They had another mission this time: to buy salt. The box of coarse salt that Song Zhuiyan had donated four years ago was almost used up, and if they didn't buy more, everyone would run out of salt to eat.
The salt from Song Tantan Supermarket cannot be distributed to the villagers; they must make a trip to the supermarket to mix some in.
In addition, I would like to buy some candy and fabric if I can, but considering that the road is difficult to travel and the forest is extremely dangerous, the things I can bring are very limited, and it is impossible to put them in my space.
Zhong Qingyi would see through it first, and besides, the villagers aren't brainless idiots; it would be strange if they didn't suspect something.
Both men carried packs containing dried sweet potatoes and rice. On their journey out of the mountains, they ate mostly meat, hunting and roasting a few animals to fill their stomachs when they stopped to rest. They saved the rice and dried sweet potatoes for when they came out again.
Fortunately, they were prepared. Five days after leaving the mountains, they passed through several abandoned villages and encountered refugees who were starving. They couldn't find a place to buy food, and if they didn't have any food with them, they would go hungry.
They brought a clay pot, which they used to cook sweet potato porridge. They put in less rice and more sweet potatoes because dried sweet potatoes were lightweight and they brought a lot of them. They also added some dried vegetables and a little salt, and ate like this for several days.
The wild animals they brought from the mountains were all given to the refugees, so they had no meat to eat.
After finishing her meal, Zhong Qingyi wanted to find a room next door to sleep in, but Song Zhuiyan stopped her, saying, "Let's sleep in the same room. It's so chaotic outside, who knows what might happen tonight? I'll sleep on the bed, and you can bring in a few three-foot-long benches and put them together to sleep on. That way, if something happens to either of you, you can look after each other."
A few days ago, although they passed through several villages during the day, they did not stop and were busy on their way. They always spent the night in dilapidated fields or in the wild, so they did not have this problem. But tonight they happened to spend the night in a village. The house had several rooms, and Zhong Qingyi consciously went to sleep in another room.
Hearing Song Zhuiyan say this, his face turned bright red in the darkness, and he was speechless for a moment. He wanted to say that this was not good and would damage her reputation, but he held back for a long time and couldn't say anything.
"What time is it? Why think so much? Is your life more important or your reputation?" Song Zhuiyan didn't even need to look to know what he was worried about.
She's a woman and she doesn't care, but he's a grown man and he's too calculating. He likes her, and now that they have a chance to be alone together, he shouldn't be jumping for joy. Why is he being so dramatic?
Having said all that, Zhong Qingyi stopped being coy. He went to the main room and brought in a few long benches, placing them not far from the door. Then he checked the windows and made sure they were closed tightly.
Song Zhuiyan took out a thin blanket from the package and spread it on the bed board. She got up to help Zhong Qingyi take the blanket out of the package and spread it out, but the latter quickly walked over and snatched the package away.
Scratching his head, he said in a low voice, "I can do it myself. You should get some rest."
A torch was lit inside, casting a dim light. Zhong Qingyi was standing in the shadows, so Song Zhuiyan couldn't see his expression. But she could tell from his voice how embarrassed he was. He must be blushing and unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.
Never mind, I won't tease him anymore.
Zhong Qingyi was so nervous that he couldn't fall asleep even in the middle of the night. He couldn't force himself to sleep even with his eyes closed. He was puzzled. He had been resting very close to his bed a few days ago and hadn't been nervous at all. Why was he in such a state in his room?
On the other side of the bed, Song Zhuiyan had already fallen asleep, but little did she know that Zhong Qingyi, that blockhead, could keep her up until midnight. It was unbelievable.
As the hour of Chou approached, Zhong Qingyi finally began to feel sleepy, and his breathing gradually became steady. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly heard what sounded like footsteps outside. Martial artists have exceptional hearing, so he abruptly opened his eyes and listened intently to the sounds outside.
A moment later, he was sure that someone had come. He hadn't misheard. There was more than one person; he estimated there were at least five. Could it be that they wanted to steal their food?
In her sleep, Song Zhuiyan felt her face covered by a knife. Her actions were faster than her thoughts, and she grabbed the large knife beside her to strike, but Zhong Qingyi was even faster and pressed her down, saying, "Shh, don't make a sound, someone's coming."
Upon hearing his voice, Song Zhuiyan calmed down, got up, and hid in a corner with him, waiting for the people outside to come in.
In the darkness, they could only see that the window and door were opened a crack. By the moonlight, they could see a round tube extending into the crack, and soon smoke began to rise from the tube.
Hmph, what a petty trick! They think they can knock them out with sleeping powder? They carry more drugs than anyone else.
However, the fact that these people knew how to use sleeping powder indicates that they were not ordinary refugees. They must have survived by using such underhanded methods to kill, rob, and seize food.
The two men covered their noses and mouths, refusing to inhale the smoke. Before long, the people outside guessed that the people inside had fainted, so they split into two groups. Four of them kicked the door open, while the other two jumped in through the window.
Six men, brandishing knives, slashed wildly at the quilts bulging on the bench and the bed, only to find they had missed; the men were nowhere to be seen.
"Brother Niu has run away," one of them cursed in a hoarse voice.
"Impossible. I've been watching them the whole time. They didn't go out; they must still be inside." The person who spoke was probably in charge of keeping watch.
Upon hearing this, Zhong Qingyi's face darkened. He prided himself on his martial arts skills, yet he hadn't even realized he was being watched. If the other party were more astute, wouldn't he and Miss Song be in danger?
Song Zhuiyan's expression was also very serious. She wasn't worried about whether she had discovered that she was being followed. She was concerned that this group of people didn't have any backup outside. Judging from their actions, they seemed to be organized and planned. There must be someone more intelligent above them directing their actions.
I don't know how many of them there are, but if they spray poison now, she and Brother Zhong should be able to escape without any problem, right?
She couldn't discuss it with Zhong Qingyi right now, so she had to strike first. Seeing that the people were starting to light torches and would soon be discovered, Song Zhuiyan jumped out and threw out a handful of anesthetic powder. At the same time, she unexpectedly knocked out the two thugs who were standing closest to her.
The anesthetic developed by Ye Moxun is much more effective than ordinary anesthetic powder. Its effects are extremely potent, and it can cause a person to faint within three seconds of inhalation.
“They may have accomplices; we can’t stay here any longer,” Song Zhuiyan said to Zhong Qingyi.
"Then let's hurry up." Zhong Qingyi went to pack her things, putting both quilts into a cloth bag. Just as she was about to leave, she turned around and saw Song Zhuiyan searching the people.
After searching thoroughly, they finally found some dry rations and a few pieces of silver on the men. Tsk, they can afford sleeping pills, but they have no money or food. Even criminals are pitifully poor in this world.
"Perhaps they've hidden the grain elsewhere; maybe we should go look for it." Song Zhuiyan mused, regretting that she shouldn't have drugged everyone earlier; she should have grabbed one conscious person to question.
"Da Niu, have you finished yet? Hurry up, you're dawdling over this little thing, your efficiency is terrible." Suddenly, a group of people walked towards them from outside, and the person in front shouted out in a voice as loud as a broken gong.
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