairs for Daddy?"
"Okay." The beautiful mother agreed immediately. While still in the carriage, she began to prepare shoes with her sewing basket. Xiao Jiuyue said hurriedly, "Mother, there's no rush. What if you get your hand pricked?"
"It's okay, it won't hurt my hands." In the wobbly carriage, the beautiful woman was making shoes seriously and stopped crying.
When resting at night, Xiao Jiuyue would keep Meiren Niang busy. Either he would ask her to accompany Xiao Jiayuan, or he would ask her to work. In any case, he would not let her have any time to rest. Finally, Meiren Niang had less time to cry.
…
"Third Master, the carriage in front seems to be the Xiao family's." Guo Sheng looked at the carriage in front and recognized it at a glance.
"Third Master, if we hurry up, we can reach Yuguang tonight, and then go west to Xiangcheng." Guo Sheng thought that after leaving Beijing, Third Master had been traveling day and night, probably wanting to reach Xiangcheng as soon as possible to collect herbs.
"Yeah." Jun Lie rode his horse and followed slowly behind the carriage.
Guo Sheng looked at the third prince, hesitated for a while, and finally closed his mouth.
When they reached Yuguang, they did not go west to Xiangcheng, but instead went southwest towards Hongdu?
"Isn't this a detour?" Guo Sheng looked at the Xiao family's carriage in front and muttered softly. After taking such a detour, half a month has passed.
Half a month after leaving Shengjing, when they passed through Lincheng, the mountain road was rugged. Xiao Jiuyue also perked up. When she came out of the post station, she reminded him: "Uncle Jin, the Jiutou Mountain is ahead. I heard that there are bandits in Jiutou Mountain. When we pass by, we must be careful and try to speed up."
"Don't worry, Miss. I have asked the guards to be alert." Butler Jin replied.
Xiao Jiuyue nodded slightly and went to the carriage of the beautiful mother. His grandmother was old and needed to rest. Apart from being a crybaby, the beautiful mother spoke softly and was a pleasure to watch sitting in the carriage mending shoes.
As for his younger brother Xiao Jiayuan, he followed Aunt Lan and Xiao Jiachen, excitedly looking at the mountains and rivers outside.
Xiao Jiuyue lifted the curtain and looked at the mountains outside, one after another. The road they were walking on was sandwiched between the high mountains on both sides. Looking forward, it was winding and tortuous, with nothing but mountains. Looking back, the road disappeared into the mountains and forests.
"Stop the car!" Manager Jin's voice rang out, and Xiao Jiuyue saw fallen rocks rolling down the mountain, blocking the middle of the road.
"Mother, stay in the carriage and don't come out." Xiao Jiuyue jumped out of the carriage after giving her instructions. Manager Jin got off the horse and said anxiously, "Miss, get in the carriage quickly! We've run into bandits."
Xiao Jiuyue looked at the bandits rushing down the mountain with their weapons, each of them looking ferocious. She calmly analyzed, "The front and back roads are all blocked. Our people have no chance of defeating them."
"Everyone, gather together. Grandmother, Mother, you stay in the carriage and do not get off!" Xiao Jiuyue spoke quickly, and then ordered, "Lianxin, bring me the banner I asked you to make."
Lianxin's face turned pale with fright. After hearing what Xiao Jiuyue said, she hurried to the back of the carriage where the things were placed to search.
"Oh, such a beautiful woman, take her home and make her the wife of our second-in-command." The man with a scar at the end of his eyebrow spoke in a rough voice, causing the bandits to burst into laughter.
"Second Master, you are so lucky."
“This beauty’s life is so beautiful!”
If the original owner was really the one who spoke these bandits' blunt words, he would probably be so angry that he would die.
"Shut up." Uncle Jin wanted to rush forward with the sword in his hand, but was stopped by Xiao Jiuyue.
"Miss, they are going too far." Luo Kui followed Xiao Jiuyue closely, her face turning red with anger at their words.
"How could they say that to Yue'er?" The beautiful lady was about to get off the carriage when she was stopped by Mu Jin who was beside her. "Madam, the eldest lady said that we can't get off the carriage."
"Cough." Old Madam Xiao covered her chest and coughed in the carriage.
"Miss, the things are here." Lianxin ran over holding a big flag.
Xiao Jiuyue opened the box and took out the large flag that she had specially ordered before setting off. She said, "Jinwen Jinwu, plant this flag."
Jin Wen and Jin Wu slowly retreated with swords in their hands. The moment the big flag was raised, it fluttered in the wind.
"What's this word?"
"Is this beauty out of her mind? She thinks we can let them go just by raising a flag?"
"A broken flag, who cares who she is!"
"Xiao?"
"Could it be the Xiao family that was recently confiscated and exiled?"
"Yes, it's the Xiao family." Xiao Jiuyue spoke, her crisp voice rang out, and she took a step forward. She was so noble that she had been raised in luxury since childhood. Even with only a simple jade hairpin in her hair, it was difficult to hide her nobleness in this mountain forest.
"I've long heard that the leader of Jiutou Village is an excellent swordsman. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved." Xiao Jiuyue's gaze fell on the scarred face. She said, "His sword is excellent, but he's not as terrifying as the legends say."
After hearing this, the eldest boss laughed loudly and said, "You are a brave girl. Are you the eldest daughter of the Xiao family? Let me tell you, my second brother..."
The eldest leader pulled the handsome man next to him, placed his rough hand on his shoulder, and praised him, "You haven't married yet, so marrying my second brother is perfect. You don't have to travel thousands of miles to find a place to live. Our Jiutou Village is very big, and we can support your whole family without any problem!"
The second in command's face turned red instantly.
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