The next morning, Tao Wanniang got up early. She had said she would avenge her son, and she meant what she said.
"I'm planning to go to town for a visit, so you don't need to come with me. Nobody will care about an old woman like me."
Tao Wan's mother didn't want to attract attention; with her current withered and sharp appearance, no one would give her a second glance on the street. But with her son, daughter-in-law, and little children with her, she would become an easy target.
"Mother, are you alright by yourself?"
Ling Dahu still had marks on his face from the beating, and he frowned, showing great concern for his mother.
"Yes, Mother, we're worried about you going out alone. This town isn't safe."
Ling Dapeng looked at Tao Wanniang with concern. After feeling his mother's deep care, he realized that he had misunderstood his mother before and that she was truly doing it for their own good.
Tao Wanniang glanced at her two sons coolly and said without hiding her true feelings, "It's not peaceful. Where is there peace now? I know what I'm doing. You two stay here and rest up."
"Besides, your mother, I have someone down below me!"
As soon as Tao Wanniang said this, the Ling brothers thought of their father below and immediately wondered if their father had said something to their mother.
"Then, Mother, may you rest in peace!"
The Ling brothers looked at each other, and Ling Dahu spoke up in a simple and honest manner.
Tao Wanniang gave her a cold look, as if she were about to ascend to heaven.
Walking on the streets of Ping'an Town, Tao Wanniang looked around. There were still quite a few idle people on the street, but even more were people who couldn't make a living and looked worried.
When Tao Wanniang arrived at the East Market, she found that there were still vegetable farmers selling vegetables. But when she heard the price, she was shocked. A bunch of sunflowers cost ten coins, and that bunch didn't even look like it weighed a pound.
Moreover, there were only three or five vegetable farmers in the entire East Market, so her original plan to pick up some vegetable leaves at the market was thwarted, as the vegetable farmers would not waste a single vegetable leaf.
Five taels of silver doesn't seem to buy much in real life!
"Aunt Tao, Aunt Tao!"
Wang Er, the beggar, was standing by Tao Wanniang. He was one of the beggars from the dilapidated house yesterday and had come out early to keep watch on Tao Wanniang.
"Those were the same guys who robbed your two sons yesterday. Your two sons are quite formidable, aren't they? I heard from them that they didn't get away with it and even got beaten up."
"Just these few skinny monkeys?"
Tao Wan's mother said disdainfully, "It's truly shameful that my son was beaten by these people!"
"Aunt Tao, what are you going to do? There are five of them."
Tao Wanniang thought for a moment and then asked Wang Er to come closer to her.
"Aunt Tao, okay, I promise I won't let you down."
Wang Er's eyes lit up; he would receive a steamed bun as a reward after the deed was done.
Tao Wanniang nodded, signaling Wang Er to go and prepare.
Taking advantage of the absence of others, she checked the trading system and found that the meat buns were only two coins each. Since she couldn't catch a wolf without spending money, she decisively exchanged for two meat buns.
Hmm, I'll eat one to fill my stomach first, and then deliberately walk past those five people with the bun in my hand, pausing for a moment and looking around.
"Can you smell the meat buns? If anyone in this town can afford meat buns, they must be rich!"
"I smell it! Look, it's her!"
Tao Wanniang intentionally revealed her meat buns, naturally making sure the local thugs could see them.
As if frightened by the thugs, she immediately hid the meat buns and walked quickly forward, deliberately looking back with a look of lingering fear, clearly trying to lure the thugs into a trap.
"Look, that's the woman, she has a meat bun in her hand."
"He's dressed so shabbily, he must be from out of town. If you follow him, he can afford meat buns, so he must be hiding a lot of good food."
The smell of the meat buns was so enticing that it was not uncommon for others to smell them, but Tao Wanniang deliberately showed them to those thugs. Knowing that the thugs had taken the bait, she hid herself well and then walked forward at an extremely fast pace.
She had walked back and forth in this area several times, all to lure these people into an alley where the beggar Wang Er and the others were lying in ambush!
"Old woman, you're walking fast. You're feeling guilty. Old woman, stop right there and hand over the food. We won't make things difficult for you!"
"That's right. This outsider doesn't understand the customs of our Ping'an Town. Show some respect to us, and we'll take care of you in the future."
"How can this old woman run so fast? Guys, help me up. I haven't eaten meat in so long, my legs are weak."
Behind him came the panting calls of several thugs.
Tao Wanniang glanced back and began sarcastically:
"I thought you guys were so capable, but you're all just cowards. The meat buns are really delicious!"
Tao Wanniang took a bite of the juicy steamed bun in front of the local ruffians.
"I have not only meat buns here, but also steamed buns, oh, and water too. Oh, it's a pity you don't have any."
Tao Wanniang looked somewhat arrogant and even made a seductive gesture.
“I fucking…” one of the thugs gave Tao Wanniang the middle finger, “You bitch, you’re messing with us.”
"Brothers, don't let this old hag look down on us, she'll definitely have something to eat."
When Tao Wanniang saw the group taking another step, she immediately ran into an alley.
Several thugs rushed into the alley, breathless, but found no trace of Tao Wanniang.
"Where is she? She's nowhere to be found. That wretched woman dared to play us for a fool. When I catch her, I'll skin her alive."
"Li Laizi, you have rather heavy tastes. How could you bring yourself to hurt such a skinny old woman?"
"These days, any woman would be fine. Ugh, never mind, what's with this old hag? She's playing us for fools!"
Tao Wanniang had already crawled into the broken hole next to her, and she could clearly hear the filth and foul language of these thugs.
"What are you waiting for?"
With a furious shout from Tao Wanniang, several beggars poured wood ash from the top of the wall onto the group of thugs. Immediately afterward, a large net was cast down, trapping the entire group.
The ashes stung their eyes, and the thugs coughed violently from the fumes. Tao Wanniang and several beggars came out from the other side, each holding a stick, and started hitting the thugs.
"Who hit me? Ouch, it hurts so much!"
"Stop! Stop right now! Do you know who I am?"
The thugs shouted and cursed, but in the end, it all turned into wails of pain. Tao Wanniang and the three beggars remained silent and only fought. When they were tired of fighting, at Tao Wanniang's signal, they threw down their sticks and quietly and quickly retreated from the alley.
It feels so good to have exercised my muscles and bones!
Tao Wanniang stretched and yawned, looking quite content.
"Come on, Wang Er, let's go buy you some steamed buns. I'm so happy today!"
The beggar Wang Er looked at Tao Wanniang with admiration: "Auntie, it's so good to be your son. Do you need another son?"
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