Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 209 Bandits
Next, they were going to Wei County.

Wang Yan looked at Xie Yuyan. She had been traveling with him all day and was bound to be exhausted, but she didn't hesitate at all and once again used his strength to get back on her horse.

In his memory, she was a delicate little girl back then.

How many hardships must the road ahead have to be before one can develop this kind of personality after growing up?

He urged his horse forward. Wang Yan suddenly realized that he hadn't thought about the past for a while. Recalling the past had become a habit for him. Because he was born into the Wang family and lived with his father, many things were constrained by the family. However, this memory was something that no one else could change or touch.

A secret that belongs entirely to him.

Now the secret has returned to him, though it is quite different from what he expected.

However, he seemed to gradually accept this change.

……

Chenyao Village.

Zheng looked at the busy Chen Ping.

Chen Ping packed the pancakes made in the village into her basket, along with the freshly stir-fried dried radish her mother had prepared. She carefully placed everything in the basket, and her eyes suddenly reddened as she looked at it.

"This dish was taught to me by Madam Xie."

The only small iron pot in the village was given to Zheng by Madam Xie. At first, Zheng refused to accept it, but Madam Xie said, "Give it to Chen Ping to stir-fry dried radish."

Only then did Zheng stop refusing.

Chen Ping wiped away his tears with his sleeve. This outfit was newly made, and he usually cherished it, but now he couldn't care less about that.

Chen Ping was terrified that Madam Xie wouldn't come back, just like his father and uncles...

“Mother,” Chen Ping looked at Madam Zheng, “Madam will be alright. Mr. Tong and the others said that as soon as the tabloids are printed, they will distribute them not only to Daming Prefecture, but also to other places… Those people will not dare to act recklessly, and Madam will be safe.”

These words were not only spoken to his mother, but also to comfort himself.

Zheng nodded: "Mr. Tong is right."

"We can't do anything else, so we'll just bring some food for the gentlemen," Chen Ping said, sniffing. That was all they could do.

Zheng helped Chen Ping carry the bamboo basket and then saw him out of the village.

Chen Ping's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, but Zheng Shi never returned to the house. She just stood there for a while, and then three people from the village came out one after another and stood beside Zheng Shi.

After a long while, the oldest grandmother spoke up: "Shouldn't we go out for a while?"

If these words had been spoken a few months ago, the group would have looked terrified, and some would have nervously tried to stop Grandma. But now, they all remained calm, and two of them even nodded in response immediately.

One of them said, "I want to go back to my parents' home. It's been a long time since I've visited them."

Ultimately, it's all about finding excuses to go out.
Zheng interrupted her, saying, "You should stay and take care of the village and the water shop. Ping-ge'er has been coughing at night these past few days, so I need to go and fetch a good doctor."

Outsiders passing by thought they were just chatting casually, but only they knew the true meaning behind their words. Something had happened to Madam Xie; they couldn't just stand by and watch.

Yong'anfang, the Yang family, and Mr. Tong are all trying to come up with a solution. If they do nothing, they will be unable to get over the possibility of something going wrong with Madam Xie.

Since Chenyao Village was attacked by bandits, life has been exceptionally difficult. If things continued like this, Chenyao Village would be gone. Fortunately, they met Madam Xie this winter.

The women in the village worked alongside Madam Xie, providing the village with charcoal and food. It could be said that Madam Xie sustained the entire village.

Seeing that others were about to speak, Zheng said, "Who knows the way better than me?" This silenced everyone.

"Who has run more times than me?"

Zheng took a deep breath: "At this critical juncture, no one is more suitable to go than me."

Madam Zheng pulled up her sleeves to hide her crippled arm; a woman like her wouldn't attract attention if she went out.

After saying this, Madam Zheng continued, "Besides, Madam Xie has helped me the most." Madam Xie trusts her and has entrusted her with managing the water shop. For that reason alone, she would risk her life to make the trip.

Grandma stopped trying to persuade her and instead told Zheng, "Be careful on the road and don't let anyone follow you. Don't worry about things at home; I'll take care of Ping-ge."

“There’s no time to lose,” said Zheng. “I’ll set off now.”

In fact, Zheng had already packed her bags. All she needed to do was explain to the villagers that this was putting the whole village in danger, and she couldn't make decisions for everyone. Fortunately... they thought the same way she did.

Zheng walked quickly out of the village and headed straight for the city gate.

Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, and she carefully watched whether anyone was following her. After leaving the city, she intentionally traveled with others until she had to part ways...

As darkness fell and everyone went to find lodging, Zheng quietly slipped away from the crowd and headed down a small path.

She had to cross three mountains to reach her destination.

However, she was also worried that they might move away. In order to avoid the government offices, they couldn't stay in one place for too long.

They traveled on and off, resting for two hours at night, and then resumed their journey when it was light.

Finally, as dawn broke, Zheng saw the mark on the stone wall, which was left for her.

The sign points northwest.

Zheng traveled another ten miles in one breath and finally saw a wisp of smoke, indicating that people lived there.

When she reached out to knock on the door, Zheng had no strength left.

Fortunately, the people inside spotted her and immediately came out to greet her.

“Sister-in-law,” Chen Rong came out and looked at Zheng Shi in surprise, “Why are you here?”

As he spoke, he looked around and immediately welcomed Zheng into the house.

Chen Rong squinted in one eye, and a long scar ran down his face, making him look somewhat fierce. Zheng Shi stared at this familiar face, as if she could see what he looked like before he was injured, and she could also see the shadow of her deceased husband in his eyes and brows.

"How have you been these days?" Zheng asked.

Chen Rong said, "We sold smuggled salt and exchanged it for some rice and grain, so we're doing alright. We also went to the dry well before the New Year to get the money my sister-in-law left us, so we'll definitely be fine this winter."

After winter, they could travel further afield to smuggle salt and hunt in the mountains. After Han Tong's incident, almost all the men in the village were killed. Chen Rong and a few others managed to escape. Over the years, they have rescued some people persecuted by the government, along with some people who were evading taxes and corvée labor, and they have gathered in the mountains to make a living.

They were once wrongly accused of being "mountain bandits," and now, hiding in the mountains, they do indeed resemble "mountain bandits" to some extent. However, they do not rob ordinary people; they simply make a living by selling smuggled salt.

“Sister-in-law, how did you manage to raise so much money this year? I was worried about it the other day... I’ve been thinking of going down the mountain to ask you.”

At this point, Madam Zheng's expression changed, and her smile disappeared: "My coming to find you is more or less related to this."

Chen Rong frowned: "What? Have those corrupt officials made things difficult for the villagers again?"