Chapter 176: Wealthy and Envious
After passing Laiwu Town, the exile team walked and stopped. After noon, they realized that they could not reach the next city even if they quickened their pace, so they simply rested in a wasteland.
Xiong Jiushan sent two people to explore the surroundings to see if there were any inhabited areas near the mountains and fields. They were unfamiliar with the wilderness and had no idea what the situation was today. Along the way, they only saw people traveling in the same direction and didn't see many people coming from the opposite direction.
In the past, when I walked on the road, there were people coming back from the north from time to time, but today there was no one in sight for most of the day.
Xiong Jiushan was a little worried, so he just ordered them to rest in place for the time being and replenish their strength. As for whether to set up camp, they had to wait and see whether the situation was safe or not.
The prisoners got the news and got used to it. They either lay down or slept on the spot, taking full advantage of the opportunity to rest and replenish their energy.
The resting place was not far away, and fortunately there was a small stream. Xiong Jiushan asked the officers to fill up the empty water bags. After the officers had sorted everything out, he allowed the prisoners to go there in groups to drink water or quench their thirst.
The Min family's caravan was not in a hurry. It was difficult for them to get through when the escorts were busy, and they were unwilling to get too close to the convicts when they were making a fuss by the stream.
Manager Min meant, "After they are all settled, we will go to the area upstream where the waterbed is wide and make arrangements.
No one had any objection, so when Cheng Ye carried a steaming pot of water to Xiong Jiushan, he saw from afar that the caravan members were either leaning against the carriage to catch up on their sleep, or lying on the high piles of goods to hold down the carriage.
Xiong Jiushan reached out to take the kettle and almost missed it.
He looked up and found that Cheng Ye had been staring at the Min family's caravan. He leaned over and grabbed the kettle, poured it into the dry biscuits in the wooden bowl, sprinkled some dried minced meat and dried vegetables, and drank a big mouthful of the local salty sauce sent by the clerk of the Laiwu Town post station.
The dry biscuits were not yet completely softened. While waiting for the time to fully soften, he casually asked, "Why are you always staring at the caravan? Is there something wrong with them?"
Cheng Ye sat cross-legged beside him, picked up the cake and broke it into pieces. He looked up and said, "No problem."
Having said that, Xiong Jiushan still found that his subordinate always turned back and stared at others from time to time.
"Focus on eating."
Xiong Jiushan said in a low voice, which was both a reminder and a warning.
Cheng Ye heard it and quickly calmed down. He turned back to concentrate on breaking the pancakes and adding dried vegetables. He rinsed them with the hot water that the servant had just boiled. Soon, the aroma of food wafted into the air.
Xiong Jiushan raised his eyes and glanced at him, then turned his head to open the lid of the small jar next to his knees, picked out some salty sauce with chopsticks and put it in Cheng Ye's bowl.
Cheng Ye raised his head: "Sir?"
Xiong Jiushan's face was expressionless: "It's a little salty and powerful."
Cheng Ye looked at the salty sauce that was slowly melting in the bowl and took a bite silently. He had to say that even with just a small piece of salty sauce, this bowl of pancake soup tasted much better.
When the two were almost done eating, Xiong Jiushan spoke up, "Cheng Ye, this mission is not easy. We made preparations before leaving the capital. If we can get these people to their destination without any major mistakes, our mission will be accomplished. As for those who are not important, we should just leave them alone. It will be convenient for both of us."
Cheng Ye had just raised his head to drink the last sip of warm soup when he heard Xiong Jiushan's instructions in his ear. He put down the bowl and looked a little puzzled.
He was just having a good meal, why was Mr. Xiong telling him all this?
The fugitives rested at a place where most of the people had left. Then Xie Wuying took a few guards to replenish the water bags that had been used up on the way. Others had enough water bags on them, but most people just lay there and drank their fill before coming back. Some used bowls, some used bamboo tubes, but anyone who could use something was busy.
The Xie family drank five or six bottles in a row, and they were so rich that people were jealous.
Not far from the stream was the resting place of Fan Wu and a group of ragtag brothers. They had already finished fighting and drinking, and now they gathered together furtively, staring at others.
Before Xie Wuying brought his men over, a few of them, with shifty eyes, had just set their eyes on a few women, both old and young, who were squatting by the stream and leaning over to drink water. They were so delighted by the sight that they started to tease each other with dirty words about who liked the better one, and after a few words, they started to make a bet.
Some people were unconvinced and argued with Fan Wu. Overhearing them betting on the female convict, the ferocious-faced Fan Wu sneered, "Look at what you've done! A few shady and ugly girls are enough to make you lose control of your belts? With such delicious food right in front of you, you're picking on those sleazy, wild bastards."
"How can we have the vision of Fan Ye? I am half blind. If the person in front of me has a slightly bigger butt, I can't tell the difference between male and female!"
"Hahahahahaha, you're just this bad character, you have no future."
"You're all the same. You think you're a good person? We're all the same."
Someone recognized Fan Wu's words and came up to him: "Master Fan, what kind of girl can catch your eye?"
Fan Ye glared at him with cold eyes.
"Fan Ye, tell me!"
When others heard this, they came over to join in the fun, "Yeah, Fan Ye, tell us about it!"
One after another, they spoke well of Fan Wu, and the more Fan Wu listened, the happier he became. "I've been hanging around the streets of Beijing's Beicheng District since I was little, and I've seen so many pretty girls, both plump and thin. I've grown tired of them a long time ago. But I'm not without regrets."
"What's your regret, Mr. Fan?"
Fan Wu sighed, turned his head and glanced in the direction of the Xie family. His eyes gradually became sinister, and he snorted coldly: "Don't say it, I have never tasted what it's like to be a noble lady or a chaste woman in my life."
Fan Wu was hinting at something, and for a moment, the cowardly convicts didn't dare to respond.
Everyone, you look at me and I look at you.
I felt a little uneasy and thought: Fan Wu is so bold, how could he come up with such an idea?
They didn't dare look in the direction of the women of the Xie family, and only dared to look with their backs to the men of the Xie family who were drawing water in front of them.
Xie Wuying pressed the water bag in his hand into the stream. Just when he filled half of it, he suddenly frowned and felt uncomfortable.
The guard beside him suddenly turned his head and looked back, his eagle eyes instantly locked onto several shifty gazes. Those people were suddenly caught in the sight of the Xie family's people, and they were frightened like mice whose tails were stepped on. They squeaked and hurriedly looked away, turning left and right, and inevitably bumped into their companions.
The guard turned around and said, "Master Wuying, it's Fan Wu's group."
Xie Wuying nodded with a gloomy expression, "Keep an eye on these rubbish."
"yes."
Xie Wuying had always disliked Fan Wu. Not only had he been at odds with the Xie family all along the way, but he had also frequently used foul language towards the women of the Xie family when they were in Gaojia Village. He had long wanted to find an opportunity to stretch his muscles.
If Huaizhang hadn't kept persuading him to keep the peace and not cause trouble.
I had already opened Fan Wu's eyes and let him know that he could see stars in the daytime!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
