Chapter 9

“Eat slower, don’t choke!” “There’s still plenty of flatbread and jerky, no need to rush.” “Daohua, quick, give the flask to Yeyang and Ergouzi.” Inside the carriage, Old Lady Yan looked on with a pained face as Xiao Yeyang and Zhao Ergou stuffed food into their mouths, frequently instructing Daohua to fetch things. “Damned traffickers, black-hearted devils, look how hungry they’ve made people.” “If their families saw them like this, how heartbroken would they be?” “Once you get home, you can’t go running around anymore. Look at the trouble you’ve brought upon yourselves this time.” As people age, they tend to become soft-hearted, and Old Lady Yan was no exception. After the Escort Bureau drove off the traffickers and ensured their safety, she couldn’t help feeling distressed at the sorry state of Xiao Yeyang and Zhao Ergou. Xiao Yeyang and Zhao Ergou both obediently agreed to Old Lady Yan’s concerns, though how much they actually heeded her words was known only to themselves. Anyway, Daohua and Yan Wentao on the side were lost in thought. “Bang, bang!” “And you two, if you dare to cause trouble again in the future, see how this old lady will deal with you!” Old Lady Yan gave Daohua and Yan Wentao a slap on the forehead each. Yan Wentao humbly accepted it. Whereas Daohua let out a wail and then rushed into Old Lady Yan’s arms, “Grandmother, we were wrong, sorry for worrying you, we won’t dare to do it again.” Old Lady Yan gave her granddaughter a stern look. This kid was brought up by her from a very young age—was there anything about her that Old Lady Yan didn’t know? Despite Daohua’s current show of good repentance, Old Lady Yan guaranteed that if a similar situation were to arise again, she would act just as she had before. “I can’t control you anymore, but fortunately, we’ll be entering Zhongzhou Prefecture in a couple of days. From then on, you’ll have to wait for your parents to deal with you personally.” Upon hearing this, Daohua’s face immediately fell, and her entire body slumped onto Yan Wentao’s shoulder. Seeing this, Old Lady Yan smiled in satisfaction. On the side, Xiao Yeyang quietly observed the interaction between Old Lady Yan and Daohua while eating his jerky. This pretty boy is much doted on at home. He had previously thought that, although the boy’s looks didn’t quite please him (too effeminate), he was brave and quick-witted. He had considered reluctantly taking him as an attendant, to work in his study and handle the writing materials. But now, judging from the old lady’s attitude toward him, that plan seemed impractical. His family might be wealthy, but that didn’t mean others would be willing to let their treasured child become his subordinate. Alas, he would have to find another way to repay the life-saving debt. Daohua was unaware of his thoughts, but if she knew, she would surely have spat in his face. She had risked her life to save others, and not only did he not think about repaying her, he even wanted to enslave her—how arrogant! He needed to be taught a lesson! At dusk, the caravan stopped again by the roadside. “There are too many refugees; all the towns along the way have their gates closed tight. Looks like we’ll have to camp outdoors again tonight,” Old Lady Yan lamented as she lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside. “Old lady, the fire’s been started; you should come out and get some air,” Sun Bo’s voice called out. Old Lady Yan turned to Xiao Yeyang and Zhao Ergou, “You’ve been cooped up inside for two days, come out and get some fresh air as well.” Xiao Yeyang didn’t say anything, just nodded, while Zhao Ergou seemed a little nervous, “Can we really go down?” Daohua replied, “We should be fine now; I haven’t seen those traffickers around for the past couple days, they must have left.” The five of them disembarked and joined Sun Bo and his wife around the fire. Not far away, the Escort Bureau guards glanced in their direction. “Goodness, they were actually hiding two people.” “Those two lads are really bold, daring to snatch people right from the traffickers’ hands.” “I inquired a bit, and those traffickers suffered a huge loss this time. Not only was the boss’s wife’s head busted open, but five or six kidnapped children escaped, and they only managed to catch three in the end.” Qin Xiaoliu immediately chimed in, “They deserved it, I’ve wanted to beat up those traffickers for a long time. Those two did a good job.” “Bang!” Qin Wu smacked Qin Xiaoliu on the head, “What good? They were lucky the traffickers didn’t catch them. Have you ever considered what would happen to them if they had been caught?” “Not only those two lads, but also their grandmother and the old servant have to die.” “We are escorting cargo for a living, traveling far from home, and the last thing we should do is meddle in others’ affairs. Remember this, stay out of trouble, keep your mouth shut, and the most important thing is to return home alive.” Wentao glanced at his brother Xiaoliu and muttered, “Then, big brother, why did you help them?” Wentao glared at him, “It’s all for the sake of the injured Third and the others.” He had tested the hemostatic powder that Daohua had provided and found it truly effective, which was why he agreed to protect them. Otherwise, without sufficient benefits, how could he possibly risk leading a group of brothers into a rash conflict with ruthless traffickers? There’s an old saying that one should fear a thief’s interest, not a thief’s theft. Although they were many, they had to guard the cargo, hasten their journey, and if the traffickers insisted on picking a fight, creating troubles for them from time to time, they might not be able to cope. Xiaoliu looked unconvinced, “Big brother, I think what you’re saying isn’t quite right. Shouldn’t we help each other out when we’re away from home?” Wentao coldly shot back, “You think you’re helping people, but that’s not necessarily the case. Those two lads seemed to have saved those children, but did they really save them? Can they truly return to their parents? Or could they be abducted and sold again? Perhaps their fate could be even worse than falling into the hands of traffickers.” “Alright, quiet down, everyone. Rest up now, so we can pick up the pace tomorrow,” said Wentao before he stepped into a nearby carriage and looked back at Daohua and the others preparing their meal, sighing in his heart. It was not that he was heartless; he had an entire family depending on him. He had taken them out and thus had to bring them home safely—otherwise, how could he face the trust of his fellow villagers? On this journey, he had taken good care of them. The day after tomorrow, once they entered the territory of Zhongzhou Prefecture and reached the destination of their escort mission, he hoped they could all have a safe journey from then on. By the fire. Xiao Yeyang and Ergouzi were twisting their bodies, having been stuck with the carriage these past days. They were eager to stretch their limbs properly. “Come, wipe your faces, look how dirty you both are.” The wet cloth was handed over to Xiao Yeyang and the others by Grandmother Sun. The two took the cloth and began to wipe off the dirt with zeal—who wouldn’t want to be clean if they had the chance? Although Daohua had long realized that Xiao Yeyang was not an ordinary child, she was still taken aback by his clean features. He was remarkably handsome. Even in his disheveled state, the air of nobility he carried was unmistakable. Ergouzi looked quite ordinary, but his gaze was steady and there was a hint of steadfastness in his expression, giving one a reliable and solid impression. Old Mistress Yan looked quietly at Xiao Yeyang, then suddenly said, “In the future, you two should stay in the carriage more,” she said, then turned to Daohua, “And you, you also need to stay calm.” Daohua and Xiao Yeyang exchanged a look and remained quietly silent. In these times, being too good-looking was also a trouble. “Eat first, and then get some rest quickly after eating.” Once Old Mistress Yan had portioned out the food, Daohua picked it up and started eating. Having been carefree and forthright since childhood, she didn’t think of minding her appearance, doing whatever felt comfortable. Xiao Yeyang, on the other hand, first wiped his hands with the wet cloth before he picked up his food and began to chew slowly. His moves were polite and graceful. This brought repeated nods of respect from Old Mistress Yan and the others. During the meal, Daohua, eating quickly, couldn’t help smacking her lips occasionally. Hearing the sound, Xiao Yeyang furrowed his brow and after enduring it for a while, he nudged Daohua with his elbow, signaling her to be quieter. Alas, Daohua didn’t get his hint, thinking she was in his way and quickly scooted aside. Seeing this, Xiao Yeyang muttered somewhat speechlessly, “Country bumpkin!” Daohua, with good hearing, looked over at once, “What did you say?” Xiao Yeyang looked Daohua up and down with a hint of disdain, “What a waste of looks.” Her appearance was decent, but her behavior lacked even a hint of etiquette. Daohua set down her food, “What do you mean by that?” This brat needs a good dressing down! Xiao Yeyang, holding back his temper and reminding himself that this person was his savior, said patiently, “You should pay more attention to your behavior and appearance.” If it weren’t for his current misfortune, such a person wouldn’t have been allowed near him. Daohua immediately widened her eyes and looked at herself. There was nothing wrong! Old Mistress Yan, however, laughed, “Yeyang is right, you really should be more mindful.” Daohua reluctantly said, “But I’ve always been like this.” Old Mistress Yan explained, “That may be alright in Yan Village, but not once you get to Linyi County.” In Yan Village, being a bit wild was fine, but in the county town, as the daughter of the County Magistrate, one must learn proper manners and etiquette. “What a pain!” Daohua looked begrudgingly at Xiao Yeyang, “So I’m a country bumpkin? Then what are you, a jinx?”