Chapter 19: County Gate
Shen Yuexi walked out of the room, rubbed her cheeks, and walked towards the outer room yawning.
As soon as the villagers heard the rooster crowing, they got up early and went to the fields. Old Mrs. Feng was busy there. Breakfast was ready and she was invited to eat.
"Madam Pei is up," Old Madam Feng put the dish on the table, "Come and eat, so you can go into the city after you finish eating."
This morning's meal was noticeably richer than yesterday's. In the center of the table sat a stack of fragrant scallion pancakes, a small bowl of rice, two small plates of pickled vegetables, and a large bowl of steaming vegetable soup. Old Mrs. Feng had specially improved the meal to thank them; the bland, watery soup they'd enjoyed yesterday was their typical meal.
After Shen Yuexi finished washing up, she sat down at the table. Old Mrs. Feng picked up a scallion pancake and placed it on the plate in front of her, her face wrinkled with a smile:
"I baked this early this morning. See if it suits your taste."
Shen Yuexi was not in a hurry to eat, but first gave half of the cake to Old Lady Feng: "You eat too."
Old Mrs. Feng took the pancake and placed it in the bowl, looking at Shen Yuexi with a smile. This was the first time she had seen such a beautiful woman. She was not only kind to others, but also gentle and virtuous. She liked her from the bottom of her heart.
Feng Zhang, who was sitting beside them, ate the pancakes in big mouthfuls, saying, "Mom, I haven't had the scallion pancakes you made for a long time. Today, I am blessed by Master Pei and Madam Pei."
Mrs. Feng said, "Mr. Pei saved your life, so naturally I have to make more delicious meals."
"Madam Pei, is your husband still awake?" Feng Zhang asked Shen Yuexi as he scooped up some rice with a spoon, "Or has the wound gotten worse?"
"No, he hasn't had enough rest these days. Now that he is finally safe, I will let him sleep a little longer." Shen Yuexi hurriedly shook her head, her face flushing unnaturally.
She felt guilty when she thought about what happened in the morning.
Old Mrs. Feng smiled and nodded, saying to Feng Zhang, "She is a considerate person to her husband."
Feng Zhang seemed to understand, but nodded in agreement.
She was not worthy of such praise. Thinking of how Xiao Zhuo was bullied by her, Shen Yuexi didn't even look up and quickly picked up the pancake to eat.
After dinner, Feng Zhang hurriedly put the tiger skin on the car.
As soon as Shen Yuexi walked out of the door, she saw a tall figure standing there.
She looked at Xiao Zhuo in surprise: "Husband, when did you get up?"
I remember that when I went out, Xiao Zhuo was still asleep, but in a short while, he was already waiting outside the door.
"Just woke up," Xiao Zhuo handed over a veil, "Take this with you."
After a moment's thought, Shen Yuexi understood what he meant. Ever since she realized she was quite pretty, she knew her looks were a burden to her status, so when Xiao Zhuo handed it to her, she quickly took it and put it on.
Lifting a corner of the veil, she said to Xiao Zhuo:
"Husband, you are injured. You should go back and rest quickly."
The people in the village have already left the house. As fugitives now, they should not be seen by more people, so it is better for them to act with caution.
Xiao Zhuo nodded, raised his hand to straighten Shen Yuexi's veil, and watched the two of them leave.
It was a hot summer day with cicadas chirping non-stop. It was hot as soon as I went out in the morning. Shen Yuexi and Feng Zhang were driving a mule cart towards the city gate.
When they arrived at the county town, Shen Yuexi noticed that it was different from the night before when they entered the city. There was a group of officers and soldiers wearing silver-white soft armor in front of the city gate. They were in strict order, with their guns and swords shining in the sun.
When she saw this scene, she immediately felt a bad feeling in her heart. Could it be related to Xiao Zhuo?
By this time, the mule cart was approaching the city gate. Many people had gathered at the gate, and someone in the crowd could be heard saying loudly:
"If anyone has seen the bandits mentioned in the notice, please report it immediately!"
Feng Zhang said to her from outside the car, "Madam Pei, the county government is offering a reward for the capture of the nearby bandits."
Hearing that they were arresting bandits, Shen Yuexi finally felt relieved. She patted the carriage and said, "Brother Feng, stop for a moment. I'll go down and take a look."
Feng Zhang had mentioned before that there were indeed bandits near Daliang Village, so she planned to find out more about them, just in case.
Feng Zhang stopped the car, Shen Yuexi jumped out, walked through the crowd, and squeezed to the front, wanting to see what the bandit in the notice looked like.
When she squeezed into the crowd, someone in the crowd boldly asked, "County Magistrate, who is that person up there?"
Someone in the crowd coughed dryly, cleared his throat, and then said in an official tone:
"This man is a wanted criminal and bandit. While being brought back to the capital, he killed an officer and escaped. He has now arrived here. He is a ruthless and murderous man. If you see him, please report him to the court to prevent him from harming innocent people."
"Killing the police officer!" someone in the crowd exclaimed. "What a heinous crime!"
Shen Yuexi's heart was moved. This bandit was so brutal that he even dared to attack the officials. He seemed to be a cruel and bloodthirsty person. Even the county magistrate had to come out in person to take charge.
The magistrate then continued, "Anyone who dares to harbor bandits will be punished with imprisonment at the very least, or executed at the worst. Remember this: if you encounter anyone suspicious, report it to the authorities immediately."
When they heard that it was a matter of beheading, they all said hurriedly: "Don't worry, sir. We, the common people, would never dare to harbor a serious criminal of the imperial court. If there is any sign of trouble, we will immediately report it to you."
Shen Yuexi stood in the crowd, thinking secretly.
According to the county magistrate, the bandit killed the official on the way back to Beijing, which means he was not the local bandit mentioned by Feng Zhang.
She squeezed through the crowd and walked towards the notice posted on the city wall.
But there were so many onlookers in front of the notice that she could only stand on tiptoe and stretch her neck to look forward.
Her height was not short among women, but most of the people in front of her were men. She looked petite and lovely in the crowd, and only other people's shoulders could be seen.
Just as I was about to jump up and look, two men in front of me started talking.
"I didn't expect that such a good-looking person would do something illegal. It's a waste of his good reputation." A scholar shook his head with regret.
A peddler next to him smacked his lips and said, "Nowadays, even being a bandit depends on your looks. How can ordinary people like us make a living?"
Shen Yuexi was surprised. Could it be that this bandit had a good appearance?
"What nonsense! I heard a scholar read the words above. Those are the bandits that the imperial court has issued an order to arrest."
In the Great Yan Dynasty where 90% of the people were illiterate, only a few people could understand the contents of the notice, so it was read by some literate students.
What this person said must be correct.
"Life is hard these days..." The peddler shook his head and sighed.
The people around nodded in agreement.
Shen Yuexi squeezed forward and came to the two people who were talking. She asked the peddler, "Excuse me, big brother, when was this notice put up?"
The voice, like the sound of a flowing spring, immediately attracted the attention of people around him.
Although the person could not be seen through the veil, the voice was undoubtedly a woman's, which surprised people.
The peddler was stunned for a moment, then looked at Shen Yuexi, who was wearing a curtain, and replied with a flushed face: "No... not long ago, I... I came before dawn, and the notice was already posted by then."
Seeing the peddler stuttering, the scholar impatiently pushed him aside.
"Miss, I know this," the scholar said, coming over. "This notice was posted at midnight. I guess the bandits must have come to our county town."
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