Mountain bandits kidnapped Su Yuexing and took her up the mountain.
After the carriage had been traveling for a while, a lot of stones were piled up in the middle of the road, blocking it completely.
"Whoa!" The coachman pulled on the reins, stopping the horse.
"What's wrong?" Ye Huaijin asked.
The driver replied, "A pile of stones is blocking our way; we may need to go all the way to Pingchun County."
Upon hearing this, Ye Huaijin frowned slightly and asked, "How far is it from Pingchun County?"
"It's about fifty li away," the coachman replied.
Ye Huaijin looked at Jiang Nianrou with worry in his eyes. He didn't mind suffering himself, but he felt very sorry for Nianrou because she had to suffer with him.
Su Yuexing said, "I know a shortcut that can bypass this place and reach Pingchun County."
Ye Huaijin and Jiang Nianrou's faces lit up with joy. "Could you please give us directions?" he said.
Su Yuexing replied respectfully, "Of course."
Under Su Yuexing's guidance, Ye Huaijin took a different path.
"Brothers! Charge!" A shout came from the hillside, and a group of masked men rushed down the mountain.
They were all carrying large knives and surrounded the carriage inside and out.
Ye Huaijin came out and frowned as he looked at the group of people in front of him.
The masked man at the head stared at Su Yuexing. Why does this woman look so familiar?
I feel like I've seen this somewhere before, but I can't quite place it.
His subordinate nudged him and said, "Boss! Should we take them back now?"
Cai Zhicai ordered, "Bring them back to the village!" The men were then escorted back.
The bandits' lewd gazes kept falling on the woman, making Su Yuexing feel nauseous.
Along the way, Ye Huaijin calmly surveyed Leiyu Village, roughly memorizing the route in his mind.
Su Yuexing and the others were locked in a cell when the leader removed his mask and asked, "Tell us where your families live?"
"Have our people notify your family to send the ransom, or you'll know what will happen!" Cai Zhicai casually toyed with the dagger.
Ye Huaijin put his arm around Jiang Nianrou and said, "Our home is in the capital. We're just passing through."
When Cai Zhicai heard that he was from the capital, his eyes lit up and he became interested. He casually stuck the dagger into the table.
“From the capital! That’s wonderful!” Cai Zhicai stood up from the stool and continued, “People from the capital are all rich and powerful.”
“How about this? I’m going to take 100,000 taels of silver from your family!” Cai Zhicai said with great interest.
He squatted down in front of Ye Huaijin and asked, "Tell me! Where do you live?"
Ye Huaijin remained silent. Cai Zhicai narrowed his eyes, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Jiang Nianrou by the neck, threatening, "It's been a long time since a woman has come to our village."
"My brothers are also really looking forward to women."
Ye Huaijin said nervously, "Let her go!"
"I'll tell you anything you want to know!"
Cai Zhicai suddenly let go, and Jiang Nianrou gasped for breath. Ye Huaijin held her injured body and asked with concern, "Nianrou, are you alright?"
"I..." Her voice was a little hoarse, and her throat was also quite sore.
Ye Huaijin touched the glaring red mark on her neck, his eyes hardening. "I will wipe out these bandits!"
"My name is Ye Huaijin. I live in the capital. My family makes a living by blacksmithing."
Cai Zhicai looked him up and down, and said incredulously, "You, with your small frame, can forge iron?"
Ye Huaijin explained, "The blacksmith shop was naturally run by my eldest brother, and my family supported my studies, hoping that I would pass the imperial examinations."
"This is my wife." Ye Huaijin hugged Jiang Nianrou tightly.
Cai Zhicai had already estimated Ye Huaijin's value in his mind. With a legitimate business at home and the ability to support his education, he would need at least 200,000 taels of silver. Add a woman to the mix, and it would have to be 300,000 taels.
Cai Zhicai tossed Ye Huaijin a piece of paper and a pen, saying, "Write a letter to your family. Whether you can leave or not depends on this letter."
After saying that, he walked up to Su Yuexing, looked her up and down, and asked, "Where do you live? How much money are you planning to ask your family to pay to buy your freedom?"
The two looked at each other. "Have we met somewhere before?" Cai Zhicai asked.
Su Yuexing raised an eyebrow. "Coincidentally, I think so too."
“I have no money; I am just the daughter of an ordinary farming family.”
Cai Zhicai said with a disdainful look, "Who are you trying to fool? The silk you're wearing isn't cheap either."
Su Yuexing said awkwardly, "I stole this from someone else. I really am a hunter. Let me show you my hands, they're covered in calluses."
Cai Zhicai stepped forward and saw that his hands were indeed calloused. "In that case," he said, "I'll give you 50,000 taels of silver."
He tossed Su Yuewei the same piece of paper and a pen.
Then she came to the driver, who knelt on the ground and cried uncontrollably, “I have no money. I have young children and elderly parents to support, and I have always made a living by driving a rickshaw.”
"I have a young daughter who is seriously ill, and I have no money!" After saying this, he kowtowed, "bang bang bang!"
Cai Zhicai waved his hand dismissively and said, "Oh dear! Oh dear! Never mind!"
"Men, take him away and behead him! He's a waste of his life!"
"Yes!" The two men helped the coachman away.
Cai Zhicai looked at what they had written on the paper, nodded, and pointed at Ye Huaijin, saying, "If your family doesn't send money a month from now, then you'll die far from home."
Then, pointing at Su Yuexing, he said, "If I don't receive the money within three days, you won't die, but I'll let you experience what it's like to be played with by a man."
After saying that, he gave Su Yuexing a meaningful look before turning and leaving.
After leaving the cell, Cai Zhicai walked up to the driver, put his hand on his shoulder, and said, "You did a good job acting."
The coachman laughed and said, "It's all thanks to the chief's good planning."
"Stop flattering me," Cai Zhicai said with a smile.
The driver asked in confusion, "Didn't we agree to set up an ambush in the original spot? Why would the chief set up an ambush on that side road as well?"
Cai Zhicai smiled mysteriously, "You just don't understand."
"After we blocked the road with stones, we made two preparations."
"Some of the men remained in their original positions, while I led the others to lie in ambush on this side of the path."
After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment and asked, "How did they know about Xiaolu?"
"If I hadn't thought things through so thoroughly, the duck that was about to be eaten might have flown away."
The driver explained, "Boss, you forgot? There's a woman who lives around here, so of course she knows the alley!"
Cai Zhicai slapped his forehead, "Oh dear, I forgot about that."
"Alright, you've worked hard these past few days. Take a good rest in the village for a month before going down the mountain to find your target."
"Yes." The driver got off.
In the cell, Ye Huaijin angrily pointed at Su Yuexing, "Speak! Are you in cahoots with them?!"
Su Yuexing frowned. "What's wrong with your brain? If I were in cahoots with them, why would I be locked up here?"
Ye Huaijin sneered, "That's because you're putting on an act with us!"
Su Yuexing rolled her eyes helplessly and said, "Then I must be really bored!"
Tell me your reasons for doubting me.
Ye Huaijin said confidently, "The reason is very simple."
"There are many rocks blocking the road. Judging from the current situation, it must be the work of those bandits."
"You guided us along that path, and that's how we encountered those bandits."
"You're the bandits' inside man!"
Su Yuexing helplessly rubbed her forehead, "This really has nothing to do with me!"
Jiang Nianrou hesitated and asked, "Miss, did you really do these things?"
Su Yuexing took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, "I'll say it one last time, I really didn't do it!"
Ye Huaijin said with a face full of disdain, "You're really stubborn as a mule!"
Jiang Nianrou nudged Ye Huaijin and gave him a wink, "I believe Miss Su."
Ye Huaijin said unhappily, "Nianrou! Don't believe just anyone!"
"Hey! I'm telling you, you jerk!" Su Yuexing pointed at him, her face full of displeasure, and said, "I'll show you whether I'm a good person or a bad person!"
Xie Xuanye sat on a large tree, holding a wine jar in his hand, his face already flushed.
Since arriving at Leiyu Village, he has been sitting here drinking alone. Sometimes when Cai Zhicai has time, he will drink with him.
Cai Zhicai stood under the tree and said, "Brother Xie! Stop drinking, come down quickly, I have some good news to tell you!"
Xie Xuanye used his lightness skill to quickly climb down from the tree, put the wine jar in his mouth, and gulped down a few mouthfuls.
He casually wiped his mouth and asked, "What good news?"
Cai Zhicai said with a smile, "We pulled off a big one today!"
"We robbed three people from the foot of the mountain, and two of them were from the capital!"
“I intend to have their families pay thirty taels of silver to redeem them.”
"Then we'll use this 300,000 taels of silver to recruit soldiers and horses, and together we'll fight against the imperial court!"
Upon hearing that he had gone down the mountain to rob, Xie Xuanye sobered up instantly, grabbing his arm and asking, "Didn't you promise me you wouldn't lead the brothers to rob anymore?!"
Cai Zhicai broke free from his grasp and said somewhat guiltily, "I promise this is really the last time!"
Xie Xuanye walked past him and said, "No! You must release those people!"
Cai Zhicai immediately grabbed him and said, "Brother Xie! Listen to me!"
"Since we've already arrested them, let's wait until we get the money before letting them go!"
"Moreover, judging from their clothes and appearance, they don't seem to be short of money. Earning 300,000 taels of silver should be an easy thing for them!"
Xie Xuanye was still determined to leave, but Cai Zhicai desperately tried to stop him, saying, "Brother Xie! Even if I agree to let them go, the other brothers in the village won't agree!"
"They'll all have a problem with you then!"
Xie Xuanye persisted, saying, "If you have a problem with me, then you have a problem with me. I can't just stand by and watch you do these heinous things!"
Seeing that he was determined to do so, Cai Zhicai shouted at him, "Thank you, Xuan Ye!"
"If you take another step forward, don't blame me for disowning you as a brother!"
Xie Xuanye paused, turned back to look at him in disbelief, and said, "Brother Cai, what did you say?"
"You would actually cut ties with me over something like this."
Cai Zhicai replied firmly, "Yes!"
"Because these three people are now the lifeblood of our Thunderstorm Village!"
He softened his voice and said, "Thank you, Brother! I promise that whether or not they get the money, I will make sure they leave unharmed!"
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