Zheng Ruqian is a very intelligent person.
After being awakened from his slumber by those words, he stopped selling vegetables solely from Yunshui County and started selling dried pickled mustard greens from Xieyang County to Yunshui County as well.
The first time, I was my own boss, selling small quantities to older women.
Making money was quite profitable, but the constant chatter and the old ladies always trying to take advantage of him, even after he had paid their coins, they still wanted to slip a few more coins. Zheng Ruqian couldn't afford to offend his regular customers, so he could only grit his teeth and accept it.
On his second trip, he learned his lesson. He thought back to when he and his sister were beggars who couldn't even get enough to eat, they were still able to sell vegetables to Youranju. Now that he was a slightly well-known vegetable vendor in Yunshui County, how could he not find customers to buy his vegetables if they were delivered to his door?
Zheng Ruqian spent half a day running around the busiest street in Yunshui County, but instead of selling to a restaurant, he found a dried vegetable shop.
It was not a traditional cash transaction, but a consignment sale.
Zheng Ruqian would hand over the goods to the dried vegetable shop owner for sale, and the profits would be split 20/80. In this way, Zheng Ruqian would have to work hard to find good quality goods and would not dare to use inferior products. The dried vegetable shop owner would not have to worry about unsold goods leading to stockpiling, so it could be considered a win-win situation.
February 27th.
Zheng Ruqian had finished harvesting vegetables in Yunshui County and was now driving his donkey cart towards Xieyang County.
Pang Dashan and his four younger brothers have relaxed from being tense. They jokingly talked about the extra three days of training they had done before, and all felt it was unnecessary.
Zheng Ruqian, however, was not as relaxed as they were.
If the magistrate's wife really hired a murderer, she will either target him or the brothers and sisters in Xieyang County.
In comparison, Zheng Ruqian would rather these people were dealing with him.
Heaven granted people's wishes.
The two donkey carts traveled to the border between Xieyang County and Yunshui County, the area where Gao Yayi had been tied up. Suddenly, some gravel blocked the once smooth official road.
Pang Dashan stopped the donkey cart. "I'll move it."
Zheng Ruqian frowned, feeling a strange unease lingering in his mind.
Just as he was about to speak to remind Pang Dashan, four figures suddenly appeared from behind the rubble. They were dressed in black, wielding large machetes, with scars on their faces, and exuding a murderous aura.
A scar?
Zheng Ruqian's stomach twitched, and he immediately shouted, "Dashan, run! It's Scarface!"
Pang Dashan was startled. At this moment, the benefits of his special training became apparent. He quickly turned around and fled back to the back of the donkey cart with lightning speed.
The man in black, wielding a machete, said, "...You're the one with the scar, your whole family has scars."
When an assassin is unhappy, the speed at which he cuts people only increases.
A broadsword, wider than a hand, whistled through the air. Zheng Ruqian's plans for a counterattack—throwing stones or rocks—vanished completely, and all his instincts turned to run.
Run away as fast as you can.
At this moment, the six men ran at their fastest speed ever, their feet swung like wheels of fire, their hair flew in a straight line, and they only regretted that they were not as fast as arrows released from a bow.
A cool breeze blew by, and the man in black opened his eyes, only to find that several children had bypassed them, crossed the rubble, and run towards Xieyang County.
"Old Zheng, something's not right!" Pang Dashan shouted as he ran, his mouth full of wind. "They're coming from the direction of Xiyang County. Shouldn't we be heading towards Yunshui County?"
“You don’t understand.” Zheng Ruqian also took a sip of wind. “My fifth brother said that you have to be unexpected to win.”
Seeing the momentary pause in the black-clad figures behind him, it was clear this tactic had worked.
However, it only bought them a few breaths of time.
The man in black realized what was happening and chased after them with a machete.
They are trained professionals, people who exercise regularly, and are far superior to kids like Zheng Ruqian and Pang Dashan who only had three extra days of training.
In just a dozen breaths, the man in black caught up with the group.
As the long, dark blue blade was about to pierce the children's backs, the scarred man in black even grinned maliciously.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
A red-maned horse galloped up ahead, and a young man in a gray coat lay on the carriage. Who else could it be but Fang Heng?
Following closely behind was a carriage, outside which Jiang Shengchangyan and Wen Zhiyun were squatting.
For a fleeting moment, they seemed to be bathed in light.
Zheng Ruqian was almost in tears. He knew he had made the right bet, that running towards Xieyang County was the right thing to do, and that his older brother, younger brother, and younger sister had really come to save him.
"Third brother..." His words were swallowed by the wind.
Fang Heng didn't look at him. With a serious expression, he gripped his long staff, spurred his red-maned horse, and charged towards the man in black, striking him on the head with the staff.
The man in black wasn't as foolish as Pang Dashan; he wouldn't take the blow head-on. He dodged it.
But he still had the momentum to charge forward, and Fang Heng used this momentum to dodge the long knife in his hand.
Iron ore was scarce in the Dayu Dynasty, and all blacksmiths had to be registered with the county government. Farmers had to provide three certificates and undergo five reviews to buy an iron shovel, and buying a knife was extremely difficult.
Not to mention this long, sharp, dark blue sword with a strong sense of menace.
Fang Heng felt a shiver run through him for a moment.
His calloused hands instinctively gripped the knife handle, then he raised and lowered the knife, slashing diagonally.
The black-clad man behind him blinked and quickly raised his knife to block.
In that instantaneous exchange, they both knew that the other was a trained fighter.
The men in black used a whistle to call their companions back, abandoning Pang Dashan, Zheng Ruqian, and the others, and all surrounded Fang Heng on horseback.
Smart people know that once this one is killed, the others will be sitting ducks.
"Third Brother!" Jiang Sheng was extremely worried, but dared not step forward, fearing that she would become a burden.
"Third brother!" Zheng Ruqian roared, his eyes red-rimmed.
Fang Heng didn't turn around. He stared intently at the four men in black, then suddenly swung his knife.
As fellow martial arts practitioners, a child against four adults has virtually no chance of winning.
However, Fang Heng, relying on his horse, was able to maneuver nimbly from his elevated position and was able to handle the situation.
However, they will inevitably fail in the long run.
Zheng Ruqian clenched his fists and accidentally bumped into the pebbles in his sleeve pocket. He suddenly realized what was happening and called over Pang Dashan and his five brothers, "Smash them! Smash them hard!"
After three days of extra training, the hidden weapons might not be as deadly, but they did become more accurate.
Then, stones rained down on the man in black's head, body, and knife.
Unfortunately, it caused harm.
Seeing that Fang Heng was struggling in the battle, even the red-maned horse was injured and started neighing.
Sitting on the carriage shaft, Wen Zhiyun took out a packet of powder from his sleeve, gritted his teeth, and threw it out.
Just then, Zheng Ruqian's pebble hit it, and the simply folded paper package shattered instantly, with thousands of powder particles enveloping the group like a white mist.
Fang Heng, quick-witted and sharp-minded, covered his mouth and nose with the corner of his clothes and broke through the encirclement.
After the man in black had inhaled most of it, he remembered to cover his mouth and nose, but it was too late.
Their leader was furious, shouting, "What is this? What is this?"
"Ten-Fragrance Muscle-Softening Powder," Wen Zhiyun said coldly. "At most, after half an incense stick's time, your limbs will become weak and you won't be able to move."
At that time, no matter how skilled a fighter is, they will fall when they are meant to fall.
He deserves to die!
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