In the woods in front of Baishi Town, more than 60 miles away from Dawuguan, a group of people, shivering from the cold, impatiently tore off the black cloth covering their faces.
"Boss, it's been seven days, and those guys still haven't shown up. Are we just going to freeze here forever?" someone couldn't help but complain.
Someone nearby noticed that the leader's face was also not good, and quickly said, "Ganzi, what are you complaining about? We're not here to freeze for nothing, and the leader hasn't starved you."
This place is near the Five Passes, and our business is already tough. It's a blessing to have finally gotten this job, especially since the pay is good. The New Year is just around the corner, and whether we brothers can drink heartily, eat heartily, and bring girls from the Orchid Pavilion during the New Year depends entirely on whether this job goes through.
So, stay calm, stay calm.
His words clearly reassured the others, and even their leader, Mo Mu, glanced at him with satisfaction.
Mo Mu was also feeling anxious. His target hadn't shown up for seven days. Although the other party would pay him for those seven days, the longer it dragged on, the more uncertain he felt.
The investor was quite certain that the target would come to Dawuguan, as this place is the only way to Dawuguan and the terrain here is the most suitable.
To be on the safe side, he even arranged for people to guard the place at night.
Mo Mu had already figured it out in his mind: it was the benefactor who determined that the target would take this route, but who could guarantee that the target's group might have other plans or changes that altered their destination?
If that's the case, when Mo Mu decides to settle accounts with his benefactor, he can't just take the hard-earned money for these days; he has to squeeze a large sum of money out of him as well.
So what if that patron's family has an official? If we offend them, we can just take our brothers and leave this place for somewhere else.
In any case, he had long planned to leave this place and rebuild his territory elsewhere.
He wasn't even afraid of retaliation from the official who was his benefactor. If pushed too far, he would expose their hiring of assassins. After being an official for a long time, even if one is usually tactful, it's hard to guarantee that one won't offend people who are looking for weaknesses to exploit!
Besides, the business I'm in is all about risking my life; if you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to fear. At worst, we'll both go down together!
He reminded his brothers to wear extra robes tomorrow, and couldn't help but think about the information the patron had given about the target—that she was a very arrogant and conceited young woman who used a whip and a sword.
Mo Mu initially didn't believe that the sugar daddy was exaggerating, thinking that the young woman was being portrayed as so formidable.
However, after seeing the injuries of the patron's men with his own eyes, he was certain that what the patron said was true.
The injured servants of the wealthy patron all had injuries to their wrists, with broken wrist bones. Even the best orthopedic doctor in White Stone Town shook his head and said there was no way to cure them.
The force and accuracy of the whip strike startled Mo Mu, making him wary of underestimating his opponent.
He wasn't sure if the little maid who used the whip was crazy, but he was certain that she was ruthless!
Therefore, he dared not be careless when doing this job and brought all his subordinates with him.
As for things like the saying "the more people bully the less people" or "it's shameful for a man to bully a woman," he completely ignored them.
They were in the business of murder and robbery; as long as they had money to live a life of luxury, they were content. If they really cared about their reputation, they wouldn't have done this kind of business.
The patron also said that after the target was kidnapped, he did not require her to be physically intact; her limbs could be crippled, but he wanted to preserve her face and body as much as possible.
The financier also wants two of the seven children, which are girls. The remaining five boys will belong to him, and he can decide what to do with them, whether he sells them or not.
Thinking of this, Mo Mu cursed inwardly. He and his men were bad people, and killing and robbing were normal things for them. But the patron was no better than them.
Just because he has a father who is a sixth-rank official, he bullies the villagers, oppresses men and women, and is no different from a bandit.
After expressing his feelings, Mo Mu thought for a moment and, to be on the safe side, arranged for two of his men to ride fast horses along the official road to scout out where their target was.
However, Hong Xiaoduo, who was on everyone's mind, is now much less of a worry to worry about thanks to Quan Jinghuai's involvement. She no longer has to stay up all night to watch over the children while camping in the wild; she can sleep soundly in the tent with them.
At first, she felt she couldn't sleep in late in the morning like before, but she still slept until the sun was high in the sky. After waking up, she watched Quan Jinghuai lead the children in squatting and boxing while she washed up, and she didn't seem embarrassed at all.
Quan Jinghuai was a wandering knight-errant who always traveled wherever he pleased and was never in a hurry.
So she figured it out and realized that things were fine this way. Why make things difficult for herself and make any changes?
She had already decided that once they got to town, she would buy another large tent. Otherwise, she would always feel bad seeing the children's teacher sleeping in his own simple little tent.
Because it's so simple, it's more like a tiny A-shaped shed that melon farmers in the countryside use to watch over their melons. It's only about the height of one person, and the space inside is just big enough for one person to lie down comfortably.
Unlike her and her children's house, which is like a small room, with a charcoal fire inside. When it rains, the seven of them, one adult and seven children, set up a small long table inside and eat.
It's not that I'm afraid of cooking food; even if the fumes blacken and dirty the tent, it's still possible to cook inside.
In the past, when resting along the way, the children would gather firewood, usually dry branches and the like.
Now things are much better. Their master, Quan Jinghuai, collects tree trunks that are thicker than an arm. He throws in a few pieces of firewood at night, and by dawn, the remaining embers are perfect for making breakfast.
Sometimes, seeing Quan Jinghuai rolling up his sleeves and busy with the children, Hong Xiaoduo felt a little embarrassed.
There were nine people in the group, and only the two of them were adults, and even elders. But look at the teacher, she really cares about her disciples.
Unlike the woman who found herself to be her "mother," she's such an unfit parent!
As time went on, the children grew very close to their master, and Hong Xiaoduo wasn't jealous at all. The better they got along, the more at ease she felt, and so she became even lazier than before.
In daily life, the children didn't ask her questions, so she let them follow their master's lead and do whatever they wanted.
But no matter how harmonious and close the children were with their master, the first bowl of food prepared was always served to her first.
When roasting sweet potatoes, the children would always pick out the best-roasted piece for her to eat.
Because she said that when she got up early to practice with her master, she didn't need to be taken care of, the children no longer ran over to bring her water or anything when they saw her come out of the tent.
However, the water for washing my face had already been prepared in advance.
The washbasin was already half full of cold water, and the stove was right next to it; you could just reach out and lift it to add hot water.
"Keep this money with you." While resting in another village, Quan Jinghuai returned with the children after shopping with the villagers. A group of villagers followed behind to collect the money. Hong Xiaoduo paid each person and handed the purse to Quan Jinghuai…
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