Chapter 109: No Way Out
"We're farmers who originally lived at the foot of the mountain. We've relied on farming for generations." The gangster packed up his things and poured two cups of hot tea for Qin Xiangnuan and Jiang Lin. His movements were clearly unfamiliar, not like he drank tea often. Qin Xiangnuan watched him break off a piece of tea cake and drop it into the cup, guessing that these things were also stolen from passersby and he wouldn't drink them normally.
Although the tea was so strong that it was a bit bitter, Qin Xiangnuan still picked it up and took a sip for the sake of courtesy.
The gangster sat across from them and continued slowly, "Everything was good. Although we didn't make much, the food we grew on our farm was enough for the whole family to eat and drink. We even had some left over, which we sold at the rice shop in town and earned enough money to buy two more houses. Even though we didn't live as well as the wealthy businessmen in town, we were content. But things didn't last long, and something unexpected happened..."
"It's been a bad year these past two days, with frequent droughts and subsequent floods. The land is practically destroyed, and no matter what we plant, it dies, with no seedlings growing at all. We've barely harvested a grain, and with no income, we have no food, yet the town officials are forcing us to pay taxes." The gang boss clenched his fists, his eyes filled with anger and hatred. "We told them about our situation, hoping someone would come and help. If the crops can grow again, we will definitely repay the taxes. But no one cares, they just want the money."
The town officials didn't consider their lives as lives at all.
When survival becomes a luxury, people always have to find a way out. Hei Lao Da was considered a man of influence in the village. He led all the able-bodied men in the village to find this place, occupy the mountain and become bandits. "Although it sounds bad, at least we can fill our stomachs and live. But we never hurt anyone. If we encounter someone who is stubborn or unwilling to cooperate, we will beat them up and throw them down the mountain at most."
Qin Xiangnuan believed this sentence.
After all, their actions of kidnapping people looked so unfamiliar, let alone killing people.
"No one back home knew what we were doing. Every now and then, we'd bring food back and give it to them. We'd just say we'd found a way to make a living outside, so they didn't suspect anything." The black boss' voice trailed off as he thought of the elderly, women, and children in the village. He briefly explained the situation and looked at Qin Xiangnuan and Jiang Lin in confusion, "You didn't come from the village, so how do you know all this?"
Qin Xiangnuan shook her head and said lightly, "We don't know, we are just guessing."
The gangster's eyes widened. He didn't expect Qin Xiangnuan to just blast him! "We all have silver on us. If it was really a robbery, you would definitely search our belongings first and take away all the gold and silver. But your people didn't do that. They only focused on food, so I guess you are just farmers who encountered famine. Second uncle said that the calluses on your knuckles were left by farming. You must be from the village, forced to come out to Liangshan to arrest people." Qin Xiangnuan's guesses were all correct.
Jiang Lin looked at her without saying anything.
"Now that we know what's going on, why don't you take us to the village? Maybe I can help you..." Qin Xiangnuan said, "Staying here isn't a solution. This place is very close to Phoenix Mountain, and normally not many people would cross the mountains or take a detour. I'm afraid it would take you ten days or half a month to catch a few people."
Qin Xiangnuan looked at the food reserves in their room and said, "It's probably been more than half a month since we saw any human habitation, right?"
"The 12th." The black boss nodded, wondering what kind of reincarnated immortal Qin Xiangnuan was. It seemed like she had always lived here, knowing everything about them so well. "There's an escort team trying to save time by taking a shortcut, so they're going this way. But the escorts are all top-notch experts. If you try to fight to the death, you're bound to injure a lot of your brothers. Instead of taking any more risks like this, trust me and let's go and see."
When the gangster heard Qin Xiangnuan's words, he did not hesitate this time.
He looked outside as it was gradually getting dark. "I'm afraid it won't work today. How about you stay here? I'll take you to the village tomorrow morning." Qin Xiangnuan was silent for a long time. The black boss followed her gaze and thought she was worried about the food that had been confiscated. So he said with assurance, "Don't worry, I will have everyone return everything to you intact."
"It's just that they ate some when we brought you up here. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about it..."
Seeing the embarrassment on Black Boss's face, Qin Xiangnuan stopped him and said calmly, "I was thinking, why don't we take out our meat and bones and use your kitchen to cook them. We've been running around all day and are a little hungry. Why don't we eat together?" Black Boss couldn't believe it and confirmed it again and again. After knowing that Qin Xiangnuan was not joking, he ordered the second in command, who was grinning from ear to ear, to pass on the message.
"Quick, let everyone in the east courtyard out and treat them well. No one can take action!"
Jiang Lin watched the black boss run away and asked Qin Xiangnuan, "There are more than twenty of them, plus the people from the General's Mansion. I'm afraid all the flesh and blood will be left here. Aren't you going to be frugal? The next official post station is still a long way away. How are we going to get there?"
"When you reach the mountain, there will always be a way out. Why worry about the future?" Qin Xiangnuan tilted her head nonchalantly, staring at the night outside. The scenery in the mountains was simply beautiful. She turned her head to look at Jiang Lin, "We've endured the hard times, so what's there to be afraid of? It's just a matter of tightening our belts. I would have worried before, but now we have the prince on our way." Qin Xiangnuan's smile gradually widened.
Jiang Lin always had a bad feeling. He narrowed his eyes and took a step back.
"I don't think the prince will stand by and watch someone die. I know that the carriage held by those secret guards behind you is loaded with a lot of stuff. As long as the prince is kind-hearted and willing to share a piece of the pie, even if the general's mansion has a hundred mouths, they won't starve to death." Qin Xiangnuan smiled sweetly, but Jiang Lin felt that her smile was full of calculation. Qin Xiangnuan shrugged her shoulders, turned and walked outside, and said in a very light tone, "Doesn't the prince want to help them too?"
"Otherwise, when we were first captured and brought to this village, the secret guards who were not with us would have rushed out and wiped out everyone here. Could a few warriors without any martial arts skills be a match for the secret guards of Xiaoyao Hou's mansion?"
Qin Xiangnuan stood in the courtyard and looked back at Jiang Lin, "Didn't the prince give the order?"
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