The sound of the bicycle bell startled the people inside, and instantly, flames lit up the entire area around the house.
"Thief!"
The soldiers were terrified and abandoned the carriage to flee, but when they turned around, Ruan Wenxiao had already vanished without a trace...
"Damn it, we've fallen for their trap! This isn't his merchandise at all, it's a den of thieves!"
"What should we do then?"
"What do you suggest we do? Run!"
After saying that, the group scattered and fled in all directions...
However, no matter how fast their legs were, they couldn't keep up with the speed of the horses. They had only run a few dozen meters when they were all caught by the bandits.
"We are government officials! Arrest us, or the government will wipe you out!"
The bandit leader, with a scar across his face, showed no fear upon hearing this. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed loudly: "Don't try to scare me with the imperial court! Do you think I'm easily frightened? Let me tell you, even wild geese leave behind three tufts of feathers when they pass by our mountain! Let alone you!"
"That's right, a bunch of government lackeys! The brothers on the mountain hate you more than anything! Now that you've fallen into our hands, you're finished!"
Upon hearing this, the officer realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately changed his attitude. "Heroes, we have been wronged. A man asked us to help him haul goods up the mountain. Who knew that the goods belonged to you, brother?"
The scarred bandit snorted and casually tossed a throwing knife, which, by sheer coincidence, knocked the soldier's hat to the ground.
"Stop making excuses! You're just thieves! It's not enough that you oppress the common people; now you've dared to steal from me! Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven to uphold justice!"
After saying this, the soldiers were bound hand and foot, their mouths stuffed with rags, their wrists tied with ropes, and they were hung directly behind the horse and forcibly dragged away.
On such a rugged mountain road, the friction between the body and the ground will cause the skin to tear and bleed within a mile!
Ruan Wenxiao, hiding in the bushes, witnessed this scene firsthand and was immediately terrified, trembling all over. Only after all the bandits had left did he cautiously descend the mountain...
After descending the mountain and returning to the group, it was already past midnight. Everyone had gone to sleep, except for Song He'er, who was still waiting for news.
Panting, Ruan Wenxiao pulled Song He'er aside. "Grandma, I saw someone kill someone! I've never seen anyone kill anyone in my life!"
"Dead? They... are dead?"
Ruan Wenxiao picked up his water bottle, gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, and then replied, "I saw with my own eyes those bandits tie people to the bottom of their horses and drag them away alive! Wouldn't they be torn to shreds? How could they possibly survive?"
Although Song He'er couldn't bear to see killing, she couldn't care less about anything else if it meant her whole family could survive...
"Well... they're not exactly good people either. They often beat and verbally abuse the elderly, weak, women, and children here. I had no choice. Besides, if they weren't greedy, they wouldn't have come up the mountain with you!"
Ruan Wenxiao breathed a sigh of relief: "Although you are all exiled prisoners, you don't seem like bad people. But... without the guidance of soldiers, how did you manage to reach this desolate land?"
Song He'er smiled and took out a map from her bosom. "Look, I got this map a long time ago. With it, we can find our way on our own."
Ruan Wenxiao shook his head helplessly, "Fine, I can see you're broke too. I'll help you today as a way of repaying the favor you did for saving me. I don't want the money. Take care of yourself!"
Ruan Wenxiao's appearance is not exactly delicate, but she gives people a clean and cheerful feeling. With her slightly upturned phoenix eyes, fair skin, and elegant demeanor, she is somewhat like a scholar in traditional Chinese opera.
Unfortunately, Song Heren was clueless about romantic relationships; she only glanced at attractive people. Right now, all she cared about was how to survive and how to make money.
Song He'er took a hairpin from her bosom and handed it to Ruan Wenxiao.
"I will still give you the things; it's my promise. I wish you a safe journey."
Ruan Wenxiao looked her up and down and laughed, "Just how much wealth do you have? Did you bring it all out before the confiscation of your property?"
"This is all I have left."
"Keep these for yourself. I'm a man, and I can make a living by doing manual labor. But for your whole family, without the soldiers, you'll lose the supplies from the magistrates in various places. You'll need these. Goodbye forever."
Before Song He'er could speak, Ruan Wenxiao picked up the bundle from the ground and left under the moonlight...
Song He'er didn't sleep a wink all night. By dawn, everyone had packed up and was ready to set off.
Li Qiang's wife looked around but couldn't find any soldiers. She became curious and asked, "Didn't those soldiers come home all night?"
"Yes, didn't they say they went up the mountain with that merchant to haul goods? Why haven't they come back all night?"
Song He'er coughed and stepped forward to explain to everyone, "Bandits often roam the mountains; she was probably captured by them..."
"Bandits???" Qin Xiaoniang was so frightened that she quickly hugged Huan Ge'er tightly.
Zhang Xiu'e looked around and said, "Why don't we leave ourselves? Waiting here isn't a solution. If bandits come, we'll all be dead..."
“Yes, Auntie is right…” Song He’er echoed.
"Then why aren't you leaving yet?"
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