Ye Nuan stared at him for a moment, then grasped the edge of the donkey cart and began to climb down. Jin Bao, anxious, grabbed her left sleeve and said, "Don't go down, it's dangerous." Then he looked at his father and pleaded, "Dad, I already promised her. It would be embarrassing to send her down now!"
Village Chief Jin snorted coldly: "Do you still want face?" If you wanted face, you wouldn't be fooling around all day.
Jinbao stiffened his neck and argued with his father: "If you let her go down now, I will go down too. Let's see how you can pull back so many goods by yourself." He just didn't believe that his father would be so cruel as to leave him behind.
"You!" Village Chief Jin was so angry that he almost died. He cursed, "You were screaming at your mother last night, saying she had a scar on her face. How come you are still possessed by a ghost?"
Jin Bao was exposed for his actions last night. He didn't dare even glance at Ye Nuan, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. He said awkwardly, "Dad, I don't like her. I may be a gangster, but I have to be loyal. I promised to take her, so I'm going to take her." If his brothers knew he had gone back on his word, who would stick with him in the future?
Village Chief Jin frowned, his pipe about to strike him. Suddenly, in the distance, the sound of horses' hooves roared, and the wind, mingled with the smell of dry sand, swept in. Village Chief Jin stood up, tiptoed, and squinted his eyes to peer into the distance. Ye Nuan and Jin Bao also looked up.
From a distance, all they could see were black horses, black clothes, and Zhang Yang's unbridled laughter. Village Chief Jin's face darkened, and he turned to Ye Nuan and said urgently, "Oh no! It's Boss Wei's men! Quick, hide! Jin Bao, cover them tightly with straw and place the basket on top." He had heard that Wei Qian had lost a hand to these criminals, and if he saw Ye Nuan, she wouldn't survive.
Seeing the group's posture and hearing the words of the headmaster Wei, Ye Nuan immediately remembered Wei Qian, whom she had encountered when she was first exiled, and his barbed whip and bloody hand. Responding quickly, she quickly hid in the haystack. Jin Bao frantically pressed the basket on top of it as his father instructed.
The horse cavalry approached from afar. Upon catching sight of them, the bandit in front suddenly reined in his reins. The neighing of his steed sent dust flying all over Village Chief Jin's face. Immediately, it was Wei Qian, smiling grimly. Compared to the last time they'd met, Wei Qian's face had paled considerably, his left sleeve was bare, and his aura had become even more fierce and aggressive.
He scanned the Jin family father and son, then glanced behind the donkey cart. He asked with a cold smile, "Has a woman gone from Dahuang Village who's wrapped tightly, with only her eyes showing?"
Ye Nuan, who was hiding behind the donkey cart, felt a pang in her heart. She bit her lip and even slowed down her breathing.
Village chief Jin still had a frown on his face as he smiled and replied enthusiastically, "Yes, yes, he lives in the west of the village." He didn't show it on his face, but he was thinking about it countless times in his mind.
laugh!
A cold and cruel laugh escaped from his throat, and then it stopped abruptly. Wei Qian said coldly: "Very good, tell her to wait for me and don't die too early!"
The murderous intent in his eyes was so strong that Village Chief Jin's eyelids twitched wildly. He said anxiously, "Master Wei, your father promised not to touch our village. Are you trying to break the rules?"
Wei Qian glanced at him coldly and swung the whip in his hand without warning. Village Chief Jin screamed, and the clothes on his shoulder were cut, and bright red blood oozed out instantly.
"Dad!" Jin Bao was shocked and rushed over to check his father's wound. Village Chief Jin endured the pain and stopped him behind him.
Wei Qian laughed again: "What a thing! You're trying to frame me with the nonsense of this old man! I've already done my best to let you out and about. Why do you keep treating me like a sick cat?"
Seeing his ferocious expression, Village Chief Jin apologized repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Master Wei, I was confused. I will definitely convey your words!"
The rider chuckled, whipped his whip, and rode off. The bandits behind them followed, laughing loudly, and dust flew up again. The clatter of horses' hooves gradually died down. After confirming that these people wouldn't return, Ye Nuan emerged from the haystack.
As soon as he came out, he met the murderous gaze of Village Chief Jin. Blood was still oozing from his shoulder. Ye Nuan felt a little embarrassed. She took out the medicine powder she carried with her and handed it to Jin Bao: "Apply it to your father. It will work very well."
Jin Bao took the porcelain bottle and cleaned his father's wound. Village Chief Jin frowned and didn't have time to care about her for the time being. After treating the wound, Jin Bao returned the medicine bottle to her. Village Chief Jin immediately said in a deep voice: "You will come with us this time. If you do it again, I won't care!"
Village chief Jin may be selfish, but he is not bad to the core. He may be greedy for money, but he is also afraid of killing people. He killed many people because of his own selfish desires in the past, and he always feels uneasy when he thinks about it now.
Ye Nuan nodded.
A broad official road runs from Dahuang Village to Luomu City, and the Creation Pavilion is located at the intersection of the road, the valley floor, and the bandit camp. It's a cargo hub, a supposedly peaceful zone. The wasteland is in short supply, and they must regularly resupply to maintain their stock. The Creation Pavilion is a magical entity, and their Pavilion Master, Jiang, is both charming and alluring, able to obtain many items from within the Great Wall.
Food, silks, rouge, powder, contraband salt, even weapons. The guards at Shentian Pass never checked on her, and the bandits in the wasteland, no matter how fierce, dared not rob her. The Creation Pavilion was one of the few lively places in the wasteland.
The donkey cart continued southward until midday, when in the distance I could see a dark purple flag fluttering in the wind. Beneath the flag stood a three-story wooden building, flanked by low wooden houses. Surrounded by vast expanses of desolate wilderness, it stood alone at the intersection, a striking sight and a desolate scene.
As you get closer, you can see smoke rising, the aroma of barbecue wafting in the air, and the faint sound of people bustling about.
Ye Nuan looked around curiously, and Jin Bao immediately said, "People go to the Creation Pavilion every day. People from Luomu City and the Wei and Chu villages in the north all go there."
"The Wei and Chu villages?"
"Yes, they are all bandit dens. Wei Qian not only robs things, but also kills people. Chu Xuesong is much better. He only robs money and never hurts people. Most of the time, he only robs passing caravans."
Ye Nuan became even more curious: "There's more than one group of bandits in the wilderness? What is the caravan doing here?"
"There are two gangs of horse bandits in the north of the wasteland. The caravans usually go to Luomu City to exchange for jewelry, or go to the Desert City to exchange for Liuguang Brocade." Jin Bao showed off with a proud look on his face and told out everything he had heard.
Ye Nuan was indeed surprised. "Desert City, Flowing Light Brocade? What is that?"
I'm not very clear about Jinbao's specific details, but I heard others mention it, "There is a city in the desert to the north. There is a kind of cloth in the city that shines brightly when you walk, and it looks very beautiful. But it is very expensive, not resistant to dirt, and easily gets stuck. We don't like it." Ordinary people have to work, so how can they wear that stuff running around?
The geographical map of the wasteland was reconstructed in Ye Nuan's mind. It turned out that people cannot be frogs in a well.
Before they even got close to the Creation Pavilion, Village Chief Jin stopped his donkey cart and said to Ye Nuan, "There are often bandits coming in here. You're here, so walk over there on your own. Don't greet us at the Creation Pavilion. After you've exchanged your things, wait for us by the stable in the northeast corner."
Ye Nuan got off the car as instructed and waited until Village Chief Jin and the others were far away before heading towards the Creation Pavilion. The Creation Pavilion was bustling with activity as many people loaded their carts with the items they had exchanged for and headed back. When they saw Ye Nuan, they all looked at her curiously.
The character for "jiang" (ginger) fluttered across the flag. The three-story wooden door flung open, and the aroma of wine and roasted meat drifted through the crowd. Ye Nuan clutched her cloth bag tightly as she walked toward the main entrance. To the east of the main entrance stood a tall counter. The forty-something shopkeeper, clacking away on his abacus, heard footsteps without even looking up. He mechanically repeated the same phrase countless times: "Take a look around. Grains and fruits on the first floor, cosmetics and silks on the second."
Ye Nuan looked around. This building was a building within a building. The wooden ladder spiraled upwards. People standing on the third floor could overlook the entire first and second floors.
The shopkeeper only mentioned the first and second floors, but didn't introduce the third floor. Could it be weapons? Ye Nuan wasn't interested in the third and second floors. She only wanted to see the fruits, vegetables, grains, rice and flour on the first floor.
There are many wide wooden shelves on the first floor, from high to low. There are many empty frames neatly arranged on the shelves. The names and prices are written under the frames, but there is nothing inside the frames, only paintings.
For example, red beans were painted with round red paint, while green beans were painted with green circles. Thankfully, they were labeled with their names, otherwise no one would have recognized them. Ye Nuan was curious about how flour, rice, and glutinous rice flour would be painted. She looked at each one and her eyes widened. The paintings were all white, with only slight differences in the lines visible.
This painting is too abstract!
What's the point of putting a painting that no one can recognize in the frame instead of putting anything else in it?
Ye Nuan stopped a passerby and asked him about it. The person looked Ye Nuan up and down and said, "It's your first time here. Everything on the first floor is stored in the warehouse. If you need anything, just go to the shopkeeper to register. The things on the second floor are on display."
Is that so?
Ye Nuan walked around, remembering what she wanted, and headed for the counter at the door. The shopkeeper was still busy calculating the bills. She knocked on the table, and the shopkeeper said impatiently, "Right away, right away, don't rush me!"
She waited a while longer before the shopkeeper finally left the account book and said with a smile, "Sir, what would you like?"
"Wheat seeds, salt, rapeseed, grape seeds, watermelon seeds."
The shopkeeper looked surprised and asked again, "Do you want seeds instead of grain?"
Ye Nuan nodded: "I see it's written there."
The seeds were all in the far corner of the first floor. It was difficult to grow anything in a wasteland, so few people usually wanted them. Most people would just trade them for rice or flour. So the shopkeeper was surprised when she asked for seeds.
"What will the guest give in exchange?"
Ye Nuan fished in her sleeve and pulled out a long, dark sign. The shopkeeper's eyes flashed, and he glanced at her again. He thought to himself: "Only Luo Mucheng and the two bandit leaders have these signboards, and they're all given out according to their numbers. Who is this girl to have a signboard?"
"Wait a minute, young lady." After the shopkeeper said that, he reached out and pulled the rope hanging behind the counter. Then a series of crisp bells were heard coming from the third floor.
Ye Nuan raised her head and looked upwards. A dazzling face appeared from the west corner of the third floor. The moment her eyes met Ye Nuan's, her charming and unrestrained laughter echoed throughout the building.
"It's you!"
The woman was none other than Jiang Ji from the Creation Pavilion. While everyone was distracted, she pulled the colorful silk hanging from the third floor and flew down, revealing her arms and legs. Her fair skin was even more eye-catching than the rice flour in the painting.
At first glance, she is a hot queen!
She landed right in front of Ye Nuan, staring into her eyes.
That look reminded Ye Nuan of their first meeting. She subconsciously took two steps back and greeted him with a squinting look, "Pavilion Master Jiang."
Jiang Ji didn't respond. When her pale hand passed over her and returned, she had a sign in her hand. She glanced at it, her smile suddenly turning strange. She asked abruptly, "Did he see you?"
There is no doubt who he is.
Ye Nuan didn't respond.
Jiang Ji's rosy lips curled up slightly, and she smiled charmingly: "You can only exchange this fortune card for three things." The golden and jade abacus on her neck swung with her movements, making a rustling sound, reflecting the sunlight outside, which was particularly dazzling.
Ye Nuan was slightly stunned, thought for a moment, and said, "Then let's exchange for wheat seeds, rapeseed, and salt." These three things are necessary. As for grape seeds and watermelon seeds, she also has the jewelry given by Qi Wuze.
"I'll exchange this for it." She showed Jiang Ji the jade in the cloth bag.
Jiang Ji's gaze slid from the jade to her slightly calloused palm, then to her chest, and finally to her headscarf. She chuckled and said, "As long as you answer one question for me, the other two will be given to you for free."
Ye Nuan narrowed her eyes slightly and thought to herself: If it's difficult to answer, she won't answer. It would be best if she can earn two seeds for free.
"You ask."
Jiang Ji suddenly leaned in close, her lips almost touching the tip of her ear, and the fragrance filled her face. She leaned back slightly, and then heard Jiang Ji ask in a teasing and expectant tone: "Is he good in bed?"
Well!
Ye Nuan lost his balance when he leaned back and bumped into the counter behind him. His shoulder hurt so much and his eyes were misty. He stared at the woman in front of him as if he had seen a ghost.
Do they know each other well? Female pervert!
You can even ask such a thing!
No, why did she ask that? As if seeing through her doubts, Jiang Ji sneered twice and raised her voice, "Don't pretend, he even gave you the signature card and all these, I don't believe you didn't have sex with him!"
Ye Nuan, the innocent farmer who looked like a young girl, blushed for the first time, even her upturned eyes turning red. She was so angry that she stuttered and tried to refute. Suddenly, a frivolous and loud male voice came from outside the door, "Master Jiang, why don't you ask me this question? Is it fun to tease a little girl?"
Ye Nuan looked out the door like a frightened bird, and saw Qi Wuze leading a group of people walking in with strong horses and swords. They had stern faces, slender bodies, and wore rough clothes and jade belts. The way they walked carried the roughness and openness of the wilderness.
I have to admit, he's really good-looking!
Her face was burning as if it were on fire, and she glanced away quickly.
On the other hand, Jiang Ji smiled even brighter when she saw him coming. "Of course it's interesting, not like City Lord Qi, the Stone Bodhisattva."
Qi Wuze put away his usual smile and suddenly said, "No!"
Jiang Ji was stunned for a moment, then understood, "Why, you haven't hooked him yet? It's fate, it's your fault for hiding from me all day long." As she spoke, she leaned towards Qi Wuze.
Qi Wuze stretched out his hand to push her away, frowning and simmering in anger: "Talk nicely, are you ready for what I want?"
Jiang Ji twisted her slender waist like a water snake and came closer. "The food is ready. Why don't you have a drink with me?" Her hand slid along his collar.
The men watching on the first floor all looked at Qi Wuze with envy. Qi Wuze grabbed the impudent hand, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
The heat on Ye Nuan's face faded away, and when she saw the interaction between the two people, she felt like her eyes were going blind.
Jiang Ji's hand was grabbed, and she started to act coquettishly and wanted to stick to him. Qi Wuze suddenly smiled brightly at her and said sternly: "Hua Juan!"
A skinny wolf suddenly jumped out from behind him and pounced directly at Jiang Ji. Jiang Ji's pupils shrank sharply, and her hands, which were grabbed by her, trembled violently. She could no longer maintain her charming appearance and screamed, "Qi Wuze, you bastard! You knew I was afraid of this thing, but you still brought it here? Ugly thing, ah!!!!!!"
Hua Juan howled excitedly, chasing after Jiang Ji. Jiang Ji hid behind Ye Nuan, moving her back and forth. The delicate and tender Jiang Pavilion Master's hands were so strong that Ye Nuan had a headache and her headscarf was pulled apart.
Jiang Ji was forced to reveal her true nature, blurting out all kinds of unpleasant words, and screaming at Qi Wuze to take Huajuan away quickly.
A dark and thin young man with a wooden face walked out from behind Qi Wuze and shouted in a voice so low that it was almost inaudible: "Huajuan!" Huajuan, who was originally very excited, immediately turned around and ran towards him, then squatted down obediently.
Although the young man was dark, thin, and dull, his features were very similar to Qi Wuze's. Ye Nuan, who had recovered, took a closer look, and when the young man looked towards her, she quickly turned her eyes away.
Jiang Ji let go of her, breathless from being chased. She put her hands on her hips and stared at Qi Wuze fiercely, and started cursing again: "Didn't I say that I don't welcome this beast and him here!"
Qi Wuze raised his eyebrows: "Master Jiang, take me to see the goods now. I will take A Ya away immediately after I get the things."
Jiang Ji gritted her teeth, stared at the wolf cautiously, and finally said angrily: "Okay, you come with me, he and this beast are not allowed to come."
She went to the third floor first, and Qi Wuze followed with Gao Zangfeng and several men. Before leaving, he told Qi Ya to stay still.
After the few people walked away, the onlookers all dispersed. Ye Nuan turned around and started talking to the shopkeeper again. In the end, he used the signboard and the jade on his body to exchange for wheat seeds, rapeseed seeds, salt, watermelon seeds and grape seeds.
Ye Nuan was in a good mood after changing her things. Fortunately, she could still carry them even without the salt. She walked out with the things in her hands. The young man standing at the door followed her closely, and behind him was Hua Juan.
Ye Nuan took two steps and stopped to look at him. He and the wolf also stopped. She said nothing and continued walking forward, the footsteps still following behind her. Ye Nuan stopped again suspiciously. The young man seemed to be looking at her, but his eyes were dull and unfocused.
"Why are you following me?"
People were coming and going around. Ye Nuan, carrying something, turned around and looked at the boy. The boy's eyes finally moved, but he still said nothing.
Ye Nuan: “….”
She continued walking forward, and the boy followed, and the wolf behind him also followed. Ye Nuan quickly thought about why the boy was following her.
The sound of horse hooves echoed across the wasteland. She frowned and continued walking forward. Suddenly, a whistling sound broke through the air, and a whip swiped across her cheek. The young man who had been following her suddenly rushed over and quickly retreated with her. Ye Nuan clutched the salt and seeds in her arms, feeling dizzy.
The boy let her stand behind him and stood side by side with the tall wolf, looking at the opposite side.
He was dark and thin, only reaching Ye Nuan's chest, so she could easily see through him and see what was happening on the opposite side.
Wei Qian, with a large group of people riding on tall horses, bared his white teeth at her with a sinister smile on his face, "Life is full of encounters!" Then he imitated Su's tone and said softly and creepily, "Miss An Nuan!"
Ye Nuan felt cold all over in an instant!
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